Nicolas Otamendi’s beard is the eighth wonder of the world

The days of grizzly centre-halves with beer bellies and short back and sides are long gone.

Nowadays, with high-definition TVs and cameras everywhere, your beard game needs to be on point. Take Nicolas Otamendi for example.

Admit it, his beard is a thing of beauty…

We’re already eight days deep into ‘Movember’ but there’s no chance our taches are going to look anywhere near as majestic as the Argentinian defender.

We’re not the only ones that think so…

The Premier League so far: a majestic muddle that continues to entertain

Athird of the way through the Premier League season and it is still to take shape. There is a pleasingly old-fashioned look to the table, with the top seven separated by six points. To put that into context, 12 games into last season, the leaders Chelsea had six points more than Manchester City do now and the gap to seventh was 14. The usual suspects – or some of the usual suspects – will presumably kick on but this promises to be a closer, less predictable race than for years.

It’s not possible always to make precise comparisons because of teams having games in hand (and looking at the spread of the top seven is an arbitrary metric anyway) but it’s probably fair to say not since 1999-2000 have the top seven been separated by such a narrow margin at this stage.

Not that 1999-2000 produced a great title race; rather Manchester United, having dropped 12 points in their first 12 games, dropped only 11 in the remainder of the season and won the title by 18 points from Arsenal, with Leeds four further back. No one this season, looks capable of putting a similar run together. All of the main title contenders are flawed.

Perhaps Manchester City are the best equipped but they remain heavily reliant on Sergio Agüero and David Silva for the spark to unlock opponents and the striker is as injury-prone as ever. They will blow sides away – as they did to Newcastle and Bournemouth, the first with, the second without Agüero – but there will also probably be more games like the home defeat to West Ham and the away draw at Aston Villa when they dominate but struggle to convert possession into goals.

Even more worrying was the collapse at Tottenham. City, admittedly, were without Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and Silva that day, Nicolás Otamendi was yet to settle, Agüero wasn’t fully fit and Yaya Touré was forced off with a hamstring problem – a rare concatenation of misfortune that is unlikely to recur – but the game did cast doubts abut the strength of their backup and, in particular, their mental resilience.

Arsenal are still Arsenal and while an Arsenal with Petr Cech is better than an Arsenal without – the goalkeeper was vital in securing a point against Tottenham on Sunday – there is a brittleness to their brilliance, in part caused by the fact they continue to be so dogged by injuries. The draw in a derby in which they were second best for an hour at least suggested a resilience but they’re not a side to be trusted, at least not yet. They do, though, have four very winnable games before the match with City four days before Christmas, an opportunity to get points in the bank and consolidate their position.

Manchester United are somehow only two points off the top but even Louis van Gaal admitted on Saturday they are some way from being the team he envisages. The focus on maintaining possession has given them an admirable defensive record – no goals conceded in more than 10 hours – but with Wayne Rooney misfiring they’re reliant on inexperienced players doing something brilliant for goals.

At some point perhaps everything will click, as it did for those four games last season between beating Tottenham and Michael Carrick being injured against City, but there’s little indication yet of the eureka moment being close.

Chelsea’s struggles are becoming freakish, misfortune compounding a loss of form and morale, and they will improve, but their poor start means the battle for fourth is open. Tottenham look as good as they have since Gareth Bale left (and arguably are a rather more coherent all-round side even than then) and, with Liverpool adapting to Jürgen Klopp – another charismatic addition to the soap opera – they would surely regard it as a huge opportunity missed if they did not qualify for the Champions League this season.

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But the other – perhaps unexpected – factor this season has been the rise of the Premier League’s middle-class, seemingly on the back of the new television deal. Perhaps the likes of Leicester, West Ham and Crystal Palace did start the season with a background worry of relegation but that surely has already receded and they join Everton and Southampton in scrapping for Europa League qualification – with the thought that a Champions League slot, for once, is not totally beyond them.

The environment is changing and the result is the Premier League is probably more competitive than it has been in a decade or so. There is a danger it could have a negative impact on European performance as constant attrition leads to weariness – something Van Gaal has already highlighted – which in turn will lead to complaints about quality.

But quality is hard to define and, besides, which is preferable – a league in which one team are clearly brilliant and lead seventh by 16 points after 12 games, as in Germany, or one in which it is all a bit of a muddle and no one has a clue what is going to happen?

Best league in the world? Maybe not but at the moment the Premier League is a huge amount of fun.

Nicolas Otamendi: Manchester City can handle title pressure

NICOLAS OTAMENDI is sure Manchester City can handle the pressure of leading the Premier League title race from the front.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men went into the international break on top of the table — where they have been for most of the campaign so far.

City have won the title in two of the last four seasons and have an experienced squad who know how it should be done.

So Otamendi — who joined the club for £32million in August — is confident they have the bottle to go the distance.

He said: “It’s not easy to be in the position that we are in at the moment.

“Everyone looks at you as the principle candidate for winning the title, and there is a long way to go yet.

De Bruyne missed sitter in Villa stalemate.

“Of course we like to be up there, but it gives us extra pressure game after game.

“Anyway, we are a strong minded team and we know how to handle that pressure.

“It’s better to have that feeling because we are ahead of everyone and that means that we are doing our work correctly.

“I think that we are working calmly and being patient. The championship is long and we have to go step by step.”

Otamendi has been surprised to see some of the names who are on City’s tail in his first season in English football.

The biggest shock is that champions Chelsea are way down at the bottom end of the table, while Leicester are just a point behind the leaders.

Otamendi, speaking to ESPN FC, added: “It’s normal to see Arsenal there and also Manchester United.

“Maybe Leicester is a surprise, and a little bit behind them is Tottenham, who are getting better season after season and another surprise may be West Ham United.”

Paper Talk: Gunners track midfield duo, Hammers’ £16m bid

Arsenal have been given fresh hope of signing William Carvalho and again had Jorginho watched, West Ham have bid £16m for Seydou Doumbia, while Martin Demichelis is set to leave Manchester City.

GUNNERS GIVEN CARVALHO HOPE AND HAVE JORGINHO WATCHED

Arsenal have been given fresh hope of signing long-term transfer target William Carvalho after his contract talks with Sporting stalled.

The 23-year-old, who was born in Angola but has 13 caps for Portugal having moved there as a child, has been linked multiple times with the Gunners as they seek a defensively-minded central midfielder.

Arsenal’s hopes of signing the player were also given a boost when, earlier this year, the player described the Gunners as his ‘dream club‘.

The move, however, had looked dead in the water as Carvalho enter talks to seal a four-year deal with the Portuguese club, where he has been since joining at the age of 13 in 2005.

But according to Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, contract negotiations, which have already been drawn out over salary and contract length, have hit yet another stumbling block – given fresh hope that the player could be tempted by a move to Arsenal.

The Gunners are clearly intent on strengthening their midfield – be it in January, or next summer – with Mikel Arteta, Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky all expected to leave the Emirates.

Another reported Arsenal, meanwhile, is Napoli midfielder and the Daily Express claims the Gunners have once again sent scouts to watch the Brazilian in action for Napoli.

The player has been linked with a move to the Gunners since the summer, but his agent was coy recently when the subject of a possible move to Arsenal came up.

HAMMERS LODGE £16M DOUMBIA BID

West Ham have reportedly lodged a bid of £16million for Roma striker Seydou Doumbia, who has also attracted interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.

The Ivory Coast international was one of Europe’s most in-demand strikers in the summer but opted to move on loan to CSKA Moscow.

That was despite reported interest in him from the Premier League.

And Football Italia claim West Ham will now beat them all by cutting his loan spell short and landing him in the January transfer window.

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is understood to be keen on adding a new forward to his squad when the transfer window opens.

With Andy Carroll’s future at Upton Park uncertain, they might need new faces and Doumbia appears to fit the bill.

Since moving fro Russia, the 27-year-old has hit five goals this term.

English football fans caught a glimpse of the man who could arrive on these shores in Moscow’s Champions League clashes with Manchester United.

He scored in the 1-1 draw in Russia and was impressive again in the return game at Old Trafford, which United won 1-0.

DEMICHELIS SET FOR JANUARY CITY EXIT

Martin Demichelis is set to leave Manchester City during the January transfer window and return to Argentina to join Buenos Aires outfit Rosario Central.

Demichelis, 34, has fallen down the City pecking order following the arrival at the Etihad Stadium of fellow Argentine Nicolas Otamendi from Valencia in the summer.

Demichelis is currently fourth-choice centre-back in Manuel Pellegrini’s plans, with Vincent Kompany, Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala all ahead of him in the battle for a spot in the City starting XI.

The experienced defender is entering the final six months of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and, according to The Sun, could decide to return to his homeland after 12 years in Europe with Bayern Munich, Malaga and City, who signed him just two months after he had joined Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

Rosario are in the market for a new defender with Alejandro Donatti expected to leave the club for a move to Europe in January.

Rosario coach Eduardo Coudet is a big admirer of Demichelis, having played alongside him while they were both together at River Plate, and hopes to persuade his former team-mate to join the club in January ahead of the Copa Libertadores starting in February.

He has made just one start in the Premier League this season, with his three other starts coming in the Capital One Cup and the Champions League.

AND THE REST

– Zinedine Zidane has stepped up Real Madrid’s bid to crowbar yet another player out of the Premier League by revealing his admiration for Chelsea forward Eden Hazard (Daily Mirror)

– Marseille have put a £35m price-tag on the head of star striker Michy Batshuayi, who has been linked with a move to January window move to Arsenal and Chelsea (Daily Star)

– Wolves want to sign Yoan Gouffran on loan from Newcastle United. The Frenchman is currently out of favour at St James’ Park (The Sun)

– Arsenal are considering a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka (Daily Star)

– Adnan Januzaj’s frustration at Borussia Dortmund is set to continue after the club’s sporting director claimed the season-long loan from Manchester United will not end early (Daily Mail)

– Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of eventually slowing down in America because he wants to retain his ‘dignity’. The Real Madrid forward, 30, claims he has another ‘six or seven years’ at the top (Daily Mail)

– Manchester United have sounded out Valencia wide man Sofiane Feghouli over a possible move (Metro)

– Real Madrid and Barcelona had detailed scouts to check on Jamie Vardy until injury ruled him out of England’s friendly against Spain in Alicante (Daily Mail)

Brazil happier with draw as Argentina tire to continue WCQ struggles

With all of its friction and misplaced passes, it might have been more fun had the Argentina vs. Brazil World Cup qualifier been played on a waterlogged pitch on its original date of Thursday night.

Waiting 24 hours allowed for a better playing surface and the arrival of the crowd, but it was not enough to produce a vintage clash between the great South American rivals. Though Brazil will go away happier after the 1-1 draw, for two reasons.

First is the position in the table. Despite a faltering start, Brazil lie fourth, an automatic qualifying slot, even though two of their three games have been away from home. Argentina, meanwhile, have played twice at home but are still looking for their first win. Amazingly, they are down in ninth place, with only Venezuela behind them.

Brazil can also be more content with a point because they came closest to leaving with nothing. The key moment in the game came early in the second half. Argentina were good value for the 1-0 lead given to them by Ezequiel Lavezzi, but it so nearly became 2-0 when Ever Banega thudded his shot against the near post. An inch or so to the right and Brazil would have found it very hard to come back.

For most of the game, Argentina's ideas worked better than Brazil's. The match looked set up for Brazil to cause problems for Argentina's defence down the flanks, just as Ecuador had done the previous month on the same ground. The question was how would Argentina's defence cope with the pace and skill of Neymar and Willian?

The answer came by denying them space; by making sure that the midfield and defensive lines were close together, and by pressing Brazil to stop their moves at source when possible.

Indeed, it was Argentina who caused Brazil problems down the flanks. Right-back Facundo Roncaglia capitalising on his element of surprise and helped Angel Di Maria, while on the other flank Marcos Rojo and Lavezzi formed an interesting partnership, with Banega linking the team together with his passing.

The Argentine goal displayed these virtues well. Banega won possession and fed Di Maria, who played a nicely disguised pass into the space behind Brazil centre-back David Luiz; Gonzalo Higuain then collected and slipped the ball low into the box for Lavezzi to round off his intelligent movement with an efficient finish.

The moment when Banega nearly clinched the game also mirrored their gameplan. It began with an interception and forward burst from Nicolas Otamendi -- the centre-back this time becoming the attacking element of surprise -- and he played a fine exchange with Higuain before passing square to Banega, who had an initial shot blocked before hitting the post from the rebound.

Brazil had been awful up to this point; a festival of misplaced passes. Neymar may well have been suffering from an ankle injury sustained in the first half, but he was not helped by the lack of an identifiable collective plan. On the other flank, Willian found himself dragged back to defend against Rojo and Lavezzi while Lucas Lima would have been better employed in a more withdrawn role, organising Brazil's play from deep.

Lucas Lima sealed the draw for Brazil.

The tide, though, had begun to turn before Brazil got their 58th minute equaliser. As tiredness became a factor, space started to open up between the Argentine lines, making it easier for Brazil's flyers to get on the ball and run at the opposing defence.

Coach Dunga saw a chance -- swapping centre forward Ricardo Oliveira for Douglas Costa, another of his pacey dribblers -- and Brazil instantly came up with the move that sealed the draw.

Neymar, with one of those feats of peripheral vision that make him so interesting, switched the play to advancing right-back Daniel Alves -- who switched it back with a cross to the far post for Douglas Costa. The Bayern star's free header back across goal came off the bar, and fell for Lucas Lima, who had burst into the box.

Lavezzi was too tired to track his run -- Argentina's gameplan had forced their wingers to work up and down the pitch -- and Ramiro Funes Mori was not alive to the danger, allowing Lima space to volley home.

With over half an hour to go there was still the prospect of a classic, but the rest of the game generated more heat than light, symbolised by David Luiz losing his head and picking up two yellow cards in quick succession.

Luiz will miss the home game against Peru on Tuesday -- a match against a team with a dreadful away record. Argentina, meanwhile, face a tougher task as they seek to get their campaign on track away to Colombia in the sweltering heat of Barranquilla.

One feels that neither side would be happy with a draw against their bitter rivals, but as the standings show, Argentina are the ones under serious pressure.

Tim is an English journalist who has been based in Brazil for over 20 years. He is the South American football correspondent for the BBC Sport website.