Last Week: 3/10

Overall: 88/230

Norwich City vs Tottenham Hotspur

8.45am Wednesday (NZT)

If there was one lesson learned by Spurs’ demolition of Colchester Utd in the FA Cup, it’s that they have a deep squad. As deep as any other in the Premier League, maybe. Granted they do depend a fair bit on a couple main players – take Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris out and it’s a different story – but then it’s the same with everyone else. Hell, take Messi, Iniesta and Suarez outta Barcelona and they’re much worse immediately. Every team has players that they can’t afford to get injured. Anyway, those three are all fit (though Jan Vertonghen isn’t – out for two months, though I honestly reckon he’s replaceable). The top four isn’t just a realistic aim for Spurs but it’s a benchmark goal. If they don’t make the Champions League then they should be pretty bloody disappointed. Not only that but squeeze past a tough draw against Crystal Palace and the Cup is there in contention as well.

Kevin Wimmer should cover for Vertonghen well enough, though I’m keen to see 18 year old Reuben Carter-Vickers get a run there too. He was a standout for the USA at the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand last year, playing alongside Matt Miazga – who just signed for Chelsea. Good fun all around.

Speaking of centre-backs, I like Norwich’s purchase of Timm Klose. A solid, reliable leader for a top Bundesliga club, it's actually odd that no better team came for him but that’s their problem. Klose sorta fell out of favour with Dante joining Wolfsburg this season, plus the good thing about buying from the Bundesliga is that they just came off a month’s break so he’s fresh as can be. Norwich also went in for Steven Naismith, finishing the deal that broke off in the summer. Add in Matt Jarvis, Ivo Pinto, Harry Toffolo, Ben Godfrey and Patrick Bamford and no team has been busier this month than the Canaries. Gotta love that ambition from a team scrapping in that relegation battle. Based on that absolutely mental 5-4 loss to Liverpool, we may be getting a fresh new Norwich for the back half of the season. With a little luck, Klose will fix the leaky defence that blew a 3-1 lead in that game.

Let’s play a game. It’s called: ‘Moussa Dembele or Mousa Dembele.’ Basically, all you do is decide which is which based on these given facts.

1. Is a 28 year old Belgian international.
2. Is a 19 year old French youth international.
3. Recently signed a new contract with Spurs.
4. Almost transferred to Spurs today.
5. Has played for Fulham.

(Answers: 1, 3 & 5 = Mousa. 2, 4 & 5 = Moussa.)

Wildcard’s Pick: 2-1 to Spurs

Arsenal vs Southampton

8.45am Wednesday

Breathe a big sigh of relief for the Gunners, Alexis Sanchez is back and he’s already hitting that top form. He was the deciding factor in a tricky FA Cup win over Burnley and he returns right in time to give this Arsenal title challenge a well-needed shot in the arm. The recent loss to Chelsea and the two draws with Liverpool and Stoke had taken a bit of puff outta their chest and dropped them to third in the league.

But in the FA Cup…

FA Cup Fifth Round Draw:

• Chelsea v Manchester City
• Reading v West Brom/Peterborough
• Watford v Leeds United
• Shrewsbury Town v Manchester United
• Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool/West Ham United
• Tottenham v Crystal Palace
• Arsenal v Hull City
• Bournemouth v Everton

Home to Hull City, that’s not as easy as it sounds because Hull are emerging as possibly the form team in the Championship with all sorts of reason to think promotion is on the cards. But it beats Chelsea or City, who are playing each other. Or a trip-up game against the likes of Spurs or Everton. Probably only Man United are happier with that draw.

Those games are to be played in the third week of February. It’s hard not to think an FA Cup three-peat isn’t a real chance looking at how it’s panning out. They’re the favourites for now, anyway.

Southampton beat Arsenal 4-0 in December. That clearly isn’t happening again (PROVE ME WRONG!) but a small victory ain’t impossible. Three wins in a row for the Saints and being as they lost to Palace in the third round of the Cup they just had a weekend off. I can’t bring myself to pick it but I can see it. Maybe. Possibly.

Wildcard’s Pick: 1-0 to the Arse

West Ham United vs Aston Villa

8.45am Wednesday

You know how sometimes you’ll be watching a movie and you know exactly how it’s gonna end after 20 minutes and from there on it’s pretty much you laughing at all the dumb decisions that the director made? That’s Aston Villa’s season. Hey but it looks like they’ll get Mathieu Debuchy on loan so that ought to save their skins… right?

Wildcard’s Pick: Hammers 2-0

Sunderland vs Manchester City

8.45am Wednesday

I’m fascinated by this new Sunderland signing. Wahbi Khazri, 24 years old coming in from Bordeaux. He’s an attacking mid and a Tunisian international. He might be brilliant or he might not be, I’m looking forward to finding out.

As for this game, I mean seriously.

Wildcard’s Pick: City 4-0

Leicester City vs Liverpool

8.45am Wednesday

Last minute winner against Norwich? Check.

Shoot out win to make the League Cup final? Check.

Goalless draw to force a replay in the FA Cup? Check.

It was one of those weeks for Liverpool that could well have gone in a very different direction. With all their competitions still rolling and three PL points under their belts, I get the feeling that Jurgen will settle for that. They’re still in the Europa League as well, remember.

As for Leicester City, they’re only in one competition now and that ain’t so terrible. Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Spurs are all in at least three competitions. Nothing like squad fatigue to level the playing field.

Wildcard’s Pick: 1-1 sounds right

Manchester United vs Stoke City

9.00am Wednesday

A week ago Stoke were in three competitions. Now it’s only the one. A week ago Louis Van Gaal was on the verge of the sack (again). Now it seems he’s bought some more time. If there’s one lesson that I’m taking from his repeated Lazarus acts, it’s that United are being very smart in not going after Jose Mourinho. If they wanted him then they’ve had every chance to get him and they would have. They haven’t so that tells me he’d better look elsewhere.

Tell ya what, it was actually one of their best performances all season against Derby. Admittedly against an out of form Championship team but take what you can get and all that. Wayne Rooney’s playing great, Mata and Martial had fantastic games. They lost to Stoke last time but it really looked like the Potters were exhausted after their penalty loss to Liverpool in the League Cup and midweek fixtures aren’t usually the best for recovery.

Wildcard’s Pick: 2-1 MUFC

Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth

9.00am Wednesday

You cannot look at that and feel much other than a scary foreboding. In many ways too, remember this is the guy last seen complaining about his own family putting voodoo practices upon him to curse his career. That really happened. But as far as Crystal Palace goes this was a gamble that they had to make.

First of all, Emmanuel Adebayor is a guy who plays much, much better when he is given a regular role and challenged. It’s as a reserve that he slipped into the lazy distraction that Tottenham paid good money to simply to bugger off. He was a world class striker at Arsenal for a little while. He should play regularly for the Eagles and there’s a chance that he recaptures something long thought lost. It’s a gamble. And it’s one worth making.

The case for the defence goes like this:

Combined Premier League goals by Palace strikers this season (Gayle, Wickham, Campbell, Bamford & Chamakh): 1.

That’s one goal between them, in a total of 1747 minutes. Wins against Southampton and Bournemouth in the FA Cup are nice but in their last six Prem. games they’ve drawn two and lost four with one goal scored and 11 conceded. Dead last on the form table. That one goal was an own goal, by the way.

Wildcard’s Pick: Feels like a 0-0, exactly like their last meeting

West Bromwich Albion vs Swansea City

9.00am Wednesday

Hey look, Saido Berahino played and he scored a couple goals. Doesn’t look like they’re gonna sell him either so, like… maybe give him a few more games? Yeah? Newcastle bid £21m for the lad and they turned that down. Curious, very curious.

I have a suspicion that West Brom might be due an upturn about now and a team like Swansea, dunno if they’ve got the core to stick with a short-back-and-sides team like WBA.

Wildcard’s Pick: 1-0 WBA

Watford vs Chelsea

8.45am Thursday

The day must come for all players, you either retire too early or you play until your team no longer needs you. It’s happened to pretty much everyone, Ryan Giggs only avoided it by becoming a player/coach, while Frank Lampard ended up at City, Steven Gerrard ended up in America (while playing charity games for LFC old boys teams and training with the club still – some hearts just don’t let go) and… well, City don’t really have anyone on that level. Shaun Goater? Man, he finished playing League One with Southend. Wait a few years until Vincent Kompany gets broken once and for all, hard to see him playing at 34 (which is the same age that the perennially bleeding Nemanja Vidic retired at this week). Alan Shearer is one of the few that got exactly what he ought to have out of his career in terms of longevity. Retired at 36 as the injuries caught up to him – can’t argue with that. Time is undefeated, as Rocky Balboa says.

A bit strange with this whole John Terry situation though. He came out with a bunch of comments about how he’s been dealing with the fact that the club told him they won’t extend his deal, which has led to all this.

“Unfortunately it was a no.  It's not going to be a fairytale ending, I'm not going to retire at Chelsea. It's going to be elsewhere which took me a couple of days to get over.  But like I say, I knew before the Arsenal game and my performance isn't going to change — the way I train, what I give for the club.  I want to give everything and finish on a high, on 100 per cent good terms with the club."

All sorts of crap like that, which makes it seem quite final. But then the club came out with this:

"John requested a meeting with the club the week before last and, in that meeting, he asked about the possibility of an extension to his existing contract. John was advised that, while no new deal was currently on the table, that situation could change in the coming months."

"The club has the utmost respect for John and everything he has helped us achieve to date. He is a fantastic servant to Chelsea and a superb captain. As such, the club will keep the channels of dialogue open."

So it’s a ‘maybe’ from Chelsea. Can’t see that happening. A shame for Terry because you never wanna see the best players reach that level where it’s nothing but a struggle. JT isn’t quite there but he’s getting close. At least at this level. Still, he’s getting plenty more games than Gary Cahill who is getting pretty testy at his own situation.

Meanwhile: Watford have signed Mario Suarez. That’s frigging awesome, that guy can play.

Ooh, ooh, and Eden Hazard scored a goal! Good for him, it’s been awhile.

Wildcard’s Pick: 1-1

Everton vs Newcastle United

8.45am Thursday

Umm, Everton oughta win this.

Meanwhile here are my favourite signings of the January Window (excluding a few deadline deals because my own deadlines take precedent). Top ten in no particular order:

1. Mario Suarez to Watford
2. Wahbi Khazri to Sunderland
3. Benik Afobe to Bournemouth
4. Mohamed Elneny to Arsenal
5. Jonjo Shelvey to Newcastle
6. Demarai Gray to Leicester City
7. Patrick Bamford to Norwich
8. Charlie Austin to Southampton
9. Sam Byram to West Ham
10. Oumar Niasse to Everton

Wildcard’s Pick: 2-0 Everton