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No room for error as WSL’s leading trio face pressure cooker .. of a run-in. Karen Carney A loss for champions Chelsea, Manchester City or Arsenal during the final seven games could well prove decisive After the Premier League title race took centre stage last Sunday with Liverpool v Manchester City headlining, the Women’s Super League has a potentially defining Friday when Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. As in the Premier League, there is a three-horse race in the WSL for top spot. Chelsea lead the way, level on points with Manchester City, with Arsenal three points behind. In a 12-team division the champions have never lost more than two games. Chelsea and City have reached that mark, while the Gunners have suffered three defeats. Whoever lifts the trophy may need to be flawless in the final seven games. Arsenal laid down a marker by beating Chelsea 4-1 at the Emirates in December and cannot afford to lose on Friday. Defeat would open a six-point gap to first place and in effect put them out of the race. Chelsea losing would put City in an extremely strong position. The pressure is on. Tactics will play a big part because I am not sure how fit some of Chelsea’s players are, putting a lot of onus on the work of Emma Hayes. Arsenal are very good in transitions. In the 4-1 win, they were extremely quick on the break, especially the front four. Stina Blackstenius scored a hat-trick last week against Aston Villa in the Continental Cup and it is always a problem to face someone with that pace who can run in behind. Chelsea will need to defend extremely well to pick up the points. Arsenal have arguably the best squad in the league and the opportunity to chase down the other two. Their home victory over Chelsea was the performance of the season and they need to replicate that. The Gunners have great variety in attack, making them able to adapt to circumstances. Whether they need runners in behind or more crosses into the box, they have a squad of problem-solvers.

Five talking points from the first half of the Premier League season: Liverpool lead the way in a tantalisingly poised Premier League title race heading into 2024 with just six points separating the top five. Champions Manchester City are ominously poised to strike in the new year despite a dip in form from last season’s treble winners, while Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham are also in the mix. But it has been a disastrous start for some of the other pre-season big spenders. Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea are mired in mid-table having lost a combined 26 games. At the bottom, the promoted trio of Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton occupy the bottom three, but Everton’s 10-point deduction has put their 70-year stay in the top flight at risk. AFP Sports looks at five talking points from the opening half of the season. New-look Liverpool back in the hunt Last season marked the end of an era for the  Reds as a tired-looking squad sank to fifth just 12 months after coming close to an unprecedented quadruple. There have been some teething problems after a midfield overhaul in the summer and Darwin Nunez’s erratic form in front of goal is still to justify the £85 million ($108 million) splashed on the Uruguayan in 2022. But Liverpool are back to the position they have often found themselves under Jurgen Klopp as City’s biggest threat. A demolition of Newcastle on Monday, that should have been more comfortable than a 4-2 scoreline suggests, took Klopp’s men three points clear at the top and five ahead of City and Arsenal. The experienced core of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, captain Virgil van Dijk and top scorer Mohamed Salah have all refound their best form. But Liverpool must cope without Salah for up to a month now as he departs to lead Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. City still the team to beat Prior to jetting off to win the Club World Cup last month, City had won just one of their previous six league games to give the contenders to their throne hope. However, Pep Guardiola’s men enjoyed the best festive season as they added a fifth trophy of 2023 to their haul in Saudi Arabia and then watched all of their title rivals drop points. City have a game in hand to cut their five-point deficit to Liverpool and look set to come on strong like they did last season to reel in Arsenal at the top of the table. Kevin De Bruyne is nearing a return from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since the opening game of the season and Erling Haaland should also be fit by the time City return to Premier League action in mid-January at Newcastle. The fixture list is also kind for City to build momentum. Pep Guardiola’s men will not face another side currently in the top six until they travel to Liverpool on March 9. Fortress Villa Park Villa’s stunning rise under Unai Emery has been built on a phenomenal home record. Only…

UCL 23-24 Semi Final: Borussia Dortmund vs PSG (H) 1-0 If you’ve watched my earlier video (search @footyoracle on Instagram!) covering the previous meeting between these two sides, you might have noted some differences in the style Dortmund approached both games with. Their shaky form in the last 6 games leading up to this clash would have done little to suggest they were brimming with confidence. In spite of this, coach Edin Terźic decided to switch things up from the 2-0 defeat back when they last met the Parisians in the group stage. 1. ‘Front-footed’ - what did this look like? In contrast to the group stage loss, where they played with a dense 5-3-2 low block hoping to absorb pressure and catch PSG off-guard whenever the French ventured too high up the field, Dortmund went with a 4-1-4-1 this time. It was similar to the prior fixture only in the sense that they committed to forcing PSG into wide areas and restricted any space for their wingers and fullbacks to influence the game. Where they were more aggressive was in ball recovery: the likes of Adeyemi, Sabitzer and Ryerson demonstrated bits of counter-pressing at various points throughout the game, which led to big chances stemming from inside PSG’s own half. 2. Jadon Sancho - 8 SCA, 67 carries, 13/18 SUCCESSFUL TAKE-ONS…need I say more? The Englishman tore up the right wing, and tormented Nuno Mendes (PSG’s left-back). Every time the Portuguese attempted to drive up the left wing, Sancho would be the first one harrying him off the ball before running at the other PSG defenders. Mendes’s impact, or lack thereof, is also reflected in his stats and is certainly in no small part down to Sancho’s excellence in & out of possession. 3. Dortmund winning the midfield battle - deploying 5 men in midfield, albeit differently compared to the 2-0 defeat. This time, they managed to retain numerical superiority (against PSG’s three CMs), whilst finding the space for a target man, Niclas Füllkrug, who excelled here especially when left in 1v1 situations against either one of Marquinhos or Lucas Hernández. Disclaimer: I do not own this content. All rights go to the original owners. I must state that in no way, shape or form am I intending to infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder. Content shown uses no more than of the original work than necessary for the video’s purpose and is strictly for research/review purposes and to help educate. All under the Fair Use Law.

New Post: Manchester United set to move on from Erik ten Hag after FA Cup final regardless of result, per report - https://lnkd.in/ef_5q9H3 Getty Images Following a disappointing season, Manchester United increasingly seem to be set to move on from manager Erik ten Hag despite still having a chance at Europa League qualification according to the Guardian. The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League after finishing third only a season ago. They'll face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday which will determine if Old Trafford will see Euroropean soccer next season, but even a victory won't be enough to save ten Hag's job, it now seems.Under new ownership, at least partially, with Jim Ratcliffe now controlling the soccer decisions at the club, there has been wonder about whether Ten Hag would retain his role and it seems like that may be coming to an end. While injuries were a factor in their performance this season, only Sheffield United allowed more shots than Manchester United's 670. By expected goals against, United's defensive statistics should've been worse as they only allowed 58 goals from an xG against of 70.26. The only team with a worse xGA than United was West Ham United who are also making a managerial change as David Moyes has been replaced by Julen Lopetegui.Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, and Kieran McKenna are some of the names linked to the United job if they do move on from Ten Hag, but the trio would bring very different styles to the team. McKenna is reportedly also wanted by Brighton and Chelsea, but the Ipswich Town manager would be someone more likely to oversee a project than expected to bring United back to the Champions League in season one. Tuchel is more of a win now manager, while Pochettino is a mix between the duo after improving Chelsea's league standing in only one season in charge. If they move on from Ten Hag it will be the biggest move made by Ratcliffe to date, but it's step one to turning around Manchester United, the issue is that it does provide quite a distraction ahead of the FA Cup final itself. The Red Devils will already be up against it, facing their league rivals in that match, but with a Europa League berth on the line, it's a match that they'd want to win.The new managers job will only be harder without European soccer as that will impact recruitment during a summer where United will need help at almost every level of the team. Decisions need to be made on new midfielders as well as if players like Antony continue with the side, an issue that's especially pressing for those players that Ten Hag was instrumental in bringing to the side if he's no longer there. Installing a new manager early will help with answering so

In this post, we'll be taking a look at Chelsea's unique goal contributors and their goal contributions over the past 5 seasons. Earlier in the season (specifically, 2 March 2024) we took a look at similar stats. Chelsea then went on to add 2 unique goal contributors (and a lot of goal contributions) to the list before the season ended. Image 1: After Boehly era's first season's debacle in terms of goal scoring form, we finally seem to be on our way to finding our feet again. We're still way off our best - with 16 unique goal contributors (>= 5 goals + assists). Image 2: We start off with 2019-20 season where we introduced a lot of youngsters into the squad but managed to keep the balance with 9 experienced players. This led to a decent goal conversion and a decent 4th place finish PL. Image 3: There was a slight decline in scoring form with a couple of experienced players in Pedro and Willian leaving and Chelsea finding it hard to score goals. This was somewhat corrected by Thomas Tuchel's arrival - leading to a 3rd place PL finish and a UCL. Image 4: The following season is still our best in the last 5 with a lot of goal contributions - the most of which, I believe, was based on foundations set by the experienced players. Though "trophyless" due to losses on penalties against Liverpool in the Carabao and the FA Cup FInals, Chelsea managed to win the UEFA SuperCup and the FIFA Club World Cup along with a 3rd place PL finish. Image 5: There's not much that can be said about this season as a lot of experienced players had been cleared out and a lot of young players had been brought in as a part of a new project. To add to that, 4 different managers managing the team throughout the season didn't help. Image 6: The point of this post - mainly was to showcase how experienced players are important to keep the balance in the team and that any manager with a "project" needs to be given time. The latter didn't happen as we now have a new manager. But, the previous manager did manage to produce quality with the inexperienced but talented Chelsea side. Looks like the board might be looking to bring more balance to the squad with the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo. I'm curious to see how this era unfolds under the leadership of Maresca. #justifyingchelsea

Can Manchester United Do It Again? Finally, the 2024/2025 football season is set to begin in the top leagues across Europe! As teams in Europe’s celebrated leagues brace themselves for another long haul of football, entertaining fans with weekly doses of football magic – mesmerising dribbles, jaw-dropping passes, devastating shots, excellent tackles, and adrenaline-pumping goals – the stage is indeed set for another season of unbridled football happiness. In England, the season begins with its traditional curtain-raiser as two top teams in Manchester slug it out this time in the 102nd FA Community Shield. Last season’s English Premier League champions, Manchester City, and FA Cup winners, Manchester United will battle at the Wembley Stadium for a chance to lift the Community Shield on Saturday, August 10. Saturday’s showpiece will be Manchester United’s 31st appearance in the Community Shield. With 21 wins out of their previous 30 appearances, the Red Devils will be hoping for a repeat of last season’s FA Cup 2-1 victory against their fiery opponents. The question now is: Can Man United do it again? On the contrary, this fiery opponent, Manchester City, will be out for revenge. Having made history again last season as the first-ever English top-flight club to win four consecutive titles, Pep Guardiola and his Man City team will have eyes on nothing but victory. Whether they can achieve this against the most successful team in the Community Shield history remains a mission we’ll wait to see. Both teams will miss a few of their first-team players. Man City will be without their Brazilian goalkeeper, Ederson, and Euro 2024 finalists Rodri, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and John Stones. For Manchester United, new signing Leny Yoro will be out due to injury, while Rasmus Hojlund, and Tyrell Malacia have also been ruled of the game. Whatever the outcome of the game, however, fans across the world will be excited to watch their favourite football stars grace the field once again to battle for glory. We await! What is your prediction for the match? #FACommunityShield #ManCity #ManUnited #Football #EnglishFA #EPL

£100m-rated player’s insane statistic underscores his importance to Manchester City: A notable statistic reveals Manchester City’s struggle in the absence of Spanish midfielder and midfield linchpin Rodri. The 27-year-old faced suspension during the treble-winners’ 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Wednesday night, having acquired his fifth booking of the season in City’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham. This led to John Stones taking his place at Villa Park. The defeat to Aston Villa underscores Rodri’s importance to Pep Guardiola’s side. In the four games he has missed this campaign, City suffered losses against Wolves (2-1), Arsenal (1-0), and Villa (1-0) in the Premier League. Additionally, City were eliminated from the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 loss to Newcastle in September. Guardiola’s team has been consistently victorious when Rodri has played this season, winning nine and drawing three Premier League matches. The only game won without the Spaniard was against Young Boys in the Champions League group stages. Rodri’s remarkable record extends beyond the current season, remaining undefeated in his last 43 outings for Manchester City. During this impressive run, he secured 33 victories and earned ten draws. His last defeat in Sky Blue occurred in February, as Rodri and his teammates experienced a 1-0 loss to Tottenham. This insane statistic shows why Rodri is Man City’s most influential player; no other player in the City ranks is capable of running the midfield as good as he can. The post £100m-rated player’s insane statistic underscores his importance to Manchester City appeared first on CaughtOffside. http://dlvr.it/SzrwLV | nexxtgen.pro

Switch speak: Chelsea and Arsenal eye Sporting striker Viktor Gyökeres https://lnkd.in/d-yjzt4Q Mar 30, 2024, 07:39 PM ET The summer season switch window gained't reopen in Europe for some time but, however there are many strikes within the works and loads of gossip floating round. Switch Discuss brings you the most recent information on rumours, comings and goings and naturally, closed offers! TOP STORY: Sporting put a worth on Gyökeres with Arsenal and Chelsea Sporting CP will want 80 million euros this summer season to half with the ahead Viktor Gyökeresamid curiosity from Arsenal and Chelsea, in accordance with the Mirror. Featured 2 Associated The 25-year-old has had a exceptional season with the Portuguese aspect, scoring 22 targets in simply 24 video games within the Portugal League, prompting a number of high European golf equipment to observe his state of affairs forward of the summer season. Whereas each Arsenal and Chelsea are reportedly serious about a possible switch for the Sweden worldwide, AC Milan are additionally protecting an in depth eye on the previous Coventry Metropolis striker. Milan is able to see Olivier Giroud depart the membership this summer season, leaving the Italian membership needing to discover a substitute, though it’s understood that Gyökeres would like a transfer to the Premier League. Whereas Gyökeres has been a key participant for Sporting this season, the report reveals that the Portuguese giants are anticipated to capitalize on their chief this summer season. Arsenal have reportedly wished to increase their attacking choices this summer season, with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah the one two forwards at the moment acknowledged within the membership. Chelsea, in the meantime, have struggled to discover a constant supply of targets this season, except for Cole Palmerhighlighting the necessity for extra ahead reinforcements this summer season for the Blues. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (US) PAPER GOSSIP (by Rajan Hothi) – West Ham are in a robust place to finish a deal for the Brentford striker. Ivan Toney, suggests Soccer Insider. The 28-year-old might depart Brentford this summer season with Toney getting into the ultimate 12 months of his contract with the membership, leaving the Bees desirous to money in on the England worldwide. Arsenal have reportedly cooled their curiosity in Toney, leaving the door open for West Ham to assault. The Hammers are eager to increase their attacking choices this summer season, though the report reveals Chelsea may be within the operating for Toney's signature. – AC Milan are serious about closing a deal for the Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee amid curiosity from the Premier League, for La Gazzetta dello Sport. With Olivier Giroud Milan, who’re leaving San Siro this summer season, are determined to convey a brand new striker to the

Chelsea Secure First Win Under Enzo Maresca in Conference League Play-Off Chelsea celebrated their first victory under new head coach Enzo Maresca with a 2-0 triumph over Swiss side Servette in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off round… #Chelsea #ConferenceLeague #EnzoMaresca >>> Read more