Arsenal injury latest as Liverpool miss four with William Saliba scared and Mikel Artea hopeful
Arsenal can take a big step towards winning their first league title in almost 20 years when they take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
It comes a week after Manchester City sent the Reds to the Etihad Stadium, putting another manufacturer at the top of the Premier League. Arsenal rallied to respond again with a dominating win over Leeds to restore their eight-point lead, with Pep Guardiola’s men one game short.
Should they beat Liverpool they would definitely become favourites, according to Gary Neville, a small distinction in the grand scheme of things but further proof of the greatness of this game. The Gunners have won just once in their last 11 games at Anfield and haven’t won there in the league since 2012. Mikel Arteta will be without centre-back William Saliba. “He’s improving, unfortunately he still has some back discomfort. He won’t be fit for this match and we’re trying to do everything we can to feel better, but not yet,” he said.
The Frenchman has missed the last two league games with injury since he was out against Sporting CP. However, there is hope that he is still playing this campaign. “Yes, I’m very confident and so is he,” added Arteta.
“Back injuries are a bit complicated and how they evolve with the load you put on certain areas. Let’s push ourselves and see how he fares. He’s so willing to come back to the team.”
Liverpool themselves will be sweating over Virgil van Dijk’s fitness after the defender missed Tuesday’s trip to Chelsea with illness. Jurgen Klopp was equally optimistic that the 31-year-old would be available for the match, saying: “I think he’ll be ready for the weekend, yes.”
When Van Dijk is ready, he will prepare to face Arsenal without Eddie Nketiah. “It’s still in the trunk,” Arteta said last. “It’s still a few weeks away and we’ll have to be patient.
“It was a bad injury and he has a big challenge ahead of him. Thank goodness it could have been worse. So he’s not out of place.”
Gabriel Jesus has since returned and is looking great which has given the team a huge boost. He is now likely to be joined by Bukayo Saka against Liverpool, with the Hale End graduate returning from illness.
Ben White is also expected to return with no further indication that they will be unavailable for the Crunch match. Elsewhere, the only remaining absentees are Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny, both out with long-term issues and unlikely to be seen until the end of the season.
Who do you think this injury setback will favour during their encounter? leave your comments…
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Pep Guardiola says he would like to be in Arsenal’s shoes considering the title race
Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City’s experience of winning the Premier League and battling for a thrilling title race will count for nothing as the Blues enter the final two months of the season.
Indeed, the City boss believes Arsenal have the advantage of a clear schedule as his side battle on three fronts with the Blues still chasing trophies in the Champions League and FA Cup.
City trail Arsenal by eight points with a game in hand and will welcome the Gunners to the Etihad later this month. Any missteps from City will give Arsenal even more momentum, and Guardiola insists his side cannot rely on past title wins, or even their knowledge of chasing down a rival.
The manager has warned his players not to think about their last four Premier League titles, telling them to prove their credentials in their actions rather than think back on how they won trophies in the past.
Describing Arsenal’s points on the board as the only advantage that matters, Guardiola said: “I would like to be in Arsenal’s shoes rather than having the experience of winning four Premier Leagues in five years. The advantage ” is that they are eight points ahead of us, that’s the real advantage. The past is gone, experience doesn’t count. Absolutely nothing.
“When I hear so many times from managers or players saying that I have nothing to show, I have nothing to demonstrate, what I have done in the past, that is the most terrifying sentence. You have to prove it again and again and again every day. The past is the past. Do you remember when you were a grandfather? All right, it’s nice.
“But the reality is tomorrow, when people come to the Etihad Stadium at 12.30, they don’t think about the past. If people think “I have nothing to show”, no, you have to keep doing it, otherwise you will have to retire.
“At the end of the game it’s about what you have to do. You have to do it right and when you play you don’t play for the experience. I’ve never played a game where I felt said, ‘I’m going to win this game, because.’ from past experience.”
Guardiola also pointed to Arsenal’s Europa League exit as another advantage the Gunners have over City, meaning they have fewer games to play during the week and more time to prepare for each title race.
He said: “They still have a lot of points to play, a lot of games to play and a lot of things can happen. For the consistency Arsenal have shown this season, one game a week, FA Cup and Europa League. Playing one game a week gives you incredible focus and preparation.
“I have a feeling they won’t drop as many points. The best way is the feeling we had against Liverpool years ago that they won’t drop points. They haven’t and we neither.” It’s a similar situation right now.”
Do you think he is talking tough or he is being too ambitious? Leave your comments…
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David James makes new Premier League title prediction with Arsenal and Manchester City
Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James has claimed Erling Haaland could be an obstacle in Manchester City’s bid to beat Arsenal in the Premier League title race this season.
James thinks the distribution of goals across the team might be more beneficial to a team’s chances of winning the league than having one player score all the goals. Haaland has been City’s top scorer this season with 28 goals in 26 league appearances.
Phil Foden is second with nine goals in 24 Premier League games. Arsenal, on the other hand, have three players who have scored 10 or more La Liga goals this season – Gabriel Martinelli (13), Bukayo Saka (12) and Martin Odegaard (10).
James told Topratedcasinos (h/t Metro):
“The reality is that the top scorers don’t win the league. Man City have the top scorer… but I think that hurts the team’s productivity. If you look at Arsenal, Bukayo Saka is their top scorer, but Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah all shared the goals, just like City did last season when they won the league.
The former England keeper added:
“Now that Man City have this number nine, I think it would have been more beneficial to spread the goals this season than to have this dominant player. I still think Arsenal are the favorites to win the league.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (R)
James concluded:
“It would almost take a catastrophic failure on Arsenal’s part for City to win the league. Obviously City are playing against Arsenal, which gives them a great chance, but it is up to Arsenal to lose.”
The Gunners have 69 points from 28 games so far this season, eight more than runners-up Manchester City who have a game in hand. James’s aforementioned comments, meanwhile, are true up to a point.
The top goalscorers of the last nine Premier League seasons have not come from teams that have won the Scudetto. Arsenal vs Manchester City showdown at Etihad could be crucial in PL title race
Arsenal’s bid for their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season could culminate in their league game against Manchester City on April 26.
The fact that Cityzens will be playing at Etihad automatically gives them an edge in the game. The North London giants haven’t beaten City in the Premier League since December 2015.
Manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping his former club drop a few points ahead of the clash of the two teams at the end of April. The Sky Blues are also active in the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup. The Gunners, meanwhile, have only the league to focus on after being knocked out of all cup competitions this season.