FOOTBALL

Will Arsenal sack Arteta?

Published

3 years ago

August 23, 2021

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It was the first time in 18 months since the Emirates welcomed a match-day crowd.

But Arsenal fans can’t say they liked what they saw on the pitch on their return to their home ground.

The scenes were eerily similar to those at Brentford a week ago.

Even the vocal support of a red and white sea failed to save them from another dismal 2-0 defeat.

It would be harsh on Mikel Arteta if you specifically blame him for the Chelsea defeat.

The Gunners took on the defending European champions with a number of key absentees, including their new £50m center-back Ben White.

Covid and injuries had drastically limited Arteta’s selection pool.

Therefore, Arteta can ask for some sympathy in this regard.

But, the air of malaise that you can sense around the Emirates today didn’t stem from a single defeat.

Too many games lost

The home defeat to Chelsea was Arsenal’s 20th loss under Arteta.

Pep Guardiola’s apprentice had managed the North London outfit in 60 matches.

That means he has lost one-third of the matches in his managerial career. Not an impressive stat, by any means.

The sweet memories of beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final seem like a far distant memory these days.

Winning a trophy within a few months of his appointment earned the Spaniard huge credibility among the fans and the Arsenal hierarchy.

But, a lacklustre 8th place finish has incredibly dwindled Arteta’s stock, especially to fans.

After a chaotic start to the 2020/21 season, Arsenal showed signs of resurgence in the second half of the season.

Post-Christmas, Mikel Arteta’s men won more points than all other teams in the division bar champions Manchester City.

Even such a tremendous upturn in form could take them as far as 8^th. This highlights how poor Arsenal had been on the first half of the campaign.

The ultimate insult

The biggest insult for Arteta was perhaps losing to his predecessor Unai Emery in the Europa League semifinal.

Emery, who was sacked mid-season because of Arsenal’s poor run of form, knocked out Arsenal with Villarreal.

Then, they went on to win the competition. Europa League elimination closed the door on European football for the Gunners.

Arteta cited the lack of pre-season preparation time and proper personnel for implementing his philosophy.

The owners decided to back him in the transfer window, and as of now, Arsenal have spent £129 million in the current summer window, which is more than all other clubs in England. However, their fortunes are yet to be changed.

Arteta has been drilling Arsenal to play out from the back since day one, but the team still feels uncomfortable in doing so.

The midfielders continuously struggle to play the ball into pockets of space so that the forwards can run into them.

Also, the persistence on trying to create more 1v1 situations throughout the pitch didn’t pay off yet.

It’s safe to assume that the Arsenal board won’t be as patient as they were last season if Arsenal goes on a similar run under Arteta again.

So, Arteta would be hoping for his star players to deliver once the fixture list takes a favourable turn.

Apart from individual brilliance, the former Arsenal midfielder would also need to find a more flexible tactical approach to reverse Arsenal’s misery.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

9 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

9 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

9 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.