Klopp said Jota would not require surgery on the injury but that “we’re talking about months” in terms of his lay-off.
“I don’t want to put a number on it. Yes, it will be long,” Klopp said.
He explained Jota had taken the news phlegmatically.
“It’s Diogo and he’s surprisingly OK, so far. He’s an incredibly smart boy and very reflective. I think he knew it when we carried him off the pitch,” Klopp added.
“When I came out we passed each other after the game and he expected what happened. I think in that moment he knew it was a serious one and could be pretty impactful on his World Cup dreams.”
Jota’s injury also leaves Liverpool short of another key attacking player, with Luis Diaz already sidelined until after the World Cup.
Jurgen Klopp expects to be on the Liverpool bench for the visit of West Ham on Wednesday, which is just where David Moyes wants him.
Hammers boss Moyes said he would want a fair fight at Anfield by being pitched head to head against the Liverpool boss, who is facing a touchline ban.
Klopp raged so hard at assistant referee Gary Beswick in Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday that he was sent off by Anthony Taylor.
He had been furious when no foul was given against Bernardo Silva for a challenge on Mohamed Salah, after finding fault with a number of earlier decisions.
According to Moyes, a former Everton boss, referees would do well to understand that managers “sometimes lose our heads here or there”.
Moyes also said that Klopp had a strong argument in this case, adding: “I think if you look at the incident why he got angry, he was correct, wasn’t he?”
Klopp indicated the disciplinary process had barely begun when he spoke in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
For that reason, he cannot see why he would not be at pitchside for the Premier League game.
“I think I will be there because there’s nothing really happened yet,” Klopp said. “But I don’t think something will happen…a few hours before the game.
“I know where David is coming from. I still think I shou”This was then for me like, in Germany we would say one drop will let the bucket overflow. Does that make sense somehow? I’m not happy with my reaction, but that’s the way it was. Everybody saw it.
“I was sitting after the game in the office of Anthony Taylor and spoke completely calm about the situations, how he saw the game and how I saw the game. It was a fair and calm discussion, but anyway that’s the situation. I got the red card, and now we wait for the process pretty much.”
Klopp compared the rising tensions in Sunday’s game to the fiery London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham in August that finished 2-2 and ended with red cards for bosses Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte.
“No excuses,” he added. “I don’t use that as an excuse for me.”
ld have dealt differently with the situation, which I actually do usually.
“The whole game led to that maybe a little bit, the way it went. It was a very intense game with a lot of decisions the managers didn’t understand, on both sides.
Antonio Conte allayed fears of Richarlison missing the World Cup, but confirmed he will not be available for Tottenham’s game with Manchester United on Wednesday.
Richarlison suffered a calf injury in Spurs’ 2-0 victory over his former team Everton and was taken off in the 52nd minute before later being seen on crutches, causing concern he could face a race against time to be fit for Brazil’s World Cup opener against Serbia on November 24.
In a tearful interview after the game, Richarlison told ESPN Brazil: “It’s kind of hard to say because it’s close to the realisation of my dream.”
But when questioned over Richarlison potentially missing the World Cup, Conte had an optimistic message.
“The injury of Richarlison, he’s [having] a scan and then we will see how long he needs to recover,” Conte told reporters. “But for sure against United, he’s not available.
“I can confirm that the player is not risking not playing the World Cup, absolutely.”
Conte was unsure whether Richarlison’sfellow forward Dejan Kulusevski would be fit for Wednesday’s game at Old Trafford, after the Sweden international missed the Everton match with a hamstring injury.
“Kulusevski is working, we’ll see,” Conte added. “We have to go day by day with him.
“The medical department are working a lot to try to recover him, but we don’t know about the game against United.”
Diogo Dalot believes the underlying spirit shown in Manchester United’s dramatic 1-0 win over Omonia Nicosia promises to take them far as a team.
United looked destined to be frustrated by their visitors in Thursday’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford, but the hosts eventually scored with their 34th shot.
Scott McTominay dealt the decisive blow after Omonia goalkeeper Francis Uzoho had performed admirably to keep the game goalless.
With his goal, McTominay became the first substitute to score a winning goal in the 90th minute or later in a European match for United since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 1999 Champions League final.
Like Solskjaer on that occasion, McTominay came off the bench to net his winner, and Dalot felt that reflected well on United’s depth and the strength of character that runs through the squad.
“I think that this is what will take us to places,” he said.
“Be a squad as a full, not just 11 or 12, 13 players, be a complete squad and I think everyone feels that they can get a chance if they work hard, if they fight for it.
“I think this competition is healthy for everyone – especially us as players. It always improves us and I think, as a squad, it’s the best that you can have.”
He added: “We had to be patient. We created – I don’t know how many chances we created – but I think we could be a little bit more clinical, but I think we deserved it at the end, the goal.
“When that happens I think it has to come out the patience to not be frustrated because you see the time going and going and you don’t score a goal, but I think we did well.
“We kept patience, especially around their box. Like I said, we could be a little bit more clinical but, at the end, I think we deserved the goal and the three points.”
Dalot’s analysis of United not being clinical enough was highlighted by the fact their one goal came from 4.3 expected goals (xG).
That was only the second time since 2010 that United recorded more than 4.0 xG (excluding penalties) in a single match, and yet they still only scraped by.
Nevertheless, it was also an eighth win in 10 matches across all competitions, with those two blemishes coming against Manchester City and Real Sociedad.
That demolition by City aside, United do appear to be making progress under Erik ten Hag, though Dalot accepts they are not where they want to be yet.
“I think we still have a lot of time and space to improve,” he said. “But the games are coming fast so we have to be prepared each game for different kinds of things that the manager can ask for us.
“But overall, I think we are reacting well to what he has been asking – especially after the pre-season, where we had a lot of information coming to us.”
United are next in action on Sunday when they face Newcastle United at Old Trafford.
Pep Guardiolais ignoring Liverpool’s below-par start to the Premier League season ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Anfield on Sunday, declaring: “Nothing changes what I feel about Liverpool.”
City and Liverpool have finished as the Premier League’s top two teams in three of the last four seasons, but the Reds trail the champions by 13 points after a poor start to the new campaign.
Liverpool’s tally of 10 points is their lowest at this stage of a season since 2012-13 (nine), and Jurgen Klopp’s team have already lost as many league games this campaign as they did throughout the entirety of last term (two).
That form represents quite the drop-off for a side who went tantalisingly close to a stunning quadruple in 2021-22, but Guardiola believes City will still face a stern test.
“I had the feeling at Anfield we have played really well [in the past],” Guardiola said on Friday. “It’s different circumstances, but you have to behave at a top, top level.
“In Anfield, winning or losing, we have behaved with an incredible personality. It’s a football game, Liverpool is important because of the quality they have.
“Liverpool were going for a prestigious achievement of four titles. For two little details, they didn’t achieve what no English team has done.
“I pay zero attention to them being in a good moment or bad moment. They know in the last years, we have fought for most of the competitions and titles, and it’s been really close.
“We were a bit better, especially in the Premier League, but nothing changes what I feel about Liverpool.”
Pushed on whether Liverpool remain title contenders, Guardiola said: “Liverpool have always been our biggest challengers, and they will be now. Being in the position that we are, with the World Cup, anything can happen.”
City have picked up four points from their last two league trips to Anfield, just one fewer than they earned in their previous 17 visits to Liverpool (D5 L12).
Should Guardiola’s men avoid defeat on Sunday, it will represent the first time they have done so in three consecutive away league games against Liverpool since December 1992.
City’s efforts could be hampered by the absences of England trio Kalvin Phillips, John Stones and Kyle Walker, but Guardiola says Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva are raring to go after being rested at Copenhagen on Tuesday.
“John Stones will be back in, I don’t know, maybe one week or 10 days. Kalvin is doing really well, but Kyle is out,” Guardiola said.
“We have a lot of games, like all the teams. Players are recovering better. Erling could not play all the games last season. Bernardo was tired, but they feel good and are ready for Sunday.”
Haaland has only played nine Premier League games for City, but he has already broken the records for most goals (15) and goal involvements (18) in a player’s first 10 outings in the competition.
The Norwegian is just one goal away from matching the record for most goals scored by a player across any 10-game stint in Premier League history, set by former Liverpool attacker Luis Suarez – who from October to December 2013 scored 16 goals for the Reds.
Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.
Arsenal were said to have made two bids for the Brazil international during the last transfer window, with reports suggesting the Gunners’ second offer of £23million fell some way short of Villa’s £40m valuation.
Luiz’s previous contract with Steven Gerrard’s side was set to expire at the end of this season, and the 24-year-old was also linked with Serie A champions Milan.
However, Luiz has agreed a new deal to remain Villa Park, where he arrived in 2019 following a two-year spell at Manchester City.
He told the club’s official website: “I love this club. This club opened the door for me when I came to England to play in the Premier League. I’m so happy because I’m staying here and my choice is here.”
Luiz is set to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, with boss Gerrard under pressure following a poor start to the season.
Aston Villa is delighted to announce that @DGOficial has signed a new long-term contract with the club! 💜
Reece James is set to see a specialist this weekend to assess the injury he suffered in Chelsea’s midweek victory over Milan, amid reports he could miss the upcoming World Cup.
James was forced off in the victory at San Siro and the Daily Mail has subsequently reported he sustained ligament damage, which could rule him out for between six and eight weeks.
Chelsea boss Graham Potter was questioned on James’ situation ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Aston Villa, but was unable to provide a definitive timeframe for the defender’s recovery.
“Reece is due to see a specialist over the weekend so until we get that information there’s not too much I can add. We will wait and see,” Potter said in Friday’s news conference.
“There’s discomfort so we just need to check and see a specialist.
“When we spoke yesterday he didn’t feel so bad, but you need to get things checked and see the way forward.”
Any long-term absence for James would represent a severe blow for Gareth Southgate’s England, particularly with fellow right-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker also battling injuries.
Fingers crossed it’s not a bad one 🤞🏾 Love for all the messages, I appreciate you all 💙🫶🏽 pic.twitter.com/2DvHS5r4lM
Antonio Conte claimed he has never been worried about the form of strike duo Son Heung-min and Harry Kane as Tottenham prepare to host Everton on Saturday.
Son endured an underwhelming start to the 2022-23 campaign, failing to score in Spurs’ first six Premier League games before hitting a hat-trick in a 6-2 thrashing of Leicester City last month.
While those goals remain Son’s only domestic strikes of the season, he scored a brace – including a crashing left-footed volley – as Tottenham earned a 3-2 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of Tottenham’s meeting with the Toffees, Conte said Son’s quality prevents him from fretting about any lack of goals, adding he would feel the same if Kane endured a drought.
“I wasn’t really worried about Sonny, or maybe last season, if Harry didn’t score goals,” Conte said on Friday. “We are talking about two important players for us, they work very well.
“It can happen during the season that you have a period where you can’t score or are a bit unlucky, but I repeat, we are talking about two important strikers.
“For sure, by the end of the season, I know that they are going to score more goals to help us do our best.”
Kane’s tally of eight Premier League goals this season is only bettered by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (15), and the England captain has scored 13 goals in 14 league appearances against Everton.
That return includes six doubles – only Alan Shearer has scored multiple goals against a specific opponent more often in the competition (seven times v Leeds United; six braces, one hat-trick).
Kane’s form has helped Tottenham cope with the absence of fellow attacker Dejan Kulusevski, who has been ruled out since last month after sustaining a hamstring injury.
Conte pledged not to take any “stupid” risks with Kulusevski’s fitness as he ruled the Sweden international out of Saturday’s match, adding: “We have the same players from the last game.
“Deki is still not available for the Everton game. The rest of the players are okay.
“We need to have a bit of patience with him, and to not take any stupid risks because we play a lot of games between now and November.
“It’s important he recovers very well, and in this moment he is not 100 per cent in perfect physical condition. For this reason, it’s good to respect the opinions of the doctors.”
Conte has seen his sides keep clean sheets in all six of his Premier League meetings with Everton. Should Tottenham shut Frank Lampard’s men out this week, the Spurs boss will match Roberto Mancini (seven v Wigan Athletic) for the most games against a single side without conceding in the competition as coach.
Jurgen Klopp became aware of Erling Haaland’s “insane” potential when he faced Liverpool with Salzburg, and the Reds boss believes the striker has found “a perfect fit” at Manchester City.
Liverpool were drawn into the same Champions League group as Haaland’s Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.
Then 19, having hit a hat-trick against Genk on his Champions League debut, Haaland netted in a 4-3 defeat at Anfield.
The Norway international has scarcely stopped scoring since, earning moves to Klopp’s former club Borussia Dortmund and then City, where he has an astonishing 20 goals in 13 games in all competitions.
Ahead of facing Haaland again on Sunday in the Premier League, Klopp was asked for his take on the dominant forward.
“Even when he was very young, younger than he is now, you could see the potential was insane,” Klopp said.
Erling Braut Haaland becomes 4th player in history to score 4 goals in his first 2 #UCL games 👏 pic.twitter.com/jI2ZWORacK
“Physically, he sets new standards. The combination of being really physical and technical and [having] sensational awareness, his orientation on the pitch is exceptional, he is barely offside, he resets really well – there are so many things that make him a striker.
“Now, at City, he has some of the best players around him in the world in setting up goals and finding the right moment for the passes, with Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, [Riyad] Mahrez, whoever. They all are really good at that.
“It’s a perfect fit, there is no doubt about that.”
Asked how Haaland might compare to other elite forwards, with Robert Lewandowski name-checked as a player Klopp worked with previously, the Liverpool manager said: “For Erling, I think it’s that he combines so many things, and it’s rare.
“His finishing skills are exceptional, but he also moves really smart. You can only use the speed if you use it in a smart way, because just running is not helpful if you forget the ball or whatever. Especially behind the line, you need to make sure that you are patient enough in not being offside.
“The package makes him special.”
So, do Liverpool have any special plans for dealing with Haaland? That is tricky, Klopp said, when he plays for a side as good as City.
“When you play against, at the moment, the best striker in the world, you have to make sure he doesn’t get that many balls,” Klopp explained.
“That’s what we will try, but against City, obviously the problem is if you close Haaland down with too many players then you open up gaps for all the other world-class players, so that will not make life easier.
“It’s a challenge, a football problem. We will try to find solutions.”
Villa have won just two of their opening nine Premier League matches, sitting just three points above the relegation zone with only Wolves having scoring fewer than their goal tally of seven.
That has resulted in boss Gerrard coming under pressure, with speculation that Villa could move on from the former Liverpool captain if results do not improve.
Potter has made it clear that the situation can change swiftly, adding that there is “always somebody under pressure” in England’s top flight.
“The margins are very small in the Premier League – I’m sure Steven will want to improve their results,” he said ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Villa on Sunday.
“If they had beaten Forest they would have gone above Liverpool so that shows you how quick things change.
“There’s always somebody under pressure in the Premier League and at the moment it’s Steven.”
Chelsea’s axing of Thomas Tuchel and appointment of Potter has resulted in a quick upturn in form, with the Blues unbeaten in his five games in charge and enjoying a four-match winning streak.
That has come despite a “surreal” start to Potter’s stint at Stamford Bridge and the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss is adamant there is still work to do.
He added: “From the outside results are good, there are always things you can improve, but I can’t sit here and complain about anything, with the results we’ve had.
“It was a really surreal start with the Queen’s death, games being called off, not really knowing the players but I’ve got to credit the players – they have been really open and it has gone well.
“We haven’t played that many games in the league, there are so many games to go.”
Roberto Firmino was not supposed to be Liverpool’s go-to man this season. If widespread reports were anything to go by, Firmino himself did not even envisage himself being at Anfield this campaign.
And yet here we are, midway through October, and no Liverpool player – not even the £350,000-a-week Mohamed Salah, despite his record-breaking six-minute hat-trick against Rangers – has played a part in more goals in all competitions this season than Firmino’s eight.
Far from being the odd man out following the arrivals of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez this year, Firmino has regularly stepped up for the Reds this season and is surely in contention to start Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Manchester City.
Liverpool quite simply have to win at Anfield, where Firmino will come face-to-face with Europe’s hottest striker in Erling Haaland, a player boasting 20 goals – six more than anyone else in Europe’s top-five leagues – from his 13 appearances for City and feeling refreshed after a midweek rest.
Ahead of the meeting between the Premier League’s two most dominant forces over the past four seasons, we look at Firmino’s figures in more detail and just why he may hold the key to Liverpool getting the better of the champions.
KLOPP’S FAITH PAYS OFF
Amid all the noise surrounding Firmino’s future heading into the 2022-23 campaign, with Juventus said to be in advanced talks to sign him, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp branded the forward “the heart and soul” of the team.
No wonder the German thinks so highly of the 31-year-old, with no Liverpool player playing more games (332), featuring for more minutes (23,899) or registering more assists (70) during Klopp’s seven years in charge.
The arrivals of Diaz and Nunez, plus the impressive form of Diogo Jota, looked as though it would curtail Firmino’s playing time, but he started three of Liverpool’s opening four matches of the campaign, including the Community Shield win over City.
Firmino failed to register a single goal or assist in any of those matches, yet he retained the faith of Klopp – albeit helped by Jota being injured and Nunez suspended – and truly kick-started his campaign in the 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth at the end of August.
In that game, a joint-record winning margin for a side in Premier League history, Firmino became the first Liverpool player to be directly involved in four goals in the first half of a match in the competition en route to scoring two and assisting three. If a reminder was needed of Firmino’s qualities, this was very much it.
An important equaliser followed in Liverpool’s next match, a late 2-1 win over Newcastle United; two goals to drag Liverpool back from two goals down in a 3-3 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion; another equaliser, this time in defeat to Arsenal; and then another two-goal and an assist showing in the 7-1 midweek Champions League rout of Rangers.
Those 12 goals and assists in all competitions is level with Salah’s tally for the season, and double that of next-best Diaz, who has started three games more than the Brazil international. Per minute, no Liverpool player is performing better this season in an attacking sense.
FIRMINO THE FOCAL POINT
Perhaps most remarkable of all as focus turns to Liverpool’s meeting with City, Firmino is only one goal short of Haaland’s tally for October (five goals compared to six). Across clubs from Europe’s top-five leagues, when taking all competitions into account, Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder is the only other player with five or more goals this month.
Firmino’s five goals have come from an expected goals (xG) value of 1.43, incidentally, compared to six from an xG of 3.03 for Haaland – a difference of 3.57 and 2.97 respectively, suggesting the quality of Firmino’s chances have been lower than those teed up for Haaland.
That is not to say Firmino is in the same league as Haaland right now – who is? – but on a personal level this is by some way his best start to a campaign for Liverpool. His eight goals after 11 games is at least two more than he has managed in his previous seven seasons at Anfield, while only in 2019-20 has he had more assists than his four this term.
But exactly why is that? Playing against a Bournemouth side unable to defend any balls into the box has admittedly skewed the figures somewhat, though it is clear to see that Firmino’s game has also changed this season compared to last.
Just under 11 per cent of his touches of the ball in the Premier League this season have come within the width of the goal inside the penalty area, which is an increase on a figure of six per cent last time out. It was further back last season, and more towards the right, that he more occasionally touched the ball.
Indeed, all eight of his goals this season have come from that central zone inside the box – one via his head, three with his left foot and four with his right.
Another interesting aspect of Firmino’s game this season has been his movement, or more specifically his off-the-ball runs into the penalty area. He has made 89 of them in the Premier League in his 468 minutes on the field, which is the most per 90 minutes (17.1) of any player, followed by Haaland (14.1).
That may well be a tactic Liverpool will aim to take full advantage of against City, a side in which Firmino has scored or assisted against seven times in 14 top-flight appearances – only versus Arsenal (13 combined) does he have a better record against among top-five clubs.
So while plenty of the build-up to Sunday’s showdown will – justifiably – be centred around Haaland and his remarkable scoring run, Liverpool will have born-again Bobby to call upon in a game they simply must win if they are to keep alive any hopes of challenging for the title.
President of the Ghana Football Association Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku says the undiluted investment and energy that was channeled into the development of Women’s football is yielding the right result.Speaking at the Launch of the 2022/23 Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League on Wednesday, President Simeon-Okraku commended Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited for taking bold steps to invest in the game.
The multinational company is investing a whopping Ten million Ghana Cedis (GHc10,000,000) in the Women’s Premier League for a period of three years after coming on board as headline sponsor of the Women’s Premier League.
‘’Our FA has invested and will continue to commit the right levels of investment to Women’s football’’ he said.
‘’As we speak, we are here talking about the Women’s Premier League but I am sure that soon we will also meet on similar platforms to speak about the Women’s Division One and perhaps lower Leagues where girls are encouraged to realize their dreams’’.
‘’The Ghana Football Association called on corporate Ghana to come along and to believe in our vision to give opportunities to our ladies, to realize their dreams and Malta Guinness responded to that call’’.‘’The Football Association is very grateful for the trust, for the believe and for your undiluted desire to support Women’s football in this country’’.
‘’I remember in 2019, many people in Ghana didn’t believe me when I made a promise to make Women’s football attractive. But two and half years down the line, we can testify to this great work done so far’’.
‘’I continue to say that if we want a good tomorrow, we must sacrifice our today, so I am delighted that the effort we put into this work is yielding the needed result’’ he added.
The Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League kicked off last weekend in both the Northern and Southern Zones with 26 goals scored in 10 matches across the two zones.
Sergio Aguero has compared Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland to the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo Nazario, backing the Norwegian to continue breaking records with Pep Guardiola’s team.
Haaland has scored 20 goals in just 13 appearances since joining City from Borussia Dortmund, sending records tumbling during an incredible start to life in England.
The 22-year-old set a new Premier League record in August by scoring nine times in his first five outings, and he became the first player to score a hat-trick in three consecutive home games in the competition by starring in a 6-3 win over Manchester United this month.
Haaland’s spectacular start in Manchester has earned him lofty praise from City legend Aguero, who has compared him to two South American greats.
“There’s been many strikers worthy of awe I can think of,” Aguero told Stake.com. “One of my favourites was Ronaldo Nazario, who time and time again proved to be the full package as a player, and a menace before the goalposts.
“Each era usually has two or three players with that ability – and usually with different styles.
“Diego [Maradona], Romario, [Robert] Lewandowski, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, and Leo, of course! Each had their own flair, but they were all tremendous scorers to a fault.
“Speaking of Haaland specifically, he’s got potency, athleticism, and a particular instinct for goals, which makes him very dangerous.
He’s got everything to keep racking up amazing stats, especially being part of an offensively-minded team like City. That in turn means plenty of opportunities to score.
“He’s young and has a lot of potential to continue breaking records. Key to this, of course, will be consistency.”
Aguero – City’s all-time top scorer with 260 goals for the club in all competitions – believes Haaland, supported by the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, is the ideal man to lead the club into a new era.
“When I left City, I shared how proud I was to have been part of a generation of players that made it one of the top clubs in the world,” he added.
“That was a re-foundational period, with many big changes, that allowed City to become a force to be reckoned with.
“I also said it’d be up to a new generation to maintain this status and reach new heights. I think this new team is ready for that.
“Kevin [De Bruyne] has an amazing record as a player, Haaland is on the right path. But it’s not just the two of them. Phil Foden – my own favourite, Bernardo [Silva], [Ilkay] Gundogan, Rodri, [Aymeric] Laporte… each of their contributions make the team stronger.”
Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney believes the unity that has characterised the Gunners’ flying start to the new season has been years in the making under Mikel Arteta.
Sunday’s thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool at Emirates Stadium ensured Arsenal moved back to the top of the Premier League, where they lead Manchester City by a solitary point after nine games.
The Gunners have won eight of their opening nine games in a top-flight campaign for just the fourth time in their history, having also done so in the 1947-48, 2004-05 and 2007-08 seasons.
Meanwhile, the last time Arsenal led the Premier League at a later stage of the season was on December 10, 2016, when they did so after 15 games.
Arsenal’s form represents quite the turnaround for Arteta, who has come under fire at various points during his three-year stint at the club, but Tierney believes recent campaigns laid the foundations for their current run.
Asked about the atmosphere around the club, Tierney told Arsenal’s website: “I’d say it’s the best since I’ve been here and I think that’s a credit to all the fans, and the players and the staff.
“It just feels like it has clicked – everybody has come together. You hear reactions after we concede goals, you very rarely hear that in football.
“Our fans ended up drowning out the Liverpool fans after they scored, just to try and cheer us on, go again and try and get another goal. I think you need that.
“It’s been building, even last season you could see it’s been getting better and better between the players, the staff and the fans, and this season it’s all just come together and we’re one club, one unit.”
Arsenal’s victory over Liverpool – their eighth successive home league win – put them 14 points clear of last season’s runners-up in the early-season standings, but Tierney is refusing to set any targets for his side.
“It’s only been nine games and you can’t say anyone is anything after nine games,” the Scotland international added. “If you look at last year, we were down in the table and we climbed our way up, so there’s a long way to go and there’s no point in even thinking like that.
“You want to stay [at the top] of course. I’ve got a bit of experience at Celtic when we were expected to be at the top and stay on the top as well, so it is familiar in that way for me that the pressure is on you to stay there.
“The other teams are chasing you, and we want to keep that going as long as we can. Progress is the main thing. We’ve progressed every year, so we want to keep progressing well.
“You just want to finish up as high as possible, and we know what we want and we’ll keep working towards it.”
Jim Ratcliffe says he has been told Manchester United are not for sale by the Glazer family and he “can’t sit around waiting” for the club to become available.
Britain’s richest man, chairman of INEOS, stated in August he would be keen to strike a deal should the Glazers be willing to sell up.
There have been multiple protests against the club’s owners from supporters, including one in May 2021 that saw United’s match against Liverpool postponed.
But any hopes fans had of a changing of the guard at Old Trafford have been dampened by Ratcliffe,who met with Joel and Avram Glazer.
“Manchester United is owned by the Glazer family, whom I have met,” Ratcliffe, told the Financial Times. “I’ve met Joel [Glazer] and Avram [Glazer] and they are the nicest people, I have to say.
“They are proper gentlemen, really nice people, and they don’t want to sell it. It’s owned by the six children of the father and they don’t want to sell it.”
Ratcliffe was one of several figures who made bids to buy Chelsea before Todd Boehly’s successful candidacy earlier this year, and the boyhood United fan acknowledged he would have tried to make a bid in the wake of his Blues failure.
“If it had been for sale in the summer, yes, we would have probably had a go following on from the Chelsea thing,” he added. “But we can’t sit around hoping that one day Manchester United will become available.”
The Premier League title race is almost a quarter of the way through, with Arsenal the surprise early leaders in a season that faces the unprecedented disruption of a six-week shutdown due to the staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November and December.
At the other end of the scale, Liverpool are languishing in 10th position, 14 points behind Arsenal, and on the brink of a crisis if they lose for the third time this season, at home to City on Sunday.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur are well-placed in third position, while Chelsea and United are both in touch with the top four despite displaying inconsistency under new managers and having played a game fewer than the teams above them due to the postponements following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Pep Guardiola’s City remain the favourites to end the season as champions, but can Arsenal go all the way? Will Liverpool recover or miss out on the top four altogether?
It’s still early, but how will it shape up for the Big Six in the months ahead?
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ARSENAL
How it started
Having missed out on Champions League qualification following a late-season collapse, including a 3-0 defeat at Tottenham, Arsenal invested almost £120 million in new signings this summer including Manchester City pair Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The target was a top-four finish for the first time since 2015-16.
How it’s going
Arsenal are flying under Arteta, with the only dropped points so far coming in a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United in September. The signings of Zinchenko, Jesus and Fabio Vieira have added proven quality and experience to the squad, while the form of William Saliba at centre-back has prompted comparisons of the French defender to Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk. Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have all taken their game to a new level this season. With the home match against Man City on Oct. 19 postponed in order to play the rearranged Europa League clash with PSV Eindhoven a day later, Arsenal have a comfortable run of fixtures until they visit Chelsea on Nov. 6, so they could reach the pre-World Cup shutdown on Nov. 12 with top spot still in their grasp.
How will it end?
Arsenal are riding a wave of confidence and momentum right now, so the World Cup is likely to be a huge inconvenience for Arteta’s squad. With such a lengthy shutdown, can the Gunners pick up from where they left off when the season resumes on Dec. 26?
But while Arsenal’s inexperience in a title race could count against them, especially with City hunting them down, Leicester proved in 2015-16 that an outsider can go all the way if they are fortunate with injuries and the top players maintain their form. An Arsenal title still seems a long shot, but a top-four finish should be achieved and, if City slip up, Arteta’s team could take advantage if the World Cup doesn’t prove too damaging to their collective focus.
play1:28Nicol: There is no flaw in Manchester City’s team
Steve Nicol feels nobody in the league can compete with Manchester City after their 4-0 win vs. Southampton.
MANCHESTER CITY
How it started
City won the race to sign Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund and also bolstered Pep Guardiola’s squad with the additions of Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji. The departures of Raheem Sterling (to Chelsea), Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko (both Arsenal) and Fernandinho (Athletico Paranaense) diminished the experience levels at the Etihad, but City re-shaped their squad from a position of strength.
How it’s going
It is only Arsenal’s incredible start that is keeping City off top spot, with the champions still unbeaten with seven wins and two draws from nine games so far. Haaland is on course to smash a series of goal-scoring records having already delivered 20 goals in 13 games in a City shirt and the Norway forward has unquestionably ended the club’s search for a long-term successor to Sergio Aguero as the team’s prolific centre-forward.
Guardiola can count on incredible depth in his squad and City look to be miles ahead of the rest. Their 6-3 derby win against Manchester United recently was a warning to the rest that City can blow any rival away if they are even close to their best. Next up is a trip to Anfield to face struggling Liverpool and the outcome of that game — a fixture that has defined the Premier League in recent years — will tell us just how strong City are. They could do to Liverpool what they did to United and, if that happens, it is hard to see anyone stopping City.
How will it end?
City will lose many of their best players on World Cup duty and Guardiola could see the majority of them going all the way to the final four and spend over a month in Qatar as a consequence, so his players will be mentally and physically drained after the tournament.
That could mean the difference between success and failure in the title race, but the bad news for the rest is that Haaland will get the chance to rest up and come back refreshed after the shutdown with Norway failing to qualify for Qatar. City have such strength in depth that, even if the squad are tired after the World Cup, they will still have enough to win most games in second gear, so they remain the title favourites.
play1:35Is Conte getting enough out of Kane and Son?
Steve Nicol praises Harry Kane but wonders if the striker sometimes wishes he played for a more openly attacking team.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
How it started
Antonio Conte demanded a summer of squad strengthening and the club delivered, with Spurs spending over £150m new players, including Richarlison (£52m), Cristian Romero (£45m) and the free-transfer arrival of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan. Having beaten Arsenal to Champions League qualification with a late-season surge, Spurs have used the return to Europe’s elite competition as an opportunity to take the team to a new level and Conte’s team went into the season regarded by many as the most likely to challenge City and Liverpool at the top of the table.
How it’s going
Arsenal’s impressive start, and their 3-1 win against Conte’s team in the North London derby earlier this month, has overshadowed Tottenham’s progress so far this season, but Spurs are going well and sit just four points behind the Gunners in third position.
There remains an over-reliance on Harry Kane, who has scored eight of Tottenham’s 20 league goals so far this season, and a worry for Conte should be his team’s failure to win any of the biggest tests his players have faced. Spurs came away with a draw in London derbies away to Chelsea and West Ham United before losing at Arsenal — all tough games, but if Spurs are to challenge for the title, they have to win when they pressure is on.
Games against Man United and Liverpool before the World Cup shutdown, as well as a potentially difficult clash with sixth-placed Newcastle United, will be the kind of tests that Spurs must come through successfully if they are to avoid a battle for a top-four finish.
How will it end?
As ever, Tottenham’s hopes rely on Kane. The England captain has carried the team so far this season and he has done that consistently now for over five years. But the 29-year-old will be the focal point of England’s World Cup bid in Qatar, so Conte will be desperate for Gareth Southgate’s team to exit the competition as early as possible so that he can get his talisman back to club duties. If Kane can stay fit and in form, Spurs will finish in the top four. But without him, Spurs just aren’t the same team.
play1:13Why Pulisic will be a ‘happy camper’ after Chelsea win
Steve Nicol feels Christian Pulisic and the Chelsea squad have a skip in their step under new manager Graham Potter.
CHELSEA
How it started
A summer of upheaval at Stamford Bridge saw a Todd Boehly-led consortium buy out previous owner Roman Abramovich before a huge spending spree led to more than £250m being invested in new signings. Raheem Sterling, Wesley Fofana, Kalidou Koulibaly and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were the most high-profile new arrivals, with Romelu Lukaku (to Inter Milan on loan) and Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) following free agents Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid), Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso (both Barcelona) out of the club.
How it’s going
Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel was fired by Boehly after three defeats in seven games at the start of the season, and less than a week after the former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss was allowed to sign Aubameyang. Graham Potter has since been hired from Brighton & Hove Albion to oversee the team and has delivered three wins in four games in charge so far. Despite their inconsistent start under Tuchel, Chelsea have steadied under Potter and sit in fourth place, with last week’s 3-0 win against AC Milan boosting the team’s prospects in Champions League Group E.
Goals could be a problem in the weeks ahead, though, with Sterling (3) and Kai Havertz (2) the only players with more than one Premier League goal so far this season. Home games against Man United (Oct. 22) and Arsenal (Nov. 6) will give a better indication as to the progress made by Potter and Chelsea’s prospects for the season ahead.
How will it end?
Chelsea are a team in a state of flux right now with a raft of new signings attempting to settle in under a manager who didn’t sign any of them. Potter has avoided the negativity of a poor start and remains undefeated, but he needs to maintain that form to avoid the club lurching back towards crisis. Chelsea look like a club and team that is still searching for its new identity, so Potter needs to bring stability and ensure it lasts.
play1:23Dawson: People wrong to doubt Cristiano Ronaldo
Rob Dawson talks about Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester United striker scores his 700th career club goal.
MANCHESTER UNITED
How it started
No club does crisis and calamity better, or worse, than Manchester United, so it was perhaps no surprise that the team went into the new season under new coach Erik Ten Hag in the midst of a shambolic transfer window. Although another late spending spree resulted in the squad being bolstered by the signings of Casemiro and Antony following earlier deals for Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen, United missed out on top target Frenkie de Jong and shocked fans by targeting former Stoke forward Marko Arnautovic.
All of the above was played out to the backdrop of growing supporter unrest towards United’s owners, the Glazer family, with protests before and during most games.
How it’s going
Two defeats in the first two games, including a 4-0 humiliation at Brentford, left United bottom of the table and with Ten Hag facing up to an even bigger challenge than he imagined when leaving Ajax for Old Trafford in the summer. But Ten Hag has made some big calls, including dropping captain Harry Maguire and continually starting games without Cristiano Ronaldo, and positive results have followed. Since the nightmare start, United have won five out of six leagues games, although the one defeat in that run was a 6-3 hammering at Manchester City.
United are a long way from being the finished article under Ten Hag, but the new coach has instilled discipline, improved the squad with his signings and for the first time in years, the players appear to be energised by a manager with a clear plan.
All United need now is a world-class centre-forward, a commanding midfielder and a world-class goalkeeper — how long it takes to get them will define when, or if, they challenge for major honours again.
How will it end?
Having recorded their worst-ever Premier League campaign last season, finishing in sixth position 13 points adrift of the top four, simply getting back into the Champions League was the target at the start of the season and Ten Hag is on course to achieve that.
United aren’t there yet — they are still outside the top four — but there is a sense of direction at Old Trafford now and victories against Liverpool and Arsenal this season highlighted the quality within the squad when it is used correctly and sent out with a clear tactical plan. It is still a team plagued by inconsistency and a lack of quality beyond Ten Hag’s first XI, so there will be bumps in the road ahead. But a top-four finish is within United’s capabilities.
play1:02Nicol: Liverpool were all over the place
Steve Nicol criticises Liverpool’s defence after their 3-2 defeat against Arsenal.
LIVERPOOL
How it started
Liverpool beat Manchester United to the club record £75m signing of Darwin Nunez in June with the Benfica forward regarded as the long-term replacement for Sadio Mane, who moved to Bayern Munich in the summer. But despite an obvious need for a new midfielder, Liverpool failed to make a signing in that area until a deadline day loan move for Juventus and Brazil’s Arthur Melo, who is now facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury.
Liverpool took their eye off the ball during the summer and, having come close to the Quadruple last season, are now struggling to keep their season afloat.
How it’s going
Rewind to the 3-1 Community Shield win against Manchester City on July 30 and all looked promising for Jurgen Klopp. Liverpool dominated that game against the champions and Nunez looked a star in the making during a goal-scoring debut.
But little has gone right for Liverpool, or Nunez, since. Sunday’s defeat at Arsenal left Liverpool in mid-table with just two wins from eight games so far. Klopp said after the loss at the Emirates that his team aren’t title contenders. Injuries have hit Liverpool hard, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz the latest to head to the treatment room during the Arsenal defeat, but there has also been an alarming drop in form by the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Diogo Jota.
While the World Cup could be a problem for their rivals, it may just offer Liverpool a crucial chance to press the reset button and focus on a surge in the second half of the season.
How will it end?
With the title realistically already out of their reach, Liverpool must refocus their objectives and the priority now has to be a top four finish to secure Champions League qualification. They are already six points behind fourth place Chelsea and face in-form Man City at Anfield this weekend, so Liverpool need to get back to winning ways quickly.
There is a real danger that the top four could disappear over the horizon before the World Cup, leaving Liverpool needing to win the Champions League in Istanbul at the end of the season to get back into the competition. That happened in 2005, but it would be a high-risk strategy to bank on that happening again.
After being diagnosed with a hereditary heart condition, Enock Mwepu has been forced to end his playing career.
Brighton announced this in a statement, revealing that Mpewu would be at an “extremely high risk of suffering a potentially fatal cardiac event” should continue to play professionally.
Mwepu is set to retire at the age of 24 years. The sad player has revealed that he was keen to remain in football despite having to hang up his boots.
He said: “A boy from a small Zambian township called Chambishi has some news to share. He stood strong to follow his dream of playing football at the highest level, and by the grace of God he lived his dream by reaching the Premier League.
“Some dreams, however, come to an end so it is with sadness that I announce the need to hang up my boots because of the medical advice I have received.
“This is, however, not the end of my involvement with football. I plan to stay involved in some capacity.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported me in my football journey, including my wife and family, my agent 12MAN, the Zambian FA, all my previous clubs, team-mates and coaches and especially everyone at Brighton.”
Mwepu became ill while flying to link up with Zambia during the international break and undertook tests in Brighton after spending time at a hospital in Mali.
It was then that his condition, which manifests later in life and can worsen over time, was diagnosed.
Seagulls head of medicine Adam Brett said: “It is a terrible blow for Enock, but he has to put his health and his family first and this is the right choice, however difficult it is to quit the game he loves.
“Of course, given this is Enock’s career and a decision which can’t be taken lightly we have taken our time to be as thorough as possible, completed advanced cardiac investigations and collaborated with clinical experts to gain the best second opinions for Enock.
“We will be helping him make sure the condition is managed with the appropriate treatment for him to otherwise live a long and healthy life.”
Chairman Tony Bloom added: “We are all absolutely devastated for Enock.
“He and his family have had a traumatic few weeks and while we are just thankful he has come through that period, he has seen such a promising career cut short at such a young age.
“As a club we will give him all the love, help and support we possibly can to make a full recovery, and then as he decides on the next steps in his life.”
Mwepu played 27 times for Brighton after arriving from FC Salzburg in 2021 and managed six goals in 23 caps for Zambia.
Erik ten Hag is confident Cristiano Ronaldo will hit his stride after scoring his 700th club goal – and his first of the 2022-23 Premier League season – in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Everton.
Ronaldo had never previously scored a league goal at Goodison Park but he proved decisive after entering the fray in the first half.
Antony cancelled out Alex Iwobi’s opener before Ronaldo replaced the injured Anthony Martial, and the 37-year-old quickly made his mark by firing a left-footed finish beyond Jordan Pickford.
That strike was Ronaldo’s 700th in club football and his 144th across two spells at Old Trafford, and ensured United bounced back from last week’s derby thrashing by Manchester City.
Speaking at a post-match news conference, Ten Hag congratulated Ronaldo on his landmark and backed him to hit a rich vein of form in the coming weeks.
“That is really impressive, when you score 700 goals,” Ten Hag said. “It’s a huge performance, I’m really happy for him.
“I congratulate him on that performance and I’m also happy it’s his first goal this season in the Premier League. He had to wait for it and I’m sure there will be more goals.
“I think every player needs it, even when you are the best in the world, you need it, you need the goals.
“I worked with many goalscorers, especially them, they need goals in every season to have that feeling, to have the confirmation of their intuition.
“Once they have some goals, they come in the flow and games go easier. That will happen with him as well.”
United had lost eight of their previous 10 away league games ahead of their trip to Merseyside – including last Sunday’s dismal loss at the Etihad Stadium, and Ten Hag was pleased with the improvements on display.
“First of all, criticism is normal when you have a defeat, especially in a big game, in a derby, so we have to deal with that and you learn lessons,” Ten Hag added.
“In this moment, we collect the points, it’s not looking at the table, we have to win every game – it’s our aim.
“We have to improve every game, we have to improve the process, we have to prepare every game 100 per cent and we demand from the players that in every game they give their best.
“You see in this game, the spirit is really good in the squad – it’s not only the 11 players.
“Again, a sub coming on and scoring a goal, you see Victor Lindelof, Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane coming in, so we use more than 11 players and I am happy with that process.”
United goalkeeper David De Gea also praised Ronaldo following the win, hailing him for maintaining a professional attitude despite starting just one league game under Ten Hag.
“He’s never been in this situation before, but the way he works and trains, it’s just unbelievable,” De Gea told BT Sport. “It’s not easy times for him, but he showed he’s a great player.”
With De Gea’s United contract expiring at the end of the season – although the club has an option for an extra year – the Spaniard also revealed he would like to commit his future to the club.
“I’m just very focused on the games, helping the team as much as I can,” he added. “Of course, I would like to be here for more years, so let’s see what happens in the future. I’m really, really happy here.”
Antonio Conte will attend the funeral of Gian Piero Ventrone on Sunday after the Tottenham boss oversaw an emotional Premier League win at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Spurs fitness coach Ventrone died on Thursday, reportedly after being diagnosed with leukaemia, and Conte said his fellow Italian had asked just days ago if he could be allowed to miss work due to illness.
After Harry Kane’s goal earned a 1-0 win for Spurs, who sit third in the table, Conte spoke about the trauma that all at Tottenham have felt over the loss of Ventrone.
It was the first time Conte had opened up in public about Ventrone, having cancelled his regular pre-match press conference on Thursday.
He said it had been “really, really difficult for us to focus on the game”, saying the experience of recent days had been “incredible”.
Conte had not been expecting Ventrone’s death, and its impact on the former Juventus and Italy coach has been profound.
He said he was aware Ventrone’s health was “really problematic” early in the week.
“But no one could have expected this situation because no one knew something about this illness,” Conte said. “It was an illness but under control and then it is very difficult because the situation hit me a lot under the emotional aspect.
“When it happens, it is very difficult to cover your feeling with the players and with the people that work in Tottenham.
“At the same time, I have seen a lot of solidarity. The players were really devastated by the pain and in the whole Tottenham environment the feeling was really bad because in only 10 months I think Gian Piero got through the heart of everybody.”
🎙 “We will never forget Gian Piero. Gian Piero will live in my heart, in my head.”
Ventrone was a man Conte wanted on his Spurs staff, confident he would make his players stronger and fitter, with the pair having known each other for 30 years.
He described Ventrone as “a scientist”. Conte spoke to Ventrone on the Thursday prior to his death, when illness was taking a toll. Ventrone said he was experiencing “a bit of a fever” and felt he could not attend training, according to Conte, but at the same time he was reluctant to be absent.
Conte said Ventrone then spoke to him about his health situation, and in turn was told not to worry about his Tottenham duties but to take care of himself.
Manager Conte said Spurs’ players were “really devastated” by news of Ventrone’s death, which came at the age of 62. Many have paid fond tributes to the trainer.
“Sometimes life puts you in difficult situations, but we have to cope in the best possible way to overcome this situation,” Conte said in an interview posted by Tottenham. “But we’ll never forget Gian Piero. Gian Piero will live in my heart and my head.”
Conte explained a Tottenham delegation, which he is expected to lead along with chairman Daniel Levy, will head to Naples for the funeral.
“I want to tell his son and daughter that they need to be strong because Gian Piero was strong, a strong character,” Conte said.
“He doesn’t want to see us unhappy. It’s difficult to make him happy because we are really devastated by the pain.”
Jurgen Klopp hopes Mohamed Salah is close to “exploding” into a rich vein of goalscoring form, but believes comparisons with Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland are unfair.
Salah shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot with Son Heung-min after scoring 23 goals in the competition last term, but has only found the net twice in seven outings this season.
The Egyptian’s diminishing returns have mirrored those of his team, with Liverpool sitting 13 points behind City – with a game in hand – ahead of Sunday’s trip to Arsenal.
Haaland’sarrival has taken City to new heights this campaign, with the Norwegian hitting 15 goals in his first nine Premier League games, and Klopp believes any comparisons with Salah would be unhelpful.
“With Mo, I hope it’s like us, we are close to exploding,” Klopp said. “Whose season was it yet? From our side, nobody.
“Mo is like this, even when his goalscoring numbers aren’t crazy, often he’s involved, it’s just the problem that if you don’t score around that, nobody appreciates that.
“Nobody in the world can cope with the [Erling] Haaland situation, it’s crazy what he’s doing.
“He’s an exceptional player in an exceptional team and I don’t think we should compare anyone with that at the moment.
“Mo wants to score goals desperately, 100 per cent, that will never change. Call him in 20 years, it will be the same.”
Liverpool approach their trip to the Emirates Stadium having recorded two draws and one defeat in their first three away outings of the Premier League campaign.
Not since 2010-11, under Roy Hodgson, have Liverpool failed to win any of their first four away league games in a single season.
Meanwhile, Saturday represented the seventh anniversary of Klopp’s appointment at Liverpool, and the German left each of his two previous posts – at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund – before bringing up an eighth year at the helm.
Seven years ago today, Jürgen Klopp became a Red, and we’re so glad! 🥰🎶
Klopp, however, insisted Liverpool’s struggles have nothing in common with those of his former clubs, saying: “The situation in the clubs was very different.
“A seven-year spell was not planned or because I lost energy or these things. I was manager at Mainz and after three years, we got promoted to the Bundesliga then three years later we got relegated.
“We tried one more year and the club needed a change. Players left us for the Bundesliga, so they needed a fresh start, definitely.
“I was full of energy. I went directly to Dortmund and it was all fine. [It was] seven years and it was just a situation that players constantly got bought by other clubs.
“It was a really hard job to do, instead of developing a team, constantly making two steps back. It was really intense and really exhausting.
“I can understand that I left after seven years, and now we are in a difficult situation, but, if you think twice about it, you realise the situation is completely different.
“Being here for seven years is intense, no doubt about it. But it’s nice as well, I got so many things back. If there’s one club that has a chance to go through it together, it’s us.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says defender Ben White can “make the step up” to be part of England’s 2022 World Cup squad.
The 24-year-old centre-back was left out of Gareth Southgate’s last England squad for the Nations League games against Italy and Germany.
Right-back Kyle Walker’s groin injury has opened up the possibility of a World Cup recall for the versatile White, who has played that role with the Gunners this season.
“Ben would be very comfortable playing on the right side of a back three as well as in the middle or as a full-back,” Arteta said.
“If you ask me if he is ready to make that step [to England], then the answer is yes because he is a very confident boy, he gives you absolutely everything, he is always available and he has the courage to play under real pressure.”
White, who has four caps for England, was a replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Euro 2020 squad after initially missing the cut.
Alexander-Arnold will be part of the Liverpool side to face Arsenal on Sunday and looms as one of the strongest contenders for the England right-back role.
“He is a very special talent,” Arteta said about Alexander-Arnold. “What he adds offensively to the team every year is difficult to find in that position.”
White, who was Brighton and Hove Albion’s Player of the Season in 2020-21 before joining Arsenal, has made eight Premier League starts this term.
Michael Olise is yet to hit top gear this season — but Crystal Palace’s midfield starlet looks set to explode in South London.
The 20-year-old arrived at Selhurst Park in the summer of 2021 as manager Patrick Vieira set about revamping an ageing Eagles squad.
And their No7 played a key role in last term’s commendable 12th-place finish, chipping in with two league goals and five assists.
As Palace prepare to host Leeds this afternoon, we consider whether Olise can enjoy an even more productive campaign this time around.
Limited action
After featuring in 26 of the Eagles’ Premier League matches last season, Olise’s impact has been more limited in 2022-23.
He has racked up just 236 minutes of action over six games to date, only making two starts across Palace’s eight fixtures.
None of the Hammersmith native’s substitute appearances have exceeded half an hour, so it is perhaps no surprise that Olise is yet to contribute a goal or an assist this term.
Mitigating factors
Olise’s reduced game time has little to do with his ability — the playmaker endured an injury-hit pre-season after struggling with a foot problem.
Vieira addressed the issue prior to Palace’s season opener against Arsenal in August.
He said: “Yes, it’s the same foot injury he picked with the French Under-21s but he has started working with the team today so he is getting there and he is looking much better now.
“We have a plan in place and it is important for him to have a proper pre-season.
“We’re not going to rush him, we’re going to work properly because it is an important season for him and it is an important season for us.”
Michael Olise has not always featured in Crystal Palace’s starting line-up this season
Making an impact
Both of Olise’s league starts have come in Crystal Palace’s last three matches — in their 1-1 home draw with Brentford and last weekend’s late 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
The former Reading creator showcased his ability in the latter of those two fixtures, creating more chances than any other Eagles player (three) and completing the joint-most take-ons of anybody on the pitch (two).
He also attempted an impressive four crosses, which was only matched by fellow forward Wilfried Zaha.
Michael Olise put in an eye-catching display against Chelsea last Saturday
Eye-catching numbers
Olise’s performance against Chelsea was reflective of his overall displays across Palace’s campaign to date.
The France Under-21s international ranked inside the Premier League’s top 10 players for completed crosses per 90 minutes (1.91) ahead of this weekend, from a similarly impressive 6.48 attempted.
He also placed highly for chances created per 90 (2.29), while only eight players had attempted more take-ons (4.58 per 90) after eight rounds of action.
Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise has created a number of opportunities for his team-mates this term
Time to catch fire
The underlying numbers indicate that it is only a matter of time before Olise starts troubling the goals and assists charts.
And Palace’s favourable run of fixtures should help with achieving that aim.
The South Londoners follow today’s clash with Leeds by facing Leicester, Wolves, Everton and Southampton later this month.
With some of this season’s tougher encounters behind them and Olise now injury-free, expect the Eagles — and their midfield maestro — to soar to new heights in the weeks ahead.
West Ham’s climb up the Premier League table could continue when they face a Fulham side without a fully-fit Aleksandar Mitrovic to call upon for a capital clash at London Stadium on Sunday.
Mitrovic’s foot injury has rocked the Craven Cottage club after Marco Silva’s side had made an excellent start to the season.
Fulham’s 4-1 mauling at the hands of Newcastle exposed all sorts of flaws not previously evident, albeit the damage was done after they had been reduced to 10 men in the opening minutes.
West Ham, meanwhile, are enjoying the benefits of having their own talismanic frontman. Gianluca Scamacca scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the Hammers’ 2-0 win over Wolves last weekend with manager David Moyes stating the Italian is “doing a good job so far”.
Team news
Moyes revealed Maxwel Cornet will not be available to face Fulham after the ex-Burnley attacker picked up a calf strain against Wolves.
The Scotsman admitted that there were a few knocks and niggles elsewhere in his squad, but expressed the hope that they would have cleared up by Sunday.
Scamacca was rested from the start for the Europa Conference League clash against Anderlecht on Thursday and looks set to be restored up front with Moyes likely to revert to the majority of the XI that began last weekend’s win.
Pablo Fornals is expected to get the nod to replace Cornet on the left-hand side of attack.
Fulham boss Silva confirmed that Mitrovic is “a doubt” to face the Hammers after exacerbating his injury in their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle last Saturday, although he described it as “not really serious”.
The Serbian striker initially suffered a knock while playing for his country during September’s international break.
Kenny Tete will be assessed for a knock, while fellow full-back Antonee Robinson is struggling with a foot injury.
Nathaniel Chalobah is suspended after his eighth-minute red card last weekend, but Joao Palhinha returns following a ban.
The Portuguese international will line up in midfield, probably alongside Harrison Reed.
The stats
West Ham have won all six games that Scamacca has started so far this season – four in the Europa Conference League and two in the Premier League.
Jarrod Bowen’s best days for West Ham have often come at home
Of Jarrod Bowen’s 22 Premier League goals for West Ham, 18 have come in home games (82%) with only Georginio Wijnaldum (85%) and Michael Carrick (83%) having scored a higher share in home games than Bowen of players with more than 20 strikes.
Fulham have kept just one clean sheet in their 21 away top-flight matches against West Ham, conceding 49 goals in those other 20 games.
The only goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet for them away to the Hammers was Edwin van der Sar in a 2-0 win in November 2001.
Chalobah’s eighth-minute red card, upgraded from a sixth-minute caution following a VAR review, became the Whites’ quickest dismissal in the Premier League since Ian Pearce at Crystal Palace in October 2004 (sixth minute).
Prediction
Marco Silva’s full might just be losing momentum
West Ham’s fortunes are on the up again after back-to-back victories and the hosts should be able to handle a Fulham side with or without Mitrovic in attack.
With key individuals like Scamacca and Bowen currently on song, the Hammers are creating opportunities and finishing clinically.
Both Hammers forwards could find the back of the net against a Fulham side that has shipped eight in their last three league contests.
Four of Scamacca’s five goals in Claret and Blue have been openers, which is worth bearing in mind when assessing the value of his 4/1 quote to be this contest’s first goalscorer.
Roberto De Zerbi enjoyed a fantastic debut as Brighton manager last Saturday, leading his new team to a 3-3 draw at Anfield after many pundits had written them off ahead of their trip to Liverpool.
But rather than pinching himself after that game, De Zerbi would have been kicking himself that the Seagulls failed to take all three points from a match in which his players put together a hugely impressive all-action display against Liverpool.
In sharp contrast, Tottenham’s weekend provided an altogether less enjoyable experience. Antonio Conte’s team produced a guileless performance devoid of adventure in the North London derby and could have no complaints to come away with a 3-1 defeat.
With Emerson Royal sent off and barely a glove laid on bitter rivals Arsenal, Spurs supporters trudged home from the Emirates with very few positives to cling on to.
So, given last weekend’s results, Saturday’s clash at the Amex Stadium takes on a particularly important feel.
De Zerbi will be desperate to ride the wave of optimism that is propelling his new club forward and defeat in his first home game as Brighton manager would come as quite the dampener to the positive vibes.
But defeat for Tottenham may start to get supporters muttering about exactly where they are heading under Conte — what had looked like an exciting season is in danger of falling flat.
Brighton vs Tottenham (Saturday, 5.30pm)
Team news
De Zerbi has only one confirmed absentee with Jakub Moder out until the new year, but there are doubts over the availability of midfielder Enock Mwepu, who fell ill and was hospitalised during international duty and may again miss out.
Conte could be without as many as five Tottenham players.
Wing-back Royal serves the first of his three-match suspension while fellow defender Japhet Tanganga has picked up a knock in training which looks set to rule him out.
The Italian will also be sweating over the fitness of centre-back Eric Dier, who played on after suffering a knee injury against Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek but was limping heavily after the match.
Winger Lucas Moura will again miss out with an inflamed tendon but the more pressing issue will be Dejan Kulusevski’s hamstring injury, which looks likely to rule him out again this weekend.
The Swede’s linking play is key to Conte’s preferred 3-4-3 formation so the Italian may choose to switch to a 3-5-2 to get his misfiring frontline back on track.
The stats
Brighton and Tottenham have traded blows in equal measure over recent campaigns, with the pair claiming a win apiece against each other in each of the past three Premier League campaigns.
Spurs just edge the head-to-heads over that timeframe, as they won last season’s FA Cup fourth-round meeting with the Seagulls — a game in which two strong XIs delivered an entertaining clash that slightly flattered Conte’s men by ending 3-1.
However, no opponent has stifled Tottenham under Conte as effectively as Brighton, who restricted Spurs to just 0.4 expected goals as they beat them 1-0 in North London this April.
That victory came towards the start of the Seagulls’ run of 16 Premier League matches that has seen them lose just twice, draw five times and win nine, including victories over Arsenal and Tottenham as well as two defeats of Manchester United.
Antonio Conte’s demanding nature means he will not be impressed by Tottenham’s form
Prediction
Brighton’s succession planning under Tony Bloom has been second to none, with multiple managers, staff and key players leaving over the past decade without affecting the club’s upwards trajectory.
Even so, it would have been reasonable to expect the departure of manager Graham Potter — who had made a massive impact at the club over the past three seasons — to negatively impact the squad.
Those concerns were swiftly dismissed with last weekend’s superb performance at Anfield, when the Seagulls really should have dealt Liverpool their first defeat in 27 Premier League home games.
Nor was it a smash and grab by De Zerbi’s men, who would have been out of sight by half-time had it not been for the excellence of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who made two big saves to keep the score down to 2-0 to Brighton after 30 minutes.
De Zerbi has promised not to tinker too much with the foundations put in place by Potter but Brighton showed a noticeable increase in their high pressing at Anfield as they looked to force errors in the Liverpool backline.
Playing through a high press has long been a problem for Tottenham, and while Conte’s passing patterns have helped reduce the team’s vulnerability in this area they still struggle to evade a well-organised press.
That weakness against Brighton’s strength puts the Seagulls among Spurs’ trickiest opponents and with Conte’s men struggling for fluency, prices of 17/10 for a Brighton victory look too big to ignore.
Pep Guardiola is ready to freeze Ilkay Gundogan out of his Manchester City plans – until the captain brings his wife to eat at the manager’s top table.
Sara Gundogan this week complained about the cuisine on offer in Manchester, saying there was “horrible food everywhere”.
She even claimed it was a struggle to find anything fresh, suggesting restaurants were using frozen food and had an obsession with making money from selling high-priced drinks.
The comments on Instagram made the front page of a major tabloid newspaper and did not go down well among Manchester’s restaurateurs.
Guardiola owns an eatery in the city himself, a Spanish tapas spot.
When asked about the remarks from the City midfielder’s wife, Guardiola initially appeared to agree with her stance, saying: “It is right.”
Amused by the topic, he quickly changed tack to jokingly add: “I’m disappointed she still didn’t [try] my restaurant. That is what is annoying me. Gundo’s not going to play one more minute…
“I’m going to invite her, and Gundo as well, to go to Tast. Of course they’re going to eat properly.”
Tottenham are capable of winning the Premier League, according to Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi.
The Italian faces compatriot Antonio Conte’s side on Saturday in his first home game since taking over from Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium.
Brighton could leapfrog Spurs into third with a win, with the Seagulls currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table, three points and three goals behind the north London club having played a game fewer.
After losing at rivals Arsenal last Sunday, Spurs are four points off the Gunners at the summit, but speaking at a press conference on Friday, De Zerbi thinks Conte’s men can still challenge.
“I think Tottenham are in the right condition to win the Premier League,” he said. “It’s not easy, because there’s [Manchester] City, Liverpool, Chelsea, but in the transfer market they bought very good players and after one year to work with Antonio, I think they are able to win the Premier League.
“The squad is better than one or two years ago. If he doesn’t play [Dejan] Kulusevski, he plays Richarlison, if he doesn’t play [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg or [Rodrigo] Bentancur, he can play [former Brighton midfielder, Yves] Bissouma.
“Tottenham are a good team, not only the first 11 – but 20 or 22 players.”
De Zerbi’s reign at Brighton got underway with an impressive 3-3 draw at Liverpool last Saturday, with Leandro Trossard scoring a hat-trick at Anfield.
“I never speak about the result, but my teams always play with courage and braveness,” De Zerbi said. “I want my team playing to make the game with personality and the right mentality to build the right condition to win the game.”
The former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk coach also said it could take time for his influence on the team to be seen, but conceded he does not intend to change much from Potter’s successful time at the club before the Englishman left for Chelsea.
“It is a difficult moment for a lot of things, for the language, for the new staff, the new team, for the new ideas,” he said. “I would like to put more ideas in… I don’t want to change that much, but of course I want to put my hand [on the squad].
“If [owner] Tony Bloom and [chief executive] Paul Barber have chosen me, it means they want to see the team playing with my idea of football.
“At the same time you have to deal with not changing too much, but also how to put my ideas on top.”
Tributes will be paid at Saturday’s game to Tottenham’s fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone, who died earlier this week at the age of 61 after being diagnosed with leukaemia.
“We are very sad for this loss,” De Zerbi said. “Some of my assistant staff knew Gian Piero. We are sorry for him, for Antonio and his staff and for the family.
“It was very bad news for Tottenham, but also for people who work in our football world.”
Erik ten Hag has warned it will take “months” to consistently produce the intensity Manchester United need to become a force again.
There was an air of optimism at Old Trafford following four consecutive Premier League wins, but that came to a juddering halt when the Red Devils suffered a chastening 6-3 derby defeat at Manchester City last Sunday.
The champions tore United apart, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden scoring hat-tricks in a rout at the Etihad Stadium.
Ten Hag’s side came from behind to win 3-2 at Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League on Thursday and return to top-flight action with a trip to Everton on Sunday.
Dutchman Ten Hag, who left Ajax to take the United hot seat at the end of last season, says it will take time for his side to reach the sort of levels he expects.
“It’s more – it’s physical, it’s mental, it’s also sustainability,” he said.
“It’s like a routine, a way of life and you have to bring it to every training in your system, as a squad and an individual player.
“When you have had a lack of it in the last years, it’s not something that you build or progress in a week or a month.
“Now it’s a system that has to be [in place]. It is a demand nowadays top football and it’s quite clear City is the standard in that. There are more teams, but I think we can deliver that.
“We have seen it against Liverpool and we have seen it against Arsenal, but now we have to do it on a consistent basis, that is what we have to work for now.
“It will not come overnight, it will also take more than weeks – it will take months.”
Ten Hag also expects United to be more disciplined and streetwise.
He added: “I know nasty, I know what it is. In that manner we can progress but sometimes also play a little bit smarter.
“Like we have too many bookings and some players at the start of Premier League, they play tough.
“But I wonder [why] we collect so many bookings and I don’t understand, like the first booking [for Diogo Dalot at City] on Sunday, I really don’t understand.
“We want to play tough, we want to keep the game going and then in the second minute already it’s a booking for Diogo.
“Also, I saw many other bookings where I think, ‘Is that necessary?’ I have to keep the reminder to the players to play smart, but they have to play nasty as well.”
Raphael Varane could return from an ankle injury at Goodison Park, but Harry Maguire remains sidelined along with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek.
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter says there is a “long way to go” in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
The Blues sit fifth, with Manchester United and Fulham the only sides in the top 10 to have suffered more defeats than Chelsea’s two.
Chelsea are eight points behind early pacesetters Arsenal, while the battle for Champions League qualification is set to be as fierce as ever.
Tottenham are four points ahead of Chelsea, while Liverpool have made a below-par start to the season by their lofty standards. Manchester United are only a point behind Potter’s team, while Manchester City seem more likely to be pushing for the title than tussling for a place in the top four, albeit they are second behind the Gunners.
Potter, though, knows it is far too early to draw any conclusions.
“I think we’ve made a little bit of progress from the first day to now, as you’d expect. There is a long way to go,” he said in Friday’s press conference ahead of Chelsea’s clash with manageress Wolves.
“We have to focus on the next match. We’ve got this incredible amount of games so rather than think too much about what’s going to happen at the end of the season, just focus on the next game.”
Potter also had positive news to share regarding Wesley Fofana and N’Golo Kante.
Fofana suffered an injury in the midweek win against Milan in the Champions League but will not be sidelined as long as was initially feared, while Kante has been absent since going off against Tottenham in Chelsea’s second game of the season.
“Wesley’s knee is not as bad as we thought. After the game we were concerned. It will be a few weeks we think. It’s considerably better than it could be,” Potter added.
“Possibly [he can return before the World Cup], it depends how his rehab goes. We wouldn’t want to put too much of a timescale on it but there is a chance.
“N’Golo is doing more and more integration with the team. He’s still not available for the weekend but he’s getting closer.”
Pep Guardiola will never get sick of talking about Erling Haaland, but he insists comparisons to Lionel Messi are unwelcome.
The Manchester City boss has promised striker Haaland a holiday during the World Cup, because Norway have not qualified, and he may need a break in any case after a breathless start to his career in England.
Former Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland has stayed healthy and the goals have flowed, just as City’s title rivals feared they would.
At this rate, Haaland could finish the season with the sort of haul Messi often brought in for Barcelona during his prime years, regularly scoring more than 50 across all competitions.
Guardiola has been fortunate to coach them both, and he was asked whether the attention foisted on Haaland was the most he has known since having Messi under his wing at Barcelona.
“The people who compare Erling with Leo, I think we don’t help,” Guardiola said. “How many ‘new Messis’ appeared in the world of football since I started? Ten, 15?
“Always you fail. Erling has to do his own career, his own job. He’s a different player.”
Guardiola pointed to the number of times he is asked about Haaland. He also suggested that within other teams, such focus on a big-time player might cause unrest.
“For me, it’s OK,” Guardiola said. “We’re fortunate that the guys who are here accept it perfectly. At other clubs, other people, would not like it.
“Here they are delighted. We have Kevin [De Bruyne] who is an exceptional person and is happy to have him, because both know they can be better playing alongside [each other].
“The same for all of them. We don’t have incredible players who say, ‘Why do they always talk about just him?’.
“This is why it’s a joy to train this type of players.”
Guardiola said he would rather Haaland was playing at the World Cup.
“But he’s young, and he’ll have an opportunity in four years,” added the City boss. “Fans want to see the best players possible and Erling is one of them.”
With three hat-tricks in his last three Premier League home games, capped by last week’s treble against Manchester United, Haaland is on a special streak.
Southampton visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, and while they held City to home and away draws last season, that was before Haaland arrived.
City are the only unbeaten team in the Premier League, following Tottenham’s defeat to Arsenal last week, and have won their last eight home games in the competition, scoring three or more goals each time.
Aston Villa were the last team to have a longer run of top-flight home wins while scoring three-plus goals in each game, putting a run of 13 together between December 1930 and September 1931.
Perhaps City will threaten that mark, if Haaland stays fit and in form. Guardiola is bewitched by his striker’s movement and how he reads play.
“It’s just the fact there’s a deflection, and he’s there. Why does the ball finish where he is?” said the Spaniard.
“What can I teach? It’s complete instincts, it’s natural. He did it in Norway, in Austria, in Germany, and he’s doing it here.”
And yet Guardiola still feels Haaland can improve.
“Every player knows, ‘I can do better’,” said Guardiola. “In our life we have a chance to always improve until we die, and he’s not an exception.”
Guardiola is not blind to the potential for Haaland to break records this season.
“It would be good,” Guardiola said. “If he continues this rhythm, then you don’t have to be a clever person to realise it, but who knows.
“After the Community Shield some people had a lot of doubts; now they have a lot of certainties.
“At the end of the season we’ll see, okay, he’s scored how many goals, how many chances have we had to win the titles?”
Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has signed a new contract until 2025, despite being on a five-game losing streak in the Premier League.
The 42-year-old took charge of the club in September 2021 and led the charge to promotion to the Premier League, finishing fourth in the Championship before beating Huddersfield Town in the play-off final.
Forest bolstered their squad for a return to the top-flight, signing 23 players in total, but have been unable to find form, sitting rock-bottom of the standings with just four points from the opening eight matches.
A 4-0 defeat at Leicester City on Monday extended Forest’s losing streak to five games, raising speculation that Cooper’s position is under threat – but the club have made it clear he retains the faith of the hierarchy.
A statement from the club announcing Cooper’s new deal on Friday read: “It is now important that our focus is solely on football.
“As a group we are all concentrated and will do everything we can to help the team move up the league table and once again demonstrate our qualities that led us to the Premier League.”
Forest welcome Aston Villa to the City Ground on Monday, with six further fixtures in the Premier League beyond that before the season pauses for the World Cup in Qatar.
RB Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell has been dismissed by the Bundesliga outfit amid reports linking him with a move to Chelsea.
Vivell joined Leipzig in 2020 after performing a similar role at Salzburg, where he worked alongside Christoph Freund as the club unearthed several young prospects, including Erling Haaland.
Both Vivell and Freund have recently been linked with Chelsea, who have been looking to appoint a sporting director since Petr Cech’s departure in June.
Chairman Todd Boehly has been performing the role on an interim basis during the first few months of his tenure, but Vivell’s Leipzig departure could potentially open the door to a move.
A statement from the German club said: “Christopher Vivell was released from his position as technical director yesterday, Thursday, with immediate effect due to differing views.”
Vivell’s former colleague Freund confirmed he would not be making the move to Stamford Bridge last month, declaring: “I came to the conclusion that I am in the best place at Salzburg, and a move was out of the question for me.”
Chelsea have been linked with several other sporting directors throughout their search, including Sevilla’s Monchi and Michael Edwards, formerly of Liverpool.
Christopher Vivell was dismissed from his role as technical director on Thursday due to difference contrasting views.
His duties will be taken over by by the existing setup until Max Eberl’s tenure as sporting director tenure begins. pic.twitter.com/ifAWANvfdU
England manager Gareth Southgate should take Ivan Toney to the World Cup, so says “biased” Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.
Toney has enjoyed a fine start to the season for Brentford, scoring five goals across eight Premier League appearances.
Indeed, since the start of last term, only five players have scored more goals in the competition than Toney (17), with Harry Kane (24) the sole English player to have netted more.
As well as being involved in seven of Brentford’s 15 Premier League goals this season, Toney has had more shots (23) and created more chances from open play (10) than any other player for the Bees.
After scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 rout of Leeds United on September 3, Toney received his first England call-up for last month’s Nations League matches against Italy and Germany.
While he did not make an appearance in either game, Frank believes he must be an option for Southgate in Qatar.
Ahead of Brentford’s trip to Toney’s former club Newcastle United, Frank said in a press conference: “I think for Ivan the most important thing is to perform every day at the training ground and then perform on Saturday against Newcastle, hopefully score a goal or two.
“Keep doing that and with his performances he needs to ask questions to Gareth Southgate.
“It is up to Gareth to take the decision over what he thinks is the best squad for the World Cup. I am sure he will take the best squad.
“Gareth wants to win the World Cup so he will bring the best and most competitive squad.
“If you ask me, I see Ivan every day and I am biassed but I think he should be there.”
Brentford’s trip to St James’ Park comes a day after the one-year anniversary of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle.
At the time, the Magpies were languishing in the relegation zone under former boss Steve Bruce. Since then, Newcastle have taken 57 points in the top flight, with only the so called “big six” teams – Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham – winning more games (15).
For Frank, it would be a miraculous if Brentford manage to compete with Newcastle’s financial strength over the coming seasons.
“If we have the money we have now, they have their money and we continue doing that, if we are the same level at the same time, it will be an even bigger miracle than it is now that we are competing,” Frank said.
“Of course we know in football money talks. It is a very important part and that is one thing but the very good news is it is not only about money.
“Newcastle want to challenge that and there is no doubt they are aiming to be top six so maybe we need to start to talk about a top seven in the future.
“Put that aside, us being a bottom two budget club in the league, it is remarkable what we are doing.”
Kyle Walker’s availability for the World Cupis up in the air after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declared the England right-back suffered an abdominal injury that will keep him out “for a while”.
Walker, 32, was substituted in the first half of City’s 6-3 derby win against Manchester United on Sunday after making his seventh start from his side’s eight Premier League fixtures this campaign.
He also started four of England’s six UEFA Nations League games since the beginning of June, resulting in three defeats and a draw.
However, Walker is now set for “weeks” on the sidelines in the shadows of the World Cup, according to Guardiola.
“[He will be out] for a while,” he told reporters following City’s 5-0 Champions League thrashing of Copenhagen on Wednesday. “I don’t know exactly, but weeks.
“Something abdominal, so he will be a while. We don’t know how long. Maybe the club will make a statement in the next day, but for a while he will be out.
“I don’t know [about availability for the World Cup]. I cannot say anything else, I don’t know.”
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is not worrying about the form of other teams, instead calling on the squad to take responsibility for their disappointments.
United’s four-match winning streak in the Premier League came to an end with a 6-3 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday – the fourth loss in all competitions for Erik ten Hag’s side this season.
That left United nine points behind early pacesetters Arsenal in the league, albeit with a game in hand, and eight points behind their cross-city rivals.
Attention now switches to the Europa League, where United face Omonia Nicosia on Thursday, and Fernandes believes the focus should be on their games – while suggesting in recent years there has been too much comparison with other sides.
“The responsibility is playing for this massive club and everyone has to feel that responsibility, it doesn’t matter who has the armband on the pitch,” he said.
“There is still a long way to go but we know what we want to achieve. We know what the manager wants from us as a team, but we’ve got to get back to good results and we have a chance to do that straight away tomorrow.
“We don’t focus on anyone else. We focus on ourselves. That has been a problem for the club in previous years that we want to compare ourselves with other teams, but we can’t do that.
“We have to look at ourselves and look at the problems and what we can improve. We can’t think about Arsenal, Liverpool or other teams. We just have to win every game that is in our hands.
“We saw our mistakes in that defeat [at Manchester City] and we have to make sure we don’t do them again. It was a bad game, we conceded six goals, but we have to get ourselves back on the winning track.”
Son Heung-min has defended Antonio Conte’s principles following recent criticism aimed the Tottenham head coach’s way for recent results.
After seeing out a 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the group stages of the Champions League, Spurs are now without a win in their past four away matches in all competitions.
Despite starting the season well, Conte has been questioned for the way he has approached recent fixtures, including a 3-1 defeat to fierce rivals Arsenal in the Premier League.
However, Son does not see this as an issue and stated the importance of sticking with Conte and his ideas.
He said: “We saw last season that nobody believed we would be here right now. Last season nobody believed we’d be in the Champions League.
“The gaffer always wants more, more, more and as [a player] I want to follow his way, or you know what’s coming. If we don’t follow him then you know you struggle.
“We have to follow, there is no option because he’s a winner and I think this is what we do – sacrifice and do the hard things.”
Spurs find themselves in second place of Champions League Group D, with their next European fixture coming against Marseille on November 1.
Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has leapt to the defence of team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold amid recent criticism of the right-back’s performances.
Alexander-Arnold has been the subject of plenty of scrutiny following his poor defensive performances in the Premier League and Champions League.
The defender’s mistakes in Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, in particular, drew heavy criticism from fans and pundits.
The 23-year-old also failed to feature in either of England’s two Nations League games last week, with Gareth Southgate making it clear Alexander-Arnold is not his first-choice right-back.
But van Dijk, speaking after Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Rangers on Tuesday in which Alexander-Arnold opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick, said: “We know the quality he has and he showed it again today.
“He has been showing it over the last couple of years; he has developed as one of the best right-backs in the country.”
Netherlands international Van Dijk also questioned the culture surrounding player welfare and media scrutiny in English football.
He said: “I’ve been in the UK now for eight, nine years and everyone here is very good to praise a player very high up to the sky and let them fall as hard as they can.
“That’s what we, as players, have to deal with. Everyone is talking about how we should accept it.
“For him to just carry on working – not only him but other players as well – deal with it and show reaction today is what we need, all of us. I think it’s important that we back him.”
Liverpool’s victory against Rangers leaves them second in Group A behind Napoli, who beat Jurgen Klopp’s men 4-1 in the opening group game.
Brendan Rodgers breathed a sigh of relief and piled the pressure on Steve Cooper as Leicester ended their winless start to the season at the eighth attempt with a fine 4-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.
In a meeting of two under-pressure managers and their struggling teams, Rodgers celebrated at full-time after Leicester hit three in 10 first-half minutes – two from the outstanding James Maddison either side of Harvey Barnes’ curling strike.
Maddison then turned provider in the second half, teeing up substitute Patson Daka for the final blow.
It was enough to lift Leicester off the foot of the table at the expense of their East Midlands rivals, a much-needed success for Rodgers as Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha jetted in to watch his first match in person in six weeks.
The outlook for Cooper is far less certain after a fifth straight league defeat – Forest’s worst run since January 2004.
It is a year and 12 days since Cooper took the job, performing miracles in lifting Forest from the Championship relegation zone to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
But having signed 22 players in a huge overhaul this summer it is not clear if Cooper knows his best XI, or if Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis will afford him the time to work it out.
There was little sense of the perilous position both clubs found themselves in before kick-off as fans filled the King Power Stadium with noise, the only calls for Rodgers to go being heard from the Forest fans in the corner of the ground.
Jamie Vardy, back in Leicester’sstarting line-up, scuffed an early shot wide before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall miraculously missed the target with a free header in front of goal.
Vardy then got clear of the Forest defence to head wide from Maddison’s free-kick before shooting straight at Dean Henderson after being played in by a midfielder in the mood to stake his England claim.
Forest were unable to get on the ball, their pressure coming through a succession of early set-pieces, but they created a superb chance in the 22nd minute when Morgan Gibbs-White played in Taiwo Awoniyi, who skipped beyond Wout Faes but saw his shot bounce back off the post.
It was a let-off for Leicester, and one they quickly took full advantage of.
Jesse Lingard mis-hit a clearance straight to Maddison, whose shot deflected off Scott McKenna to beat Henderson in the 25th minute.
Barnes has it wide left and he drifts inside, before swerving home an absolute peach into the far corner. What a strike that is! 🍑 ⚽#LEINFOhttps://t.co/1LPwIRPFCr
Two minutes later it was 2-0 as Barnes cut in off the left and bent a shot beyond the goalkeeper.
Forest were imploding, and Leicester were happy to pile it on. After Cheikhou Kouyate was booked for bringing down Dewsbury-Hall on the edge of the D, Maddison added to the punishment as he curled a free-kick beyond the stationary Henderson.
Serge Aurier came on to make his Forest debut at the break, one of three changes as Cooper also sent on Remo Freuler and Ryan Yates.
Six minutes after the restart Awoniyi looked offside as he ran through on goal, but Danny Ward would have taken confidence from the save he made regardless.
Instead it was Leicester who pushed on. Barnes struck a shot which deflected off the arm of Steve Cook, who looked relieved when only a corner was awarded.
The fourth arrived in the 73rd minute as Maddison added an assist to his two goals, crossing for Daka to beat Henderson with a neat flick at the near post.
At the other end, Ward saved well from Brennan Johnson at his near post, then from Gibbs-White’s header, to preserve Leicester’s first clean sheet of the season on a fine night for the Foxes, and an ominous one for Forest.
Pep Guardiola described Erling Haaland as a born goalscorer after he claimed another hat-trick in Manchester City’s derby rout of Manchester United, declaring: “what he is doing, I didn’t teach him”.
Haalandcontinued his fine start to life in England by playing a central role in City’s 6-3 win over United, clinching a treble and adding two assists for fellow hat-trick hero Phil Foden.
The Norwegian – who has already hit 17 goals in all competitions this season – became the first player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in three successive home games on Sunday.
His tally of five goal contributions at the Etihad Stadium, meanwhile, is the most recorded by a player in a single Premier League Manchester Derby.
Guardiola refused to take credit for the striker’s form after the win, saying: “I said it many times and I will say again – what Erling is doing, he did in Norway, Austria and Germany.
“The quality we have alongside him helps him score, but what he is doing, I didn’t teach him.
“He has incredible instincts. It comes from his mum and dad. He was born with that.”
As well as laying on two goals for Foden, Haaland created a game-high four chances on Sunday, and Guardiola was delighted by the quality of his link-up play.
“I have had incredible centre-forwards in my career,” Guardiola continued. “What I liked was in the last period of the game, he was involved. I want him to be involved.
“He became a player to score goals, but I want him in contact with the ball. I like him being part of those situations.
“But of course, he has to put the ball in the net, and he is a fantastic striker.”
Haaland has started all 11 of City’s competitive games this term, and Guardiola plans to offer him the opportunity to rest at some point.
“He will take a break. There will be games he is not going to play,” he said.
“We are lucky, last season he could not play many games in a row – here we have incredible physios and thanks to them, he can play every 90 minutes.
“They are so important – with their hands, they allow players to play.”
Conor Gallagher’s sublime last-minute strike earned Chelsea a 2-1 win against his former club Crystal Palaceto give Graham Potter a winning start in the Premier League.
Second-half substitute Gallagher, who spent last season on loan at Selhurst Park, curled home in the 90th minute to win a game that Chelsea trailed early on.
Odsonne Edouard had given Palace the lead on home soil in Saturday’s contest, only for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to net his first goal for Chelsea before half-time.
Palace felt Thiago Silva should have been sent off before assisting that Aubameyang equaliser, and their mood was not helped by former player Gallagher’s late winner.
Wesley Fofana was drafted back into Chelsea’s line-up but gave the ball away and then failed to cut out a cross that was clinically converted by Edouard inside seven minutes.
Last man Silva was fortunate to stay on the field when using his hand to stop Jordan Ayew from running through on goal, referee Chris Kavanagh electing to issue only a yellow.
To rub salt in the Palace wounds, Silva nodded down a long ball into the path of Aubameyang, who let it bounce across his body and half-volleyed into the bottom left-corner.
Just when the sides appeared to be heading for a first league draw in 23 meetings, Gallagher – on the field for just 14 minutes – found the top-right corner from range to snatch the win.
What does it mean? Chelsea extend winning Palace run
Potter’s only game in charge since being appointed Chelsea boss on September 8 was a 1-1 Champions League draw against Salzburg.
This contest was heading the same frustrating way as that match, with Chelsea managing plenty of shots (13 come full-time) without truly troubling the opposition goalkeeper.
But Gallagher’s superb strike gave Potter lift-off in south London and stretched Chelsea’s winning league run against Palace to 10 in a row.
Conor comes back to haunt Palace
Gallagher’s goal was a particularly cruel one for Palace to take as it was the Eagles who gave him a platform to impress in the Premier League on a regular basis last season.
Now back at Chelsea, the 2022-23 campaign had started rather slowly for the midfielder, but this first league goal for the club will no doubt boost his confidence.
Palace left fuming
Silva denied Ayew a likely scoring chance and, by the rule of the book, Palace boss Patrick Vieira – booked for his protestations – will rightly argue the defender should have gone.
Not only did Silva stay on the pitch, he also set up Aubameyang’s maiden goal for Chelsea, with that his second league assist this term – no Chelsea player has more.
What’s next?
Chelsea host Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday before facing Wolves in their next league outing in a week’s time. Palace welcome Leeds United to Selhurst Park next weekend.
A hat-trick each for Erling Haaland and Phil Foden gave Manchester City a 6-3 win against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
It was a ruthless performance from the Premier League champions, who were four goals up at half-time after tearing United apart time and again with their pass and move football.
Antony scored with an excellent strike early in the second half and Anthony Martial came off the bench to score a late double that made the score a bit more respectable, but it was an otherwise dominant showing from City against Erik ten Hag’s men.
Pep Guardiola saw his team go back to within a point of leaders Arsenal at the top of the league, and remain the only unbeaten team in England’s top flight this season.
Foden gave the hosts the lead after just eight minutes, with Joao Cancelo playing a pass to Bernardo Silva on the left, and his low cross found the England international completely free to sweep the ball inside David de Gea’s near post.
Haaland then rose highest from a Kevin De Bruyne corner just after the hour-hour mark to force a header across the line, despite Tyrell Malacia’s best efforts to keep it out.
The Belgian provided for the Norwegian again just three minutes later as he whipped a cross from the inside right position towards the back post, with Haaland there to divert the ball past De Gea again.
Former Borussia Dortmund star Haaland turned provider just before half-time as he was again played in by De Bruyne, before aiming a perfect low cross to the far post for Foden to steer in his 50th goal for City in all competitions to make it 4-0 at the break.
Some pride was restored for the visitors 11 minutes into the second half as Antony scored with an outstanding long-range effort after cutting onto his left foot and bending a shot into the far corner, only for Haaland to complete his treble after guiding in a Sergio Gomez cross.
Foden finished well when played in by Haaland to make it six, and although substitute Martial forced the ball home following Ederson pushing out a Fred shot, and then won and scored a penalty in stoppage time, it was comfortably City’s day in Manchester.
What does it mean? Hat-trick hero Haaland… again
It is now 17 goals in 11 games for Haaland at City as the imposing striker looks to break as many scoring records as he can.
His treble here made him the first player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in three consecutive home games in the competition.
Haaland, who also had two assists, only made his Premier League debut 56 days ago, but he already has as many hat-tricks in the competition as Cristiano Ronaldo (three), who sat moody-faced on the bench as he was an unused substitute for the visitors.
Foden also fires on derby day
It seems a bit strange to think Foden could be overshadowed after scoring a hat-trick in a Manchester derby, but when you’re playing with a machine like Haaland, it’s easy to see why.
The local lad was outstanding again, though, with three neat finishes and recording a total passing accuracy of 95 per cent, as well as completing 89 per cent of his passes in the final third, more than any other City player to make four or more.
Another four-ful start from United
Going in at half-time on the end of a hammering has become a familiar feeling for the Red Devils.
Since the start of 2020-21, United have conceded four or more first-half goals in four Premier League games (also versus Spurs in 2020, Liverpool in 2021 and Brentford this season), twice as often as any other side in this time.
Key Opta Stats:
– This was the highest ever scoring Manchester derby in any competition in what was the two sides’ 187th competitive meeting.
– It was the first time City scored six goals in a home game against United in all competitions – the previous two instances came away from home (6-1 in January 1926 and 6-1 in October 2011).
– United conceded six goals in a Premier League game for only the fourth time, with two of these coming against City (also October 2011).
– Foden scored his 49th, 50th and 51st goals for City in all competitions – his first ever senior hat-trick. Aged 22 years and 127 days, he became the youngest player to reach 50 under Pep Guardiola, surpassing Lionel Messi (22y 164d).
– Haaland and Foden became the third and fourth City players respectively to score a hat-trick versus United after Francis Lee in December 1970 and Horace Barnes in October 1921.
– City were only the third side to have two hat-trick scorers in a single Premier League game, after Arsenal v Southampton in 2003 (Jermaine Pennant, Robert Pires) and Leicester v Southampton in 2019 (Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy).
What’s next?
It’s back to European action for both teams as City host FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday, while United need a morale-boosting result as they travel to Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League.
The midfielder for the Black Stars scored from outside the box with a stunning strike into the top right corner.
This goal was his first league goal for Arsenal FC in the 2022–23 English Premier League season.
Party passed a late fitness test after getting injured during warm up a few minutes to kick off against Brazil. The injury forced him to miss Ghana’s game against Nicaragua.
He was given permission to return to Arsenal to recover by the Ghana Football Association.
The 29-year-old has played four games in the league this season.
Chelsea head coach Graham Potter is raring to go against Crystal Palace, having had to endure an unusually long wait for his first Premier League game in charge.
Potter is set for a domestic debut on the bench after succeeding Thomas Tuchel, with clashes against Fulham and Liverpool prior to the international break postponed.
That has given the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss, appointed on September 8, a 23-day wait for his first domestic engagement, and Potter says his team are “itching to play” at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
“We used a bit of time to get to know people, but at the same time we’re itching to play,” Potter said at Friday’s press conference. “We couldn’t control anything in terms of how things have panned out, we’ve had to make the most of it.
“I’m sure it will be a nice one. It’s a proper football stadium. The boys are ready and waiting to play.
“You’ve got to start somewhere and there are a lot of games to come. The group are looking forward to playing.”
Potter oversaw Chelsea’s 1-1 with Salzburg in the Champions League, but the death of Queen Elizabeth II meant domestic duties were put on hold.
The Blues boss gave an insight into how he will approach squad management at Stamford Bridge, promising opportunities for young players if they prove their worth – particularly in the frantic run-up to the World Cup.
“All young players have to hope they get an opportunity. They put themselves in there in training and games. If the quality is there, age is no barrier,” Potter said.
“We’ve got six weeks and 13 matches, using the players the right way and winning matches in the toughest league in the world. That’s the challenge in the short term.”
A slow start to the season has seen Chelsea fall adrift of the early pacesetters in the Premier League, already sitting eight points behind leaders Arsenal, albeit with a game in hand.
Potter is clear there is plenty of work to do but is only focusing on the short term as he looks to get Chelsea back in the hunt.
“The first thing to say is change is good, bad and challenging, it’s how you deal with it and work for it,” he said. “It’s well documented what has happened. It’s part of life sometimes.
“It’s a bit more than a short-term challenge. The resources, or history, doesn’t guarantee you anything in this league. It’s about getting everything lined up and everyone working together and the strategy clear.”
As for whether a top-four finish is vital for Chelsea, Potter preferred to leave that for nearer the end of the campaign.
“Vital sounds a bit life-or-death and a bit dramatic,” he said. “I only focus on the next game or next session.”
Antonio Conte is relaxed regarding his contract situation at Tottenham, despite his current deal expiring at the end of the season.
Although Spurs have a year’s option on Conte’s deal – which initially runs until 2023, speculation has suggested he could be tempted to return to Juventus at the end of the campaign.
Speaking on Thursday ahead of Tottenham’s trip to north London rivals Arsenal, Conte labelled such reports “disrespectful”, and the Italian has now said there is no rush to agree fresh terms.
“There is not [a] contract, there is not [an] option… if the club and the manager want to work together, they will continue to work together. If they don’t want to work together, they finish,” Conte told reporters.
“The most important thing for me is that I’m really enjoying working with Tottenham, with these players, especially, and the relationship with Daniel [Levy] and Fabio [Paratici] is good.
“I’m okay and I think the club is happy about this situation. Now, the most important thing for Tottenham’s present and Tottenham’s future is to get the best possible result [against Arsenal].”
Asked whether the Premier League’s upcoming break for the World Cup could represent the ideal time to engage in talks over a renewal, Conte added: “There doesn’t exist a right time.
“It could be tomorrow. It could be the last day of the Premier League season. The most important thing for me and the club is to understand we want to continue together, to go in the same direction.
“Otherwise, I don’t see a problem. I said in the past I didn’t need another contract to be sure to stay in a club.
“Also, for the club, it’s a good investment to have a coach like me and my staff. At the right time, I will take the best decision. At this moment, I’m really happy.
“I don’t want to push the club about the situation because it’s not the right time. We have just started the season and we have a long time to live together and to understand, to continue to work together.”
Lucas Moura is confident Tottenham can fight for the Premier League title this season under Antonio Conte, claiming “this is the year” to mount a challenge.
Spurs stand unbeaten in the first seven Premier League matches of the season and can move top of the standings on Saturday if they beat rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The north London duo, alongside defending champions Manchester City, have led the charge in the early months of the campaign, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelseaand Manchester United encountering issues.
City stand as the favourites in the eyes of many, with Spurs and the Gunners’ credentials still being debated, but Moura is insistent his side will be in the running this year.
“To be quite honest, of all the seasons I’ve been here, I think this is the one we have the best chance, this is the one we have the greatest expectation,” he told Stats Perform.
“I think we can [challenge for the title] because of the quality of the squad, the quality of the coach and the team as a whole.
“The squad has strengthened in these years and has been getting stronger on the national stage and on the world stage.
“We have a very qualified squad. So, I believe that of all the years I’ve been here, this is the year we’re closest to the title.
“We know it’s very difficult, the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world. There are many teams that are strong this year, so we know about the competition.
“But I think we can manage to fight for the title.”
Moura made it clear that a trophy is necessary for the season to represent success for Spurs, particularly with the club having not lifted silverware since winning the League Cup back in 2008.
“I can speak for myself personally, but I believe it’s a collective thought – I think a successful season would be winning a title,” he added.
“A team like ours, which has the structure it has, the investment it has, the stars it has, not only as a player but as a coach as well, going so long without winning a title means winning the trophy this year would be a very positive point.
“With the other teams, with everything they’ve conquered in the last few years, winning a title would be fantastic for us.”
Christian Pulisic is relishing a “fresh start” at Chelsea and accepts he must now “prove himself” to new head coach Graham Potter.
The 24-year-old managed just one start across Chelsea’s opening seven matches of the season prior to Thomas Tuchel being sacked and replaced by Potter.
Pulisic was a second-half substitute in Potter’s only game so far – a 1-1 Champions League draw with Salzburg – before heading off for international duty with the United States.
After a frustrating time of things under Tuchel, Pulisic considers the arrival of former Brighton and Hove Albion boss Potter as a chance to kick-start his Stamford Bridge career.
“I’m feeling good going back, honestly,” he told reporters following USA’s 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
“I have a fresh start now, and I’m excited to play for the new manager. So I’m just looking forward to it. I just have to prove myself, as everyone does, and as I’ve done before.”
Pulisic played 76 minutes of the stalemate in Murcia – his longest outing for club or country this term – in what was USA’s final game before their World Cup campaign.
The ex-Borussia Dortmund winger did not look pleased at Gregg Berhalter’s decision to take him off, but he was ultimately happy to build up his fitness.
“I always want to be in the games,” Pulisic said of his reaction to being substituted.
“I was just trying to score goals and trying to win the game. But it’s good to get some minutes in and I feel healthy.”
USA failed to score in either of their friendlies this window, having also lost 2-0 to Japan, and Pulisic admits his side have to improve in certain attacking areas.
“There’s a lot of different ways to score goals, and I think there’s times where we can put more crosses in the box,” he said.
“We can be more aggressive and more relentless going forward. I think [against Saudi Arabia] we had glimpses of it, but just didn’t see it enough.”
Brennan Johnson has hit the ground running in the Premier League — now he is ready to make a big impact on the international stage.
The 21-year-old has starred for Nottingham Forest since their promotion to the top flight, emerging as a key man in Steve Cooper’s side.
And he has also been in impressive form for his nation, chipping in with a goal contribution in each of his last three Wales outings.
Ahead of the Dragons’ clash with Poland tonight, we take a closer look at the impact Johnson can have in both the Nations League and the upcoming World Cup.
Rapid rise
Johnson was sent on loan to League One side Lincoln in 2020-21 for his first real taste of senior football and immediately cemented himself as a regular.
Then still a teenager, he made 48 appearances, scoring 13 times and registering 14 assists in all competitions as the Imps reached the play-off final.
He was quickly integrated into Forest’s first team the following season — but the step up to the Championship did not faze him.
The Nottingham native notched 19 times in league, cup and play-off matches, grabbing a further nine assists as the club made their long-awaited return to English football’s top tier.
Brennan Johnson typically enjoys operating on the right flank of Nottingham Forest’s attack
Producing in the Premier League
Though Forest have struggled collectively since returning to the Premier League, Johnson has been doing his bit in front of goal.
He is the club’s joint-top league scorer alongside Taiwo Awoniyi with two strikes, making them each individually responsible for a third of their team’s strikes so far.
Johnson has not been afforded many opportunities to pull the trigger but has been clinical when given a sight of goal, scoring with 66% of his shots on target and converting both of the big chances he was presented with — one being a penalty.
Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson has struck twice in the Premier League this season
No fear
Johnson has certainly not been overawed by the stage on which he is now expected to perform.
Some might choose to play things safe after moving up a division but Johnson remains willing to run at his man constantly.
He has been particularly successful in that department, completing a team-leading five take-ons and only failing with one — a remarkable success rate.
Brennan Johnson has been one of Nottingham Forest’s most impressive performers in 2022-23
Wowing for Wales
Wales’ young forward has taken the step up to international football in his stride as well.
Boasting just 10 caps before this Nations League campaign began in the summer, Johnson has established himself an integral part of his country’s attack — even if the team as a whole have struggled.
He scored his first goal for Wales in dramatic circumstances, coming off the bench to seal a shock 1-1 draw with Belgium.
Manager Rob Page then handed him a starting spot against the Netherlands and the Forest No20 rewarded his coach’s faith with another strike, though the Dragons slipped to defeat.
He also registered an assist in the rematch against Belgium on Thursday, setting Kieffer Moore up to pull one back in a 2-1 loss.
Catching the eye
Page was full of praise for Johnson after his performance in Thursday’s clash with the Red Devils.
The Wales boss, 48, deployed the attacker in a deeper role and was particularly impressed by his improvement and quality when carrying the ball.
He said: “Brennan has been superb, he has come on so much in such a short time.
“I asked something different of him in midfield.
“When you see him run with the ball it is brilliant, that is his game, that is his strength.”
There appears little doubt that Johnson is a shoe-in for the plane to Qatar — and it would be unwise to bet against him attracting worldwide attention when the tournament kicks off in November.
As Arsenal breezed past Brentford with an emphatic 3-0 victory on Sunday, September 19, 2022, a product of the Gunners’ well-renowned academy was making history as the youngest footballer to play in top-flight English football.
By subbing him on in the 91st minute, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta made Ethan Nwaneri the youngest player to ever kicked a ball in a Premier League match.
With 15 years and 181 days, Nwaneri has etched his name in English football history as the youngest player ever.
The attacking midfielder has been a constant feature for Arsenal’s under 18 and Under-21 and has been billed to take football by storm.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta says he listened to his ‘guts feelings’ by adding him to the squad and bringing him on to make history.
“It was a pure gut feeling, I met the kid and I liked what I saw. He has trained a couple of times with us and I had a feeling yesterday that if the opportunity came I would do it. But I think it sends a strong message about who we are as a club. I told him yesterday he would be with us and he had to be ready. He is ready. When he went on I said ‘congratulations and enjoy it. I don’t know what it is. When I met him, when I looked at him, I had that feeling.”
The Spaniard said: “We want to give opportunities When there is talent and personality and when players love what they do, and when they have no fear, the doors are open for them to explore where they can go.
“All the decisions that we take, that I take, are for the club. It’s not for me, it’s not for the player. It’s because we believe he has a talent that has to be developed incredibly in the next few years and we’ll see how we manage that. Normally it’s not us, normally the players tell you and they mind you, how far you can go on that.”
Who is Ethan Nwaneri
The attacking midfielder was born on March 21 2007 and has risen through the Arsenal academy rapidly.
He made his under-18s debut aged 14 and scored. Last month, he scored for England’s under 17s after coming off the bench.
The youngster is believed to be of Nigerian descent with his parents being Nigerians.
Potter led Brighton to a ninth-place finish in the Premier League last season, the club’s highest ever top flight finish
Chelsea are set to hold talks with Brighton boss Graham Potter about replacing the sacked Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel, who won three trophies in 20 months at Stamford Bridge, was sacked by the Blues on Wednesday.
Ex-Swansea and Ostersunds FK coach Potter, 47, has been given permission by the Seagulls to talk with Chelsea.
Tuchel was dismissed after losing the confidence of Chelsea’s players and the new ownership, who took over at the club in May.
He was appointed in May 2019 and has led the club to 15th, 16th and ninth-place finishes in his three seasons in charge.
But his brand of attacking and tactically flexible football has brought him many admirers in the game.
Chelsea’s new ownership oversaw a £255.3m spending spree in the summer window, thought to be a British record, bringing in eight new players.
They were sixth in the Premier League after three wins, one draw and two defeats when they parted company with Tuchel.
The decision to sack the German would have been taken regardless of their 1-0 defeat in their opening Champions League game at Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday.
Chelsea plan to make a swift appointment and Potter was among the bookmakers’ favourites to take over, along with former Spurs and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane and current Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
In terms of their search for a new boss, the Blues are also believed to be looking for a long-term manager who shares their vision for a collaborative culture and who will focus on development of all players in the squad.
Looking to win their opening six games of a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1947-48, Arsenal spent long periods on top at Old Trafford but ultimately fell to a 3-1 reverse courtesy of Rashford’s double and a debut goal from Antony.
Rashfordhas been involved in more Premier League goals against Arsenal than any other club (four goals, four assists) after being teed up by Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen to round off two devastating breaks.
Speaking to Sky Sports after United clinched a huge win over the early league leaders, Rashford praised the Red Devils for biding their time to hurt a technically gifted Gunners side.
“It’s a massive game anyway against Arsenal, and they’ve had such a good start to the season, so it was a big test for us today and we showed up and stood up to the challenge. We can all be proud of ourselves today,” he said.
“It was tough;Â they’re a good team. We know their principles of play and they’re very good at it, they’re a good possession-based team. It was a difficult game and it was what we expected, so we had to be up for the challenge.
“I thought it was an even game. There were big spaces in the first half and we didn’t manage to exploit them. In the second half we managed to exploit the spaces and that’s what made the difference.
“We’ve got some great passers of the ball and as long as we make four or five runs, we’re going to get the ball. We might not get it the first couple of times, but we have to keep going for 90 minutes and it’s tough.
“We had to try to give them possession in spaces where they couldn’t hurt us. They’re a dangerous team. But as you can see today there was a couple of times where they got through the press and they are electric when they get going.
“You only win these types of games when you’re a team. I think we’ve shown in the last few games, being 1-0 up, that we can see a game out, but we had to be more ruthless and get more goals.”
Rashford has looked a player reborn since Erik ten Hag took charge of United, scoring three goals in six league appearances this season after hitting the net just four times in 25 outings last term.
Having also teed up Antony for his first-half opener, Rashford has scored and assisted in a Premier League match for the first time since October 2020 (against Newcastle United), while he also found the net against Arsenal for the first time since his February 2016 debut, when he also recorded a brace.
4 – @ManUtd have won their last four Premier League matches, after having lost their first two this season. They are only the third side in PL history to win four in a row after losing their opening two in a season, after Tottenham in 2011-12 and Arsenal in 2018-19. Turnaround. pic.twitter.com/oG07RlA1by
The 24-year-old acknowledged he had endured a frustrating time as he looked to maintain his improved form, adding: “It’s a great feeling  you do miss it as a player.
“I’m just hoping I can stay fit, stay healthy and keep putting performances on like that. It’s been a long time that I’ve not scored against Arsenal  I didn’t realise it had been that long until before the game.
“It was something I was looking to do this year and I’m happy that I managed to get the goals.”
United are just three points behind Arsenal in the Premier League after winning four consecutive games their best run since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led them to five successive victories in March and April 2021.
Famed for being a tough league to adapt to, Erling Haaland is taking to the Premier League like a duck to water.
After scoring his first hat-trick for Manchester City at the weekend — in its 4-2 win over Crystal Palace — having joined from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, Haaland repeated the feat on Wednesday night.
It took the Norwegian striker just 26 minutes between his first and third goal in the first half to complete the feat, as City romped to a 6-0 win over newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.
It means that Haaland has now scored a remarkable nine goals in his first five Premier League appearances, breaking the previous record of eight set by Mick Quinn and City’s all-time top goalscorer, Sergio Agüero.
Afterwards, Haaland hailed his teammates and the impact they’ve had on his game, calling the team’s performance “amazing.”
“It was about keep doing what we did in the second half against Crystal Palace,” he said
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