Connect with us

Sports

Man City have a history of overtaking Arsenal; can the Gunners hold their nerve?

Published

on

Man City have a history of overtaking Arsenal; can the Gunners hold their nerve?


When does a Premier League title wobble become cause for the panic button to be pressed? From an Arsenal perspective, it is when Manchester City start to appear in the rearview mirror, and that anxious moment has now arrived for Mikel Arteta and his players.

The Gunners are two points clear of Pep Guardiola’s City at the top of the table, with in-form Aston Villa one point further back in third place following their dramatic 2-1 win against Arsenal on Saturday.

With bottom-club Wolves due to visit the Emirates on Saturday, Arsenal would expect to open a five-point lead over City ahead of their difficult trip to fourth-placed Crystal Palace a day later, but this title race is not about testing the resolve of Guardiola’s team. It is about whether Arsenal can hold their nerve with City breathing down their necks.

Arsenal have plenty of ghosts to exorcise if they are to win their first title since Arsene Wenger’s 2003-04 “Invincibles” became the only team in Premier League history to go through a league campaign without suffering a defeat.

Only Liverpool and Manchester United (both 20) have won more league titles than Arsenal’s 13, but the Gunners have never gone so long between titles as their current wait, which will be 22 years by the end of this season. Arteta has also won just one major trophy — the 2019-20 FA Cup — in six years as Arsenal manager, so the 43-year-old is overdue when it comes to proving he has that crucial quality of being able to successfully guide a team through the stresses and strains of a title race.

– Olley: Arsenal’s thrilling late loss at Villa blows title race wide open
Timber says Arsenal must use loss as “motivation and strength”
– Ogden: Salah’s outburst has echoes of Ronaldo’s Man United exit

Those silverware droughts for both Arsenal and Arteta will provide psychological hurdles between now and May, but the biggest challenge facing the Gunners is that being posed by City.

When Arsenal sat atop the Premier League with a six-point lead after 12 games last month, it was one of those key pointers toward the likely winners of the title because no team has previously failed to win it after being six points clear at the same stage of the season.

But on the flipside, on the last three occasions in which Arsenal have been at the top after 12 games (albeit with a smaller lead), they have failed to win the title. And guess which team finished at the top on each occasion?

Yes, you’re right: Manchester City.

Since moving six points clear with a 4-1 home win against Tottenham Hotspur on Nov. 23, Arsenal have collected just four points from a possible nine, with a 1-1 draw at Chelsea and the weekend’s loss at Villa coming on either side of a routine 2-0 win against Brentford at the Emirates.

And in typical fashion, despite their frailties and inconsistencies this season, City have capitalized on Arsenal’s mini-wobble by recording three successive wins against Leeds United, Fulham and Sunderland. In the space of three games, City have reduced a seven-point gap to just two. And they are beginning to turn the screw just when Arsenal are hitting an injury crisis with key defenders William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Cristhian Mosquera all ruled out.

To make matters worse for Arsenal, City striker Erling Haaland is running clear in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot award, with 15 goals in 15 games, and Guardiola will have money to spend again in January. Furthermore, no other coach possesses the experience of Guardiola when it comes to guiding a team to glory in the second half of the season.

Arteta has assembled Arsenal’s strongest squad since Wenger’s “Invincibles,” and they have been the best and most consistent team in the Premier League this season. They are still the title favorites and deservedly so, but they held the same status in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and each time, City reined them in to finish the season as champions. So why should this season be any different? Are there any clues that point to Arsenal finally going the distance?

Apart from the strength of their squad, which is certainly being tested defensively right now, there is no one stat that says that this will be Arsenal’s year, but there are some concerning ones.

For a start, they have failed to defeat any of their title rivals so far this season, losing at Liverpool and Villa, and being held to draws by City and Chelsea.

They have no player like Haaland in their side who can be relied upon to win tight games. While Haaland is scoring at the rate of a goal a game, no Arsenal player has scored more than four league goals. Four players (Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres) share their top-scorer spot with four apiece.

And while Arsenal boast the best defensive record in the league, conceding just nine goals, a third of those have been conceded in the past two away games. Injuries on defense are already beginning to have an effect.

City are certainly not perfect and are nowhere near as convincing as some of Guardiola’s greatest teams — the fact that they conceded four goals in a 5-4 win at Fulham last week underscores that reality — but they have the mindset and the proven record of turning it up when the pressure is on in the second half of the season.

Arsenal can hold on to the fact that none of their current title challengers are the complete package this season, and they may end up being the best by virtue of their strengths outweighing their weaknesses. But what they can’t escape is the knowledge that City have repeatedly answered the questions that continue to trouble them. And that could come back to haunt them.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Fulham to revisit USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi transfer in summer – sources

Published

on

Fulham to revisit USMNT’s Ricardo Pepi transfer in summer – sources


Fulham are likely to reignite their interest in United States men’s striker Ricardo Pepi in the summer transfer window after the potential move broke down this January, sources have told ESPN.

Fulham and PSV Eindhoven were close to agreeing on a fee in the region of €37 million ($43.9m) for the USMNT striker, but the deal was contingent on PSV finding a replacement, according to sources.

With the transfer deadline ticking ever closer, PSV pulled the plug on the deal as they were unable to find a suitable candidate to fill Pepi’s shoes.

The Premier League side has already recruited Oscar Bobb this window and was keen to add the young striker as well.

Pepi, 23, has been in fantastic form for PSV this season, scoring eight goals in 15 Eredivisie matches. He is seen as an ideal target to bolster Fulham’s forward options, though he is out currently with a broken forearm.

Sources say that Fulham are keen to explore another move for Pepi in the summer.

The 23-year-old began his career at FC Dallas before spells at Augsburg and Groningen before joining PSV, where he has 26 goals in 60 games, alongside 13 in 34 for the USMNT.

Transfer deadline day: Follow the latest moves
10 of the best Premier League signings in January



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Pakistan Shaheens announce squad for T20’s, ODI’s – SUCH TV

Published

on

Pakistan Shaheens announce squad for T20’s, ODI’s – SUCH TV



Pakistan Shaheens have announced their squad for the upcoming T20 and ODI series against England Lions to be played in the United Arab Emirates, with Shamil Hussain named captain for both formats.

All matches of the series will be held at the Oval Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

The three-match T20 series will begin on February 20, followed by a five-match ODI series from February 27 to March 9.

Abdul Samad, Hassan Nawaz, Moaz Sadaqat and Saad Khan have been included in the squad, along with Sameer Minhas and Arafat Minhas.

Rohail Nazir and Saad Baig will share wicketkeeping duties.

Spin bowlers Saad Masood and Sufyan Muqim are also part of the team, while the fast bowling unit includes Ali Raza, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Muhammad Salman and Shahid Aziz.

Pakistan Shaheens will hold a seven-day training camp in Karachi from February 11 to February 17.

Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has been appointed mentor and manager of the Shaheens.

Ijaz Ahmed will serve as head coach, with Mansoor Amjad named fielding coach and Aizaz Cheema as bowling coach.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

NHL outdoor game sees its 1st goalie fight between Vasilevskiy, Swayman

Published

on

NHL outdoor game sees its 1st goalie fight between Vasilevskiy, Swayman


TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Lightning credited the first goalie fight in an NHL outdoor game for helping to spark their historic Stadium Series comeback win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

With 8:59 left in the second period and the Bruins leading 5-2, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel tried to poke the puck from under Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman after a save. Swayman then jumped on top of Hagel next to his crease, leading to a melee between the teams while the Lightning were on a power play. Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy skated from his crease to the opposite blue line during the chaos.

“I just saw Sway was swinging the blocker on [Hagel] a bit, so it was just a reflex to go to the red line and challenge him. He accepted,” Vasilevskiy said.

Swayman spotted the Tampa Bay goalie, dropped his stick and skated out to meet Vasilevskiy as the two engaged near center ice. Swayman took off his gloves and mask and signaled to Vasilevskiy to remember to remove his mask before the fists flew.

“I don’t want to hit his helmet, so I’m glad we didn’t do that,” Swayman said.

The Lightning goalie nicknamed “The Big Cat” grabbed Swayman’s collar and started throwing left hands. The Boston goalie wasn’t able to get much offense in before Vasilevskiy wrestled him to the ice.

Did Swayman know that Vasilevskiy was a lefty before their fight?

“No,” the Bruins goalie said curtly, with a laugh. “Glad we both had our first gig against each other. Really worthy opponent.”

Vasilevskiy gave him a tap on the back and then tapped the back of Swayman’s head in appreciation of the moment, grinning widely as the fans roared inside Raymond James Stadium.

“When we both fell, we just kind of said to each other nice words. It was super nice. It’s one of the biggest moments for me, because I never fought in the NHL,” Vasilevskiy said. “Big thanks to him. He was great in the net all game and great in the fight as well.”

Swayman was also appreciative.

“He wanted to win, which is good. So did I. So that’s game respecting game,” he said. “I’m fighting the biggest, toughest goalie in the league. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but glad we got the first one out of the way. Probably retire after that.”

The crowd of nearly 65,000 fans stood and cheered during the confrontation, and then again when the referee announced the goalies had both received five-minute majors for fighting. Players on both benches were on their feet, too, slapping their sticks against the boards in appreciation and respect for their netminders.

“He was throwing lefts. I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t want to be the other guy,” Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov said. “I was so happy. I was so fired up. I think the bench felt it. Everyone in the building felt it. Ever since that fight, the game was turned. Vasy had to do it, I guess. He had to wake us up.”

The Lightning would score twice on 5-on-3 power plays over the next 5:12, cutting the Bruins’ lead to 5-4 heading into the third period. Kucherov tied the score in the third period, and the Lightning eventually won 6-5 in a shootout.

Tampa Bay’s rally from a four-goal deficit to win marked the largest comeback victory in franchise history and the largest in an NHL outdoor game.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he could feel the momentum starting to swing before the fight, but the goalie throwdown was an emotional high the Lightning needed at that moment.

“I was like, ‘Thank goodness something positive was going to happen to our game,'” he said. “I give Boston a lot of credit. They took it to us and we weren’t prepared for it. Vasy was pissed.”

Hagel said he felt the fight was “a big turning point in the game.”

So did Kucherov, who was also convinced that his goalie would win the fight.

“I knew he was going to beat the wheels off of Swayman right away,” Kucherov said. “We call him ‘White Tyson’ now.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending