Weather permitting it’s Gameweek 18, this roller coaster Premier League season is about to enter its crucial Christmas period. Three points going into the festivities will be a priority for all managers this weekend.

Sam Allardyce can put is feet up on Saturday and watch the club that unceremoniously sacked him take on his potential new employers. Rovers Phil Jones(4.5) is an apparent January transfer target for several clubs, the defender has picked up 48 points so far this season and could be a shrewd acquisition if the rumours bear fruit. Blackburn’s performer of the season so far is the ever consistent Morten Gamst Pedersen(5.9), a 75 point haul this season puts him 12^th overall in the midfield rankings.

Avram Grants tenure at Upton Park is hanging by a thread. He could be trading places with Big Sam come the New Year unless the Hammers can perform a dramatic turnaround. Were it not for the Influence of Scott Parker(5.4) you feel that Grant’s and quite possibly West Ham’s fate would already have been sealed. With Parker again the centre of transfer speculation it could be wise to add the playmaker to your ranks. Goals win Football matches, Frederic Piquionne(4.9) and Victor Obinna(5.5) have excited occasionally and Allardyce could be warming himself by the fire for a bit longer if the pair hit form over the festivities.

It’s time for another West Midlands derby on Sunday as West Brom entertain Wolves. The key to the Baggies success so far this season has been in the engine room. Chris Brunt(5.7) is a massive player for Roberto Di Matteo, if he’s not scoring goals he is creating them. Wide man Jerome Thomas(4.6) is performing well and steady as a rock Paul Scharner(4.5) is a reliable performer who chips in with the odd goal too. Mick McCarthy’s men deserve to be a wee bit higher up the table, if Stephen Hunt(5.3) can recapture the form of his Reading and Hull City days he will play a vital part in Wolves’ survival campaign. Wanderers will also be buoyed by the return of key men Matthew Jarvis(5.3) and Kevin Doyle(5.1).

Gameweek 18 concludes with Everton paying a visit to official title contenders Man City. Reports indicate that Carols Tevez(11.1) will be stripped of his captaincy but will play. There is a bargain to be had at multi-billion pound City, midfielder Yaya Toure is available for a mere 5.3 million. The Ivorian notched 13 points last time out, that’s value for Fantasy League money. Keep an eye on the happenings at Eastlands, a clear out is on the cards. The Fantasy League January sales will start here.

The next round of Premier League fixtures kick off on Boxing Day. I therefore wish you all a very merry and points laden Christmas. May your stocking be overflowing and your Turkey be moist and delicious. Thank you for reading every week and many apologies if you’ve followed any(and there have been plenty!) of my, shall we say, less rewarding suggestions.

If you feel like joining in the fun then join the EPL League by visiting: http://fantasy.premierleaguem.com/ the code you need to join is 13413-5300

Gameweek 17 ended with Manchester United taking sole ownership of first place after they were able to overcome Arsenal at home, 1-0. It was a tight game that often lacked the quality needed to make it the weekend’s marquee match off paper, but it was a result the Reds will welcome. United’s defense of Rafael, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra are slowly coming back into their best form as a collective while a midfield five led by Darren Fletcher and Anderson were staunch enough to keep Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin and an unfit Cesc Fabregas mostly quite.

While the win by United was expected by many, what can football fans learn from the match, if anything? For me, the answer: not much at all. Arsenal, while entering into Monday night’s encounter as league leaders, still lack the winner’s mentality needed to challenge for the title by beating stronger teams such as United and Chelsea. For now at least it seems as if the Gunners are destined for another ‘there, or there abouts’ season.

Manchester City emerged from Gameweek 17 the more viable title challenger than Arsenal did. Although their 1-3 victory away to West Ham was expected, Premier League fans are starting to learn more and more about City each week. The lesson? That City can hurt you at anytime and are not solely reliant on just one or two players. While the sad but true Carlos Tevez saga continues to boil off the pitch, City continue to rage on it.

In the weekend’s other match of extreme importance, struggling Chelsea were able to cancel out an early Roman Pavlyuchenko strike to earn a point at White Hart Lane. Much has been spoken about John Terry’s solid performance in the heart of defence yet Chelsea’s more glaring concern at the moment should be their inability to create good chances and score goals.

To put Chelsea’s struggles into perspective, the Blues are a team that scored 21 goals in their opening five matches of the season yet have scored only three goals in their last five league matches while earning a paltry six points out of a possible 21 since the start of November.

Honorable Mentions -

Nemanja Vidic – Manchester United- United’s back line was solid and stingy on Monday night, rarely tested, but effective when asked to be. Vidic, as always, was an integral part of the the clean sheet United enjoyed. Many would say United’s ability to keep Arsenal scoreless was more attributed to Arsenal’s stagnant attack, but Vidic’s second half lunge to block what looked to be a certain Marouane Chamakh equalizer was a moment of defensive brilliance.

John Terry, Chelsea- Another defender makes the list this week who turned in a great performance. Although Terry’s Chelsea weren’t able to overcome Spurs away, it wasn’t the former England captain’s fault. Terry was brilliant in the heart of defense, displayed the poise and defensive positioning that’s made him one of the best defenders in England, and won the majority of his tackles over the course of the full 90 minutes. Did John Terry announce to the league that he’s coming back into his best form with Sunday’s performance?

Stuart Holden, Bolton – The American midfielder fired home a dramatic late winner on Saturday while it seemed as if Blackburn were still celebrating their 87th minute equalizer. Bolton were deserved of the three points they earned on Saturday in large part because they were able to score twice after going down to ten men in the 56th minute. Holden’s 88th minute strike was one of those emphatic blasts into the back of the net that was destined to be a match winner.

Premier League Footballer of the Week -

Yaya Toure, Manchester City- The City midfielder purchased from Barcelona last summer was sensational on Saturday at West Ham. Toure was credited with only one goal but should have been awarded a second when he skinned James Tomkins on the left side of midfield and surged his way into the box to shoot past Robert Green. Toure’s effort was adjudged to have hit off the post before bouncing off Green and in. It was laughable that the goal wasn’t awarded to Toure who did all the work to create the opportunity, but the three points gained by City on the day will likely be all the Ivorian is concerned with.

Early in the match, Toure opened the scoring when a simple ball into the box from Gareth Barry caught West Ham’s Jonathan Spector sleeping. While attempts such as Toure’s have witnessed the ball soar into row Z more times than anyone can count, Toure blasted his shot emphatically past Robert Green and City never looked back. Goals aside, Toure was at his best on Saturday surging forward into the space that Spector and Scott Parker gifted to City in the center of the pitch.

With a gifted supporting cast surrounding Toure in the form of David Silva, Jo and Gareth Barry, City always looked a threat moving forward against West Ham. Toure’s performance both in attack and defensively was welcomed as City were without club captain Carlos Tevez due to suspension. While the potential loss of Tevez in January on paper is a disaster, if Toure, Silva and Adam Johnson off the bench can continue to turn in performances like they did on Saturday, the little Argentine’s absence may not be felt as much as City fans are anticipating.

Ahead of City’s trip to Fulham, the pressure was very much on Roberto Mancini. After a disappointing run of form which had seen the blues draw their last two games 0-0. A bad result in London could have spelled the end for Roberto Mancini, but what followed was their best performance of the season.

In many ways it was a matter of time before City finally produced a display that would strike fear in to their Premier League rivals, and you have to feel that Mancini was extra motivated to do it against Fulham, managed by the man he replaced last December.

Mancini has been blasted by the media of late with many saying he has done no better than Mark Hughes, his predecessor at Eastlands. Much of this criticism has been fair, because City haven’t showed that they have developed in the time since Hughes’ departure.

But today everything clicked for Mancini. Yes they were against a Fulham side who produced a desperately below par performance, but generally City were fantastic and didn’t give the hosts any opportunity to grasp the game.

Yaya Toure starred in a midfield role which saw him utilised all over the pitch, while Carlos Tevez was at his influential best. Mancini’s side have now set a standard that really needs to be maintained over the coming months.

If City can consistently match today’s performance, they have a fantastic chance of achieving great things this season, but so often this season City have been caught out, just when we think they are going to make a charge for glory. However Mancini does seem to be fairly satisfied with his sides start to the season, even though they should be at least six points better off.

In many ways I feel Mancini seems to find the expectations of the City fans very difficult to manage, and constantly looks to play down their title hopes. In reality he has to be aware that a title challenge is the only thing that can prolong his City tenure.

Results and performances like today’s will give him a title challenge, there is no doubt about that, but whether City can now find consistency is another question.

Yesterday I had a short conversation on Twitter with EPL Talk’s very own Laurence McKenna that went something like this:

lozcast: Mascherano = £25m? Milner = £25m+? Discuss

JesseChula: @lozcast Milner=versatile, can play either wing or in the middle, young. Masch=solid, likes to kick people. Ya know, get stuck in.Seems fair

lozcast: @JesseChula Still don’t get the valuation difference. Masch is…! Milner is good, best in his ‘position’ in the world? Not sure…

JesseChula: @lozcast is Masch best in world in his position? De Jong, Cambiasso, Busquets??

The debate really could have gone on and on, but McKenna’s points got me thinking about the valuation of James Milner compared to that of the captain of Argentina and then further, his value compared to that of other big names that have completed a transfer this summer. The open transfer window always brings stories of over-priced players, but how close is the £25m price tag placed on Milner to being a fair assessment of what he’s actually worth?

Milner looks set to finally leave Aston Villa after suitors Manchester City seem willing to up their bid for the 24 year old England international. But is Milner’s English-ness a large contributor to his potentially over-inflated transfer fee City look set to pay? Let’s face it, good to above average English players will always go for around the same price that good to great foreign players will go for simply because they aren’t a dime a dozen and every Premier League club wants at least a few.

Originally, City bid some £18m plus an extra payment of £2m later on only to be rejected by Aston Villa as too low a bid for their prized midfielder – a classic case of the club who owns the player holding out for more dough because they know they can get it. 

Equally, Inter Milan are bidding for the services of Javier Mascherano from Liverpool who set the bar high at £30m with Inter looking closer to the £20m mark to secure Mascherano’s services. All variables point to the two clubs meeting somewhere in the middle. As McKenna stated on Twitter, the two midfielders could end up going for close to the same amount.

Of course we know the two midfield players are largely different in what they bring to their respective teams. Mascherano is a deep lying, defensive midfielder who’s good in the tackle and an effective protector of the back four. Milner is most comfortable as an attacking winger dribbling down the flanks and crossing the ball into the box. Yet he can also play in the center of the pitch in a more attacking role and can score goals. The two are separated by only 2 years in age and are both experienced Premier League and International players. So which one is really worth more? Or, is it even possible to tell?

A like for like comparison of the two players just doesn’t work, and which player could benefit his new side more than the other depends on more than just that one player – it depends on the supporting cast, the system, tactics, etc. In order for McKenna and I to settle our conversation, we must look at some recent activity in the transfer market this summer to make a realistic comparison and find middle ground.

As of press time, the most expensive Premier League transfer of the summer has been the signing of YaYa Toure by Manchester City from Barcelona for £28m, second is David Silva from Valencia also to City for £24m, which means Milner could go to the Citizens for almost the exact same fee as World Cup winner David Silva, or if  Aston Villa up their asking price, Milner could go for close to what City payed Barcelona for their Champions League winning defensive midfielder, Toure.

When put in that kind of perspective, McKenna’s original point on Milner’s value seems closer to the truth than I originally thought. However, wouldn’t worth simply be defined as how much a certain club is willing to pay for a player?

This, however, can be dissected in two ways. First off, as previously stated, McKenna could be correct in his theory that he thought the £25m was simply too much for Milner. This would be a likely outcome if the issue was simply black and white with no gray area to contend with. 

The second and more likely outcome to the debate would be that due to City’s willingness to throw what cash they need to in order to get their man, they’ve unknowingly tainted and inflated the transfer market during the summer. This is simply transfer market 101 and has been repeated time and time again since the Premier League’s inception. Clubs realize City’s intentions to punch high above their weight in buying up numerous players, they’ll therefore hold out for more cash because they know City have it to spend.

Regardless of your opinion, the next few days and weeks will likely tell us exactly what Milner is worth – which again, I believe to be exactly whatever the club buying him value him at, regardless of if we think it’s over-inflated.

Am I prepared to place Milner’s name in with Toure and Silva? Well, maybe not just yet, but with his Premier League experience, attacking flair and ever growing potential, he could just be up there with Mascherano.

Six foot three inch Ivorian central midfielder Yaya Toure has joined big Premier League spenders Manchester City on a five year deal from European club giants Barcelona. Toure joins older brother Kolo in the Eastlands setup and his signing pushes City’s spending to over £60 million pounds following the earlier captures of Hamburg and Germany international left back Jerome Boateng and ex-Valencia starlet David Silva.

The Ivory Coast international has joined City for a fee of around £27.5million, after three highly successful years with the Catalan giants, where Yaya won the La Liga twice and the Copa Del Rey. He also played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s Champions League Final success in 2009.

City chief Roberto Mancini told the club’s official website that Yaya Toure is “a another fantastic signing for Manchester City, and I am very pleased Yaya has joined us, he is a very good player.” He also added that he believes Toure’s “experience and ability will be very important for us.”

Toure will have competition for places at the City of Manchester Stadium, with Nigel De Jong, Gareth Barry, Stephen Ireland and Patrick Vieira all fighting to occupy the central midfield roles at the Abu Dhabi owned club. Expect more deals to pass through the chequebooks at the City of Manchester Stadium, as Roberto Mancini looks to strengthen his squad ahead of their forthcoming Europa League campaign, in which Toure will look to play a prominent and key role.

The question now on everybody’s lips is can the introduction of Toure help them win the Premier League, like so many City fans have been dreaming of since the takeover by the Abu Dhabi billionaires? In my opinion, no it can’t. The introduction of Nigel De Jong in the previous summer transfer window was supposed to have the same impact that Toure is stirring and City still finished outside the Champions League positions. They have done a shrewd piece of business by recruiting David Silva, as he will give the attacking flair and ingenuity that Manchester City have missed since the days of Georgi Kinkladze at Maine Road, but the signing of Toure shows their transfer market inexperience.

Yet again, Manchester City have wielded their financial muscles, without thinking of the club consequences. This move guarantees the exit door for Stephen Ireland and losing him is a massive blow to the club, as he is adored by the fans and I enjoy the way he plays and the variety he brings to City’s way of play. This signing also leaves either De Jong or Gareth Barry sitting on the bench, and with both of them progressing through the group stages of the World Cup with Holland and England respectively, they will feel they deserve a better chance than a midfielder who spent most of his time playing as a makeshift, although readily able, central defender. City will not want to lose the bite and feistiness that Barry and De Jong supplied in spades last season.

I understand the move on Toure’s behalf, as he wants first-team football at a rapidly growing football club both on the pitch and off. However, the conflict in midfield will again derail City and the fact that Mancini will have to juggle three top quality defensive midfielders into a team full of attacking flair from Tevez, Silva and Wright-Phillips will contribute to a low team morale and ultimately end up in another trophyless season and another Thursday night, Channel 5 job for the Manchester side. Whatever happens, City will make for interesting viewing when August comes.

Manchester City’s new ownership sent chairman Garry Cook, brimming with billions, to build a super-club capable of Champions League qualification.  The club’s £91m bid for Kaka was a noted fiasco, but, as details have emerged, that’s hardly been their only activity.

City reportedly made an equally irresponsible bid for Spain and Valencia star David Villa, in the range of £100m.  The club then cancelled the deal “on principle,” after Valencia countered with £135m.

Gigi Buffon was probably the target of another record bid, although Manchester City again withdrew when Juventus started asking for nearly £100m for Buffon.  They will hold firm for £6m for Shay Given, yet be willing to part with ten times that for Buffon?

Man City also tried to raid Barcelona’s bench, offering a combined £49m for Thierry Henry , who may be a possibility next summer, and midfielder Yaya Toure.   They had a £10m offer to Arsenal for Yaya’s brother Kolo as well.

The club also have offered £18m for Roque Santa Cruz.  They are so eager they’re willing to throw Tal Ben Haim into the deal, which surely has nothing to do with him being Israeli.

This excludes the £40m already spent on players in January, bringing in a competent left-back (Wayne Bridge), a diminutive striker who doesn’t score much (Craig Bellamy) and a midfielder good enough to be rumored but never to be bought by a big club (Nigel de Jong).

Tallying things up, City have put forth a ludicrous amount of money, with ludicrous ambition.  So, it seems only fitting they get ludicrous responses.

City have been content scouring the continent for spectacular Brazilians, but, if they want their spending to be effective, sound they consider throwing their money around closer to home?

Manchester City’s transfer budget dwarfs that of England’s big four combined.  There are reasons for that.

Manchester United sit on a mountain of debt.  They bought their two Serbians and they’re out.  Roman Abramovich, after losing a few billion wants Chelsea to run a tight ship, allowing only £12m in January.  Liverpool face an uncertain financial future, should the Americans not be able to find a buyer.  Even profitable Arsenal must repay their debt.  And these are the well off clubs…

If Garry Cook is willing to offer nearly £100m to continental giants, why not test the resolve of the domestic ones?

Would the Liverpool board allow Rafa Benitez to turn his nose at such a mega-offer for Mascherano or Fernando Torres?

If City offered £50m for Adebayor or Van Persie could Arsenal afford not to listen?

With players at Chelsea paying for their own lunches, could they entice one of Chelsea’s stars up north?

Even moving down the table, Villa may be able to reject a great transfer bid.  But, could cash-short Everton reject a gobsmacking offer for Arteta?

Perhaps, these transfers may be inconceivable for January.  But, if the economy begins to effect the boffo Premier League revenues – and that probably should be a when not an if– these speculations may be a crude reality.