PREMIER LEAGUE

13Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool handed major double boost ahead of Chelsea clash as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk return early

Liverpool have been handed a major double fitness boost ahead of their clash with Chelsea after Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk were released from international duty early. Salah and van Dijk will both return to Liverpool from the start of next week to begin preparations for the Chelsea game at Anfield on Sunday. Egypt have allowed Salah to sit out Africa Cup of Nations qualifier away to Mauritania on Tuesday due to concerns over playing on their artificial pitch. Van Dijk has also been released from the Netherlands squad following his red card in their 1-1 draw with Hungary in the Nations League on Friday. Given Van Dijk is suspended for their trip to Germany on Monday, the Dutch have allowed him to return to Liverpool. A statement from the Egyptian FA read: “The technical staff of Egyp...

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12Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Curtis Jones departs England camp

Curtis Jones has departed from the England camp amid the ongoing October international break due to a personal matter. The Liverpool midfielder was a late addition to Lee Carsley’s senior squad for this month’s round of UEFA Nations League fixtures, and was an unused substitute in Thursday’s meeting with Greece at Wembley. Jones, however, will not travel to Finland for the Three Lions’ second game of the break on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Netherlands have announced Reds captain Virgil van Dijk is to depart their camp. A red card against Hungary on Friday night means he is suspended for the next Dutch fixture.

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11Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Real Madrid eye William Saliba transfer as Mikel Arteta mistake identified

Arsenal are in the midst of another international break and the Gunners will be hoping they can pick up where they left off when they return to action. Since their dramatic 2-2 draw with Manchester City last month, Arsenal have won their last four games across all competitions and scored 14 goals in the process. They will travel to Bournemouth on October 19 when the break is over, before hosting Shakhtar Donetsk and Liverpool the following week. And while many of Arsenal's stars are now focused on their international fixtures, there is still plenty of news coming out of the Emirates. Here, Football Flame takes a look over the latest headlines. Real Madrid eye Saliba Real Madrid have made William Saliba their "top priority" ahead of the summer transfer window, according to French outlet Le...

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10Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man Utd defender Noussair Mazraoui undergoes heart procedure after Aston Villa substitution

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui is expected to be out for a few weeks after undergoing a minor heart procedure, club sources have said. Mazraoui was substituted at half-time of United’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday after feeling unwell and subsequently pulled out of Morocco’s squad ahead of the international break after complaining of heart palpitations. The 26-year-old, signed by United from Bayern Munich for around £15 million this summer, has since successfully undergone a corrective procedure to address the irregularity. United described Mazraoui’s condition as “relatively common” and said they expected him to make a full recovery and be available for selection again within the next few weeks. This is not the first time that Mazraoui has been affected by a heart con...

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9Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Guardiola contract boost, De Bruyne extension, Messi reunion – Man City Club World Cup latest

In normal circumstances, a chance for Manchester City to defend their title as world champions in a major showpiece tournament would be one they would relish. However, the expansion of the FIFA Club World Cup from seven teams to 32 has been beset by delays, controversies and criticism. Pep Guardiola has insisted City will travel to the USA with a full squad and with the intention to defend their crown - but he has been equally critical of the new format that will extend City's season into 12 months. Guardiola is out of contract midway through the tournament, while Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne are in the same position. FIFA recently introduced rules to account for such situations, handing City a potential triple contract boost - although Guardiola reacted angrily when he learned of ru...

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7Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United’s worst start, Ten Hag walks on thin ice after draw against Aston Villa

Manchester United ground out a 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday in an English Premier League game steeped in speculation about the future of the visitors’ under-fire manager Erik ten Hag amid the team’s worst start in the Premier League era. The draw sends Unai Emery’s men into the international break in fifth in the table on 14 points after seven games, while United are languishing in 14th with eight points and still searching for their third win of the season. Their points tally is United’s lowest in their opening seven matches of a Premier League campaign and their lowest in any league season since 1989-90 (seven points), when they went on to finish 13th under Alex Ferguson — his lowest league finish. “It wasn’t perfect, we didn’t probably pass the ball as well as we would have liked t...

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6Oct By Silver Emmanuel4 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Aston Villa 0-0 Man United: Highlights, man of the match, stats from goalless draw

Aston Villa and Manchester United played out an uneventful goalless draw in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, with both teams struggling in the final third of the field. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag (left) speaks with Marcus Rashford during a break in play during the Premier League match at Villa Park, Birmingham. Picture date: Sunday October 6, 2024. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images) Man United started well, with Marcus Rashford drawing a smart save from Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, while Morgan Rogers and Jaden Philogene had decent attempts for the hosts inside the first 20 minutes. It was much better from the Red Devils in possession of the ball, but there were still concerns through the middle, with Villa having a number of opportuniti...

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5Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Brentford 5-3 Wolves: Bees score early yet again in goal fest as winless visitors stay bottom

Wolves' wait for a Premier League win this season went on as they slumped to a 5-3 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Stadium to stay rooted to the foot of the table. Brentford's Fabio Carvalho scores their side's fifth goal of the game during the Premier League match at the Gtech Community Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday October 5, 2024. (Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images) A thrilling first half in west London saw six goals scored before the break with Brentford falling agonisingly short in their bid for the unprecedented feat of notching in the first minute of four consecutive league matches. There was one minute and 15 seconds on the clock when Nathan Collins headed Thomas Frank's team in front, but Brentford had dropped 38 points from winning positions ...

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5Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Kovacic at the double as Man City edge Fulham

Mateo Kovacic staked his claim to fill the void left by Rodri with two goals as Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2.   The champions were stunned as Andreas Pereira fired Fulham ahead after 26 minutes of Saturday's Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and the visitors should have had more. Past tormentor Adama Traore, scorer of three goals when Wolves did the double over City five seasons ago, was the guilty party, spurning a hatful of gilt-edged chances. Kovacic, filling in for the injured Rodri, made them pay with a double either side of half-time and substitute Jeremy Doku secured victory with a stunning strike before a Rodrigo Muniz consolation. Questions have been asked over how City will cope without the influential Rodri in midfiel...

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5Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Diogo Jota strike enough for Liverpool to see off Crystal Palace

Diogo Jota’s goal kept Liverpool at the top of the Premier League for another week as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park.The Portugal international punished some poor defending to earn Arne Slot’s men a third league win on the spin. LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 5: Jefferson Lerma of Crystal Palace and Diogo Jota of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Selhurst Park on October 5, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images) Liverpool showed their title pedigree in south London and head into the international break in high spirits ahead of a home clash against Chelsea later this month. Palace were out of the blocks quickly and had the ball in the net inside a minute, only for Eddie Nk...

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4Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea lineup vs. Nottingham Forest: Predicted XI for Premier League clash

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca can be expected to change his entire team for Sunday's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. The Blues kicked off the Europa Conference League league phase with a 4-2 beating of Belgian side Gent on Thursday, where Maresca made a full 11 alterations from the weekend's identical Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion. Despite Chelsea's success in midweek, the same XI starters who began the Brighton victory should be recalled to the lineup here, starting with Robert Sanchez replacing Filip Jorgensen in between the posts. Renato Veiga set the Chelsea wheels in motion with the opening goal on Wednesday, but Marc Cucurella will return at left-back on Sunday, while Malo Gusto, Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana - now back in the France s...

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4Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta provides update on injured star Martin Odegaard

Arsenal are preparing to face Southampton in the Premier League this weekend. The Gunners are still unbeaten this season and coming fresh from a comfortable win against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in the midweek. Goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka ensured the win for Arteta’s team against the French champions. Arsenal received a major boost in the Champions League after new signing Mikel Merino made his debut for the club following his return from an injury. Captain Martin Odegaard is still out with a long term injury and his return is still not known. Ahead of the match against Southampton, the Arsenal manager has provided the update about his captain. Arteta said, as reported by The Independent: “Martin is very difficult. I expected him to still have a boot on and oth...

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3Oct By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Spurs confirmed team vs Ferencvaros as Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear start

Ange Postecoglou has named Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear in his Tottenham Hotspur side to take on Ferencvaros on Thursday night in the Europa League. Spurs have plenty of players missing in Hungary, travelling without the injured Son Heung-min, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison, while Radu Dragusin is suspended and Djed Spence and Sergio Reguilon, who flew over to train with the team, were both left out of the club's Europa League squad as there was no space for them. Tottenham Hotspur's Mikey Moore (right) celebrates with Will Lankshear after scoring their side's third goal of the game during the pre-season friendly match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Picture date: Wednesday July 17, 2024. (Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images) Tottenham play again...

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3Oct By Silver Emmanuel2 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Peter Schmeichel explains why Ederson is better than Alisson

Peter Schmeichel believes that Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is better than Liverpool counterpart Alisson due to his superiority with his feet. The two Brazilians are generally regarded as among the top goalkeepers in the world having been firmly established as the first-choice shot-stoppers at their respective clubs. The pair are international rivals, with Alisson generally getting the nod as starter for Brazil, winning 71 caps to Ederson’s 25 so far in his career. But former Manchester United star Schmeichel would view the pecking order differently, believing the Manchester City man to be the more complete player. “Ederson is fantastic in terms of making big saves and 1v1 situations,” Schmeichel explained on the Stick to Football podcast. “Alisson [Becker] struggles a bit with his f...

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2Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Zubimendi: No regrets over rejecting Liverpool

Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder Martín Zubimendi has said he has no regrets over his decision to turn down a move to Liverpool in the summer. The 25-year-old was Liverpool's top choice in defensive midfield but despite their lengthy pursuit, Zubimendi opted to remain at the club he's spent his entire career at. La Real have endured a difficult start in LaLiga this season with just two wins from their opening eight games. However, their indifferent form hasn't made Zubimendi question his decision to remain at the club. "Of course I don't regret it, I can't think that way after four or five games at the start of the season. I made my decision from within, I thought it was the best thing to do, the results don't affect me. I see potential in this team, you just have to watch us train. I'm ...

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2Oct By Silver Emmanuel5 Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Ten Hag demands Man Utd response in Europa League

Manchester United will attempt to recover from another demoralising defeat that raised fresh questions over manager Erik ten Hag's future as they head to Porto in the Europa League on Thursday. The record 20-time English champions are off to their joint-worst start in the Premier League era, collecting just seven points from six games and scoring a mere five goals. United also began their European campaign in worrying fashion, drawing 1-1 at Old Trafford last week with Ten Hag's former club Twente, a result midfielder Christian Eriksen said "feels like a loss". It extended United's poor run in Europe to one win in nine games after last season's disastrous Champions League display. Ten Hag again pleaded for more time to turn the club's fortunes around after the 3-0 loss to Spurs on Sunday, ...

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1Oct By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has Tottenham red card overturned

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has had his red card against Tottenham on Sunday overturned following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal, the Football Association has announced. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United is shown a red card by referee Chris Kavanagh during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Old Trafford on September 29, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images) The Portugal midfielder was sent off by referee Chris Kavanagh for a high tackle on James Maddison during the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford. United appealed against the decision and the Football Association has upheld a claim of wrongful dismissal. Fernandes, who was facing a thre...

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30Sep By Silver EmmanuelNo Comments

PREMIER LEAGUE

Man United make Erik ten Hag decision ahead of Aston Villa

Manchester United are expected to stick with manager Erik ten Hag ahead of facing Aston Villa. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Erik ten Hag Manager / Head Coach of Manchester United as his team acknowledge the fans after the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at Old Trafford on September 29, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) Ten Hag has already insisted he’s “not thinking” about his future at Old Trafford, despite being under huge pressure in the wake of an embarrassing 3-0 defeat against Tottenham on Sunday that left the Red Devils down in 12th in the Premier League table after six matches. Next up for Ten Hag and his players in the league is a trip to Villa Park on Sunday (2pm), with a match a...

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29Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool go top of Premier League with 2-1 win over hapless Wolves

Ibrahima Konate headed home his first ever Premier League goal and Mohamed Salah converted a penalty as Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (Sept 28). Arne Slot's men have 15 points after six games, one more than both Manchester City and Arsenal, while Wolves are bottom with a single point. "Feels good [to be top], you want to be up there but it doesn't tell me that much at the moment," Slot told Sky Sports. "If you look at Wolves they are down in the table but they played much better than that today. "After 19 games, it'll tell me something but not after six." Konate scored in first-half injury time after Diogo Jota beat his man down the left then served up a pinpoint cross that the 25-year-old cen...

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28Sep By Silver Emmanuel1 Comment

PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester City Draws to Newcastle United, Drops Points in Consecutive Games

Manchester City was held to a 1–1 draw against Newcastle United at St. James' Park after an Ederson challenge resulted in an Anthony Gordon penalty. Saturday marks the first time since Dec. 2023 that City has dropped points in consecutive Premier League games. NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Josko Gvardiol of Manchester City scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester City FC at St James' Park on September 28, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images) Pep Guardiola's side last dropped points in back-to-back outings when it side drew to Tottenham Hotspur and lost to Aston Villa last season. City nearly lost to Arsenal last weekend at the Etihad Stadium if not for a John...

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