General Football News
‘Really happy for him’: Mikel Arteta praises Arsenal star after West Brom display
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was pleased with Aaron Ramsdale’s debut in goal against West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night. The Gunners’ new signing was preferred ahead of Bernd Leno for the Carabao Cup second round tie, and he was kept busy at the Hawthorns. The Baggies were far from full strength with six debutants from the academy, but Ramsdale was called upon to make four key saves. One of those was with his left foot after a big deflection. He was made to earn his clean sheet, and Arteta was pleased with his showing. He told Arsenal.com: “I’m really happy with him. He hasn’t trained a lot with us, but you can see the qualities he has.” “He’s a really young goalkeeper – he’s done a lot already in the league, and you can see the presence and the personality he has when he plays.” Rams...
‘Looked sharp’, ‘Happy’: Some Arsenal fans pleased for €25m-rated star after West Brom win
A selection of Arsenal fans were pleased for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as he grabbed a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday. The Gunners made the trip to the Hawthorns for the Carabao Cup second round tie, and they were clear favourites when the matchday squads were put up. Baggies boss Valerien Ismael handed surprise debuts to six academy players. It was expected that the Gunners would win comfortably on the night. They still needed to produce a strong performance after back-to-back league defeats, and Aubameyang stood out with a hat-trick alongside an assist. He scored his first two goals with simple tap-ins while assisting Nicolas Pepe before the break. His bicycle kick ended up into a nice pass for the Ivorian. Shortly after the hour mark, Aubameyang appeared...
Man Utd, Liverpool and co. find out their fixtures for the Carabao Cup third round
The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup has been completed. The second round brought about a number of big results. Aston Villa, Norwich City, and Arsenal all hit their opponents for six, while Southampton comfortably defeated Newport County 8-0. Top flight sides Newcastle United and Crystal Palace were eliminated early. Seven more teams enter the competition at this stage, with all clubs participating in Europe being given a bye to the third round. Manchester City get in on the act as they look to win their fifth Carabao Cup in a row, while Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester City, West Ham United, and Tottenham Hotspur also join. Man City have won the competition four years on the trot The Cityzens begin the defence of their crown with a visit from League One side Wy...
EFL confirms players will not be released for internationals in ‘red list’ countries
The English Football League have announced that international players for ‘red list’ nations will not be allowed to play in the upcoming international break. The United Kingdom government have compiled a ‘red list’ of countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is mostly comprised of countries in South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. Anyone who enters the UK from a ‘red list’ country must complete ten days of quarantine. This would have an impact on the football season, as many would be ineligible to play in the games after the break. Infantino has reached out to the UK government The Premier League recently confirmed their status, denying players the right to play for their national teams. Meanwhile, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has appealed to Prime Minister Boris ...
Report: Club ready to sell defender amid interest from Celtic and Leeds
Dundee United are set to cash in on defender Kerr Smith before the summer transfer window shuts amid interests from Celtic and Leeds United. According to The Scottish Sun, both clubs are monitoring the situation, with Southampton, Crystal Palace and Leicester City also monitoring the 16-year-old. Despite his age, Smith has made two senior-team appearances this term having made his debut last season, and is regarded as one of Scottish football’s top young talents. Dundee Utd have knocked back two bids from Southampton, but are very much open to selling their academy graduate before the end of the month. Sportslens View The Sun’s Alan Nixon reported back in May that Aston Villa, Manchester United and Liverpool are also looking at the youngster, and he definitely has something in him to have ...
Arteta to make six changes | Predicted Arsenal line-up (4-2-3-1) vs West Bromwich Albion
Arsenal make the trip to Midlands for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup second round tie against West Bromwich Albion. The Gunners have had a dismal beginning to the new season with back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. They will be keen to make amends with a victory against the Baggies, who are flying high in the Championship. The club have received a boost with six players returning to training. Martin Odegaard has been granted a work permit. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line-up: Bernd Leno’s position has been questioned recently, but came up with a top performance against Chelsea last weekend that included a superb reflex save. Mikel Arteta has generally opted for the second-choice goalkeeper for the League Cup games. Aaron Ramsdale could be in line to make his debut tomorrow. There could b...
Liverpool and Manchester United legends state their Premier League predictions for 2021/22 season
Speaking on Monday Night Football, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville stated their predictions for the ongoing Premier League campaign. Champions and Top four The duo were initially asked to pick the potential champions for the season, and there were no surprises with both going with Manchester City to retain their title. With the big-money acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea are being fancied by many to be the immediate challengers to the Cityzens for the English crown. Carragher and Neville backed the Blues to finish as runners-up, with Liverpool and Manchester United making up the remaining Champions League places. Overachievers When asked about the overachievers for the season, Carragher chose to go with Brighton & Hove Albion, who has made a 100 percent start to the campaign. The ...
Report: Neymar tells PSG to bring Everton star to Parc des Princes
Paris Saint-Germain have contacted the representatives of Everton attacking midfielder Richarlison about a possible move, according to RMC Sport. Kylian Mbappe is yet to sign a contract extension with less than 11 months left on his deal, and the French giants could be forced to sell him this summer. If that happens, PSG have identified Richarlison as his potential replacement, with Neymar backing them to make a move and convincing the French giants he has the qualities to play for the side. Sportslens View The Brazil international has been continuously linked with a Goodison Park exit almost from the moment he joined them from Watford, and his departure is a matter of “when” and not “if”. Could it happen this summer? That is not looking like a possibility at the moment, with just around a...
Report: Liverpool interested in Rangers man Benitez wants at Goodison Park
Liverpool are keeping a keen interest in Rangers right-back and Everton target Nathan Patterson, according to The Scottish Sun. The Toffees manager Rafa Benitez wants the 19-year-old at Goodison Park, and his side have already tabled a £5 million bid which has since been knocked back. However, Liverpool have been tracking the two-time Scotland international since the start of the year and are keeping tabs on his development. Sportslens View The Reds currently have Trent Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams as options at right-back, while utility man James Milner can also play in the position. On that basis, an immediate move for Patterson does not look to be on the cards, which gives Everton a chance. The Toffees want the Rangers academy graduate this summer, having identified him as a long-...
Teenager closes in on legends, but Manchester United still have glaring issue
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Southampton at St Mary’s on Sunday. It was a disappointing afternoon for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as they yet again dropped crucial points at the start of the season. On a positive note, United extended their unbeaten run away from home to 27 games, equalling Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in 2004. 27 – Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 27 away Premier League matches (W17 D10), equalling the longest away unbeaten in English top-flight history, set by Arsenal between April 2003 and September 2004. Adventures. pic.twitter.com/kC6TN7hiQa — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 22, 2021 A notable trait in yesterday’s game was United’s threat from attacking set-pieces. Paul Pogba had two great opportunities to score from corners, with Harry Maguire a...
Report: Leeds and Dean Smith want player after he severed ties with Everton
Leeds United and Aston Villa want left-back Thierry Small following his Everton exit, according to The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland. The 17-year-old has cut ties with the Toffees after deciding to cancel his two-year scholarship early, and he can sign for a new club but a compensation fee would be payable to Everton. Small’s decision was made by him and his representatives and was not reached by mutual agreement with the Goodison Park outfit. He was offered his first professional contract with Everton earlier this month but declined to sign it. Sportslens View While he played mainly for Everton’s youth team, he became their youngest player when he played the final five minutes of the FA Cup fourth round tie with Sheffield Wednesday in January at just 16 years and 176 days. Small is highly ra...
Aubameyang and Saka return, Predicted Arsenal line-up (3-4-3) vs Chelsea
Arsenal take on London rivals Chelsea in Sunday’s Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners had a horrendous start to the new campaign with a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Brentford. They were without seven first-team stars for the derby due to injuries and COVID-19. Among those absentees, only Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Willian stand the possibility of facing the Blues. The Gunners will also be without Martin Odegaard, who has not received a work permit after rejoining the club. Mikel Arteta’s side are far from full strength and appear underdogs for the London derby. They can take heart from the fact that their recent record against the Blues has been good. The club have won three of the last five meetings. They did the double last season. Formation: 3-4-3 Predicted Line-...
