Everton are in fantastic form right now and on Saturday they gave their supporters another reason to be cheerful with a comfortable 2-0 win over David Moyes’ Sunderland at Goodison Park.

Idrissa Gueye got the opener before Romelu Lukaku rounded off the win in the second half. It means the Toffees are now unbeaten in league action in eight matches and are showing no signs of being beaten anytime soon.

Next week represents one of their toughest fixtures of the season, travelling away to Tottenham Hotspur, and the team will need the likes Gueye and Lukaku at the top of their game yet again if they’re to get any sort of result against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Romelu Lukaku in particular seems to be on a hot streak, scoring 9 goals in his last 10 games. He’s always been a fan favourite at Goodison but the love-in appears to be new heights as he crosses over from favourite to icon. Can he become a club legend?

Supporters certainly enjoy his performance on Saturday anyway and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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According to reports in the Daily Mirror, West Ham manager Slaven Bilic won’t be offered a new deal until the summer, despite talk that the Croatian was close to extending his contract.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports said earlier this month that a new deal was close for the Irons boss – who is a popular figure among the majority of the club’s supporters – but the Daily Mirror believe that his future will be decided at the end of the season in an annual review.

Is he likely to get a new contract?

If the rumours suggest he will, then he should.

But part of the annual review is sure to highlight a number of poor performances from the club throughout the season – including that double header against Manchester City at the London Stadium – as well as the poor start they made at their new home.

After a good mid-season run of form the Irons are currently in 11th position, but have also won just one of their last six Premier League matches.

Last weekend they suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth – who also missed two penalties – which was the Cherries’ first win in 2017.

Didn’t John Sullivan speak out about that result?

Yes, he did.

The joint-chairman said: “’I was very disappointed and frustrated with the manner of our defeat.

“We went down there determined to bounce back from the Chelsea game, but we didn’t play as well as we know we can.

“Slaven, the players and the staff all know we have to do better.”

What’s the verdict, then?

It really could depend on the Hammers’ finish to the season.

If they go on a positive run until the end of the campaign and secure a top-half finish, there will be a good feeling around the club again and the fans will want Bilic to stay.

However if it goes the opposite way and the fans starting getting on his and the team’s back, he could well be in trouble.

For a team with arguably the most exciting and fresh-faced attack in England, Manchester City don’t half have an old guard.

The rise of Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus alongside Raheem Sterling in a vibrant attack is juxtaposed jarringly with other elements of an ageing team. But it’s all part of a process that City needed to go through. The likes of Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko were offloaded in favour of younger models, but players like Bacary Sagna, Aleksandar Kolarov and Yaya Toure remain in a team that still feels in need of a fresh impetus, especially at the back.

New ideas help. Pep Guardiola’s arrival has freshened things up in terms of squad personnel, but also in terms of the feel around the club. Yet when Pablo Zabaleta – another old head – talked about his manager’s approach to dealing with one of the important but tedious aspects of football management: video analysis, eyebrows were raised:

“We watch a lot of videos, and sometimes I know it’s a bit boring for some of the players to be watching videos every day, but for the players who really love football and enjoy watching… and I’m talking about 20 minutes of video, or 25 minutes, not an hour or two hours!”

Smelling a story, most headline writers jumped on the word boring, leading to reports about players being bored with Guardiola’s methods. That would be a far cry from the glowing praise his players heaped on him in the first few months of his tenure at the Etihad Stadium, but it’s probably unsurprising that video analysis would be boring for some players, just as shopping or cooking is boring for some, too. Saying the word out loud, though, is like waving a red cloth at a bull.

But the more interesting quip isn’t so much that some players can get bored with video sessions that last as long as an episode of The Simpsons. It’s more that some “players who really love football” don’t get bored. The implication is that those who do get bored don’t really love football.

Again, plenty of people go into their jobs day after day and don’t love it. The easy argument to make is that most people could love anything for millions of pounds a year, but footballers are just as entitled to have other interests to the same extent as any bank clerk, engineer or estate agent.

Yet Zabaleta’s comments are interesting for Guardiola’s effectiveness going forward. Just who are the players who love football and are willing to watch, and who are those who get bored? It’s no secret that the Catalan manager is a demanding figure whose systems tend to rely on the minute details of what players do and when they do them. As such, you’d think it would be the players who don’t get bored in the video room who will fit the best.

Perhaps it’s City’s old guard who are the more reticent to change. Some have left, while others like Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure have had to adapt in order to keep their playing time to a high level – both have done so admirably, especially Aguero – but you do get the feeling that Guardiola’s demands will be too great for some.

Clearly an overhaul is needed at Manchester City. This season, a title charge and progression in the Champions League have been thrown away by a porous defence in front of their home crowd. Individual errors in passing and technique have meant that this season’s aim will probably be lifting the FA Cup and getting as close to Chelsea as possible. But a few additions at the back could see Guardiola’s team push on to the next level.

It might take more fresh faces than old heads to make that jump, though.

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Two intertwined factors have been the difference in the title race this season; the ease in which Chelsea transitioned to a 3-4-3 formation whilst Manchester City and Manchester United were getting grips to life with new philosophies and, inherently linked, the simply superb form of N’Golo Kante.

The Frenchman was at the heart of Leicester City’s miraculous title win last season and is now on course to become the first player in Premier League history to win the crown with separate clubs in consecutive campaigns. By no means a coincidence, Kante’s industry offers a distinct advantage; the freedom to play with two rather than three in the engine room, allowing for another slot in attack.

Indeed, midfielders of Kante’s variety were once overlooked as being too small and too mindless, careering around the middle of the park like headless chickens. But Kante has put the relentless ankle nippers back in vogue and every major club in the Premier League will be keeping their eyes peeled for like-minded incarnates this summer as they look to stop the beginnings of a dynasty in west London.

One player seemingly falling into that remit already is the man Leicester signed in January as Kante’s direct replacement – the prodigious Wilfred Ndidi, who arrived from Genk in a £17million deal. The 20-year-old took a little while to find his groove at the King Power Stadium but over the last few weeks has truly hit top gear, coming to a head with a stunning strike against Stoke City last Saturday.

According to Mirror Football, Arsenal and Manchester United are already sniffing around the Nigerian international and it’s not hard to see why. As our infographic shows, there’s certainly been a Kante-esque element to his Premier League performances thus far, producing an almost super-human tackle return alongside two interceptions and four clearances per match.

But Ndidi’s nine outings thus far suggest he can also offer what Kante’s often accused of lacking – consistent influence in the final third. He’s already notched up one goal and one assist for the Foxes – taking two shots at goal per match – and seems more comfortable than the Chelsea man when he ends up in the pocket just in front of the opposition penalty box.

It will be a tough task convincing Leicester to sell after just six months, but Ndidi looks like a real player – one Arsenal and Manchester United might seriously regret missing out on if they don’t act this summer.

Leeds United dropped out of the play-off positions on Easter Monday when they were beaten 1-0 at home by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and things got even worse on Saturday when they lost 2-1 against Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium.

The result left Garry Monk’s side three points behind sixth-placed Fulham with just two Championship matches of the season remaining, and is a bitter blow to the Yorkshire outfit who have spent a large chunk of the campaign in the top six.

Having taken just one point from their last three games, Monk will know that he must try and keep morale in his squad up in what is set to be two must-win matches against Norwich City this weekend and then Wigan Athletic on the final day.

While things may look bleak for United supporters right now, all is certainly not lost as the club bids for a long-awaited return to the Premier League.

Here are three reasons Leeds will still secure a Championship play-off spot…

Their remaining fixtures

Leeds have perhaps hit a bit of luck with respect with the two sides they will face in their final two league fixtures.

Norwich are just one spot behind Garry Monk’s side in the table and are in impressive form having won three of their last four matches, but with a top six spot unattainable some of their players may have more than an eye on the summer break.

Meanwhile, Wigan are clinging on to their Championship status but know they must beat third-placed Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday to keep their survival hopes alive.

Huddersfield’s form

Just a few weeks ago the Terriers were automatic promotion contenders, but having picked up just seven points from the last 21 available in the Championship their top six spot is looking a little less secure.

Having lost 4-1 at home to Fulham on Saturday, David Wagner’s side face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Tuesday night and should they lose, they would be five points above Leeds with a trip to Harry Redknapp’s Birmingham City – who are in desperate need of a win – on Saturday.

Fulham’s run-in

Three points above them in the table, Slavisa Jokanovic’s men are certainly the most catchable for Leeds and they look to have a tough run-in on paper.

They host west London neighbours Brentford – who will be keen to stop their rivals securing a top six spot – at Craven Cottage on Saturday, before they face a huge clash against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on the final day.

With a chance that the Owls’ own play-off spot won’t be confirmed until the final day if Leeds beat Norwich and they fail to win at Ipswich, it could be a must-win fixture for Carlos Carvalhal’s side.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.

Arsenal are through to another FA Cup Final after disposing of Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.After falling behind thanks to a Sergio Aguero effort, Arsene Wenger’s men showed a fight that has been lacking for the majority of their season to come back and win 2-1.Nacho Monreal was the man who got the equaliser before Alexis Sanchez scored in extra-time to give Gunners fans a day to remember.The Gunners did ride their luck a little bit though, with Petr Cech only just stretching out his fingertips far enough to push Yaya Toure’s hooked shot onto the post, while Fernandinho crashed a header into the crossbar from a corner with the Arsenal ‘keeper well beaten.This season may not have quite gone the way fans have wanted, but they could still end up with major honours come the end of May.Whether Arsene Wenger stays or goes, all Arsenal fans should collect their free funds from www.vouchecode-uk.com right now.The win is a big boost to Wenger, who has faced increasing calls to step aside as Emirates boss to allow fresh ideas to come into the club.However, as these stats from Squawka show, perhaps those ‘Wenger Out’ calls are a little hasty.

That’s a consistency in big show piece games and competitions that supporters of most other teams would envy. Is that worth giving up to embark on the risk of a new manager with new ideas?

Wenger may not be hitting the heights of his famous Arsenal teams of the past right now, but they are far from a poor side and as evidenced, still have plenty about them in the big English competitions.

Before Arsenal return to Wembley at the end of May to face London rivals and probable Premier League champions Chelsea, the Gunners still have a number of key league fixtures to play.

Having played three fewer games than Everton, who sit above them in sixth position in the table, the Gunners have a hectic next couple of weeks.

A home match at the Emirates stadium on Wednesday to face last season’s champions Leicester City is followed by a huge north London derby against title contenders Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

May sees Arsenal host Man United before back-to-back trips to Southampton and Stoke, followed by a brace of home games to finish the season against Sunderland and Chelsea, hopefully for them securing a top four finish.

Champions League qualification and another domestic trophy certainly won’t represent the demise that the stats show is overstated.

In four Premier League games in the month between 4th March to 4th April, Manchester United drew three times, all at home. The three clubs they drew with were Bournemouth, West Brom and Everton. They managed one league victory in that time, too: a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough, which wasn’t exactly the most comfortable of victories either.

It’s a pretty dismal run, all told. Especially for a team managed by Jose Mourinho and possessing the now-cliched millions of pounds worth of talent.

Some time in that month came the realisation that United, who had floated around sixth place in the Premier League table for months since being beaten 4-0 by Chelsea at the end of October, would probably have a better chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League by winning the Europa League rather than attempting to finish in the top four.

It seemed like the reasonable choice. With Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham still to play, and with United’s record against the top sides less than stellar, beating teams like Anderlecht, Lyon and Ajax in Europe probably seemed easier.

Even after victory over Chelsea and a new vein of good form, it still seems like a sound decision. The only downside is the danger that comes with putting all your eggs in one basket.

But although United’s quest to enter next season’s Champions League is perhaps easier to fulfil by winning the only competition that the club has never won in its entire history, finishing in the top four might help the club’s longer-term ambitions more than another piece of second-grade silverware this season.

In the end, it’s likely that United will only think about themselves. Some fans would undoubtedly relish the opportunity to knock rivals Manchester City or Liverpool out of the top four just to watch them squirm, and perhaps even take pride in the fact that their club came from behind to take the coveted spot off a rival. But that’s unlikely to be the manager’s thinking. Jose Mourinho has bigger worries than petty turf wars.

And yet, nabbing fourth spot – regardless of whether or not United win the Europa League – should be seen as a strategic long-term aim beyond just qualification for next season’s elite competition.

As of this season, we have entered into a new era of the Premier League. The new TV rights deal has brought untold riches to all the clubs, and the quality of managers in the top end of the league is now unprecedented. As a result, the ‘top four’ of old seems to have become a ‘top six’ – perhaps even seven if Everton are to kick on a little further.

That means there are now at least six clubs with designs on winning the Premier League title next season, though only five at most can be in the Champions League. But United should want to make that four.

If they win the Europa League and finish fifth, four other teams will be in the Champions League along with them. If they finish fourth, then regardless of their performance in Europe, there will only be three English sides in the Champions League along with them.

Why is that important?

Common wisdom – not to mention everything that Jose Mourinho himself has said about having to play in the Europa League this season – would tell you that it is harder to play in the second tier competition than the top one. For one thing, morale is lower, and there are a higher number of long trips to Eastern Europe and other tough destinations. More importantly, perhaps, you will play on Thursdays and Sundays most weeks, allowing for less recovery time than the more relaxed Champions League rotation which can see your side play on a Tuesday before resting until the next Sunday.

United know all about the hassle this causes, and they have treated it this season like a pox on their house at times. But perhaps they should start to think of the Europa League as an infection they can fling at their rivals, who they may have to challenge not just for the minor placings, but the actual Premier League title next season.

If Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp find themselves in the Europa League next season, it’s not just the outcry from their fans or the glee from United fans we can expect: finishing inside the top four has been hard enough for Liverpool over the past few seasons, especially with Thursday night football to contend with. The last time Liverpool did play in that competition, reaching last season’s final, Klopp’s side finished in 8th place. You have to go all the way back to 2004 for the last time that Liverpool finished in the top four in the same season as they played UEFA Cup football before Christmas. Ironically, City were also in the competition that season: they finished 16 in the Premier League.

Guardiola’s side, too, would have to think very carefully about what they would do in such a situation: a European trophy is not to be sniffed at by a club whose only continental triumph came at the hands of Polish club Gornik Zabrze in the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup final. And especially not one whose aim is to break into Europe’s elite by winning a Champions League at some point in the future. Taking the competition seriously would require greater strength in depth and would involve playing potentially weakened sides in the following Premier League fixtures.

That leaves the tantalising prospect of United not only qualifying for the Champions League without having to bet everything on a potential one-off Europa League final, but also weakening potential title rivals next season right from the very outset.

Perhaps Jose Mourinho should rethink the strategy of putting all his eggs into the Europa League basket in order to look to next season and weaken a few title rivals before the season has even begun.

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Chelsea manager Antonio Conte decided to make wholesale changes to his starting line-up for the visit of Watford from the side that wrapped up the Premier League title against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Friday.

The Blues’ hero from that night Michy Batshuayi – who scored the decisive goal in the west Midlands – was rewarded with his first ever English top flight start while John Terry was named at the heart of the defence and given the captain’s armband in what could be one of his final appearances for the club before he leaves in the summer.

There were also places for Asmir Begovic, Kurt Zouma, Nathan Ake, Kenedy, Nathaniel Chalobah, Willian and N’Golo Kante as the Italian made nine alterations to his team in total.

Chelsea supporters were quick to have their say on the XI via social media, and they were pleased that some of the fringe players were getting an opportunity to impress, as well as being excited to see what they can produce.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

We all love a first time strike.

Is there anything better than seeing the net bulge after a flowing move capped off by a cheeky flick at goal, or a rifling volley from distance? There’s just something so satisfying about goals that roll onto the foot and then smash off it instantly and into the goal.

Golf has its own equivalent: the hole-in-one. Great drives launched down the fairway, or beautiful iron shots hitting the middle of the green are all well and good, but nothing beats a ball settling into the hole from a great distance.

Football meets golf next month at the Belfry, as an England football legends team, captained by Lee Westwood, takes on a Rest of the World side including Andriy Shevchenko and Pep Guardiola, and captained by Darren Clarke, in the Ryder Cup-style ICONS of Football event from 23-25 June.

In the meantime, here’s some first time crackers from the footballing world to get you in the mood!

Robin Van Persie v Charlton

After Arsenal’s Invincible season in 2003/04, the end of an era started to loom. And when the Gunners were beaten by Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final, and Dennis Bergkamp retired, it fell to Robin van Persie to pick up the baton.

The Dutch national team’s all-time record scorer struggled with injury for much of the early part of his career, but once settled into a rhythm at the Emirates Stadium, he became the club’s talisman before moving to Manchester United in 2012.

This strike against Charlton really announced his arrival, and signalled to Arsene Wenger that he had a ready-made replacement for the retired Bergkamp in his squad already.

Kevin De Bruyne v West Brom

This is about as recent as it gets, but it’s still a beautiful finish to rank up there with the older beauties.

As Pep Guardiola ends his first season in charge of Manchester City, it’s clear that his team can be sumptuous in attack, and this is a goal which shows it.

Gianfranco Zola v NorwichCity

No matter how many Premier League seasons pass, this flick by Gianfranco Zola will remain one of the best ever scored in this country. What is always missed about this goal, though, is how the Italian turns a dreadful corner into one of the best goals ever scored, a flick of beauty before the ball even touches the ground. Masterful.

Sergio Aguero v Norwich City

Manchester City were playing to keep the pressure on. After a long-term absence caused by stubbornness and idiocy, Carlos Tevez returned to the fold to challenge Manchester United, and it seemed like a 6-1 win over Norwich still wouldn’t be enough to overcome their neighbours and win their first Premier League title – but an even more iconic goal scored just a few weeks later changed everything.

Luis Suarez v Norwich City

There does appear to be a trend emerging with these first time strikes: Norwich seem to be on the receiving end of a disproportionate number!

And this, from Luis Suarez, was part of a wider obliteration of the Canaries by the Uruguayan. He is frighteningly good.

Lionel Messi’s first ever goal

Start as you mean to on.

Lionel Messi didn’t grow into life as the best striker in the world, he always was, we just realised it one day….

From Ronaldinho’s lobbed pass, Messi just dinks it over the keeper to score his very first goal for Barcelona. Normally you’d say ‘just retire, it’ll never get any better than that!’ But it did.

Jack Wilshere v Norwich City

Sorry Norwich fans… you again.

This time, it’s Jack Wilshere on the end of an intricate Arsenal move which provided that rare thing: a genuine team goal voted goal of the season. It’s not just about the finish, but the finish does make it: it may as well be just another first-time pass.

Steven Gerrard v West Ham

This strike, taken completely without context, could still be regarded as a special goal – possibly one of the best strikes ever. But in context – the last minute of extra time in an FA Cup final which was about to go to penalties – it is just a feat of rare brilliance, from a man who made a habit of single-handedly dragging his team to massive victories.

Zinedine Zidane v Leverkusen

No list of first-time strikes would be complete without Zinedine Zidane’s famous Champions League-winning goal at Hampden Park against Bayer Leverkusen. In fact, no list of goals would be complete without it, really.

The Real Madrid manager will be hoping his side can replicate his moment in Cardiff in a few weeks as the Spanish giants take on Juventus in the Champions League final.

Paul Scholes v Villa

What a way to finish this first-time-strike-retrospective than with a player who will be taking centre stage during ICONS of Football in June. Paul Scholes scored a volley directly from a corner passed straight to him against Bradford in 1999. That was special – and the fact that United even had the audacity to do it was stunning – but this strike is the one which will be remembered the most. It was an instinctive strike hit with power, venom and flawless technique – and don’t forget the added street cred required for volleys that go in off the bar.

Bonus Norwich City strike

Norwich may have provided the backdrop for almost half of these wonder strikes, so it’s only fair Norwich gets the final say. After all, it’s the least we can do for the Canaries fans who have made it this far!

Hopefully these hits will inspire the ICONS during their epic competition this summer. As an added incentive – for them and anyone who is attending the event – the last day of the tournament will see the £1 million Swing. This will see all 24 ICONS and their captains get one attempt to make a hole-in-one on the infamous 18th hole. Whoever does will win a charitable donation to a charity of their choosing. If that was not enough, there is a large cash prize for whoever guesses which ICON hits the target.

Tickets for Icons of Football 2017 are available now at icons-series.com

West Ham United announced on Tuesday afternoon that they had sold Norway international Havard Nordtveit to Hoffenheim after just one season at the London Stadium.

The 26-year-old joined West Ham on a five-year contract from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016, but a disappointing first season in English football saw the midfielder only start 11 Premier League matches.

It would be fair to say that Nordtveit did not exactly light up the London Stadium last season, but West Ham supporters took to Twitter to reveal their disappointment with the move.

Despite arriving as a midfielder, the Norwegian only started five matches in his preferred position, and looked untidy when asked to play on the right side of defence.

Supporters of the London club are upset that Nordtveit – a 31-time Norway international – was not given a run in his preferred central midfield position, and many have questioned the club’s decision to part with the former Arsenal youngster after just 12 months.