Football news

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand admitted that he was not impressed by Arsenal’s performance in the London derby against Tottenham (4−1) in the 12th round of the English Championship.

«From Arsenal’s side, it wasn’t a five-star game. The score was five-star, but there was no fight. Arsenal didn’t shift above third gear. You expect a little spark. Arsenal had three players who had never played in a North London derby before. Tottenham probably had one.

At the start of the week, I was thinking about this match. Nothing the players did reminded me it was a North London derby,» Ferdinand is quoted by Sky Sports.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney urged Liverpool’s head coach Arne Slot to remove forward Mohamed Salah from the starting lineup.

«If I were Slot, I would try to make this big decision purely to impact the rest of the team. Salah is not helping them defensively. The players they’ve signed or who are on the bench look at him and see that he’s not running. I repeat, he’s a club legend and he’s done everything for this club, but what signal does a player on the bench get from him?» Rooney said on his podcast.

Liverpool’s owners are not considering sacking head coach Arne Slot, reports football insider Fabrizio Romano.

According to the source, Slot has already turned some Liverpool fans against him, but for now, the American owners from Anfield are not thinking about sacking Arne and certainly not negotiating with other coaches.

Slot understands he is in a dangerous situation and needs to quickly improve performance and results, but Arne feels support from Liverpool’s bosses.

It should be noted that after last Saturday’s 0−3 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, Liverpool dropped to 12th place and has a negative goal difference.

Arsenal midfielder Leandro Trossard spoke after his team’s victory in the 12th round of the English Premier League against Tottenham.

’I think this goal was important. After that, we gained an advantage, could score more goals and create moments. I think we were dominating even before that, but obviously, the goal gave us additional confidence necessary for victory. It was a perfect evening for us. Overall, it was really a good game in all aspects, from defense to attack. We are also very pleased with all the goals scored,' reads the statement from Trossard on the club’s official website.

Swedish striker Alexander Isak of Liverpool became the first player in the history of the English Premier League for the Merseysiders to lose all four matches in which he started.

Let’s recall, Isak started from the first minutes in matches against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Nottingham Forest.

Additionally, Liverpool purchased Alexander Isak at the end of the summer transfer window for 140 million euros.

Matches of the 12th round of the English Championship took place. The matches were held from November 22 to November 24. Here are their results.

Read completely →

Brazilian forward of Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior, might leave the club during the winter transfer window, reports football insider Ekrem Konur.

According to the source, the winger cannot agree with the 'Whites' on a new contract, amid which interest in the Brazilian is shown by 'Manchester City', 'Chelsea', and several clubs from Saudi Arabia.

In addition, this season the Brazilian has played 23 matches at the club level, scored six goals, and made five assists. Vinicius’s current contract with 'Real' is valid until the end of June 2027.

Opta’s supercomputer has identified London’s 'Arsenal' as the main favorite for the English Premier League this season. The supercomputer gives a 76.1% chance for the 'Gunners' to win the EPL.

The probability for 'Manchester City' to win the title is five times lower at 14.1%. 'Chelsea' ranks third among the EPL leaders with a 3.4% chance. The current English champion 'Liverpool’s' chances are estimated at 2.4%.

«Liverpool» lost 0:3 to «Nottingham Forest» in the 12th round match of the English Premier League. Thus, the Merseysiders set a negative record in the English Championship for the last 60 years.

As reported by the statistical portal Opta Sport, «Liverpool» suffered two heavy defeats (with a difference of three or more goals conceded) in a row in the English Championship for the first time since 1965. Back then, the «Reds» were managed by Bill Shankly.

Pep Guardiola, the head coach of Manchester City, displayed inexplicable behavior after the English Championship match against Newcastle (1−2).

According to the Telegram channel 'Bombardier,' after the match, Guardiola lunged at a cameraman, removed his headset and tried to explain something to him in dissatisfaction. The Citizens' coach also got into an argument with the Magpies' midfielder Guimarães and expressed something very emotionally to the referee.

Recall, Newcastle managed to defeat Manchester City thanks to a double from Barnes — 2−1.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk shared his thoughts on the team’s defensive problems following the defeat in the 12th round of the English Championship against Nottingham (0:3).

’We are conceding too many easy goals. We conceded again from a set piece. Maybe their player was in front of Alisson, but the goal was counted, and they led 1—0. We weren’t good enough in terms of duels, challenges, and battles, and we rushed a lot. It’s a very difficult situation.

After conceding, there was nervousness, although it wasn’t there before. We rushed, and that is human in a difficult moment. We won’t find a way out just by talking about it. A lot of hard work is required. Everyone on the team must also take responsibility. Football is a team game, and everyone must be accountable. We have to take this on the chin and digest it. We must work doggedly. We must continue,' Van Dijk told BBC.

Former London Arsenal defender Sol Campbell believes that head coach Mikel Arteta must win a trophy this season.

«I think he needs to win something, no matter what. He probably thinks: 'I need to win something, I need some trophy this season.' I think sometimes you get this feeling that you have an opportunity you can’t miss.

They have great chances now because Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Manchester City will be stronger next year. You have this window of opportunity and that’s it. You have to realize that your moment has come and use it,» Campbell’s words are quoted by Daily Mail.