[ad_pod ]

Arsenal have not enjoyed the best of seasons on the road.

As has been copiously covered, the Gunners have been beaten eight times away from home this season, while also drawing four times. They have won just six games.

This is a familiar problem for Emery, though, and a trawl back through his managerial career suggests that he has no idea whatsoever how to fix it.

In 2015-16, Emery was managing Sevilla. He took the club to Europa League glory and a seemingly respectable seventh-placed finish in La Liga.

However, he failed to win away from home at all in the Spanish top-flight.

It is a statistical quirk, some might say, but the difference between the club’s record at home and on the road is stark. That season, they played 19 games at home and won 14. They drew once and were beaten four times, by Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad and Granada. They beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan and Barcelona 2-1. The draw came against Deportivo La Coruna. They scored 38 goals and conceded just 21.

Sevilla away 2015-16

Wins: 0

Draws: 9

Losses: 10

Goals scored: 13

Goals conceded: 29

This speaks to a well-organised, well-drilled team who thrives on the big occasion; it is incredibly rare that both Real and Barca fall to the same team outside of the top three.

But away from home, Sevilla were nothing short of dreadful.

They recorded nine draws and were beaten 10 times. Real, the team they scalped at home, thumped them 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Barcelona won 2-1 at Camp Nou. Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Levante were all relegated that season and all three drew with Emery’s men at home. Sporting Gijon, who stayed up by one point, won 2-1 at home in the run-in.

Indeed, in all competitions, Sevilla won on the road three times. They beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 away in the Europa League quarter-finals. Ironically, they then lost at home, by a 2-1 scoreline, but progressed on penalties. Their other two wins came in the Copa Del Rey against lower-league opposition, 3-0 successes over Mirandes in the Round of 32 and Logrones in the quarter-finals.

Arsenal, of course, have not quite been this bad this season but they have been far from impressive. They have won six times on the road but half of those victories have come against the bottom three; a 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town on April 9th was followed by a 5-1 success over Fulham in October and a 3-2 victory over Cardiff City in September. The other wins came against Newcastle United in September, AFC Bournemouth in November and Watford in April.

It has been a major problem and it has placed Arsenal’s participation in next season’s Champions League in serious peril. The club are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind Chelsea and four off Tottenham Hotspur in third.

They could, of course, win the Europa League and sneak in that way but to do that they will have to beat Valencia over two legs and then beat either Eintracht Frankfurt or old rivals Chelsea in the final.

Emery, as 2015-16 shows us, does have experience of lifting that trophy. When it comes to fixing his side’s away form, however, it does not appear as though he has the answer.

اتخذ رئيس نادي برشلونة السابق، جوسيب ماريا بارتوميو، قرارًا بعد ساعات من تقديم استقالته الرسمية من منصبه بحذف حسابه من على شبكة التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”.

وتلقى بارتوميو في الفترة الماضية سيًلا من الانتقادات والإهانات من قبل البعض، بسبب غضبهم الكبير من طريقة إدارته لنادي برشلونة والذي أصبح يعاني الكثير من الأزمات المالية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تيباس يواصل انتقاد بارتوميو: تصريحاته عن الدوري الأوروبي الممتاز من إخراج بيريز!

كان من بين أول القرارات الشخصية التي اتخذها بارتوميو هي إغلاق حسابه على “تويتر” وهو ما ظهر ليلة الأمس، الأربعاء، أنه لم يعد على المنصة الاجتماعية.

واعترف بارتوميو بتعرضه لبعض الإساءات عبر وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي في الفترة الأخيرة، ويبدو وأنه قد فضل الابتعاد بالوقت الحالي عن الإعلام بعد رحيله عن برشلونة.

ولم يكن رئيس برشلونة السابق يستخدم “تويتر” بشكل مستمر، لكنه كان يظهر ويعبر عن رأيه في المناسبات المهمة الخاصة بالنادي الكتالوني.

Liverpool fans must be in dreamland right now as their side breezed past FC Porto in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie last night. 

It’s safe to say that Liverpool are now one of Europe’s elite as Jurgen Klopp continues to bring fans’ wildest dreams to life, with the Premier League title and silverware in the Champions League well within their reach.

The Reds’ midfield has been the driving force at times but you can’t help but feel as if there’s a creative spark missing. Of course, Philippe Coutinho’s exit last January certainly didn’t help and the Merseyside club are still yet to really find their next Steven Gerrard, despite Jordan Henderson’s rise in form.

However, FSG could bag themselves the next Gerrard if they’re willing to spend in the summer.

One player who may be able to fill the void at Anfield is Cagliari’s Nicolo Barella, who is valued at £27 million (by Transfermarkt).

Liverpool were reportedly (as per Football Italia, via The Mirror) interested in the midfielder ahead of the most recent January transfer window but he ended up staying in his home country.

Interestingly, the 22-year-old was once dubbed as the ‘next Steven Gerrard’ by Gazzetta dello Sport (via Anfield Edition), so there’s already an incentive to go out and bring him to England.

It’s safe to say that his playing style is very similar to the Liverpool legend’s as he loves to get on the ball and make things happen, with his passing ability often unlocking the oppositions defence. He may not be as prolific as Gerrard when it comes to finding the back of the net but he’s already shown he can produce in the final third.

Henderson lacks creativity at times as he’s gotten so used to playing in a defensive role that he looks a bit rusty in the final third, so bringing Barella to Anfield must be a no-brainer as he could be the missing spark in the Reds’ midfield.

He’s only 22 years of age with his best years ahead of him and he’s already managed to earn five caps with the Italian national side, so he could be the real deal.

Liverpool fans, do you think Barella could follow in Steven Gerrard’s footsteps? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield United haven’t been halted in their tracks too many times this season but on Wednesday night Birmingham found a way to nullify them almost in perfect fashion.

Had it not been for Dean Henderson then the Blues may have claimed victory, rather than settling for a 1-1 draw.

But their approach to the game meant that United struggled, particularly in midfield. Oliver Norwood still showed positive signs but his midfield partner in John Fleck was almost a passenger as Birmingham overran them in that area of the pitch.

Their willingness to sit deep meant that the vast majority of passing lanes and routes to goal was blocked off. As such, the Blades’ three top assisters in the middle of the park; Norwood, Mark Duffy and Fleck were stifled.

The latter in particular found himself coming deep to get the ball and therefore couldn’t get into the pockets of space Chris Wilder would have liked him too.

John Fleck (Birmingham vs Sheffield United)

59 touches

81% pass accuracy

0 key passes

1 dribble

1 dispossession

(Stats courtesy of WhoScored)

Evidence of how Birmingham prevented him from getting into the game can be seen with the stats he finished the match with.

The number of touches Fleck had was the fourth-worst amount of any United outfield player, emphasising just how little impact he had. The same goes for his pass success percentage. He wasn’t terrible by any means, but it will have been concerning how easily he was stopped.

A lack of key passes and dribbles for the player shows how compact the Birmingham system was too, as the 27-year-old failed to provide his side with the impetus they needed. In a game where the Blades could have regained their advantage in the race for automatic promotion, it was not timely.

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

Uncharacteristically he also lost the ball once. If any further evidence was needed of his below average display, that was it.

Fleck is still vital to this Sheffield United side but with every game between now and the end of the season proving vital, Wilder will have to ensure one of his key men isn’t marked out of the game again as he was this week.

It is pretty difficult to predict the type of performance Everton are going to produce on matchday, isn’t it? The Toffees have been incredibly inconsistent over the campaign, however, Marco Silva’s side may have started to find the winning formula in recent games.

Everton will still have to address certain areas in their squad in the summer, with a need for attacking reinforcements appearing to be a priority and it would seem they could look to solve it with one possible addition.

What’s the News?

According to a report by TeamTALK, Everton are interested in Italy international Vincenzo Grifo.

The winger has been impressive during his loan spell at Freiburg, however, it is understood Hoffenheim are prepared to sell him in the summer.

Everton are not the only Premier League side said to be interested in him, with Watford, Southampton and Bournemouth also keen on the 25-year-old.

The Verdict:

Everton have certainly lacked goals and creativity at times, however, Grifo could be the man to rectify those issues next season if he were to join the Goodison Park outfit.

The Italy international operates down the left-hand flank and has excellent vision in terms of making a killer-pass to a team-mate, whilst he also has an eye for goal.

The 25-year-old has managed to score three goals and provide four assists during his loan spell at Freiburg, which makes him an attractive option for Silva’s side.

However, there could be an argument that Everton have bigger issues to try and deal with in the summer and should look to resolve them before looking at their options on the left wing.

Bernard has started to find a bit of form recently after a difficult Premier League campaign and looks rather lively, as his performance against West Ham United showed at the weekend.

Grifo looks to be a good player for Everton to target, however, it might be best to look at other positions before going in for him first.

Everton fans, do you think the club should look to sign Grifo? Or do you think Bernard is the main man when it comes to the left wing? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.

[ad_pod ]Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa appeared before the press ahead of Saturday’s vital game against Birmingham City and there were lots of questions to be answered after Leeds moved back into second place at the weekend. Here are the two main takeaways from this afternoon’s press conference.

Kemar Roofe and Ezgjan Alioski are fit

“Roofe is healthy. He couldn’t play with the Under-23s because there was no game but he will be with the squad.Same as (Gjanni) Alioski and Douglas has the injury. We say sorry for this. It is a shame.”

The return of Leeds’ top scorer is a massive boost as the Whites head into the final stretch of the season. With Patrick Bamford missing a penalty and putting in a poor performance against Millwall, Roofe could be straight back into the starting 11 for the Birmingham game. Roofe has netted 14 times in the Championship this season and his return may be exactly what Leeds need. Ezgjan Alioski went off with a knock against Millwall but will be ready to play this weekend.

Bielsa respects Birmingham

Exactly what Leeds fans wanted to hear from Bielsa. Birmingham may be just five points above the relegation zone but underestimating them is dangerous. The Blues looked very sharp against West Brom last week and Bielsa certainly understands the task that his team have in front of them with Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz forming one of the deadliest partnerships in the division.

حقق تشيلسي فوزًا مهما بثلاثية نظيفة على بيرنلي، ضمن الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، على أرضية ملعب تيرف مور.

تشيلسي تقدم في النتيجة بهدف حكيم زياش من تسديدة رائعة في الدقيقة 26، وانتهى الشوط الأول بتقدم البلوز.

في الشوط الثاني، سجل كورت زوما الثاني من رأسية رائعة في الدقيقة 63، وبعد 7 دقائق فقط، قتل تيمو فيرنر المباراة من تمريرة حكيم زياش.

بهذه النتيجة يصبح رصيد تشيلسي 12 نقطة في المركز الرابع، بينما بيرنلي يواصل المعاناة ويحتل المركز الأخير برصيد نقطة واحدة. أهداف مباراة تشيلسي وبيرنلي 

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter and reacted angrily to Raheem Sterling’s comments, after the Manchester City forward joked that no-one wants to see the Reds win the Premier League title.

Speaking at the BT Sport Industry Awards, where he picked up the Integrity and Impact Award for his efforts in fighting racism in football, the former Liverpool forward spoke about the Manchester derby and the implications losing that game would have had.

Chelsea fans were giving it large at Anfield on Sunday. Watch their afternoon get slowly ruined in the video below…

Sterling said: “Any little slip and you’ve got the Liverpool guys who could go on top of you. You don’t want that, I don’t want that, I don’t think anybody wants that.”

Having come through the Merseysiders’ academy, Sterling left Liverpool for Manchester City in a £49m deal in 2016, and the Reds supporters haven’t taken kindly to his comments towards the club that made him.

There still seems to be some bad blood between the player and the club’s fanbase after the manner in which he forced a move away, having rejected a £100,000-a-week deal before his agent said that his client wouldn’t sign a contract worth £900,ooo-a-week.

Let’s see what a number of angry Liverpool supporters on Twitter have been saying about the 24-year-old’s comments…

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Celtic fans have been reacting to Scott Sinclair’s contract extension, news which could impact the Hoops’ summer transfer plans.

After BBC reported on Thursday morning that Celtic have triggered a one-year extension in Sinclair’s contract, Neil Lennon confirmed it at his pre-Aberdeen press conference.

“Scotty will be here for another year. He has returned a lot of goals for us this season yet again and it’s a big boost for the squad,” the interim boss said.

Sinclair, who has had by far his least productive season at Parkhead this term with just nine Premiership goals, was set to become a free agent this summer.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The 30 year-old has tremendous overall numbers for Celtic though, racking up 60 goals and 34 assists in 156 total appearances.

Fans seem to be split on his impact despite his incredible output however, perhaps due to fears that they will not upgrade the position now.

The Hoops are crying out for a little bit more quality up front to aid them in European competition, and some fans think keeping the same old players will not suffice.

Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]

QPR’s future has plunged deeper into uncertainty in recent weeks, with Steve McClaren’s ironic sacking on April Fools Day followed by a 4-0 thumping by Norwich at Carrow Road on Saturday. The R’s have been in free-fall for much of 2019 and are now in a relegation battle that they really shouldn’t be in, given the talent they’ve got on paper.

On-pitch struggles aside, the Hoops may soon have to give up W12 if they cannot move into the Linford Christie Stadium, with Loftus Road – one of the Championship’s smallest grounds – surely deemed no longer fit for purpose, while their search for a new manager continues.

To make matters worse, there are a number of players who could leave on a free in the summer if they cannot agree new deals, including Angel Rangel, who had this to say on his future at the club:

“It’s about trying to get to that level that I probably got before the injury where I thought I was performing well, and if I can do that until the end of the season, hopefully we can have (contract) talks.

“I’m happy staying here for next season but it’s out of my hands – all I can do is do my best every day in training and in the games and we’ll go from there.”

The QPR keeper was giving it large to Bolton fans at the weekend. Find out who had the last laugh in the video below…

The Spaniard was given a chance to keep plying his trade in the Championship by McClaren in the summer and impressed enough for his deal to be extended to the summer, although once the season is up he could be in limbo again.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for the former Swansea man, whose time at QPR has been shortened by injury, although he remains hopeful that he will be able to impress whoever McClaren’s successor is and earn a new deal at the club.

What do you think, QPR fans? Would you like to see the 36-year-old sign a new contract in the summer? Let us know in the comments below…