Can Norwich pull off a great escape?
Norwich's hopes of Premier League survival looked dead in the water earlier in the season as they were rock bottom with very little hope of staying up. But back to back victories over Everton and Watford have given them some much needed belief and confidence that they can stay up. So can they pull off a great escape?
If there was one thing that Norwich did to get their wins it was score goals and goals have been a problem for them all season. They netted five in those two games combined which will be a massive plus for them going forward as well of give their attacking players plenty of confidence. Dean Smith will definitely be looking to go into the market to add some reinforcements and if he can do that the great escape could well happen.
Ranieri got what was coming
Claudio Ranieri was sacked by Watford earlier today with the club 19th in the table following their 3-0 defeat to Norwich on Friday. He's the 15th manager to get the chop since the Pozzo's brought the club back in 2012 and because of that along with the Hornet's poor form, he got what was coming.
The pressure had been building on Ranieri for the last few weeks because of the poor form his side were in and their recent run of 8 defeats in 9 games in all competitions is the kind of form that gets a manager sacked. They have missed Ismaila Sarr in their attack because of how important he is for them but they still could've done more to win the more winnable games they didn't win. There's been no improvement under him as they've won just 2 of his 13 league games in charge plus they've also conceded a lot of goals which is why they're in the position they find themselves in.
Are Wolves pushing for Europe?
Wolves would've taken a top 10 finish at the start of the season and it looks like they're set to go beyond that. They're currently 8th in league and two points off a European spot behind Spurs in 7th. So are Bruno Lage's men pushing for Europe?
They have at times struggled to finish teams off but other than that Wolves are still having a pretty good season under Bruno Lage. They did have a tough start but since then they've gone quietly about their business and it has helped them get good results along the way. They've been tight at the back all season with only Man City conceding fewer goals than them and in recent weeks they have looked more clinical in front of goal. If they can carry on taking their chances and keep key players fit, they could be potential outsiders for a place in Europe next season.
Arsenal need a striker
Arsenal missed a lot of chances in their draw with Burnley on Sunday as they drew a blank for the fourth game in a row in all competitions. Alexandre Lacazette missed a couple of good chances with his second being one he should've put away plus he wasn't in the areas where you need him to be. This shows a player lacking in confidence which is something Arsenal don't want as he's their most senior centre forward available. With Aubameyang likely to leave and no longer the player he was and Lacazette out of form, the Gunners really could do with a striker if they're to finish in the top four.
The Gunners haven't had a consistent goal scorer for the last couple of seasons including this one with both Lacazette and Aubameyang not scoring regularly enough. They do have an exciting young talent in Eddie Nketiah, but his contract is up in the summer and I can't see him sign an extension having already turned one down earlier in the season. Lacazette's contract is also up in the summer and I'm not sure he'll sign an extension as he may want a new challenge elsewhere. This could convince Arteta to get a striker in during the January window so he at least has one going into pre season. Especially if Aubameyang goes and Lacazette doesn't sign a new deal.
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