Premier League Game of the Week: Arsenal 4-2 Leeds United

Arsenal won their first game since January 26th by beating Leeds United 4-2 and the day was capped off as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a hat-trick. Aubameyang much like Arsenal this season has underperformed so it was a nice symmetry to proceedings and the Gunners will now have one eye on a European finish after their 10th win of the season.

Aubameyang scored the opening goal of the game with just 13 minutes played as he used quick feet on the edge of the area to shoot into goal and that set the game up for the Gunners. Five minutes before half time and it was 2-0 to Arsenal as Illan Meslier was adjudged to have fouled Bukayo Saka. Whilst it did look like a penalty on repeated views the keeper made next to no contact. Aubameyang made no mistakes in slotting home.

It looked like Arsenal would head into half time with a 2 goal lead but Hector Bellerin an unlikely player to score made it 3. The player burst through and from an acute angle tried his luck and it went in. Leeds also had their chances but Marcelo Bielsa’s side found themselves 3-0 down and this game looked over.

If the match wasn’t finished by the end of the first half it certainly was two minutes into the second half as Aubameyang again scored to complete his hat-trick. He headed in from an unmarked position and to be fair this was a simple goal for the forward, and now it was 4-0.

However this is Leeds, and the way the club play means that they can always get score goals. Perhaps Arsenal could be accused of taking their foot off the gas a little but Leeds started to enjoy more of the ball and chances soon after and pulled a goal back through Pascal Struijk. Raphinha had assisted from the corner and Struijk rose high above the Arsenal defence to put in.

On the 69th minute Leeds scored another through a smart move finished off by Helder Costa now it was 4-2 and there was a small chance perhaps that Leeds were going to stage a dramatic comeback.

However it wasn’t to be and to their credit Arsenal defended well and held on. It was a mature performance from Arsenal who showed their attacking abilities in the first half and apart from a few errors were then able to shore up defence. We have seen in the past from Mikel Arteta’s side how they have failed to keep a lead so this was an important result for the Gunners.

Arsenal leap frogged Leeds with this win and have 34 points. They are only six points adrift of a possible European place and 2 points behind their arch rivals Tottenham albeit that Jose Mourinho’s team has an extra game to play.

As for Leeds they slipped down to 11th but the club will be more than safe this season and have 32 points.

Arsenal will play league leaders Manchester City next weekend at home and that is sure to be quite a spectacle whilst Leeds are away to Wolves and Wolves would overtake Bielsa’s side with victory.

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Premier League: Best 11 Players of Week 9

Tottenham are the new league leaders after they beat Manchester City 2-0 at home in a huge game for Jose Mourinho’s team. It was the 4th win in a row for Spurs and they lead on goal difference from Liverpool who overcame Leicester 3-0.

Chelsea are in 3rd place and just 2 points behind Tottenham as they remained undefeated for their 10th game in a row in all competitions and got a 2-0 victory over Newcastle. Everton won for the first time in four games against Fulham and Manchester United have crept up to 10th place after they got a narrow 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion. It is a concern to see Manchester City so far down in 13th place though.

After another exciting weekend in the Premier League did any of your players make the team of week 9? Let’s take a look.

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris- Tottenham 7pts

Given that Tottenham were playing Manchester City this was always going to be a busy time for Hugo Lloris and he made some good saves and communicated well with his defence to keep a clean sheet as Tottenham beat City 2-0.

Defender: Andrew Robertson-Liverpool 7pts

Andrew Robertson assisted in Liverpool’s 2nd goal for Jota and then helped to keep a clean sheet as Liverpool won a very important game against Leicester beating them 3-0. Robertson now has 3 assists already for the season.

Defender: Angelo Ogbanna- West Ham 5pts

West Ham have been putting together some impressive results lately and they kept another clean sheet at the weekend by beating Sheffield United 1-0. Angelo Ogbanna had a great game at the back and he has helped to keep four clean sheets this season.

Defender: Eric Dier- Tottenham 5pts

Huge game for Tottenham and Eric Dier shone through with a commanding display at the back as Tottenham beat Manchester City 2-0. Dier earned another 5 points in the process and he is currently the highest ranked defender in the team in the fantasy points.

Defender: Hector Bellerin- Arsenal 5pts

Hector Bellerin arguably put in his best performance of the season in defence as Arsenal head on to a 0-0 draw away to Leeds. Arsenal were under a lot of pressure and Bellerin kept focused throughout the match.

Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 6pts

Bruno Fernandes keeps being the difference when Manchester United do win games and his cool head to convert the penalty won a narrow game 1-0. Fernandes has scored six goals already this season and has 30 points in the United midfield, 22 more than the 2nd placed player.

Midfielder: Diogo Jota- Liverpool 6pts

Diojo Jota was arguably the best summer transfer in the Premier League, his switch from Wolves to Liverpool has added another layer for the champions. Jota was on hand to score Liverpool’s 2nd goal as they beat Leicester in a crunch encounter 3-0.

Midfielder: Roberto Firmino- Liverpool 6pts

Roberto Firmino rose to the occasion and had more chances in the game than usual possibly owing to the fact that Mohamed Salah was unable to play. Firmino put himself in more attacking options and his hard work paid off as he scored Liverpool’s 3rd goal as they eased to a 3-0 win over Leicester.

Midfielder: Giovani Lo Celso- Tottenham 6pts

Giovani Lo Celso was the unlikely hero as the ex Real Betis player scored Tottenham’s winning goal against Manchester City. That was Lo Celso’s first goal of the season and his value is 7m.

Striker: Dominic Calvert-Lewin- Everton 8pts

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is having the best season of his career so far and scored 2 goals as Everton beat Fulham 3-2. It was an important victory for the club who had lost their previous three games in a row. Calvert-Lewin took his goals well, scoring his first after just 42 seconds and has scored 10 goals this season already.

Striker: Sebastian Haller- West Ham 4pts

Sebastian Haller was the hero for West Ham as he scored the only goal of the game as the Hammers overcame Sheffield United 1-0 away from home. Haller has scored 2 goals in the league and his value is 7.5m.

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Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 4 Picks

Leicester City, Liverpool and Everton are the last remaining teams with a 100% winning record as we head into the fourth round of Premier League fixtures, whilst Fulham, Sheffield United and Burnley all remain pointless.

In some of the most-anticipated games of the weekend, Leeds United host Manchester City on Saturday and Jose Mourinho returns to Old Trafford as his Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United.

Here are our recommended picks for your fantasy team this weekend:

Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Clean sheets have been at a premium to start the 2020-21 Premier League season and Liverpool have kept just one in their first three. However, a trip to Aston Villa on Sunday should be a good opportunity for Alisson to double that tally.

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Lack of depth in defense could prove costly for Unai Emery’s Arsenal

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Unai Emery isn’t one to undermine cup competitions. His winning three Europa League and two Coupe de France trophies in five consecutive seasons before joining Arsenal must highlight his view on cup tournaments, so it wasn’t surprising when he fielded a strong second-string side in the recent third-round Football League Cup fixture against Championship team Brentford. Continue reading

Hector Bellerin needs Unai Emery’s backing to smooth out rough edges

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Hector Bellerin has received as much flak as any Arsenal player since the start of the Premier League season and, to an extent, deservedly so.

In the opening losses against Manchester City and Chelsea, he often looked a headless chicken. Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso had a Team of the Week performance against him, scoring the Blues’ winner in the 3-2 thriller from his side of the pitch. Interestingly, the Citizens’ goals in the 2-0 loss in London also came from his flank. Continue reading

EPL Game of the Weekend – Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal

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The most exciting match from the second week of the 2018-19 Premier League season saw Chelsea defeat Arsenal 3-2 at Stamford Bridge, with Maurizio Sarri’s side surrendering a two-goal lead before striking late on through Marcos Alonso to pick up their second win in as many games.

Both teams put away chances in the first half, with Pedro and Alvaro Morata scoring for the hosts before quickfire goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi for the Gunners to level things up just before half-time, but it was the 2016-17 champions who earned the early-season bragging rights in this London derby.

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What happened to Hector Bellerin?

There was a time, not so long ago, when Hector Bellerin blew into the Premier League as a breathe of fresh air. The Spaniard forced his way into the Arsenal first team as a teenager, becoming one of the Gunners’ most important players. There was even speculation that he could return to the club of his heritage, with Barcelona reportedly interested in taking Bellerin back to the Camp Nou.

That player, though, hasn’t been seen for a long time. Bellerin is now considered a weak link in the Arsenal first team, as demonstrated by his performance against Chelsea on Saturday. Maurizio Sarri knew to target the Spaniard, with Eden Hazard torturing Bellerin for as long as he was on the pitch.

Bellerin

At a time when new Arsenal manager Unai Emery is plotting a way forward, overhauling his team and overhauling the culture at the Emirates stadium, Bellerin is becoming a problem. While there have been signs of progress further up the field, the defence remains an issue for the Gunners and Bellerin is a significant part of that issue.

The Spaniard used to symbolise all that was good about Arsenal, even in the latter Arsene Wenger years when doubt started to cannibalise the mindset at the North London club. Here was a young player who was a product of both shrewd scouting and good coaching. Bellerin was a modern full produced in a modern way.

Bellerin wasn’t just an attacking threat, but adept at the defensive side of the game as well. He looked to be a player Arsenal could count upon for years and years to come. But somewhere along the line Bellerin lost his way. He didn’t just start to tread water in terms of his development, he regressed.

This is where the signing of Stephan Lichtsteiner could be the catalyst that Bellerin needs to save his Arsenal career. The addition of the veteran Swiss defender following his release from Juventus at the end of last season was a peculiar one, but there is no denying that he will be an influential figure in the dressing room and he will provide some competition at right back.

Of course, Lichtsteiner certainly isn’t a long term option for the Gunners. At 34, he is well into the twilight of his career and so it seems likely that he will only give Arsenal one or two seasons of service. But he is very probably a more reliable option at right back than Bellerin is right now.

Bellerin’s poor form over the past season or two isn’t reason enough for Arsenal to give up on the Spaniard. At 23 years old, Bellerin could still come good. He could still rediscover the form that made him one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League not so long ago. But this season will be an important one for him. There must be an upturn in form soon.

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Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata not included in Spain’s World Cup squad

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Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has been omitted from Julen Lopetegui’s World Cup squad for this summer’s trip to Russia. The former Real Madrid and Juventus star has scored 11 goals in his first season at Stamford Bridge since arriving from the Spaniards last summer, but after a bright start to the campaign struggled to find his form. He did appear as a last minute substitute in last weekend’s FA Cup final win over Man United, but Morata seems to be out of Lopetegui’s plans. The 25-year-old was not the only top Premier League star to be kept at home this summer, though, with the likes of Marcos Alonso, Hector Bellerin and Cesc Fabregas also missing out.

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VIDEO: Sanchez speculation amid ‘the worst’ Arsenal team

The Premier LeagueLa Liga and Serie A are all back up and running this weekend so to talk you through some of the news and fixtures from across the three leagues, Nicholas Carroll provides this week’s Euro Fantasy League preview.

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