The Athletic is claiming that both of the Premier League clubs continue to hold a strong interest in signing the 19-year-old ahead of next season as they look to bring the England international back to the Premier League.

The same story says that although Real Madrid still consider Bellingham to be a “priority signing” for them, they are aware that they may not be able to compete with the financial strength of the Premier League clubs.

According to the article, Real Madrid have been working hard on a possible deal to sign Bellingham “for months” but the Spanish club are facing competition from two of England’s top clubs.

Real Madrid will continue to push to land Bellingham this summer, but they are aware that any package they are able to offer is likely to fall short of what will be available in England, the story says.

Bellingham is widely considered to be one of English football’s most exciting prospects, and he has been a regular fixture in the Dortmund team this season, scoring 10 goals and making five assists in 24 games in all competitions.

The teenager also scored one goal and made one assist in five games for England at last year’s World Cup in Qatar.

Liverpool FC have been struggling to find consistent form this season and the Reds are currently 10th in the Premier League table and 11 points adrift of the top four.

The Merseyside outfit have lost three of their last four Premier League games and now face a serious uphill battle to get back into the Champions League qualification spots before the end of the season.

And former Aston Villa man Gabriel Agbonlahor feels that Liverpool FC – who lost 3-0 to Wolves on Saturday – will not be able to attract the likes of Bellingham if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

“I think the problem, Paul, is that you have been linked with Bellingham,” Agbonlahor told a caller on talkSPORT over the weekend.

“Liverpool fans want Bellingham in, but he is not even going to look twice at coming to Liverpool. He is going to choose Manchester City, Real Madrid, all these other teams if you are not playing in the big competitions.”

The post Liverpool FC, Man City still ‘pushing hard’ to sign 19-year-old – report appeared first on The Sport Review.

Liverpool FC have been struggling to find consistent form in the Premier League in recent weeks and they start the weekend in ninth place after having lost their last two games in the top flight.

The Reds slumped to a disheartening 3-0 loss by Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend but they managed to bounce back in midweek by booking their place in the FA Cup fourth round with a 1-0 victory over Wolves.

Chelsea FC have also been struggling under new boss Graham Potter. The Blues are 10th and level on points with Liverpool FC but have only won one of their last four outings in the English top flight.

Jurgen Klopp (Photo: New Balance)

Former Arsenal star Merson feels that Saturday’s game could well be decisive in the race for Champions League qualification via a top-four finish, with the ex-midfielder claiming that the losing side would likely be guaranteed to miss out on a spot in the top four.

However, the former England international is expecting the game to end all square at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime.

Writing in his column for Sportskeeda, Merson said: “Ninth place against 10th place – is this a big game? I’ll go as far as to say that whoever loses this match is completely out of the Premier League top-four race. This is a massive game. The team that wins this game could go on a run and really push for a place in the top four.

“Liverpool got blown away by Brighton the other day. I did mention that there was no way Brighton were going to lose that game, and they deserved to win. The Liverpool players who played against Wolves aren’t going to play on Saturday. Mohamed Salah isn’t closing down like he used to. They need to go back to closing down and winning the ball high up the pitch – they’re not doing that at all at the moment

“This is going to be an interesting game. Chelsea have got injuries and aren’t playing great football, but if they can get through the first 20 minutes, they’ve got a chance. Cody Gakpo’s been struggling a bit so far – I can’t remember players for Holland coming in and ripping it up in the Premier League in the last couple of years. He’ll need time, and he might need to come out of the team for a game or two.

“Liverpool have got to hang in there and win matches until the likes of [Diogo] Jota and [Luis] Diaz are back. They need to get their confidence back up and get on a roll. There’s not a lot between these two teams, and I think this game will end in a draw.”

Arsenal legend Paul Merson (Photo: Sky Sports)

Former Chelsea FC star Chris Sutton is also expecting to see Saturday’s game end all square on Merseyside.

The ex-forward feels that both sides’ inconsistent form makes this a difficult game to call, but he is also ultimately expecting it to end up as a 1-1 draw.

“How on earth can you call this game?” Sutton wrote in his own column for BBC Sport. “Both sides have been incredibly inconsistent this season, and it is impossible to know what they will do next.

“I’ve been unconvinced by Liverpool for a while now, because of their lack of energy and legs in midfield, and their defeat at Brighton last weekend was not even that big a surprise.

“I know the Reds then went and beat Wolves in the FA Cup, but I’ve not seen anything that makes me think they are going to bounce back and clinch their first league win of 2023.

Ex-Chelsea FC striker Chris Sutton (Photo: BT Sport)

“It is a similar story with Chelsea, because we don’t know which Blues team will turn up at Anfield.

“They got an important win over Crystal Palace last time out but they needed some big saves from Kepa Arrizabalaga to get over the line.

“A win would be a huge boost in confidence for both teams, but it is hard to make a case for either of them to take the three points.”

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The Reds claimed a 3-1 victory away to Aston Villa on Boxing Day to make it three wins on the spin in the Premier League as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to boost their hopes of finishing in the top four this season.

The Merseyside outfit have already begun their January spending by completing a move to sign Netherlands attacker Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven in a deal reported to be worth around £35.4m to £44.3m.

Gakpo, 23, was one of the Netherlands’ stars of the World Cup and he will officially join the Reds when the January transfer window opens, on a contract which runs until the summer of 2028.

However, attentions at Anfield will now be on their home clash against a Leicester City side who have won three out of their last five games in the English top flight.

Former Chelsea FC star Sutton feels that Liverpool FC will have what it takes to claim all three points against the Foxes and sign off for the year on a positive note.

Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Sutton said: “Cody Gakpo is an excellent signing for Liverpool and I’m looking forward to seeing how he fits into their attack when his deal goes through in January.

“I wrongly thought Liverpool would slip up against Aston Villa in their last game – Villa did have some chances but the Reds ended up winning comfortably.

“Jurgen Klopp’s side are going to be pushing hard for the top four in the new year and I think they will end 2022 with a win too.

“James Maddison’s knee injury is a concern for Leicester but I still think they will get a goal at Anfield – I just think Liverpool will score more than them.”

Gakpo scored three goals in five games for the Netherlands at the World Cup and also netted nine goals and made 12 assists in 14 league games for PSV this term.

And Liverpool FC boss Klopp has expressed his delight that the Reds were able to quickly conclude a deal to bring the attacker to Anfield ahead of the January transfer window.

“We know what we want to do and we will see if we can do it,” Klopp said this week. “It’s about money, of course, but it’s more about how it always was – about the right players. And we are really, really happy that we could get Cody.

“He is a young player with a lot of potential. If he would have already been scoring 40 goals in Spain or whatever he would be unaffordable. These kind of things are all about timing, getting these boys at the right moment that they didn’t already score 55 goals per season and stuff like this.

“That’s why we were really convinced he could make the next step, and that makes it interesting. We believe in our process, when players come here – especially offensive players – they have all made a step forward because of the way we work and the way we can help them. That makes it massively interesting.”

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Liverpool FC head into the game looking to make it three wins on the spin in the English top flight after having bounced back from two successive defeats.

The Merseyside outfit have struggled to find consistent form this season and have only managed to win six of their 14 Premier League games, leaving them in sixth place and 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.

Jurgen Klopp’s side – who were knocked out of the League Cup by Manchester City on Thursday night – are seven points adrift of the top four, although they have played a game less than fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Former Chelsea FC striker feels that Aston Villa – who have won three of their last four in the top flight – may have enough to claim a narrow victory against Liverpool FC on Monday.

Writing in his column for BBC Sport, Sutton said: “Liverpool looked pretty lively against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Thursday but they missed some big chances and also looked quite leaky at the back.

“I can see there being at least one surprise result in this first round of games back after the World Cup and I think Villa boss Unai Emery will fancy his chances of sneaking this one.”

However, former Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra disagrees with Sutton and feels that Liverpool FC will claim a 3-1 win on Boxing Day.

Writing in his own column for Betfair, Evra said: “I saw Liverpool in the [League Cup] and you can feel that they are angry. Their hunger is back. They will want to come back strong for the second part of the season and I can see them starting with a win in this one.”

Attentions at Anfield will inevitably start to turn towards the January transfer window in the coming days and the possibility of the Reds making some signings to bolster their squad for the second half of the season.

Klopp was quizzed about the forthcoming transfer window at his pre-match news conference and the German head coach refused to rule out the possibility of the Reds making some moves next month.

“January, in our situation, I think what we always say in this moment because it’s true is [that] from the sports side we are always prepared, that’s how it is,” Klopp said.

“It’s always clear what kind of ideas we have or how the necessity is from our point of view and that’s clear. But all the rest doesn’t lie 100 per cent in our hands, that’s how it is, and we always work with what we’ve got and that will not change.

“I think you can imagine with the situation we are in that we are probably looking [but] if something happens, we will see.”

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The 23-year-old attacking midfielder has been earning rave reviews for his performances for the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, with Gakpo having scored once in each of his country’s three games at the tournament so far.

Gakpo has also been in top form for PSV Eindhoven so far this season, netting nine goals and making 12 assists in 14 league games for his club to help them up to third place in the Dutch league table.

According to Romano, Manchester United held an interest in landing Gakpo over the summer but then switched their focus to landing Antony from Ajax, before Leeds United and Southampton both expressed an interest in the player towards the end of the window.

However, the player ended up staying at PSV beyond the summer, a decision which Romano claims was partly influenced by advice from Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.

Romano says that Manchester United continue to hold an interest in Gakpo and Liverpool FC have scouted him on more than one occasion in the past. However, the reporter says that no club has yet tabled a bid ahead of the January transfer window and it remains to be seen whether Gakpo will be on the move next month or in the summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said of Gakpo: “He’s doing absolutely fantastically in the World Cup. He’s scored in every single game and his numbers with PSV Eindhoven were already great. He’s scoring goals, he’s providing assists, he’s doing great in Europe and the Eredivisie.

Reporting on the player’s transfer situation, Romano continued: “So Cody Gakpo, the man who last summer was already on Manchester United’s list – they had more than one meeting with PSV Eindhoven to discuss Gakpo but then they decided to invest big money on Antony as their priority target. But Gakpo was already on Manchester United’s list.

“Then what happened? At the end of the August, in the final hours of the transfer market, Southampton and Leeds were in a battle to sign Gakpo, and Leeds were really one step away from signing him. Then, with a secret, private flight ready for Cody Gakpo on deadline day morning to fly to England and have his medical with Leeds, the deal was almost done but it collapsed.

“Louis van Gaal, the manager of the Dutch national team, called the player and told him to wait a bit, to stay at PSV, do the World Cup and then it will be time for him to move. At the end, Gakpo decided to stay and now we can see he’s doing incredibly with PSV and the Dutch national team.

“What happens now? Guys, as I already told you more than a month ago, Leeds tried again and Southampton too, but now it’s almost impossible for them to sign Cody Gakpo.

“It’s true that Liverpool FC have sent their scouts multiple times to follow Gakpo but at the moment there are no direct negotiations.

“But let’s see what Manchester United will decide to do on the price because in the summer PSV wanted a €50m package with add-ons included – but after this incredible World Cup, probably the price will be higher. We have to see if it would be a January or a summer move but this World Cup is helping the player to get his move in January.

Italian reporter Fabrizio Romano (Photo: Fabrizio Romano / YouTube / Screengrab)

“So let’s see if Man United will decide to invest big money on Gakpo or to wait a bit and then try again in the summer.

“But it’s not just Manchester United, I told you about Liverpool FC’s scouts, and there are also other English clubs following Gakpo and it’s true that also Real Madrid, multiple times have been following this player but at the moment there are no negotiations.

“Let me clarify – Man United or any other club, no one has made an official bid to PSV Eindhoven yet, so we have to wait to see what happens in the next weeks.”

Former Manchester United manager and current Netherlands boss Van Gaal has been understandably delighted by Gakpo’s form at the World Cup and feels that the player has all of the necessary ingredients to make it at the top level.

“Cody Gakpo is a young player who has only played for PSV for two or three years and he has always played to the left,” Van Gaal said at a news conference in Qatar this week.

“He didn’t want to play in the middle or as number ten, but he had to, and now he thinks I’m a good coach!

“Things may change, of course, but Cody Gakpo has everything it takes to become a big star. He has a wonderful personality because he is open to everything and everyone.”

Gakpo is only three goals shy of equalling his total tally from last season in the league for PSV, with the attacker having netted 12 goals and made 13 assists in 27 Eredivisie games last term.

The post Fabrizio Romano provides detailed update on Man United link to Cody Gakpo appeared first on The Sport Review.

The Merseyside outfit head into Sunday’s game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the back of two successive defeats in the Premier League, with their 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest having been compounded by a 2-1 home defeat by Leeds United last weekend.

Jurgen Klopp’s side started the weekend down in ninth place in the table, with the Reds having only won four of their 12 games in the top flight so far this term.

Tottenham, meanwhile, bounced back from back-to-back defeats in the Premier League with a 3-2 victory away to Bournemouth in the top flight last time out.

Antonio Conte’s side began the weekend in third place as they look to keep up with Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.

Former Manchester United star Evra feels that it’s difficult to “trust” Liverpool FC to produce a solid performance this season and feels that Spurs will edge to victory with a 2-1 win.

Writing in his column for Metro, Evra said: “We are back to a point where we are saying if Liverpool lose, their season is over and if they win their season is back on track. Their defence is weak.

“It’s going to be a good game. Tottenham got a late goal last time out and I think there’s been a lot of criticism about them, but people need to calm down and remember where they were.

“I’m going for Spurs and Conte in this one, because you can’t trust Liverpool this season, which is so weird because normally you can trust Klopp’s side. Everyone is in shock, what is going on with that team.”

Jurgen Klopp (Photo: New Balance)

Recent history certainly favours Liverpool FC heading into this game, with Spurs having only won once in their last 21 meetings with Liverpool FC in all competitions.

Liverpool FC have also won five of their last nine away games against Spurs – but the Reds have now dropped 20 points in 12 league games this season, which is just two shy of their total from last term.

Spurs are set to be without the likes of Son Heung-min, Cristian Romero and Richarlison for Sunday’s game, with Liverpool FC also set to miss James Milner due to injury.

Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson disagrees with Evra’s prediction, and feels that Liverpool FC are poised to claim a 2-1 win over Spurs in north London this weekend.

“This is a huge game,” Merson wrote in his column for Sportskeeda. “I expect Man City to win their Premier League game this weekend, and that would mean that Liverpool would be 16 points behind City before they start their game.

“If all the other big teams win their matches, they’d be 10 points behind fifth place this week. They’ve got to try and get into the top four.

“Liverpool have defeated Napoli, Ajax, and Manchester City, but have lost to Leeds and Nottingham Forest. Had they won both those games, they would’ve been in sixth place.

“It’s extraordinary, and Jurgen Klopp must be pulling his hair out. Every week that goes by, the gap between Liverpool and the top four gets bigger. They can’t afford to lose this game.”

Merson added: “With Son, Kulusevski, and Richarlison injured, Harry Kane will be isolated up front. I’ve watched Tottenham a lot this season, and I don’t think Kane can do it on his own.

“Liverpool like their Premier League away games against Tottenham, and they will back themselves to win this game.”

The post Patrice Evra reveals his prediction for Tottenham v Liverpool FC appeared first on The Sport Review.

The duo have firmly established themselves as key members of the Liverpool FC and Manchester City teams respectively and both have enjoyed large success at club level.

In this article, we’re going to take a close look at both players to see what the stats say about their form, paying attention to their numbers in front of goal and other figures to see how the pair compare.

So, whether you’re simply interested in known more about how these two players have performed lately or you’re wondering which one of the two to include in your fantasy football team, this article’s got you covered.

Recent History And Introduction

A product of Liverpool FC’s youth system, Trent Alexander Arnold has established himself as a key player for the Merseyside outfit over the last few years.

After impressing on his way through the club’s youth set-up, Alexander-Arnold – who’s known for his impressive set-piece and passing ability – earned his competitive debut for the Reds back in October 2016 in a League Cup game against Tottenham Hotspur.

Joao Cancelo, meanwhile, is a product of Benfica’s youth system, having spent five years in their academy set-up before making his first competitive appearance for the Portuguese club’s first team in January 2014.

After spending time on loan to Valencia and later earning a permanent move to the Spanish club – Cancelo was also loaned out to Inter Milan before signing for Juventus in the summer of 2018.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo: Mark Cosgrove / depositphotos.com)

However, Cancelo only spent one season at Juventus and ended up signing for Premier League side Manchester City in August 2019 in a deal widely reported to be worth around £60m – a fee which made him the most-expensive right-back in history at the time.

Cancelo quickly established himself as a regular fixture in Pep Guardiola’s first-team at The Etihad and was a regular starter in the Citizens’ side in the seasons that followed.

So, although both Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo have enjoyed different routes into the first teams at Liverpool FC and Manchester City, both have established themselves as key players for their respective clubs in the last few seasons.

Alexander-Arnold vs Cancelo – Recent League Form

Let’s now take a look at what the number say about Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo’s recent form in the Premier League.

He did also impress in the 2021-22 season, when he scored two goals and made 12 assists in the Premier League as Klopp’s men ended up as runners-up to Manchester City in the title race.

Meanwhile, Cancelo’s figures in front of goal are not quite as impressive as Alexander-Arnold’s. At the time of writing, the Portugal international’s best season in terms of goals and assists came in the 2021-22 campaign, when he scored one goal and made seven assists in 36 Premier League games to help the Citizens win the title.

So, both right-backs have played important roles in their club’s recent Premier League title triumphs, but looking specifically at the numbers in the English top flight over the last few years, Alexander-Arnold comes out on top in terms of goals and assists.

Joao Cancelo (Photo: Marco Canoniero / depositphotos.com)

What About In Europe?

Both players are also experienced at Champions League level. Alexander-Arnold first made inroads in Europe’s elite club competition in 2017-18, when he scored one goal and made one assist in 10 Champions League appearances.

In the following season in 2018-19, Alexander-Arnold was a key man for Liverpool FC as they won the Champions League title under Klopp, with the right-back making 11 appearances and notching up three assists for the Reds in the competition.

Unlike Alexander-Arnold, Cancelo has not yet tasted Champions League glory, although he was a runner-up with Manchester City in the 2020-21 campaign. That season, he scored one goal and made one assist in nine Champions League appearances.

At the time of writing, Cancelo’s best return in a Champions League season was in the 2021-22 campaign, when he scored two goals and made three assists in nine games.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo: @trentarnold66 / Instagram)

Overall, the pair have fairly similar numbers when it comes to their stats in front of goal in the Champions League – although Alexander Arnold is the only of the two players to have actually lifted the Champions League trophy.

Alexander-Arnold vs Cancelo – Head To Head In Front Of Goal

Let’s now take a look at the pair’s form in front of goal over the last few seasons. The numbers below show the total number of club goals scored and assists made per season in all competitions. Note: the assist numbers below only include league and European games.

• 2019-20 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 4 goals and 14 assists
Cancelo – 1 goal and no assists

• 2020-21 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 2 goals and 9 assists
Cancelo – 3 goals and 4 assists

• 2021-22 season:
Alexander-Arnold – 2 goals and 17 assists
Cancelo – 3 goals and 10 assists

• Total:
Alexander-Arnold – 8 goals and 40 assists
Cancelo – 7 goals and 14 assists

So, although both players have similar numbers in terms of goals scored, Alexander-Arnold leads the way in terms of assists by quite some distance, with the England international having notched up 40 assists in the league and in Europe over those three seasons.

What About Their International Form?

Alexander-Arnold made his senior debut for the England team in 2018. Since then, the right-back has scored one goal in 17 appearances for the Three Lions (correct as of the time of writing).

Meanwhile, Cancelo made his senior debut for Portugal back in 2016. In total, he has scored seven goals in 37 games for his country since then.

What Club Trophies Have They Won?

At the time of writing, Alexander-Arnold has won all four major trophies once with Liverpool FC – the Premier League, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Meanwhile, Cancelo has won the Premier League twice, as well as the League Cup once. Prior to his move to The Etihad, Cancelo won the Portuguese league with Benfica and also Serie A with Juventus.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Photo: BT Sport / YouTube)

How Old Are Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo?

Cancelo is the older of the two players by around four years and therefore has more experience under his belt.

Alexander-Arnold was born on 7 October 1998 in Liverpool and is currently 24 years old. Cancelo, meanwhile, was born on 27 May 1994 in Barreiro, Portugal and is currently 28 years old.

How Tall Are Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo?

Cancelo is the slightly taller of the pair, with the Portugal international being 182cm tall (6ft 0ins), and Alexander-Arnold being 175cm (5ft 9ins) tall.

Alexander-Arnold vs Cancelo – In Conclusion

So, that brings us to the end of our comparison article looking at Alexander-Arnold and Cancelo. We’ve walked you through the main stats related to the impressive right-backs over the last few seasons and have looked at how their number stack up.

In terms of goals and assists, Alexander Arnold clearly leads the way, but both players have established themselves as key men in their teams over the last few seasons.

The post Trent Alexander-Arnold vs Joao Cancelo – What Do The Stats Say? appeared first on The Sport Review.

The north Londoners are top of the Premier League table after 10 games, having opened up a four-point lead over second-placed Manchester City as they bid to secure their first top-four finish since 2016.

Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Leeds United at the weekend confirmed their best start to a top-flight campaign for more than a century, and Mikel Arteta has been widely praised for getting the best out of his young team at The Emirates.

Manchester City were beaten 1-0 by Liverpool FC at Anfield on Sunday but Pep Guardiola’s men are still the bookmakers’ favourites to win a third straight Premier League title this season.

Former Liverpool FC and England striker Owen has been impressed by what he’s seen from Arsenal so far this season and is expecting to see them finish in the top four – but he is tipping City to retain their title.

“Arsenal have surprised a lot of people, and I don’t think it’s a fluke,” Owen said in an interview with Aceodds.com. “When you watch their performances, they’ve actually played really well.

“The good thing for them is that they’ve got a young team. So you would think that energy and improvement will continue to come for them. So I don’t think Arsenal are a flash in the pan at all. I think they’ll sustain it. I think they’ll have a good season.

Liverpool FC legend Michael Owen (Photo: BT Sport)

“But I think Manchester City are different class to anyone at the moment. I think they’ve had a great start to the season. Obviously, they lost to Liverpool the other day, but they look so good in so many games. So I still think Manchester City will win the league, but I think Arsenal are here to stay.”

Pressed on how he sees the top four shaping up this season, Owen replied: “Well, it is tough to call the top four. Manchester City for sure. I think Chelsea are probably going to be in the top four. Arsenal as well. It’s very hard to leave one out, isn’t it?

“I’m actually torn between Liverpool and Tottenham at the moment. I’m going to say Liverpool, but how can you leave Tottenham out of the top four when they are playing particularly well as well?

“Manchester United, they’ve got a good chance. But there’s going to be a massive team that everybody would expect to be in the top four that are going to miss out this year.

“I do think Liverpool are still right up there among the elite. I think that even though Arsenal had a good start to the season and Liverpool are maybe ten points or so behind them, I still think that Manchester City and Liverpool are the top two teams in Europe for that matter.

England legend Michael Owen (Photo: BT Sport)

“So it’s so hard to say. I’ll probably say Tottenham will miss out. I don’t actually believe that’s true, but I don’t know who else.”

Owen was speaking before Tottenham were beaten 2-0 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night – a result which left Spurs four points behind Arsenal having played one game more than the Gunners.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are currently gearing up for their Europa League clash against PSV Eindhoven at The Emirates on Thursday evening, with the Gunners bidding to secure their place in the knockout phase.

The north Londoners have won all three of their European games so far this season and face a PSV side who are also undefeated in this season’s competition.

At his pre-match news conference on Wednesday, Gunners boss Arteta revealed that the atmosphere in the Arsenal dressing room is as good as it has been for some time – but he also said that his side still have plenty of room for improvement.

Asked if the mood in the dressing room is different this season, Arteta replied: “Yeah, winning obviously helps a lot, but I have no complaints.

Mikel Arteta (Photo: Marco Iacobucci / depositphotos.com)

“I think this is an exceptional group that is in a really good moment, we are enjoying the moment, we want to get better in a lot of things that we are doing, but I think that we are on the right path.”

Arteta also talked up the importance of Arsenal winning their Europa League group – with the Gunners currently top of Group A after three games.

He added: “[It is] really important [to try and win the group]. In Europe, when you have the chance to take advantage you have to do it. It’s always very unpredictable what can happen in the next game. You have to go away and we know the level of the other teams as well.

“What I can say watching them [PSV] and what they are doing domestically, internationally, [it will be] a really tough match.”

After Thursday’s clash, the Gunners will then turn their attentions towards their next Premier League game – a trip to face Southampton on Sunday.

The post Michael Owen predicts where Arsenal and Man City will finish this season appeared first on The Sport Review.

The Reds head into the game looking to return to winning ways in the English top flight after their 3-2 defeat by Arsenal at The Emirates last weekend left them 14 points behind the leaders – although Liverpool FC have played one game fewer than many of their rivals.

Liverpool FC have struggled to find consistent form in the Premier League this term and have so far only managed to win two of their eight games in the top flight.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are second in the table and a point behind leaders Arsenal as they chase their third straight Premier League title this season.

Liverpool FC have an excellent record against Manchester City at home in the Premier League. Indeed, the Citizens have only won twice in 25 Premier League encounters at Anfield.

The Reds also won the most recent meeting between the two sides when they claimed a 3-1 victory over the Citizens in the Community Shield at Wembley back in July.

Former Liverpool FC defender Carragher is expecting to see the home side take the game to City and use the Anfield crowd to their advantage – but he is ultimately tipping the game to end all square.

“I don’t expect Liverpool to take a backward step – it’s not their style,” Carragher told Sky Sports. “They’re at Anfield so I expect to use the crowd and be really aggressive and make it as difficult as they can for Manchester City.

“I think it will be a tough game for both. Manchester City don’t have a great record at Anfield but Liverpool are up against the best team in the world. I think it will be a great game and a draw again – 1-1 or 2-2 like last season.”

Meanwhile, former Chelsea FC star Chris Sutton feels that Manchester City are poised to lay down a marker in the title race by claiming a thumping 4-1 win at Anfield.

Ex-Chelsea FC striker Chris Sutton (Photo: BT Sport)

The ex-striker believes that City will be able to “wipe the floor” with the Reds and claim a win that would all but end Liverpool FC’s Premier League title hopes for the season.

“It is hard to make a case for Liverpool still being in the title race anyway, but if City go to Anfield and win then it really is all over for Jurgen Klopp’s side – they would have no chance,” Sutton wrote in his column for BBC Sport.

“City will know that, and they know they could land a knockout blow. Erling Haaland was rested in midweek so he will be ready – and I think City are that good, they will wipe the floor with them.

“Liverpool’s high line has been causing them problems anyway – Rangers were able to get at them in the first half on Wednesday – so they would have to be very brave to try that against Haaland.

“They might still create opportunities, because of the way City are set up, but when you look at both teams, City are just too good.

“Pep Guardiola’s side scored four at Anfield in February 2021, and I think they will match that. I almost went for them to get five, which City last managed there in 1937, but either way this will be a walloping.”

Liverpool FC certainly have some work to do to turn around their Premier League form, as this is has so far been their slowest start to a top-flight season since 2012-13, when they finished seventh.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are bidding to make it 23 games unbeaten on the road in the Premier League as they look to stretch their club-record run in games away from The Etihad.

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The Merseyside outfit have struggled to find consistent form in the English top flight so far this term and they head into this weekend’s round of fixtures in 10th place in the table, having claimed just two wins from their opening eight games.

Liverpool FC – who have played one game fewer than many of their rivals – are without a win in their past three Premier League outings and lost 3-2 to leaders Arsenal at The Emirates last weekend.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have started the season brightly and are currently a point clear at the top of the table, having won all but one of their nine games.

Defending champions Manchester City are close behind the Gunners, however, and Pep Guardiola’s men have a vastly superior goal difference.

After their shaky start, former Manchester United defender Neville has predicted that Liverpool FC will miss out on a place in this season’s top four. He is tipping Arsenal to seal a Champions League spot – but warned that the Gunners still have lots of work to do to secure a return to Europe’s elite club competition.

“I don’t think Liverpool will finish in the top four, and Arsenal could still finish outside the top four as well – but I’ll put [them] in for now just to keep all the Arsenal fans happy!” Neville said on The Overlap.

“I look at Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool – it’s still a big job for Arsenal [to finish in the top four].”

Focusing on the Gunners, Neville continued: “I’ve always had a respect for Arsenal as a football club. They’re one of the great traditional clubs in this country. However, the last few years has been a struggle.”

He added: “I was at the Emirates Stadium for the first time [this season] on Sunday against Liverpool. I watched Arsenal away at Old Trafford and at Brentford, and they played well at Old Trafford – even though they lost – and they were brilliant at Brentford, but the atmosphere felt a little bit different on Sunday – it was unbelievable.

“I want Arsenal to do well. I want Mikel Arteta to do well because he’s a young manager. The managers he’s up against – Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel, before he got sacked, they’re animals to be up against.”

Mikel Arteta (Photo: Marco Iacobucci / depositphotos.com)

Arsenal are currently preparing for a trip to Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. The Gunners head into the game after having claimed a 1-0 victory away to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on Thursday night, with Bukayo Saka netting the eventual winner in the 24th minute.

It was Saka’s fourth goal of the season in all competitions for the Gunners and the 21-year-old admitted that he and his team-mates were challenged by the Norwegian side’s artificial pitch.

Asked if the pitch took a bit of getting used to, Saka replied: “Yeah, it did. You know, it was skidding across the floor really fast and stuff like this.

“But that’s not an excuse you know, a lot of us have grown up (on it). Myself at Hale End, I played on astroturf pitches a lot. So it’s no excuse you know, we just have to play our game and get on with it.

“It’s a very difficult place to come and we left here with three points, so we have to just take it and focus on Sunday now.”

Meanwhile, Liverpool FC are now gearing up for their Premier League showdown against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

The Merseyside outfit warmed up for that game with a thumping 7-1 victory away to Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Mohamed Salah netting a remarkable six-minute hat-trick.

And Reds boss Klopp is hopeful that the win in Scotland will help to galvanise his troops ahead of Sunday’s clash with Guardiola’s side.

Liverpool FC manager Jurgen Klopp (Photo: New Balance)

“It changed the mood, definitely,” Klopp said at his post-match news conference. “It is completely different. We usually drink a beer after away games, but it is that long ago that I drank beer and I probably will be drunk after one!

“Yes, it changes the mood completely and that’s good, but we all know who we are welcoming [to Anfield] on Sunday and this will be a different game, we know that. It is better to go into a game with the feeling we’ve got tonight than any other.”

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