Andy Gray

[i]It's been a long and eventful season - from Chelsea's early dominance to Manchester United's long unbeaten run and eventual record-breaking 19th league title - so I think it's time to reflect on some of the key protagonists and events. I've got no time for criticising those who have struggled so I've decided to roll exclusively with the good times. Here's my 2010-11 top five...[/i] [b]Best Player [/b]Carlos Tevez has been prolific and thrilling to watch in a team of new players. It can take a while for new signings to gel but Tevez has been the talisman as well as the binding glue for this emerging Manchester City team. He's scored goals and created chances for others and is only one of two strikers to find the net more than 20 times. The Argentine would be a huge loss if he leaves...

What's going on with Arsenal? We've seen some pretty odd things happening in their matches this season: a loss at home to Spurs when they were ahead, Cesc Fabregas allegedly making some accusatory comments to the ref during their recent match against Everton, Abou Diaby retaliating after a heavy Joey Barton tackle and of course... the subsequent loss of a four goal lead in that very match. I think the answer is that the pressure is starting to get to them. The pressure of not having won a trophy for more than five years. Once they win one I wouldn't be surprised to see them go on and land more silverware soon after. But, until they get over the line, I can see the players and indeed Arsene Wenger getting frustrated and allowing their emotions to get the better of them. Especially when...

With half the season gone it's time to reflect on the good and the bad of what we've seen so far in the Premier League this season. First up, we've got a title race that any one of five clubs can win. And yes, I'll include Tottenham in that along with Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and current table-toppers [b]Manchester United[/b]. Spurs are easy to dismiss on the grounds that they've never really come close and that most of the players simply don't have the experience of handling the pressure of a close title race but we'll never know until we see them in that sort of situation. While they're within touching distance of the table toppers they're in with a chance. The exact same thing goes for Manchester City. Who do of course have the advantage of having a squad filled with players...

A word on Arsenal's title chances. I do worry that they lack a little Premier League experience and ruthlessness at the heart of their defence to go on and actually win the title this year, rather than just come close. But so far they've been so good in other areas that they've got away with it, which is why they're top of the table. One of the things they've done particularly well is cope with injuries to key players. Robin van Persie, such an important player for Arsenal over the years with his skill, pace and goals, has only just come back after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. In his absence Marouane Chamakh has been brilliant, especially when you consider how difficult it is for strikers to make an impact in their first season in this league. They've also been without Cesc Fabregas...

Roy Keane hit the headlines again last week when deriding the modern footballers' fashion for snoods, glove, tights and all that carry on. But I'm not with Roy on this one - though you wouldn't have caught me wearing anything other than a short sleeved shirt in my playing days. This is just the modern footballer, I'm afraid, and whatever keeps them happy is fine by me. It's a talking point for sure, but you won't find me doing a Roy Keane on the subject! That said, I've never really got the glove thing, though I can understand wearing tights - some players are susceptible to strains and injuries and tights can protect the legs. But you wouldn't have seen a snood, glove or tight anywhere near the football pitch in my day. Back then we played through some appalling conditions...

Every week, Betfair Football's star tipster Andy Gray picks out and answers his favourite question out of those he is asked on Twitter and Facebook. Here's his answer to this week's poser... "Are Liverpool in serious danger of missing out on Europe? If so, what implications do you think this could have?" - @GypsyParis Liverpool are in danger of missing out on European football next year, but there's a simple answer as to what the implications of that would be - we don't know! It's easier to keep the big name foreign players at your club when you have European football to look forward to, yes. But we don't know what the owners' plans are and not every player agitates for a move when the chips are down. Don't assume there will be an Anfield exodus. I think the pressure on Roy...

Fair play to Everton. Five years ago, there were was plenty of interest in this Aussie goalscoring midfielder at Millwall going by the name of Tim Cahill, but the Toffees were the only ones who were prepared to take a gamble on him and put the cash on the table and boy have they reaped the rewards. I struggle to think of many midfielders who have consistently scored as many goals as him in the Premier League over the past five seasons and that's huge credit to the lad because at times Everton don't actually create too many chances. He's an awkward player to play against. For starters, he wanders in between the midfield and the front line, making him difficult to pick up, especially when he's making those late runs into the box. He's not that tall but he's got some leap on him ...

Andy Carroll has started the season very well but I am resisting the temptation to go overboard about his qualities. He needs to keep learning the game and watch what he does off the field. He has what it takes to be a first class striker but plenty of young players have had the potential to make the step up and failed. Personally, I am excited to see a big, physical, old-fashioned centre forward succeeding in the Premier League. Carroll won't score every week and he will have dry patch but if he can get 20 to 25 goals a season then he will be elevated to the first rank of strikers. I believe Fabio Capello is right to pick him for England's friendly against France. He has plenty of Under 21's caps and promotion to the first team is a natural progression for Carroll. I disagree ...

Every week, Betfair Football's star tipster Andy Gray picks out and answers his favourite question out of those he is asked on Twitter and Facebook. Here's his answer to this week's poser... "Can Newcastle United secure a Europa League spot this season?" - @gypsyparis In short, no. Newcastle have had some terrific results - the humbling of Sunderland and the win at the Emirates being the highlights - but their home form remains questionable. They lost to Blackburn at St James' Park in midweek and prior to that they were defeated by Stoke and Blackpool. If you want to get into Europe, you simply cannot drop points at home against mid-table opposition. Bettors have to be wary of promoted teams who make promising starts to the season. Burnley began well last season and went down ...