ASTON VILLA UP TO THIRD AFTER BEATING MAN CITY; MCTOMINAY DOWNS CHELSEA

We had a little midweek treat on Wednesday with six Premier League fixtures to sink our teeth into.

Here’s what went down.

Aston Villa -01

Manchester City -0

Scorers: Bailey 74′.

Leon Bailey’s second-half winner earned an energetic Aston Villa side a deserved win over Manchester City as the champions fell to a fourth game without a win.

The hosts started the game at a frenetic speed with Bailey tested from Ederson from outside of the box and Pau Torres going close.

City struggled to break away as Villa penned them back in their own half but will be wondering how Emi Martínez denied Erling Haaland midway through the first half.

The Argentine goalkeeper pulled off a stunning double-save in quick succession to keep out the Norwegian in City’s best attempts of the first half.

Villa kept on top of the visitors at the start of the second half and came close through John McGinn who wriggled into the box before flashing a shot wide at the far post.

The breakthrough finally came 16 minutes from time courtesy of some great work from Bailey who picked up the ball 40 yards out, drove towards the edge of the box before seeing his shot deflect off Ruben Días before landing in the top corner.

Unai Emery’s side jump above City into third place and are now only four points off league leaders Arsenal, who they face on Saturday.

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Source:https://onefootball.com/en/news/aston-villa-up-to-third-after-beating-man-city-mctominay-downs-chelsea-38681820

HOW DID EMI MARTÍNEZ PULL THIS OFF?!

 Around this time last year, Emi Martínez was on his way to helping Argentina win the World Cup.

Fast forward a year he is in Birmingham, but his contributions on the football pitch are still as important.

Aston Villa  - 01

Manchester City - 0 

The Aston Villa goalkeeper produced a stunning double-save to keep Erling Haaland out during their crunch Premier League clash with Manchester City.

The reaction speed to get up and pull off that second one – remarkable.

You can see why he is a World Cup winner.

Source:https://onefootball.com/en/news/how-did-emi-martinez-pull-this-off-38682151

THE DEBRIEF AS ARSENAL GO TOP AND CHELSEA FALL ONCE AGAIN

 As always, Saturday’s Premier League fixtures did not disappoint.

Here is the scoop on what you may have missed from across the grounds.

In the early window, first met second as Manchester City and Liverpool shared the points at the Etihad Stadium to allow Arsenal a chance to reclaim the top spot.

Mikel Arteta’s side pulled off a dramatic victory away to Brentford, with Kai Havertz scoring in the dying minutes to send them to the top of the league.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s apparent turnaround seems to have been a flash in the pan as Newcastle put four past the Blues in an almighty thumping at St. James’s Park.

You can read through all of the results here.

Brighton just seem to pluck these young stars from nowhere don’t they?

João Pedro is just the latest member of Roberto De Zerbi’s side to begin his launch towards stardom in the Premier League, and a brace against Nottingham Forest will help his cause.

The Brazilian now has five goal contributions in 13 Premier League games, but has really made his mark in the Europa League, where he has a staggering four goals in four games in Brighton’s first ever European campaign.

Is he the next Seagull to be hunted by one of the big boys?

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Source : https://onefootball.com/en/news/the-debrief-as-arsenal-go-top-and-chelsea-fall-once-again-38620443

16 CONCLUSIONS ON MANCHESTER CITY 1-1 LIVERPOOL: ALEXANDER-ARNOLD, DOKU, ALISSON, NUNEZ, SILVA

 Will Virgil van Dijk or Pep Guardiola be happier with the result?

Jeremy Doku and Trent Alexander-Arnold were both somehow excellent, Liverpool finally returned the favour to Alisson and Bernardo Silva is something special.

handy post-international break trail to a gargantuan Saturday lunchtime clash between first and second in the Premier League, it was fitting to see Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp call it even again after 100 more minutes of battle. Both can lay a claim to being among the very best the sport has ever produced but after a 1-1 draw between the country’s two best teams of the past few years, Lightning McQueen remains the clear GOAT.

Klopp: We played 'ok' today | 'Trent...

2) It was a curious game perhaps best summed up by the man of the match being announced as Jeremy Doku over the Etihad stadium tannoy, shortly before Gary Neville anointed Trent Alexander-Arnold – there is not enough time to get into the ‘opposite number’ debate – as his pick.

And both were fair choices. Doku was the match’s persistent threat, electric on the left with more chances created than anyone, more dribbles completed (11) than the other 26 players combined (10) and more tackles made than any player bar Bernardo Silva; Alexander-Arnold scored a sublime equaliser, led the game for interceptions and held his own in that one-on-one after some shaky early moments.

That contrast between opinions suited a match in which perspective will be the king when examining the result. Both Manchester City and Liverpool have as much cause to see this as one point gained as they do two points dropped, depending on their chosen agenda.

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man City.

3) Doku, though. Honestly. He is such a ridiculously effective footballer that it is easy to forget he has replaced a five-season veteran in Riyad Mahrez so seamlessly. The recent desperation to paint Manchester City and Guardiola as foolish in letting Cole Palmer go are best-advised to watch Doku in action again, because the Chelsea forward would have had a restricted diet of minutes up against the Belgian this season, and no argument to change that situation. 

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Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/16-conclusions-on-manchester-city-1-1-liverpool-alexander-arnold-doku-alisson-nunez-silva-38619755

5️⃣0️⃣ ERLING HAALAND BREAKS A REMARKABLE PREMIER LEAGUE RECORD

 Erling Haaland has become the fastest player in Premier League history to reach 50 goals.

The Norwegian goal machine did it after 27 minutes of Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday, in his 48th game.

Manchester City -01

Liverpool  -01

The Norwegian goal machine did it after 27 minutes of Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool on Saturday, in his 48th game.

Haaland found space between two defenders and finished with aplomb past Alisson.

It means that the City sensation has reached a half century faster than the previous record-holder, Andy Cole.

Source : https://onefootball.com/en/news/50-erling-haaland-breaks-a-remarkable-premier-league-record-38618060

HOW PEP GUARDIOLA BORROWED FROM JURGEN KLOPP TO ELEVATE MANCHESTER CITY

 In 2021, Pep Guardiola was reflecting on an epic managerial rivalry that then only lasted a mere eight years. “He made me a better manager,” he said of Jurgen Klopp. When he registered his greatest achievement since leaving Barcelona, it owed something to Klopp, too.

In swift succession, his captain lifted the Premier League, the FA Cup and then the Champions League. A decade after scoring for Klopp in a Champions League final at Wembley, Ilkay Gundogan struck twice for Guardiola in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Gundogan felt like a footballing soulmate of Guardiola – as well as a neighbour in the same deluxe Manchester apartment block – but a diplomat had links in each camp: Klopp often texted his former midfielder congratulations when Manchester City won something, just as he got in touch when Liverpool drew Guardiola’s team in the Champions League in 2018.

Gundogan is gone now – to Guardiola’s old club and spiritual home, Barcelona – but he remains an example of how the Catalan has been influenced by the manager who has beaten him most often. As Guardiola’s haul from the seasons when they have faced each other stands at five Premier League titles and two Bundesligas, Klopp is likelier to defeat him over 90 minutes than nine months. That Guardiola has always tended to have greater resources is a factor: a mantra of Klopp’s is that he has never wanted to be the best team in the world as much as beat the best. And, with great regularity, that is how he describes City.

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Source : https://onefootball.com/en/news/how-pep-guardiola-borrowed-from-jurgen-klopp-to-elevate-manchester-city-38611211

THE GREAT DEBATE: WHO WILL WIN THE PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE THIS SEASON?

 There’s a huge game coming our way from the Premier League on Saturday when Manchester City host Liverpool.

The match pits 1st vs 2nd, and both clubs are expected to be in contention to win the title until the very end of the season.

But who will end up as champions this year? Our writers made their predictions in the summer, and now they are being given the chance to revise them. Let us know what YOU think in the comments.

Dan Burke

I had the rather hot take in the summer that Manchester City wouldn’t even finish in the top two, with Arsenal going on to be champions and Liverpool finishing second. But I’m allowed to change my mind, and that’s what I’ve done.

I don’t think City have been at their absolute best so far this season, yet they’re top of the league at the time of writing, and I feel like their ceiling is higher than their competitors this season.

If Pep Guardiola’s side are still top or within touching distance of the summit in the second half of the season, I would expect Kevin De Bruyne’s return from injury to spark one of those mad winning runs, and come the end of the season they will become the first club ever to lift a fourth consecutive Premier League title.

Richard Buxton

It seemed inconceivable during their summer of transition, but Liverpool are already looking like a firm option to claim their second Premier League crown.

With an ageing midfield replenished, Darwin Núñez finding form and both Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah at the peak of their powers, Anfield may finally get its long-awaited title party.

City, however, have previous with challenging such perceptions by putting together unrelenting late runs to deny Jürgen Klopp’s side in 2018/19 and Arsenal last season.

Whether Pep Guardiola can produce another such masterstroke is likely to again be the deciding factor but the margins will still be tight between these two heavyweights.

Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/the-great-debate-who-will-win-the-premier-league-title-this-season-38602664

Five top class Premier League players that won’t be at Euro 2024

Euro 2024 qualifying has almost wrapped up, with the vast majority of the spots filled for next summer’s tournament in Germany.

 

 

While the likes of England, France and Spain make their plans for next year, some big name players will be booking their holidays for the end of the season after their national teams couldn’t get the job done.

Here are some of the best Premier League players who we know will not be playing in the competition.

Five top Premier League players that won’t be at Euro 2024:

Erling Haaland – Norway 

Even with the most lethal finisher in European football among their ranks, Norway could not qualify for the 24-team Euros. Having scored six goals during the campaign, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was among the top goalscorers in qualifying, but results simply weren’t good enough. 

Norway were not handed a particularly difficult group, with Scotland among the lowest-ranked nations to come out of Pot 2; Spain, Georgia and Cyprus made up the rest of Group A.

But they won just three of their eight games, with defeat to the Scots in June proving crucial. A 1-1 draw in Georgia in March didn’t help their prospects either.

Erling Haaland expected to be fit for Liverpool clash 

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Source: https://onefootball.com/en/news/five-top-class-premier-league-players-that-wont-be-at-euro-2024-38597893