The Guide To 4-2-2-2 | Manuel Pellegrini's Philosophy Revealed

Manuel Pellegrini's Villarreal

Tactics

Cani & Cazorla Effect

The Spanish duo served a very important purpose in this masterpiece. Instead of operating as orthodox wide-men, they were used as 'interiores', and drifts inside towards the centre of midfield. This,in turn, meant that the space they vacated on the wing could be exploited by the full backs, Capdevila and Javi Venta. This created a six man attack, six man defence phase.

In this still image, the two midfielders have drifted inside, which causes the midfield 4 of Real Sociedad to tighten up. This creates space for right back, Javi Venta, to move into.

Borja plays the ball to Santi and with a first time pass he releases the full back, who has a lot of space on his flank.

Here is a diagram made by Tim Hill at timhi.wordpress.com which highlights the situation if one of the two interiores moves out wide :

The Senna & Bruno Effect

The two deep lying midfielders Bruno and Euro 2008 winner, Marco Senna, provided the Yellow Submarine with a solid platform to build attacks from. They rarely moved forward and covered the space vacated by the onrushing full backs which added much needed stability to such an attacking formation.

This compact central defence system provides the opposition with a tough barrier to break through to score. They only conceded 40 goals in the 2007-08 campaign, less than Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

NEXT UP : THE GUIDE TO 3-5-2 | THE JUVENTUS MODEL

Why Arsenal Should And Shouldn't Sign Luis Suarez

Let's face it. He may be a lying and cheating player. He may also be a cannibal and an alleged racist. But what club could resist the temptation of signing Luis Suarez. A prolific goal scorer at Ajax and Liverpool. A footballing genius. Not to mention his never say die attitude.

8th of July began with a surprising story for many Gooners. When they began their routine of checking BBC Sport to get an update on the football world, many were left rubbing their eyelids as the cover story read 'Liverpool reject £30 million Arsenal bid for Suarez'. Surely not, they thought. But the story was completely true. And just like that, opinions were changes towards the Uruguayan. Many wanted him at the Emirates no matter what, without weighing up the pros and cons.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of Arsenal completing a deal for 'El Pistolero' :

Pro : Proven Premier League Player

One of the main criticisms aimed at Arsene Wenger is his lack of purchases from within the Premier League. Bringing in players from abroad means that they would need time to adapt. Adapt to a new league, a new country and a new language. Wenger's capture of playmaker Mikel Arteta proved that buying from within reaps tremendous rewards as the Spainard fitted in seamlessly at the club and put in some exceptional performances in the red and white. However, Olivier Giroud needed time to get used to new surroundings and some poor performances were had as he struggled to find the back of the net. Robin Van Persie's 2012-13 season for Manchester United proved that Premier League experience is vital for any team. Coming off the back of a 37 goal season at Arsenal, he joined the Red Devils in a £24 million deal and his 29 Premier League goals led the to the title. In his first full season at Liverpool, Luis hit 17 goals in 39 games. This period allowed him to get to grips with the tempo of the league and it's physical demands. In his next season, he was arguably the Premier League's best player and was on course to win the Golden Boot before he received a 10 match ban for biting Ivanovic in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea. Nevertheless, he accumulated 23 goals in 33 games for the Reds domestically and 30 goals in 44 games overall.

Con : Attitude

Where do I begin? From racism to finger salutes. From diving to cannibalism. Via a rejected handshake. Luis' hothead attitude has landed him in some serious trouble for himself and for Liverpool. In fact, he has received a combined ban of 19 games from the FA, and is the middle of one right now after Ivanovic-gate. Anyone who signs Suarez will receive an excellent footballer, but also a frustrating one. His antics concerning diving are frequently criticized by the public. He has only admitted to attempting to fool the referee once and that was for a dive against Stoke. But there have been many other incidents.

Pro : Not Just A Goalscorer

Some strikers can score but cannot create. Take Cavani as an example. A killer inside the penalty area, but outside he's a liability. Some strikers can create but cannot score. Take Cassano as an example. A killer outside the penalty area, but inside he's a liability. Luis is the best of both worlds. As well as scoring 23 times, he also created 90 chances for his team mates with 2.7 per game, the second highest in the league and the twelfth highest in Europe. There is no end to his talents as his dribbling ability is a valuable asset to any team. He completed 95 dribbles at 2.9 times per game. His role in the false 9 position for Liverpool allowed him to roam the pitch a la Messi. As a complete attacker, he was virtually unplayable.

Con : 6 Match Ban

Now we all know how vital a great start is to a new season. It sets a tempo for the team to deliver from. Should Suarez arrive at the Emirates, so would his current 6 match ban. That is a lot of games to miss out on. I know that there are 38 games in a Premier League season, but to miss the opening six would be very damaging to a club's prospects. I mean, Giroud has the capabilities to handle the pressure. Fresh from a decent first season, already scoring goals for fun on the Asia tour with 5 goals in 2 games, and with a point to prove to the club and the league. But he would be filling in for a genuine world class talent, so the jury is still out to whether he could pull off a six game masterclass.

Pro : Rage To Succeed

Suarez is no normal football player. Normal football players get signed by a club at a young age, progress through the academy and sign a professional contract with that team. From there, they would stay with the club or seek pastures new elsewhere. Like I said, Suarez is no normal football player. He had no pristine training pitches or football boots supplied by the club. Instead, he played on farm-like pitches and with bare feet. His biggest influence wasn't his parents, but rather his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Sofia Baibi. He used to pick up coins from the street to pay for stuff to get her as a gift. If that ain't love, I don't know what is. When she moved to Barcelona in 2003, Suarez suffered so badly that he quit football. She eventually convinced him to pursue him career in the beautiful game. He knew that the only way that Sofia and himself could be together would be if he moved to Europe. So from then on, he started to become a goal scoring machine in the hope of being spotted. Dutch club, FC Groningen, took a gamble on him and paid his club Nacional a sum of £660,000 for his services. Suarez had it all. The club in Europe. The girl. The money. He could have laid back and basked in his achievements. But he became more and earned another move to heavyweights Ajax. In Amsterdam, he became a legend after scoring 111 goals in 159 games, putting him in the midst of Marco Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp. A £23 million move to Liverpool was next and the rest is history. Not bad from the kid from Salto. Suarez is not one to sit back at any time. Improving himself is always on his mind, and Arsenal would benefit hugely with a player with such a mentality.

Con : Wastefulness

He may have scored 30 goals in his 44 games, but it could have been a lot more. A lot more. No player in the Premier League attempted more shots than the Uruguayan last season, as he took 187 shots in total and 5.7 shots per game. His conversion rate stood at 16%, below Van Persie at 23%, Benteke at 25% and Michu at 20%. He will score goals, but he will miss goals as well. However, when presented with a clear cut chance, there is only one man better than him last season with Gareth Bale having a clear cut chance rate of 58% and Luis' standing at 53%.

How To Be A Deep Lying Playmaker

Since the geometric masterclass by Andrea Pirlo against England at Euro 2012, school boys across the country have tried to emulate the Italian metronome.

Suddenly, the sensation of making a 30 yard switch to exploit space on the opposite flank or a killer ball between the channels has equalled the sensation of scoring a goal. Before the hype of Pirlo, the number 10 had been in fashion as Mesut Ozil's exhibition of flair and poise in Germany's 4 goal drubbing of England and David Silva's consistent displays of intelligence and balance in 2011-12 for a title winning Manchester City had inspired boys across the country to follow their lead.

In this piece, I will reveal how anyone can play like Barcelona's Xavi or Juventus' Pirlo with some simple tips on how to be the maestro of team from a withdrawn position.

Looking Over Your Shoulder

This is what Frank Lampard, and sometimes Jack Wilshere, are guilty of and one of the reasons why Super Frank has never settled into a deep position for club and country. Before the ball is even at your feet, you MUST know your next move. When you are roaming across the pitch, always look for options to your left, right , in front and behind you. That quick glance over your shoulder could make all the difference in your game.

Here is an example of Xavi's vision off the ball :

There is the conductor, looking to his right for any options to pass to or space to make use of.

There is his second look to the right, that's two in two seconds.

That's three looks in three seconds, and now it's behind him and to his left.

Xavi takes a step forward to give Khedira the impression that he is going forward to control the ball. However, the Spaniard opens his body and turns out into the space spotted by his three looks beforehand.

Xavi then releases the lightning quick Jesus Navas and leaves the entire German team chasing back as Navas in 1-on-1.

In this Lampard performance, watch the passes that he misplaced that could have been easily prevented, although the mistakes cannot overshadow his magnificent two goal salvo :

Switching The Play

This is what makes playing in the deep position so satisfying, those 40 yard 'pings' to your teammate. That feeling of being able to execute a pass of such accuracy and glamour cannot be beaten. As the ball flies through the air, you think that you could be the next Xabi Alonso. We all know the feeling.

In Italy's 3-5-2 system, there is a lot of space for the wingbacks to move up and down the field thanks to the withdrawal of the wingers. Pirlo's sublime technique means that he can find these players at each time of asking. Look at the concentration of England players in the image. Pirlo is about to release the ball to an onrushing Balzaretti.

That is absolutely ACRES of space for Balzaretti to utilise. Italy can now attack from a different flank with a lot more area thanks to a delightful pass from Andrea.

Find Space and Within Distance Of The Ball

Every wondered how Xavi, Arteta and Pirlo manage to rake up so many passes during a 90 minute game and seemingly under no pressure? Simple really. They are clever in their movement off the ball to find space to receive a pass. While the whole stadium has eyes on the ball, these players have eyes only for space to drift into to pick up the ball.

The master of the ball himself said this in an interview with The Guardian :

" Think quickly, look for spaces. That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking. All day, all day. [Xavi starts gesturing as if he is looking around, swinging his head]. Here? No. There? No. People who haven't played don't realise how hard that is. Space, space, space. It's like being on the PlayStation. I think sh*t, the defender's here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That's what I do. "

Xavi has averaged 105 passes a game in his 38 appearances this season, in Spain and in Europe.

Mikel Arteta has averaged 83 passes a game in his 39 appearances this season.

Andrea Pirlo has averaged 79 passes a game in his 32 appearances this season.

Xabi Alonso has averaged 66 passes a game in his 28 appearances this season.

How Much Space Do You Need To Operate?

This is a vital question you need to ask yourself : How much space do you need?

That's the difference between Andrea Pirlo and Xabi Alonso. Pirlo was constantly being harried when Juventus traveled to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League group stage, with Kris Commons pressing when Pirlo picked up the ball from deep, and Wanyama when Pirlo was allowed to push forward. However, despite the compression of space, here are some key statistics for that game :

He made 64 successful passes and had a pass accuracy of 81%. His Champions League average is 58 passes per game at an 83% success rate.

However, when Xabi Alonso was put under pressure by Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck when United came to town, he managed 54 passes at an 81% accuracy, compared to his CL average of 69 passes and 83% accuracy.

Can Alonso knock it around when there are two men designated to stop his every move? He needs much more space than Pirlo and Xavi to play in, and that's what makes the greats so...great.

Practice Makes Perfect
What you need :

• A tennis ball
• A wall or two

To practice decreasing your reaction time, fire the tennis ball at one wall, and when it rebounds back to you, open your body to control and pass to the other wall. Keep the tempo high to achieve maximum development. This will  also enhance your patience as that is key to succeeding in this position.

What you need :

• A football
• A 40 yard area
• A partner

To practice your accuracy and execution, just knock 30-40 yard passes between you and your partner. Try and include your partner making a run to improve precision of passes for a player on the move.

Football Boots

Nike Tiempo Legend Elite

The weapon of choice for many of the world's top playmakers, such as Juventus' Andrea Pirlo, and top centre backs, with the likes of Gerard Pique sporting them. For ultimate control and execution, I'd pick these boots. I own a pair and they are, in my opinion, the best range of football boots out of the whole Nike collection of Mercurial Vapor, T90, and CTR360 collection.

Adidas Predator Lethal Zones

A boot well on the rise, currently in use by legendary playmaker, Xavi, Bayern Munich's metronome, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Real Madrid's quarterback, Xabi Alonso. Armed with five 'lethal zones' for maximum first touch, drive, pass, and dribble. Not to mention, the sacred sweet spot to unleash a total shot of incredible drive and curve.

Recommended Videos

Top 10 Potential Transfers In The Summer Window 2013

Gareth Bale

Europe's elite have Laurent Koscielny to thank in their race for the Welshman. His goal that denied Spurs Champions League football next year may have unsettled the forward into seeking a move away from North London. Having scored a magnificent 26 goals, including 6 to win the game, his transition from touchline hugging winger to deep lying forward has been fantastic. Can Tottenham keep their hands on their man of the moment or lose their grasp to Europe's finest?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £45 million

Who's After Him : Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United

Edinson Cavani

We knew he was good, but this good? Two 33 goal seasons was enough, but Cavani has raised his bar and scored an unimaginable 38 goals for Napoli this season. Many predicted that this campaign would mark the end of il Grande, with key forward Ezequiel Lavezzi jumping ship to Paris Saint Germain. But the men in blue have finished the season in second place, their highest finish since winning Serie A back in the days of Maradona. The Uruguayan hitman is now onto of a lot of shopping lists right now, but who will pay up for the Cannibal?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £40 million

Who's After Him : Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG

Falcao

Atletico were surprisingly knocked out of the Europa League in the Round of 32 by Rubin Kazan, which meant that the Colombian missed out on potentially seven games in which to score. In 2011-12, he racked up 36 goals in 50 appearances. At the time of writing, he has 34 goals in 40 games. That is quite astonishing. He was, at one point in the season, challenging Messi for the Pichichi award, while beating Ronaldo's goal record. Having secured Champions League football for his team, and led them to a Copa Del Rey trophy, Atletico have reportedly allowed Radamel to leave. But who will the Falcon join?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £50 million

Who's After Him : Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG, Monaco

Stevan Jovetic

The Montenegrin has come a long way from arriving in Italy as a shaggy haired prodigy. A terrible injury to his cruciate ligament ruled him out for the entire 2010-11 season, an incident which would dent any player. However, his 2011-12 campaign showed his mental strength to deal with setbacks to his career, firing in a remarkable 14 goals for a team that only scored 37 goals all season. But his extraordinary 2012-13 season showed the true potential that Jovetic offered. Hitting 13 goals to guide Fiorentina to an unprecedented 4th place finish to just miss out on Champions League football, but he secured a Europa League place next season for la Viola. JoJo could leave the club this season in search of top level football, but who will the new Roberto Baggio move to?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £24 million

Who's After Him : Arsenal, Juventus, Monaco

Gonzalo Higuain

Should the Argentine move away from the Spanish giants, Real Madrid, this summer, the club he joins must be prepared for his impact. Goals will be a given, but will they see the quality of the old Higu who scored 27 goals in La Liga 2010 and outscored the great Ronaldo, or the Higuain who frustrates fans to the brink of insanity until he is subbed off for Benzema who kills off the game? He is a forward who divides opinion in the capital. Some say that he is vital to Real and will reach his potential to score 30+ goals a season a la Falcao. Some say ship him out and bring in the big guns such as Cavani, Suarez or Aguero. His continuous rotation since Karim's arrival has angered Gonzalo, maybe to the point of leaving the capital in search of consistent first team football. Every team needs goals, and who can ignore the man who has one of the best goals to shot percentages in Europe since 2010 and has plenty of years ahead of him at just 25 years of age?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £19 million

Who's After Him : Arsenal, Juventus, Tottenham

David Villa

The era of el Guaje has ended. Those breathtaking runs and finishes have had their day. As well as the vision to serve as not only a goalscorer, but as a creator. Hang on a minute, Villa still has a year or two in him to fire some goals into the back of the net. Barcelona will want to move him on as he has never fully recovered from his devastating leg break during the 2012 Club World Cup, and with his fantastic goal record for a CV, he will attract a lot of suitors.

Estimated Transfer Fee : £7 million

Who's After Him : Sevilla, Valencia, Malaga, Tottenham

Wayne Rooney

It's official :Rooney wants out. The first transfer request was a definite PR stunt to get a new contract, which worked as Man U ended up handing him a £220,000 a week deal, but this time it's different. He's leaving due to a change in management, as Sir Alex has stepped down and the new boss is none other than his old coach at Everton, David Moyes. The pair aren't on good terms after Rooney criticised him in his autobiography, so like a disgruntled schoolkid whose favourite teacher has been replaced by his most despised teacher, Rooney wants out of Old Trafford. So the race is on for his signature. Thanks to his large wage packet, only Europe's financial elite can afford him. Can PSG lure him to France to continue the Revolution? Or will crosstown rivals, Manchester City, finish what they started when the first request came in? Maybe Bayern Munich could be next as Guardiola seeks to create a German answer to the 'Galacticos'?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £30 million

Who's After Him : Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern Munich

Robert Lewandowski

Messi couldn't do it. Falcao couldn't do it. Not even Henry could do it. But Robert did it. No man had ever scored 4 goals against Real Madrid before the Pole gave Higuain & Benzema a masterclass in finishing. After the game, his price tag shot up about £15 million. Having already declared that he would leave Die Borussens at the end of his contract next year, clubs are already vying for his services now rather than wait for him to become a free agent. At 24, he has plenty of years ahead of him to ripple the back of the net. But at which club?

Estimated Transfer Fee : £27.5 million

Who's After Him : Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich

Erik Lamela

After his spectacular season for Roma, where he scored 15 goals in 33 games for the capital, his team still didn't qualify for Europe. Lamela has been outstanding, completing 99 dribbles, a number only 8 players in Europe were able to exceed, and a 17.4% shots to goal percentage which is fantastic. Erik has been hailed as the new Messi, to the point that Barcelona invited him to Catalonia at the age of 12 where he was given an insight into his future should he join the Blaugrana. Should he jump ship to a bigger team, preferably in the Champions League, he could unlock his tremendous potential and then the Ballon d'Or talk can begin.

Estimated Transfer Fee : £30 million

Who's After Him : Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City

Roberto Soldado

The steel nerved Spaniard has had his best season for Valencia, firing in 27 goals in 44 appearances for Los Che, but Valencia could still miss out on Europe. This is not the standard that Soldado should be at. He is one of the best strikers in Europe, among the Falcao's and Cavani's, and he might be looking to make the step up to the elite group of teams. And they will want him, that's for sure. I mean, 79 goals in 139 games in incredible over three years. Torres has 35 goals in 135 games which is not even half of Soldado's total, and even when he was at Liverpool, he scored 81 goals in 142 games when he was considered the best striker in the world, so we are looking at a genuine world class player.

Estimated Transfer Fee : £23 million

Who's After Him : Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Real Madrid, Juventus

Analysing Cristiano Ronaldo's Movement

How does Ronaldo score goals? We all know of his pristine physique, making him the most dangerous athlete on the planet, combining speed and power to terrorise opposing defences. And his devastating jumping ability that leaves any defender grounded. For more information, if you haven't so already, watch this series of tests that Castrol put the Portuguese through to determine what makes him one of the best players in the world :

Barcelona are a team of the most intelligent football players on the face of the earth. A blend of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and more make the Catalan giants the team to beat every year. The president of the Blaugrana, Sandro Rosell, claimed that Ronaldo was the " 12th best player in the world ", with the " first 11 being Barcelona players ", meaning that Ronaldo would not get into the starting XI. However, what Sandro fails to comprehend is that Ronaldo is just as intelligent as any of the Barca players, it's just that his intelligence is not in his passing game, but in his movement.

To The Back Post

There is no other player that can match Ronaldo in movement to the far post. I have noticed that El Shaarawy of AC Milan has adopted the same style. Stationed on the left wing for the Rossoneri, but acts as an inside forward and looks to score rather than support. He is 20 years old and is the second leading scorer Serie A with 16 goals in 28 appearances.

Here is an example of Ronaldo's clever movement to the back post :

Angel Di Maria is crossing to the far post and he knows that Ronaldo is there. It is all done on the training ground with Mourinho telling the players to always aim for the back post when crossing. The next time you watch the Galacticos, watch where their crosses are travelling to. I guarantee that only 1 or 2 of their averaged 23 crosses will be aimed at the near post.

 Guess who? And just to prove that it wasn't a fluke...

Ronaldo completes his hat trick with a replica goal 15 minutes later.

Another example of his technique :

Ronaldo has already left the right back for dead as his explosive speed is about to send him beyond the full back. Higuain knows that he has to cross to the far post to set Cristiano loose.

And he duly delivers to double his haul for the match with his second of the game. The right back cannot even react to challenge him in the air.

Run Through Channels

Barcelona still cannot find an answer to when Ronaldo sprints through the gap between the full back and centre back or two centre backs. The Ozil / Ronaldo combination has proved to be decisive in the most recent games against the superpower.

His second goal in the third Clasico of the season sums this up perfectly

As the ball breaks to Ozil, Ronaldo has already begun his run beyond Alves and behind Mascherano.

Javier gets drawn into the battle and opens up a gap in behind for Ronaldo to accelerate into. He is onside when the ball is released.

And there's only one outcome when Ronaldo has a goal scoring opportunity at the Nou Camp. I mean, he's done it 12 times before in 18 encounters.

So what is the moral of this piece? To see beyond the body, but into the mind of the phenomenon. He does possess tremendous physical qualities (just ask Patrice Evra), but his instinct to score is his greatest strength. Look at Nani. He has an array of skills and can beat any opponent. But the difference is that Nani is not instinctive enough to make that run between the defenders to score. Gareth Bale has added that to his game this year and Spurs have reaped tremendous rewards. The Welshman is in blistering form right now and shoes no sign of stopping.

I'm now going to leave you with the most visually stunning and entertaining football video on the web :

Be sure to share and become a member!!

Luis Suarez vs Robin Van Persie vs Sergio Aguero : Who Is The Best CF In The League?

One is a controversy-prone trickster.

One is the most hated man to have ever worn the Arsenal jersey.

And the other is the man who declared that he would rather join the most fierce rival in the club's history than stay with the club.

Their PR statuses each have their own problems. Some more than others. But nobody can doubt their ability to hit the back of the net with tremendous skill and guile. But who is better? The top 3 front men do battle to find out who is the best centre forward in the Premier League?

Goals

Luis Suarez has scored 15 goals in 20 appearances for Liverpool

Robin Van Persie has scored 16 goals in 21 appearances for Man United

Sergio Aguero has scored 8 goals in 18 appearances for Man City

Luis Suarez Sergio Aguero 0-0

Robin Van Persie 1

Assists

Luis Suarez has made 3 goals for Liverpool

Robin Van Persie has made 6 goals for Man United

Sergio Aguero has made 2 goals for Man City

Luis Suarez Sergio Aguero 0-0

Robin Van Persie 2

Chances Created

Luis Suarez has created 56 chances for his team mates

Robin Van Persie has created 39 chances for his team mates

Sergio Aguero has created 27 chances for his team mates

Sergio Aguero 0

Luis Suarez 1

Robin Van Persie 2

Dribbles Completed

Luis Suarez has completed 64 dribbles, averaging 3.2 per game

Robin Van Persie has completed 17 dribbles, averaging 0.8 per game

Sergio Aguero has completed 33 dribbles, averaging 1.8 per game

Sergio Aguero 0

Luis Suarez Robin Van Persie 2-2

Shots To Goals

Luis Suarez has taken 123 shots and scored 15 goals, making that a 1 in 8.2 shots to goals

Robin Van Persie has taken 74 shots and scored 16 goals, making that a 1 in 4.625 shots to goals

Sergio Aguero has taken 57 shots and scored 8 goals, making that a 1 in 7.125 shots to goals

Sergio Aguero 0

Luis Suarez 2

Robin Van Persie 3

Dispossessed

Luis Suarez has been robbed of possession 53 times

Robin Van Persie has been robbed of possession 37 times

Sergio Aguero has been robbed of possession 58 times

Sergio Aguero 0

Luis Suarez 2

Robin Van Persie 4

Turnovers

Luis Suarez has given away possession 48 times

Robin Van Persie has given away possession 29 times

Sergio Aguero has given away possession 27 times

Sergio Aguero 1

Luis Suarez 2

Robin Van Persie 4

The Dutchman has retained the title of the best centre forward in the league, following his spectacular season for Arsenal last season. However, Luis Suarez has been the shining light of Anfield with many tipping him for the Golden Boot award at the end of the season. He is the Messi of Merseyside, scoring and creating as the fulcrum of the Liverpool attack. Sergio Aguero has not followed up on his prolific debut season in the league, when he hit 23 goals in a title winning campaign. But there is still time...