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Tactical analysis: How Manchester City broke their Anfield curse with a fantastic victory over Liverpool
It was that time of year again – it was time for the big one. Two of English football’s most rampant and successful teams in the last few years, who had formed an elite century-nearing or even – in the case of Manchester City in 2017/18 – century-completing duopoly. This match was always a title-decider in the last few years, and it had the potential to be just that once again. With the chasing pack stuttering and stumbling (Manchester United drawing late on to Everton and Leicester’s blank against Wolverhampton Wanderers), City were almost running away with the league, as they went into this match two points clear with two games in hand. 13 (non-penalty shootout) wins in a row in all competitions represented their best-ever winning streak, while over 450 minutes without conceding a league...
Alan Shearer claims ‘sublime’ Spurs player wasn’t ‘100 percent’ vs West Brom
Former great Newcastle United striker turned popular football pundit Alan Shearer has showered praise on Harry Kane after Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 against West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Sunday. The 27-year-old striker returned to action ahead of schedule after missing the previous two games with an ankle injury. Shearer was full of praise for the England striker and has hailed him as ‘sublime’. The former Newcastle striker told the BBC that he wasn’t entirely sure about whether Kane was fully fit for the game, adding he was very impressive against the Baggies. “What a performance he put in,” he told Match of the Day 2. “I don’t think he was 100 percent. There was a little bit of doubt in his mind there. So clever the movement for his goal. Big Sam will moan that he’s g...
Joey Barton comments on ‘superb’ £90k-per-week Liverpool player after latest display
Former Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton has reacted on Twitter to Alisson’s performance after Liverpool lost 4-1 at Anfield on Sunday. After going 68 games undefeated at home, Liverpool have now lost three games at Anfield in a row, and their latest defeat against City will hurt them badly. Alisson was at fault for two of City’s four goals as Pep Guardiola’s side stretched their lead to 10 points over the Reds, and they also have a game in hand. The Brazilian, who is on £90k-per-week wages at Anfield, had a dreadful afternoon. His two poor clearances dropped at the feet of City players, both resulting in goals. Barton took to Twitter to suggest that Alisson will recover from this mistake as there aren’t enough keepers who are better than him. Allison has been superb fo...
‘Incredible’, ‘Fantastic performance’: Some Man City fans praise midfielder’s display vs Liverpool
A section of Manchester City fans on Twitter have hailed the performance of Ilkay Gundogan during the club’s stunning 4-1 Premier League win at Liverpool. The Cityzens went into the game in superb form with 13 straight wins across all competitions which included nine in the top-flight. The club had the chance to take the lead at the midway stage of the first-half at Anfield after being handed a penalty for a foul on Raheem Sterling. However, Gundogan squandered the opportunity as he fired his effort over the top of Alisson Becker’s goal. The teams went goalless at the interval, but Gundogan made amends shortly after the break after scoring from a rebound off Phil Foden’s shot. The Reds levelled the scores through Mohamed Salah’s penalty after the hour mark, but just 10 minutes later Gundog...
Report: Thomas Tuchel provides update on Thiago Silva’s injury, explains Pulisic absence
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has provided an update on Christian Pulisic and Thiago Silva after the duo missed the Premier League clash against Sheffield United last night. Silva picked up a thigh injury against Tottenham Hotspur earlier last week and he was always a big doubt to face the Blades on the road. As such, there were no surprises over his absence for Sunday’s game where Andreas Christensen took his place in the back three. Speaking after the Blues’ 2-1 win, Tuchel revealed that Silva is working hard to make his comeback and may return for the Southampton trip on February 20. “We are doing everything and I know Thiago will do everything to be ready as soon as possible,” he was quoted as saying on the club’s official website. “Thiago, we are fighting every day. He will be for sure o...
‘So good’, ‘Special player’: Some Man City fans hail attacker’s display vs Liverpool
Some Manchester City fans on Twitter have hailed the performance of Phil Foden during the club’s comfortable 4-1 Premier League win over Liverpool on Sunday. The Cityzens headed into the Reds clash on the back of a nine-match winning league streak, but they had an average first-half where Ilkay Gundogan missed a penalty. Gundogan made amends within four minutes of the restart as he scored from the rebound of Foden’s shot which was saved by Alisson. Mohamed Salah brought the Reds back into the game by scoring from the penalty spot after the hour mark, but the Cityzens soon fought back to take the lead. A poor pass from Alisson gifted Bernardo Silva with possession and he squared the ball to Gundogan for an easy tap-in. Moments later, Alisson made another blunder by passing the ball straight...
Former Arsenal defender hits out at Arteta over defensive failures
Former Arsenal defender Armand Traore has criticised Mikel Arteta over his failure to address the club’s defensive issues. Kieran Tierney’s absence through injury has left the Gunners’ boss short of options at left-back over the past few games. Cedric Soares has been deployed as Tierney’s replacement despite being more comfortable playing at right-back. Speaking to Stadium Astro after Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday, Traore hit out at Arteta’s failure to resolve the problem. “I would have liked to see a left-back coming in for cover for Kieran because I believe that he has got a lot of injuries issues at the moment,” he said. “The fact that they didn’t was a bit disappointing. I don’t like seeing Cedric at left-back. He’s a right-footed player and it creates an imbalance wi...
PL legend urges Arsenal boss to resist temptation to sell ‘quality’ player
Former Celtic and Aston Villa midfielder Stylian Petrov has urged Mikel Arteta not to sell Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette. The Frenchman had a lofty reputation when he signed for the Premier League club in 2017, but he has failed to live up to expectations. The 29-year-old has scored 58 goals in 154 appearances for Arsenal, but Petrov believes he still has plenty to offer the north London club. “I think Lacazette has the quality and ability to make the difference,” he told Stadium Astro. “If they add the right players around Lacazette they can still see the best of him. “You can still use him as long as you add more players and better quality around him.” SL View It is fair to say that Lacazette hasn’t quite delivered what was expected of him at Arsenal. His impressive goalscoring rec...
West Ham United linked with unrealistic bid for prolific forward – opinion
“David Moyes wants West Ham scouts to track Blackburn hotshot Adam Armstrong ahead of a summer bid.” Alan Nixon. The Sun. That’s probably all you need to know about this nonsense. Apparently, ‘(David) Moyes likes the 18-goal striker and considered an £8 million offer in the January window’. Maybe he was also considering ditching his wife and trading her in for a younger model. Who knows? Nixon goes on to say that the West Ham boss held off in favour of continuing his checks to see if Armstrong is worth the £10m-plus that Rovers want. SL View Where to begin with this one? Nixon – also known as the Twitter blocking machine – likes to portray himself as something of a transfer expert on Lancashire clubs. He isn’t. Let’s break this down. Moyes considered an £8 million offer for Armstrong? Good...
‘Had a shocker’, ‘Terrible’ – Some Man Utd fans are unhappy with 30-yr-old’s display last night
Manchester United dropped two valuable points against Everton in the Premier League last night. Despite having a comfortable lead in the first half, the Old Trafford outfit managed to end up drawing the game and it could have a big impact on their title aspirations. United had a great chance of going level on points with league leaders Manchester City with a win last night. City face Liverpool in the Premier League later today and it could be a vital game in this season’s title race. Meanwhile, United will feel that they could have easily won the game if not for a mediocre performance from goalkeeper David de Gea. The 30-year-old Spaniard has not been at his best for a while now and he was responsible for a couple of goals the conceded by the home side. The Spaniard should have done better...
‘Looked amazing’, ‘Just brilliant’ – Some Newcastle fans are in awe of 26-yr-old’s display
Paraguayan international Miguel Almiron put in an incredible shift as Newcastle United secured a thrilling 3-2 win over Southampton in the Premier League yesterday. The 26-year-old was outstanding for the home side and he managed to score a match-winning brace. Apart from his goals, the attacking midfielder worked his socks off and helped out the side defensively. His work rate and creativity seem to have impressed the fans immensely. Almiron has shown his quality every time he has been played in his natural position this season and the fans will be hoping for more of the same in the coming weeks. Steve Bruce must look to use his key players in their natural roles if Newcastle are to succeed this season. He has often been criticised for his tendency to use the likes of Isaac Hayden in the ...
‘Great performance’, ‘Very impressed’ – Some Celtic fans lavish praise on 21-yr-old after yesterday’s win
Celtic picked up a 2-1 win over Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership last night and Neil Lennon will be impressed with some of the performances from his players. The home side managed to close the gap with Rangers to 20 points with the win. Young centre back Stephen Welsh certainly made an impression for the home side. He managed to score his first goal for Celtic and he put in an assured defensive display. The reigning champions were in desperate need of a reliable centre back after Shane Duffy’s abysmal performances this season and it will be interesting to see if Welsh can establish himself as a regular starter in the coming weeks. The young defender seems calm and composed in pressure situations and he showed yesterday that he can chip in with vital goals as well. His display yesterd...
