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Manchester Metropolis’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland
| Picture Credit score: AFP
With Liverpool in League Cup last motion in opposition to Chelsea on Sunday, the chasing pack have an opportunity to shut the hole on the Premier League leaders.
Manchester Metropolis can transfer inside one level of Jurgen Klopp’s crew in the event that they win their recreation in hand at Bournemouth, whereas Arsenal should beat Newcastle to remain in contact with the title pacesetters.
Arsenal can’t afford hangover
Declan Rice has urged Arsenal to make use of the frustration from their shock Champions League last-16 first-leg loss at Porto to gas their bid for Premier League glory.
The Gunners returned from Portugal empty-handed after Galeno’s stoppage-time strike gave the hosts a 1-0 victory on Wednesday.
Whereas the frustration will linger till the second leg on March 12, England midfielder Rice is aware of Arsenal can’t afford a Champions League hangover.
Mikel Arteta’s third-placed facet will likely be simply two factors behind Liverpool in the event that they beat Newcastle on the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, however a defeat could be a serious blow to their bid for a primary title since 2004.
“Look, we have now misplaced video games this yr and drawn video games, and I’ve seen the altering room after and it has been actually unhealthy,” stated Rice, whose facet have received their previous 5 league video games.
“We have now simply misplaced (to Porto) however there’s a actual positivity across the group on the minute.
“We have now had such a great begin to 2024, I feel we take the positives from this recreation, but additionally see the place we will enhance.”
‘No worries’ for Man Metropolis over Haaland
Manchester Metropolis don’t have any issues over Erling Haaland’s type, in response to the Norway striker’s shut buddy and team-mate Oscar Bobb.
After scoring in simply considered one of his earlier seven matches — two objectives in opposition to Everton — Haaland silenced his critics with a priceless winner in opposition to Brentford on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old broke Brentford’s cussed resistance within the second half on the Etihad Stadium together with his twenty second aim in all competitions this season.
That saved Metropolis scorching on Liverpool’s heels of their chase for an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League crown.
To make historical past, Metropolis boss Pep Guardiola will want Haaland at his glowing greatest, however he fell under his personal stellar requirements when he missed a number of clear-cut possibilities in final weekend’s 1-1 draw in opposition to Chelsea.
Nevertheless, Norwegian winger Bobb stated there had by no means been any angst within the camp concerning Haaland, who has been mourning the demise of his grandmother.
“There is no actual worries. When you could have the standard he has, it’s nearly attending to the precise spots,” Bobb stated forward of Saturday’s journey to Bournemouth.
“So long as he will get in these conditions, if he misses a number of one recreation it is not like he’ll begin lacking all his possibilities.”
Man Utd begin Ratcliffe period
After Jim Ratcliffe lastly accomplished his buy of a 25 p.c stake in Manchester United this week, the British billionaire boldly declared his want to knock Liverpool and Manchester Metropolis off their perch.
Having spent the previous decade within the shadow of their two bitter rivals, Ratcliffe, who will take management of soccer operations from majority house owners the Glazer household, is aware of that repackaging an previous line from United’s former boss Alex Ferguson will play properly with a disgruntled fanbase.
However even Ratcliffe, 71, acknowledged it’s going to take time to place United in place for a primary title since 2013.
For now, Erik ten Hag’s facet have the extra modest aim of making an attempt to salvage a troubled marketing campaign by qualifying for subsequent season’s Champions League through a top-four end.
United, presently 5 factors behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, have little margin for error as Fulham go to Previous Trafford on Saturday to formally kick off the Ratcliffe period.
