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Premier League hits and misses: Jury still out on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal revolution

January 14, 2021 by admin

Jury’s still out on Arteta’s Arsenal revolution








2:27

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Arsenal’s draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League

Arsenal headed into Thursday evening’s London derby with Crystal Palace on the back of an impressive recent run of three successive Premier League wins. They had come at exactly the right time for under-pressure boss Mikel Arteta, with questions beginning to be asked about the Spaniard’s tenure at the Emirates.

In fact, the home team were looking to make it four league wins in a row for the first time since October 2018 and help reaffirm belief in their manager and his rebuilding job in the capital, while victory would have also kept their slim top-four hopes alive.

However, on a frustrating night in north London, the hosts turned in a flat, lacklustre display to remind their supporters and the general public just what a big rebuilding job Arteta has on his hands.

And another blank up front means Arsenal have now failed to score in seven league matches this season, as many as in the entirety of last campaign. They last failed to register in more games in a season in 2015/16 as focus falls on their misfiring forward line.
Richard Morgan

Crystal Palace’s defensive rebuild continues



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2:49

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson praised his side’s defensively disciplined performance and was delighted to have taken a draw and clean sheet in their 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League

After losing 7-0 at home to Liverpool just before Christmas, things looked bleak for Crystal Palace. This was followed up with a 3-0 defeat on Boxing Day to leave their defensive stats in tatters and some worryingly looking over their shoulder at the relegation battle.

But since then, Palace have been rebuilding their defensive solidity. It was clear against Arsenal on Thursday – their second successive Premier League clean sheet – that Roy Hodgson’s side are back on the right track.

Indeed, the manager told Sky Sports: “It’s very good [to keep clean sheets]. I think we’re getting back to where we want to be and it’s nice to go into the next stage of the season with at least 23 points.

“It’s nice to know there’s a healthy gap between us and the teams really fighting at the bottom. If we keep playing the way we played today, I think there are points in the bag for us going forward.”

Admittedly, Arsenal were not at their attacking best. They were flat going forward and sorely missed the influence of Kieran Tierney. With much made about the emergence of Emile Smith Rowe, James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic were impressive in squeezing him out of the game in midfield – McArthur in particular made four tackles and gained possession 13 times. Their experience shone through and was vital in keeping Arsenal out.

When the Gunners did have sights of goal, the impressive James Tomkins seemed to be there to block, head away and intercept each effort. He made six clearances and registered one block – both the highest in the Crystal Palace team. He had the clearest chance of goal when he nodded against the crossbar in the first half. His return to action after ten months away has certainly been welcome.

Next up is an even bigger test – an away trip to Man City. Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last two trips to the Etihad and as Hodgson concluded: “It will give us some confidence going to Man City that if we can keep Arsenal at bay, we might be able to keep them at bay as well.”
Charlotte Marsh

Time for Foden to get a real run



MANCHESTER CITY 1-0 BRIGHTON




3:03

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester City’s win over Brighton in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola has long spoken about Phil Foden in glowing terms. In the build-up to Wednesday’s win over Brighton, he hailed the 20-year-old’s “high standards”, and after his match-winning goal, he again was full of praise for City’s brightest prospect.

“He deserves to play,” he said. “I try to judge the team in the recent past, in the day-by-day, and I have a feeling he lives his life 24 hours to play football.”

That will offer encouragement to Foden, who can have some questions why he has only started seven of Manchester City’s 16 Premier League games this season – after all, he is now their top scorer in all competitions and has rarely let his side down when he has played.

Age is still very much on Foden’s side, and few 20-year-olds would be first choice at clubs chasing major silverware, but having produced another man-of-the-match performance against Brighton, he should get a chance to continue showing what he can do in the second half of the season.

Only Guardiola and his staff really know what Foden is like on the training pitch – but saying his “standards are higher” in recent weeks seems harsh going by his first-team performances. Whatever the reason, let’s hope Foden has found the key to staying in his manager’s good books. Gareth Southgate, a keen observer at the Etihad on Wednesday, certainly will.
Ron Walker

Is Areola the signing of the season?



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3:06

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Tottenham’s draw with Fulham in the Premier League.

Scott Parker is a manager who does not mind making swift decisions. After the first few games of the season, Fulham looked nailed on for relegation. However, instead of sticking to a losing formula, Parker acted by bringing in some shrewd buys on Deadline Day. The pick of them has to be Alphonse Areola.

Marek Rodak is a very talented goalkeeper and did a fine job for Parker in helping to get the club promoted, but Frenchman Areola is a huge step up. The 27-year-old is showing why he was deemed good enough for Real Madrid. He’s a goalkeeper who oozes class – as shown by another standout performance in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

The on-loan PSG stopper has a habit of making crucial saves at crucial times while showing impeccable concentration levels. He made five saves with the pick of them coming from Heung-Min Son, who looked amazed the Fulham man managed to claw away his precise header in the first half.

Even Jose Mourinho singled Areola out for his individual performance. Fulham have a real gem.
Lewis Jones

All eyes on Anfield for United’s greatest test



BURNLEY 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED




3:07

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester United’s win over Burnley in the Premier League.

January 19, 2020 was the day Liverpool fans had seen enough, after 30 long years of heartache and false dawns, their title aspirations had turned into reality, and boy did Anfield make it known.

A 2-0 victory over Manchester United that day moved Jurgen Klopp’s side 16 points clear at the top and a staggering 30 points clear of their age-old rivals, prompting cries of, ‘we’re going to win the league’ from the exuberant Anfield faithful.

One year on and we’re presented with a very different picture as English football’s two biggest clubs prepare to renew their rivalry.

Since that fateful day at Anfield, United have not lost a Premier League game away from home, and their last triumph on the road at Burnley sees them return to the home of the champions top of the Premier League and with a three-goal cushion.


Sunday 17th January 4:00pm


Kick off 4:30pm

Sky Sports Premier LeagueSky Sports Premier League

In less than 12 months Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has transformed Manchester United’s fortunes and the prospect of potentially opening up a six-point gap between themselves and Liverpool shows just how far they have come.

But as Liverpool will attest, it is at this stage of the season – and what comes next – where champions are really made, a sentiment echoed by Solskjaer who rightly pointed out no one remembers who topped the league of any season in mid-January.

Manchester United are undoubtedly back in the title race but that is not an achievement in itself for a club of such stature. The hard work has only just begun, and all eyes will be on Anfield to see if they can make their biggest statement yet.
Jack Wilkinson

Indispensable Keane?



WOLVES 1-2 EVERTON




3:01

FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Everton’s win over Wolves in the Premier League.

The Everton defender is approaching the peak of his career and he’s playing like a man on top of his game. Having turned 28 on Monday, Keane now looks the finished article. All the talk pre-match against Wolves was how much the Toffees would miss the influence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin but this performance suggested that Keane is Everton’s most important player right now.

Since switching to a back four in the draw in Burnley, Everton have conceded just three goals in six games. And the only defeat in that run came at home to West Ham when Keane was missing. His influence was clear to see at Molineux.

No player made more clearances than him (8) and of course he popped up with the winning goal, his fourth goal of the campaign.

Michael Keane celebrates putting Everton 2-1 up
Image:
Michael Keane celebrates putting Everton 2-1 up

Remember the days under Marco Silva when Everton shipped goals at an alarming rate? Well, those days are gone. They have the best record at defending set pieces in the division, conceding just once all season.

With Keane at the heart, Everton do not roll over easily anymore. Who knows where it could take them?
Lewis Jones

Little hope of change for Newcastle fans



Federico Fernandez's handball gave Sheffield United a penalty which earned them a 1-0 win over Newcastle




0:58

Take a look at the penalty that was given to Sheffield United after Newcastle’s Federico Fernandez was adjudged to have handled in the box.

Steve Bruce deflected questions over his Newcastle future after their eighth game without a victory at previously winless Sheffield United, saying he was “the wrong man to ask” about whether he would be given the chance to continue at St James’ Park.

He’s right, but that should offer no comfort for watching Newcastle fans still pining for the Rafa Benitez era, or at least some hope of progression on the horizon.

The pressure from the Newcastle fanbase – as well as can be judged amid the still-empty seats on Tyneside every home game since March – has ramped up with the Toon exiting both cup competitions in the space of a week, and now falling to arguably their lowest result, and performance, of the season.

But what does that matter in the Mike Ashley era? The only metric which counts is Premier League survival. Newcastle are, for now at least, eight points clear of the drop, and as long as their status in the top flight is not seriously called into question, or perhaps even if it is, history strongly suggests the manager is going nowhere.
Ron Walker

The tiniest shred of hope for Sheffield United

Billy Sharp celebrates his goal with Rhian Brewster and Oliver Norwood
Image:
Billy Sharp celebrates his goal with Rhian Brewster and Oliver Norwood

Finally, the first win has arrived for Sheffield United and Chris Wilder. It has, as the manager said, been a “long time coming” – but perhaps it is more than just three points in the grand scheme of things.

Wilder’s Blades have certainly not played like a side enduring the worst start in Premier League history, picking up only two points from their previous 17 games of this season.

That can give them a crumb of optimism, no more than that given their wretched position, that the unthinkable may just be possible.

They once said the same about being bottom at Christmas. Ask Bryan Robson’s West Bromwich Albion what they thought about that.

“The season isn’t done in January,” Wilder told his press conference typically bullishly after this well-deserved win. Had the Blades lost against another side they will hope to pull into the mix, perhaps it would have been. But now finally up and running on the back of two wins in four days in all competitions, never say never.
Ron Walker

When is Conor McGregor’s next fight in 2021? UFC 257 date, start time, card, PPV price, odds vs. Dustin Poirier

January 14, 2021 by admin

The highly anticipated return of Conor McGregor is set to take place on January 23 when the former two-division champion meets an old rival in Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

A lot has changed since McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round over six years ago at UFC 178. McGregor became the biggest star in the UFC while becoming the first fighter to hold world titles in two divisions simultaneously. Meanwhile, Poirier built himself back up with marquee wins over Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Dan Hooker and Justin Gaethje while also claiming the interim UFC lightweight title.

There is a lot at stake when these two meet again as Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired and vacated the UFC lightweight title. The winner will certainly be near the front of the line for the title while the loser falls to the back. 

Will things be different this time around?

Below is a full rundown of the schedule for UFC 257, with details on the fight matchups, start times, odds and more for Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier.

MORE: Save over 30% when you buy UFC 257 and an ESPN+ Annual Plan for only $89.98

When is Conor McGregor’s next fight in 2021?

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 23
  • Early prelims: 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
  • PPV main card: 10 p.m. ET

The early prelims for UFC 257 will begin on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET, the prelims will start on ESPN+ and ESPN2 at 8 p.m., and the pay-per-view main card on ESPN+ rounds out the night from 10 p.m. through at least midnight.

How to watch UFC 257: McGregor vs. Poirier

The main card for UFC 257 is available in the U.S. on the ESPN+ subscription service for a pay-per-view cost. That portion of the event begins at about 10 p.m.

Earlier fights, however, are viewable live on ESPN2, the WatchESPN app, and for the early prelims, on UFC Fight Pass.

In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.

McGregor vs. Poirier price: How much does UFC 257 cost?

In the U.S., the UFC 257 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 257 is $69.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $89.98 for the UFC 257 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers a savings of over 30 percent.

Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.

Where is UFC 257?

UFC 257 will take place at Fight Island at the Flash Forum on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi without fans in attendance due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This will be Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s first visit to Fight Island. 

McGregor vs. Poirier odds for UFC 257

McGregor opened up as a significant favorite at -275 with Poirier sitting at +235. But as the fight draws closer, Poirier has closed the gap and as of January 8, sits as a +155 underdog to McGregor’s remaining the favorite at -180. As the odds currently stand, one would need to bet $180 on McGregor to gain a $100 profit. A $100 wager on Poirier would yield a $155 return.

Conor McGregor record

  • Name: Conor McGregor
  • Nationality: Irish
  • Born: July 14, 1988
  • Height: 5-9
  • Reach: 74 inches
  • Total fights: 26
  • Record: 22-4

Dustin Poirier record

  • Name: Dustin Poirier
  • Nationality: American
  • Born: Jan. 19, 1989
  • Height: 5-9
  • Reach: 72 inches
  • Total fights: 33
  • Record: 26-6 (1 No Contest)

UFC 257 fight card

Main card

  • Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier; Lightweight
  • Dan Hooker vs. Michael Chandler; Lightweight 
  • Jessica Eye vs. Joanne Calderwood; Women’s Flyweight 
  • Matt Frevola vs. Ottman Azaitar; Lightweight 
  • Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Ribas; Women’s Strawweight 

Prelims

  • Arman Tsarukyan vs. Nasrat Haqparast; Lightweight
  • Brad Tavares vs. Antonio Carlos Junior; Middleweight 
  • Julianna Pena vs. Sara McMann; Women’s Bantamweight
  • Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Marcin Prachnio; Light Heavyweight   
  • Andrew Sanchez vs. Andre Muniz; Middleweight 
  • Nik Lentz vs. Movsar Evloev; Catchweight
  • Amir Albazi vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov; Flyweight

Sergey Kovalev fails drug test for synthetic testosterone

January 14, 2021 by admin

Sergey Kovalev’s proclivity for self-destruction truly knows no bounds. Dan Rafael reports that “The Krusher” has tested positive for synthetic testosterone ahead of his January 30th DAZN main event against Bektemir Melikuziev.

DAZN has yet to comment on the fight’s status; Melikuziev (6-0, 5 KO), for his part, still wants a piece of the former champ.

Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KO), once the king of the light heavyweight division and one of the most feared men in the entire sport, has spent the last couple years in a truly awe-inspiring downward spiral. Since falling to Andre Ward by controversial decision in their first meeting and brutal TKO in their second, he’s suffered one self-inflicted wound after another, from pleading guilty to punching a woman who rebuffed his advances and kicking her dog to getting arrested for DUI to getting kicked off a plane for sexual harassment, to getting in hot water with DAZN for hosting an illegal Canelo-Smith stream.

It’s hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, is what I’m saying.

We’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.

Pound-for-pound the top 10 fighters in Japan today – Boxing News

January 14, 2021 by admin

Some startling is emerging from Japan. Our listing of the current top 10 Japanese fighters

  1. NAOYA INOUE
    One of the very best fighters in the sport – at any weight – “Monster” Inoue is excelling at bantamweight, having previously worn world titles at light-flyweight and super-flyweight. He is currently a unified 118lb king.
  2. KAZUTO IOKA
    A reigning four-weight world champion, WBO super-flyweight king Ioka is knocking on the door of the pound-for-pound top 10 following his spectacular stoppage victory over fellow Japanese star Kosei Tanaka last month.
  3. KOSEI TANAKA
    Prior to having his perfect record ruined by Kazuto Ioka, Tanaka had collected WBO belts at strawweight, light-flyweight and flyweight. Despite losing to Ioka, Tanaka played his part in a cracking Japanese derby.
  4. HIROTO KYOGUCHI
    Like Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka before him, Kyoguchi is sticking to the well-trodden path of rising through the lower weight classes, step by step. So far he has claimed world honours at strawweight and light-flyweight.
  5. KEN SHIRO
    Battling it out with Hiroto Kyoguchi at the summit of the light-flyweight category is Shiro. “The Amazing Boy” has made seven successful defences of his WBC crown since winning it close to four years ago.
  6. RYOTA MURATA
    Since boxing his way to an Olympic gold medal in 2012, Murata has gone on to cement himself as one of the professional game’s premier middleweights. He was recently elevated to full champion status by the WBA.
  7. RYOSUKE IWASA
    Seasoned southpaw Iwasa is a former IBF super-bantamweight belt-holder who has remained in contention at the elite end of the 122lb division since dropping his world title two-and-a-half years ago.
  8. TOMOKI KAMEDA
    Emanating from a renowned fighting family, the experienced Kameda is an ex-WBO bantamweight ruler who challenged for the WBC super-bantam strap last time out.
  9. JUNTO NAKATANI
    An exciting young southpaw who seemingly has a big future ahead of him, Nakatani stormed his way to the WBO flyweight championship by knocking out Giemel Magramo at the end of last year.
  10. MASAYOSHI NAKATANI
    No relation to the man above him on this list, Nakatani emerged victorious against Felix Verdejo via stoppage in one of the most action-packed fights of 2020. He also gave Teofimo Lopez some problems in their bout.

Read our report on the Ioka vs Tanaka showdown here

[VIDEO] ELVIS RODRIGUEZ GETS REAL ON TEOFIMO LOPEZ, RYAN GARCIA, GERVONTA DAVIS & HANEY; WARNS “I’M WAITING” || FIGHTHYPE.COM

January 14, 2021 by admin

FightHype.com recently caught up with fast-rising jr. welterweight Elvis Rodriguez, who talked about several topics as boxing gets back to some sense of normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic. You don’t want to miss what went down. Check it out!

[ Follow Villainfy on Twitter @villainfy ]

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