All posts by h716a5.icu

This is the deadest of rubbers; India are through to the Asia Cup final, and UAE have no chance of joining them

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu in Dhaka02-Mar-2016Match factsThursday, March 3, 2015
Start time 1930 (1330 GMT)Big pictureThis is the deadest of rubbers. India are through to the Asia Cup final. UAE have no chance of joining them. What’s more, the result of this match, no matter which way it turns out, won’t even matter to the other teams in their bid for the trophy on March 6.But for India and UAE themselves, there is still enough to play for. MS Dhoni had spoken about making a few changes. Pawan Negi, who is in the World T20 squad as well, might be given a debut. Harbhajan Singh and Ajinkya Rahane might be taken out of the tool box and sharpened a bit as well.For UAE, the brief is simple. Their bowling has raised a lot of eyebrows. Their fielding, too, is fairly decent considering they are a semi-professional team. Batting has been their biggest let down. They looked completely out of place against Sri Lanka, then blocked themselves into a dead end against Pakistan. Perhaps with tomorrow being their last game in the tournament, they might play with a little more freedom and pull off a first victory against a Full Member.Form guide(last five completed matches)India WWWWW
UAE LLLWWWatch out forHe has been there lighting up the stumps and mopping up run-outs. He has been there backing up his team-mates in every press conference. But he has not had that much time in the middle. MS Dhoni has faced only nine balls in three matches in this Asia Cup. Will he try to move up the order where he could face a few more? Or will testing the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya take precedence?Ahmed Raza appears to be your garden variety left-arm spinner. Keen to cramp the batsmen up, cut down on his boundary options, build pressure and hope for a mistake. He has bowled 21 overs in six matches and conceded only 117 runs. The wicket-taking bit is still a work in progress, though. He has only one wicket in the tournament so far.Team newsIndia might try to test their bench, and they might not have a more opportune setting for it. It is true that a loss would cause much uproar, but the men who might come in – Rahane, Harbhajan, Negi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – are no slouches.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma/ Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 MS Dhoni (capt and wk), 8 Ravindra Jadeja/ Pawan Negi, 9 R Ashwin/ Harbhajan Singh, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Ashish Nehra/ Bhuvneshwar KumarUAE’s batting may benefit from the likes of Mohammad Usman and Amjad Javed moving up the order.UAE (probable) 1 Rohan Mustafa, 2 Muhammad Kaleem, 3 Mohammad Shahzad, 4 Shaiman Anwar, 5 Mohammad Usman, 6 Amjad Javed (capt), 7 Usman Mushtaq, 8 Swapnil Patil (wk), 9 Mohammad Naveed, 10 Ahmed Raza, 11 Fahad Tariq.Pitch and conditionsAs the Asia Cup heads to its conclusion, the pitches have been slowly easing out. The first six overs with the new ball have been conducive for sideways movement, but if that period is weathered, then the batsmen can dictate terms.Stats and trivia Mohammad Naveed has bowled 41 dot balls in the main round of the Asia Cup. Virat Kohli averages 103.66 in T20Is in 2016 – the highest among all batsmen.

Twenty20 nets are usually the testing ground for wacky new ideas; it is rare to see cricketers go to basics in T20 nets

Sidharth Monga in Dharamsala08-Mar-2016Twenty20 nets are usually the testing ground for wacky new ideas; it is rare to see cricketers go to basics in T20 nets. As the Netherlands captain Peter Borren kept playing his reverse paddle sweeps against the spinners, the next net had no batsman. On the surface it might not seem another innovation, but bowlers usually bowl to just the stumps only to go back to the basics. To see an international team do that on the eve of a big tournament is rare.All of Netherlands’ bowlers went full pelt, bowled at the markers, and did their practice for an hour or so with no batsman in sight. This is usually done by bowlers looking to get back in rhythm, but Netherlands have realised the conditions in Dharamsala call for more old-school bowling and less variations. To get bowling old school is difficult if the batsmen are trying to dink and blast you.”As a group we feel that getting the length right here at this ground is really important so we have put a lot of emphasis on this session,” the Netherlands assistant coach Chris Adams told ESPNcricinfo. “We have been very specific about hitting the length. Spot bowling and very focussed and full out. To do that with a batsman at the other end is a bit of a distraction because then you are reacting to the batsman. To give them a session where they are running in full out 100% and hitting the lengths was something that we have identified.”Adams said it was not usual for teams to do so in the nets. “You do that but it is rare to do that in a net,” he said. “It is mostly done out there in the middle. To do it over one hour in a net is rare. We wanted to get a really good session today. Getting that length right, to get a real good feel for it.”So what is that right length? Adams wasn’t giving it away that easily. “I will keep that under my hat but if you have watched it you can work it out.”In the net the bowlers seemed to mostly bowl a Test length, looking to hit the top of off. “If you are always looking at the top of off you are never away from the best length on any pitch,” Adams said. “On this ground more so it is important to hit that length and hit it hard. Good pace, good carry. I wouldn’t get too carried away with too much variation here. The bowler who hits his straps and hits the good length and controls his line, he will be rewarded.”Borren agreed about the conditions. “There is a lot more pace and bounce than we have had on the tour so far,” he said. “Those aren’t things that necessarily that won’t suit us. So we are pretty happy with that.”Borren also knows that it doesn’t necessarily give his side an advantage against their first opponents. Bangladesh are no longer the one-dimensional spin-reliant side anymore. “We have watched a lot of videos,” Borren said. “We have done our research. It has changed a lot. I have played them a few times, they have some serious seamers. Mustafizur is nice and I watched him bowl. Al Amin too is looking good. And include Shakib, they have a superb attack. We have to respect that and bank on the homework we have done.”

After finishing at the bottom of the table in 2015, Kings XI Punjab, with some low-key purchases and a new captain in David Miller, will look to bounce back this season

Deivarayan Muthu07-Apr-20163:50

Jayawardene: Kings XI can build on good starts

2015 formKings XI Punjab were left with the wooden spoon, with 11 defeats in 14 matchesBig PictureKings XI in 2014 were like a volcano blowing its lid. Nine totals of 170 or more, four of which passed 200, helped them march into the playoffs and beyond. By the time they made their first IPL final, they had re-branded themselves as the most entertaining team in the tournament. The following season, though, it all went bust and Kings XI were the first to be knocked out. Perhaps, the only constant across the two topsy-turvy years was captain George Bailey’s cherubic smile.Kings XI Punjab squad

David Miller (capt), Kyle Abbott, Anureet Singh, Armaan Jaffer, Farhaan Behardien, KC Cariappa, RishiDhawan, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell,Nikhil Naik, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha, Sandeep Sharma, Pradeep Sahu, Mohit Sharma, Marcus Stoinis, Swapnil Singh, Shardul Thakur, M Vijay, Manan Vohra

It won’t be there in 2016 though. Bailey, who missed his berth in Australia’s World T20 squad, will not be part of the IPL and his successor at Kings XI, David Miller, has very little captaincy experience. He will also have to do the heavy lifting in the batting line-up along with Glenn Maxwell, especially with Virender Sehwag retiring and becoming the team’s mentor.Manan Vohra, who along with Miller were the only players retained by the franchise in 2014, was re-signed ahead of the auction this year, and looks set to open with M Vijay, despite their poor run last year. Kings XI also have the option of Shaun Marsh, who has been part of their set-up since the inception of the league.The side began the rebuilding job by snapping up useful – if a little low profile – allrounders Farhaan Behardien and Marcus Stoinis, seamer Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh.They also recalled an old friend in Kyle Abbott at the auction. It seems Kings XI are largely reliant on their overseas roster though, Axar Patel and Sandeep Sharma have gone on to become India internationals via the IPL.Burning questionsLike any team in transition, Kings XI have a few of them. Let’s start with the captain himself. Miller has led all of three times in domestic cricket, bagging golden ducks in two of those games. Can he cope with the responsibility of leading a team comprised of players from diverse cultures?Can the Sharmas prove their fitness and deliver? Sandeep had missed the entire Indian domestic season in 2015-16 because of injury, while Mohit sustained one of his own during the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy and was subsequently ruled out of India’s limited-overs tour to Australia, the Asia Cup, and World T20.Does the spin attack have enough bite? There is Axar, who has added flight and turn to his primary mode of operation, flat fizzers. There is Maxwell, who has often been considered a frontline option by Australia. Gurkeerat Singh, Swapnil Singh and KC Cariappa, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 2.4 crore in 2015, provide back up. Nagpur has been slotted as Kings XI’s second home and if the pitches there are anything like they were during the World T20, they will need as many options as possible.Mitchell Johnson, who was retained, has not played competitive cricket since his international retirement last November. Does he still have it in him to lead the attack?The go-to menMaxwell and Miller had blitzed 139 boundaries between them in 2014, but that count shrunk to less than half last year. Kings XI will rely on them to bring in the X-factor. They’ll also want Vijay to retrofit some of his Test-match stability into the T20 arena.”Everything you see and like about Kings XI starts with Sanjay Bangar,” Bailey had said of the coach, following Kings XI’s surge in 2014. “His ability to draw younger players out of their shells has been phenomenal and he has been fantastic in managing the overseas players”. Bangar now faces the challenge of rebuilding the side from the rubble with an inexperienced captain.Bargain buySwapnil was part of the list of 25 probables for the 2007-08 Under-19 World Cup. He did not make the final cut for Malaysia, but made his first-class debut, for Baroda, at . Swapnil has played just 76 domestic matches over a decade, of which 31 have come in the last two seasons. Swapnil, who claimed the second-best bowling figures in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament – 6 for 19 – can also bat a bit in the lower order. At INR 10 lakh, Swapnil is a decent acquisition, if he clicks. Swapnil had earlier been part of Mumbai Indians’ squad, but is yet to get a game in the IPL.AvailabilityEveryone availableCoachesHead coach – Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach – Joe Dawes, fielding coach – R Sridhar, physiotherapist – Patrick Farhart, mentor- Virender Sehwag, peak performance coach – Anand ChulaniQuotes”The IPL is a platform where talent meets opportunity and that excites me. I think that’s the theme of this team. He [Miller] came in as a 20-year old boy, sat on the benches for a season [as] an unknown quantity and today is the captain.”
“My job is to motivate them [the youngsters], tell them about conditions …and share my experience with them. It is important when you want to take a risk. Maybe that’s too early or too late; I can share my experience with them and he can take the risk at the right time.”

Pep Guardiola's side have been crowned Premier League champions and these are 10 key moments that helped them get there

GettySterling strikes late to fix Pep's 'worries'

It may seem hard to believe now but back at the start of the season Pep Guardiola admitted he was "worried" about his side's failings in front of goal. Less than 24 hours later Raheem Sterling popped up with one of the scrappiest goals of the season, in the 97th minute at Bournemouth, to spark wild celebrations in the away end as City snatched a late winner.

After not looking overly impressive in their first two games of the season, this was a chaotic end to their third, with Sterling sent off for his celebration and Sergio Aguero intervening as police man-handled fans who had jumped onto the pitch.

At the time, it was suggested that Sterling’s scuffed effort would be a turning point in the season, or would at least get them through until they signed Alexis Sanchez in the days that followed…

AdvertisementGettySadio Mane's red card derails Liverpool

One of the most needlessly controversial moments of the season, but one which set City on their way in the league, and seriously derailed Liverpool at the same time.

Mane, although he didn’t mean to do it, knocked out Ederson by kicking him in the face, so his red card was justified. City were leading 1-0 at the time but the space between Nicolas Otamendi at left centre-back and Benjamin Mendy at left-back was still being exploited by the Reds – until they went down to 10 men.

Jurgen Klopp’s side then simply folded, with City flowing through them at will. It certainly seemed that Sterling’s goal at Bournemouth had sparked them into life in front of goal, even if Alexis’ planned move had fallen through. City won this one 5-0, and then scored 19 in their next four Premier League games.

GettyMendy injury forces tactical rethink

Benjamin Mendy was one of City’s fundamental summer signings, designed to come in and provide the kind of dynamic attacking presence down the left-hand side that was simply lacking last year; the kind of thing Kyle Walker has been doing on the right-hand side all season.

The Frenchman looked impressive in his first few performances, particularly with his superb low crosses from the left, but he got himself in a mess trying to tackle Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend back in September, and despite walking from the pitch, it was later confirmed that he would miss nine months with a serious knee ligament injury.

City hadn’t signed another left-back during the summer and this was seen as one of the worst-case scenarios, especially ahead of a key game at Chelsea. Yet Guardiola found the answer and changed City’s approach.

He converted Fabian Delph into a left-back who was comfortable slotting back into midfield when City had the ball, and tasked Leroy Sane, who had struggled for minutes at the start of the season, with providing City’s width on the left, with David Silva getting into the half spaces to provide an assist or goal.

The plan clearly worked and Mendy's injury, as cruel as it was, has hardly hampered the Blues.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyCity prove their mettle at Chelsea

City may have only scored the one goal at Stamford Bridge but it was arguably the most important of their season. Guardiola’s men were clearly in fine form but they went to west London only 12 months on from when things had fallen apart after a fine start to the 2016-17 season, and many were wondering if City were the real deal, or would simply suffer the same old problems. Kevin De Bruyne provided the answer.

City dominated the champions with an impressive, confident performance, and the key moment was a precise strike from their Belgian midfielder, who had already began to show signs that he could become the pivotal player in this increasingly fine season. 

City celebrated wildly in the dressing room and victory gave them the belief to go and implement their game plan at some of the toughest grounds in England and beyond.

A surprising number of big-name players began their career with the Rosario club. We highlight some of the more noteworthy figures.

The city of Rosario has produced an abundance of talented footballers over the years which Newell's Old Boys have benefited from immensely. 

Newell's are dwarfed in Argentinian football by River Plate and Boca Juniors, but many of their players have gone onto have highly successful careers in Europe. 

Goal takes a look at some of the biggest names to have put on the red and black shirt.

JUAN MABROMATA/AFP/Getty Images1Ignacio ScoccoA sharp footed, 5'8" centre-forward, Scocco was born in Rosario and has had two spells with Newell's. This side of the Atlantic, he has played for Sunderland, AEK Athens, Al Ain and Inter Milan.Advertisement2Cristian AnsaldiA 2005 graduate of the Newell's academy, Ansaldi played as a full back for his home town club before moving to Rubin Kazan in 2008. He later played for Russian rivals Zenit as well as Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan.Harry How/Getty Images3Lionel ScaloniScaloni is yet another Rosario born player to have made a name for himself in Spain and Italy. Newell's gave him his first season in professional football in 1995-96, and he would go onto play for Deportivo La Coruna, Lazio and Atalanta in addition to a brief loan spell at West Ham in 2006. He now holds interim command of the Argentina national team following the sacking of Jorge Sampaoli.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports4Mauro RosalesMost recently, Rosales has made a success of himself in the MLS with five different clubs, but showed considerable promise at the start of his career with Newell's. He left for Ajax in 2004 and now players for Vancouver Whitecaps.

Aliou Cisse has named an unchanged XI that faced Cape Verde for Sunday's quarter-final clash

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper – Edouard Mendy

The Chelsea shot-stopper retains his spot as the Teranga Lions' no. 1

AdvertisementBackpagepix.Defender – Bouna Sarr

Sarr keeps his spot on the right flank and it will be vital to their defensive and attacking plays.

Backpagepix.Defender – Saliou Ciss

Ciss was actively involved in the win over Cape Verde before his substitution in the final eight minutes. He has kept his spot in the team.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyDefender – Kalidou Koulibaly

The Napoli centre-back is the captain and he will play a role in helping Cisse's side extend their clean sheet record in the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021 after 12 years at the age of 36…

Manchester United welcomed 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer of 2021 with open arms as the superstar footballer returned to Old Trafford after 12 years.

While it is not a common practice for top Premier League clubs to sign older stars, players like Cristiano Ronaldo are an exception to that practice as they are assets for their teams at any point in their careers.

In 2020, Chelsea had signed veteran Brazilian defender Thiago Silva after his contract ended with PSG. Silva too proved to be an asset as he played a pivotal role in the Blues backline that won the Champions League in the 2020/21 campaign.

In the past, players like Didier Drogba, Laurent Blanc and Henrik Larsson have signed for top English sides in their mid-thirties.

Here are 10 players who have joined Premier League clubs after turning 35.

It has to be noted that signing goalkeepers above 35 are a common practice for clubs hence they have not been considered in this list.

Getty/GOALCristiano Ronaldo

Club: Manchester United

Age: 36

Year: 2021

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDidier Drogba

Club: Chelsea

Age: 36

Year: 2014

Getty ImagesThiago Silva

Club: Chelsea

Age: 36

Year: 2020

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesFrank Lampard

Club: Manchester City

Age: 37

Year: 2014

Italy put in some sublime performances to lift the 2006 World Cup, but what has happened to the heroes of that tournament since?

Italy are one of the traditional heavyweights in European football. They have won the World Cup four times and have finished runners-up on two occassions.

The last time they became world champions was in 2006 when the marquee event was held in Germany. They defeated Zinedine Zidane's France in the final in a tiebreaker after the two teams were locked at 1-1 following 120 minutes of football.

Although Italy emerged triumphant, the post-match talk was mostly around Zidane's headbutt on Marco Materazzi and his subsequent sending-off.

Italy's title was their first after 24 years which put them just one behind Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cups.

Getty ImagesGianluigi Buffon – Goalkeeper

Buffon is the most-capped player in the history of Italian football with 176 appearances to his name.

He has played in five World Cups and was awarded the Golden Glove in 2006 for his heroics in between the sticks.

He was selected in the Team of the Tournament as he kept five clean sheets.

Buffon is currently playing for Parma in Serie B. He has a contract till 2024 which would keep him playing until the age of 46.

AdvertisementGianluca Zambrotta – Right-back

The full-back spent most of his playing career at Juventus, making over 250 appearances.

After leaving Turin, he went on to play for Barcelona and Milan.

He even had a stint in India as a manager, taking charge of Delhi Dynamos.

Zambrotta was a key member of the 2006 World Cup-winning squad and was selected in the Team of the Tournament for his impressive performances.

He recently joined FIFA Museum's team of ambassadors.

Getty ImagesFabio Cannavaro – Centre-back

Cannavaro is one of the most decorated centre-backs in world football.

He was the skipper of the 2006 World Cup-winning team and has 136 international caps to his name.

He played for several top European clubs like Juventus, Real Madrid and Inter.

The defender won the 2006 Ballon d'Or for his performances in the World Cup.

After retirement, he has become a manager and his last stint was with Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.

He is currently on a sabbatical after leaving the club in September 2021.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Marco Materazzi – Centre-back

Materazzi scored Italy's equaliser in the World Cup final in what should have been his moment of fame.

However, his duel with Zinedine Zidane and the subsequent head-butt probably garnered him more attention.

He spent most of his career at Inter and won the UEFA Champions League with them in 2009-10.

Materazzi had a stint in India, later on in his career as he led Chennaiyin to an Indian Super League title.

The Gunners will come up agonisingly short in their bid for a first Premier League title since 2004, and now a huge summer transfer window awaits

Mikel Arteta apologised to Arsenal’s fans after Sunday’s dismal home defeat against Brighton. It wasn’t really an apology over the result, but more over the fact that his side had failed to live up to the lofty expectations that their performances over the course of the season have helped create.

“I hate the feeling of letting people down,” he said. “That’s the biggest regret I have and I have to apologise for that.” Arsenal’s manager was visibly crestfallen after the game. When he sat in front of the press, it was as despondent as he had been all season, which is hardly surprising given what the defeat meant in terms of the title race.

Arteta knew it was all over and he couldn’t hide his disappointment. His young team had pushed Manchester City’s well-oiled winning machine all the way, but in the end they fell just short.

Mathematically of course it is not done. We will have to wait until next weekend for that. But it was telling that amid his disappointment, Arteta already seemed to be looking to next season and what needed to be done to build a squad that was better equipped to last the pace.

(C)Getty Images'Cannot do what we did in the second half'

“We fought really hard to be in the position we are in and today [Sunday] we were in a critical moment to keep hoping and digging for that dream,” said the Arsenal boss. “When you have to play in these moments, you cannot do what we did in the second half. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen.”

Arteta has always defended his team this season. When they lost at Everton in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge, he walked into the press conference room at Goodison Park and declared he loved his players more after the defeat than he had done before the game had got underway.

But this time there was none of that. There was no defence offered. This time Arteta questioned his players and hinted that the second-half capitulation against Brighton could lead to changes ahead of next season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesNot settling for second best

Arsenal’s manager is not someone who will settle for second best. Speak to anyone who knows him or has worked with him and they will tell you that.Everything he does and works towards is about winning, and the way his team have failed to last the pace this season will now be at the forefront of his mind.

What does he need to do to make the squad stronger? Where are the weaknesses? And who could come in to strengthen his hand and make the team better equipped for next season, when Champions League football will return to the Emirates? 

Those will all have been questions that will have been swirling around in Arteta's head following the full-time whistle on Sunday.

(C)Getty ImagesWorn down by a relentless City

Arsenal have shown this season how far they have come. Wins against Forest at the weekend and Wolves on the final day will leave them with 87 points. Only the Invincibles have amassed more in a single season for the Gunners during the Premier League era. But that is not enough if you want to overhaul this City side, as Liverpool have found out in recent seasons.

To win the title nowadays, you need almost total perfection. Arsenal have been very good, great even. But not perfect. So how do they respond to this setback and move forward?

Clearly, there is still plenty of work to be done on the squad. The players that are there now can still improve, as Arteta stated himself in the build-up to the Brighton game.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty'We can be much, much better'

“We are still very far (from where I want),” he said. “We can be much, much, much better at a lot of things still. Huge margins. We can be much better in our build-up, attacking man-to-man situations, attacking open spaces, defending deep, set-pieces, we have huge margins to (make up) in terms of game management… We can be more ruthless to kill games.

“There are a lot of things that we have to seek for improvement, because we don't have a single player who has reached his peak. Not one.”

But it’s not just about improving players that are already there. The squad also needs to be bolstered by new additions if Arsenal want to compete with the very best that Europe has to offer.

With an Erling Haaland-inspired Manchester City perfectly poised to throw their hat into the ring, GOAL looks at the best sides England has ever seen

After Wednesday night's stunning demolition of Real Madrid, history beckons for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola's magnificent team are now just three wins away from a treble. The Premier League title should be wrapped up either on or before Sunday, when the reigning champions welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester United could prove a tough nut to crack in the FA Cup final, on June 3, but City will be the overwhelming favourites going into that eagerly awaited derby at Wembley.

The same goes for their showdown with Inter in Istanbul. Simone Inzaghi's side are on form and boast an excellent defensive record, but many pundits are already predicting that City will sweep the Italians aside to claim their first Champions League trophy.

If they do, one can be sure that they'll soon be added to GOAL's list of the greatest sides of the Premier League era…

Getty12Leicester City 2015-16

Dilly ding, dilly dong, it's the modern-day miracle of Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City! One could try to argue that the Foxes don't rank as one of the greatest teams in Premier League history, given they won the title with just 81 points and did so during a season when nearly all of England's elite clubs underperformed. Obviously, the fact that Tottenham were Leicester's main challenges for the majority of the 2015-16 campaign tells you everything you need to know about the quality of the opposition.

Would Ranieri's side have beaten any other team on this list? Maybe not, but by God they wouldn't have made life very difficult for any of them. Leicester's defence was excellent, with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel doing his father Peter proud behind an uncompromising back four led by the magnificent Wes Morgan.

Of course, their lives were made much easier by midfielder N'Golo Kante, who covered so much ground in front of them that he inspired his very own meme… Up front, meanwhile, Jamie Vardy ran riot, the main beneficiary of the wonderful wing play of young Riyad Mahrez, who was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Leicester's game plan may not have been particularly complex, but it was exceptionally effective. They lost just one game during the second half of the season and effectively sealed the title with a run of seven clean sheets in nine games.

Of course, this 5,000-1 fairy tale was about more than Leicester's defensive discipline or clinical counter-attacks. It was a heart-warming story of unexpected success that inspired hope in countless other clubs across the globe, because it proved that even in an era almost completely dominated by money, it's still possible for a well-managed team to not just compete with the big boys, but beat them.

So, while there are indeed stronger sides on this list, there are none, not one, more emblematic of the essence of sport.

AdvertisementGetty11Man Utd 1993-94

On a Friday afternoon in the summer of 1993, Nottingham Forest midfielder Roy Keane verbally agreed a deal with Blackburn Rovers manager Kenny Dalglish to move to Ewood Park. The only trouble was, the club office had already closed for the evening. Dalglish would have to wait until the following Monday for Keane to put pen to paper on a contract. It was at this point that Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson made his move, and effectively altered the course of Premier League history.

United had, of course, won the previous season's title – their first top-flight success for 26 years – but the British-record acquisition of Keane transformed a good team into a great one. Indeed, with Keane working in tandem with the equally combative Paul Ince, every midfield battle became a forgone conclusion, while teams were torn to shreds by the pace of Ryan Giggs and Andrei Kanchelskis out wide.

Mark Hughes battered nearly every defender that had the misfortune to mark him, leaving Eric Cantona free to focus solely on providing a little panache. The Frenchman was at the absolute peak of his powers during the 1993-94 campaign, scoring a career-high 25 goals in all competitions.

Of course, United could also count on a back five of rare character and quality featuring future Premier League legends like Peter Schmeichel and Denis Irwin, so it's easy to understand how Ferguson's first truly exceptional side ended up winning the league by eight points before then routing Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

It has to be said that United disappointed in Europe, knocked out of Champions League by Galatasaray after being welcomed to 'Hell' in Istanbul, but they would have won a domestic treble had they not been upset by Aston Villa in the League Cup final.

Still, a first-ever league-and-FA Cup double was an incredible achievement at the time, and a sign of things to come for a team that would go to a whole other level once Keane became captain in 1997.

Getty10Liverpool 2018-19

This is obviously going to cause controversy. Liverpool's team of 2018-19 didn't actually win the Premier League title. But we're judging teams here on the performances in all competitions over a solitary campaign – and the Reds' results were extraordinary. Truly extraordinary.

The final points haul (97) was, at the time, the third-highest in Premier League history. They boasted two of the three players that shared the Golden Boot, in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, while their Virgil van Dijk-led defence kept 21 clean sheets, conceding just 22 times in total, underlining just how complete a team this was.

Liverpool also only lost one league game – three fewer than eventual champions Manchester City – and were only pipped to the title by a solitary point, despite finishing the season with nine successive wins.

However, while Pep Guardiola's men managed to hold their nerve during the title run-in, nobody else in Europe could live with Jurgen Klopp's mentality monsters, who won the Champions League – thanks in no small part to the most extraordinary semi-final comeback the tournament has ever seen, with Liverpool overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit against Barcelona on a famous, famous night at Anfield.

People can point to the lack of a league title all they want, then, because only the most prejudiced football fan could rationally claim that the Reds of 2018-19 shouldn't be regarded as one of the greatest sides of the Premier League era.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty9Man City 2021-22

Pep Guardiola's strongest Manchester City side? Definitely not. But arguably one of his most remarkable.

Granted, City had added Jack Grealish to a title-winning team for a British-record £100 million transfer fee, but the former Aston Villa man contributed next-to-nothing to the team's 2021-22 success, as he himself admitted.

Raheem Sterling was also clearly on the slide, which led to him being sold to Chelsea at the end of the season, while Gabriel Jesus was also offloaded to Arsenal after proving more effective as a industrious winger than a prolific No.9.

And that brings us to the truly impressive thing about this City side – they managed to win the league without a proper goalscorer. After Sergio Aguero's emotional exit, the plan had been to bring in the multi-talented Harry Kane before the season began, but Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy refused to sell his most prized possession – even though the England international effectively went on strike at the start of the season.

It was thought that City might make a late bid for another forward, but Guardiola instead reasoned he could make do without an orthodox striker and, incredibly, he was right. Thanks to the industry and innovation of their vast array of attacking midfielders, City went top in December and stayed there right until the end of the season – despite intense pressure from a resurgent Liverpool.

Indeed, the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Mahrez, Ilkay Gundogan and even Rodri stepped up with big goals during the title run-in. It must also be said that Guardiola's use of Joao Cancelo as an auxiliary midfielder proved an inspired decision, with the Portuguese full-back playing a pivotal role in City retaining their Premier League crown.

City's Champions League dream was dashed by a heartbreaking – and still barely believable – collapse at the Bernabeu, but that only made their title triumph all the more commendable, given they managed to recover from that devastating blow – and going two goals down in their final game of the season against Villa – to win the league by a solitary point from Liverpool.

From a tactical and psychological perspective, 2021-22 was something of a masterpiece from Man City.