Premier League
PREMIER LEAGUE: LIVERPOOL BOSS KLOPP BLASTS END OF FIVE-SUB RULE
As the new English Premier League season kicks off this Saturday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp branded the decision not to extend the use of five substitutions as a lack of common sense as he voiced his concerns for player welfare in a congested season.
The Reds begin the defence of their Premier League title at home to Leeds today, in a campaign that is starting a month later than normal due to the three-month halt to last season caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Both Cup competitions in England have been retained, while Liverpool are among the clubs who will face six Champions’ League group games in seven weeks between late next month and early December.
Despite the fixture pile-up, the Premier League has not followed the example of other major European leagues in extending a temporary rule after the resumption of last season. The rule allowed matchday squads to increase from 18 to 20 and managers to make five substitutions instead of three.
“We press a normal season into a shorter period which will be a proper challenge, especially with the wonderful rule we set up with 18 (players) and three (substitutes),” Klopp said yesterday.
“It’s only about player welfare, nothing else, but I don’t know why we have to discuss it at all and not everybody says yes of course, like the whole world is doing, at least the whole of Europe!”
Two votes on the rule found a majority of Premier League clubs were against the rule being extended, with those nearer the bottom of the table fearing it gave the bigger clubs with better squads an even greater advantage.
“I thought from a common sense point of view that for this year, only this year not forever, that we would have 20 and five,” added the German. “It is not about having advantages, it is about player welfare and about having the highest quality in the games for all teams.”
Liverpool do not have the deepest of squads while Klopp favours using a core group of players, with just 24 utilised en route to last season’s title win.
The club also adopted a cautious approach in the transfer market, given the financial fall-out from the coronavirus and their only addition to date is Greek left-back Kostas Tsimikas.
Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United have all sought to strengthen their squads, with the Blues investing almost £200 million (S$350 million).
But Klopp warned their rivals that splashing out on new faces is no guarantee of success.
“For some clubs it seems less important how uncertain the future is: those owned by countries, owned by oligarchs,” the German told the BBC.
“We cannot just change it overnight and say, ‘So now we want to behave like Chelsea’. Now they are signing a lot of players. That can be an advantage of course but that means they have to fit together pretty quickly as well.”
He also had a note of caution for his team, knowing they cannot look further ahead than the visit of a Leeds side returning to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.
“They are well drilled and the way they defend is exceptional, pretty much man-marking plus one,” he said.
Liverpool will await late fitness tests for captain Jordan Henderson and Xherdan Shaqiri. Both have returned to training with the team.
Leeds are without injured duo Gaetano Berardi and Adam Forshaw.
Marcelo Bielsa, who signed a one-year extension yesterday, is eager to see how his side will fare in the Premier League.
“We have prepared but we need to show it on the pitch,” he said. “We have been forming a group for some time and we have kept players we believe can play at a higher level.”
-AFP
Liverpool will have to wait for a few more days to be crowned Premier League champions despite a 1-0 victory at Leicester City after Arsenal kept their slender hopes just about alive with a 4-0 romp at 10-man Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold came off the bench to score Liverpool’s winner in the 76th minute at the King Power Stadium to restore their 13-point lead at the top with five games left.
While Liverpool can almost taste a record-equalling 20th English crown, Leicester’s defeat confirmed their relegation back to the Championship after just one season.
The Midlands club have now been relegated from England’s top flight a record 13 times.
Chelsea secured a massive win in their bid to qualify for the Champions League as they came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage with Pedro Neto scoring in stoppage time.
The win pushed Chelsea above Nottingham Forest in to fifth place, the last spot for qualification to the Champions League, although Forest play at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.
Chelsea have 57 points from 33 games, two behind third-placed Newcastle United and one behind Manchester City. Forest and Aston Villa are level with Chelsea on 57 points.
Wolverhampton Wanderers guaranteed their safety as they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford. Pablo Sarabia’s stunning free kick wrapped up a fifth successive league win, the first time Wolves have achieved that in the top flight since 1970.
Liverpool were wasteful at Leicester with numerous chances going begging and Mohamed Salah suffering a frustrating afternoon including hitting both posts with an early shot.
Salah hit the woodwork again moments before the ball came out to Alexander-Arnold who fired a left-footed shot through the crowd to give his side the points — ripping off his shirt and celebrating wildly with the travelling fans.
“We just keep going, mentally we’re really strong,” manager Arne Slot, whose side could be crowned champions if Arsenal lose at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, told Sky Sports.
“They enjoy playing football and it helps when you are playing for something special. Today (Alexander-Arnold) knows when it matters most he can just bring a bit more which is something all the top, top players have.”
DISTANT SECOND
If Arsenal avoid defeat by Palace, Slot’s side will seal the title if they beat Tottenham Hotspur at home next Sunday.
“We will focus on Tottenham and looking forward again to a home game and I think the stadium will be full,” Slot, who can become the first Dutch manager to win the English title, said. “It’s a nice game to look forward to.”
Liverpool have 79 points with Arsenal a distant second on 66. Arsenal may have their eyes now on a Champions League semi-final against Paris St Germain, but they showed against Ipswich they will not hand over the title to Liverpool.
Leandro Trossard opened the scoring early on and Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-0 after a delightful flick by Mikel Merino.
Ipswich were reduced to 10 men before halftime as Leif Davis crudely raked his studs down the back of Bukayo Saka’s calf and the second half was academic.
Trossard grabbed his second in the 69th minute and Ethan Nwaneri added a late fourth to leave Ipswich stuck in 18th place on 21 points. They will be relegated if they drop points again or 17th-placed West Ham United pick up one more point from their remaining five games.
Chelsea were heading for a damaging defeat at neighbours Fulham as the hosts led with Alex Iwobi’s 20th-minute goal.
Substitute Tyrique George equalised with an instinctive shot in the 83rd minute, his first Premier League goal, before winger Neto swivelled and unleashed a thunderous strike in stoppage time to send the away fans wild.
Manchester United reached the Europa League semi-final with an astonishing comeback win against French club Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday but their Premier League woes returned against Wolves.
They are in 14th place and have now lost eight Premier League home games this season, their most defeats at Old Trafford in a league campaign since 1962-63.
“Wolves scored in the only opportunity they had. we had many chances, and we didn’t score. If you don’t score goals, you are not going to win games,” manager Ruben Amorim said.
-Reuters
Egyptian outlet, Ahram, has reported that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract with Liverpool, extending his stay at Anfield beyond the 2024-25 season as he prepares for what could be the final chapter of a storied career with the club.
While the terms of the agreement were not disclosed, British media reports indicate the 32-year-old forward has signed a two-year extension, keeping him at the club until at least 2027.
Salah, who joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017, has become a modern-day icon at Anfield.
The Egyptian international has scored 243 goals in 394 appearances—third on the club’s all-time scorers list—and has helped the Reds secure seven major trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League titles.
“I had my best years here,” Salah told the club’s website. “Hopefully it’s going to be 10. I signed because I believe we can still win big trophies together.”
He has maintained his prolific form this season, scoring 32 goals and providing 22 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions. His 27 Premier League goals currently lead the division.
During his time with Liverpool, Salah has won the Premier League Golden Boot three times, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice, and claimed two FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
Now entering the latter stages of his career, Salah remains focused on adding more silverware to his collection and further cementing his legacy at Liverpool.
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Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga, who became the second-youngest Premier League player when he made his senior debut in Monday’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle United, had to wear a blank shirt because it is sponsored by an online cryptocurrency gaming platform.
Britain’s Gambling Act 2005, which underwent a review in 2020, prohibits players under 18 from wearing kits displaying gambling sponsors. Monga, an England U16 international, made his senior debut at 15 years 271 days old.
Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri remains the youngest Premier League player in history, having debuted in the competition when he was 90 days younger than Monga.
Leicester, who suffered an eighth straight loss in the league without scoring a goal, are 19th in the standings, 15 points below the safety zone.
-Reuters
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