Author: successsport360
Mikel Arteta has defended his approach of keeping injury updates under wraps. The Arsenal manager is becoming well-known for his unpredictable announcements regarding the fitness of players, often leaving everyone guessing until the last minute – particularly with regular starters. This was evident in the build-up to Arsenal’s weekend showdown against Liverpool. Bukayo Saka had been absent from the Gunners’ previous two games due to a hamstring injury sustained while on England duty. Despite not being spotted during Arsenal’s final training session before the Reds’ visit, Saka not only started the game, but also scored the opening goal, giving Liverpool’s…
Former Liverpool midfielder has admitted it’s not easy lining up opposite his ex-Brazil and Reds team-mate Roberto Firmino as the two prepare to square off in the Sea Derby in Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Fabinho plays for second-placed Al-Ittihad, while Firmino plays for Al-Ahli, who sit ninth in the Saudi Pro League. The pair both left Liverpool for the gulf state in summer 2023. And Fabinho has admitted that he doesn’t like taking on his old team-mate, and even was forced to apologise to Firmino for a tackle that left the forward bruised in last season’s fixture. He said: “It…
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has identified fellow striker Darwin Nunez as the quickest player at Anfield. Gakpo and Nunez are part of a formidable forward line under Arne Slot, competing with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz for starting positions. The swift counter-attacks that were a hallmark of former manager Jurgen Klopp’s tenure have been maintained under Slot, with no one struggling to keep pace. Diaz, who often competes with Gakpo for a position on the left, utilised his speed effectively in the recent draw against Arsenal. Salah, who usually operates on the right, also used his…
Arne Slot believes he is being given a welcome selection headache by Liverpool’s progress in the League Cup. A much-changed Reds continued their defence of the trophy with a hard-earned 3-2 fourth-round win at Premier League rivals Brighton on Wednesday evening. Luis Diaz’s strike five minutes from time ultimately proved decisive after Tariq Lamptey prompted a nervy finish by reducing the arrears in the 90th minute after Cody Gakpo had earlier scored twice before Simon Adingra netted. It set up a return to the South Coast in mid-December with Liverpool drawn against Southampton in the quarter-finals. Slot made eight changes…
No striker? No problem. Whatever the question, Arne Slot keeps on finding the answers during his still embryonic Liverpool reign. With Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa missing and wary of overloading Darwin Nunez, the Reds head coach had pondered his lack of central attacking options ahead of this League Cup clash at Brighton. The solution was simply to go without a recognised number nine, with Liverpool employing a box midfield that had been seen during pre-season given the absence of so many senior players but was never really expected to be used in competitive action. And after 45 rather tame…
Everton’s new stadium took a step towards feeling a lot more real this week. Blues have watched on with excitement as the frame of the facility has sprung up on the banks of the Mersey and now they can start to really think about taking their seat at their new home. On Tuesday, the club confirmed the first details of the season ticket migration process, confirming that those who have had their ticket for more than 23 years will be able to pick their new seat from January. It is major and exciting development for the club’s supporters, but it’s…
The 2024 season of Jannik Sinner is, whatever happens in the upcoming ATP Finals and Davis Cup, something to tip your hat to. The conclusion of the “regular” tournaments leaves the transalpine player as a standout number one in the world rankings, with two Grand Slams under his belt and the feeling that extraordinary things need to be done to defeat him on a tennis court. If we were to pinpoint one quality that San Candido’s player stands out for, it would perhaps be his consistency. His steadiness. His ability to maintain his level week after week. Over the past…
Many tennis fans jokingly suggested that Jannik Sinner withdrew from the 2024 Paris Masters after being appalled by the quality of food that is being served at the event. The Italian had to pull out of the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season, citing a viral infection. Sinner has had an exceptional season so far this year, clinching seven titles . He kicked off the year by securing his first Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final. He then went on to win the ABN AMRO Open, Miami Open,…
Arne Slot made the surprise decision not to field a striker in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup trip to Brighton, explaining why he chose not to after the 3-2 win. With Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa out injured, Slot admitted before the Reds’ journey to the south coast that he was lacking his “most logical No. 9s.” And during a rigorous schedule for Darwin Nunez as the only fit out-and-out striker, the head coach opted to leave the Uruguayan out of his side against Brighton Nunez was named on the bench along with 18-year-old academy forward Ranel Young, with Slot using an…
Liverpool booked its place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with Cody Gakpo netting a second-half brace for Arne Slot’s side. The Dutchman’s first, in particular, was a special strike. Both teams had made wholesale changes with the weekend’s clash in the Premier League in mind. But it was, predictably, Liverpool who was able to cope the best with that being the case. Bringing in the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Slot picked a strong enough starting team to get the job done even before Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez came on. With so many fixtures coming up in the…