Brazil tells FIFA that Amazon venue will be ready

Sao Paulo: Brazilian officials have given guarantees to FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke that the World Cup stadium in the Amazon city of Manaus will be completed by the December deadline established by football's governing body. Valcke received the assurances from organizers during his inspection visit to the Arena Amazonia on Tuesday. He also got guarantees from officials in the southern city of Curitiba, although the stadium there will be completed without the retractable roof from the original design. The roof was not a FIFA requirement, so it was cut from the project to avoid delaying the overall construction work. "We made a request to the city, the state and the club in relation to the progress of construction of the retractable roof, so that the contractual timeframe could be met," Valcke said. The stadiums in Manaus and Curitiba are among the six which have to be delivered by the end of the year. The other six were ready for the Confederations Cup earlier this year, although only two were completed by the original deadline. FIFA has made it clear that it will not tolerate the same type of delays for football's showcase event. Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo last week said that work in nearly all of the six stadiums needed to be sped up in order to be delivered by December. The stadium in Sao Paulo, which will host the World Cup opener on June 12, was the only unfinished venue which is not prompting concerns. Valcke visited Sao Paulo venue on Monday and was satisfied with the progress, saying he was confident that it will be ready in time. The stadium in Manaus is 78 percent completed, with 12 percent of the work being done since July, according to local organizers. "Great to be back in the heart of Amazonas," Valcke posted on Twitter. "Manaus' uniqueness will offer fans a very special (hash)worldcup experience." Valcke was expected to attend a Brazilian Cup match in the jungle city on Wednesday. His trip to Brazil will end on Thursday after the board meeting of the local World Cup organizing committee in Rio de Janeiro.

Arsenal's Oxlade-Chamberlain out for 6 weeks

Istanbul: Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been ruled out for at least six weeks, dealing a blow to the team’s early-season hopes. The England international injured his left knee in Arsenal’s Premier League opener on Saturday which ended in a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa. Manager Arsene Wenger says Oxlade-Chamberlain has a posterior cruciate problem—“a ligament which is stretched”—but he is not expected to require surgery. Wenger was speaking ahead of the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League playoff against Fenerbache on Wednesday in Istanbul. Oxlade-Chamberlain can expect to miss England’s key World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine next month.

Email High demand as World Cup ticket sales begin

Sao Paulo: Tickets for next year’s World Cup went on sale online on Tuesday with 16 of the 64 immediately seeing a high number of applicants, including the opening match in Sao Paulo and the final in Rio de Janeiro. FIFA’s website shows there are more ticket applicants than the number of seats available in all four price categories for the opener and the final at Maracana Stadium, meaning the chances of securing a ticket will depend on a random selection draw conducted by football’s governing body in October. The other matches had a high demand for tickets only in the cheapest category, available to Brazilians. Tickets went up for grabs 1000 GMT and applications quickly started pouring in. The FIFA website said there was a virtual queue “due to an exceedingly high demand for access to the ticketing page.”

Van Persie tops player poll, Barcelona top team

London: Robin van Persie held off last year’s winner Lionel Messi to be voted player of the week in the first round of The Associated Press global football poll. Both players scored twice, but Van Persie’s acrobatic volley and long-range goal in Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Swansea in the Premier League gave the Dutchman the edge over Messi by 10 points. Monaco forward Emmanuel Riviere, who scored his first career hat trick in the 4-1 win over Montpellier in the French league, finished third. Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas took fourth place after being instrumental in Barcelona’s 7-0 thrashing of Levante in the Spanish league. Barcelona won 221 of 230 points to finish in front of United, Chelsea, Juventus and Monaco in the team poll.

Sao Paulo will be ready for World Cup: FIFA

Sao Paulo: FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke said he has no doubt Itaquerao stadium here will be ready in time for next year's World Cup. Earlier this year, Valcke warned Sao Paulo could be taken off the tournament's schedule if construction work was not stepped up at the venue, reports Xinhua. "I remember that during the Confederations Cup we had an emergency meeting because we were afraid about when this stadium would be delivered," Valcke said Monday. "And I can tell you that, yes, the stadium will be delivered on time and, yes, it will be ready to organise the opening game of the World Cup and also for test events here before this opening game." Sao Paulo was Valcke's first stop of a four-day tour that will also include inspections of stadiums in Curitiba, Manaus and Rio de Janeiro. Six of the 12 World Cup venues not used during this year's Confederations Cup have been given a December deadline by FIFA for the completion of construction work.

Australia to play friendlies against Brazil, France

Sydney: The Australian football team, the Socceroos, will play friendlies against Brazil and France in the next two months to boost their preparations for the 2014 World Cup. The Socceroos announced that the match against France will take place at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Oct 12 after their clash with Brazil in Brasilia on Sep 8, reports Xinhua.It will be the fourth time Australia meet the 1998 World Cup winners. Socceroos coach Holger Osieck says the team needs to play against top-quality international opponents as it has to get challenged at the highest level. "This will be another great experience for our team and myself, as it gives me a good indication where we stand right now compared to the top countries in the world and what our focus has to be to raise our standard," he told reporters Tuesday. The match will also be a key hit-out for France only four days before their final World Cup qualifier against Finland.

Premier League: Real test for David Moyes at Manchester United begins

As the new season of the English Premier League 2013-14 begins, football fans across England and those following the league are all excited to the core. Critics and fans alike have begun to predict and debate as to who will emerge victorious at the end of the season in May 2014. But all said and done, Manchester United are the defending champions for the next one year. Since the Premier League 2012-2013 ended in May, the league has seen a lot of changes – new coaches, players, renewed contracts, etc. However, the most notable of them all was the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United FC, who after over 26 years as the head of the club bagged 38 trophies — which include 13 Premier League titles, two UEFA Champions League titles and five FA Cups besides over a dozen of individual awards. And what followed post his retirement at Man U was for the world to see. David Moyes, another Scot, like Alex Ferguson, was chosen by the man himself to succeed him at the club. A man who had managed Everton FC for a decade was recommended and considered by the former coach as the right man to take care of Manchester United and take it to greater realms of glory. Moyes could either consider himself the luckiest, or the unluckiest manager in the history of the Premier League. He is lucky for he gets to manage the most successful club in the league history; and unlucky for he is expected to fill the boots of Sir Alex Ferguson, widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. And as the Premier League 2013-14 begins, pressure is surely mounting on the Scot considering that Manchester United under him have had a not-so-great pre-season with just two wins out of seven matches played, drawing two and losing three in the process. Winning the Community Shield 2013 though, against Wigan Athletic, will come as a consolation for Moyes considering it was his first official match as a Manager of the club. So, where does one see David Moyes and Manchester United at the end of the season in May next year? Well, that’s 10 months to go and 38 matches in the Premier League before one sees the results. However, there are some real tough tests that he has to overcome at the club. Firstly, it is filling up the space, living to the name and the legacy left behind by Sir Alex Ferguson. Then, considering that Moyes had done well at Everton for a decade, he should be doing better with a stronger side like at Manchester United. And he could finally make a name for himself here. Winning titles comes in at a close second. At Manchester United you are supposed to win titles and that is all that matters. Not to forget, they have won a record 20 Premier League titles, 13 of them in the new era. Winning has become a way of life at the club and Sir Alex got them into this habit of winning one title after another. David Moyes has to deliver with wins and nothing less. For sure, he will be facing tough opposition from title contenders such as Chelsea FC, the neighbours Manchester City FC, Arsenal and Tottenham to name a few. Fixtures of the first five matches show how tough it will be for David Moyes at Old Trafford – Man U begin their title defence for the 20th time with Swansea City, Chelsea FC, Liverpool, Crystal Palace and Manchester City FC. Chelsea FC and Manchester City are title contenders and Moyes has a tough few games ahead of him. Keeping Wayne Rooney at the club for at least one more season is another hard test for the Scot. Rooney, a childhood fan of Everton, started his career at the club under Moyes but was sold off by the Scot to Manchester United almost a decade ago. Since then, the relations between the two have been strained. For the second time, Rooney asked to leave the club when Alex Ferguson was at the helms. Perhaps, he had sensed Moyes’ arrival. With Chelsea FC showing interest in the player and Rooney wanting to join them, Moyes must try to keep him at Manchester United as he is a valuable cog in the United juggernaut. Moyes’another concern will be the lack of a good midfielder who can control the ball in the area and make box-to-box passes. Michael Carrick at 32 is the only man on whom he can depend on. But what if Carrick gets injured? Midfield is an area that Man U is currently weak at. Moyes missed out on Thiago Alcantara and Cesc Fabregas— players who could have made an impact in the centre. This means he has to try the various options available with him now – Anderson, Tom Cleverly, Shinji Kagawa. In his own words, ‘I think the Premier League is going to be a little bit more unpredictable than it’s been in the past. I just hope the predictability about it is that Manchester United are beating everybody you expect them to beat.’ Well, Moyes sure is expected to win games and titles. But he also has a legacy to live up at the club. He has to prove to all, to Sir Alex Ferguson, the club, fans, opponents and critics that he is worthy of the post, that is being the Manager of Manchester United FC. To sum it up in short, the ‘real test’ for David Moyes at Manchester United begins now.

Dhawan has "raised the bar" for us, says Gautam Gambhir

New Delhi: Out of favour due to poor form, senior opener Gautam Gambhir has openly admitted that his statemate Shikhar Dhawan has "raised the bar" for him and all others with his stupendous performance at the international level.

Gambhir, who is fighting to make a comeback into the India side, showered accolades on his statemate Dhawan who smashed second highest individual List A score of 248 against South Africa A yesterday.

"Shikhar proud of u, brilliant knock. Keep going, keep the tricolour fluttering. And yes Shikhar, thanks for raising the bar for all of us. Good luck for future too," Gambhir was effusive in his praise for the fellow left-hander.

Dhawan's opening partner during last two seasons, Unmukt Chand also took to the micro-blogging site to congratulate the man of the moment.

"Cant believe my ears. shikhardhawan gone berserk against south africa A. Sheer demolition by jatt. inspiring," Unmukt wrote.

English Premier League team by team preview 2013/14 part 5

The final in a five part series on the 2013/14 English Premier League looks at the sides whose sole aim for the season will be simply to avoid relegation.

Norwich City
The Canaries have been a major success in the top flight thus far, especially playing under two different managers in two seasons, which is generally hard to come by for the newly promoted clubs.

Chris Houghton has laid down the marker, releasing 11 players from his 25 man squad and bolstering it with the likes of Javier Garrido and Gary Hooper from Lazio and Celtic respectively.

This club may surprise a few pundits as they did last campaign, however it all depends on if they can keep these top players fit and firing.

If not, they could be in real danger and a third season may be one too far.

Prediction: 17th

Player to watch: Gary Hooper –the Scotsman might just flourish at Carrow Road.

No pressure, unlike his previous employees, if he can remain calm, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes in the top ten goal scorers of the campaign.

Hull City
The new boys will have their work cut out for them this season; it’s never easy coming into the Premier League and asserting your status.

Steven Bruce has purchased some talent this summer, such as Maynor Figueroa, as well as bringing in striker Danny Graham on loan.

The last time this club were promoted in to England’s promised land, they were sitting in a Champions League spot after ten rounds, but it won’t happen again this campaign and I cannot see this club surviving – even if it knocks off some big scalps in the process – not with the squad they have.

Prediction: Relegated

Player to watch: Danny Graham – brought in to score goals for the chances that arrive to his feet, he needs to score, simple. If he makes this a habit, who knows.

Cardiff City
Generally every new season there is one newly promoted club that stuns a few watchers and has a massive impact on the league. If it’s any team out of the promoted three, it will be Cardiff.

The Bluebirds already have a solid roster, hence why they haven’t acquired many new talents; Steven Caulker from Spurs on a loan was the big one so far.

Will this be enough for the men at Cardiff City Stadium to survive? Malky Mackay thinks so – but I’m not sure if this is true.

They need to gain as many points as they can in the first half of the campaign or this second Welsh side in the Premier League will find themselves down before they know it.

Prediction: Relegated

Player to watch: Fraizer Campbell – the man who signed only in January netted seven goals in 12 appearances for Cardiff last campaign, and the supporters will be expecting more.

He will definitely need to add to that tally.

Crystal Palace
The third and final new boys to arrive in the English Premier League, the Eagles will also have their work cut out for them this campaign.

Not much is happening in the transfer market at Selhurst Park, despite Ian Holloway promising his supporters some new talent.

His experience in the top flight with Blackpool in 2011/12 shows he can make the right purchase, but he needs to act quickly. Time is running out fast and, with the start of the new season not so far away, his rivals are looking ahead of him.

Don’t discount this squad, they had an astonishing second half of the season in 2012/13, but I don’t think this crop of players will be enough to get them through and away from the relegation battle.

Prediction: Relegated

Player to watch: Mile Jedinak – the Australian flourished under Holloway’s guidance last season, eventually captaining the squad towards the end and through the playoffs.

A solid midfielder who can be tough to stop, If he can lift his game a touch or two, he might be able to help guide his club to a few surprises. But that’s a big ‘if’.

English Premier League team by team preview 2013/14 part 4

With part four, we approach the sticky end of the predicted English Premier League ladder, with teams which will be happy to survive the 2013/14 season avoiding relegation. In part three we dealt with the possible surprise packets of the new year.

West Ham United
The East Londoners finally managed to secure the full time service of Andy Carroll this summer and they will be looking to better their tenth place finish last season.

Expect more of the same this season from West Ham, keeping a strong record at home with a direct style of football.

Sam Allardyce will be looking for the club to have more of an impact in cup competitions over the league in my opinion.

Mid-table mediocrity for the Hammers.

Prediction: 13th

Player to watch: Andy Carroll – he will only get better with age.

The Englishman must prove his worth this season, especially with the World Cup around the corner, Roy Hodgson would love to take an in-form striker with him to Brazil.

Aston Villa
The Villains managed to leave survival late last time round.

It was vital for Villa to maintain their Premier League status last season for the growth of their vastly young and talented squad and it was a massive bonus for the Midlands club they also managed to keep hold of their prized asset Christian Benteke.

They have managed a couple solid purchases this summer and are continuously adapting a focus on youth; The Claret and Blue are certainly building for the future.

It might just be easier surviving this time round – not by much though.

Prediction: 14th

Player to watch: Christian Benteke – is there any other player that is key at the moment?

A total of 19 Premier League goals last season and a new contract to top it off, Benteke will be one striker to watch this season.

If he is on fire, it will make the Villains’ life much easier.

Fulham
The West Londoners might seem in real trouble this season, with their only major signing so far being goalkeeper Martin Stekelenburg from AS Roma.

Releasing an abundance of talent without being replaced, Martin Jol will have his work cut out for him.

This club can show glimpses of brilliance from their bigger name players at times, but they also looked as flat as a piece of timber, predominantly in their defence, which has also been renowned to be stubborn over the years.

The Cottagers shouldn’t be worried about a relegation dog fight, but if they don’t get off to a good start, panic signs may start arising.

The imminent arrival of Adel Taarabt might change a few minds though.

Prediction: 15th

Player to watch: Sascha Riether – the German defender will be key in this campaign, with Fulham having a solid front line and a list of descent midfielders, it’s their defence that will be the worrying factor as it was previously.

If this veteran steps up, this squad can cause a few surprises.

Southampton
The Saints look a fresh line-up this campaign, with Mauricio Pocheccino strengthening the squad to retain the South-siders top flight status.

Really impressive under the Spaniard last season, however avoiding second year syndrome must be the number one priority at St Mary’s.

They will surprise a few again this season, but that will be the best thing to come out of the 2013/14 season for this club.

Maybe a couple solid runs in cup competitions should be the priority.

Prediction: 16th

Player to watch: Gaston Ramirez – being linked with a few big clubs in Europe, Southampton must do whatever they can to keep him this season. He will be the key, as he was last season.

A standout purchase worthy of his transfer sum. If he stays, expect the Uruguayan to get even better.

English Premier League team by team preview 2013/14 part 3

Used to toughing it out in the middle of the table, could one of these clubs be the surprise packets of the 2013/14 English Premier League season and trouble the bigger clubs, or go the other way?

Swansea City
Readying for their first ever season in Europe, the Swans are just flying under the radar, building a big squad that can compete in the Europa League under Michael Laudrup.

When Brendan Rodgers took off for Liverpool in 2012, many people thought the same old story – a new manager will come along and not be able to meet the expectations the previous manager did.

Instead, the Dane surpassed these expectations and took them even further to secure their first piece of silverware.

Swansea will have to juggle this season, and with the Europa League already beginning, you would expect this squad to slowly deteriorate over the campaign and become a mid-table team.

Prioritisation between competitions will be the major issue. Newcastle United had this issue last season, so let’s see how South-Welsh club play this out; they definitely now have the depth, quality might be the issue.

Prediction: ninth

Player to watch: Michel Vorm – The Dutchman shot stopper will be key to Swansea’s survival of the campaign this season.

Injured for parts of last, Vorm will be preparing himself for a lengthy campaign praying for as many clean sheets as possible.

Everton
A new manager, a fresh start. Roberto Martinez will aim do to something that the David Moyes never did – win silverware.

Despite his former club Wigan being relegated under his management, he did leave a mark of playing football the way it should be played and pulling in the results when he needed to.

Everton have been one of the most consistent teams over the past decade, and the fans also considered it was time for a change.

Martinez did bring in a couple of his old boys from the DW stadium and will look to build with his current crop and do what they can do to finish in the European spots.

Champions League though is a no chance. Playing good football for the Toffees is the start.

Prediction: 10th

Player to watch: Marouane Fellaini – The Belgian has been in demand from the big boys this summer, but Everton look set to keep him.

With a more attacking approach to his game, Fellaini will definitely be the man to take the Merseysiders forward.

Stoke City
After seven years in charge, Stoke City begin life no longer under Tony Pulis, but now ex-City boss Mark Hughes.

The Welsh manager has already promised a more attractive and attacking display than his predecessor, for which many rival clubs and fans alike will be thankful.

Not much has been happening at the Brittania Stadium this summer, a slight revamp of the older guard has begun with the likes of Rory Delap and Matthew Upson moving on. Stoke generally do keep quiet in the market most times and add with some big names toward the end of August.

An established club now in the EPL and they will continue their mid-table history, no matter which style of football is being utilized.

Prediction: 11th

Player to watch: Matthew Etherington – Mr Consistent in the Stoke squad over the last couple seasons. Expect more of the same. He can brilliant to watch at times.

West Bromwich Albion
Another club flying under the radar after yet a solid last campaign.

The loss of Romelu Lukaku back to parent club Chelsea will not be the greatest news at the Hawthorns after his 17 goals last term.

The Baggies will be fired up for a second season under Steve Clarke especially after he replaced the young Belgian hit man with the more experienced Nicolas Anelka.

Expect another solid campaign from the Midlands club who would be looking to outdo their midlands rivals and try for a push for another European spot. Not just yet though.

Prediction: 12th

Player to watch: James Morrison – the Scottish midfielder is another young talent who always performs for the club.

Expect another solid season from the number seven.

EPL team by team preview 2013/14 (pt 2)

Having predicted the top four finishers for the upcoming English Premier League season in yesterday’s piece, let’s take a look at the teams which will be pressing them for a place in Europe.

Tottenham
The North Londoners find themselves in the same position they were in last season, struggling to keep hold of their key players and fighting off the media about potential sales.

Gareth Bale is key; the Welshman still wearing the white jersey at White Hart Lane will be critical to the Spurs’ Champions League hopes.

But can they turn down a potential offer of a reported 100 million pounds from Real Madrid? Surely Daniel Levy must swallow his pride and think about this offer.

Depth is key to a successful Premier League campaign, which they have witnessed from their bigger rivals. With the sale of Gareth Bale, despite him being their best player, imagine the team they can build with the rumoured sum of money.

Andre Villas-Boas had a solid first season and will be looking to build. With the correct acquisitions Tottenham can surely fight for a top-four finish again this season, with or without Bale.

Prediction: fifth

Player to watch: Paulinho – The man brought in this summer to try and fill the void left by Luka Modric, Paulinho looks the build and the complete player.

Brazilians have never failed to make an impact on a team and if he lives up to his billing, he would play a key role in their fight for a return of those European nights.

Liverpool
Another club doing their best to keep hold of by far their biggest asset, Luis Suarez has been clear with his employers he wants to play Champions League football, something this club cannot offer.

Real Madrid and Arsenal have started circling, but Brendan Rodgers has been firm he will do everything in his power to keep the Uruguayan.

Apart from that, Liverpool have bought well this window, bringing in the likes of Kolo Toure, Luis Albert, Simon Mignolet and Iago Aspas.

The Liverpool manager is continuing to rebuild the once most successful club in England. They are definitely aiming high and have hopes of reaching the top four, definitely moving in the right direction.

However losing Suarez will be a major dent in the club’s push for a top-four spot.

Prediction: sixth

Player to watch: Joe Allen – Steven Gerrard is past his prime – his time is ending. It is now time for the new boys, led by Joe Allen, to fill the void and build the club to the same level it was a decade or two ago.

With a fiery reception behind them at Anfield, this is always possible.

Newcastle United
A disappointing campaign last time round, The Magpies will be looking for a bigger push towards Europe this season.

The Europa League campaign clearly hurt the North-East club, and with nothing but domestic football in 2013/14, Alan Pardew will be looking for a similar campaign to the one they had 24 months ago.

The French revolution for the Toon is continuing, as they are now linked with Loic Remy and Bafétimbi Gomis from Queens Park Rangers and Lyon respectively and, with Papiss Cisse agreeing to wear a ‘Wonga’ shirt and stay at the club, Newcastle United have things moving in the right direction.

Keeping their stars such as Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa will also be key. Expect a solid campaign.

Prediction: seventh

Player to watch: Yohan Cabaye – when he plays well, Newcastle play well.

He was key to their survival last season and he will be imperative again. The Frenchman led the way from start to finish.

Newcastle surely miss him when he’s not around, and if he can remain fit, so will the Magpies.

Sunderland
Just like their neighbours, Sunderland endured a horrible campaign last term, which eventually brought the sacking of manager Martin O’Neill in the month of March.

So in came the controversial figure of Paolo Di Canio. This summer, the Italian has made a massive impact, bringing in an abundance of fresh talent as well dismissing more than half a dozen.

He looks equipped to go and will ensure the Black Cats turn from relegation candidates to European hopefuls. He has already told his team anyone who returned to training heavier would pay a massive fine.

This squad should be a tricky team to beat this season and with Di Canio’s motivation, attitude and sideline antics, there would be no disbelief if the Wearsiders string a few surprises.

Prediction: eighth

Player to watch: Adam Johnson – inconsistency has always been this lad’s concern and his previous move to Man City didn’t help the cause.

This season Johnson can certainly cement himself in the squad and become Sunderland’s go-to man. Look out.

EPL team by team preview 2013/14 (pt 1)

With the another highly anticipated EPL season around the corner, I’ve created a team by team summary, including preview, tips, predictions and players to watch out for this upcoming campaign.

Chelsea
There was no better way to start the summer as a Chelsea fan than Jose Mourinho being welcomed back to the helm for his second spell. The now proclaimed ‘happy one’ feels right at home.

The Blues have not made a loud noise in the summer transfer window, only bringing in the likes of Andre Schurlle and Dutchman youngster Marco Van Ginkel to their vastly talented squad. They have also decided to finally bring back a couple of their young growing starts from loan.

With the likes of David Luiz, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata who can only get better, this youthful squad look fully prepared to bring the trophy back to where the fans think it belongs.

Dominating displays in all their pre-season matches, the West London club is showing signs they already love life under the Portuguese. Let’s hope he lasts the full season.

Jose and his boys look ready to fire to the title for the first time since 2010 and with the likes on Wayne Rooney linked with a 40 million pound move, that would definitely solve the club’s striking problems and swing the odds back to Kings Road.

Prediction: Champions

Player to watch: Fernando Torres – How many chances can this man be given? Surely if he remains in blue this season it will be his final opportunity.

If the Blues don’t move for any striker and fail to bring in Rooney, The number 9 role is all the Spaniard’s to play for.

If Jose can be the one to bring out the best in him, expect fireworks for this club. If not, expect Roman Abramovich to pull out that cheque book once and for all.

Arsenal
Where to start with this football club? If I had a dollar for every time I heard Arsene Wenger say “we will spend this summer”, I would have a new Bentley GT sitting in my driveway.

Plain and simple, what happens with the Gunners this season heavily depends on what they do in the market. They missed out on Gonzalo Higuain, look ready to miss out on Luis Suarez, and many players have come and gone.

On the positive side, they haven’t lost a player and are still playing Champions League football, which will definitely be an attraction.

Wenger is a top class manager and always gets the best out his young squad. A new central midfielder and a top class centre-back are of top priority, this will heavily decide on how well they travel this season.

If they spend, they’ll be safe in the top four, if not; the likes of their North London rivals Tottenham and long-standing rivals Liverpool are waiting in the wings for that European spot.

Prediction: Runners up

Player to watch: Jack Wilshere – Arsenal will need to rely very heavily on this 21 year old. He is the rock of the squad and glimpses of brilliance last season put him in a Three Lions jersey.

Similar playing style to English legend Paul Gascoigne are being touted and his health will be critical.

Manchester City
A disappointing 2012/13 ended in the sacking of manager Roberto Mancini. So in comes Manuel Pellegrini and the Chilean has had an instant impact, bringing in the likes of Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Nogredo, who have definitely shown some promise in the pre-season friendlies; especially the latter.

This squad definitely has what it takes to be crowned champions for the second time in three seasons; they have refreshed their squad, selling the likes of Carlos Tevez, Kolo Toure and a few others.

Making the right moves in the market, already spending almost 100 million pounds, the blue side of Manchester will be hungry to steal the title back from their closest rivals.

Pellegrini has promised to input a new ‘style’ of football that won’t only be attractive, but also introduce a winning formula which can bring this club back to the top.

Whether he can do this in just his first season might be too much to ask – all this without mentioning the array of talent who would be frustrated if they are not given enough playing time.

Prediction: third

Player to watch: Sergio Aguero – The Argentinean front-man can now feel he is the first choice striker at Pellegrini’s disposal.

This is the season the 25-year old must fill the boots and aim to be the best striker in the land. A line of strikers waiting behind him, if the number 16 doesn’t get it right early on, expect him to be down the pecking order.

Manchester United
Dominant champions last season and looking to do the same for the 21st time, The Red Devils have been quiet in the summer transfer window thus far, the signing of young and impressive Ivorian Wilfred Zaha the sole transfer that will definitely add some spice in attack.

But will this be enough to keep the pendulum swinging for men from Old Trafford?

The loss of Sir Alex Ferguson comes at a massive expense, but this had to happen at some point. How this side can recover from the loss remains to be seen.

Taking nothing away from David Moyes, a man who is known to get the best out of a young squad and blossom a group of kids to large things, this is will definitely take time – let’s not forget a trophy-less decade at Everton.

Manchester United will always be thereabouts but, with the increase of talent from their neighbors and rivals abroad, United surely need to dip in to the market, and the signing of Cesc Fabregas would be ideal, the perfect man for a fading midfield.

Prediction: fourth

Player to watch: Shinji Kagawa – showed glimpses of talent during parts of last season, the Japanese centre forward must now step up his game and take the pressure off the likes of Robin Van Persie.

Definitely a talent and one to watch out for this coming season.

Ryan Giggs has played down Manchester United's struggles to bring in new faces by claiming the current squad is capable of success.

United claimed their first silverware of the David Moyes era when they defeated Wigan 2-0 in the Community Shield.

The victory has eased some of the tension among Red Devils supporters, who had started to become agitated by a combination of poor pre-season form and the lack of fresh blood since Moyes' appointment was announced in May.

However, as Moyes confirmed after the Wembley encounter, he is still trying to bolster his squad, knowing time is ticking down until the window closes on September 2.

With Arsenal equally bereft and high-profile situations involving Gareth Bale, Luis Suarez and, much closer to home, Wayne Rooney still to resolve themselves, there is still evidently plenty of business to be done.

Clearly, Giggs does not have a crystal ball to know who will end up at Old Trafford, with Luka Modric and even Bale still being talked of as potential signings in addition to Everton duo Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines.

But he does know that with all but Paul Scholes still remaining from a squad that clinched the title by 11 points last season, United will remain in a strong position.

"The quality is in the squad," Giggs said. "We showed that last year. Now we have to show it again.

"It has been a slow transfer window. Manchester City did their business early on but, other than that, there has not been a lot of movement so it could be a hectic last two weeks.

"We will just have to wait and see how it goes but we are quite happy with the players in our dressing room.

"We won the league with those players so we are looking forward to the start of the season.

"If we sign someone - great. If not we will just get on with it."