With the 2012-13 Premier League season coming to a close, we review the top ten goals that made our heads swirl through the season.
In reality, there were too many to count this past season. Though we had to leave some out the list, strikes like Robin van Persie’s beauty to seal Manchester United’s Premier League title against Aston Villa or Gareth Bale’s magical strike versus West Ham come to mind.
OK, so we’ll stop and let you relive the best goals for yourself.
Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini is a man of his word. The playmaker pledged to dye his hair silver if Everton supporters had donated at least £25,000 to the club’s official charity by May 16th. Well, they did.
While he is pretty excited about it, it doesn’t seem like he will keep his new do for Everton manager David Moyes’s final match with the club:
“I think it looks great, but it is only for one day, because I don’t think the manager will like it quite as much as me.”
“It is for a great cause and i would like to thank the fans for raising £25,000 so far for the Everton community.”
Image via The Mirror
Remaining fixtures (all on Sunday, May 19):
Chelsea vs. Everton
Newcastle vs. Arsenal
Tottenham vs. Sunderland
With the title won and relegation decided, the final day of the Premier League has one battle to focus on: the fight for Champions League spots.
Unless Tottenham win by double digits, Chelsea are in, even if they lose. The real race is between Arsenal and Spurs.
Tottenham have to win, and then need a helping hand from Newcastle. It is possible for the Gunners to secure their spot with a draw as long as Tottenham also lose or draw, but a victory over the Toon would put them into the top four no matter what Spurs do.
Manchester is top of the news agenda for obvious reasons, with both clubs undergoing a change of manager - one voluntary and one not so. David Moyes is thought to be planning a few moves for Everton players, the latest being England defender Phil Jagielka. What’s more, Valencia forward Roberto Soldado is worried that his move to Goodison Park could be in jeopardy because of the changes at the top. We’ve got loads more rumors in today’s edition of Paper Chase, especially on Manchester City, United and Wayne Rooney, so click here for all the gossip.
So, Sir Alex Ferguson has left Manchester United and in comes David Moyes as his successor. A new manager means fresh faces and new ideas. Moyes will be reluctant to change the whole landscape at Old Trafford, however a couple of quality additions may be in the offing.
Brendan Rodgers raided his old club for Joe Allen last summer and Moyes looks set to do similar. Arguably the two best players at Everton (Moyes’ old club) are left-back Leighton Baines and goalscoring midfielder Marouane Fellaini. According to today’s tabloids in the UK, the new Red Devils boss will look to take them with him after the season finishes.
The knock-on effect of these arrivals could be more interesting. Wayne Rooney is reportedly unhappy and the addition of Fellaini would push him further down the pecking order - and potentially out of the club. Baines’ arrival would no doubt leave Patrice Evra wondering whether he will get game time next season.
For this rumor and the rest of today’s transfer gossip, click here for Paper Chase.
Uh oh! Seems like things are already going pear shaped at Manchester United ever since it was announced Sir Alex Ferguson would be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Everton announced today that David Moyes would be leaving the club at the end of this season too, and almost immediately this appeared on United’s Facebook page. Of course Moyes isn’t the new manager of United yet - Alex Ferguson is! Ooops! The message was quickly deleted. Red faces all round.
Editor’s note: Moyes would later sign a six-year-contract with the Old Trafford outfit and will join officially on July 1 after completing the season with Everton
The best hair in the Barclays Premier League is about to get even better. Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini, in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the clubs official charity, has pledged to dye his afro silver if the club can reach their fundraising target of £25,000.
Everton’s playmaker is happy to help:
“Our fans have already given thousands of pounds to support Everton in the Community but there’s still a long way to go, so I hope that my silver hair challenge will help to bring in lots more money and make a difference.”
If you’d like to see this pledge become a reality, you can donate here.
Arsenal and Everton’s goalless draw yesterday was as fiery tempered as they come. Even Arsene Wenger and David Moyes were in bullish moods after the brusing game. Tensions nearly boiled over at half-time though.
Just as the players were entering the tunnel for the break, Everton’s Kevin Mirallas decided to really wind up Arsenal’s midfield lynchpin Jack Wilshere. With a perfectly-executed schoolyard trick, Mirallas sprayed Wilshere with his water bottle, sparking the desired reaction from England’s young star.
Fortunately, a beady-eyed cameraman managed to catch the incident, so you can just click and watch above. Enjoy!
Wipeout!
Sometimes, a story like this best shows the huge difference in resources between Premier League clubs and their minnow opponents in the FA Cup. On Saturday, Oldham players were advised by their equipment manager to not swap shirts with Everton players as is customary after the match, because of a shortage of team kits!
However, after the dramatic finish, most Oldham players couldn’t help themselves.
From the Daily Mail:
[A]fter Matt Smith’s injury-time equaliser, there was a rush to swap jerseys with their Premier League opposition, with midfielder Jose Baxter claiming the prized shirt of England full back Leighton Baines, a former Goodison Park team-mate.
‘We all got carried away and didn’t really think about the notice,’ said Baxter. ‘I just hope we’ve got enough kit for Tuesday.’
Smith chucked his shirt into the crowd after scoring.
