1. Arteta denies ‘blocking’ characterisation
Mikel Arteta has rejected solutions that Arsenal have been blocking defenders as a part of their nook routines and believes the discuss his facet’s techniques is right down to their effectivity from set items.
Arsenal have scored a record-equalling 16 targets from corners within the Premier League this season and so they host Everton on Saturday night. However, there was criticism of their method, with Brighton’s head coach, Fabian Hürzeler, complaining after final week’s 1-0 defeat by Arsenal that there are “no clear rules” concerning blocking.
Arsenal conceded from a nook against Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday when a participant from the German facet appeared to dam Eberechi Eze from difficult Robert Andrich earlier than Andrich scored. The Leverkusen supervisor, Kasper Hjulmand, questioned whether or not gamers ought to be allowed to make “offensive blocks and just bodycheck people without the ball in the area”, however admitted that “everyone does it”.
Asked whether or not different groups had been studying from Arsenal, Arteta stated: “No. We weren’t the first and it’s not about blocking. I’m not going to describe what we do, but it’s not blocking. What they did in the goal we conceded and the foul we get [given against us] at the end of the game, we can see that and tell me the difference.”
Although Arsenal have been proficient in assault from corners, defending them has been one in all their weaknesses. Ten of the 33 targets they’ve conceded in all competitions have stemmed from corners and Arteta, who performed beneath David Moyes, is cautious of the menace Everton will pose. “They’ve always been really good at defending and attacking the box,” he stated. “That’s one of the biggest qualities of his teams and that will be very difficult.”
Victory over Everton would pile extra stress on second-placed Manchester City earlier than their go to to West Ham within the late sport and Arteta believes his gamers are benefiting from their rising expertise of main the race.
“We certainly try to learn from the past,” he stated. “To replicate the same scenarios is very difficult because what matters is your state in that moment and the opponent you are facing. We know what is at stake and the moment we go another week, another week, another week, you’re going to be closer and closer. We’re dealing with that in a really organic way. We have been trying to deal with that for eight or nine months already and we are not going to change that.” Ed Aarons
2. Slot laments ‘massive impact’ of Isak absence
Alexander Isak’s absence throughout the previous three months has considerably broken Liverpool’s season, Arne Slot has stated. The striker fractured his leg scoring towards Tottenham in December and isn’t anticipated to return till the beginning of April at the earliest.
Liverpool are sixth within the Premier League with the bottom shot conversion charge of the highest six as they search Champions League qualification.
Isak, who had a sluggish begin at Anfield after his club-record £125m transfer from Newcastle, had claimed two targets in 5 league appearances having lacking pre-season and taking time to rise up to hurry.
“Do you think it would have had an impact if we had one of the best goal scorers in this league in the last three, four or five years available throughout the whole season?” Slot requested earlier than Liverpool’s return fixture with Spurs at Anfield on Sunday. “This would have had a massive impact on our performances, because you also saw this game [against Spurs in December] and almost every game you see how much impact a goal can have on a performance.”
Liverpool defeated Wolves of their first sport after Isak was dominated out, however went on to attract the following 4 league matches, scoring solely 3 times in that spell. Slot stated: “Look at how many goals we’ve scored this season – that’s ridiculously low for the team. Of course it has an impact that one of the forwards we brought in for scoring goals was injured.”
A troublesome, transitional season after a summer time overhaul has left Liverpool 19 factors behind the leaders, Arsenal. “It was something we were aware of in the back of our mind that could happen with signing so many new players, but not something we or I was expecting,” Slot stated. “You always know if you let go of so many players and you bring in so many new players, it could mean transition is needed, but the expectations were not that we were having a season as we are having now. But for all the reasons I don’t want to bring up every single time we are here – it has become a season like that. And partly for a few percentages, that’s also because we’ve made so many changes.” Will Unwin
3. Maguire ‘back in the frame’ for Tuchel
Michael Carrick believes Harry Maguire has put himself again incontention for England, with Manchester United’s interim supervisor hopeful the 33-year-old might be recalled when Thomas Tuchel names his squad subsequent week.
Maguire received the final of his 64 caps in England’s 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in September 2024 beneath Lee Carsley and has persistently impressed for United beneath Carrick since coming back from a thigh damage that dominated him out for 53 days.
“He has definitely put himself back in the frame, if he was ever out of it,” stated Carrick. “Hopefully from my point of view he gets picked and he goes [to this summer’s World Cup].
“Harry has been playing well. Considering you look back not too long ago and he was out for a considerable period of time injured. He came straight back in when we arrived [in January] so there has been a bit of managing him through the weeks and the games and getting him right up to speed physically. He has just shown his experience, composure in certain situations. He knows what it feels like, he knows what it takes and he has done ever so well.”
England play Uruguay on 27 March and Japan 4 days later in World Cup warm-up friendlies. Meanwhile, Mason Mount has returned to coaching after damage and faces a late health check earlier than Sunday’s go to of Aston Villa. Jamie Jackson
4. Rosenior challenges keepers: earn the shirt
Liam Rosenior has denied he has created uncertainty round his goalkeepers by refusing to make clear whether or not Filip Jörgensen has dislodged Robert Sánchez as Chelsea’s No 1.
The goalkeeping pecking order has dominated the agenda at Stamford Bridge this week, with Jörgensen changing Sánchez for the primary leg of the last-16 Champions League tie towards Paris Saint-Germain. It was the most important name of Rosenior’s time at Chelsea and backfired when a mistake from Jörgensen helped PSG to win 5-2.
There had been solutions earlier than the sport that the Dane was advised by Rosenior he was the brand new No 1. But the pinnacle coach has stated that was not the case and is assured there isn’t any difficulty with rotating Sánchez and Jörgensen, who will hope to begin once more when Chelsea host Newcastle on Saturday night.
““If you’ve got two outstanding left-backs like [Marc] Cucurella or Jorrel Hato, is it uncertainty for them?” he stated. “I want competition in every area of the pitch. The only difference with a goalkeeper, you’re one mistake away from this situation, whether Rob makes a mistake against Arsenal that ends up in the net or not or Filip makes a mistake against PSG, it ends up in a goal or not.
“Because of the nature of the goalkeeper position it’s spoken about more. I’ve been here for two and a half months. I’m going to give every player in the squad an opportunity to show me what they can do to win now, but also to win things consistently in the long term. Both goalkeepers in different ways are showing me really, really good things.”
Roseniorchallenged Sánchez and Jörgensen to emulate two of the best goalkeepers in Chelsea’s historical past, Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois.
“If you go through history and most great clubs, whether it’s a goalkeeper position, a No 9 position, those shirts are earned on form, those shirts are earned on performance. When Petr Cech came here he was a very young goalkeeper. Same with Courtois. They earned their time with the performances and earned their reputation with their performances.”
Rosenior insisted he had no downside with Enzo Fernández berating Jörgensen on the pitch after an error by the 23-year-old in Paris. “Roy Keane as a player probably did that 20 times a game,” he stated.
Pedro Neto, who’s being investigated by Uefa for pushing a ballboy towards PSG, has obtained a one-match suspension – to be served on Saturday – and a £70,000 high quality from the Football Association for failing to depart the pitch promptly after his crimson card towards Arsenal this month.
A troublesome week for Chelsea was lifted by Reece James signing a brand new six-year deal. The captain’s earlier contract expired in 2028 however the 26-year-old right-back has prolonged till 2032 and agreed phrases according to the membership’s incentivised pay construction. Jacob Steinberg
5. Howe backs Gordon after Shearer criticism
Eddie Howe has hit again at Alan Shearer’s criticism of Anthony Gordon after he failed to begin Tuesday evening’s Champions League draw with Barcelona due to sickness.
Newcastle’s file goalscorer questioned why Gordon was effectively sufficient to sit down on the bench, however to not begin earlier than the sport, telling Amazon Prime: “I know he doesn’t feel well, but this is Barcelona at Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight.”
Wayne Rooney was additionally vital, whereas Shearer was backed by former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who advised the Overlap: “How can you be ill, but come on for half an hour?”
However, Howe, who confirmed the frontman had not educated on Tuesday morning, stated: “I do have to clear something up with Anthony Gordon. He was absolutely willing to play in the game against Barcelona. I know there’s a lot of comments. It was my decision not to start him based on the fact that he’d been ill that morning and hadn’t attended the training session. He was prepared to play, but in consultation with the medical team, he didn’t think he was fit to play.”
Gordon was launched as a 67th-minute substitute for Anthony Elanga at St James’ Park as Newcastle took a late lead via Harvey Barnes, just for Lamine Yamal to grab a 1-1 draw for the guests with a stoppage-tie penalty.
The Newcastle supervisor now faces a call over whether or not to revive the 25-year-old England worldwide – who has scored 10 targets in Europe this season – at Chelsea within the Premier League on Saturday or save him for Wednesday’s journey to Camp Nou .
Howe, who revealed his captain, Bruno Guimaraes, had requested to journey to Barcelona with the team after his deliberate return from rehabilitation in Brazil on Monday, stated: “Ant, I’d probably categorise him as a winner. He wants to win everything, he’s a real competitor. He’s got that streak to him all top players need where he’s very single-minded, very focused on his development and his game. I can only speak really glowingly of him this year. It hasn’t been a straightforward season for him. He’s had a lot of challenges.” PA Media
