FOOTBALL

Preview: Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspurs

Published

2 years ago

September 30, 2022

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After a week of hiatus for international action, the Premier League returns with a bang as the top and third team in the table are set to clash in a heated derby.

It’s not a secret that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have no love lost between them, so they will leave it all out on the pitch to claim the bragging rights in North London.

After seven rounds of Premier League matches, Arsenal top the league table with six wins under their belt.

The Gunners have been ruthless against their oppositions this season, but losing to Manchester United, the only ‘’Big Six’’ team they have faced so far, has led sceptics to believe it’s yet another false dawn for the club, which did not win the league since 2003.

But labeling Arsenal’s brilliant start to the season would be harsh on Mikel Arteta’s men.

They showed great character last season to bounce back from losing their first three matches in the season to go on a fantastic run and finish fifth in the table.

At one point, they were favourites to get into the top four, but a poor run of results and some crucial injuries prolonged their Champions League exile.

Arsenal have brought in some great reinforcements in the summer transfer window that have enabled them to play the high-possession, high-tempo brand of football Mikel Arteta had envisioned since the first day of his appointment.

As of September 29, Arsenal had three players (Gabriele Martinelli 3rd, Granit Xhaka 5th and Gabriel Jesus 10th) in the list of top ten chance creators in the Premier League. No other teams have as many players on the list.

But the Gunners will face a stern test of their abilities when Antonio Conte brings his high-flying Tottenham team to the Emirates.

The Lilywhites stand only a point behind their next-door neighbours, so a win on Saturday afternoon will allow them to leapfrog Arsenal in the standings.

Tottenham have happy memories of ending their arch nemesis’s top-four ambitions last season when they ran to a 3-0 victory over Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, Spurs’s record at the Emirates has been abysmal, to say the least.

Apart from a Gareth Bale masterclass in 2010, Tottenham have never won at the Emirates since it opened its door in 2006.

What will be the Spurs’ game plan?

But Tottenham should have taken notes from Arsenal’s defeat to Manchester United.

Man United exploited Arsenal’s high backline and came out on top with a 3-1 win.

Tottenham Hotspur are arguably the best counter-attacking team in the division at the moment.

The deadly duo of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min can demolish any defences in the world.

Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison have also proven they can add more steel to an already fearsome Tottenham attack.

Conte will be hoping to hurt Arsenal with his team’s lightning-fast counter-attacking ability.

Arsenal team news

Arsenal are confident that they can get back Thomas Partey in midfield.

The Ghana international missed five matches for Arsenal with a thigh problem.

After recovering, he sustained a minor knock during his international duty with Ghana.

However, the Arsenal medical team is hopeful that he will be ready for the North London derby.

But Arsenal could be in a fullback crisis since Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are doubts. However, the team is optimistic about their availability as well.

Spurs custodian Hugo Lloris could not feature in France’s Nations League matches because of a head injury.

No official word is out yet regarding his availability.

Cristian Romero is expected to return to the backline in place of Davinson Sanchez.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur are excellent during transitional phases, making them a dangerous team to play against.

But considering Arsenal’s strong home form in this fixture and their form this season overall, we believe the Gunners will pick up another memorable North London Derby victory in front of a raucous Emirates crowd.

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.