Courtois celebrates with 100,000 Atletico fans but will likely be with Chelsea next year

Thibaut Courtois celebrated winning La Liga with over 100,000 supporters on the streets of Madrid but looks increasingly likely to be contesting the Premier League with Chelsea next season.

‘I will miss all this the day I have to say goodbye,’ he said after Atletico Madrid’s draw with Barcelona won them the Spanish title. 

‘I have built-up a very good relationship with the supporters in the three years that I have been here. I never imagined this would happen when I arrived at the club.’ 

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Celebrations: Thibaut Courtois leads celebrations of thousands of Atletico fans in the Spanish capital

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Lining the streets: The supporters were out in force to see the newly crowned Spanish champions

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Selfie: The Belgian goalkeeper posted this picture to his Instagram page

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Flares: Atletico fans let off red flares in Neptuno square

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Jubilant: Atletico won their first La Liga title in 18 years with a draw against Barcelona in the Nou Camp

IIt’s little wonder Chelsea want their 22-year-old keeper back, he has now gone seven straight games without being scored against by Leo Messi. The previous record was six held by Petr Cech the man Courtois could replace next season.

Messi was jeered off by angry Barcelona supporters unhappy with his no-show in the biggest game of the season just 24-hours after the club confirmed they would be making him the best paid player on the planet with a contract renewal.

Courtois was beaten in the first half of Saturday’s title decider by Alexis Sanchez but an equaliser from Diego Godin ensured that he won his second league title – three years ago to the day he won the Belgian League with Genk.

‘I want to win next week in Lisbon in the Champions League final and then I’m off to Brazil. The last three years have been incredible,’ he added. 

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Climbing high: Atletico Madrid captain Gabi even climbed on top of the Neptuno statue and tied a scarf

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Mastermind: League winning manager Diego Simeone is hurled into the air by his players

He was hugged by a hobbling Diego Costa at the final whistle of Saturday’s energy-sapping title decider but the Brazilian Spain international was in tears after being taken off with a sore right hamstring in the first half and remains a huge doubt for Saturday’s Champions League final.

One man who does not look like he is about to leave Atletico Madrid is coach Diego Simeone. There were emotional scenes at the end of the game when his father Carlos was ushered to the front of the Camp Nou to congratulate his son.

‘I was concerned to see him crying because he never cries,’ said the Atletico coach. 

In the opposing dug-out Gerardo Martino had taken charge of his last game. He confirmed his departure after the match and will be replaced by former Tottenham target Luis Enrique this week. 

The former Barcelona player and Barça B-team coach’s first task next season will be to find the old Messi and rebuild the side. 'There will be major changes' promised the club’s president Josep Bartomeu.

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Brilliant: Courtois has been superb for Atletico in his three-year loan spell

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Incoming: Luis Enqirue is set to take over at Barcelona after the departure of Gerardo Martino

Going to the wire: In the closest title race for years Sportsmail's experts predict how the top four will look in May

The title race is reaching a thrilling climax with Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all still in the hunt for the Barclays Premier League crown. 

City and Chelsea will be using recent experience to help them get over the line, while Arsenal and Liverpool have to go back a bit further to remember what winning the league feels like.

Our experts give their views on how the top four teams will be placed after the final matches on May 11. 

NEIL ASHTON

1 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3 Manchester City 4 Arsenal

As impressive as Liverpool's win at United was, they haven't got the experience of the home straight in a title race. It would be magnificent for the game if Liverpool could pull it off and Steven Gerrard will be straining every sinew to make it happen, it will be just too much.

Chelsea have the manager and experience to cope with the intensity of the run-in. 

VIDEO Scroll down to watch latest post-match reactions from the title-chasing managers

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As it stands: The Premier League top four

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Been there before: Jose Mourinho knows what it takes to win the Premier League with Chelsea

MATT LAWTON

1 Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal

It really is impossible to call right now. The best title race in years. Liverpool are the form team but Jose Mourinho is a serial league winner and something just tells me he's going to bag another one. 

Jose Mourinho: We are not in a title race

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On course for glory: Chelsea currently lead the Premier League despite their weekend slip-up

MATT BARLOW

1 Manchester City 2 Chelsea 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal.

I'm backing City's squad power to see them through. It is their only remaining competition and weary limbs can be refreshed to overcome a daunting set of away fixtures. Also expect Mourinho's know-how to keep Chelsea close, although the mindless red card for Ramires won't help.

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Been there, done that: City won the title two years ago, can they repeat the feat?

LEE CLAYTON

1 Chelsea  2 Man City 3 Arsenal 4 Liverpool.

Jose has been there, won it, seen it and sulked it. He might be morphing back into Lord Voldermort, but can Brendan Rodgers really deliver a Harry Potter-like magical ending? I wish he could. But I'm afraid it's Chelsea for me, especially as they're done with teams in claret and blue now.  

Rodgers: I have empathy with Moyes

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Eden Project: Can Hazard help Chelsea win the Premier League again?

CHELSEA'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Arsenal (H)
March 29: Crystal Palace (A)
April 5: Stoke (H)
April 13: Swansea (A)
April 20: Sunderland (H)
April 27: Liverpool (A)
May 3: Norwich (H)
May 11: Cardiff (A) 

P30 W20 D6 L4 Pts 66

LIVERPOOL'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Cardiff (A)
March 26: Sunderland (H)
March 30: Tottenham (H)
April 6: West Ham (A)
April 13: Manchester City (H)
April 20: Norwich (A)
April 27: Chelsea (H)
May 3: Crystal Palace (A)
May 11: Newcastle (H)

P29 W19 D5 L5 Pts 62

ARSENAL'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Chelsea (A)
March 25: Swansea (H)
March 29: Man City (H)
April 6: Everton (A)
April 15: West Ham (H)
April 19: Hull City (A)
April 28: Newcastle (H)
May 3: West Brom (H)
May 11: Norwich (A)

P29 W19 D5 L5 Pts 62

MAN CITY'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Fulham (H)
March 25: Man United (A)
March 29: Arsenal (A)
April 5: Southampton (H)
April 13: Liverpool (A)
April 16: Sunderland (H)
April 21: West Brom (H)
April 27: Crystal Palace (A)
May 3: Everton (A)
May 7: Aston Villa (H)
May 11: West Ham (H)

P27 W19 D3 L5 Pts 60

COLIN YOUNG

1 Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal

The difference between the top four is Jose Mourinho. Been here, seen it, done it, the Chelsea manager has the expertise to guide his team over the line, to go to Anfield and win, or certainly not lose, and apply the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini and Brendan Rodgers when they are least expecting. If Sergio Aguero was fully fit, the title would be returning to the Etihad. Liverpool still look vulnerable at the back, for all their electrifying brilliance going forward which will keep them in the hunt.

Wenger: We needed special resilience to get away with it today

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Late winner: Sergio Aguero won the title two years ago, but his fitness could give Chelsea an advantage

SAMI MOKBEL

1 Chelsea 2 Man City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal 

Momentum will be key going into the final few games of the season. At the moment Liverpool have that, but I think the Jose Mourinho factor will see Chelsea win the race. Just. 

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Seen it all before: John Terry has guided Chelsea to titles in the past

SIMON CASS

1 Liverpool 2 Chelsea 3 Man City 4  Arsenal 

It's simply a case of the momentum being with Liverpool and I fancy them to beat both Chelsea and City at Anfield.

Pellegrini: Kompany fouled before committing red card offence

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Making the difference: Luis Suarez has been Liverpool's star man this season

MARK ALFORD

1 Arsenal 2 Man City 3 Chelsea 4 Liverpool 

I’ve been writing them off all season and they’ve defied my ‘expertise’ at every turn, so I’m going for Arsenal. A big result at Chelsea on Saturday will kick them on. I’ve been surprised by their resilience in the absence of Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the new Gazza – with oodles more pace. If Arsene Wenger plays him centrally, Arsenal will scare defences and win games. My heart says Liverpool – what a story that would be. My head says City – they still have the best squad but Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero are out at a vital time. But my hunch is Arsenal. There, I’ve said it. Cue humble pie.   

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Kings of north London: Arsenal won at Spurs to keep their title dreams alive

JACK GAUGHAN

1 Manchester City 2 Chelsea 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal  

There may well be serious questions surrounding Manchester City in a wider sense but, simply put, Manuel Pellegrini has the best squad in the Premier League. The best squad invariably wins the league. They have always been electric going forward but there is a steel to this side too. Even Martin Demichelis looked a competent centre half on Saturday. Come away with something from Arsenal and Liverpool and the title is theirs. 

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Little master: David Silva helped 10-man City to an important win at Hull on Saturday

MIKE ANSTEAD

1 Liverpool 2 Chelsea 3 Man City 4 Arsenal

When Liverpool hammered Arsenal 5-1 on February 8, you sensed a change in their confidence. They have a devastating combination of form, finishing and flair. Those games with Chelsea and City at a noisy Anfield are crucial. Oh, and Kolo Toure has been wisely ditched.

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Kop kings: Liverpool have mounted a serious challenge this season

P.S.

This is a final table predicted by Bloomberg Sports. The analytics company have used seasons' worth of data and complex algorithms to predict the final standings of the current campaign.

They have factored in the importance of new players and, look at defensive and attacking stats such as tackles, interceptions, pass completion and shooting accuracy.

The final standings are all based on the most likely outcomes.

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original post found here: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2582550/Going-wire-In-closest-title-race-years-Sportsmails-experts-predict-four-look-May.html

Moyes on the edge: Fans start to turn on United boss as crucial run of games loom... while rumours of Giggs fallout are denied

Another day, another problem to address for Manchester United and their imperilled manager David Moyes.

This time it was stories — quickly denied — of a falling-out with one of his coaches, Ryan Giggs. The United icon — so the rumour went — vented his spleen at Moyes in the Old Trafford dressing room in the wake of Sunday’s limp defeat to Liverpool.

‘Ryan is absolutely fuming over suggestions of a falling-out with the manager,’ said a United spokesman yesterday. 

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When will the misery end? David Moyes cut a forlorn figure on the Manchester United bench as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday

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Can't watch: Ryan Giggs was an unused substitute against Liverpool

 

 

More...

• Everton coach Sheedy blasts Moyes for showing no interest in club's youth team
• Fellaini is horribly short of what Man United need... he's pants! £27.5m fee was a chronic waste of money by Moyes
• JAMIE REDKNAPP: He's playing Mata out of position, Fellaini has never looked like a United player and they face an 18-month Champions League absence... what will happen to Moyes?
• Rooney and RVP play like strangers, Mata is out of position and Moyes has no Plan B... as United are humiliated by Liverpool, here's 10 reasons why it's all gone wrong

As it turned out, Giggs was jogging on the pitch with other unused players when Moyes and his team began their dissection of Sunday’s disaster. Even Giggs can’t argue down the length of a players’ tunnel and through a brick wall.

As one fire goes out, however, other burning problems do not go away for Moyes. Fresh from Sunday’s 3-0 surrender to Liverpool, Moyes must raise his team for Wednesday’s Champions League visit of Olympiacos. 

Then, on Saturday, is a visit to West Ham in the Barclays Premier League followed by the arrival of Manchester City next Tuesday. If it sounds daunting  for Moyes, that’s because it is.

In the directors’ box on Sunday, United officials looked on aghast as the team succumbed meekly, while in the corporate lounges, guests from each of the club’s top sponsors — invited especially for the day — must have wondered what the club have been spending their money on.

The official line from United is that Moyes remains in no immediate danger. The plan, we are told, remains a long-term one.

The United manager, though, is in trouble, do not think otherwise, and a succession plan may well be put in place within 10 days if things continue to go badly.

On social network sites and fan forums on Monday, the groundswell of opinion against Moyes continued to grow. Even the more rational are beginning to tire of United’s insipid football and a manager who rarely seems to say or do anything to inspire confidence in his ability to reverse a downward trend.

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Long walk: David Moyes reflects on another disappointing defeat by Liverpool as his troubles continue

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Disaster: United's player trudge back to the centre circle after Steven Gerrard scores Liverpool's first goal from the penalty spot at Old Trafford

WAYNE'S WOE...

Wayne Rooney said Sunday’s 3-0 defeat was ‘one of the worst days I’ve ever had in football’. But Rooney has not had a good day at Old Trafford in a while. The last time he scored there was on October 26. Since then, 22 players have scored at Old Trafford:

UNITED: Javier Hernandez (4), Danny Welbeck (3), Robin van Persie (3), Ashley Young (2), Phil Jones (2), Fabio, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans, Adnan Januzaj.

OPPONENTS: Gerrard (Liverpool, 2) Oviedo (Everton), Cabaye (Newcastle), C Cole (West Ham), Adebayor,  Eriksen (Tottenham), Routledge, Bony (Swansea),  Bardsley (Sunderland), Sidwell, Bent (Fulham), Suarez (Liverpool).

However, the remarkable and prolonged support afforded United from the Stretford End during the last 10 minutes of Sunday’s defeat has worked in Moyes’s favour.

It was noted by the Old Trafford directors as a tick in a column of positives that was looking as empty as some of United’s performances.

What is abundantly clear is that nobody at United — apart from the odd disaffected player — wants to see Moyes sacked. What is also apparent, however, is that United will have to get rid of him if things don’t improve quickly.

As United fans and officials stare down the A580 at their resurgent Merseyside rivals, they can comfort themselves with the fact that, while Liverpool remain a big and important football club, United have grown into an international financial monster. 

As such, the defending champions are in a position to throw millions of pounds at their problems this summer. The only question is whether they can — or should — trust Moyes to spend it.

Moyes’s United have a shambolic look about them and they are getting worse. Other Premier League coaches talk privately of unimaginative tactics and square pegs in round holes.

And the rumours may not be true, but it nevertheless remains the case that Giggs has appeared to be a rather distant, detached figure at Old Trafford of late.

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Support: It appears Moyes is not getting the backing he needs from either the players or the fans

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Hurting: Giggs is said to be upset by United's slump and there has even been suggestion he could replace Moyes as manager

Unveiled as part of the new world order when Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson last May, the 40-year-old has been increasingly less visible on the touchline and indeed as a player as crisis has followed crisis at Old Trafford.

One theory is that Giggs may yet be the next United manager — temporarily or otherwise — and is merely biding his time. That, though, doesn’t fit with what we know of a loyal United servant who, rather like his friend Gary Neville, takes every defeat, at whatever level, as a personal affront.

Schooled at the Cliff, Carrington and Old Trafford, Giggs knows that success comes in cycles. He hasn’t seen much like this during his 23 years at first-team level, though. Dressing-room arguments — real or invented — pale into insignificance when the team are 18 points from the top of the Premier League.

original post found here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2582972/Moyes-edge-Fans-start-turn-United-boss-crucial-run-games-loom-rumours-Giggs-fallout-denied.html