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Thursday, April 4, 2019

Eden Hazard on argument with Loftus-cheek on whose goal is the best

United Boss adds £40m Belgian and Leicester City to list of targets with one midfield star set for exit

Manchester United are reportedly keen on a summer move for £40m-rated Leicester star Youri Tielemans to replace Ander Herrera. The Belgium international is on loan with the Foxes from Monaco until the end of the season and has been in fine form so far in 2019, scoring once and adding four assists. Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers wants to sign Tielemans on a permanent deal, however he faces competition from two Premier League rivals according to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws.

They claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has added the former Anderlecht star – who is valued at £40million – to a ‘long list’ of summer targets. It was claimed on Tuesday that Solskjaer will be without Ander Herrera next season, with the midfielder ready to accept an offer from PSG after being left ‘unimpressed’ by United’s offer of a new deal. Meanwhile, Spurs are also reportedly interested in Tielemans meaning Monaco could conduct a bidding war between the interested side. Leicester are believed to be in discussions with the Ligue 1 club already though, and they are hoping to use Adrien Silva as a makeweight in the deal, with the Portugal international having gone the other way in a January loan swap for Tielemans.

Chelsea will welcome Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, as they continue to fight for a place in the top four of the Premier League. The Blues come into the game seated sixth on the league table, a point behind Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, who occupy the fourth and fifth spots, respectively and three below Arsenal who sit third. Should other results go their way, Maurizio Sarri’s men can go into the weekend occupying the fourth spot with a win. However, Chelsea’s recent performances in the English top-flight are a slight cause of concern. The West London outfit escaped with a lucky 2-1 win over Cardiff City this past weekend and were without a win in their previous two league matches (D1 L1). A victory is a must on Wednesday, if they want to not lose important ground in the top four race. Brighton & Hove Albion, on the other hand, come into the game in the 15th position in the Premier League standings, after their 1-0 defeat to Southampton this past weekend. The Seagulls are five points clear of the drop zone but do need to a few more positive results to ensure their safety. The last time Brighton faced Chelsea, they were beaten 2-1 and they will be hoping to avoid a similar result when they travel to Stamford Bridge. Chris Hughton’s side, however, will have an eye on their impending FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at the weekend, which could prove to be a distraction for the visitors. Team News & Tactics Chelsea

Sarri drew a lot of criticism for his team selection against Cardiff City at the weekend, with the Italian deciding to drop the likes of Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante out of the starting XI, while Callum-Hudson Odoi’s non-involvement also didn’t go down all too well with the fans. All of them are likely to be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game. Marcos Alonso is a doubt for the game having picked up a hamstring problem in the weekend game. Other than that, there are no major injury/suspension concerns for Chelsea heading into the midweek clash. No changes are expected in goal, with Kepa Arrizabalaga the established first-choice for the West Londoners. Cesar Azpilicueta, who scored one of Chelsea’s two goals against Cardiff, will continue at right-back, while Emerson Palmieri is set to start on the opposite flank. Antonio Rudiger should continue at the heart of the Blues’ defence, but Andreas Christensen could get a start in place of David Luiz.

Kante should be reinstated to the three-man midfield, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also likely to be rewarded with a start after his match-winning goal against Cardiff City, meaning Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic are set to drop out. Jorginho will continue in the deep-lying role, but needs to improve on his recent displays. Up ahead in attack, wholesale changes are likely to take place with Hudson-Odoi and Hazard set to start on the right and left flanks respectively, while Olivier Giroud should get the nod ahead of the misfiring Gonzalo Higuain as the lone striker.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Hazard

Sarri hits back at Chelsea fans after they spent whole match chanting F**k sarri-ball

Sections of Chelsea fans showed their anger towards manager Maurizio Sarri As Chelsea fell behind at Cardiff some fans started chanted 'f**k Sarri ball' Some supporters also suggested that the Italian does not know what he is doing Sarri hit back following the final whistle, after Chelsea had won the game 2-1

The miss allowed the Reds to regain their place at the top of the Premier League table as Toby Alderweireld put through his own goal in stoppage time. After the game, van Dijk went through his post-match interview commitments with an ice pack on his ankle. And Klopp insisted he doesn't know if his star man will miss any matches, Van Djik and I were 4/10 in the first half - de Ligt "We have to see," Klopp said. "I asked him and I think it was in the counter-attack situation when Sissoko hit him. I don’t know if he twisted it or it is a knock. “He was walking to the interviews with a big ice pack. I hope it’s nothing serious but I don’t know yet.”

style="text-align: justify;"> Van Dijk added:<\h1> "I'm fine," in an interview with the BBC. The last gasp victory, after Roberto Firmino and Lucas Moura had cancelled each other out, means Liverpool are still two points ahead of Manchester City - although Pep Guardiola's men have a game in to play for.Klopp added: "I was not happy that we conceded a goal of course, but we needed it a little bit because first half we had fantastic chances, scored a wonderful goal... second half we looked heavy-legged.

"After the goal we started playing again a little bit more. We compete with the best team in the world I would say, Man City, and we play against one of the best team in the world, Tottenham; a tough task I would say." Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino added: "I am happy because the emotion and the feeling we got today is going to help us.

Segments of the travelling away supporters began to chant against their Italian manager, demanding a change of personnel at the helm. Matters were made worse as strugglers Cardiff took the lead in the tie courtesy of Victor Camarasa, but it was ultimately the Blues and Sarri who would have the final say. Cardiff boss Neil Warnock suffers touchline meltdown as he berates fourth official and screams at Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri after his side fall foul of late offside goal Cardiff City 1-2 Chelsea: Controversial Cesar Azpilicueta equaliser sparks turnaround before Ruben Loftus-Cheek nets stoppage-time winner

Following the match, Sarri noted that he had heard what some Chelsea fans had been saying. 'I have been used to it in the last 45 years so I know very well the reaction,' said the Italian. 'Probably it was best to wait until the end of the match but for me it's not a big problem,' he added. Wonderkid Callum Hudson-Odoi was left on the bench by Sarri, alongside Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante, in a bizarre line-up. The Italian brought on Ruben Loftus-Cheek late on, and he scored the match-winning goal The Italian brought on Ruben Loftus-Cheek late on, and he scored the match-winning goal It is believed the strange starting line-up irked many fans, who began to chant 'f**k Sarri-ball' just 30 minutes into the contest. Blues fans also turned on the Italian with chants of 'you don't know what you are doing' before calling for his head, while their side was trailing in the game.

Late goals from Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were enough to see Chelsea leave south Wales with all three points.

Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is unsure of how badly damaged Virgil van Dijk's ankle is. Centre back van Dijk appeared to hurt his right ankle as he attempted to tackle Moussa Sissoko as he ran clean through during Liverpool's victory over Tottenham on Sunday. Van Dijk's pressure on Sissoko forced the midfielder to smash over the top of the bar - which had he scored would have put Tottenham 2-1 ahead.

"Now we start a mini-league, seven games ahead. We are in the top four, we need to keep our position, it's in our hands and with all the circumstances that happen this season they (the players) are more than heroes and we need to keep the trust and the confidence."

Strongest 4-1-2-1-2 United XI to face Watford today

Since the dramatic 3-2 win over Southampton 27 days ago, Manchester United have knocked Paris Saint Germain out of the Champions League, lost away games to Arsenal and Wolves, and appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager.

Another development is that a number of players have injuries, the severity of which for the most part is unclear. Alexis Sanchez, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku, Eric Bailly, Luke Shaw, Nemanja Matic and Matteo Darmian all have injuries of some kind. Marcus Rashford sustained a knock on international duty but is expected to recover in time. With that in mind, here is how we think Man United will line up against Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday. Solskjaer indicated after Southampton that playing Andreas Pereira – who scored and assisted in that game – at the tip of the midfield diamond, encouraging those bursts down the centre, could well be the position where the Brazilian is best suited. He was nothing short of explosive in that role. Combine that with the buzzing influence of Jesse Lingard, who can hover across the Watford defence as Rashford stays central, and you have a dynamic front three capable of destabilizing Watford’s low block.

Midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho, and defenders Vincent Kompany and Benjamin Mendy are back in training after spells on the sidelines while centre-backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones have overcome knocks. Utility player Fabian Delph is still out while goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (Achilles) is a long-term absentee.

“Everybody came back fit - Fernandinho, Kevin, Vincent - yeah, everyone is okay,” Pep Guardiola said. Man City star Bernardo Silva HAILED by fans for what he did in training before Fulham game “Except Fabian Delph, the other people are fit. “Yeah [Mendy is fit]. Of course, he needs time but he has trained the last three days and his reaction is very good. “Hopefully he will play a big part. "We have 21 players. We have to compete with each other in positions.”

USA defender Ream and Ivory Coast midfielder Seri have missed the majority of training this week due to the international break, and will now be assessed ahead of the Craven Cottage clash. Defender Alfie Mawson is still sidelined with a knee injury.

Man City predicted starting XI vs Fulham:

Ederson, Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Silva D, Silva B, Sterling, Sane, Aguero

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Mané vs Kane,Liverpool to win?

Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur is the first fixture in the post-international break run-in for two teams who currently lead their respective races but can’t be confident of winning them just yet. Jürgen Klopp’s team are two points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, but have played a game more. Spurs currently lead the four team chase for two Champions League qualification spots, which is just as well as their league form has nosedived.

In their last five games in all competitions, the Lilywhites have scored a total of four goals with Harry Kane bagging all of them. Only the European game at Dortmund has been won, so the return of Tottenham’s talisman hasn’t had a particularly positive effect upon their results. However, it is true to say that he has taken a higher proportion of Tottenham’s shots and amassed a greater proportion of their expected goal total than their top shooter (Son three times and Llorente once) did in the four league games he missed. Does Spurs’ attack become too focused upon Kane when he’s in the team? It’s only a small sample, but it’d be interesting to investigate over a longer term. For Liverpool, the last four league matches have brought three wins and a draw. They’ve effectively had the opposite situation to Spurs; the results have generally been good, but the regular star man has not been firing.

Salah has already been tackled more than in the whole of last season as teams have adapted to how he plays — but Liverpool will hope he picks up the gauntlet, writes 

10:23 AM - 27 Mar 2019

Team News

Maurizio Sarri doesn’t have a fully fit team at his disposal but he does have all of his first-team stars full fit. Only Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Davide Zappacosta, Marco Van Ginkel and Ethan Ampadu are out injured long-term.

Formation: 4-3-3

Manager: Maurizio Sarri

Kepa Arrizabalga (GK)

The Spaniard is the world’s most expensive goalkeeper and has made his mark in England despite his antics in the EFL Cup final.

Cesar Azpilicueta (RB)

Chelsea’s consistent man, the Spaniard has played every game so far for the Blues and should continue that trend.

David Luiz (CB)

While he was ousted under Antonio Conte, the Brazilian has become a permanent fixture under Sarri, with 28 appearances to his name.

Antonio Rudiger (CB)

The German international did play in the international break but despite that, he should keep his place in the starting line-up.

Emerson (LB)

While Marcos Alonso is the first choice, the Spaniard hasn’t impressed this season and thus, this might give Emerson a chance.

Jorginho (CM)

He arrived alongside Maurizio Sarri and has divided opinions like his manager, but the Italian remains a consistent mark on the team-sheet.

N’Golo Kante (CM)

The best defensive midfielder in the world, the 27-year-old is one of the two players to have played all 30 games this season.

Ross Barkley (CM)

The former Everton man impressed during the international break, scoring two goals and creating two more.

Willian (RW)

With 26 appearances to his name, the Brazilian has done relatively well, producing nine goals this season.

Olivier Giroud (CF)

Gonzalo Higuain hasn’t exactly lit England on fire since arriving in January and Olivier Giroud’s recent form could see him get the starting spot instead.

Eden Hazard (LW)

Chelsea’s world-class superstar, the Belgian has been impeccably brilliant this season with 13 goals and 11 assists to his name.

Courtois: "Hazard told me he would personally like to play for Real Madrid"

Real Madrid's Belgian goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has given an interview to El Transistor where he's talked about several subjects, starting from his return in Spain after four years spent at Chelsea: "I have nice memories and a particular affection for the Colchoneros and the fans. Going to Atlético was one of the best decisions I've taken in my life. I've improved a lot as a goalkeeper and had a great relationship with Simeone, he's had a huge impact on my career.

I know there's a big rivalry between Madrid and Atlético. What made me angry during the derby is they threw a bottle at me, it came very close and could have hurt me. Differences between Real and Atlético? There's more pressure in Madrid, the fans are more exigent and I like it. You can't compare both stadiums. If you see Valdebebas though, you understand how big Real is. It's the best I've ever seen". A good friend of his could come join him soon, Eden Hazard: "He's one of my best friends in football. I don't know if he'll sign for Real Madrid, I don't even know which clubs are interested in him. In my opinion, he's one of the best in the world and I'd like him to come here. Does he want to come here? Yes".

Thibaut Courtois has labelled Eden Hazard as one of the "best players in the world" and would like the Chelsea forward to join him at Real Madrid. Hazard's contract at Chelsea expires at the end of next season and he is yet to sign terms on an extension. Earlier this week, the Belgium captain denied reports he had agreed a five-year deal with Madrid ahead of a summer move to the Bernabeu.

Courtois told Spanish radio station Onda Cero: "I don't know if he is going to sign for Real Madrid, nor do I know if the club want him. "For me, he is a great player, but I don't decide those things. "Each one decides what he does with his life. For me, he is one of the best in the world and as a friend I would like him to be here."

Liverpool star man wants Real Madrid move as Zidane works magic

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid by two different Spanish outlets. Mane has been one of Liverpool’s most important players this season, scoring 11 goals in his last 11 games and helping the Reds to reach the last eight of the Champions League and mount a title push. The Senegal international has earned admiring glances from Real Madrid in particular, with Zinedine Zidane planning a squad overhaul at the Bernabeu this summer.

France Football recently claimed that there is concrete interest from Real in Mane, while fresh reports in Spain today in El Confidencial (via Sport Witness) that Mane ‘has been seduced’ by the idea of playing under Zidane at the Bernabeu.

Marca also admit that Mane could be tempted by Real but claim his ‘admiration’ for Jurgen Klopp ‘could stop his departure to any other destination’. The Spanish newspaper adds that ‘Zizou’s magnetism’ will have a big say as to whether Mane stays at Liverpool or joins Real.

United striker Marcus Rashford has ‘no desire’ to leave the club despite reports that Barcelona are lining up a £100million move for him. The La Liga giants are said to view Rashford, 21, as the perfect long-term replacement for Luis Suarez who turned 32 in January. Rashford is out of contract in 2020 – though United have the option to extend that by a further 12 months – and the striker is yet to agree to an extension despite months of negotiations. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s arrival has been a blessing for Rashford, who has been freed by the Norwegian in a central forward position.

Rashford is under contract until 2020 The lure of Barcelona, though, is difficult to turn down for any player and Rashford knows it would provide him with the chance to play with Lionel Messi in his twilight years. However, the Mirror claim Rashford has ‘no desire’ to leave his boyhood club and would reject a move to the Camp Nou.

Mkhitaryan and Ozil out, Barella in?

Arsenal boss Unai Emery is reportedly looking to sell Henrikh Mkhitaryan in order to free up spending money for new players this summer, says the Mirror, and Mesut Ozil also could be on his way out, with Arsenal reportedly keen to offload their biggest earners.

Emery was restricted to loan signings in the January transfer window and could start the summer transfer window with only a small fund if Arsenal fail to finish in the top four. However, with Aaron Ramsey gone and Petr Cech retiring and a number of stars reported to be on their way out, including Danny Welbeck, Emery hopes to have enough money to make four new signings. One of those targets, according to the Mirror, is Italy star Nicolo Barella. The Cagliari midfielder is seen as the ideal replacement for Juventus-bound Ramsey, but any deal for the 22-year-old could depend on whether Arsenal will be playing Champions League football next season.

See How Raheem Sterling became more clinical than Harry Kane and a father figure to Jadon Sancho

It has been some coming of age in an England shirt for the 24-year-old during the 10 months since he found himself forced to defend his taste in tattoos. The response has been fearless: calling out perceived racism off the field and saving his strongest statements of all for the day job in front of goal. A hat-trick on Friday and his brace against Spain have only served to bring Sterling’s England form in line with the more steady but no less impressive trajectory of improvement in the Premier League, where his accuracy has improved every year from 29 per cent in 2012-13 to 56 per cent this season for Manchester City. Once profligate, he is presently statistically more clinical than Harry Kane. His 15 goals in the Premier League have come via 57 shots, while Kane has taken 93 to net his 17 league goals for Tottenham. So rapid is this boy-to-man journey that on Saturday Jadon Sancho, the teenager who has so much in common with the Manchester City hitman, compared Sterling to a father figure. “Yeah, that’s what happens, if you show it on the pitch,” said the fellow Londoner, who turns 19 on Monday - the day England face Montenegro. “His numbers are crazy this year, so I’m happy for him.” Nowhere is Sterling’s recent maturity welcomed more than in the England dressing room, where Gareth Southgate has recently promoted him to his group of squad leaders. “I just think he’s really matured as a person and a footballer,” said the manager.

22nd March 2019, Wembley Stadium, London, England; UEFA European Championships Qualification football, England versus Czech Republic; Raheem Sterling of England shoots to score his sides 3rd goal in the 62nd minute to make it 3-0 Sterling scored his first England hat-trick against the Czech Republic on Friday night CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES Despite his own relatively tender age, Sterling – just 18 months old when Southgate missed his penalty at Euro ’96 – already has so much to teach Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi, both potential game-changers of the Manchester City man’s mould. It is Sterling, battle-hardened from his pre-World Cup critics, that the two potentially spectacular English prospects really look up to. “He is just a great player,” said Sancho. “He showed all the youngsters what it’s about. And I’m sure that he’s going to go far in his career and I’m just happy that I’m sharing a pitch with him.” Sterling deservedly took the headlines for his demolition job on Friday, but Sancho might have otherwise earned a man-of-the-match award, and deserved a goal. He played a key role in creating the opener for Sterling in a 5-0 rout against a bamboozled Czech defence. “Yes, he’s all right, he’s cool,” said Sancho of the advice he and Hudson-Odoi had received from Sterling. “Obviously he speaks to me and Callum about what to do and what not to do. He’s cool.” Sterling grew up watching Wembley being built before pursuing his dreams in the North West. Sancho has gone one step further in his family sacrifices by moving to the Bundesliga. They understand each other. “Because he is from London as well he knows where I’m coming from,” Sancho added. “He’s been helping me a lot. But it’s not just him, it’s everyone else making me and Callum comfortable and making us feel welcome.”

Alisson has overtaken Manchester United's David De Gea and Man City's Ederson this season

With less than a quarter of the Premier League season remaining, so many questions remain unanswered. The Premier League title race looks set to go down to the wire, as does the race for the top four - and indeed the battle to avoid the drop.

Furthermore there is also a race to the Premier League’s Golden Boot and the Golden Glove.

In terms of the latter, the current top three is led by Liverpool’s Alisson Becker with 17 clean sheets, followed by Manchester City’s Ederson on 14 and Kepa Arrizabalaga on 11. Irrespective of who secures the award come May, questions will still remain over who is the Premier League’s chief shot-stopper. The position has been locked down for a number of seasons by Manchester United’s formidable keeper David De Gea, however there has been an enormous investment on keepers by the Premier League’s top sides in recent seasons.

write your opinion using the comment box in this site

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has dropped a strong hint that he could look to leave the club this summer by claiming that he is ready for the "next step" in his career. Xhaka has emerged as a key member of Unai Emery's first-choice XI so far this season, missing just five Premier League games throughout the campaign.

The 26-year-old has regularly been criticised during his time in the Premier League, but his form in the Arsenal midfield this term has earned praise. However, the Switzerland international has outlined his ambition while Arsenal are in a battle to finish in the top four, and suggested that he would be willing to leave the Emirates Stadium to match his targets. "I'm very ambitious, I want to take the next step, Arsenal does not have to be the last stop," he told Tagblatt.

Chelsea Strongest XI to face Fulham,and Team News

Chelsea FC have certainly had a “dramatic” 2019 to say the least. Perhaps Fulham FC is the perfect opponent right now for the weekend Premier League fixture. Fulham have only emerged victorious once in their past 32 Premier League meetings with Chelsea, and that was 13 years ago. Meanwhile this series has been as lopsided as it get, and with Fulham now essentially doomed to go down at the end of the season, it’s hard to see just how ambitious they can truly get for a fixture where they will be overmatched. Let’s take a look at who Maurizio Sarri could slot in his first team, as he strives to keep the dominance going over a side that is now 10 points from safety.

Attack:

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Gonzalo Higuain, Willian

Midfield:

Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Ross Barkley

Defense:

Davide Zappacosta, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri

Goalkeeper: Kepa Arrizabalaga

Arsenal Vs Chelsea:Strongest Arsenal XI to Face Chelsea in the London Derby

Arsenal suffered a shocking 1-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham away from home last week and the Gunners will be looking to turn things around when they play host to another London rival Chelsea on Saturday. Unai Emery’s men haven’t looked at their best since their 22-game unbeaten run came to an end in December and the Gunners face an uphill battle against an in-form Chelsea side that beat Newcastle last week. Arsenal are currently placed fifth in the standings, six points behind Chelsea and the onus will be on the north Londoners to close the gap on the final Champions League spot with a win on Saturday. Chelsea, though, will hold a slight psychological advantage heading into the all-important fixture, having beaten Arsenal 3-2 earlier in the season.

Team News

Unai Emery has had a tough time dealing with injuries all throughout the season but he is likely to have most of his key players in good health this week. Mesut Ozil was omitted surprisingly from the 1-0 defeat against West Ham but the German is likely to make a return this week. Henrikh Mkhitaryan remains on the sidelines while Rob Holding and Danny Welbeck are both ruled out with long-term injuries.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Manager: Unai Emery

1. Bernd Leno (GK)

The German wasn’t at fault for Declan Rice’s winner in the last game and has always been a reliable presence between the sticks.

2. Hector Bellerin (RB)

The Spaniard came off the bench last week but he should be fit enough to start against Chelsea.

3. Laurent Koscielny (CB)

The Frenchman put up his best defensive display last week in the 1-0 defeat since making a return from injury and Emery should continue to rely on him.

4. Sokratis (CB)

The Greek international had a good game against West Ham at the back and should start this one as well.

5. Sead Kolasinac (LB)

The Bosnian was pretty much average against West Ham last week and Arsenal will need a better performance from him this time around.

6. Granit Xhaka (CDM)

He looked rusty and out of shape in the middle of the park against the Hammers but Emery is likely to continue with him.

7. Lucas Torreira (CDM)

The Uruguayan came off the bench last week but he has been one of the standout performers for the Gunners this season and will be expected to start on Saturday.

8. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RW)

The youngster was guilty of giving the ball away far too easily and misplacing his passes in the previous outing but he promised a lot in recent weeks and should retain his place. 9. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (LW) He wasn’t at his usual best against West Ham and Arsenal will need a strong performance from him if they are to beat Chelsea this week.

10. Mesut Ozil (CAM)

The German wizard last played in that 1-1 draw against Brighton in December and Emery will be under pressure to reinstate him in the XI after struggling for creativity last week.

11. Alexandre Lacazette (ST) He has been a key figure for Arsenal up front and the Gunner will need him to be more clinical up front after failing to make the most of his chances last week.

Arsenal vs West Ham:4-2-3-1 Arsenal predicted lineup to face West Ham-Ozil to start

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Arsenal will look to continue their excellent form when they travel to London Stadium to face West Ham United on Saturday. The Gunners have scored seven goals in their last two matches in all competitions and collecting all three points this weekend will help them reignite their push for the Champions League places.

Arsenal team news

Unai Emery will be missing out on the services of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Rob Holding while key defender Laurent Koscielny is doubtful along with Mesut Ozil. Both of them have returned to full training but will be assessed ahead of the match.

Defence

Emery could retain his four at the back formation he used against Blackpool. Thus, we expect Sokratis Papastathopoulos to line-up alongside Shkodran Mustafi at the heart of the Arsenal backline. Mustafi should replace Stephan Lichtsteiner, who appeared as a centre-back against the Seasiders. Arsenal have confirmed that Hector Bellerin is in contention, after returning to first-team training. However, Emery is unlikely to take any risks, which could pave the way for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to feature as the right-back while Sead Kolasinac is likely to retain his place on the opposite flank. Bernd Leno will return in goal, after sitting out in the FA Cup game against Blackpool. The German international will be searching for only his third clean sheet of the season.

Midfield

Aaron Ramsey is heavily linked with a move to Juventus and the Welshman is unlikely to start against West Ham this weekend. As a result, Ozil is expected to be deployed as the lone attacking midfielder.

The former German international seems to have recovered from a knee injury and he’ll remain Arsenal’s main creative source in attack, having averaged 1.8 key passes per game. Elsewhere, Emery is likely to stick with the trusted duo of Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira at the base of Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1. They will look to provide additional support to the attackers whilst recycling possession for the north London giants as they look to dominate a West Ham side decimated by injuries.

Attack

With Mkhitaryan injured, Alex Iwobi is more than likely to retain his place in the side. The Nigerian international will be deployed as the right-winger with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang starting on the opposite flank. Both these speedy attackers will provide a huge threat during counter-attacks while lone striker Alexandre Lacazette will be desperate to find the back of the net, having scored just one goal in the last seven games.

Pages

Thursday, April 4, 2019

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Christensen, Emerson; Kante, Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Hazard

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Man City predicted starting XI vs Fulham:

Friday, March 29, 2019

Team News

Formation: 4-3-3

Manager: Maurizio Sarri

Kepa Arrizabalga (GK)

Cesar Azpilicueta (RB)

David Luiz (CB)

Antonio Rudiger (CB)

Emerson (LB)

Jorginho (CM)

N’Golo Kante (CM)

Ross Barkley (CM)

Willian (RW)

Olivier Giroud (CF)

Eden Hazard (LW)

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Mkhitaryan and Ozil out, Barella in?

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Furthermore there is also a race to the Premier League’s Golden Boot and the Golden Glove.

write your opinion using the comment box in this site

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Attack:

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Gonzalo Higuain, Willian

Midfield:

Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, Ross Barkley

Defense:

Davide Zappacosta, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Emerson Palmieri

Friday, January 18, 2019

Team News

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Manager: Unai Emery

1. Bernd Leno (GK)

2. Hector Bellerin (RB)

3. Laurent Koscielny (CB)

4. Sokratis (CB)

5. Sead Kolasinac (LB)

6. Granit Xhaka (CDM)

7. Lucas Torreira (CDM)

8. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RW)

10. Mesut Ozil (CAM)

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Arsenal team news

Defence

Midfield

Attack

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