Table of contents for 2-Jan-2018 in MATCH!

WORLD CUP FRENZY! MATCH loves a World Cup year, and not just because we get a whole summer packed with top-class footy! Players will be upping their games to the max to make it to Russia, so club footy will rock over the next six months too! TOP-FOUR BATTLE! The Prem title race looks wrapped up already with Man. City miles in front, but there’s still loads to play for at the top of the table! Man. United, Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are desperate for Champions League football, and with Burnley looking to upset the party too, we think the scrap for the top four could go right down to the wire! THE TRANSFER WINDOW! The January window is usually a lot quieter than the summer, but we reckon…

TOM ON… HIS SEASON! TOM SAYS: “It was tough at the start of the season with all the new signings coming in. When I did get my opportunities, I just didn’t feel the same as last year, but I’ve found my rhythm now and I really want to push on!” TOM ON… THE NEW BOYS! TOM SAYS: “We’ve got a good squad, and all the new players have fitted in really well. No-one’s out of place, and it’s given us a lot more depth and quality in the squad, so that’s a big benefit!” TOM ON… LOCAL LADS! TOM SAYS: “It’s good to have local players. Everton are known for having a really good youth set up, and there have always been players from the academy here. It’s important for…

LAFONT TOULOUSE GK Alban Lafont was a wonderkid on FIFA 17, and he’s red-hot property on this game too! The 17-year-old is solid between the sticks, with the potential to reach the 90s! SIGN HIM ON... BOTH! Lafont’s potential makes him a must-sign on Career Mode, and he’s a FUT bargain as well! BOUFAL SOUTHAMPTON LW Sofiane Boufal is tons of fun to sign on FIFA – he’s a wicked dribbler with five-star skills, so you can tie defenders in knots! SIGN HIM ON... FU T ! The Morocco winger is usually available for less than 2,000 coins – what a bargain! KIMMICH BAYERN MUNICH RB With the defensive stats to play at the back, and the Passing and Dribbling to be an ace CM, Joshua Kimmich is a proper…

ITK TRANSFER TALK This freebie XI could beat most teams in the Prem! Get a load of these top players whose contracts are up next summer! They can start talking to other clubs this month, so get ready for loads of crazy transfer gossip! GIORGIO CHIELLINI After selling Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan last summer, Juve can’t afford to lose another world-class defender! Gossips say Chiellini will stay with the Italian champs, but Man. City and Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on his situation! MARIO BALOTELLI Nice has been a perfect fit for Balotelli since he signed in 2016, and he fired the French club to European football this season. But the crazy Italian has only signed one year deals at the club, and could be tempted by…

10 INTER We think the word ‘odd’ best describes this INTER third kit from 1995-96! Can you get your head around the mega weird pattern at the top? We can’t! 9 HEERENVEEN We’re well aware that having hearts on their shirts is a proper tradition for Eredivisie side HEERENVEEN, but that still doesn’t make it any less crazy! The Dutch club must ‘love’ playing at home! 8 EVERTON Juventus love rocking a pink away kit, but MATCH reckons they can get away with it. EVERTON on the other hand? No! This pink number was used in the 2010-11 season! 7 NOTTINGHAM FOREST What were Umbro thinking of when they designed this yellow away shirt for NOTTINGHAM FOREST in 1996-97? That top has defo got too much going on! 6 CHELSEA…

WHO AM I? Use these clues to work out the mystery star! I joined the Prem last summer for £60 million! Modric , Asensio and Bale play for my previous club! I scored in my first Prem game! TRANSFER TRACKER!  Can you fill in the gaps in England goal king Jamie Vardy’s wicked career? SPORT SWITCH! Which Premier League defender is giving cricket a go? THE NICKNAME GAME! Match these quality clubs to their awesome nicknames! GROUNDED!  Which team will play at this mega stadium when it’s finished? WORDSEARCH Can you find the Premier League left-footers in this massive grid?…

ALEXIS SANCHEZ ARSENAL WHO WANTS HIM? Man. City and PSG led the race for Sanchez in the summer, but MATCH has heard Real Madrid are interested as well now! WILL HE GO? YE S ! If not in January, then definitely in the summer when his contract runs out. Arsene Wenger has to decide whether to cash in on Sanch now or let him walk away for free, but he’d prefer him to join a Euro giant rather than a Prem rival! THOMAS LEMAR MONACO WHO WANTS HIM? Liverpool and Arsenal both made offers for the winger in the summer, and they’ll face fresh competition from Prem rivals Chelsea this time! WILL HE GO? NO! Monaco will get tested with a couple of huge offers this month, but after selling…

adidas Predator Boots! Thanks to our top mates at Sports Direct, one lucky MATCH reader will win a pair of adidas Predator 18.3 junior FG boots! The wicked Total Control stud alignment, plus the knitted ankle collar and tongue rock! The cool adidas Predator 18.3 junior FG boots are out now in Sports Direct stores and online at spor tsdirec t .com Swansea v Liverpool Tickets! We have teamed up with EA SPORTS™, the Lead Par tner of the Premier League, to give away a pair of tickets to see Swansea play Liverpool on Monday, January 22 at the Liberty Stadium. Get in! EA SPORTS delivers the most authentic gaming experience possible for supporters engaging with Premier League clubs and players within EA SPORTS FIFA 18. EA SPORTS FIFA 18…

Premier League Special Sport Switch: John Stones. Who Am I?: Alvaro Morata. The Nickname Game: 1-B; 2-D; 3-C; 4-A. Transfer Tracker: 2011-12 – Fleetwood; 2012-NOW – Leicester. Grounded: Tottenham. Wordsearch: See below. Ligue 1 Special Footy At The Films: Nabil Fekir. Spot The Ball: C3. Guess The Winners: 2016-17 – Monaco; 2013-14 – PSG; 2011-12 – Montpellier; 2009-10 – Marseille. Footy Mis-Match: See above. One point for each correct answer! My Score /65 HOW WELL DID YOU DO? 61-65 Champions League Legend! 46 - 60 Premier League Superstar! 31-45 Championship Hero! 16-30 Non - League Veteran! 0 -15 Own - Goal Specialist!…