FOOTBALL

EPL: Will Arsenal beat Man United?

Published

2 years ago

January 22, 2023

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Arsenal and Manchester United are about to clash in a Premier League encounter that could be substantially consequential in the Premier League title race.

The backdrop to the Sunday showdown is much akin to the Man United-Arsenal fixtures of the early 2000s, when the sides were regular Premier League contenders.

Manchester United sit third in the table with 39 points. Arsenal, on the other hand, are eight points clear of their Mancunian rivals at the top with a game in hand.

But they will be wary of the fact that United have the potential to reduce that gap on Sunday evening, as the Red Devils are the only team who have beaten Arsenal in the Premier League this season.

Critics and rival fans often point out that a considerable amount of matches are left to be played in the Premier League and Arsenal might very well capitulate to the mounting pressure.

However, Arsenal brushed aside all skepticism to hold on to the top spot of the Premier League since August. Even the harshest of skeptics are now slowly accepting the fact that Arsenal’s ascension to the Premier League summit has been no fluke.

Last weekend, Mikel Arteta’s side faced a daunting task.

They took a trip across the Seven Sisters Road to travel to their arch-rival Tottenham Hotspur’s newly built stadium.

The Gunners had lost in all of their previous visits to the arena since it opened its gates in 2019. Arsenal’s overall winless run away at Tottenham stretched even further; all the way back to 2015. So, returning with the full three points to maintain a sizable gap with City seemed like an overly ambitious challenge, even for the high-flying Gunners.

But, Arsenal made light work of their most bitter rivals in front of their own crowd.

They dominated possession from the start, kept the pressure around Tottenham’s box, and eventually got rewarded for it.

Hugo Lloris will not forget the mess he made to let Bukayo Saka’s shot inside the Tottenham net anytime soon. However, Arsenal would feel they deserved the lead because of the increased intensity they showed in the opposition half.

Martin Ødegaard found the bottom right corner to make it 2-0 for the Gunners, only minutes after Thomas Partey rattled the woodwork with a marvellous volley.

Manchester City have moved within five points of the top spot after a midweek 4-2 win over Spurs. However, Arsenal have played a match less than the reigning champions and will see their 8 point lead over the Citizens restored should they manage to get the better of Erik ten Hag’s side on Sunday.

Team News

Arsenal have added Leandro Trossard to the ranks as the Belgian completed a £21m move to the English capital from Brighton.

Trossard will be available for selection against Manchester United, but he is unlikely to displace Gabriel Martinelli from the starting XI against Man United.

Aaron Ramsdale was kicked on the back by a Spurs supporter after the North London derby, but the Arsenal goalkeeper will be fit to return on the pitch this weekend.

Gabriel Jesus, Reiss Nelson, and Mohamed Elneny are not in contention to be involved as they are still in rehabilitation.

Manchester United have an excellent recent record to draw inspiration from as well.

The Red Devils have won nine of their last 10 competitive matches and only a last-gasp Michael Olise freekick denied them a successive tenth.

Olise’s freekick was as good as they come as the ball sailed past a helpless David de Gea on the Man United goal. But before that, United were on the verge of picking up a crucial away win at Selhurst Park in courtesy of a Bruno Fernandes goal.

Manchester United might drop to fourth if Newcastle can win against Crystal Palace, but the fans should be happy with the progress the Red Devils have made under their new manager.

After a shaky start, the former Ajax manager has steadied the ship remarkably. They will travel to Arsenal with only two defeats in their last nine games on the road.

Ten Hag outwitted Mikel Arteta in their first tactical battle. A similar strategy might prove fruitful once again against Arsenal in their own backyard.

Manchester United will have to make do without their in-form defensive midfielder Casemiro.

He picked up his fifth yellow card of the season at Selhurst Park and will serve a one match suspension.

Jadon Sancho has rejoined training but the Arsenal game will come too soon for him. Diogo Dalot and Anthony Martial will be assessed late before

Our Prediction

Manchester United will find it difficult to anchor the midfield against a free-flowing Arsenal side, who will be playing at home.

The Gunners will also have Thomas Partey in midfield, who could not feature in the reverse fixture because of injury.

We predict a 2-1 win for Arsenal.

Kickoff: January 22, 10PM IST

Stadium: Emirates Stadium

FOOTBALL

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

Published

8 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

8 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

8 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.