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PREMIER LEAGUE: Littler visits big club, the Li-VAR-pool myth and more!

With no Premier League football this weekend, Gary looks Luke Littlers’s visit to Manchester United, displess the Li-VAR-pool myth and more
Trent Alexander-Arnold of Liverpool

With no Premier League football this weekend, Gary looks Luke Littlers’s visit to Manchester United, displess the Li-VAR-pool myth and more

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

LUKE LITTLER’S PERFECT DAY

You simply have to love World Darts champion Luke Littler. He has just turned 17 and this week turned up at Manchester United’s training ground where he met his heroes, being an avid United supporter.

He was presented with his own No7 jersey by the players (pity it was their away strip that looks like Newcastle’s home kit and not the famous red familiar with the likes of Cantona and Beckham).

Then it was game on. Harry Maguire and Christian Eriksen took on Littler to see who could throw the highest score in nine darts. Eriksen went first and totalled 136 in his nine, before Maguire rattled up 171. Littler? First dart 60. Second dart 60. Third dart 60. Three treble 20’s for a perfect “180”.

CLUBS IN A TRANSFER SWEAT OVER FFP

We’re still in January, so we’re still in a bit of a “silly season” transfer window. As we know, this window is never as busy as the one in August, but that doesn’t stop agents touting their clients for business. As we enter the final days of this window, expect the heat to be turned up around Karin Benzema, who is looking for a way out from Saudi Arabia.

The problem that Premier League clubs face is that there’s been a crackdown of spending and Financial Fair Play transgressions, with Everton and Nottingham Forest facing points deductions, while the boardrooms at Chelsea and Man City will have the suits in a sweat despite the winter cold.

HOW HALF-TIME HAS CHANGED

These days you get a glimpse of how the players’ dressing rooms are, and always in the middle is a buffer of food. You can basically have a mid-match meal if you’re so inclined, though most eat before a game.

It’s been “revealed” that Gareth Bale would have five slices of toast and a pile of baked beans. I know what you’re thinking. However, gone are the days when there’s only four or five oranges cut up into quarters and passed around on a tray.

Also gone are the days of George Best. The legendary Northern Irishman and Man United icon once wrote a book called Scoring At Half-Time. And yes, it’s true. And then you have Jamie Vardy: 

REAL MADRID TOP MONEY LEAGUE

Admittedly, I’m not sure what it all means, except for it reflecting a lot of cash coming in and out of football clubs. This week Deloitte published their latest Football Money League table and Real Madrid remain the top-generating club with £723m.

Figures are reflective of income from media rights and merchandise, ticket sales and so on. Man City are second on £718, with Paris St Germain on £697m and Barcelona (£695). Only then do the other Premier Leaguebig-hitters come into the frame. Man United are sixth with £648m, followed by Liverpool with £593m.

No8 surprises me a bit – Tottenham (£549), who are ahead of Chelsea (£512m) and Arsenal (£463). In the women, it’s Barcelona women who generate the most cash, some £11m. Don’t tell Joey Barton. Check out the top 20 below: 

STATS SHOW IT’S NOT LI-VAR-POOL

It’s time to update the VAR table, where we look at how the Video Assistant Referee system is “working”. According to ESPN, there have been 20 mistakes made in the Premier League this season, with VAR getting involved on 54 occasions.

Two decisions were incorrectly overturned, one wrongly rejected by VAR and 17 incidents missed. The latest “table” of how VAR has affected clubs (the higher the score the more the system has helped them in terms of goals) is: +4 Notts Forest, +3 Fulham, +2 Man City, Chelsea, West Ham. +1 Newcastle, 0 Bournemouth, Everton, Luton, Tottenham, -1 Arsenal, Burnley, Sheff United, -2 Aston Villa, Brighton, Crystal Palace, man UNited, Wolves, -3 Liverpool.

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