General Football News
Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Manchester United vs Leeds United
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his prediction for tomorrow’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford. The Red Devils finished as runners-up in the league last term, but they ended the campaign on a disappointing note with a defeat in the Europa League final. They will kickstart the new league season with an early kick-off on Saturday. The club are favourites against old rivals Leeds, and Lawrenson has backed them for a 2-1 win. He said: “I’m looking forward to seeing Jadon Sancho in action – I think everyone is except for Leeds fans. “This will be a lot closer than the 6-2 win that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side enjoyed at the end of last year, but I’d still expect them to take the points.” “They need to improve on their home form from la...
Mark Lawrenson states his prediction for Brentford vs Arsenal
BBC football expert Mark Lawrenson has stated his prediction for the Premier League curtain-raiser between Brentford and Arsenal tonight. The Bees have returned to the top-flight after 74 years. They are set to host the Gunners, who were their last opponents before they were relegated back in 1948. Thomas Frank’s side will be motivated ahead of the season opener on their home turf, and Lawrenson has backed them to share the spoils in a 1-1 draw. He said: “I fancy them to get something out of this one, because they are at home and in front of their fans, and we also don’t know what to expect from Arsenal yet, in terms of form or how their fitness will compare with the Bees.” Sportslens view: The Bees were the best attacking outfit in the Championship last term, registering 79 goals during t...
White and Lokonga set for debuts, Predicted Arsenal line up (4-2-3-1) vs Brentford
Arsenal make the short trip to west London for the Premier League opener against newly-promoted Brentford on Friday night. The Gunners have won on the first matchday of the previous two seasons, and they are favourites for the London derby. However, they can’t afford any complacency. Thomas Frank’s side can provide a genuine scoring threat on the counter-attack. Formation: 4-2-3-1 Predicted Line up: Arsenal’s backline appears sorted. Bernd Leno is the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, and he is expected to start between the sticks. New signing Ben White is set to make his debut at the heart of the defence. He is likely to be accompanied by a left-footed centre-back. With Gabriel Magalhaes injured, Pablo Mari appears most likely to accompany the England international in central defence. C...
‘Very excited’: Mikel Arteta talks about £120,000-a-week Arsenal star ahead of Brentford clash
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that he is ‘very excited’ about summer signing Ben White ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser at Brentford. The Gunners start the new campaign with an away trip to the Bees on Friday night. White is widely expected to start alongside Pablo Mari in central defence. In the pre-match press conference, Arteta said that White was a long term target for the club, and he is delighted with how he has settled. He told Arsenal.com: “I am very excited. He is a player that we have looked at for a long time. He fitted the profile of exactly what we wanted, and he’s settling in really well.” White has impressed the club’s supporters in recent pre-season games against Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. He will make his competitive debut tomorrow. There will be high...
Barcelona set to pay Messi €39m loyalty bonus even after PSG transfer
Barcelona will pay departing star Lionel Messi a €39 million loyalty bonus, according to Spanish source El Mundo. Messi has been one of the sport’s most influential figures in recent history. He spent 17 years at Barcelona, scoring over 700 career goals and winning countless trophies. During that time, he became a Blaugrana legend and a footballing icon. Messi scores one of the most iconic goals of his career against Bayern Munich in 2015 However, the last few months have gone sour at Camp Nou. Last year, he submitted a transfer request after a trophy-less campaign. But following a stand-off with former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, he stayed at the club. Everything looked in place for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to extend his contract at Barcelona this summer. They had won the Copa ...
Alan Shearer’s instant reaction as reported Newcastle target joins another EPL club
Adam Armstrong has joined Southampton after leaving Championship club Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has provided an instant reaction to the move on Twitter. The English striker was linked with a return to St James’ Park before the Saints completed a move for him, but the Magpies have a 40 percent sell-on agreement and are due a windfall following the deal. Newcastle have missed out on a quality hitman, but Shearer has wished him well on his return to the English top-flight. Good luck @AdamArma9 at a brilliant football club. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/CFsS7uxEBX — Alan Shearer (@alanshearer) August 10, 2021 Sportslens View Armstrong ended last season with 29 goals across all competitions and has been task...
Report: ‘World-class’ midfielder linked with Everton & Villa wants to leave London club
Fulham midfielder Andre-Frank Anguissa wants to leave the club and was excluded from the matchday squad against Middlesbrough on Sunday as a result, according to The Athletic. The Cameroon international is subject to interest from clubs in the Premier League, and has been linked with Aston Villa and Everton, with the Daily Mail claiming suitors would have to part with £20 million to have a chance of signing him. Anguissa has made it clear he does not want to play in the Championship, and Fulham are expected to part ways with him if a suitable offer is brought forward. Sportslens View The Cottagers co-owner Tony Khan called the 25-year-old a world-class talent after he joined Fulham in the summer of 2018, and he has proven his quality despite ending the two campaigns he has spent with them ...
‘He was really good’: Mikel Arteta praises £120,000-a-week star after Tottenham Hotspur loss
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was impressed with Ben White’s display during the club’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Gunners ended their pre-season campaign with a defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Heung-min Son bagged the only goal in the 79th minute. Speaking after the game, Arteta was asked about White’s performance. He was full of praise for the centre-back, who played just over an hour. He told Arsenal.com: “Yeah, he was really good. But again, it’s a match where they haven’t played. “Some of them they’ve [only] trained for four or five days. So you can still see, and we didn’t want to risk many more, but it was a good start.” Sportslens view: White was confident with the ball at his feet, and he made a couple of engaging runs from the defence, drawing ...
‘Ready to start’, ‘Superb’: Some Arsenal fans praise ‘exceptional’ player after Tottenham defeat
A selection of Arsenal fans on Twitter heaped praise on Albert Sambi Lokonga following a solid midfield display against Tottenham Hotspur. The Belgian joined the Gunners from Anderlecht as a relatively unknown, but he has earned plenty of plaudits from the fans during pre-season. With Thomas Partey’s injury, he was picked to start alongside Granit Xhaka against Spurs. The 21-year-old made a good impression in his 73 minutes. He showed excellent ball control in the centre of the park. He displaced just one of his 32 passes attempted in the opening half of the friendly. The derby result did not go in the Gunners’ favour with a 1-0 defeat. They could have quite easily lost by a bigger margin on some other day. However, Lokonga’s performance was one of the big positives from the game. Some of ...
‘Incredible’, ‘Magnificent’: Some Manchester United fans praise 26-year-old’s display vs Everton
A selection of Manchester United fans on Twitter heaped praise on Bruno Fernandes following his sublime display against Everton on Saturday. The Portuguese recently returned to training after his delayed vacation due to European Championship duty. He continued from where he left off last season against the Toffees. Fernandes looked his old self as he pressed aggressively and demanded the ball. He also bagged a sublime free-kick in his 45-minute appearance. The Red Devils sealed a comfortable 4-0 win at Old Trafford. Some United fans were delighted with the response from Fernandes in his first pre-season outing. Twitter reactions: BRUNO FERNANDES WITH A 20 YARD PENALTY WE ARE REALLY BACKKK — Trey (@UTDTrey) August 7, 2021 Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring a brilliant FK in front of 55,000 ...
Brendan Rodgers reveals when Wesley Fofana could return to action for Leicester City
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Wesley Fofana will be sidelined for the rest of the year after his horrific leg break against Villarreal. The Frenchman suffered the horrendous injury after a reckless challenge from Fernando Nino. Rodgers has now confirmed that the Frenchman has a long road to recovery. Speaking after the 1-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City, Rodgers said that the centre-back will have an operation on Monday, and will recover at the club. In his interview, he also confirmed that Fofana will miss a vast chunk of the 2021/22 season. He was hopeful over his return at some time next year. He said: “He will play in 2022 at some time. Unfortunately the ligament damage is quite bad. He is in great spirits, he wants to stay here in and be aro...
Pep Guardiola on Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and potential summer exits
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was quizzed about the club’s chances of signing Lionel Messi and Harry Kane ahead of the Community Shield clash against Leicester City tomorrow. The Cityzens secured the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a British-record £100 million fee last night. However, the main focus was on Messi after Barcelona confirmed the decision to part company with the Argentinian forward. The Premier League champions are among the favourites to sign Messi on a free transfer. When asked about the possibility, Guardiola said that the Argentine is not in the club’s thoughts after the surprise announcement. He said: “We spent £40m on Jack Grealish. We paid £100m and brought £60m in the last year. “He will wear the No 10 because we were incredibly convinced with ...
