Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal’s defensive approach in their draw at Manchester City, saying his team had to learn from their previous games against the champions. The Gunners went down to 10 men inside the first half when Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card for booting the ball away when Arsenal were 2-1 ahead. Following the break, Arteta’s men were content to sit back, not minding being without the ball until John Stones’ late equaliser. The North London club were pointed fingers by City’s defenders Kyle Walker and Stones for employing “dark arts” tactics, with Bernardo Silva also accusing…
Author: Somto Isaac
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has expressed dissatisfaction at the number of games players have to face and will leave them facing the rusk of injuries and his side begins their campaign in the new-look UEFA Europa League. The expanded European competitions and next summer’s Club World Cup have increased concerns about player welfare amid their growing workloads. Manchester City midfielder Rodri admitted it was a possibility that players would go on strike to protest against the congested fixtures, and days after the Spaniard has now suffered what looks to be a season-ending knee injury. The Red Devils kickstart…
Manchester City’s rescuer John Stones admitted Arsenal has mastered the art of being their challengers over the last few years with their tactics. The Gunners defended supremely to hold on to their 2-1 lead throughout the second half as they were a man down after Leandro Trossard was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the break. However, substitute Stones stepped up in the eighth minute of injury time to bring the game level and keep the champions’ almost two-year unbeaten run at home in the Premier League intact. Stones’ equaliser was a huge relief for City who…
Barcelona maintained their perfect start to their 2024-25 LaLiga campaign with a sixth consecutive victory in their 5-1 win at Villarreal, but it came at a cost as the celebrations were marred by a potential season-ending victory to their captain. Head coach Hansi Flick dodged putting a specific time on how long Marc-Andre ter Stegen could be out, but admitted the injury to the goalkeeper was a serious one. “It looks like a serious injury, he felt it, you could see it on the pitch,” Flick said in his press conference. The German was visibly in pain as he was…
AC Milan gaffer Paulo Fonseca praised the courage and bravery of his players following their 2-1 triumph over city rivals Inter Milan on Sunday. Milan dug deep late on and secured maximum points through Matteo Gabia’s brilliant header from a freekick. The victory was Milan’s first in the Derby della Madonnina since 2022, following a run of six successive losses to Inter. “It was an important match. First of all, because it’s a derby that Milan hadn’t won in a long time. It was important given the moment we were going through,” said Fonseca to DAZN. “I think the players…
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted his side have been preparing since pre-season as they head for their third successive away game this week in a visit to the champions Manchester City in a massive Premier League clash on Sunday. The Gunners will round off a gritty week as they attempt to unseat the Cityzens as champions by getting one over them this season — after beating Tottenham in the North London derby last Sunday and then earning a point in the goalless draw at Atalanta in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s City side have bested Arsenal to the league crown…
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was cool headed after becoming the first manager to win his first three away games in the Premier League since his former boss Pep Guardiola in 2016. The former Leicester City manager and Manchester City assistant manager — guided the Blues to their 3-0 triumph at West Ham United on Saturday with Nicolas Jackson netting a brace and Cole Palmer’s near post finish. Following the efficient victory over their rivals, Maresca believes his young side still have room for improvement despite admitting there was progress. “The way the players are buying the idea, or the…
Carlo Ancelotti was pleased with his Real Madrid team’s display and resilience in their 4-1 comeback win against Espanyol on Saturday, after an error from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saw them go behind. The Los Blancos gaffer lauded his players’ reaction to pressure as they dominated the contest to earn maximum points following goals from Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe which helped cancel out their Belgian goalie’s early own goal following the restart. “We did well, with combinations inside, even if it didn’t all work out, we always kept trying,” Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “In…
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has rubbished talk suggesting the Arsenal players are scared of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland ahead of their Premier League clash on Sunday. City have been perfect in the league so far, winning all their games, while the Gunners have recorded three wins and a draw. The Cityzens’ 24-year-old goal machine, Haaland has been on a rampage this season, netting nine goals including two hat-tricks just four games into the season. Aiming to take his tally to a century, as he has netted 99 in 103 games, the Norwegian and his teammates next battle Inter Milan in the…
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has insisted his side are not afraid of Italian giants AC Milan ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash at San Siro, rather respect is the mantra. The Slot era seemed like it was going to be an eye-catching one, as the Reds began the campaign with three straight Premier League wins without conceding a goal, but last week’s stunning loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield has punctured the momentum. With a pursuit for a seventh European title on the horizon, Liverpool’s first mountain are seven-time winners Milan whom they first face in the revamped…