Premier League talking points: Chelsea machine splutters as three set to become two

Half-term Report: Johnny Nicholson examines what the second half of the Premier League season has in store.

Manchester City’s Phil Foden takes on James Milner of Liverpool. City’s style of play might be playing classical music very precisely, but Liverpool are rock n’ roll, and have their foot up on the stage monitor of life. Picture: Michael Regan/Getty Images

No jab, no play?

We go into a potentially fractured festive season still with about 16% of Premier League players unvaccinated. Given how many difficulties these people are causing for their clubs — something Jurgen Klopp has recently spoken well about — taking a harder line with them seems inevitable. No jab, no play, no pay is their ultimate sanction, and may have to at least be threatened to pull them into line. The club, as a business, is entitled to dictate vaccination as a qualification for playing for the club. With hard lines being taken all over Europe’s top leagues, all of which are almost 100% jabbed, those holding out will have to be set a deadline, after which they’ll be cut loose.