A Christmas gift for the fans of each Premier League team
Brentford (Current league position 10th)
An eye-catching win over Manchester City at the Etihad sent the Bees into the break in optimistic mood and in a healthy league position. However, with 6 players heading to Qatar to represent their respective countries, it was the one left behind that was the talk of the town as Ivan Toney’s 10 league goals weren’t enough to secure a spot in the England squad. This disappointment was further compounded when the striker was charged with alleged breaches of betting rules that threatens to impact a promising season. The Christmas wish for Brentford fans will be a positive result after the player responds to the allegations before the January 4th deadline.
Brighton (Current league position 7th)
Sitting pretty in 7th place and fixing their sights on European cup action for next season, the Seagulls have responded well to losing sought-after manager Graham Potter to Chelsea in early September. Roberto De Zerbi has his team playing an attractive brand of football, though an impressive run of form was brought to an end in their final league game before the break with a disappointing 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa. A certain Alexis MacAllister scored that day before jetting off to hook-up with Lionel Messi and co. en route to becoming World Champions. The daring Christmas wish for Brighton fans will be to hold onto their prized assets in the form of MacAllister, Belgian striker (and leading goal-scorer) Leandro Trossard and Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo.
Chelsea (Current league position 8th)
Chelsea sent an impressive 12 players to Qatar, most of whom could be forgiven for not escaping England fast enough after a torrid finish to Autumn saw them lose their final 3 Premier League games. A change of scene for those heading to the Chelsea training camp in Abu Dhabi could work wonders for manager Graham Potter and his squad, but it is worth noting that two of the more high-profile performers at the World Cup, namely Hakim Ziyech (Morocco) and Christian Pulisic (USA) have been linked with moves away from the club in the January transfer window. The Christmas wish for Blues fans might be solidarity and unity and a fit again Reece James, ahead of games against Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest before Manchester City come to town.