MANAGER DAVID MOYES "WORRIED" AS SCAN RESULTS PENDING FOR TEARFUL, STRETCHERED STAR
Jarrad Branthwaite out? Everton suffers heartbreak against Liverpool. See the injury update and Moyes' verdict here.
Everton got hit hard during their wild Merseyside derby loss to Liverpool, and not just on the scoreboard. Jarrad Branthwaite, their standout defender, left the pitch in tears on a stretcher after what looked like another hamstring injury. It happened late in the game, and you could see manager David Moyes was shaken; he's now got real worries about Branthwaite’s future for the team.
That defeat didn’t just sting because of the scoreline. Everton slipped to 10th in the table, stuck on 47 points, and their recent push up the standings just stalled. But what really left fans gutted was seeing Branthwaite drop in the 87th minute, clutching the back of his right leg. Michael Keane took his spot for those last few minutes, but the stadium felt flat after that.
Moyes didn’t have much good news to offer when reporters pressed him afterwards. “I don’t know yet,” he said when asked how bad the injury was. “But I’m worried it might not be great, but we’ll see.” Branthwaite’s injury came with the game tied at 1-1; Salah bagged Liverpool’s first, Beto got Everton level, and for a while the match looked balanced. But Everton’s hopes vanished deep into stoppage time when Van Dijk headed in the winner for Liverpool.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Branthwaite. He’s only managed six Premier League matches and 681 minutes all season, scoring once and assisting once. He already missed 23 games earlier in the season because of this same hamstring. Former Everton coach Charlie Adam picked up on it right away, telling talkSPORT, “Looks like that right hamstring again. He just had surgery on it and was working his way back, so this is rough for him. He’s a real talent, but this keeps holding him back. Good luck to him. I remember when I was at the club, that hamstring was always an issue. If it’s bad again and needs more time, that’s tough.”
Now, Everton fans and Moyes have to wait for the scan results and figure out how to patch up the defence. There’s still a chance for European football; they’re just a point behind Chelsea, sitting in sixth, with five games left. Moyes will really want his team to bounce back strong when they head to West Ham next weekend.
ARSENAL’S WIN PROBABILITY DROPS TO 73% FOLLOWING STINGING LOSS AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM
Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1! Discover how the Opta Supercomputer views the Premier League title race now.
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Manchester City edged past Arsenal in a crucial Premier League clash on Sunday, keeping their title hopes alive with only a few matches left this season.
City opened the scoring about 15 minutes in, thanks to a fantastic solo effort by Rayan Cherki. Arsenal quickly answered, though, as Kai Havertz capitalised on a mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma to level the score barely two minutes later.
Erling Haaland then delivered what would become the winning goal midway through the second half, as City pressed hard to close the gap in the title race.
Many have viewed this result as a major blow to Arsenal’s quest for the title, suggesting Manchester City now holds all the momentum while Arsenal might be faltering.
Yet, the data tells a slightly different story. According to the Opta supercomputer, Arsenal remain the favourites to take the league crown, even if City's odds have improved.
Before kickoff, Arsenal was the clear frontrunner in the supercomputer’s 10,000 simulations, winning the title in 85.2% of scenarios. City took the remaining 14.8%.
After the game, Arsenal's chances dropped, but they still sit fairly strong at 73%.
Here’s why that number might still seem surprisingly high: Arsenal hold a three-point advantage, and though City has a game in hand, that match and the others after it need to be won, which is far from guaranteed in this league.
Even if City triumphs in those, Arsenal can still match those results. Then, it might all come down to goal difference.
The season is far from decided. There’s enough time and plenty of football ahead for the standings to shift dramatically. Both teams face tricky fixtures, with potential stumbling blocks still on the horizon.
Notably, the Opta Power Rankings suggest Arsenal’s remaining schedule is somewhat less daunting. While the home game against Newcastle could be tricky, their last five opponents currently sit in the bottom half of the table.
City, on the other hand, must face Everton, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa, all competing fiercely for European spots next season.
If both sides win all their remaining matches, Arsenal may have better opportunities to rack up goals and boost their goal difference, which could be decisive in this tight race.
Of course, the league rarely follows a smooth path. Slips in supposedly straightforward games remain a real possibility, promising plenty more twists as the title race unfolds.
MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE HAT-TRICK SPARKS MASSIVE FOREST TURNAROUND IN 4-1 BURNLEY DEMOLITION
Morgan Gibbs-White scores a 15-minute hat-trick to lead Nottingham Forest to a 4-1 win. Should he get an England recall?
Vitor Pereira thinks Morgan Gibbs-White should get another shot with England after the Nottingham Forest No. 10 once again rose to the occasion for his team.
Gibbs-White scored a quickfire hat-trick within 15 minutes, the first of his career, as Forest overturned a deficit to beat Burnley 4-1 at the City Ground. That win put Pereira’s team five points clear of the relegation zone, with five matches remaining.
Gibbs-White missed out on the recent Three Lions squad and faces an uphill battle to make the World Cup team. Still, Pereira is convinced he deserves to be recalled.
“He deserves that. Just my opinion,” Pereira said.
“He has the quality but also the qualities of a leader. When things aren’t going our way on the pitch, plenty of players tend to disappear and avoid taking responsibility. Morgan’s different. He wants the ball, wants the responsibility, wants to score and assist.
When I told him I wanted him playing in the pocket when attacking but defending on the side, it wasn’t an issue for him. He really understands the game. The spirit’s there.
“During the first half, my staff and I noticed he wasn’t at his best; the team wasn’t finding him in the right areas. I told the players to show our quality and spirit. Morgan has loads of talent, character, and team spirit, and he leads on that front.
“I don’t rely on just one leader. Through their example, the squad shows we’re together, fighting till the end.
“He’s fantastic for us, not just technically or tactically, but in terms of character as well.”
Trentside witnessed Forest trailing at the break after a poor opening half. But the Reds came out with more bite after the interval, with Igor Jesus sealing the emphatic score late on following Gibbs-White’s treble.
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