No-one in football likes losing. However, the feeling of hurt is undoubtedly heightened when something negative happens during a game. That was certainly the case on Friday evening, as Brentford rode their luck to secure a 1-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers. In addition to being denied two clear penalties, the home side also suffered the blow of losing playmaker Bradley Dack to another serious injury. Dack has only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but his comeback looks set to be short-lived. We all hate losing but tonight the football match becomes insignificant when you see one of your brothers hurt. My thoughts and love with you @BradDacks40 💙🙏🏽 — Elliott Bennett (@Ebenno88) March 12, 2021 A clash with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya resulted...
Leeds United are likely to compete with Arsenal for the signature of Crystal Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt this summer, The Mirror reports. The Netherlands international has been with the Eagles since 2017 and he has accumulated 130 appearances for the club across all competitions. He was the subject of interest from the Gunners during the backend of the January transfer window as they were eyeing a back-up option for left-back Kieran Tierney. However, a deal never materialised and it appears that the Dutchman could leave the south London outfit on a free transfer when his contract expires in June. It is now reported that Leeds have entered the pursuit of the former Sunderland man as they are bracing for the departure of Ezgjan Alioski. The North Macedonia international has repo...
Arsenal welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium in Sunday’s Premier League clash. The Gunners played out a frustrating 1-1 league draw against Burnley last weekend where Granit Xhaka gifted the Clarets with the equaliser. They managed to return to winning ways with a 3-1 Europa League triumph over Olympiacos in midweek, but their performance was unconvincing. Mikel Arteta’s side conceded three clear-cut chances to Olympiacos through unforced defensive errors and were lucky that the Greek side did not fully capitalise. They are scheduled to take on their north London rivals tomorrow and the game is a must-win for them as they look to close the gap on the top four. They can go within 10 points of the final Champions League spot with a victory while having a game in hand against Wes...
West Ham United head into the latest round of fixtures in the Premier League with plenty to play for. The Hammers have defied expectations this season to force themselves into contention for European qualification. Manager David Moyes has got West Ham supremely organised, despite his squad lacking a natural centre-forward. Step forward, Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker has bagged a bucket load of goals in the Championship this season, sparking interest from across the Premier League. SL View Toney’s form for Brentford during the current campaign has triggered talk of a big-money move to the Premier League this summer. The 24-year-old highlighted his ability as a difference-maker as the Bees secured a 1-0 win at Blackburn Rovers on Friday evening. Winning promotion to the top-flight would ...
The 28th round of fixtures in the Premier League features some eye-catching match-ups at both ends of the EPL table. We’ll update this story with reports, results, highlights and the latest Premier League standings throughout the weekend. The action kicked-off on Friday evening, with Newcastle United drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa. Elland Road is the venue for the early game on Saturday, with Leeds United going head-to-head with Chelsea. 📋 Changes for both teams in today’s lunchtime kick-off ⚪️🔵 Leeds make three, Chelsea make six… 🎙 @DFletcherSport and Steve McManaman take us through the line-ups and formations! pic.twitter.com/Fm4yLbRX9g — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 13, 2021 Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has shuffled his pack ah...
The 2020/21 Premier League season continues this weekend, with some intriguing EPL fixtures scheduled over the next four days. The action gets underway on Friday evening as Newcastle United go head-to-head with Aston Villa at St James’ Park. The early kick-off on Saturday is at Elland Road, with Leeds United facing Chelsea. The Blues will be without Tammy Abraham and Thiago Silva, with manager Thomas Tuchel confirming they are sidelined with injuries. There are three other games later the same day, with the clash between Fulham and Manchester City the pick of the bunch. Fulham have given themselves a great chance of avoiding relegation, but they could have their work cut out against the champions-elect. The Sunday line-up features a quartet of matches, headlined by the north London derby b...
A selection of Arsenal fans on Twitter heaped praise on Gabriel Magalhaes following the club’s 3-1 win over Olympiacos in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The centre-back returned to the starting line-up after sitting out the last two games where Pablo Mari was preferred to partner David Luiz. He could not do much to restrict the equalising goal (1-1) from Olympiacos before the hour mark which was gifted after a poor bit of play between Bernd Leno and Dani Ceballos. However, he made the difference in the 79th minute with a towering and looping header in the box which found the top right corner of Olympiacos’ net. Five minutes from time, he turned provider for Mohamed Elneny, who unleashed a swerving shot from outside the box which put the Gunners’ 3-1 ahead. The performance ...
Arsenal are scheduled to host arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday and the game can be considered a must-win for them in their quest for Champions League football. Mikel Arteta’s side are already 12 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand and need to come on top in the north London derby to maintain their slim chances of qualifying for the elite competition through the league. Ahead of the much-anticipated clash this weekend, we look at three things the Gunners must avoid as they look to beat Spurs for the first time in six games across all competitions. Cut out unforced defensive errors: Since the turn of the year, the Gunners have largely been the reason behind their own downfall. The capital outfit have conceded 14 goals in all competitions in 20...
The signing of Thomas Partey was met with a huge amount of excitement last year, but it has not all been plain sailing for him in England. During five years with Atletico Madrid’s first team, Partey only suffered two injuries. However, since joining the Gunners, the Ghanaian has picked up three in the space of four months. There are many reasons for this – the intensity of the Premier League and the chaotic fixture schedule being two examples. Despite the frustrating setbacks, Partey has said that this is just the start for him at Arsenal, and he has so much more to offer. Speaking ahead of Thursday’s big clash with Olympiacos in the last 16 of the Europa League, the 27-year-old seemed calm about his situation. “It was a difficult moment to get used to how the team plays, and I think the i...
The Europa League takes centre stage this evening with the round of 16 first leg ties featuring some mouthwatering fixtures. We’ll update this story with reports, results and the latest Europa League highlights as the games are played. The action is already underway and most eyes were on the clash at Old Trafford between Manchester United and AC Milan. Amad Diallo gave United the lead, but a late Simon Kjaer header handed Milan a vital away goal ahead of the second leg. Filip Helander was on target as Rangers grabbed a 1-1 draw at Slavia Prague. Davy Klaassen, Dusan Tadic and Brian Brobbey were on the scoresheet as Ajax ran out 3-0 winners at home to Young Boys. Villarreal are well placed to reach the last eight after winning 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev – Pau Torres and Raul Albiol got the goals. T...
The Europa League returns with the round of 16 first leg ties scheduled to be played on Thursday. Manchester United are involved in the standout tie of the round as they go head-to-head with AC Milan. Both teams have injuries ahead of the game, although the Red Devils are expected to field a strong starting XI. Arsenal could have a fitness boost for their game at Olympiacos, with playmaker Emile Smith Rowe in line to return to the squad. Smith Rowe missed the visit to Burnley over the weekend but was involved in training yesterday, and he may feature in Greece. Tottenham Hotspur have a few selection concerns ahead of their first-leg meeting with Dinamo Zagreb. Matt Doherty, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Dele Alli have all collected two yellow cards in the competition, and another caution would...
Arsenal and Chelsea could compete for the signature of Inter Milan defender Achraf Hakimi when the transfer window reopens this summer, The Telegraph reports. The Morocco international made the switch to the Nerazzurri from Real Madrid last year following a successful two-year loan stint with Borussia Dortmund. Hakimi has generally played at right wing-back for the Nerazzurri and has had a superb debut season with six goals and six assists from 33 outings. Despite this, there is speculation that he could be on the move this summer with Inter owner Suning Holdings Group looking for new investors at the club. They recently shut down their operations at Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu and their tight financial situation could see them offload few players at Inter. Hakimi is on the...