PEP GUARDIOLA SENDS ARSENAL SHIVERS WITH CONFIDENT LIVERPOOL PROPHECY
Pep Guardiola warns Arsenal not to write off Liverpool in the Premier League title race. The Man City boss insists his side and Liverpool will be there, despite Arsenal's strong start and formidable defensive record this season.
Pep Guardiola Drops Bold Title Prediction - COURTESY/PHOTO
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, believes that Arsenal should not ignore Liverpool in the competition for the Premier League title. Arne Slot's defending champions have dropped to fourth place after three straight league losses, but they are still only four points behind the league leaders.
Arsenal and City lead the table with 19 and 16 points, respectively, going into this weekend's games. Liverpool is one point behind third-place Bournemouth on goal differential. Mikel Arteta's Gunners, who play Crystal Palace on Sunday, would be under further pressure if Slot's team defeated Brentford on Saturday night with three points.
Guardiola was questioned about clubs being neglected in the title race before Sunday's matchup between City and Aston Villa. He informed reporters, "Well, in the first two games, three games, yeah, for sure we [City] are out."
"And it appears that Liverpool is finished now, since they have already finished. And they will return, I assure you. I have stated repeatedly that I can not predict what will happen after five games because I know all the experts, analysts, and previous players.
"So, I always wait for ten or fifteen games to find out exactly what is happening. However, it seems clear that Liverpool and Arsenal will be present, and ideall,y we will as well."
Both Liverpool and City have previously been played by Arsenal, who have held Guardiola's team at the Emirates Stadium and lost at Anfield. They have given up three goals in all competitions this season and none at all in October, making them extremely difficult to break down.
However, Gabriel, their centre-back, might miss Sunday's game. "We will evaluate how he develops over the next 24 hours to see if he is available or not for the weekend," Arteta told reporters on Friday after Big Gabi had to leave the pitch due to an issue and had not been able to train yet.
Arsenal is on pace to surpass Chelsea's record of only 15 goals given up in a season if they maintain their current defensive performance in the league. However, Arteta is not getting ahead of himself at this early point in the season.
The Spanish player stated, "The defensive record is extremely good, but we need to be consistent; it is only just the start of the season." "The goal is to perform even better by continuing to improve things, which we can still do a lot of.
Prospective adversaries. When the two teams faced off in North London in April of last season, Palace was one of the teams that made holes in Arsenal's defence. After falling behind twice, the Eagles rallied for a point when Jean-Philippe Mateta scored seven minutes from the end.
DISCIPLINARY BLOW: MADRID PLAYER SUSPENDED POST EL CLáSICO TUSSLE
Real Madrid's backup keeper Andriy Lunin has been handed a one-game suspension by the RFEF for his aggressive conduct on the bench during the heated final moments of El Clásico. Real Madrid's appeal was rejected.
El Clásico Scuffle - Photo Credit Getty Images
Los Blancos' goalie Andriy Lunin has been suspended for one game by the RFEF Disciplinary Committee for his involvement in the sideline dramas during the El Clásico's final moments. Although the cameras did not catch it, referee Soto Grado did record that he had sent the Ukrainian off.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the RFEF responded as follows when asked why Lunin received a red card.
The reason for Lunin, Andrii's expulsion in the 90th minute was that he had to be restrained by his teammates after he walked aggressively from his bench to the blonde bench.
The disciplinary committee of the RFEF
"When considered significant, those whose behaviour violates sporting order will be suspended for four to ten games or fined between 602 and 3,006 euros."
Because of Lunin's actions, which constituted a minor violation of the sporting order, he was suspended for one game. The ruling had been challenged by Real Madrid. However, the RFEF stayed steadfast, defending the referee's ruling and the evidence in the match report and on film.
Now, the backup goalie will not play against Valencia this weekend, where he is probably going to be benched. Fran Gonzalez and Sunico, both from the youth team, might be called up as the matchday squad's third choice, with Sergio Mestre serving as a backup.
No Barcelona players or any other Real Madrid players were slapped with bans following the two flash moments in the closing stages of the game. When Vinicius Jr. and Lamie Yamal argued, even players who were not on the team were spotted shoving on the side of the field. The RFEF, however, determined that nothing that came to pass would justify further prohibitions.
ARSENAL STAR DROPS CONFIDENT TITLE HINT AFTER STRONG OPENING
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is targeting a historic Premier League and World Cup double with England this season. The winger believes it's a "doable" feat as the Gunners lead the title race.
Bukayo Saka - (Image: David Price/Arsenal FC)
According to Bukayo Saka, it is feasible for Arsenal and England to win both games this season. The season has started well for the Gunners under Mikel Arteta's leadership.
Arsenal leads the Premier League standings by four points at the moment and is starting to look like a title contender. Manchester City is only one point ahead of defending champions Liverpool, who are seven points behind.
Saka, however, is not only interested in winning at his club; he also hopes to succeed internationally. Manager Thomas Tuchel has stated that winning the trophy is his ambition for England, who have qualified for the World Cup in the USA next year.
Saka is optimistic about his club's and his nation's chances of winning. "Yeah, that is my prayer," he remarked in an interview with Sky Sports. It is possible, of course.