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Spain went into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil on the back of winning the previous three major tournaments they had entered and a controversial decision from Diego Costa neatly summed up their prospects of making it four.

As Costa shot to prominence as the spearhead of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid side that won La Liga and came within minutes of clinching the Champions League as well, he was at the centre of effectively an international transfer tussle.

The uncapped frontman was able to choose between being the number nine for his native Brazil, at a historic home World Cup or attempt to solve the striking problems that his adopted Spain were enduring and he chose the latter.

That underlines the extent to which Vicente del Bosque’s side were fancied to be the first European side to win the world crown on South American soil, despite being drawn in a relative group of death.

They came out of the hat alongside the Netherlands, hipsters’ favourites Chile and Australia but were expected to cruise through, going into their opening match against Louis van Gaal’s side.

The Dutch took Spain to extra time in the final four years previously but their side in 2014 was far from vintage.

Van Gaal agreed to become Manchester United manager prior to the tournament but pragmatically lined up his Dutch side in a 5-3-2 in Brazil; opting for safety in numbers to hide the deficiencies of a defence containing Ron Vlaar and Daryl Janmaat with a workmanlike midfield duo providing the bullets for aging stalwarts Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.

So when Xabi Alonso put the World Champions ahead in the first half of their opening match against the Dutch, it looked as if he had put his side on the way to a routine win.

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Spain were dominating possession and while Costa was struggling to offer the cutting edge he had been nationalised to supply, Holland had scarcely threatened as the first half meandered to a close.

Yet, with under two minutes of the opening period remaining, Daley Blind collected the ball just inside the Spain half. He had ten yards of space and time to lift his head off but only two speculative passing options.

The left-wing-back clipped the ball over Spain’s typically high line to find that van Persie had sprung the offside trap – Gerard Pique played him onside – but the dropping ball left the Manchester United striker with precious few options, even as he bore down on goal.

Necessity is the mother of invention and van Persie was forced to improvise. He produced a stunning, Superman-style header that had the power of a looping volley to leave Iker Casillas stranded.

It was a stunning, ingenious finish that shocked the world champions and saw the Dutch captain sprint to the dugout to celebrate with van Gaal, the man who was soon to be his club manager.

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Man United fans across the globe must have licked their lips at the prospect of the pair linking up at Old Trafford and the second half saw their new manager oversee a dismantling of the world champions.

Spain imploded in the face of the Dutch counterpunching style – a complete departure from their Total Football roots – conceding four unanswered goals as Holland pulled off a result that sent shockwaves around the world.

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The 2018 World Cup is well underway and there are a number of players that have already made a big impact for their country in their opening group game, and surely some of them will have caught the eye of Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez.

The Spaniard will want to be backed by owner Mike Ashley in the transfer market this summer if they are to build upon their 10th-place finish on their first season back in the Premier League, in order to ensure they don’t have to look over their shoulder in the upcoming campaign.

Considering the former Liverpool and Real Madrid chief’s current team had a decent defensive record last term but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net having netted just 39 goals in their 38 top flight matches, his priority will surely be to strengthen his attacking options.

The 58-year-old manager will already have his targets in mind – Toon fans on Twitter hate the idea of signing a previously-linked 27-year-old – a previous but he may well have been convinced by the displays of a number of individuals in Russia, too.

Here are three World Cup stars that Benitez has surely added to his summer transfer wishlist…

One of Benitez’s priorities this summer may well be to add some more strength in depth and quality in wide areas, especially if he fails to sign Kenedy on a permanent basis from Chelsea.

Sisto is one player that may well have caught his eye following a decent performance in Denmark’s 1-0 win against Peru on Saturday, where he showed the pace and skill he has cutting in from the left-hand side – something that he has done throughout the 2017/18 campaign for Celta Vigo.

The 23-year-old scored four goals and provided a further 10 assists in 34 La Liga appearances, and there is no doubt that he would add something to a Newcastle frontline that has struggled at times.

Like Sisto, Zuber played from the left-hand side for Switzerland in their impressive 1-1 draw with pre-tournament favourites Brazil on Sunday, and he even got his nation’s goal with a bullet header from Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner.

The 26-year-old certainly impressed with his pace and trickery against Danilo at the weekend, and having not been a regular for club side Hoffenheim last term – he made 21 Bundesliga appearances, scoring once and assisting twice – he could well be ready to earn a move away following four years with the German outfit.

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Newcastle have been heavily linked with Sisto’s Danish teammates Nicolai Jorgensen in 2018, but perhaps Rafa should be taking a closer look at Finnbogason instead, who impressed and scored Iceland’s first-ever World Cup goal on Saturday.

The 29-year-old was in the right place at the right time to finish well against Argentina, and with 12 goals and three assists in 22 Bundesliga appearances for Augsburg last term, he has shown that he is a regular goalscorer at a decent level – he netted 53 times in 62 Eredivisie outings for Heerenveen previously.

The Magpies need more firepower alongside Dwight Gayle and Joselu, and the Icelandic centre-forward may be the answer to their issue.

Do you agree, Newcastle fans? Let us know below.

The last iconic character to wear the number eight shirt at Liverpool was club legend Steven Gerrard.

The midfielder and former captain was a talismanic figure for the Merseyside outfit, making more than 700 appearances after breaking through the academy.

Since his departure in the summer of 2015, no other player has managed to fill the boots left behind by Gerrard.

Now, though, according to the Liverpool Echo, new arrival Naby Keita will be handed the number eight jersey.

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The Guinea international agreed to join the Reds last year, but part of that agreement included waiting until 2018 to finalise the transfer.

Keita was spotted touching down in Liverpool last week, much to the excitement of the fans.

The box-to-box midfielder could be a crucial figure in Jurgen Klopp’s team this season, but there is one negative about the player’s game.

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Keita has often struggled with his discipline, resulting in numerous red cards.

Fans will be hoping that Klopp can stamp that out of the midfielder’s repertoire, but before he has a chance to show his worth on the pitch, supporters have been posting their thoughts on reports he will be given the number eight shirt.

Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.Comment from discussion (Pearce) New Liverpool signing Naby Keita set to take iconic shirt number.

Manchester City have lined up Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic as an alternative transfer target to Jorginho, according to Marca, via the Manchester Evening News. 

What’s the story, then?

Napoli playmaker Jorginho has reportedly been close to joining City for days now but the MEN report that Pep Guardiola has moved the Real Madrid into his sights as a backup option.

They also claim that the Croatian international, who has helped his country qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup with a game to spare, wants more regular gametime at the Bernabeu.

They say that Kovacic – valued at £27m by Transfermarkt – is willing to leave to get the gametime he requires and that makes him a viable second choice if the delays over the capture of Jorginho persist.

Kovacic would also add quality at City

Jorginho is a classy playmaker, another player who would improve under Guardiola and help fill the void left by Yaya Toure, but so is Kovacic.

He would be a regular at most other clubs in Europe but it is just that Madrid’s midfield talent is so vast that he has to be content with a backup role for the time being.

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Guardiola is sure to know that himself and he won’t be too bothered which of the pair he secures as they will likely only be very strong backups in the league’s best squad.

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The summer transfer window seemingly never ceases to provide fans of the English game with their fair share of excitement and sensation with every passing season.

Regardless of the criticism it constantly receives among Premier League fans and managers alike, football simply wouldn’t feel the same without all the last minute bargaining and desperate deadline-day dealing.

However, in the case of Manchester United in particular, the culmination of the summer transfer window ultimately offers Louis van Gaal one last chance to perfect his squad ahead of what’s going to be an incredibly important season at Old Trafford.

Despite the multitude of high profile names that have already made the switch to his club this summer, van Gaal has so far mainly focussed his respective transfer activity on sourcing quality midfielders, rather than improving United’s somewhat fragile looking back-line and isolated strike-force.

So then, with just a few weeks left to go before the summer transfer window eventually slams shut, here are five potential last minute transfers Manchester United should make this deadline-day…

Antoinne Griezmann

Since Chelsea only recently ‘stole’ Barcelona’s Pedro from the grasps on Manchester United, perhaps it’s time the Red Devils ‘stole’ their very own former Blues target, this time in the form of Antoinne Griezmann.

The talented French international scored an impressive total of 22 league goals in last season’s La Liga proceedings, beaten only by the untouchable likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He would therefore represent a promising target for Manchester United this summer, even if Atletico Madrid happen to place a pretty lofty price-tag on the winger’s head.

Despite Griezmann’s obvious credentials in the modern era however, his is a position that is already somewhat filled at Old Trafford at this point in time. A move for either a recognised centre-forward or a solid centre-back would seem to make more sense from Louis van Gaal’s point of view in the cold light of day.

Thomas Muller

Whilst his name has never been far from a newspaper story linking him with an illustrious move to Old Trafford this summer, Thomas Muller seemingly has everything in his make-up to become a resounding success at Manchester United should Louis van Gaal decide to move for him on deadline-day.

The recent World Cup winner simply brings goals in abundance wherever he plies his trade. This is an area that the Red Devils dramatically need to improve upon if they are to succeed in the Premier League anytime soon, so the prospect of signing a player like Muller makes sense with all things considered.

Like his former German international teammate Miroslav Klose, the current Bayern Munich favourite is an expert in scoring goals in and around the penalty box. He will finish off chances very few even saw coming if he is given the opportunity at Old Trafford this season, making him an ideal candidate to replace Robin van Persie in the striking department for Louis van Gaal throughout 2015/16.

John Stones

One of the perhaps less convincing names to make an appearance on this list arrives in the form of Everton’s latest defensive sensation, John Stones. The previously capped England international seems to be in the good books of pundits and fans alike this season, even if the 21-year-old still remains relatively untested in the English top-flight for a sustained period of time.

Manchester United arguably need a reliable defensive head to help sort out their back-line this season, yet whilst Stones has no way proved himself to be worthy of such a position so far in the Premier League, Louis van Gaal may ultimately be left with no other choice but to make a move for the current Goodison Park favourite this summer.

The seeming unavailability of the club’s previous defensive targets – such as Nicolas Otamendi, Mats Hummels and of course, Sergio Ramos – may force the Red Devils to turn their attention to John Stones this window, despite his clearly inexperienced nature in playing at the highest level. Manchester United must be able to count on their centre-backs to perform well in the Champions League this season however, which may prove beyond a player of John Stones’ capabilities.

Aleksandr Kokorin

Another potentially surprising name to be linked with a high profile move to Old Trafford this summer is the up and coming poster-boy of Russian football, Aleksandr Kokorin.

The 24-year-old Dynamo Moscow striker could potentially take the Premier League by storm this season as his previous goal-scoring form suggests, yet his possible arrival at Manchester United this summer would nevertheless represent a huge risk for the club. He remains truly untested at the highest level, without the strongest reputation amongst the European footballing scene.

However, considering the front-man’s relatively young age in the modern game, Kokorin could ultimately prove a gamble that pays off massively for Louis van Gaal. He will be hungry for goals in the Premier League – and that is exactly what the Red Devils require at this stage in the proceedings.

Keylor Navas

Whilst no Manchester United fan out there ultimately wants to see David de Gea leave their club for Real Madrid this summer, sometimes it’s simply pointless trying to halt the inevitable. Should the much anticipated switch between the two giants of the modern game take place before the close of the transfer window, the subsequent arrival of Keylor Navas could prove the perfect sweetener to improve the deal from the Red Devils’ perspective.

The Costa Rican goal-keeper certainly had a World Cup to be proud of last summer – and although he doesn’t quite represent the ideal signing for Manchester United by any means – the 28-year-old shot-stopper could nevertheless add some much needed experience to the squad at Old Trafford throughout 2015/16.

His potential arrival wouldn’t likely displace Sergio Romero from the no. 1 spot at United across the upcoming campaign, yet his possible addition still offers up a fair amount of potential even if most Red Devils fans would rather be counting on David de Gea this term.

Predictably Wenger’s Gunners saved his bacon against Manchester United at the weekend. The Frenchman has a knack for inspiring job saving performances from his team, right when he needs it most. Man United vs Arsenal used to be a title decider or a cup final fixture. Now it’s nothing more than a grudge match for tourists and keyboard warriors.

Wenger has survived his customary season scare after a 3-0 victory over rivals United; many will now expect to see Arsenal pushing for the title and the Champions League knockout stages. Although when the season is over, and Arsenal only have another FA Cup to show for their efforts, the #WengerOut brigade will begin again, led by their very own Twitter warrior, Piers Morgan.

Be careful what you wish for Arsenal, the declining success of Man United should be a warning sign to any Gunners supporter. Since Sir Alex’s departure United have struggled immensely, firstly under David Moyes and now with Louis Van Gaal. Wenger is just as important to Arsenal’s history as Sir Alex is to Man United’s legacy. Both are doyens for their respective clubs, and therefore irreplaceable.

If Wenger were sacked then who would come in to replace him, who is better than Wenger?

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Pep Guradiola is perhaps the perfect choice for Arsenal, but even his success wouldn’t be guaranteed, due to the inferiority of Arsenal’s squad in comparison to his previous clubs.

Jurgen Klopp is destined for Liverpool, although his credentials have to be drawn into question after his 7th place finish with Dortmund last season, Wenger has never stooped so low with Arsenal.

Carlo Ancelotti is a like for like replacement, the Italian is a similar age to Wenger with similar credentials. Arsenal hiring Ancelotti is the equivalent to Man United hiring Louis Van Gaal; I’d give him three years tops.

Perhaps most telling of all is the fact that Arsene would be welcomed with open arms into many of the top jobs around Europe. Real Madrid have been longtime admirers, while a return to France with PSG has been mentioned once or twice.

Arsenal are undoubtedly one of the heavyweights in European football, with a great stadium and a strong fan base. Furthermore they are a London club, which is a significant factor when persuading foreign players to join the club. Arsenal were not on the European map before Wenger’s arrival, and they did not have the most impressive stadium in the country. Whoever takes the reigns at Arsenal when Wenger leaves is one lucky person.

On the pitch success has been consistent, the Gunners challenge for the major trophies every season, which is more than can be said for the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham, two real perennial 4th place consolidators.

You can point fingers at the transfer strategy, and maybe Wenger is guilty of trying to find the next Henry or Petit in a cluster of rough diamonds in European football.

However, if I were Arsenal I would avoid the ugly divorce and stick by Wenger, the Frenchman deserves to reap the rewards of the legacy he has created for Arsenal. The Gunners are more likely to win a title under Wenger than with any other manager in world football, and when he does win again with Arsenal, he’ll retire, just like his longtime foe Sir Alex.

Despite being constantly linked to the services of Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain throughout the course of the summer transfer window, Arsene Wenger and the Gunners seemingly failed to convert the 27-year-old Argentinean into an official Arsenal player in the end.

The long-term boss at the Emirates somehow didn’t see fit to introduce any more outfield talent among the current options available to him this season, leaving the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and an injured Danny Welbeck in place to do the business up top.

However, now that the January transfer window is already fast approaching for those competing within the English top-flight, surely Arsene Wenger will finally see fit to add to his squad. Such a notion would seem to make sense considering the recent injury influx to affect the Gunners.

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Even though his once wide-spread reputation has died down a little in recent seasons, Higuain certainly remains one of the standout finishers in the modern era. He may not have been able to grab as many headlines since moving to Napoli from the Bernabeu in 2013, but that doesn’t mean he is entirely finished on the European scene.

Quite the opposite, actually. Gonzalo Higuain has taken to the 2015/16 campaign in fine goal-scoring form at the Stadio San Paolo, his prowess in the penalty-box often proves affective time and time again – and when it comes to linking up impressively with his teammates in the final third – the South American hit-man doesn’t disappoint either.

Although he has apparently stated a desire to remain at Napoli at least for the foreseeable future, it remains possible that Higuain would one day want to test his hand among the Premier League amid all the reported interest.

Having made such a positive case for the current Serie A favourite however, Arsenal must still carefully consider their options this winter. The Gunners don’t have money to burn like each of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea of course, and although the club’s shareholders must put their hand back in their collective pockets sooner rather than later, Arsenal will only suffer in they don’t sign the right players this season.

One of the last major incidents that we all remember from Higuain came in the 2014 World Cup final after all. Had the French-born Argentinean international not dramatically fluffed his lines when possession was unforgivably given away by the Germans just in front of Manuel Neuer’s penalty-box – the current Napoli striker could be talked of as a World Cup winner right in the here and now. Arsenal’s potential reservations over Higuain could nonetheless run much deeper than that however…

Gonzalo Higuain would go down as a great asset for any top-flight team, that much seemingly goes without saying. Yet because his transfer fee would likely arrive in pretty sizable form to say the least, with his very best days arguably remaining firmly behind him with all things considered – does the striker really represent the right fit for Arsenal?

Someone like Edinson Cavani – a powerful battler up-top who also displays a vast amount of pace and manoeuvrability inside the final third – could be exactly what Arsene Wenger requires this January. Should Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema suddenly make himself available as well, Arsenal fans could easily be gutted to miss out on the Frenchman’s services through the potential capture Gonzalo Higuain instead.

The current Napoli centre-forward would admittedly display some vastly improved finishing and technical ability in front of goal at the Emirates – offering a distinct update on the likes of Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud no doubt – but he could just as likely turn out a very isolated figure at Arsenal, due to his overall lack of pace and mobility in 2015/16.

Arsenal should therefore keep their options open this winter, not get tied down to any particular transfer saga just yet, and only move for Gonzalo Higuain if the deal feels definitely right for the club. There may ultimately be several other top class options available by the time the January transfer window finally opens…

Yet if you were to hypothetically offer Gunners fans the chance to see both Gonzalo Higuain and Alexis Sanchez up top for their side this season, with Mesut Ozil pulling the strings just behind of course, few of the Emirates faithful would likely turn down such a stark improvement.

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In the Premier League era, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool are always the bridesmaids, never the bride. Since the league’s inception only Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have taken the crown.Amazingly, 18 time winners of the top flight Liverpool have only managed to achieve the runners-up spot and Spurs have previously been satisfied with Champions League qualification. That could all be about to change.Liverpool have been victim of false dawns before, most recently under Brendan Rodgers when a Steven Gerrard slip saw their title challenge fail at the final hurdle. In a short space of time the Northern Irishman went from manager of the year in the eyes of Kopites to a gleaming toothed waster of money.Despite allowing Rodgers to strengthen his version of the squad in the summer, Fenway Sports Group decided to cut their loses early into this season. It’s a sign of the cruel times we live in but not many supporters were asking for him to be retained. In all fairness to the board they didn’t replace him for coach with an equal reputation or credentials.[ffc-gal cat=”liverpool” no=”5″]Carlo Ancelotti aside, the Anfield club managed to secure the services of the best available manager in club football. In Jurgen Klopp they found an upgrade. This didn’t lead to a period of immediate short-term optimism. Fans and observers alike agreed it would take time to implement his methods and root out the weaker members of his squad.That cautionary air was removed last weekend when they walked over Manchester City at the Etihad. Klopp’s team inflicted City’s heaviest home defeat since they left Maine Road and made them appear a class below.One match alone wouldn’t usually give rise to immediate title talk but this is a strange year and they are helped by the teams around them.The reigning champions have all but disappeared. Chelsea’s return to form has yet to occur, with each passing week their target changes from retaining the title to qualifying for Europe. Arsenal are showing all the reasons why the they haven’t mounted a serious challenge in years. Whenever they look like they’ve turned a corner, points get dropped in places they shouldn’t.Manchester United are lacking a spark which places question marks over their ability to go the distance. They are managing to satisfy an old football cliché of collecting points when not playing particularly well, the problem is there’s little sign they will start to play better at any point.The team that could have ran away with it by now, Manchester City, have been grounded by their own ineptitude. A combination of indifferent performances from their players, injuries, and concerns Pellegrini can’t motivate his dressing or formulate a Plan B, leaves them in danger of becoming the new Arsenal.What goes against Liverpool capitalising on all of this is how they are still fresh under Klopp. There are bound to be hurdles that will catch them by surprise and after the honeymoon period a phase of levelling out may follow. A team not bound by this are Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham.They have been under the radar all season, even after beating Manchester City 4-1 themselves. The talk was always how they should manage to finish top four if teams, like Chelsea, have weak seasons. It’s been their ability to underwhelm whilst remaining methodical that has allowed them to arrive in the hot-seat without pressure.The have gone 12 league games without losing after an unlucky opening day fixture at Old Trafford. They had every right to feel aggrieved after returning home empty handed that day. Perhaps the two draws that followed helped divert attention away from their ability.It took their second 4-1 victory of the campaign to bring them back into focus. They are the side least likely to lose at this moment in time. Pochettino has answered his doubters in the best possible way: by keeping his head down and getting results.

This isn’t the best Spurs squad the Premier League has seen but it’s solid and is best placed to benefit from the floundering form of those that will be expecting to finish above them. They are long overdue a title win, the last came in 1961.

For Spurs and Liverpool this season has presented a real opportunity to join the list of Premier League champions. Of course, all this depends on current league leaders Leicester City going through a bad patch.

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Defeat for Arsenal at the weekend deprived the Gunners from a chance at regaining top spot in the Premier League. But a failure to win tonight would see them suffer a much worse fate.

If Arsenal don’t win tonight, no matter what happens over the next few weeks, Arsene Wenger’s side will be out of the Champions League at the group stage for the first time since 1999-2000.

So, even a win tonight wouldn’t guarantee that Arsenal’s Champions League campaign would stay alive until the last game of the group stages. Even if Arsenal thrash Dinamo Zagreb so badly that they cry for their mothers after 60 minutes, Arsenal would still crash out with a game still left to play if Olympiakos can manage an unlikely point away to Bayern Munich. Even two wins in the final two games with results everywhere else going their way wouldn’t guarantee progression if they can’t beat Olympiakos by two goals in Greece on the final match day.

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So despite Arsenal’s great work in dispatching Pep Guardiola’s side so well at the Emirates, Arsenal’s tough situation comes from their two hugely disappointing defeats in the first two Champions League match days. Even if they rolled over for Bayern in Munich, it’s the first two games they have to rue. That’s what could very easily come back to haunt them over the next few weeks.

But yet there’s still a possibility of a grand victory, there’s still a possibility of a stirring comeback.

Like Manchester City last season, when all seemed lost, they managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat by beating Bayern Munich and Roma to progress to the knockout stage… where they were soundly beaten by a Barcelona side who were so obviously superior by a vast magnitude.

And that’s what Arsenal need to be hoping for now. Surely their task is much easier than City’s last season. They have to beat Zagreb tonight at home – surely something they’re expected to do anyway – and then go to Greece and beat another European minnow by a two goal margin. That shouldn’t be beyond the reach of a team looking to be Premier League champions this season.

The only complication is whether or not Olympiakos get a point against Bayern Munich. Last season, City were left sweating on whether or not CSKA Moscow could get a result at the Allianz Arena on the final day. Had Moscow managed a point, City would have crashed out too. Instead Bayern won 3-0.

Surely relying on Bayern Munich to beat Olympiakos at home is as safe a bet as you’re likely to get in world football? If that’s the game you’re sweating on to win the big bucks on your acca, you’re laughing all the way to the bank!

The bigger problem, though, is one we should still be talking about even if Arsenal do qualify. And it leads into a much bigger problem for the English game: just how did Arsenal let this happen?

Just how did Arsenal find themselves in this position? Just how did Arsenal mess up possibly this season’s easiest Champions League group?

Bayern are clearly one of the toughest opponents Arsenal could have drawn. But the other two teams should have been beaten home and away by Arsenal. And perhaps they would have been beaten by Arsenal, had Wenger taken them seriously.

Playing Ospina instead of Cech in the first two games was a nice gesture towards the second choice keeper who lost his number one spot over the summer, despite not doing a whole lot wrong. But that just shows that Cech is the better goalkeeper. He has more quality. Why would you risk Champions League qualification by fielding less quality, even if it was a noble act?

Noble but naive. You could write that on Wenger’s tombstone.

Now is the time for the fightback, and when you’re fighting for your life nobility goes out of the window. They need to win, and it doesn’t matter about style. Sometimes in the Champions League Arsenal are in a position to fight the good fight and now worry about losing it, but not tonight.

Even if Arsenal go out tonight of the Champions League tonight, they have to go out because Olympiakos get a point, not because they couldn’t beat Zagreb. Tonight is about showing the fight they so disappointingly lacked in the first two games of the campaign and even in the Allianz – losing there isn’t shameful, but losing so heavily is.

If they go out with a whimper tonight, that soft touch won’t bode well for their Premier League title ambitions.

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With over half of the Premier League’s games played, and with the hectic Christmas period well and truly behind us, now is the time clubs need to dig in and start to grind out results in that long hard stretch up until May.

The start of the season promised so much for Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth, his board splashed the top flight cash in the summer, bringing in Premier League experience in the likes of Sylvain Distin and Artur Boruc as well as exciting talent new to this level in the likes of Max Gradel and Tyrone Mings.

In fact, the team looked like a decent one, if a little light on proven quality. No one expected Bournemouth to be making a dash for the Champions League spots, but there was a very real sense that they could belie their lowly status and stay in the division.

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But disaster struck so very early on this season. Callum Wilson and Max Gradel in particular looked very useful going forward, and staying in the league is always about being able to score the goals to nick important points in tight games that could go against you. Without that pace and prolificacy, Bournemouth were always going to struggle.

They’ve done fairly well, all things considered. Given that the work they competed in the summer in order to get ready for life in the Premier League was undone after only a few weeks, Howe and his team can be forgiven for thinking that they have had to start again, and bringing in Iturbe from Roma and re-signing Lewis Grabban from Norwich will help to ease the injury problems.

Given that Gradel and Wilson are doubts not just to play again this season but even to be named in the squad for the rest of the season (the new squad has to be declared after the January window closes), new attacking recruits are a must, and those coming in look like the kind of players who will hit the hallowed ground of the Premier League running.

But the bigger plus for the Cherries must surely be their form. Beating Chelsea and Manchester United in successive games was a feat of fairytale proportions, but in order to stay in the league you have to do more than slay the giants. In fact, if you’re to truly look like you belong, you probably shouldn’t really think of them as giant killings at all – so it’s important that they followed it up. Only one defeat in seven games – against Arsenal – has really helped, but they’re still only a few points off the bottom three.

Bournemouth have those two great victories to thank, however. When you look at the table, they’re four points off the relegation zone, so the Chelsea and United games were vital to their current position, and that shows two things.

One thing it shows is that Bournemouth’s squad was good enough to win enough games to stay in a reasonably comfortable position in the first half of the season, despite having to deal with an extraordinary injury crisis and having to dig out wins against two of English football’s powerhouses in order to maintain that position.

But it also shows that Bournemouth didn’t get the points that they needed from the games they expected to win in order to be in that position. Before the season started, you can be sure that those in the coaching staff scanned the fixture list and pinpointed the games they felt they could win, and those they felt were probably written off as defeats.

That’s not necessarily pessimism, but rather it’s a pragmatic approach to building your season. If you feel you can beat the teams around you and not the bigger ones, then your aim won’t be to win the league. It’s a way of pinpointing your level and gauging where you need to be throughout the season.

But when you’re relying on games like Chelsea and Manchester United to get you to where you need to be, there’s a little bit of a problem. That sounds harsh, and it shouldn’t belittle those wonderful victories, but it does mean that Bournemouth needed to recruit players in the summer. In order to be on course to stay up, Bournemouth would have wanted to have seen those victories over Chelsea and United as bonus points, rather than the very points keeping them afloat.

Those two wins are already the biggest in the club’s history. But if they stay up by four points by the end of the season those wins will look even bigger.

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