FOOTBALL

Arsenal vs Tottenham. Who will win?

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2022

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North London derbies are always high-intensity affairs. But, the upcoming Thursday night meeting between neighbours Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will be even more consequential, given the season-defining stakes involved.

A win would ensure Arsenal’s return to the Champions League for the first time in the post-Arsene Wenger era.

Meanwhile, a victory for Tottenham will bring the Lilywhites within a point of the top four.

The fixture was originally scheduled to take place in January.

But, Arsenal successfully appealed for a postponement, much to the resentment of Tottenham, citing player unavailability because of injuries, covid, and AFCON commitments.

Three and a half months later, the Gunners are finally travelling to enemy territory.

Spurs looking good

While the hosts might think they had a better chance of beating their North London rivals in January because of their depleted squad, Tottenham’s form has actually improved under new manager Antonio Conte after the winter transfer window has closed.

Before a slump in April, Spurs emerged as top four favourites putting together some excellent performances in February and March.

Dejan Kulusevski became an instant hit coming from Juventus.

The Swede’s addition polished up a Tottenham attack that already featured two lethal attackers in Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

After dropping points at Anfield last weekend, Tottenham moved further away from the top four.

But the spirited display Tottenham produced against a quadruple chasing Liverpool’s side will certainly give Antonio Conte hope of claiming the maximum points against Arsenal.

Son handed the Londoners a lead at Liverpool, but the home side restored parity through Luis Diaz.

Despite their best efforts, neither team managed to nick the winner.

No new names have appeared on the injury list for Tottenham ahead of the derby.

Japhet Tanganga, Sergio Reguilon, Oliver Skipp, and Matt Doherty will be out of contention once again as they work their way back from their respective fitness issues.

Arsenal in a good place

Arsenal have had their own ups and downs this season as well.

After the opening three matches, they had zero points on the board.

But, Mikel Arteta has overseen a fantastic resurgence at Arsenal that see the Gunners in a comfortable position to finish in the top four for the first time since 2017.

Arsenal picked up a crucial 2-1 win over Leeds a day after Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Liverpool to expand their lead over their Thursday night hosts to four points.

After scoring two goals in ten minutes, it seemed like it was going to be an easy afternoon for the Londoners. But Leeds struck back with a man down and gave the home side a run for their money in the second half.

But Arsenal held on to the lead and secured a four point cushion going into the Tottenham game.

Even if they lose the match, they will be a point ahead with two matches left to play.

Ben White has sat out the last two matches with a hamstring problem.

But sources indicate he will be ready in time to travel with the squad.

Our Prediction

Arsenal don’t need to win this game.

Yes, a win will guarantee them Champions League football next season. But, a draw can also help their cause significantly.

If the teams share the spoils, they will still be four points apart.

If Arsenal manage to win any one of their remaining two games, they will go through.

Also, we have seen that Spurs are at their best when they get to play counter attacking football, but they struggle against low blocks.

So, we expect Mikel Arteta to go for a conservative approach and shut down shop at the Tottenham Stadium.

Our North London Derby prediction is a goalless draw.

FOOTBALL

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.