Sports Archives

Arteta Reflects on Five Years at Arsenal: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Arteta Reflects on Five Years at Arsenal: "The Best Is Yet to Come"

Arsenal’s head coach Mikel Arteta has provided messages of hope and thankfulness on Friday as he celebrates his 5th year anniversary with the London base club telling fans ‘the best is yet to come’.

Guardiola Committed to Haaland despite Manchester City Troubles

Manchester City’s boss Pep Guardiola continues to believe in Erling Haaland to start scoring again as long as the squad generally performs better. Haaland has scored only once in the previous five games for City, but Guardiola downplayed this tendency pointing to the team’s general performance.

City’s Struggles

Recent Form: Manchester City has endured a shocking period under Guardiola and has lost eight of the last 11 matches in all competitions.

Impact on Haaland: The Norwegian forward who was instrumental in City’s four back-to-back Premier League titles has been starved of service and playing time in recent matches.

Guardiola on Haaland and Team Relations

Guardiola rejected calls for him to go back to the formation that worked in the past, the popular ‘false nine’.

“I would like to play with Erling” he said.

He admitted that is a collective effort of the team to improve and make better chances for Haaland.

Guardiola said: ‘We have to play better to get the spaces for him’ and admitted that Haaland has problems when opponents put several markers on him.

January Transfer Window Contingencies

During Guardiola’s reign, City has not engaged in any significant business during January transfer window, with Laport arriving at the club in the middle of that specific window in 2018.

Still, Guardiola suggested this season could be different given the nature of the current ‘special circumstances’.

‘We have to see if something is possible, and if not, we will wait until the summer’ he said.

Looking Ahead

Manchester City is scheduled to face Aston Villa on Saturday decimal in a diferent Premier League match, with Guardiola still expecting a general upturn that should also take the drub and Haaland with it out of their current slump.

Much will be expected from the club in terms of their possible January signings, particularly as they pass through a difficult period of their season.

With Guardiola willing to fully back Haaland and possible new signings en route, Manchester City will look to return to their title-winning best in the coming weeks.

CAF President Motsepe to Tour East Africa as Preparations for CHAN 2024 Begin

CAF president Patrice Motsepe will arrive in the country on Friday for a two-day tour of East Africa to assess the level of preparedness for the upcoming CHAN that will be hosted from February 1-28, 2024.

Inspection Schedule

Dr. Motsepe’s itinerary includes

Thursday: They begin from Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam where he will make an assessment.

Friday Morning: Charles David interviewing people on construction of stadiums and other facilities during his visit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Friday Afternoon: Having completed the tour in Uganda, at Kampala.

Focus of the Visit

In the course of the tour, Dr. Motsepe will engage top government dignitaries, football administrators and Local Organising Committees (LOCs) of the three hosting nations. The agenda includes inspections of:

Stadiums and training sites under construction.
Shelter of teams and officials for the programs.

Other infrastructures and installations, thereof; airports.

This visit comes after a second assessment of CAF facilities in the host nations by a CAF delegation in November.

Enzo Maresca Hails Cole Palmer ’s Ability as Chelsea Eye Premier League Championship

Chelsea’s boss Enzo Maresca has come out to shower his praise on Cole Palmer, informing his audience that the young 22-year-old is a ‘different’ player whose abilities have greatly enhanced Chelsea to second place in the too much competitive English Premier League this season.

Palmer has been Chelsea’s leading striker and the team’s principal playmaker; he has scored 11 goals in 15 from the team this season and provided 6 assists. Collectively, composed and confident performances Jones’s excellent chipped penalty in the Chelsea match against Tottenham has made him to a standout performer.

Pride of Maresca received from Palmer

Maresca, who landed at Wolverhampton in 2012 from Manchester City where Palmer was once part of its Elite Development Squad told media how proud he was to be associated with the Englishman. He expounded on Palmer’s prefrontal and psychological performance and relaxation in key match situations, something typical of top talent.

Cole is another one out of the lot. Most top players have that kind of a demeanor, and it affords them liberty. Cole was like this five yeArs ago and he is still like this,” added Maresca.

Maresca fell short of anointing Palmer the best player in England, though he had huge words for the young footballer.

And at this moment, he could be that, but the fact is that England is blessed with a wealth of talent. Absolutely stated, Cole is one of them and may be, can be world-class. But he is just 22 and there is always time to learn and memorize the lessons,” he further pointed.

Chelsea’s Title Hopes and Champions League Chances

Chelsea, now four points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, welcome Brentford to Stamford Bridge on Sunday in the title race and the fight for Champions League football.

Maresca is confident that Palmer will also help Chelsea to continue its winning streak, but he also listed the obstacles the young forward has to overcome, namely man-to-man marking and physicality in the Premier League.

Palmer’s sterling performance at the beginning of the season has now firmly established him as part of the reason for Chelsea’s revival, with Maresca citing how the player relishes under pressure and keeps improving.

EPL followers and Chelsea lovers in particular will be looking forward to whether Palmer will continue with his brilliant form to help his side to clinch a trophy this current season.

Premier League Round-Up: Liverpool Stay Top, Arsenal Bridge the Gap

Liverpool’s Premier League lead has now been reduced to seven points after squandering a three-goal lead to secure just a draw at Newcastle United’s St. James’ Park. Mohamed Salah scored twice and took his goal tally for the season to 15 goals at Anfield but Caoimhinn Kelleher’s blunder in the final minutes gifted Fabian Schar the equalizer. Liverpool, who went into the match as the underdog, had their 15-game winning streak in league and domestic cup competitions under Arne Slot snapped for only the third time of the calendar year at Anfield.

Arsenal Take Advantage

Liverpool’s slip out was well exploited by Arsenal who went on to beat Manchester United 2-0, this was the first loss for Ruben Amorim who was United’s new manager. Two out of the three goals which include a goal by Jurrien Timber and the second goal by William Saliba where from set- pieces and demonstrated Arsenal’s strengths in aerial duels. Manager Mikel Arteta attributed the team’s form to say, “We scored two set-pieces, but we could’ve scored from open play many more.”

Chelsea’s Dominant Display

Chelsea rose to the second place with a comfortable 5-1 victory over a ten-man Southampton. Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, and Jadon Sancho put Southampton to the sword with a devastating display with the icing on the cake being a bizarre red card for Jack Stephens for pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair.

Manchester City finally escaped the grasp of a record-equaling string of games without a victory.

Kevin De Bruyne came back and spearheaded Manchester City to a 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest to break the seven-game losing streak. De Bruyne set up Bernardo Silva and put in a goal himself before a Jeremy Doku goal to make it 5-2. Manager Pep Guardiola hailed the performance of the Belgian, adding that the result was the team’s way of ending their struggling streak.

Other Results

The Bosman cleared its winless record with a 3-1 win over Brentford after goals from Morgan Rogers, Olufela Olamide, and Matty Cash.

Everton won 4-0 against Wolves helped by two own goals by Craig Dawson helping Everton to 5 points away from the relegation zone.

The fascinating matchday has established the battle line and will see the league entering the half-way move with plenty to fight for.

Amorim’s Home Debut Fuels Manchester United Recovery in a Dramatic Europa League Match

Hojlund returned to the spotlight with two goals as United beats Bodo/Glimt 3-2.

This new Old Trafford era gets off to a winning start for Ruben Amorim.

Manchester United loses to Bodo/Glimt in Ruben Amorim’s first home game as manager Thursday night 3-2 in Europa League. Rasmus Hojlund emerged the star man, scoring a decisive double and helping his side record back-to-back victory in the tournament after sacking Erik ten Hag.

The result gives a much-needed lift to United after their stuttering start to their Europa League title defence having drawn their first three group stage matches.

Half the stadium doesn’t know me — I came from Portugal and I have done nothing for this club yet! It will help them and their hard work But the feeling of being at home that they gave me is special,” Amorim said at the end of the match.

A First Half of Chaos Takes Centre Stage at Old Trafford

United did not take too long to come out of their shells and they opened the score in less than a minute. Spectating goalkeeper Nikita Haikin was stunned by a back-pass pressure and caused a blockage by Hojlund. Ortiz then blundered to concede an own goal with Garnacho, the beneficiary, scoring an open-net shot.

But nervy shortcomings were soon evident as Bodo/Glimt scored twice in a matter of minutes. United was left stunned when Hakon Evjen equalized in the 19th minute and then Philip Zinckernagel scored a composed finish four minutes later.

A great piece of play from Hojlund right before half time helped restore parity of the score. A nice piece of skill and a shot into the bottom right corner from a passing cross by Noussair Mazraoui gave motion to the stillness that was pretty much the proceeding minutes.

How the Second-Half Enable the Victory

The home side were back in front after just five minutes of the restart. A fine through ball from Manuel Ugarte gave Hojlund the simplest of tasks to tap in and make the home fans’ joy complete.

There was still a fair amount of nervy moments here and there for the cannons – such as goalkeeper Andre Onana handling the ball outside the box, though escaped a red card. However Osman’s side stood their grounds to give a good start to new manager at Old Trafford.

Roma Hands Tottenham Late Blow as Both Teams End 2-2

In other London match, Tottenham Hotspur lost to Roma 2-2. Mats Hummels provided the tort to Tottenham’s supporters when he equalized for the Italian side in the nick of the final whistle.

Spurs got off the block on the early side through a penalty from Son Heung-min after the foul on Pape Matar Sarr. Evan Ndicka performed well in equalising from a Paulo Dybala free kick, but Brennan Johnson shone again as he scored for the London side before half time.

Roma Hands Tottenham Late Blow as Both Teams End 2-2

In other London match, Tottenham Hotspur lost to Roma 2-2. Mats Hummels provided the tort to Tottenham’s supporters when he equalized for the Italian side in the nick of the final whistle.

Throughout the second half, Spurs had most of the possession but could not quite secure a victory; indeed, in the final minutes, Hummels netted home to leave Spurs’ Ange Postecoglou outside of the top eight due to goal difference.

“We should have had a better handle on ourselves,” said Postecoglou. “We had opportunities that were saved off the line and it kept them alive.”

Other Europa League Highlights

First, Athletic Bilbao dominated Elfsborg, winning 3-0, they are now equal with Lazio, who lost points after settling for a 0-0 draw against Ludogorets.

Eintracht Frankfurt clinched a 2-1 victory over Midtjylland in Denmark; the team’s sixth straight victory was provided by a penalty shot by Omar Marmoush.

Victor Osimhen of Galatasary was on the swell again, securing his seventh goal in his seventh consecutive match. But as it turns out, a 1-1 stalemate with the Dutch side, Alkmaar AZ plunge the Turkish giants back two points behind the group leaders.

Lyon rose to seventh after a 4-1 whomping of Qarabag in Baku, thanks to Georgia-born striker Georges Mikautadze’s brace.

Rangers continue to battle in domestic leagues, but overwhelmed their opponents with a four-one triumph, helping them solidify their standing in the group.

Chelsea on Marches again with the fourth consecutive victory.

Chelsea extended on their winning streak in the Conference League with a clear 2-0 win, impressive performances by Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk.

Nkunku put Dortmund in the lead on the first half of the second half after he had Marketed a cross of Jadon Sancho and scored a splendid goal in the top side of the goal area. Filip Jorgensen, Chelsea’s goalkeeper, secured the game with a double save to prevent the visitors from scoring and Mudryk put the final nail in the visitors’ coffin with a neat turn and finish during added time after a fine one-two with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

Europa League: The Way Forward

As the stakes for the group stages rise, everyone will be focusing on qualification chances with Manchester United gaining form under Ruben Amorim and other main contenders Tottenham, Lazio and Eintracht Frankfurt.

“Confused and Afraid”: Rúben Amorim’s Man United Era Begins with a Frustrating Ipswich Draw

"Confused and Afraid": Rúben Amorim’s Man United Era Begins with a Frustrating Ipswich Draw

“Confused and Afraid”: Rúben Amorim’s Man United Era Begins with a Frustrating Ipswich Draw

New Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim begins his Premir League tenure on a rough note as it draws 1-1 against Ipswich Town.

Rashford early goal creates hope for the team.

Manchester United thrilled its fans to an early lead through Marcus Rashford in the second minute raising hopes for a new dawn for Rúben Amorim. However, the joy was cut short when, Omari Hutchinson of Ipswich Town equalised with a deflected shot before the break and they showed United again their bad sides of play.

Amorim Gets Realistic About Its Difficult Early Years

Rúben Amorim appointed from Sporting Lisbon as the replacement of Erik ten Hag seemed not to fear the remaining challenges. But his team, he said, had not been assertive enough and perhaps too tactical at times.

“It’s a tough league. I could get an impression it a bit over-possessing during the game – not only while making a pass but even in other situations on the field,” the trainer of the los six players said during an interview. His much-celebrated 3-4-3 formation which really worked well while in Portugal looked all raw dearly after only two sessions of training following an international break.

When you start with an early goal you must control the tempo. Right now, we can’t do that. ‘We must understand that on the pitch there are certain moments to control the ball and specific moments,’ Amorim said.

That is why players are struggling with confidence.

Amorim served no filter on the state of mind of his team. ‘The first half we played out of fear’. They are a little confused because it’s normal expecting two days of preparation before exams or tests prep. You look at it in the numbers and the choices made on the football pitch.

However, Amorim remained optimistic and asked for time on his side, as he revealed his plan for the medium and long term of the club. “We have two options: play it safe and push for marginal victories in a target market only to encounter the same challenges in the following year or adopt a new strategic direction in your marketing approach, agree to endure losses in the short run in order to gain more in the long run, he stated.

Concerning fitness and physicality as discipular object-technology Fitness and Physicality Under the Spotlight

This season, the tough Premier League schedule was a wake-up call for Amorim’s team, who the manager himself pointed out had physical weaknesses.

It is crucial that the players know the game first for them to win. Then, they need to have some muscle to let them push through some highly stressed situations. which will take time, but is important, Amorim pointed out The process to regain investor confidence ‘will take time but it is necessary’ Amorim pointed out.

Mixed Reactions from Fans

While some supporters saw some glimmer of attacking potential in United, many more were justifiably angered by the team’s shocking defensive frailties and lack of cohesion. The draw means United is 12th in the league which is a very long shot from what this club and its fans are used to.

Anyway, the expectations from Amorim are high given the upcoming severe clashes and he must immediately show the team’s stability. However, the desire to construct a sustainable personality of the team may need some time from the fans eager to see a miraculous transformation.

Amorim’s Redemption Journey Starts

As Manchester United moves to a new chapter under Rúben Amorim, prospects are quite bleak. Can the Portuguese strategist overcome the problems faced in the Premier League and make United a great team again? It has only started and now everyone is looking at Old Trafford.

Chelsea Flying High: Leicester City vs Chelsea as Arsenal Keeps the Heat on the Top

Chelsea claimed a final sixteen dramatic 2-1 success against Leicester City at the weekend as Enzo Maresca makes a return to the King Power Stadium. The win puts Chelsea a point from second placed Manchester City in the English Premier League, although Arsenal ensured that pressure was maintained on their title rivals by beating Nottingham Forest in a later kick off.

Chelsea’s Commanding Start

Starting strongly and relentlessly, Chelsea looked a side on a rampage from the very tonic. Nicolas Jackson started well, displayed confidence and physical strength, to make the visitors deservedly ahead. Nevertheless, the first-half dominance failed to translate into fuller exploitation by the Blues that otherwise was a clearly better team.

Jose Felix, who only had his first start in the English top tier this campaign, came close twice with his shots in the first quarter an hour. Newcastle was able to break down a stubborn Stoke side just after half time when Jackson pounced on a mistake from Wout Faes, and instinctively put the ball in the net to make it his seventh league goal of the season.

Leicester Fights Back

Leicester, with the encouragement of the home fans, began to get close to equalizing as the first half ended. This was Kasey McAteer’s first full Premier League appearance, and nearly equalize, while Wilfred Ndidi wasted a good chance. He looked like Chelsea was finally having a slip and the tide began to turn.

A Game of Narrow Margins

The second half came closer to seeing Chelsea almost concede a ridiculous own goal as Noni Madueke nearly turned a Cole Palmer shoot into his net. It was again Chelsea that kept on probing and was rewarded in the 75 minute when a Jackson shot rebounded off the post and was met by the head of Enzo Fernandez, who scored what seemed to be the final goal to Coppa Italia’s two goals cushion.

Late Drama

Leicester wasn’t done yet. Late into the stoppage time, Jordan Ayew also scored a penalty after Bobby De Cordova-Reid made a clumsy challenge. But Chelsea stood their ground and got the valuable three points that take them to 22, three points behind City and three points ahead of Arsenal.

About the Challenges Ahead for Leicester

The defeat put Leicester in a very vulnerable position for the relegation zone. Worse still was the revelation this week from the team manager, Steve Cooper that winger Abdul Fatawu would be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

As Chelsea play up to par and Leicester grappling on the lower half, this Premier League season promises to deliver more. Is the Blues ready to continue this climb up the ladder, or will Leicester learn how to free themselves from the danger zone? Stay tuned!

Amorim Era starts at Man Utd, Man City looks to reclaim its past fortunes

Premier League action this weekend will be chock-full of drama with Ruben Amorim getting his turn in the Manchester United limelight while Pep Guardiola is set to bring a stop to Manchester City’s free-fall. Here’s what you need to know:

Amorim strikes big on its first day at Manchester United

The wait is over—Ruben Amorim officially takes the helm of Manchester United tomorrow when the Red Devils are at Portman Road to play a rejuvenated Ipswich Town.

They defeated Tottenham after an incredible 22-year span without a win and Ipswich is now eyeing Old Trafford’s newest boss as their next scalp.

United’s Away Day Blues: Amorim has inherited a squad with a lot of drawbacks, especially an awful record in away games. This season, under Erik ten Hag, United has registered a single victory in their seven away games.

Even now United is 13th, but only four points from the top four, and for Amorim that is an ideal chance to start to improve the team’s positions. Club captain Bruno Fernandes offered insight into what the Portuguese brings to the table:

The most memorable thing is his relation to the players. I can watch the kind of send off they give him and the kind of attitude they have for him—it defines him and how much he offers to the team.”

Can Amorim rekindle the flame at Portimonense and begin his time as the team’s new leader well?

31 Things You Did Not Think That Man City Can do, Including Losing Streak

In the other town Pep Guardiola is experiencing a crisis that in his coaching career he has never witnessed. Manchester City has lost four games in a row – this is the first time in his career Guardiola was defeated four times in a row.

But it’s not all bad news. He has recently been linked with a move to Barcelona after signing a new two-year deal that will surely help City to start fighting for the top four, let alone challenging for the Premier League title.

Injury Woes and Title Hopes: The international break comes at a time the key players are out of action with injuries and Guardiola has taken the opportunity to reset and encourage his men. But time is an issue and City now sits five points behind Liverpool.

They also have the statistics on their side – no team that has been six points clear of second place after 11 games has been denied the title. For Liverpool, the next weekend’s match against Manchester City is already in the horizon, thus this weekend’s showdown with Tottenham must be won.

Who Will Seize the Spotlight?

Will an exciting start at Man United inspire David Amorim to produce another great GT performance or will the Tractor Boys follow up their magic by sending the Mancunians back home disappointed? Can Guardiola overcome City’s slump and start their title defense spree?

We Want Your Take!

📊 How would you bet on Amorim’s debut?

🔥 Is this the year that City’s rivals take their crown, or will the English giants respond?