FOOTBALL
Chelsea vs Liverpool. Who will win?
Two English powerhouses struggling to find form this season will hope for a turn of luck when they lock horns at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
Liverpool were humiliated 3-0 at the Amex Stadium by a brilliant Brighton side in their last Premier League outing. But they still have the same amount of points as their Saturday rivals Chelsea, who beat Crystal Palace 1-0, despite playing a game less.
Jürgen Klopp’s side has 28 points to their name in 18 matches and a win against the Blues would see them climb to sixth on the table.
Chelsea would also become sixth momentarily if they can claim the full three points against the mighty Reds.
With two back-to-back away defeats against Brentford and Brighton, Liverpool are still looking for their first victory in the Premier League since the turn of the year.
Despite those back-to-back defeats, Liverpool can take solace in the fact this Saturday’s game takes place on home soil.
They’ve only lost one of their last 32 Premier League matches at Anfield, finding the back of the net in each of them, scoring 79 goals at an average of 2.5 per game.
However, the home team has won just three of the last 17 Premier League games versus Chelsea (seven draws and seven losses), though two of those did come at Anfield in 2019 and 2020.
And with six defeats already in the Premier League this season (also losing to Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Man United), Liverpool are fast approaching Klopp’s previous highs of nine (2020-2021) and eight defeats (2015-2016) across a campaign.
Liverpool’s midfield woes have been at the root of their struggles this season. But they still managed to hold on to their impressive home record.
Liverpool have a long list of notable absentees, including Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Luis Díaz, and Arthur.
Darwin Núñez is expected to return, so Cody Gakpo will move to a wider attacking position.
Chelsea arrested their three-match winless run in the league with a hard fought victory over Crystal Palace.
The Eagles went toe to toe with the Londoners at Stamford Bridge. But a Kai Havertz goal right after the hour mark made the difference in the end.
It was Chelsea’s second Premier League victory in 10 matches, both of which came on home turf.
They have been winless on the road since October. So, Graham Potter’s side are not favourites for a win at Anfield, but they can ill afford dropping more points as they drift further and further away from European spots.
Chelsea’s new marquee signing Mykhailo Mudryk might make his debut against Liverpool. Kai Havert might not be involved as he missed training for unknown reasons.
This could be a big miss as Havertz has already proved that he enjoys a game at Anfield, having scored in this exact fixture last season. Incidentally, the last Chelsea player to score in consecutive away league games against Liverpool was Joe Cole way back in 2005.
The German could be the latest addition to Chelsea’s growing list of injury absentees alongside Raheem Sterling, Christian Pulisic, Wesley Fofana, Ben Chilwell, Reece James, N’Golo Kanté, Denis Zakaria, and Édouard Mendy.
Our Prediction
None of these teams are at their best, at the moment.
But, Liverpool’s impressive home record makes them the obvious favourites. We are expecting a 1-0 win for Liverpool.
Kick-Off: January 21, 6 PM (IST)
Venue: Anfield
FOOTBALL
WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football
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
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
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 – 3rd 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.
MCFC vs MUFC – Likely XI
Manchester City: Ederson, Walker, Dias, Ake, Akanji, Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva, Alvarez, Haaland, Foden
Manchester United: Onana, Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, Amrabat, Casemiro, Manioo, McTominay, Fernandes, Rashford, Garnacho
MCFC vs MUFC – Fantasy XI
Grand League Team
Goal Keeper – E Moraes
Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, H Maguire
Mid Fielders – Kevin De Bruyne, B Fernandes, R Hernandez, Casemiro
Forwards – E Haaland (VC), J Alvarez, M Rashford (C)
Head-to-Head Team
Goal Keeper – S Ortega
Defenders – M Akanji, K Walker, R Varane
Mid Fielders – K De Bruyne (C), B Fernandes (VC), B Silva, Casemiro
Forwards – E Haaland, J Alvarez, M Rashford
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