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Premier League

Now, the likely Premiership decider is here as City host Arsenal

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Manchester City and Arsenal meet at Etihad Stadium for a match that could go a long way toward deciding the Premier League title.

Arsenal heads to Manchester protecting a five-point lead but has played two more games than City, the defending champion.

While Arsenal is on a run of three straight draws, City has won eight of its last nine games on a familiar-looking end-of-season charge.

Manchester City go into their biggest Premier League match of the season with almost a clean bill of health with nearly all first-team players available for selection against Arsenal.

The Gunners visit the Etihad with their title hopes on the line, with a loss set to hand City the advantage to lift the trophy for a third successive year.

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The two teams go into the match in contrasting moods.

Arsenal have drawn their last three matches, including Friday’s breathless 3-3 clash with Southampton. Those six points dropped mean they now lie just five points ahead of City  having played two games more.

Meanwhile, City are aiming to become the first team to win the treble since Manchester United in 1999. After booking a Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid, Pep Guardiola watched his side ease past Sheffield United to make the FA Cup final thanks to a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick.

The Algerian will surely get the nod to play against Arsenal as a result. Guardiola will likely name the now-accustomed 3-2-4-1 formation with 48-goal Erling Haaland leading the line.

Mahrez’s inclusion could see Bernardo Silva drop out with Ilkay Gundogan providing an extra anchor for Kevin De Bruyne to roam forward in the centre of the park. Jack Grealish has nailed down the left flank slot and looks unmoveable right now.

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Sitting as the two pivots will be Rodri and John Stones, who has thrived in his new role in recent weeks. Nathan Ake  missed the FA Cup semi-final through injury and is expected to also sit out Wednesday’s clash.

And so Aymeric Laporte may start the match alongside the formidable defensive pair of Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias in the back-three in front of Ederson. The Brazilian was rested against Sheffield United, as were Rodri, Dias, De Bruyne and Stones.

Arsenal have been dealt a blow with William Saliba not being fit in time to face City, a player the Gunners have missed in recent weeks. Midfield powerhouse Granit Xhaka is also sidelined for the contest.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Premier League

Salah uncertain about his future at Liverpool

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Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah crosses the ball during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England. AFP

Egyptian publication, Ahram has published that Liverpool’s Egyptian winger, Mohamed Salah, expressed uncertainty about his future with the club on Sunday, citing the impending expiration of his contract at the end of this season.

The 32-year-old shone on Sunday as Liverpool delivered a stunning 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in a Premier League fixture.

Salah played a pivotal role in the win, assisting in the first two goals before finding the net for the third, bringing his goal tally to three in three games so far this season.

“I had a good summer and had a long time to myself to try to stay positive because as you know it’s my last year at the club, “Salah told Sky Sports after the game on Sunday.

“Nobody at the club has spoken to me yet about a new contract so. I just play this last season and then see at the end of the season.”

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When asked about the possibility of playing for Manchester United, Salah responded that it is premature to discuss such matters.

“So far, we don’t know with which club, but so far yeah my last game here with Liverpool. It’s not up to me but nobody talk to me about a contract with the club. We’ll see.”

The Egyptian winger joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017 from Italian side AS Roma.

He has made 352 appearances across all competitions for Liverpool, scoring 214 goals and providing 92 assists.

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Premier League

Man Utd humbled as Diaz double helps Liverpool humiliate rivals

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Liverpool's Luis Diaz in action with Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Two goals from Luis Diaz and one from Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool stroll to a 3-0 victory at Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday, with Erik ten Hag’s side humbled by their fierce rivals.

Liverpool dominated a United team who could not keep pace with them in the first half, the visitors taking the lead in the 35th minute through a back-post header from Diaz after United midfielder Casemiro had given the ball away.

Casemiro was again at fault for Diaz and Liverpool’s second, again supplied by Mohamed Salah, with the Colombia international sweeping home three minutes before the break, sending United supporters off for their halftime refreshments early.

With United on the ropes, Liverpool smelled blood after the break, Salah adding a third 11 minutes into the second half, but the visitors settled for three as they maintained their 100% record this season under new coach Arne Slot.

“The goals are always self-inflicted,” United captain Bruno Fernandes told Sky Sports. “You need to commit a mistake to give them the goal. We don’t need to be pointing fingers at everyone. that won’t help us now.

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“When you concede a goal you can’t just point at one mistake. We don’t have to look at the past. We just have to make it different. We lost the game, congratulations to Liverpool, they were more clinical. I don’t look at the stats but the game was tight.”

After a positive summer in the transfer market and fresh faces in the boardroom, last week’s last-gasp defeat at Brighton and Hove Albion gave United supporters a stark reminder of the improvements still needed on the pitch.

Sunday’s visit of a Liverpool side who had lost just one of their previous 12 Premier League meetings with United will have caused a great deal of concern pre-match.

Those more pessimistic fans were fearing the worst as Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to have fired Liverpool into an early lead at Old Trafford, only for VAR to step in and save the hosts, adjudging Salah to be offside earlier in the move.

United settled into the contest without troubling Liverpool down the other end of the pitch, allowing the visitors to pick their moments when they came.

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Casemiro’s wayward pass ensured the Slot’s side did not have to try too hard to unlock their rivals, Diaz applying the finishing touch to get Liverpool up and running.

Diaz’s third of the season was another fine finish, but another Casemiro will want to forget. The flying Liverpool forward has now scored more Premier League goals against United than any other opponent.

Yet another mistake in midfield, this time from Kobbie Mainoo, was ruthlessly punished by Salah in the second half, the Egyptian cementing his pace as the highest-scoring opposition player at Old Trafford in Premier League history — seven strikes.

The visitors thereafter cruised to a victory that means Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win his first meeting with United since Bob Paisley in November 1975, and just the second to do so away from home after George Kay in November 1936.

“Everything what you want to see as a manager you saw in this game,” Slot said. “There were difficult moments for us, United started really well but then we have disallowed goal and there was no negative reaction, kept on playing, scoring three, could have scored more.

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“There were two important saves from our goalkeeper and the work rate was incredibly well without the ball and that makes it a very positive day.”

-Reuters

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Premier League

Brighton end 10-man Arsenal’s winning start

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- Premier League - Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - August 31, 2024 Arsenal's David Raya in action with Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra

Brighton and Hove Albion ended Arsenal’s winning start to the new Premier League season with a 1-1 draw at The Emirates on Saturday, with the home side holding on with 10 men after Declan Rice’s second-half sending off.

Arsenal dominated the first half and deservedly lead at half time after Kai Havertz finished brilliantly in the 38th minute, having been played in expertly by Bukayo Saka.

Four minutes into the second half, however, Arsenal’s task was made all the harder when Rice was sent off after picking up a second yellow card. Brazilian striker Joao Pedro fired Brighton level 12 minutes later.

Both sides missed golden chances to win the contest late on, but they each had to settle for a point that keeps Arsenal and Brighton unbeaten from their three games so far.

“We started the game really well,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports. “We scored the goal, 1-0. We started the second half really good but then there is the decision that changes the game completely.

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“If it (second yellow card) happens throughout the game in a consistent way it is fine but it didn’t. It is the inconsistency.”

After narrowly missing out on their first Premier League title since 2004 last season, Arsenal started the new term in perfect fashion.

With champions Manchester City also coming into this weekend’s fixtures with two wins from two at the start of the new season, Arsenal know any slip-up, even this early in the campaign, could be costly.

They appeared set to be course for a ninth successive league victory after a dominant first-half display. Skipper Martin Odegaard should have scored earlier in the opening period before Havertz lofted home his second of the campaign.

Rice’s second yellow for trying to stop Brighton taking a quick free kick, a decision that was met with consternation around the stands, turned the tide in the visitors’ favour.

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Since Boxing Day 2019 – Mikel Arteta’s first game in charge of Arsenal – the Gunners have been shown 16 red cards in the Premier League, at least three more than any other side. But it was Rice’s first red in his 245th Premier League appearance.

Following his last-gasp winner against Manchester United last weekend, Pedro reacted first after Yankuba Minteh’s shot had been saved to pull Brighton level, and the game opened up thereafter.

Saka could have snatched the win late on, while Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had to be at his best on several occasions to keep Brighton from earning all three points, but both seemed content with a draw after an exhilarating tussle.

“We didn’t create enough chances when they went down to 10 men, but we will go away and look at it,” Brighton captain Lewis Dunk said.

“We always believe we can win any game of football. We are in a good place and we know we can beat anybody.”

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-Reuters

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