Soccer has always had heroes and villains. It is all part of the show, particularly in the commercialized world of today. Often a player can be viewed as a hero by one person and a villain by another, depending on which team they support. But there are certain times when club rivalries are put to one side. Times when supporters can do nothing but admire one of their opponents. And times when a player acts so disgracefully that even his own team’s fans struggle to support him.

After Team GB’s recent 1-0 victory over Uruguay at the Olympics, Luis Suarez claimed he was angry at the supporters who booed during his country’s national anthem. The booing, however, only occurred when the Liverpool forward’s face appeared on the big screen. Suarez was quoted as saying that he believed the reception he received was down to the crowd’s “fear” of him. ‘Pure hatred’ may have been more accurate.

When people mention Luis Suarez, the first incident that comes to mind is the messy racism affair involving Patrice Evra. But this certainly wasn’t the first time the Uruguayan had caused controversy.

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw Ghana become only the third African team in history to qualify for the quarter-finals of the competition, gaining admiration from neutrals across the globe as they did so. They would now face a Uruguay team including Diego Forlan, Edinson Cavani and, of course, Luis Suarez. After former Man United striker Forlan had equalised for La Celeste in the second half, the Black Stars went inches away from winning the game in extra time. What prevented Dominic Adiyiah’s header going into the net, however, was Luis Suarez, who handled the ball on the line and was subsequently sent off. Had Asamoah Gyan gone on to convert the last-minute penalty, winning the match and making Ghana the first ever African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals, the incident may have been forgotten. But the country’s hopes and dreams were crushed as they watched the striker miss the opportunity, his spot kick striking the crossbar and Ghana ultimately being knocked out in a penalty shootout.

The actual handball was not the most despicable part of the act. After all, it is important to remember what was at stake here. And, despite it being totally immoral, who could honestly say they would not have instinctively done the same to help keep their team in the game?  Where Suarez completely abandoned his morals, however, was when he went on to run around in celebration as Ghana missed the penalty, in the knowledge that his dishonest play had cost the African side the game. After the match, the Uruguayan would lose whatever respect people had left for him, as he arrogantly proclaimed: “I made the save of the tournament. The ‘Hand of God’ now belongs to me.”

Later that year, the then-Ajax forward went on to show his animalistic nature by biting an opponent in a game against PSV. Midfielder Otman Bakkal was the victim of Suarez’s unorthodox attack, as the Uruguayan gracelessly planted his teeth into the Dutchman’s shoulder. Perhaps Suarez could be forgiven for his actions at the World Cup, as he continued to provide little evidence that he was capable of behaving like a decent human being.

But the aspect of Suarez’s game that infuriates people most is the cheating that he gets away with. Fans may have indescribable bitterness towards players who score against their team, but usually this is only temporary and all is forgotten by the time they come up against their next opponents.  They realize that the players are essentially just doing their jobs and that, as much as it may upset them, there is no ill feeling towards them as fans.  But when a player tries to bend the rules to gain an advantage, it creates a sense of injustice. This makes it personal to the fans, who are not likely to forget about the player’s actions any time soon.

An example of this is the view of Suarez by Everton fans. From the moment he signed for the Toffees’ bitter rivals Liverpool, the Uruguayan forward probably had little chance of being seen as anything other than a villain. But just to confirm this, in his first derby match Suarez would commit the heinous crime of having a fellow player undeservedly sent off, rolling around on the floor after being fairly challenged for the ball by Jack Rodwell. The Everton midfielder was immediately given his marching orders by referee Martin Atkinson, with the decision clearly encouraged by Suarez’s play-acting. Whilst the club’s successful appeal against the dismissal proved Rodwell’s innocence, it could do little to change anything about the 2-0 defeat that left a bitter taste in the mouths of Evertonians.

His compatriots and Liverpool fans stand by him. It would be wrong to expect any different of them. After all, whenever somebody pulls on your team’s shirt you should give them nothing but support. But are there really people who can happily accept cheating from their own players?

High-profile cases of diving in recent years have involved players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Ashley Young, all world class players with a tremendous amount of skill. Luis Suarez is no different, and the biggest shame of the situation is that these professionals have talent others can only dream of, yet they resort to such trickery and deception in every game.

Luis Suarez may not appreciate the jeers from supporters, but if that is how he chooses to play the game then he must accept the criticism that comes his way.  Because it is thoroughly deserved.

The final day of the 2011/12 Premier League season was the most dramatic there has ever been and arguably the most dramatic there will ever be.  Although two of the teams to be relegated had already been decided, everyone’s eyes were on the one prize more valuable than survival — the Premier League title.

Having won the Premier League a record 12 times, with no other team managing more than a quarter of that number, Manchester United faced the traumatic situation of losing their crown to their bitter rivals Manchester City.  Ultimately that is exactly what happened, with scenes of jubilation from both teams at the Etihad Stadium after City’s opponents QPR narrowly avoided relegation at the expense of Bolton Wanderers.

With Blackburn Rovers also condemned to the drop, survival specialists Wigan Athletic found themselves as one of only five North West teams left in the top division, along with newly crowned champions Man City and Premier League ever-presents Man United, Everton and Liverpool.  There was the possibility of them being joined by Blackpool until the Seasiders were defeated by West Ham in the play-off final at Wembley.  This was similar to the relegation battle between QPR and Bolton in that the London team outlasted their North Western opponents.

As well as Man United dominating the Premier League since its inception in 1992, there has been an interesting trend in recent years which has seen the North West of England being home to more top flight teams than any other region.  Since Wigan came up in 2005, the club has refused to go down year after year, meaning that the North West has continued to house at least seven Premier League teams each season.  With sporadic appearances from Burnley and Blackpool, there have even been occasions when this number has reached eight, just two shy of half the teams in the league.

For the upcoming 2012/13 season however, the North West will lay claim to only five top flight teams.  Last season’s Premier League contained the same number of teams from the whole of Southern England, who were coincidentally all from London.  In contrast to Southern England, however, this will be the first time in over ten years that the North West has only had five teams in the top division.  The last time was back in the 2001/02 season, in which reigning Premier League champions Man City played in the second tier of English football.  The season before in 2000/01 was the last time there were less, when Bolton and Blackburn were fighting for promotion to the Premier League.  As both teams came up, this was the last time the clubs would play in the second division until they were both recently relegated.

Whilst the North West has just lost two of its Premier League teams and failed to gain any from the Championship, it remains a significant region of the country due to the fact that it still houses 25 percent of the teams in the league.  However, with there not being an equal split of Premier League teams between the North West and the whole of Southern England in five years, this will be the first time since the 2006/07 season that the South has had more.  More significantly, it will be the first time in eight years that London, the capital city of England, has had more teams than North West.

With the rivalry between Bolton and Blackburn now set to take continue in the Championship, the Premier League can instead look forward to 30 London derby matches.  Also, nearby Reading make their return to the top flight, where the Royals will surely be looking to cause a few upsets in the capital.  Meanwhile, Southampton have seemingly switched roles with their South coast rivals Portsmouth.  Only three years ago, the Saints were preparing for life in League One whilst Pompey were relishing what was ultimately the final season of their seven–year stay in the Premier League.

November 2011 saw the Match of the Day team move to a new studio in Salford. With the two Manchester clubs going on to dominate last season’s Premier League, this transfer from London up to the North West was symbolic of a shift in power, as Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea ultimately provided little threat to City and United’s battle for the title.  And with Spurs about to embark on an uncertain new era under Andre Villas-Boas, the Gunners faced with the possibility of losing Robin van Persie, and the Blues’ FA Cup and Champions League double providing a welcome distraction from their lowest league finish in a decade, just how much of a challenge will London’s heavyweights be able to mount this year?

As the 2012/13 Premier League season approaches, the South certainly has the quantity, but does it have the quality?

It’s easy to kick a dog when it’s down.  And it’s even easier when everyone else joins you in doing so.  Arsenal Football Club is certainly going through a difficult period, but just how bad is the situation they find themselves in?  Is it as bad as most pundits make out?  Is it worse?

I would argue that, before the season began, Arsène Wenger would have expected a minimum of five points from their opening three league games.  His team were favourites at St James’ Park on the opening day, whilst a home game against a revitalised Liverpool and a trip to Old Trafford to face the champions would have been seen as slightly trickier.  And so they proved to be, as Arsenal lost both their second and third league games after only picking up a point at Newcastle.

We mustn’t forget that Arsenal have had several problems to contend with, especially regarding team selection.  Wenger will hope their next league game will be their first this season where they have eleven players on the pitch come the final whistle.  As well as having three players sent off, Alex Song was handed a retrospective ban following a stamp on the ever-popular Joey Barton, further limiting the club’s options for the matches that followed.  Combined with injuries, they were left desperately short for the United game, as they had to take on the Red Devils without influential players such as Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen.  With regular fullbacks Kieran Gibbs and Bacary Sagna also both on the sidelines, a duo of Armand Traoré and the inexperienced Carl Jenkinson found themselves thrown in at the deep end, the latter being the unfortunate victim of an early dismissal.  The former has since left for QPR, never really settling at Arsenal since joining the club in 2005.

Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri, arguably Arsenal’s two best players, have both departed the Emirates for large fees.  The money from these transfers is the subject of much speculation, with many supporters urging the French manager to go out and spend on new signings, rather than allow it to burn a hole in his pocket.  Many names of central defenders have been thrown about, whilst the goalkeeping position has recently become less of an issue with the improved form of Wojciech Szcz?sny.  Ultimately though, the tactic of replacing quality with youth seems doomed to fail.  Losing their two star midfielders has provided the biggest challenge to Wenger regarding his transfer policy.  Arsenal have not been in this situation for a long time, where their own top players seek a move away, with the belief that there are other clubs with a better chance of winning trophies.  Thierry Henry, the club’s greatest player ever, left for Barcelona in 2007.  The difference between his departure and that of Fabregas is that the Frenchman was approaching his thirtieth birthday and, although he was still a quality striker, his best years had been in an Arsenal shirt.  The fact that it is now the likes of Nasri and Fabregas, both only 24 years of age and in the prime of their careers, is a worrying sign indeed.  What’s more worrying for Arsenal supporters is that it is something which Arsène Wenger is powerless to prevent.  In both transfer sagas he initially declared his intention to keep hold of his best players, which eventually was not possible due to their desire to leave.

The Gunners’ season could have been a lot worse had they not produced an impressive comeback in Udinese.  No Champions League football would have been a disaster for a club of the stature of Arsenal.  I would suggest that having to participate in the Europa League whilst the big boys battled against Europe’s elite would have caused more humiliation than the 8-2 drubbing at Old Trafford.  The pain certainly would have lasted longer.  But Arsenal did ensure entry into the Champions League and will now play Marseille, Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund in a group where, despite their poor start to the season, they will be fancied to qualify for the knockout stages.  If they make it that far then who knows what could happen, although I feel they had a much better chance of winning the competition last season, where they were knocked out by Barcelona at the Nou Camp after defeating the eventual winners at home.  When it comes to the Premier League, Arsenal will do well to recover and achieve their fourth placed finish of last season, as, although it’s still early stages, Liverpool look threateningly capable of stealing it.

So, all the negativity surrounding the club suggests that it will be yet another disappointing campaign for Arsenal.  They are pretty much guaranteed a position within the top six, having not finished outside the top four since 1996, when they were just outside in fifth.  Interestingly, the season before that they came twelfth, which is currently their lowest finish in 35 years.  The club is a long way from that sort of downfall, but they are also a similar distance from “The Invincibles” of 2004.  Arsenal Football Club is not in decline, but a period of transition.  The self-destructing second half of last season together with the removal of two of the club’s main pillars has had a massive impact on Wenger’s project.  When the dust has settled, Arsenal will be back.

Manchester City have money to blow.  We know that.  Constantly, huge figures are thrown about in relation to the price of their squad, players’ wages, sponsorship deals, etc.  Sometimes this is done in anger, with people taking a similar stance to when Abramovich helped to fund Chelsea’s success a few years ago.  Chelsea were accused of buying the title, as the Russian billionaire’s money was used to pay for the best players around.  Rightly or wrongly, it happened.

To be successful you need to win matches.  And to win matches you need to score goals.  The importance of top quality strikers, therefore, is vital for any team wanting to challenge for the league.  Let’s go back to Stamford Bridge for a moment.  Chelsea signed Fernando Torres from Liverpool in January for £50 million, a new British transfer record which made the Spaniard the fourth most expensive footballer in history.  Torres infamously only managed to score one goal for the Blues before the end of the season.  He may not have proved his worth yet, but his overall goalscoring record is there for all to see.

Even the season before Sheikh Mansour bought Manchester City (2007/08), the club’s purchases illustrated the significance of goalscorers.  Over £20 million was spent on attackers that summer, with almost a further £10 million used to buy forwards in the January window.  Elano was arguably the most notable signing, an £8 million Brazilian from Shakhtar Donetsk, who went on to finish the season as the club’s top scorer.  Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov and Felipe Caicedo eventually found themselves playing elsewhere in Europe, whilst Benjani went on loan to Sunderland, followed by a brief spell with Blackburn.

City’s first summer signing of 2008 was understandably overshadowed by his compatriot who would sign in at the club almost exactly two months later.  Brazilian striker João Alves de Assis Silva, more commonly known as Jô, was an £18 million purchase from CSKA Moscow.  This was a record transfer fee for Man City at the time, and there was much hope for the young forward who had an impressive ratio of more than a goal every two games in Russia.  Unfortunately, after two loan spells with Everton and one in Turkey with Galatasaray, he moved back to Brazil with Internacional, having scored only six goals for the Manchester club.

Following a total summer spending spree of around £40 million in 2007, the revolution at Manchester City would begin in a year’s time, when more than three quarters of that figure was spent on a single player.  Immediately following a takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi United Group on 1st September 2008, the final day of the Premier League summer transfer window, Robinho completed a sensational £32.5 million move to Man City from Real Madrid.  This was in a summer where City spent roughly twice as much as they had done a year earlier, with the Robinho deal breaking the British transfer record and only being surpassed in January 2011.  The Brazilian forward would enjoy a successful debut season with City, finishing as the club’s top goalscorer and the fourth top scorer in the league.  However, an injury during his second season in Manchester limited him to only twelve appearances, in which a single goal in the FA Cup was the best he managed to deliver.  A loan move soon followed, as the deadline day record-breaker returned to his native Brazil to play for home club Santos.  This was effectively the end of Robinho’s career at City, who had stated that he was seeking a move away.  Upon his return to England with two medals, having won the Brazilian league and cup, he would move to AC Milan for a fee of less than half of what City had paid for him.  No stranger to success, Robinho won the league with Santos twice before leaving the first time, won La Liga with Real Madrid in both 2007 and 2008, as well as playing a huge part in AC Milan regaining the Scudetto from bitter rivals Inter in his first season at the San Siro.  That leaves Manchester City with the unwanted statistic of being the only club he has played for where he was unable to win any silverware.  In his only full season in the Premier League, City’s biggest achievement was reaching the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Cup; they finished tenth in the league and were knocked out of both domestic cups by losing their first game in each competition.  Not exactly what the club’s Arab investment company owners had hoped for.

After a disappointing campaign, new signings were imminent in the build-up to the 2009/10 season.  In a complete overhaul of their squad, City spent around £120 million on transfers.  In two years their summer spending had trebled, but it was now that success started to seem more likely.  This success, however, had little to do with someone who is now Paraguay’s joint all-time leading goalscorer.  Roque Santa Cruz signed in at Manchester City from Blackburn Rovers for a fee in the region of £18 million.  This makes him the cheapest striker the club have signed since 2009 (excluding free transfers).  Yet, somehow, he is still the biggest waste of money.  Having made 24 appearances in all competitions for City and scoring only four times, it is no wonder that Santa Cruz does not feature in Roberto Mancini’s plans.  The five-time Bundesliga winner saw out the end of last season back at Blackburn, where he failed to score a single goal.

With the club signing two other more expensive strikers in the same month as him, perhaps Santa Cruz wasn’t really given a fair chance at City.  A fellow South American, Carlos Tévez was involved in the biggest move of the summer.  After a transfer saga revolving around the player’s ownership by Media Sports Investments, Tévez became the first player in ten years to switch from Manchester United to their cross-town rivals, City.  He had gone from hero to villain for United fans, as he scored twice to help City defeat the Red Devils in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final.  This was followed up by him taunting his former club, much to the joy of the City faithful.  After an impressive debut season, Mancini made the Argentinean club captain.  Only a few months later, however, Tévez would controversially hand in a written transfer request.  The club rejected this and the request was later withdrawn, with Tévez declaring his ‘absolute commitment’ to Manchester City.  In 2011 he led a City team out to victory at Wembley in the FA Cup final, whilst finishing the season as the joint winner of the Premier League Golden Boot.  His City career has been a massive success, with 52 goals in 81 appearances.  Where Carlos Tévez’s future lies, however, is yet to be seen.

Emmanuel Adebayor was the third striker signed by City in July 2009.  As well as the £25 million transfer fee, the Togo international was similar to Carlos Tévez in that he too was already well established in the Premier League, having spent the previous three and a half years with Arsenal.  His career in Manchester started brightly, as he scored in his first four games for the club.  The final goal in the streak came against the Gunners and was certainly the most significant.  Adebayor ran almost the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of his former club’s supporters, a hugely controversial act that infuriated the attending Arsenal fans.  As well as a yellow card from the referee, he received a lot of criticism for his blatant incitement of the crowd.  Despite avoiding further punishment for his celebration, the Togolese forward would be handed a three-match suspension after being found guilty of violent conduct against former strike partner Robin van Persie.  Adebayor’s career at the club gradually began to decline after the incident, as he failed to build on his early signs of promise.  Unneeded at City, he somehow found himself on loan at Real Madrid for the final few months of the 2010/2011 season.  It was here that he enjoyed his first and currently only taste of silverware, as the Spanish giants won the Copa del Rey.

Mario Balotelli.  Where to start?  Football fans all around the world know his name.  Not bad for somebody who has only just turned 21 years of age?  Admittedly, Balotelli is not always in the headlines for the right reasons.  But, if you look past the negativity that surrounds him, there are some important facts.  Mario Balotelli has won three Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, one Champions League and one FA Cup.  His senior career began at the age of fifteen and within a year he was picked up by Inter Milan, initially joining on loan before making a permanent switch from Lumezzane.  He made his debut for the Nerazzurri in December 2007, just over three months after his seventeenth birthday.  A strained relationship with José Mourinho would follow, who was not impressed by Balotelli’s attitude to training and accused him of showing a lack of effort.  So what would the striker do next to prove himself to his manager and the Inter fans?  Wearing an AC Milan shirt on national television was seemingly not the solution to his problems and did little to help him regain any support.  It was merely a signal that something was not right.  The final straw came against Barcelona in the semi-final of the Champions League, where, after being booed by Inter fans during the match, Balotelli threw his shirt to the ground as he left the pitch.  This, however, would not dissuade former boss Roberto Mancini from signing him for Manchester City for a fee of around £24 million.  Having managed him whilst at Inter, Mancini knew what he was buying.  Balotelli just managed double figures in his debut campaign with ten goals, having played only 28 games in all competitions due to injury and suspension.  A couple of red cards were low points in the season, particularly against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League, which ultimately cost City progression to the quarter-final stage of a competition they could have won.  However, his flaws were all forgotten by the final whistle of the 2011 FA Cup final (by City fans anyway), as he put in a man of the match display to help the club to victory over Stoke to win their first trophy in 35 years.

City’s big signing of the 2011 January transfer window was Edin Džeko, who avoided much of the spotlight due to a certain Spaniard’s departure from Liverpool that same month.  A record of 85 goals in 138 appearances for Wolfsburg was one of the main reasons Man City sought the Bosnian’s services, which they paid £27 million for, almost seven times the amount the German club had bought him for originally.  Džeko was unable to establish himself a regular place in the team and finished the season with six goals for City in 21 appearances.  Only two of these were in the league; the first was against Blackburn, ensuring his new club would have a chance to play in this season’s Champions League, whilst the second against Bolton helped them snatch third place from Arsenal and send them directly to the group stages of the competition.  His other goals included a double in the Europa League, as well as scoring in both FA Cup matches against Notts County on City’s road to Wembley.  Although he held hero status temporarily after scoring in the Community Shield against United, the goal lost some significance as City went on to lose the match to their bitter rivals.  Ultimately, Džeko needs to prove his worth this season and continue to force his way into the starting eleven.

The latest forward to arrive at Manchester City broke the club’s transfer record, signing from Atlético Madrid for a fee in the region of £35 million.  Sergio Agüero was already well established in Spain with over 230 appearances for Los Colchoneros, scoring more than a century of goals for the Madrid club.  In fact, the young striker rarely missed a game after he joined from Independiente in 2006.  Vital to the success of Atlético, he has scored at least 20 goals a season since 2007/08, as well as consistently racking up an impressive number of assists.  He made his debut for the senior Argentinean national team at the age of eighteen, but has so far found it hard to stand out with the emergence of Lionel Messi, who he won the FIFA U-20 World Cup with in 2005.  Agüero did gain some media attention in 2009, when he became the son-in-law of Diego Maradona by marrying the youngest daughter of the Argentina legend.  Having been a top player in La Liga for a few seasons now, does Agüero have what it takes to cut it in England’s top flight?  Premier League debutants Swansea were the first team to come up against him, as the fellow newcomer bagged a brace within 23 minutes of being on the pitch.  It’s easy to get carried away with all the hype, especially with there now being so many expectations of City.  But this is someone whose performances could shape what promises to be the club’s most exciting season ever.

Since 2001, only three different teams have won the league, only four different teams have finished as runners up and only six different teams have made the top three. With both Newcastle United’s and Manchester City’s highest finish being third place within this time (achieved once each), it is no wonder that a focus was placed on the “Big Four” consisting of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

The 1990s were undoubtedly dominated by Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, with the side winning five of the seven Premier League trophies available. Such success resulted in their Scottish manager being knighted ‘Sir’ in 1999 at the end of a decade where the Red Devils had won half of the First Division titles on offer (1990-1999). Arsenal (1991 and 1998) were the only other team that managed to win the league more than once within the period, with the other three champions being Liverpool (1990) Leeds United (1992) and Blackburn Rovers (1995). Ferguson’s side ensured they left the 20th century on a high; they achieved a treble in their most successful campaign to date, winning their fourth FA Cup of the ’90s, which was followed by their first Champions League victory, earning them their second European Cup. United’s success continued after the millennium and in 2001 they won their third consecutive Premier League title. By this time, academy products such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes had gained a wealth of experience, not to mention medals. Captained by the fiery tempered Roy Keane, “Fergie’s Fledglings” had established themselves as some of the best players in the league.

The turn of the century saw the emergence of a certain Henry. Thierry Henry to be precise. The French forward moved to Arsenal from Juventus in 1999 for a fee of around £11 million. With the Gunners having won their first Premier League title the year before, Henry helped the club to three consecutive second placed finishes, runners up to a tenacious Manchester United each time. Finally, in 2002, Arsenal regained the championship from the clutches of the Red Devils, Henry finishing the season as the league’s top goalscorer in the process. This would be the first of the prolific Frenchman’s four Premier League Golden Boots. Interestingly, each time Henry won the award, Manchester United were unable to win the league, three times finishing third and once as runners up. Never out of the top three since 1992, these third placed finishes were United’s lowest in the Premier League era. As well as veteran strike partner Dennis Bergkamp, Henry’s compatriots Patrick Vieira and Robert Pirès would also go on to further success for the Gunners. They were to join him as members of “The Invincibles” in 2004, as Arsenal became the first Premier League team and only the second team in English football history to complete a season in the top division unbeaten.

Another £11 million transfer, Frank Lampard was already well established in the Premier League when he switched from Upton Park for Stamford Bridge in 2001. Following in the footsteps of his father, Frank Lampard Sr., the midfielder had begun his career at West Ham United. He was an ever-present in his first season at Chelsea, where the club maintained their sixth placed finish of the previous campaign. Although now the club’s third all-time goalscorer, Lampard only managed seven goals in his debut season, which meant the team relied heavily on their forward pairing of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eiður Guðjohnsen, who together contributed a total of 53 goals in all competitions. This would also be the season in which, although temporarily, a youthful John Terry was handed the captain’s armband for the first time. The year 2002 was the last time the Blues finished outside of the top four, just a year before long-time chairman Ken Bates sold the club to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Liverpool Football Club: Treble Winners 2001. Although this did not include the Premier League title or the European Cup, it was still an incredible feat achieved by a side including a young Merseyside-born quintet. Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Danny Murphy and Robbie Fowler all played their part in a memorable season for the Reds as they recorded a unique cup treble, winning the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Surely this was the time for Liverpool to push on from their third placed finish in the league? Surely it was now that the club would regain its dominance of the 1970s and 1980s and win the league for the first time in over a decade? Although they did win the European Cup for the fifth time in 2005, on an unforgettable night in Istanbul, the club are still waiting for that elusive Premier League title. A League Cup win in 2003 and an FA Cup victory in 2006 stand either side of Liverpool’s Champions League success. Their last cup final appearance was in 2007, a repeat of their famous match against AC Milan two years earlier, only this time it was the Rossoneri who would prevail.

And so, as another Premier League season dawns, exactly who has remained with the club they were at ten years ago? Sir Alex Ferguson continues to prove he is with United for the long-haul, whilst of the 90s’ fledglings, veteran Ryan Giggs appears to be the first one in and the last one out; fellow one-club men Gary Neville and Paul Scholes having recently called time on their playing careers. With no players still at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has overseen a revolution that started at Highbury and continues at the Emirates Stadium. This has included a period in which relatively few British players have appeared in the Gunners’ first team. Chelsea and Liverpool are very similar to one another in that they have each retained a midfielder and a defender; Frank Lampard and John Terry for the Blues and Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher for the Reds. The influence of these players is undoubted, with comparisons between Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard being made to the point where they were seen as too alike to play together for England. Proud Scousers, Gerrard and Carragher brought the European Cup back to Anfield in 2005, the only major trophy the Stamford Bridge club have been unable to secure. Although this is something Liverpool can claim to have over Chelsea, the duo of Lampard and Terry has seen more success.

With talk of the United chief only having a couple of years left at the helm, Arsenal fans turning on Wenger due to the club’s lack of silverware, and the fact that the five aforementioned players are now all into their thirties, just how much longer will these Premier League clubs be able to boast such loyalty?