Manchester United’s Premier League season could be labeled a story of three sides. The beginning brought much optimism, then a sense of fear grew once more before a growing sense of belief has been established once again.

The last three seasons have brought much misery to a fanbase who are not used to this lack of success. Now under Jose Mourinho, the club has taken the necessary strides to re-establish themselves at the summit once again.

Mourinho’s effective summer recruitment has reaped its rewards, and in recent weeks, the team’s three best players have been the Special One’s marquee signings.

With the club looking set to mount a considerable charge for Champions League qualification, it’s time to look back at some of the Red Devils’ most significant strikes so far this campaign.

So here’s our rundown of United’s five best goals of 2016/17 so far…

5. Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Tottenham

It’s not just the finish that was exquisite but the build up surrounding United’s winner against Tottenham in December that brought the beginning of a new period for Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The Armenian midfielder had struggled to become a regular first-teamer under Jose Mourinho but his ability to control the game against Spurs changed everything.

From the pass to the electric run, right up to the powerful finish, this is one that will live long in the memory for the Armenian.

4. Juan Mata – Leicester

Not many would have expected Juan Mata and Jose Mourinho to work together once again following their turbulent spell at Chelsea.

However, the Spaniard has been United’s most consistent playmaker this campaign, and this goal against Leicester came at a time when trouble was looming large around Old Trafford.

The clever build up, link up play and neat passing ensured United passed their way around the Leicester defence before Mata slotted home for the Red Devils.

3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Bournemouth

Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has started his Premier League career in devastating fashion. On his debut for the Red Devils, Ibrahimovic made quite the impression by scoring from twenty-five yards out against Bournemouth.

Ibrahimovic started by breaking up play before moving free from the chasing pack to receive the ball. With little to no options available, Zlatan fired from distance to score his first Premier League goal.

2. Paul Pogba – Swansea

Unlike Zlatan, Pogba’s return to United didn’t get off to the best of starts, and the French international struggled to showcase his potential following his £89million return.

In November, with United struggling for form, Pogba managed to score one of the goals of the season as he majestically volleyed the Red Devils in front at the Liberty Stadium.

With moments like this, it’s easy to see why United forked out a world record fee for the midfielder.

1. Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Sunderland

Despite only scoring two Premier League goals for United, Mkhitaryan’s both goals appear on this list.

Nonetheless, this goal against Sunderland on Boxing Day stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Armenian international may have been offside but with the linesman failing to see it, Mkhitaryan made sure the Red Devils supporters had a late Christmas present.

An unbelievable scorpion volley occurred, and it will live long in the memory for anyone fortunate enough to witness the brilliance of Mkhitaryan.

Liverpool fans have been reacting to reports that the club are in talks with Philippe Coutinho over a new contract, and some are unsure whether it is good news or not.

The Telegraph has reported the latest update over the future of Coutinho, who has been linked to Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain  in recent months.

The Brazilian is a key player in Jurgen Klopp’s attack, having scored six goals and producing five assists in all competitions so far.

Coutinho has formed an impressive connection with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane on the pitch, but an ankle injury kept him out of the hectic festive schedule.

Many Liverpool fans have welcomed the reports that the club have opened dialogue over signing fresh terms, despite the Brazilian still having three years left to run.

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However, some are concerned that signing a new deal means that a release clause will be written into it, with handfuls of supporters speculating that if the club do not qualify for the Champions League, Coutinho will be off.

Contracts do not always signify commitment, as Luis Suarez demonstrated by penning a new long-term deal in December 2013 before leaving to join Barcelona seven months later.

In addition, some supporters have claimed that the club’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, are simply trying to distract everyone from the fact that they are yet to spend in the January transfer market.

The Coutinho news prompted a mixed reaction on Twitter.

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It’s fair to say Manchester United have struggled to maintain their best form since the retirement of legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, with successors David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal both failing to fill the void.Jose Mourinho seemed to be heading down the same path in the early stages of his tenure at Old Trafford but the Portuguese boss has seen his side turn a corner in the past few months, clawing their way back into the race for Champions League football with a fantastic run.15 games unbeaten in the Premier League is a record that, remarkably, Manchester United have enjoyed 11 times since the league’s inception in 1992- but this is the first time they’ve secured that run of form since Ferguson waved goodbye.

With upcoming matches against Watford, Bournemouth, Southampton, Middlesbrough and West Brom between now and the end of April, United will fancy their chances of continuing that record.

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Liverpool have handed Premier League rivals Manchester United and Southampton a massive blow by winning the race for French youngster Yasser Larouci, Goal reports.

What’s the word?

Impressing on-trial with Southampton and being scouted by Manchester United, Liverpool have stolen a march on their domestic rivals as the Reds are set to secure the services of Algerian-born French youngster Yasser Larouci.

The attacking midfielder is set for a move after turning down a contract with French Ligue 1 side Le Harves, where he captained the U16’s team, and is tipped to follow in the footsteps of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez and Dimitri Payet- all of whom were developed by the Normandy-based club.

Southampton had the youngster on-trial during December and Jose Mourinho was also keen on the attacking midfielder, who is most effective out-wide and possesses a wealth of pace and strong dribbling abilities.

Why Liverpool?

Shunning Southampton, who have a strong history of developing young talents and handing them first-team opportunities, and also rejecting Manchester United, who’s chances for youngster’s have decreased since Jose Mourinho took charge, Larouci will follow a number of predecessors by moving from Le Havre to Kirkby.

During Gerard Houllier’s reign on Merseyside over a decade ago, Liverpool brought Florent Sinama Pongolle and Anthony Le Tallec from the French minnows- although they would perhaps not be the best examples, as both failed to succeed at Anfield.

With Le Havre playing a key-role in the developments of Pogba, Mahrez and Payet in recent years, amongst others, Liverpool could have bagged themselves a real gem- but fans will likely have to wait a while before seeing his talents.

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Form dictates that one or both of Arsenal and Liverpool will miss out on the top four. With the two Manchester clubs going from strength to strength and Spurs now free from the stresses of midweek European football, Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp are in a fight to make it into the Champions League next season. They have both fallen dramatically off the pace having been Chelsea’s nearest challengers at the turn of the year.

It is a similar issue that plagues the two teams. Their managers, whether because of limitations in the squad or tactical stubbornness, are unwilling to adapt to their opponent. Arsenal and Liverpool have been sucker-punched too frequently when they have pushed high up the pitch and left acres of space for the opposition. Liverpool cannot break teams down who sit deep in their own third, while Arsenal look all at sea without Laurent Koscielny.

The marked difference between the two, though, is who they have struggled against. Liverpool are unbeaten against the top half of the table this season, with their defeats coming against the sides in the lower half. Arsenal have continued to their stage fright reputation, four of their five league defeats coming against other teams in the top seven. Wenger has a dismal record away from home against his rivals, but Klopp boasts as astonishingly impressive return against fellow top six clubs.

Their respective failings have changed the tone of their seasons. Their Anfield encounter is billed as a top four shootout, when, if we had eyed up the calendar a mere couple of months ago, this was set to be a definitive moment in the title race. But should Manchester United win their game in hand – which is not set to be played for a few weeks – Wenger and Klopp will be left outside the top four.

These two sides met on the opening day, treating us to a Premier League classic. It finished 4-3 to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, which laid down a marker for Liverpool’s season; goal crazy, defensively lax, and never dull. Arsenal built a good run of form from then on, until their inevitable dip midway through the season.

Every meeting between the top six this season has been intense and will be for the rest of the season. The current circumstances of the top six could make this match the most intense yet. Defeat for either could all but spell the end for their chances of the top four, in fact. That additional pressure only makes Liverpool more likely to succeed given their excellent big-game record and Arsenal’s continued difficulty when it matters most.

Wenger will not adapt to limit the threat that Liverpool possess and his German counterpart will play the same way he has all season. Two exciting attacks will have space to play with so much on the line. No side other than Chelsea has scored as many as these two teams this season, and neither manager will be on the back foot for a match they must win: goals and entertainment are guaranteed.

Liverpool are strong favourites, while another limp big-game performance from Arsenal would be further proof that Wenger’s time at the helm is coming to an end. Klopp’s side are suffering from a bizarre weakness, but that quirk becomes something altogether more serious if their form against their top six rivals declines. The Gunners, on the other hand, would have to change a long-running habit to deliver in a crucial away match.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have their own targets for the season, but there is also a mini battle between them on who can finish higher in the Premier League.

The Gunners have dominated that challenge over the past 22 years, with Spurs last ending a season above their North London rivals in 1995.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team came close to reaching the feat last season, but their Premier League title campaign crumbled in the closing stages and following a 5-1 loss to Newcastle United, they dropped to third and Arsenal moved up to second.

As it stands, Spurs are level on 50 points with the Gunners, but a better goal difference puts them in third, while Arsene Wenger’s men are fourth.

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Neither could be separated in November’s Premier League meeting at the Emirates as they played out a 1-1 draw, but their clash at White Hart Lane could prove to be crucial on April 29.

Walker has admitted that finishing above Arsenal would be incredibly pleasing, but he is more focused on winning trophies.

The full-back told the Press Association: 

“To finish above Arsenal would be fantastic but we’re not worried about them. When I first signed I said I wanted to win trophies and I want to do that here before my time is up. I feel the team we have now is perfect. We’ve got the players and the manager to go and do something special.”

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We all know just how good Antoine Griezmann is. There’s no need to reveal that.One of the best attackers in world football, the French international is constantly linked with a move to a ‘bigger’ club than he’s currently at – Atletico Madrid, who have appeared in two of the last three Champions League finals.But even if Atleti have had success recently enough, this season they’re starting to look like things aren’t as rosy as they have been. They may still excel in the Champions League, but there looks to be no chance of repeating their unlikely 2013/14 La Liga triumph.Yet Griezmann is still firing, and this weekend was no different. Two goals in his side’s 3-0 win over Valencia got the juices flowing ahead of next week’s Champions League last 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen – who conceded six goals this weekend – brought his tally to 55 goals for Atletico Madrid since he joined.

That wasn’t the only impressive part of his performance, though. His two goals came from seven shots, showing his value to his side as an attacking force, but he wasn’t just getting on the end of his side’s moves: his three key passes and 90% pass success rate show that he has an all-round ability to his game, making him perfect for whichever team do decide to come in for him.

Jose Mourinho and Manchester United will have liked what they saw, and an Independent exclusive reported in February that he is a transfer target, though just today the same newspaper have claimed that whilst United are still interested, they are moving on to new targets due to the difficulties in signing Griezmann this summer.

Wherever Griezmann plays his football next season, he’s sure to light up the stage.

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While Newcastle United are focusing intently on eight coming games that hold an almost immeasurable magnitude on the complexion of the club’s future, their manager has been linked with a move away.

Such is the standing of Rafa Benitez in European football, seeing the Spaniard touted in the media for other jobs is always going to be a likely occurrence during his tenure on Tyneside, no matter how long or short it turns out to be. Indeed, it’s not even the first time this season he’s been linked with an exit, with both Arsenal and clubs in the Chinese Super League credited with an interest in him of late.

Still, what makes the most recent rumours so interesting are the fact they centre around a potential move to West Ham United. Though their maiden campaign in their new home has been an almighty struggle at times, there’s little doubting the Hammers are an upwardly mobile and ambitious Premier League side geared for success. However, is that really much different to the plans Newcastle have?

Clearly, there was a breakdown in communications between Benitez and top brass at St. James’ Park over the course of the January transfer window. With no one new arriving to aid the promotion push in black and white, the 56-year-old’s long-term future was cast into doubt over a tense start to 2017 in the North East.

However, I’ve previously written about how Mike Ashley has proven willing to back his managers in the top flight, with the Magpies splashing out £50m in the summer of 2015 alone, making them one of the highest spending teams in Europe at the time. In fact, Benitez himself has recently spoken about a ‘bright future’ for the Toon Army and the Chronicle suggests transfer meetings ahead of next season have already been held.

”This is a big club and we can have a very bright future I’m sure. The fans are incredible, the stadium is superb, the staff, everything is in place to allow this club to achieve great things.”

The ‘bigger club’ debate is an age old one and an argument that has no real tangible answer when talking about Newcastle United and West Ham. Clearly, the notion of challenging for the top six in east London is somewhat more readily achievable right now, though the Newcastle project has seemed to appeal to Benitez. Why stay on in charge even in the Championship, if you plan on jumping ship to a team who probably cannot offer you much more than you’re already on?

Granted, the looming figure of Mike Ashley in the boardroom may well complicate matters. While rebuilding Newcastle from the mess the last few years have left them in may be difficult to do with such an inherent distrust of the owner, the fact is, the Sports Direct mogul is always going divide opinion amongst the club’s support.

The reports over Benitez’s future sparked backlash online against Ashley and his boardroom and rightly so. Still, it’s not as if moving to the Irons would mean working under heavenly chairmen.

David Gold and Sullivan have attracted a lot of criticism for their rather public transfer pursuits, leaving egg on their own faces as they chase for a top-level striker led to the signing of Simone Zaza. Also, the fact they are even reportedly considering getting rid of Slaven Bilic after his wonderful first season in charge would suggest they aren’t the most patient bosses in the world.

Benitez’s reputation as gun-for-hire is being lifted at Newcastle, a city in which he is absolutely adored. That seems to appeal to a man who constantly fought battles during his time in charge of Chelsea and Real Madrid, so entering another loveless marriage with West Ham seems like a strange move for the Toon’s beating heart.

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Leeds United will be happy to be back at Elland Road following a disappointing week on the road that has put their play-off spot under threat.

The Whites suffered successive defeats on their travels as they were beaten 1-0 by fellow top six side Reading at the Madejski Stadium last Saturday, before losing 2-0 against Brentford at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

The lack of goals and creativity in those two performances will be a concern for manager Garry Monk, but he knows that his side are stronger at home than they have been away this term having taken 42 of their 69 league points on home turf.

Perhaps low on confidence, beating in-form Preston North End could prove to be something of a challenge.

Simon Grayson’s men are just five points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday – and eight of their weekend opponents – with six matches of the season remaining.

The Lilywhites showed their strength by beating Bristol City 5-0 in midweek, and come into the clash at Elland Road unbeaten in their last five fixtures.

Here are THREE Preston players that could help extend Leeds’ losing run…

Callum Robinson

The 22-year-old only joined Preston on a permanent deal from Aston Villa last summer, but he has probably been one of Preston’s best players this season.

The forward has scored ten goals and provided two assists in 37 Championship appearances this term, he is one to watch at the weekend.

Robinson will come into this clash full of confidence after scoring a brace – as well as winning a penalty – in the 5-0 thrashing of Bristol City in midweek.

Aiden McGeady

The 31-year-old moved to Deepdale on a season-long loan deal from Everton last summer in order to get some regular first-team football, and he has certainly done that under Simon Grayson.

The winger is starting to display some of the form that he has shown previously in his career, and he won the Championship Player of the Month award for February.

After scoring six goals and providing seven assists in 26 league appearances this term, the winger will be one that the Leeds defence need to keep a close eye on at Elland Road.

Tom Barkhuizen

The 23-year-old striker only made his debut for Preston in January after he was released from his contract with Morecambe in November as the League Two outfit hit financial difficulties.

The attacker has scored six goals in just eleven Championship appearances since – including the opener in the 5-0 win against Bristol City during the week – and he will come into the clash at Elland Road brimming with confidence as he looks to help his side snatch a play-off spot.

Toby Alderweireld has told Tottenham Hotspur that he does not want to extend his contract at the club, reports Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

What’s the word?

The reporter has claimed on his personal website that Inter Milan are circling ahead of the summer transfer window.

Alderweireld has three years remaining on his current deal at White Hart Lane, but it is believed that talks over a fresh contract have broken down.

Di Marzio claims that a release clause of £23.4m can be triggered in 2019, and that Inter have made initial enquiries about the defender.

Tottenham have moved quickly over the past nine months to tie down some of their key players to long-term deals, but Alderweireld is one of them who has not yet signed on the dotted line.

Should Spurs be worried?

Not yet. Given that Alderweireld still has three years left on his contract, Tottenham are in a strong negotiating position if other clubs come calling.

If he is reluctant to pen fresh terms at the moment, then it could be a case of his camp trying to squeeze more money out of Tottenham.

From a footballing standpoint, it would be odd for Alderweireld to move on given that he has become a regular starter under Mauricio Pochettino and he is part of a young team that is thriving.

The club are the closest challengers to Premier League leaders Chelsea having cut the gap to just four points with six games left to play.

If the reports are to be believed, then there is no need for Spurs fans to worry about Alderweireld leaving this summer as the rumoured release clause cannot be triggered for another two years.