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Alisson, Jota and Chiesa all out
Liverpool will have to find a way to beat Brighton without their first-choice keeper, and will likely have to do so again when they host Aston Villa next week.
So said Arne Slot, who added that it was “difficult to put an exact time frame” on the return of Alisson. The same applies for Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa.
But that means there’s a chance for other players to become heroes and Slot took some time to shine a light on Alexis Mac Allister.
“He’s a player I would play in all three positions in the midfield because he is so comfortable in all three.
“I saw a lot of him at Brighton because there was a manager I was quite interested in back then [Roberto de Zerbi].
“He is now at the moment the midfielder who plays a bit in between. Ryan [Gravenberch] is almost always the deepest. Dom [Szoboszlai] or Curtis [Jones] are playing a bit higher and then Alexis is in between.
“It depends on how dominant we are whether he is the second 10 or the second six. He is comfortable in both phases of the game. He can help us bring the ball out from the back and he is also capable of making the difference in and around the 18-yard box. We want to see him in both situations as much as we can.”
Arteta was the joint leader for Premier League manager yellow cards in 2023/24 but he promises he’s turned a new leaf.
“On the touchline, I haven’t got to the point I go into meditating mode. Maybe I should. When they change the rules about certain behaviours, we need to adapt and that’s what I’ve tried to do.
“I don’t want to miss any games. I can’t promise that if we score a goal, I won’t jump up and down the touchline. So far, it has worked.”
“It’s rare to see a talent like that at 17 years old”
High praise indeed from Mikel Arteta who was gushing about his young starlet, Ethan Nwaneri, who scored a goal in Arsenal’s EFL Cup win at Preston this week.
“I can talk about how good he is right now. At 17, to be in the position he is in at one of the biggest clubs in Europe sums up where he is. He is surrounded by the right people. My prediction is going to be very positive.
“We didn’t do it [select him] because it was a gift, we saw a path for him and wanted to show the trust in him.
“I think the biggest thing is to push him. Once you push, grab him from behind. When you see this talent, you have to push him. He has to see he can fly and not cut his wings.
“That shows in the building that there is a pathway and for other players to follow.”
Gabriel close to a return
While it’s bad news for Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Gabriel could make a return to the side if he navigate today’s training session without a hitch.
“We have a training session today, if he can complete that, he will be available,” Arsenal’s manager said.
However, Calafiori and Odegaard are “definitely out” and Ben White’s status is now “wait and see”.
“That is Ben’s quality, he can play two different positions” Arteta said of White, adding that his current injury is not a recurrence of his gammy groin and more related to a joint issue..
“He can adapt. We are demanding. For him to do that job, having not played there for over a year, was very impressive.”
Elsewhere, Takehiro Tomiyasu is also out and won’t be back before the next international break.
Mikel Arteta is the first PL boss to speak to the press this morning.
He started by sending his thoughts to those impacted by the horrific floods that have already claimed more than 150 lives in Spain.
“We are trying to pull together in this situation. We ask everyone to pull together and show their support. It is terrible what has happened,” Arteta said.
In a wide-ranging interview, his first with a newspaper since departing from his director of football role, Nils Nielsen covers a lot of ground with Tom Garry.
FA Cup First Round gets underway today
The world’s oldest cup competition, one stretching back all the way to 1871, gets going today.
Well, OK, we’ve already had four qualifying rounds, but today marks the official start of the first round of the FA Cup.
There are loads of games this weekend – too many to list in full here – but I will wish supporters of Notts County, Alfreton Town, Tamworth and Huddersfield the best of luck for this evening.
Notts County currently sit third in League Two and welcome Alfreton Town who occupy seventh spot in the National League North standings.
Huddersfield, who last played in the Premier League in 2019, are seventh in League One and make the trip to Tamworth who’d do well to upset the Terriers given that they’re down in 16th in the National League table.
Any of our readers going to these games? Anyone else heading off to an FA Cup game? Holla!
As always, we kick off our Friday fare with the 10 things to look out for this Premier League weekend.
Louise Taylor says its time for Tonali to take charge at a Newcastle outfit that could do with some leadership.
Andy Hunter shines a light on Arne Slot’s selection headaches.
And Will Unwin wonders if Manchester United’s midfield has enough oomph with Manuel Ugarte kicking lumps out of the opposition in those central areas. Can we keep Cole Palmer quiet?
Premier League fixtures this weekend:
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Newcastle v Arsenal (12:30 Saturday)
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Liverpool v Brighton (15:00 Saturday)
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Ipswich v Leicester (15:00 Saturday)
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Bournemouth v Man City (15:00 Saturday)
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Southampton v Everton (15:00 Saturday)
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Nott’m Forest v West Ham (15:00 Saturday)
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Wolves v Crystal Palace (17:30 Saturday)
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Tottenham v Aston Villa (14:00 Sunday)
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Man United v Chelsea (16:30 Sunday)
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Fulham v Brentford (20:00 Saturday)
Preamble
What a week of football that was. Rodri and Aitana Bonmati won golden balls. Real Madrid threw a tantrum. Manchester United sacked their manager, put five past Leicester with their interim boss and confirmed the signing of another.
We’ll pick at the bones of a mad few days and look ahead at the action taking place this weekend. Can’t stop, won’t stop!
As always, your thoughts and quips are welcome. Drop me a line and let’s have some fun together. I especially want to hear from United and Madrid fans so please, if you’re in the sharing mood, get in touch!