- PSG eyeing a move for Salah
- Egyptian has less than a year left at Liverpool
- Reds yet to offer him an extension
Month: October 2024
- Aston Villa face Man Utd in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon
- Villans beat Bayern Munich midweek but Man Utd stumbled to draw with Porto
- Erik ten Hag could be sacked if Man Utd fail to win at Villa Park
As the pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag in the Manchester United dugout, the Dutch coach could well be out of a job if his side fall to defeat at the hands of Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Red Devils have made a truly dismal start to Ten Hag’s third campaign in charge, with any good-will left over from last season’s FA Cup triumph having dissipated. Following an underwhelming 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League midweek, time is running out for the former Ajax manager.
A Premier League trip to an in-form and confident Aston Villa side is the last thing Ten Hag would have wanted before the October international break. The Villans are already six points better off than Man Utd this season and head into Sunday’s clash off the back of a memorable and hard-fought 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Unai Emery has proven himself to be everything that Ten Hag hasn’t at Man Utd, but it was the latter who enjoyed the last laugh in last season’s meetings. Late goals home and away helped Man Utd do the double over the Midlands side in two dramatic fixtures.
Aston Villa team news
Amadou Onana should be fit to feature / James Baylis – AMA/GettyImages
Villa managed to beat Bayern on Wednesday despite suffering three injuries against the German giants. Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and Amadou Onana were all withdrawn with fitness concerns and Emery has confirmed all three are doubts for Sunday – although Onana is likely to be available.
Emery is still without skipper John McGinn as well as long-term absentees Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara.
Jhon Duran scored the winner midweek and again proved his efficiency when coming off the bench. He’s unlikely to displace Ollie Watkins this weekend but must surely enter the starting XI sooner rather than later.
Man Utd team news
Bruno Fernandes is available after his red card was rescinded / Octavio Passos/GettyImages
Bruno Fernandes will be available for Man Utd on Sunday after his suspension following a red card against Tottenham Hotspur was overturned. The Portuguese then got himself sent off against Porto as well, but that suspension will only be served in UEFA competition.
Kobbie Mainoo couldn’t feature in the midweek draw and Ten Hag has admitted that he is a doubt to face Villa at the weekend. Fellow midfielder and compatriot Mason Mount could also be sidelined after injuring himself against Spurs.
Ten Hag is still without four defenders, with Leny Yoro, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof in the treatment room.
Aston Villa vs Man Utd prediction
Could Sunday be the end for Ten Hag? Very possibly.
A trip to Villa Park has never been a simple fixture but it’s become increasingly difficult to navigate as the Midlands side make their continued ascent under Emery. Their high-intensity approach and tactical superiority should see them pour yet more misery on Man Utd.
The Red Devils showed once again midweek that their defence can be chaotic, disjointed and amateurish when put under significant pressure. The likes of Watkins, Duran and Morgan Rogers will be aiming to punish any sloppiness.
Whether a defeat on Sunday spells the end for Ten Hag remains to be seen, but the Dutchman could be handed one final humiliation at Villa Park.
Prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Man Utd
Credit: 90Min
After making Premier League history with four first-half goals for Chelsea over the weekend, Cole Palmer had everyone wondering once again why on earth Manchester City let him go.
The 22-year-old has become a superstar at Stamford Bridge since joining them at the start of last season having failed to secure regular first-team minutes under Pep Guardiola.
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Palmer’s latest four goals remarkably mean that since his move to Chelsea he has the most goal involvements in the Premier League, with his 43 one more than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
It’s a remarkable return from a player that wasn’t really given much of a chance by Guardiola, with former City player Shaun Wright-Phillips claiming he was never likely to star for the club in their current system.
“I always ask myself the question, if he was at City, would he perform like he’s performing now for Chelsea?” Wright-Phillips said.
“In many ways I always say no…mainly because of the way Man City play.
“We play very slow, in many ways bore teams to death, wait for that perfect pass to come out without forcing it.
“Whereas Cole Palmer plays in that hectic pitch where Chelsea just go and when they attack everything goes through him so he can do what he wants to do.
“Every time he gets the ball…every decision he seems to make is the right one.”
Arsenal legend Ian Wright added: “The way he’s emerged and what he brings to Chelsea, goals and creativity, if he was a player that didn’t come from City, he could be a player that City would be interested in surely with that kind of form.”
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After a stellar first season for Chelsea, Palmer looks poised to have an even bigger impact this campaign with new manager Enzo Marseca getting the team clicking early on.
Football expert Julien Laurens believes the Italian manager has found a perfect balance between chaos and structure which is allowing Palmer to shine.
“For me, he’s a street player and there’s not many that are produced here in England because it’s a different culture,” Laurens said.
“But he plays almost like he was playing on the street with his mates or a pitch somewhere 5-a-side. So much talent and he’s so natural. There’s nothing that he overthinks.
“He works better in a chaotic environment, let’s put it that way, although there is more structure to this team under Maresca than there was under Pochettino where there really wasn’t much in place.
“But this is the perfect balance between a bit of a structure and letting him be free and letting him do what he wants. He’s the leader of this young, exciting team.”
Credit: Optus
After the departures of high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, PSG’s owners are determined to bring in a marquee signing, with Salah being the prime target, as reported by The Sun. With Salah’s contract at Liverpool nearing its expiration, the French club are preparing to make a serious offer for the Egyptian forward, who they believe can still perform at the highest level for at least three more years.
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While Salah has attracted interest from several clubs including those in the Saudi Pro League, the report mentions that he is not inclined to move to the Middle East at this stage in his career. His preference is to continue playing at an elite level in Europe, and PSG are looking to capitalize on this opportunity by offering him a three-year deal to bolster their attack.
PSG’s ownership, led by Qatar Sports Investments, is under increasing pressure to make a significant signing after losing some of the club’s biggest stars, including Messi and Neymar, over the past few years. The departure of Mbappe, in particular, has left a gap in their forward line that they are keen to fill with a player of Salah’s calibre. Following PSG’s underwhelming 2-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, the French side’s ownership is looking to make immediate improvements to their squad to maintain their domestic dominance and enhance their chances of success in the Champions League.
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Losing Salah would be a massive blow to Liverpool as his departure would leave a void difficult to fill, both on the pitch and in terms of leadership. He will be next in action against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League.
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Liverpool will aim to maintain their record-breaking start under new manager Arne Slot when they visit Crystal Palace on Saturday in the first game of the Premier League weekend.
The Reds picked up their eighth win in nine games under the Dutchman on Wednesday as they saw off Bologna in the Champions League and can extend their lead at the top of England’s top flight with victory at Selhurst Park.
Palace were magnificent in Oliver Glasner’s first six months in charge but his side’s only successes of the new campaign have come in the Carabao Cup, failing to secure any victories in their six league matches so far.
Crystal Palace team news
Palace need Eze on form on Saturday / Harriet Lander/GettyImages
Palace boss Glasner is still searching for the winning formula this season but has been hamstrung by a few significant absentees so far in 2024/25. Chadi Riad, Chris Richards, Cheick Doucoure, Matheus Franca and Rob Holding are unavailable to the 50-year-old.
Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of Palace’s last meeting at Anfield as they won 1-0 at Anfield in April. The Croydon club need their talisman firing if they are to break Liverpool’s recent winning run, with Eze only contributing one goal in six league games so far.
Liverpool team news
Nunez could be dropped / Alex Livesey – Danehouse/GettyImages
Liverpool have had a few fitness issues of late with Alisson missing a couple of games and Federico Chiesa not featuring in the victory over Bologna. The Brazilian goalkeeper returned against Wolves but the Italian winger is still a major doubt to feature at Selhurst Park.
Darwin Nunez was given the nod up front in midweek but couldn’t make a significant impact and is likely to be replaced in the starting XI by Diogo Jota. There could also be some rotation at left-back with Kostas Tsimikas replacing Andy Robertson.
Liverpool have the chance to head into the October international break having retained their spot at the top of the Premier League table and the Reds are favourites to secure the win that would help them do that.
Slot’s side had a few iffy moments against Bologna and there is some hope for Palace if they can make good on their chances, but only Southampton have scored fewer league goals than the Eagles so far.
The Merseysiders should claim all the points on Saturday but it could be another slender margin of victory away from home.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Credit: 90Min
Emirates Stadium will play host to Sunday’s Round 7 EPL game between Arsenal and Southampton with Arsenal heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers.
Arsenal vs Southampton Preview
Not to oversimplify this match preview or anything but this one simply boils down to how ruthless Arsenal are going to be on the day.
With a few players nursing some knocks after a brutal September we might see a few changes to the team with the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling in contention to start, but the approach should still be the same.
The Saints won’t put up too much of a fight either, with one point thus far and 12 goals conceded.
Quite a lot has changed from the side that took points off Arsenal in both meetings during the 2022-23 campaign and none of it is for the better.
Photo:Getty
Arsenal welcome a familiar face back to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday as Aaron Ramsdale returns with Southampton.
The goalkeeper left the club over the summer in a deal worth up to £25million, a year after signing a new contract and then almost immediately losing his starting sport to David Raya.
It will prove another daunting task for Ramsdale and his Saints side, who remain winless after six games, as the Gunners look to keep pace with Premier League table-toppers Liverpool, who face Crystal Palace in the earlier kick-off.
The last time these two teams met in the league, they shared a 1-1 draw and a 3-3 draw, as the Gunners fell short in the title race. Mikel Arteta will know further dropped points will prove costly once again.
Arsenal vs Southampton team news
Both Ben White and Jurrien Timber are in contention to feature, despite recent injury scares. White missed the wins over Leicester and PSG entirely while Timber was replaced at half-time against the French giants.
Arteta has confirmed that the pair are “close” to being ready to feature against Southampton, as is Takehiro Tomiyasu as he pushes to make his first appearance of the season.
Mikel Merino returned from injury against PSG to make his long-awaited debut, and is in the frame to get his first Premier League minutes under his belt against Saints. Oleksandr Zinchenko could return after the international break, but Martin Odegaard is not yet close to being in first-team contention.
It’s as case of as you were for Southampton, with Gavin Bazunu, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jack Stephens and William Smallbone no closer to returns. As mentioned, Aaron Ramsdale will be facing his former club for the first time.
Arsenal vs Southampton prediction
Mikel Arteta will be well aware of the damaging results against Southampton in the previous two times these two teams met, but this Saints side do not appear to pose the same threat as the squad of two seasons ago despite being relegated.
More importantly, this Arsenal squad also looks far stronger than the team battling for the title in April 2023, so should have little problems recording another win this weekend.
The wobble against Leicester will be a concern, but the return of Mikel Merino to fitness is a boost in the midfield.
Arsenal to win, 3-0.
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Barcelona and Juventus monitoring Man Utd’s Garnacho
Barcelona and Juventus are reportedly on high alert as Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho continues to endure a frustrating start to the season, according to The Sun.
The 19-year-old Argentine has seen surprisingly limited action, sparking rumours of tension with United manager Erik Ten Hag. Reports suggest that a social media post by Garnacho, expressing frustration over his lack of playing time, led to a disagreement with the Dutch boss. As Garnacho’s situation remains unresolved, two of Europe’s biggest clubs, Barcelona and Juventus, are closely tracking the talented winger who is valued at around £50 million.
Arsenal set to begin contract talks with Partey
Arsenal are preparing to open contract negotiations with midfielder Thomas Partey after both the club and the Ghanaian international turned down a potential move to Saudi Arabia during the summer transfer window, according to TBR Football.
He is expected to be offered a two-year contract extension, which would keep him at the Emirates until the age of 33. Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff are reportedly strong supporters of Partey and are eager to keep him as a key part of their squad as they continue to challenge for Premier League success.
Real Madrid hope Bellingham will help sign Alexander-Arnold
Real Madrid are looking to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Jude Bellingham’s relationship with the Liverpool star may help their pursuit.
Journalist Miguel Delaney has now revealed that while Alexander-Arnold may not be too keen to leave Liverpool, his friendship and overall relationship with Bellingham may aid Real Madrid in their bid to convince the full-back to make the move to Santiago Bernabeu next summer.
Credit: Goal.com
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Manchester United had a stoppage time header from substitute Harry Maguire to thank for rescuing a draw against Porto at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday night.
As a direct result, manager Erik ten Hag is under slightly less pressure than he was about to be had United lost again, conceding three goals for the second time in five days.
His team led 2-0 at one stage and it looked as though it was a performance to silence the critics, at least until the weekend when it’s a trip to high-flying Aston Villa. But the kind of collapse seen all too often in recent seasons happened and United trailed 3-2 until Maguire intervened.
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The best and worst of the Red Devils were on display with Marcus Rashford showing his class to have them cruising with a two-goal lead. Nothing is ever simple with Ten Hag’s team, though, and their defensive weakness was completely exposed as Porto fought back to lead before Maguire’s late header.
United were off to a perfect start when Rashford cut through two Porto players with a quick move and beat Diogo Costa, who should have done better, just seven minutes in. The England international continued to poke at Porto’s back line and soon created another goal, playing a perfectly-weighted pass to Rasmus Hojlund to score, with Costa again not covering himself in glory.
Despite the crushing blows, the Dragons weren’t quite slain and stunned their visitors when Andre Onana’s save fell perfectly for Brazilian forward Pepe to finish just before the half-hour mark. Seven minutes later, Samu Omorodion got ahead of Matthijs de Ligt to head in the equaliser.
The Portuguese side started better in the second half, too, and it took less than five minutes to complete the comeback as the two scorers combined – Pepe cutting back for Samu, who once again beat De Ligt to the ball.
The situation got even more farcical for United as Bruno Fernandes was sent off in the 81st minute, leaving them looking doomed until Maguire got on the end of Eriksen’s corner to level it. Now four games without a win, the pressure keeps building on the Dutch coach, who will have to explain why his team suffered such an implosion.
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