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https://ift.tt/2PVJBwM Alan Smith believes Nicolas Pepe is now a ‘problem’ for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. The Ivory Coast international has been underwhelming since joining the Gunners from Lille in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £72million. Getty Images - Getty Pepe has struggled to cement a place in Arteta’s XI There have been unquestionable moments of quality, but just nine goals in 51 appearances has been a disappointing return for the front man, who has struggled  to cement a place in Arteta’s starting XI. And Gunners icon Smith believes his former club overpaid for Pepe, admitting he is now a ‘problem’ for Arteta. He told 101 Great Goals: “Well Nicolas Pepe is a problem in a way because he cost so much money. “To a certain extent you’re under a little bit of pressure to play him even if you don’t start him. He has disappointed. “I was hoping in his second season that he would kick on. Clearly Arsenal paid far too much money for him. ‘Willian has be...

https://ift.tt/34HYhrO A Europa League loss to Royal Antwerp has brought Tottenham back to Earth with a bump. It was only a 1-0 loss but Jose Mourinho’s backups failed to fire and even Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane couldn’t save them when they arrived off the bench. Getty Images - Getty Gareth Bale couldn’t help Spurs avoid defeat against Royal Antwerp Next up is a home game against Brighton, and it’s at their new stadium where they have struggled to get wins this campaign. Spurs lost to Everton, drew 1-1 with Newcastle, and then saw London rivals West Ham come from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 in N17 . Had it not been for those three results, Mourinho’s men would be sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table. But they can’t dwell on it and must now focus on facing their south coast opponents.. Mourinho was furious with his players and will want a vast improvement against Brighton The Seagulls have only won one match this season and have put in mixed bag of performance...

https://ift.tt/3kMnVkP The Premier League is all about big games and Manchester United vs Arsenal is one of the biggest in English football history. There is rarely a dull match between the two sides and we could be set for another classic on Sunday at Old Trafford with both desperate for a win. GETTY Ole Solskjaer and Mikel Arteta both want wins this weekend to ease the pressure on them The hosts are now unbeaten in four games since their humiliating 6-1 defeat at the hands of Tottenham , with two impressive Champions League wins against Paris Saint-German and RB Leipzig the standout displays. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows a defeat to a ‘Big Six’ rival could see his side well off the pace and slip closer to the relegation zone, given they sit just five points outside it. He comes up against a Gunners side equally as desperate for a win too, though. They have already lost three times this season, as well as winning on three occasions, which has sounded some alarm bel...

https://ift.tt/3oMU4uL Pep Guardiola will return to Barcelona ‘sooner rather than later’, insists presidency candidate Victor Font. That is despite the Manchester City boss reiterating on Saturday that his career as a manager at the Catalan club ‘is over’ getty Pep Guardiola has insisted he is ‘happy’ at Manchester City amid links with a possible return to Barcelona Speculation over the Spaniard’s future at the Etihad Stadium has been mounting, with his contract at the Premier League side set to expire at the end of the 2020/21 campaign. Font, the frontrunner to be the next Barcelona president, has expressed his ambition to bring Guardiola back to Camp Nou as he has vowed to do all he can to ensure superstar Lionel Messi stays. Guardiola won two Champions League titles as Barcelona manager between 2008 and 2012, and he has been unable to escape links with a stunning return the club eve since his departure. But the City boss shut the speculation down this weekend by ins...

https://ift.tt/34HXXZW Hakim Ziyech continued his brilliant start to life in England with a goal and an assist as Chelsea made it FOUR clean sheets in a row to down Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor. Ziyech, a £33million arrival from Ajax in the summer, looked sharp once again as Frank Lampard’s men breezed to victory against the out of form Clarets. Ziyech continued his fine form for Chelsea against Burnley Chelsea were dominant from start to finish at Turf Moor The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute after some good link-up between Tammy Abraham and Ziyech. The Morocco international picked up the ball from the England striker from outside the area before drilling low past Nick Pope. The Blues nearly got a second shortly before the interval, with the industrious Reece James bending a low cross towards Timo Werner, who looked perfectly positioned to rifle home until a slide from Kevin Long altered the trajectory just enough to distract the striker. Burnley were getting fo...

https://ift.tt/2HKbsPU Liverpool take on West Ham this weekend in another exciting Gameday clash on talkSPORT. Despite their mounting injury problems, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds beat Sheffield United last weekend and won in the Champions League in midweek. Getty Images - Getty Liverpool take on West Ham at Anfield this weekend HOME Walker hints at possible Sheffield United return after bittersweet winner for Man City concern Werner forced to come in as Chelsea suffer last-minute injury blow at Burnley info Burnley vs Chelsea live stream: Where to watch PPV clash, how much it costs, team news respect Why Walker chose not to celebrate stunning goal as Man City edged Sheffield United THEORY 'Is Alisson more pivotal to Liverpool?' - Van Dijk's importance for Reds questioned DONE DEAL Man City beat United in race to sign Serbian wonderkid from Partizan Belgrade as you were What happens to the Premier League if there is a second national lockdow...

https://ift.tt/34JpBpo Kyle Walker has hinted he could make a stunning return to Sheffield United, after scoring a brilliant bittersweet winner against his boyhood side for Manchester City. The England right-back scored an incredible volley to continue his purple patch for Pep Guardiola’s team, as City ground out a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane over a stubborn Blades team who are yet to win a Premier League game this season. Getty Images - Getty Walker gave City their third win of the season It was the perfect way to mark his 100th City appearance, but Walker refused to celebrate against the club where he started his career. His mark of respect made his continued love for hometown side Sheffield United perfectly clear, with his family still based in the city and firm Blades supporters. But he took it a step further during a post-match interview by dropping a huge hint that he wants to end his career with his boyhood club. Explaining his decision not to celebrate his goal, W...

https://ift.tt/3oJpTVs Chelsea will be sweating on the fitness of Christian Pulisic as the American was forced out of the Burnley clash at the last minute. Having recently returned from a long-term injury, Pulisic was named in the starting XI at Turf Moor for Saturday’s Premier League clash for just the second time this season. DAZN Pulisic was supposed to start However, the 22-year-old pulled up, forcing Timo Werner to come into the side moments before kick-off, when the German was supposed to be getting a much-needed rest on the bench. Pulisic was probably the first name on the team sheet for this fixture following his heroics at Turf Moor last year. The winger grabbed his first Chelsea hat-trick in the Blues’ 4-2 victory in 2019 – and went on to become one of the club’s standout players of the campaign. Getty Images - Getty Pulisic got injured while warming up He recently notched his first strike of the current campaign during the trip to Russia as Chelsea bea...

https://ift.tt/3jMlo8G Kyle Walker scored an incredible volley to seal a 1-0 win for Man City at Sheffield United, but took some fans by surprise by deciding not to celebrate. The England international decided the match in the 28th minute with a fierce arrow into the bottom-left corner as City returned to winning ways in the top-flight. Considering he marked his 100th City appearance with such an important strike, you would expect a certain level of jubilation. BT Sport Walker was in no mood to celebrate AFP Walker opened the scoring with an arrow into the bottom corner from distance However, Walker opted not to celebrate out of respect for his boyhood club. It’s not one of football’s most well-known facts, but Walker was discovered by Sheffield United – and it’s largely thanks to them he went on to achieve everything he has. Despite only making two senior appearances for the Blades before joining Tottenham, where he spent most of his early career, Sheffield Unite...

https://ift.tt/34JS2nt With Alisson back between the sticks for Liverpool, they looked far more comfortable in games against Sheffield United and FC Midtjylland. The Reds were without the Brazilian for four games and conceded nine goals as Adrian took over the gloves while his teammate was injured. getty Alisson is back between the sticks for Liverpool after four games out The loss of Virgil van Dijk, who suffered and anterior cruciate ligament injury in the Merseyside derby, on October 17, then compounded the issue. Many have felt losing the Dutchman, who has been magnificent since joining from Southampton in 2018, could possibly end their bid to retain the Premier League. But, now Alisson has returned, the Reds seem far more confident and that has led to talkSPORT host Tony Cascarino querying if Van Dijk is really as influential as we might think. Ahead of their match with West Ham on GameDay, where you can hear live commentary of the clash at 5:30pm , he told the Weeke...

https://ift.tt/3jLZDG4 Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign teenage wonderkid Filip Stevanović from Partizan Belgrade, the Serbian club have announced. Arch-rivals Manchester United were also linked with an interest and were even reported to have agreed to sign the 18-year-old, who is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe. getty Serbian teenager Filip Stevanovic has agreed a transfer to Manchester City But City have won the race for the highly-rated winger, with a £7million [€8m] transfer set to be completed when the January transfer window opens. “FC Partizan is pleased to announce the transfer of Filip Stevanović to Man City in the winter transition period of 2021,” the Serbian club posted on social media on Saturday. “The transfer of Filip Stevanović to one of the largest European clubs is a significant confirmation of the good and hard work of all club structures.” FK Partizan ima zadovoljstvo da objavi transfer Filipa Stevanovića u @ManCity ...

https://ift.tt/3jMlo8G Kyle Walker scored an incredible volley to open the scoring for Man City at Sheffield United, but took some fans by surprise by deciding not to celebrate. Considering he marked his 100th City appearance with such a stunning strike, you would expect a certain level of jubilation. BT Sport Walker was in no mood to celebrate AFP Walker opened the scoring with an arrow into the bottom corner from distance However, Walker opted not to celebrate out of respect for his boyhood club. It’s not one of football’s most well-known facts, but Walker was discovered by Sheffield United – and it’s largely thanks to them he went on to achieve everything he has. Despite only making two senior appearances for the Blades before joining Tottenham, where he spent most of his early career, Sheffield United developed Walker as a kid. The England international, 30, joined the Blades aged seven and spent eleven years in their academy. Walker has come a long way since...

https://ift.tt/3mHhUqe The Premier League is expected to continue despite rumours of a second national lockdown next week. Overnight reports emerged to suggest England is reverting back to the same level of restrictions imposed in Spring earlier this year. getty What happens to the Premier League if we go into lockdown? Football fans will remember that live sport was among the many industries impacted by the national lockdown as Premier League football took an involuntary three-month hiatus between March and June. However, that does not look like it will be the case this time round. The Athletic reports that top-flight football is unlikely to be impacted by a second national lockdown, which is expected to be announced on Monday before coming into force on Wednesday. Newcastle manager Steve Bruce criticises the current price of pay-per-view Premier League football and fears coverage is becoming over-saturated While the situation is ‘fast-moving and unpredictable’, it is ...

https://ift.tt/2TEBW8j Roy Hodgson was furious with Luka Milivojevic’s red card during Crystal Palace’s 2-0 defeat at Wolves – and Tony Cascarino agrees the decision was incredibly harsh. The Eagles slipped to a 2-0 defeat on Friday night, but the main talking point was Milivojevic’s challenge on Joao Moutinho. Sky Sports The incident looked awful in slow motion – but was it really that bad? While the tackle looked dangerous in real time, replays showed the Serbian actually won the ball before following through on Moutinho’s ankle. Nonetheless, Martin Atkinson brandished the red card after consulting the pitch-side monitor, much to the outrage of Palace boss Hodgson . He said: “I don’t think it was a little bit harsh, I think it was ridiculously harsh because I don’t even think it was a foul. “I’ve said that to the referee, he knows what I think about it, but I can’t possibly stand here and say I thought it was a foul. AFP or Licensors Atkinson quickly changed his ...

https://ift.tt/3215xNI It’s been a tough start to the Premier League campaign for Sheffield United and it isn’t getting any easier with Man City up next – live on talkSPORT at 12:30pm. With one point from their opening six games, it’s feared another case of second season syndrome might be confirmed. But not so fast, this Blades squad has been forged under special conditions and their steel is unquestionable under manager Chris Wilder. Sheffield United lost to Liverpool last weekend, their fifth loss of the season Midfielder Sander Berge hasn’t even been at the club for a year yet but already he knows United have been cast to ride out these storms. Defeats have been slim this season, despite there being five of them, and they gave Liverpool a battle when they lost 2-1 last time out . And the club’s Norwegian ace reckons the spirit of those in the Steel City who work in and around the club are helping them remain close knit and ready to fight for Premier League survival. Aske...

https://ift.tt/2THNlUC While Chelsea travel to Burnley looking for their first Premier League win in three matches, the Clarets are still seeking their first victory of the season. Frank Lampard’s men have started the new campaign in mixed form, but only recently has the Blues manager had a fully-fit squad to choose from. Getty Images - Getty The Blues have drawn their last two Sean Dyche’s side have looked a shadow of the team which finished tenth last season, claiming just one point from their opening five, but Chelsea will be wary that all bad runs must end somewhere. Fans who want to watch this one will have to dip into their pocket after the Premier League decided to stick with their current pay-per-view arrangements until November’s international break at least. showdown Man United v Arsenal live stream: Kick-off time, team news, TV and radio coverage PEP TALK Aguero and Jesus are out but young duo can offer a glimpse of Man City's future fortres...

https://ift.tt/2TwKv4Q Old Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal face off this weekend in a blockbuster top-flight clash. Both sides have had mixed campaigns to date and sit in the bottom half of the table going into the match. United drew 0-0 with Chelsea last Saturday but have shown some great form in Europe recently. Arsenal, meanwhile, have lost three of their last four in the league, including last Sunday’s defeat to Leicester. AFP or licensors Marcus Rashford’s Man United host Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend info Burnley vs Chelsea live stream: Where to watch PPV clash, how much it costs, KO time PEP TALK Aguero and Jesus are out but young duo can offer a glimpse of Man City's future fortress Incredible record Klopp can equal if Liverpool don't lose against West Ham today future Carragher loves one, and Liverpool's other wonderkid defender makes Klopp say 'wow' tough Man City's Walker joins calls...

https://ift.tt/31XXe5l Losing your only two out-and-out strikers to injury is rarely an ideal situation, especially when you are trying to win the Premier League. Manchester City will be without both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus during Saturday’s trip to Sheffield United, which is live on talkSPORT at 12:30pm. AFP or licensors Pep Guardiola’s Man City now have a real problem position Aguero faces a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem picked up in the draw with West Ham, while Jesus has been absent since an injury in the opening day win over Wolves. It’s a huge blow, especially with the title race being blown wide open with some outrageous results in the opening weeks of the campaign, including Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa. City are yet to take advantage having drawn with Leeds United and lost 5-2 to Leicester City , while even winning their game in hand would only put them up into sixth place right now. Manager Pep Guardiola is well known for his ...