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Tag: Premier League

  • Ten-man Arsenal were completely outplayed by Manchester City as they slumped to the bottom of the Premier League.

    Ten-man Arsenal were completely outplayed by Manchester City as they slumped to the bottom of the Premier League.

    It is the first time since 1954 that the Gunners have lost their three opening games of the league season and this match was effectively over by half-time.

    City captain Ilkay Gundogan and striker Ferran Torres scored in the first 12 minutes and any hope Arsenal had of an unlikely comeback was ended when midfielder Granit Xhaka was sent off for lunging into a challenge on Joao Cancelo.

    A trademark teasing run from £100m man Jack Grealish set up Gabriel Jesus for an easy third just before the break, then Rodri guided home a fourth from 20 yards just after it.

    Such was his side’s total control that City manager Pep Guardiola had used all three substitutes within 16 minutes of the second half starting. It turned into an extended keep-ball session for the hosts, who finished off the rout with Torres’ second six minutes from time.

    Guardiola’s counterpart and former assistant Mikel Arteta looked shell-shocked in the other technical area as Raheem Sterling – twice – Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez wasted opportunities to increase the margin of victory still further.

    By the end, Arsenal had managed a single shot – off target – and 19% possession. They are still to score in the Premier League this season and immediately after the international break play Norwich, the team they replaced at the foot of the table.

    After being forced to abandon their hopes of prising Harry Kane out of Tottenham and opting not to pursue a deal for Manchester United-bound Cristiano Ronaldo, it appears Guardiola will attack the new season without an orthodox number nine.

    If his side continue to meet opponents as accommodating as Arsenal, there will be no problem.

    The Gunners defence was so flimsy, it scarcely did justice to their status as a Premier League outfit.

    City’s opener looked good on the eye. But there was no challenge on Bernardo Silva as he strode through the visitors’ midfield, no effective closing down of Jesus as he lined up his cross and barely a challenge on Gundogan – hardly the greatest physical threat – as he rose at the far post. Add in Bernd Leno’s weak attempt to keep the ball out of his goal and it summed up everything that is wrong about the visitors.

    At one point, Ederson stood for fully 10 seconds, not moving, as he decided where to aim his clearance. Eventually Emile Smith-Rowe closed the Brazilian down and forced him to do something.

    Perhaps he was a little bored. Earlier, he had delayed for so long an intended pass from his own goal-line that Smith-Rowe almost nicked the ball but could only watch as it ricocheted off him and narrowly wide of the far post. That was as close as Arsenal came to scoring.

    In his programme notes Guardiola proclaimed this would be a ‘tough game’ for his team. By the end, it was City’s biggest ever win against the Gunners and their third successive 5-0 home win in the league.

  • Man City Threaten To Turn Premier League Race Into Procession

    Man City Threaten To Turn Premier League Race Into Procession

    This season’s Premier League race has been touted as one of the most open in years but Manchester City have quietly moved through the gears and are threatening to pull away from the pack. 

    Pep Guardiola’s men, who have won their past seven league games, host Manchester United’s midweek conquerors Sheffield United on Saturday, hoping lightning cannot strike twice.

    United, their closest challengers, face a tricky trip away to rejuvenated Arsenal while Liverpool travel to high-flying West Ham.

    AFP Sport looks at some of the main talking points ahead of the weekend action in the English top-flight.

    United seek away-day comfortsManchester United hoped to be travelling to the Emirates as Premier League leaders before their shock defeat to bottom side Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

    The 2-1 reverse on Wednesday, which ended a 13-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, was their fourth home defeat of the season.

    In sharp contrast, they have won eight out of their 10 league games on the road and are unbeaten away from home in the Premier League for more than a year.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hope this week’s limp showing was a one-off but the Emirates will not be an easy place for United to rediscover their form.

    Mikel Arteta has turned Arsenal’s fortunes around, winning five out of six Premier League matches to move to within striking distance of the top four.

    He will hope to make a statement that the Gunners are back in business by completing the double over United this season.

    Striker-less City purringCity are heavy favourites to land a third Premier League crown in four years, even though Sergio Aguero has no league goals this season and Gabriel Jesus has just two.

    Aguero, City’s all-time record goalscorer, has been unavailable for most of the campaign as a result of injury and the coronavirus while Jesus, who also suffered from Covid, has been a bit-part player in recent weeks.

    In their absence Ilkay Gundogan, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez have chipped in with plenty of goals, backed by a rock-solid defence.

    City have won their past seven league games, scoring 18 goals in the process and conceding just one.

    Manager Pep Guardiola believes Aguero could still play a key role in the second half of the season but will be delighted his squad have stepped up as they chase glory on four fronts.

    Last chance for Bruce?Frank Lampard this week became the second managerial casualty of the Premier League season when he was jettisoned by Chelsea, but Steve Bruce could soon be next.

    Newcastle have collected just two points out of a possible 27 in the Premier League and the manager’s future looks bleak.

    Some fans mounted a protest at St James’s Park after last week’s 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa, displaying a banner aimed at owner Mike Ashley that bore the message “Act late, seal your fate”.

    In a sign of the pressure he is under, Bruce refused to take questions from written media at his press conference before this week’s match against Leeds, which ended in a 2-1 defeat.

    He still believes he is the right man to turn things around but must know time is running out.

    Tuchel’s homeworkNew Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admitted after his side’s dull 0-0 draw against Wolves this week that he had not had time to properly assess his squad.

    Midfielder Mason Mount, one of the standout players at Stamford Bridge this season, and Christian Pulisic were left kicking their heels on the bench.

    Chelsea dominated possession but looked short of ideas until Mount and Pulisic were introduced in the late stages of the game.

    England international Mount in particular looked dangerous and will be disappointed if he does not make the teamsheet against Burnley.

    Fixtures (all times GMT)

    Saturday (1500 unless stated)

    Everton v Newcastle (1230), Crystal Palace v Wolves, Manchester City v Sheffield United, West Brom v Fulham, Arsenal v Manchester United (1730), Southampton v Aston Villa (2000)

    Sunday

    Chelsea v Burnley (1200), Leicester v Leeds (1400), West Ham v Liverpool (1630), Brighton v Tottenham (1915)

  • Premier League matches will continue despite lockdown —UK PM

    Premier League matches will continue despite lockdown —UK PM

    Premier League football and other forms of elite professional sport in England will be allowed to continue despite new national lockdown restrictions announced by the British government on Monday.

    Nearly 56 million people in England will return to a full coronavirus lockdown, possibly until mid-February, to try to cut spiralling infection rates, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised address.

    The measures, which include the closure of primary and secondary schools, will come into effect Wednesday, he said after Scotland announced similar measures to come into force from midnight (0000 GMT) on Tuesday.

    But a list of exemptions published by the UK government allowed “elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) – or those on an official elite sports pathway – to compete and train”.

    One key point in determining whether a sporting competition can go ahead will be if it has, as the Premier League does, a testing regime and the provision of bio-secure bubbles in place.

    But a lockdown similar to the one introduced in England in March last year as a result of a rising number of Covid-19 cases means outdoor gyms, golf courses and tennis courts will close, with amateur outdoor team sports prohibited.

    Johnson’s announcement followed a statement earlier on Monday by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland that will see professional sport continuing in Scotland despite a raft of new restrictions amid worries over rising numbers of Covid-19 cases.

    Scottish football and rugby clubs, however, will be allowed to train and play as normal.

    They are all on a Scottish government exemption list that states “those involved in professional sports, for training, coaching or competing in an event” are among the groups those allowed to leave their homes.

    A Scottish Football Association statement issued Monday said: “Following the First Minister’s announcement regarding increased restrictions this afternoon, we will liaise with @ScotGov on the impact upon grassroots football. We will a provide further update in due course.”

    Scotland’s new lockdown will last for at least the rest of January.

    “We have decided to introduce from midnight (0000 GMT Tuesday), for the duration of January, a legal requirement to stay at home, except for essential purposes,” Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.

    “This is similar to the lockdown of March last year.”

    Sturgeon, the leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), said a new faster spreading variant of coronavirus, first identified in the UK in December had been a “massive blow” in the battle against the virus.

    She said the evidence was “compelling” that “the new variant already accounts for almost half of all new cases in Scotland”.

    Sturgeon’s announcement came as Britain began rolling out a new Covid vaccine developed by the drug manufacturer AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

    Meanwhile reigning Scottish football champions Celtic defended their controversial warm-weather training trip to Dubai by saying it had Scottish government approval.

    The Hoops flew to the Middle East on Saturday following a derby defeat by Rangers that left them a huge 19 points adrift of their arch Glasgow rivals in the race for the Scottish Premiership title.

    The Scottish government responded by calling for a Scottish Football Association investigation into whether Celtic had breached coronavirus exemptions.

    But, in a series of tweets issued Monday, Celtic defended their position by saying: “If the club had not received Scottish Government approval then we would not have travelled.”

    AFP

  • Arsenal plans Premier League relegation

    Arsenal plans Premier League relegation

    Arsenal have already been planning for the possibility of Premier League relegation amid a tough start to this season.

    Mikel Arteta’s side are currently 15th in the table, having picked up just 14 points from their opening 14 matches.

    They are only four points clear of the relegation zone and need to plug a seven point gap to even return to the top half of the table.

    Fourth-placed Everton are 12 points above them, while league leaders Liverpool have more than twice as many points as the Gunners.

    READ ALSO: Breaking: Premier League introduces new Covid measures for Tier 4 clubs

    While relegation still feels a farfetched possibility, Arsenal have contingency plans in place if they do go down, according to The Telegraph.

    A number of players would face huge pay cuts if the club was to drop down to the Championship.

    Unlike Chelsea in 2015, who were 16th in the Premier League table in December, Arsenal have protected themselves against the financial impact of getting relegated.

    While most of Arsenal’s traditional rivals don’t plan for the threat of relegation by inserting reduction clauses in players’ contracts, the Gunners have inserted them into deals.

    The practice is thought to be relatively new given most players in Arsene Wenger’s era at the club never had them. While it is not common for the top sides in the division to plan for relegation with such clauses, it is typical for other sides outside the ‘Bix Six’.

    Several payers will be obliged to take a 25% paycut if they go down. Arsenal have not been relegated since the 1912/13 season when the finished bottom of the old First Division.

    Despite their perilous position, Arteta is said to have the support of the club’s executives and the majority of the first-team squad although there are reports of disquiet among some players.

  • Premier League too challenging to dominate, Klopp admits

    Premier League too challenging to dominate, Klopp admits

    Jurgen Klopp insisted there was no plan for Liverpool to dominate the world for years to come, insisting it was tough just to be successful in England.

    After leading Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, Klopp was named The Best FIFA Men’s Coach on Thursday, with four Reds also part of the FIFA FIFPro Men’s World11.

    After Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham, Klopp’s men are also three points clear atop the Premier League table this season.

    But the German dismissed any talk about world domination, highlighting just how difficult it was to win in England.

    “I don’t think anybody will dominate English football – it’s too difficult, 100 per cent. The league is too challenging, the calendar is too challenging,” Klopp told reporters.

    “We all have to make sure we get through these crazy times at the moment and all the other times as well. We had four players in the best team of the world in the last year – one we had to sign from Bayern [Munich], which was smart business, I would say. We obviously have a good team.

    “All the other players could have been in that team, as well, because of their ability, so you see we have a really good team here. What you always need in life is a little bit of luck, so you can win football games.

    “The more football games you win, the closer you come to winning trophies. If you are in the final or whatever, then you have to make the final touch, that’s it.

    “But we don’t plan world dominance for the next years. We just plan for the next game, which is in 40-something hours at Crystal Palace.”

    As well as the breakthrough Premier League title, Klopp has led Liverpool to a Champions League title, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup since taking charge in October 2015.

    But the former Borussia Dortmund coach said there was no chance he would become complacent.

    “Oh, I’m 53 years old. I’m too old for flying, so it’s easy for me to stay humble. The thing is I have just a world-class team, I work at a world-class club. With the players and people around me, it’s our responsibility to be as successful as possible. That’s it,” Klopp said.

    “Nobody has to worry that I could get satisfied – I don’t really know how that works. There are no guarantees of success; the only chance you have is to work as hard as you can. If we do that, still no guarantee. But you can get at least a little bit. That’s why we try absolutely everything every single day.”

  • Aubameyang ends Premier League goal drought at Emirates Stadium

    Aubameyang ends Premier League goal drought at Emirates Stadium

    Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended his Premier League goal drought at Emirates Stadium with his equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Southampton on Wednesday.

    The 31-year-old striker ended a run of 648 minutes without a league goal at home, by completing a fine team move to cancel out Theo Walcott’s opener in the 52nd minute.

    Aubameyang’s last league goal at Emirates Stadium was in July against Watford where he scored a brace in their final fixture for the 2019-20 Premier League season.

    Wednesday’s strike was the Gabonese’s third goal of the season after 13 league appearances and his first goal from open play since their league opener against Fulham on September 12.

    Although the result stretched the Gunners’ unbeaten streak to six matches, Arteta remains positive on Aubameyang’s goalscoring form.

    “Hopefully it’s going to change everything dramatically and he’s going to start to score every game because this is what we need at the moment,” Arteta said after the match.

    Aubameyang, meanwhile, dismissed the attention on him as Arsenal continue their struggle in the Premier League.

    They remain 15th in the league table with 14 points from 13 matches while enduring their worst start to a top-flight campaign since 1974-75 season.

    He said; “At the moment, I’m a guy when things are going wrong I just work a lot, I try to do my job, to give everything, and I give my advice inside [the club], and it’s true I’ve not spoken a lot in the last few weeks, but I’m here and I want to talk on the pitch, that’s it.

    “I think tonight is not about my goal and me, it’s about the team. As I say, we need points, it doesn’t matter if I score, the most important thing is to get points.”

    Arsenal will be targeting their first Premier League win since November 1 (1-0 win over Manchester United) when they visit Everton at the Goodison Park on Saturday.

  • Partey defends Arteta despite slow Premier League start

    Partey defends Arteta despite slow Premier League start

    Thomas Partey has thrown his weight behind Mikel Arteta by stating the Arsenal manager is building something good with the players at the club.

    The Gunners are enduring a four-game winless run in the Premier League and they currently occupy the 15th spot in the table with 13 points from 11 games.

    Having qualified for the last 32 of Europa League, Arsenal are struggling to reciprocate their form in the European tournament in the English top-flight.

    Upon his return from a thigh injury in Sunday’s North London derby, Partey was taken off at half-time as Arteta’s men fell to a 2-0 defeat against rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

    READ ALSO: Baseksehir coach Buruk condemns racist words from match official

    The Black Stars midfielder, however, reiterated his commitment to the club amid their poor attacking form in the Premier League and he is aiming to bounce back from his latest setback.

    Since he moved to the Emirates Stadium on the transfer deadline day in October, Partey has made six appearances for Arsenal so far, with five coming in the league.

    “Being part of the Arsenal family is something incredible for me, since the day I arrived I have felt so supported,” the Ghana midfielder wrote on Instagram.

    “The coach had a great influence in my decision to join this team and even though we had some bad results I know we are building something good together. I have had the bad luck to suffer an injury but I hope I can play again soon and fight for this team.”

    Ahead of their final group game against Dundalk on Thursday, Arteta disclosed that Partey has suffered a thigh injury again and he will miss Arsenal’s ‘next few games’ with no specific timeframe for his return.

    “He got injured in the same area,” the Spanish coach  said. “Not exactly the same spot, but similar as it was before.

    “We MRI [scanned] him yesterday [Tuesday]. There was an injury there and he will miss the next few matches.”

    Arteta also defended his decision to play the 27-year-old on Sunday after he completed two full days training ahead of Tottenham trip.

  • ‘Chelsea are genuine Premier League & Champions League contenders’ – Cole

    ‘Chelsea are genuine Premier League & Champions League contenders’ – Cole

    Chelsea are genuine Premier League and Champions League contenders, according to Joe Cole, who says the Blues have no weaknesses.

    Frank Lampard sought to build on an encouraging fourth-place Premier League finish in 2019-20 by recruiting the likes of Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Edouard Mendy and Thiago Silva in the summer transfer window.

    The Blues backed their manager to the tune of over £200 million ($269m) and are already seeing the fruits of their sizeable investment in the early stages of the new season.

    Chelsea have risen to third in the Premier League standings after 10 fixtures, two points behind Tottenham and reigning champions Liverpool having recorded five wins, four draws and only one defeat.

    Lampard’s men are also safely through to the Champions League knockout stages, but will look to secure top spot in Group E when they take in a trip to Sevilla on Wednesday night.

    Ahead of that encounter, Cole has expressed his belief that the west London outfit are capable of winning a domestic and European double, albeit while admitting that they still have plenty of room to develop as a team. 

    “I think Chelsea are genuine contenders,” The former Blues winger, who won three league titles and two FA Cups at Stamford Bridge between 2003 and 2010, told BT Sport.

    “I think all the English sides, you can’t discount any of them from going all the way in the Champions League because of the quality and the strength of our league.

    “I don’t feel there are any weaknesses in the Chelsea side at the moment. I feel there aren’t any glaring weaknesses, there are areas to improve on.

    “But if you look at the last two months, certainly since Chilwell, Mendy, and Silva have got into the back four, the clean sheets have started to happen.

    “We look safe and secure from set-pieces. So those things have improved dramatically from last season. I think there’s still areas where Chelsea can improve and they will improve.

    “But certainly, I put them down as contenders to win the Champions League and the Premier League this year.”

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  • Arsenal crash to their worst ever Premier League start

    Arsenal crash to their worst ever Premier League start

    Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Wolves on Sunday has cemented their worst ever start to a Premier League season. 

    The Gunners have claimed just 13 points across their first 10 games of the new campaign – their lowest tally after so many games since 1981-82 when England’s top-flight wasn’t yet known as the Premier League. 

    Mikel Arteta’s side had initially shown real promise under the Spaniard as they lost just five of his first 22 games in charge but they’ve now been defeated a further five times in the space of just eight matches. 

    With just one win from their last six Premier League matches, Arsenal have slumped to 14th in the Premier League – eight points shy of league leaders Tottenham and the relegation zone. 

    Goals have been a real concern for the Gunners this season with Arteta’s men finding the back of the net just 10 times across 10 league games. 

    While Arsenal did score from open play on Sunday via Gabriel, they were unable to salvage a draw against Wolves, who struck via Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence. 

    The Gunners recorded just two shots on target at the Emirates and have only managed fewer such attempts at home once since Arsene Wenger left the club. 

    Speaking after the match, Arteta conceded his side is struggling for both goals and confidence but is hopeful a looming derby against Spurs can inspire them.

    “We need more goals to win football matches. We need to keep supporting the players. All players go through [tough] periods. We’re creating chances but struggling to score goals. That’s the difference between winning and losing,” Arteta told BBC Sport. 

    “When you lose matches the confidence goes down because they believe things can happen again. You need to win after a defeat. We’ve been doing this in my time here. This is the first time since we’ve been here [that they’ve had a losing run].”

    On whether they can turn it round next weekend against Spurs, Arteta added: “It would be great. There’s not a bigger motivation than for us to go to Spurs and try to beat them.”

  • Premier League told to ban Bruno Fernandes’ penalty style

    Premier League told to ban Bruno Fernandes’ penalty style

    Arsenal legend, Ian Wright, has called on the Premier League to ban the unorthodox penalty routine used by players like Bruno Fernandes.

    Wright feels their techniques are “not fair”.

    Fernandes used his usual hop-and-play style when Manchester United was awarded a penalty in the 56th minute against West Brom on Saturday.

    Baggies’ goalkeeper, Sam Johnstone, saved Fernandes’s first effort, only for the officials to order a retake as he had strayed off his line early.

    Not deterred by his initial miss, Fernandes repeated the trick again and scored the winner.

    “It is [difficult for goalkeepers],” Wright said on BBC’s Match of the Day.

    “And then you’ve got forwards jumping up, doing this, doing that sort of stuff and the goalie can’t move his foot off.

    “They should stop people jumping and that, they should have to make a full… just run at the ball and hit it. If they can move and the goalies can’t, that’s not fair.”

    Presenter Gary Lineker asked: “Are you going to have a law that says you can’t jump?”