Arsenal holds the record for being the team that has started Premier League games the most times without having even one English player on the squad. For the 155th time, the team took the field without an English player, placing them at the top of the list for teams that are lacking Englishmen on the squads. In fact, Arsenal has played 129 games more than any other team that is also lacking English representation on the field. While they are not the only team in the league to not have any English starters, they are the team that has played the most games without a single Englishman on the pitch.

This season’s UEFA Champions League group stage is almost done and dusted, most of the big teams have already secured their passage to the first knockout round. This would be a good moment to think about placing a bet on the outright winner market as we have already seen the teams in action in five Champions League matches, along with their domestic league games. Let’s have a look at the top five favourites to win this season’s competition, according to the bookmakers.

As we move into September, the English Premier League season is 3 games old and Manchester United look the team to catch. Jose Mourinho’s reds have a 100% record so far this term and have scored 10 goals and are also yet to concede which sees them installed as the 9/4 second favourites to win the title this year with Bet 365.

The current favourites to pick up the title in May are United’s cross-town rivals Manchester City. The sky-blues missed out on signing Alexis Sanchez and Jonny Evans on Deadline Day but look to have a strong squad and also have had an unbeaten start to the 2017/18 season (2 wins and 1 draw) and have 7 points. They are best priced 7/5 with UniBet to be lifting the Premier League trophy in May.

It’s far from the most glamorous part of football but it may well be one of the most important parts. Getting a club’s players tied down to lengthy contracts is now becoming one of the most integral parts of football management. Some teams find tremendous success in this while others are failing miserable. Arsenal are a prime example of the latter and it’s hindering the club both on and off the pitch. Several key players are out of contract at the end of the season and it’s stopping the Gunners from completing their business the way it should be done.

It’s rare for football fans to get excited about contract renewals. A big player renewing when it looked unlikely may cause some glee but nothing on the same scale as a new signing. Instead, renewing contracts is more of an expectation. Teams just should always have their players signed down to good deals. It provides stability and there’s just a sense of the club securing its assets, that way, if a player wants to leave then all the power is with the team he’s contracted to for the next several years. The selling club has a bigger impact on price or can choose to pull the plug on any deal and threaten the player with four years in the reserves.

Romelu Lukaku

The comparisons between Lukaku’s goalscoring record and that of other footballing greats at the same age might have grown a little tiresome, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the Belgian.He scored 25 Premier League goals last
season, beaten to the Golden Boot only by a late Harry Kane surge. His critics suggests he relies too much on athleticism to become a top all-round striker, but there is a cool head on his shoulders. The 24-year-old’s pace allows him to get in behind, but against deeper defences he times his runs cleverly to find small pockets of space on the edge of the box, in which he often fires home. Manchester United have plenty of creativity, with Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan likely to benefit from a quiet summer, so Lukaku’s goalscoring instinct could be just the job.