Month: January 2023

Marcus Rashford’s scintillating form comes from “just confidence” and not the influence of Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, who joked: “I’m not Harry Potter”.

The England international scored his 18th goal of the season amid a routine 3-0 EFL Cup semi-final first-leg victory at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Only Erling Haaland (31) has netted more than Rashford among Premier League players in all competitions this term, though Ten Hag says he has had little influence on the United forward’s development.

“I’m not Harry Potter,” the Dutchman said ahead of Saturday’s fourth-round FA Cup clash at home to Reading.

“It’s just confidence. Every player has to make and get his own confidence.

“He fought for this, he invested in this. Of course with my coaching staff, we bring in structures, especially in the way of play that gives him routines that he needs to get into the right position.

“But finally, it’s up to him, and when the player has the confidence then I’m convinced, in the way we are working – the way of play is most important but the environment and the culture are also important – then the player can perform at his best.

“It’s obvious that Marcus is in really good form. From day to day, from training to training, from game to game, the routines are coming in.”

Rashford has found the net 10 times after the World Cup, in which England fell to quarter-final elimination against France in Qatar.

Harry Maguire was another to impress in the Middle East for Gareth Southgate’s side, but opportunities remain limited on club duty at Old Trafford.

A potential move to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa was reported for Maguire, who Ten Hag urged to fight for a starting role at United amid competition from Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof. Luke Shaw has also been used at centre-back.

“No, he’s not fifth choice,” he said about Maguire. “But it’s up to him.

“I have to say he’s training very well, bringing quality, and that is what I expect from all the players in the squad.

“He has to fight for his position and things can change, sometimes really quickly. He is making progress.”

An FA Cup clash against Championship side Reading may present Maguire with an opportunity to feature from the start, though Ten Hag refuted claims he does not trust the centre-back in big matches.

He said: “That’s not true. After the World Cup he should have played but then he got ill. I can’t do anything about that and he knows that. Then the team comes in a run [of form] and he has to wait for his chance.”

Pedro Porro is set to become Tottenham’s latest addition of the January transfer window.

Porro, 23, has been a key player for Sporting across the past three seasons, winning the Primeira Liga title in 2020-21.

The Spanish international had previously left his homeland in 2019 to join Manchester City, but never made a senior appearance, before settling in Portugal.

An attack-minded right wing-back, Porro has scored three times and recorded 11 assists in all competitions this term.

Ahead of Spurs’ FA Cup clash at Preston, we take a deep dive into what the defender has to offer.

Humble beginnings

City are set to reap financial benefit from Porro’s move to North London after they reportedly inserted a 30% sell-on clause as part of the permanent deal that took the full-back to Lisbon.

Pep Guardiola must have seen potential in the youngster when he paid a reported £11million to bring the teenager to Manchester from Girona, but could not provide him game time with Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker at the club.

Porro was loaned out to Real Valladolid for the 2019-20 season, where he made 15 appearances in all competitions.

The burgeoning talent came of age when he moved to Sporting on loan the following campaign, playing 30 times in Ruben Amorim’s title-winning side.

He was named in the division’s Team of the Year — alongside then team-mate Joao Palhinha, now of Fulham — and caught the eye of many admirers.

Having since made 12 Champions League appearances, including two outings against Group D opponents Tottenham this term, Antonio Conte has seen enough to bring Porro back to English shores.

A top Sport

Porro averaged 3.22 tackles and 3.45 take-ons attempted per 90 minutes in Europe’s top competition this season.

In addition, the diminutive speedster recorded 0.92 shots and 0.92 chances created per 90.

His presence will create a new threat for Premier League opposition to think about, with Porro sure to bomb forward at any opportunity.

Spurs are recruiting a talent who could become a key component of a new-look defence alongside the likes of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie, who is set to return from his loan spell at Udinese in the summer.

Life at the Lane

Porro would provide an instant upgrade on Spurs’ current options at right-back — none of Emerson Royal, Matt Doherty or Djed Spence have made any real impact under Conte.

Royal has been the pick of the bunch for the Italian head coach in this season’s Champions League but his numbers do not compare favourably to the Spaniard’s.

Porro outranks the Brazilian when it comes to chances created and take-ons — the former has totalled four and 15 respectively, compared to the latter’s zero and two.

As well as this, the one-cap international averages over five attempted crosses per 90, compared to Royal’s 2.34.

24-year-old Royal has also only completed four of his 37 attempted crosses in the Premier League this season.

This is significant due to the reliance on wing-backs in Conte’s system.

The perfect solution

Sporting picked up four points against Tottenham in the Champions League group stage with Porro completing 90 minutes in both games.

Discussing which players stood out from those contests, ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas said: “If I had to take one it would be Porro, the right wing-back, he’s different class.”

After revealing he never had a conversation with Guardiola at City, do not rule out the defender coming back to haunt his former Catalan boss under Conte.

Mohamed Salah is “suffering” after seeing Liverpool’s “well-drilled machine” frontline disbanded this season, according to Jurgen Klopp.

Sadio Mane left for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich prior to this term, while Roberto Firmino has seen his role diminished after the arrival of Darwin Nunez and more recently Cody Gakpo.

Egypt international Salah remains the constant in Klopp’s front three, though he has struggled in front of goal this campaign – converting just 11.7 per cent of his chances for seven Premier League goals.

That mark may seem poor for the three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner, whose previous lowest conversion rate for Liverpool was 14.4 per cent when he scored 19 in the 2019-20 campaign.

“Of course he is suffering,” said Klopp ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash with in-form Brighton and Hove Albion. “It is specific, offensive play that requires a lot of work and a lot of information.”

Salah, Firmino and Mane fired Liverpool to a Champions League crown and the Premier League title, though that front three are now a distant memory at Anfield.

“It was a well-drilled machine the front three, everything was clear what we were doing,” the German added.

“You create a feeling about a lot of these things, about where your team-mate is and where to pass the ball without looking.”

Gakpo and Nunez are among the new faces tasked with reinventing Liverpool’s attacking fortunes but Klopp acknowledged it will take time for his side to adapt.

“Now we have Cody as a really important asset, like a connector, he can play the wing and the centre as well,” he added.

“When Darwin is playing there he is obviously more high up, going in behind. We never played with a nine before, even when Sadio played in the position he was dropping in moments.

“It is all good if they would all be in and we could build something, but we haven’t been able to do that yet.”

Diogo Jota is nearing a return to bolster a Reds attacking line-up in desperate need of some form, yet Klopp believes Liverpool – who are ninth in the league – have greater concerns than a misfiring attack.

“If you had scored hundreds of goals in the past and now you are not scoring then that is the first thing you would think about but that is not our problem at the moment,” he said.

“But usually you have a real basis to build on and that is what we don’t have. The problem is you need time and nobody wants to invest time.

“I wish everything would be easier again and that already we had qualified for finals at the end of the season. This situation is not perfect but the basis of the last two games is something I like.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta revealed Thomas Partey will undergo an MRI scan after picking up a knock that forced him off at half-time in Friday’s 1-0 FA Cup loss to Manchester City.

The Ghanaian midfielder started the game but did not return after the break, replaced by Albert Sambi Lokonga, before Nathan Ake netted the 64th-minute winner.

Partey has been a near ever-present for Arsenal this term, making 16 Premier League starts but may be set for a stint on the sidelines with an apparent rib issue.

“He felt something and we didn’t want to take any risks, so he could not continue,” Arteta told reporters. “He had some discomfort and it was getting worse and worse.

“Tomorrow or the day after we’ll have to have an MRI scan and see what he has.”

Arteta would not be drawn on whether Partey’s potential injury means they need to invest in midfield reinforcements during the January transfer window.

“At the moment we’ve had the injury of Mo [Elneny] – it’s been impossible to get him fit,” Arteta said.

“Sambi’s come in and I think he’s done well. That’s why we have players. It’s true that Thomas is a big influence, a big personality and an important player in our squad. In the second half, we didn’t have him.”

Arteta would not be drawn on speculation linking the Gunners with a £60million bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Felipe Caicedo either. The Ecuadorian took to social media on Friday to plead with his club to let him go.

“You know that I’m not going to comment on any players until anything is done,” Arteta said.

‘”As I said before, we’ve been pretty active in the market. We have some necessities and if something else is available, the club is willing to try to do it when it’s reasonable.

“Hopefully [that would be] a player that can improve our squad.”

– Derby have won seven of their last eight games at Pride Park 
– West Ham have lost 13 or their last 18 away games in the Premier League 
– Recommended bet: Back Derby draw no bet

The final tie of the FA Cup fourth round takes place on Monday night and League One Derby’s clash with West Ham has all the makings of a classic upset.

Derby are in terrific form under Paul Warne, unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions with seven wins in their last eight games at Pride Park.

The Rams took Liverpool to penalties after a goalless EFL Cup tie at Anfield earlier in the season and they should be confident of rattling a West Ham side who are struggling in the Premier League and have been woeful on the road recently.

Team news

Experienced defender James Chester is Derby’s only injury absentee and the in-form David McGoldrick is expected to lead the line for the hosts.

West Ham are missing injured forwards Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet and Danny Ings, who would have been ineligible for this tie anyway after his move from Aston Villa. 

Manager David Moyes has dismissed speculation that Michail Antonio might leave the club before the end of the transfer window.

The stats

Derby are on a fantastic run of form, unbeaten in 19 league and cup matches — including their shootout defeat at Liverpool in the League Cup.

The Rams have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine home games in all competitions.

Republic of Ireland striker McGoldrick has scored eight goals in his last seven appearances at Pride Park, including hat-tricks against Bristol Rovers and Forest Green.

West Ham have a miserable away record in the FA Cup, winning only five of their last 20 road trips in normal time. 

They did win 1-0 at Brentford in the third round but Said Benrahma’s goal was their only shot on target.

The Hammers have also endured a lean run on their travels in the Premier League, losing 13 of their last 18 games away from the London Stadium, with eight of those defeats by a 1-0 scoreline.

Prediction

There is a significant gulf between the bottom of the Premier League and the top of League One but West Ham’s poor away form and underwhelming FA Cup history suggests they should be opposed on their trip to the rampant Rams.

Moyes’s men claimed a vital 2-0 home win over troubled Everton in their last league outing but they have taken just two points from their previous eight away matches and Derby have turned Pride Park into a fortress this season.

The Hammers are likely to rest the odd first-team regular too, with league fixtures against Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham on the horizon but Moyes will not be taking anything for granted against hosts who are on a real hot streak.

Derby were not at their best in their last League One fixture at Port Vale but still came back to win 2-1 with goals in the 87th and 89th minutes. 

Their defence may well stand firm against a Hammers side whose top league scorer, Jarrod Bowen, has just four goals this season and the Rams are worth chancing on in the draw no bet market.

Back Derby draw no bet, available at 11/5 with LiveScore Bet.

Moises Caicedo has told Brighton and Hove Albion the time has come for him to leave after Arsenal launched a reported £60million bid for the Ecuadorian midfielder.

The 21-year-old said the Seagulls would be preventing him taking a “magnificent opportunity” if they refuse to sell him.

Chelsea have also been interested in Caicedo, while Brighton are reluctant to sell having already lost Leandro Trossard to Premier League leaders Arsenal last week after the Belgium winger fell out with head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

De Zerbi has urged the in-demand Caicedo to remain at the Amex Stadium – for the time being at least – but the player appears to have made his mind up.

Caicedo mentioned club owner Tony Bloom in a statement on Instagram, also saying he hoped supporters of Brighton would understand why he wants to move on.

“I am grateful to Mr Bloom and Brighton for giving me the chance to come to the Premier League and I feel I have always done my best for them. I always play football with a smile and with heart,” Caicedo’s statement read.

“I am the youngest of 10 siblings from a poor upbringing in Santa Domingo in Ecuador. My dream [was] always to be the most decorated player in the history of Ecuador.

“I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton which would allow them to reinvest it and help the club continue to be successful.

“The fans have taken me into their hearts and they will always be in my heart so I hope they can understand why I want to take up this magnificent opportunity.”

De Zerbi, speaking earlier on Friday, said he felt Caicedo was “focused only on Brighton”, expressing the hope he would stay for the rest of the campaign.

Now, though, the situation has changed.

Brighton sit sixth in the Premier League and could qualify for Europe next season, but if they continue to leak talent that will become more difficult.

Before the player’s statement emerged, De Zerbi said of Caicedo’s situation: “I spoke with him on Wednesday and I told him my opinion.

“I think it’s always difficult to change inside the season because you can find more problems. It is important to stay another four months.”

Mikel Arteta saw Arsenal’s FA Cup hopes ended by Manchester City and took issue with the defending that allowed Nathan Ake to score the only goal at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spaniard has been a winner in the competition as a player and as a head coach with the Gunners, but this will not be the London club’s year for Wembley glory.

Their chief focus is on the Premier League, which they lead by five points from City with a game in hand, but these teams must meet twice in that competition before the end of the season.

Arsenal have now lost 13 of their past 14 games against City in all competitions, including six in a row, and Arteta was left to rue one lapse in concentration in Friday’s fourth-round tussle.

He told ITV: “We’re disappointed. I think we could have got much more from the game.

“It was a really tight match, a really competitive game, and an action decided the game and unfortunately we are out.”

Assessing Ake’s 64th-minute winner, Arteta said: “I think we could have defended that much better, in the discipline that we need in the box to stay with their runners.”

Arsenal only had five goal attempts, with just one in the second half as City dominated, but their boss felt they still had opportunities to get at the Premier League champions.

“We had big situations there, and we didn’t put them away and in these games we need to do that,” he said.

“We can take lots of positives. The way we approached the game and the way we competed in the game was really good, because it’s very hard to do it against this incredible team.

“We played face to face against them. [We] know that in big moments, in big matches, you have to make a difference and that’s how you win against these teams.”

Reports have claimed Gabriel Martinelli, used as a substitute in this game, has agreed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Arsenal, but Arteta refused to discuss the Brazil winger’s future.

“I don’t talk about anything about our players till it’s done,” he said.

Xavi has backed Marcos Alonso to play a big part in Barcelona’s quest for more trophies after he signed a new contract on Friday.

Alonso arrived at Camp Nou in September as a free agent after leaving Chelsea, putting pen to paper on a deal until the end of this season.

The left-back has extended his stay with the LaLiga leaders by a further 12 months, with his buyout clause remaining at €50million.

Alonso has made 19 appearances in his first season with the Blaugrana, scoring twice and celebrating a Supercopa de Espana triumph this month following a win over fierce rivals Real Madrid.

Barca head coach Xavi welcomed the 32-year-old’s decision to sign a new deal.

He said: “I am really happy with Marcos. Firstly, as a person and as a professional inside the dressing room, where he has adapted really well.

“But also as a player. He is solid, mature and experienced. He has been a top-level signing and will be really important for us moving forward.”

Teenager Angel Alarcon has also signed a new contract with the Catalan giants, keeping him at the club until 2025 with a mammoth €400m release clause.

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s FA Cup win over Arsenal will be an irrelevance by the time next month’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash between the teams comes around.

The City manager said his team were “so satisfied” to get the better of Gunners in the fourth round of the cup, earning a 1-0 win thanks to Nathan Ake’s second-half strike.

He was taking the win in isolation, rather than as part of any grander scheme, and was thrilled City followed up their 4-0 third-round win over Chelsea by beating another heavyweight opponent to reach the last-16 stage.

City last won the FA Cup in 2018-19 when they thrashed Watford 6-0 in the final, and that is Guardiola’s lone triumph in the competition.

He has landed four Premier League titles since arriving in Manchester in 2016, however, and is hopeful a fifth could arrive this season, but City are chasing Arsenal for now, trailing by five points, having also played a game more than Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

The teams meet at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, February 15, and they also play at the Etihad Stadium in April, with those two games being potentially pivotal in determining where the silverware ends up.

Guardiola said his players were “incredibly happy”, but he added: “It’s not the Premier League, it’s another competition. We are happy to be there after beating Chelsea and Arsenal in the first two rounds.

“It will be a completely different day in Emirates. Mikel doesn’t rotate much in the Premier League.

“The FA Cup is an important competition, and we are so satisfied, but this will be forgotten by them when we are there.”

The point about rotation certainly carries weight, given Arteta named several key players from his Premier League team on the bench for Friday’s cup game, including captain Martin Odegaard, former City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko and Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli.

“The impact from Oleks, Odegaard…. we know it’s going to be different with more pressure,” said Guardiola, looking ahead to the next meeting.

City have won 13 of their last 14 games against Arsenal across all competitions, including each of the last six, so that is a trend they will hope extends for the rest of this campaign.

Guardiola feels he has benefited from seeing Arsenal at close quarters, and he was struck by their man-to-man marking, while he sees great strength in the substitutes his former assistant Arteta introduced in the second half.

“Martinelli is an incredible weapon. Odegaard plays in the pockets,” Guardiola said. “They are a really good team, otherwise they could not be where they are. They are aggressive; they know exactly what they have to do.

“We knew it would be a difficult game, but we were able to beat them and go to the next round. They saw what we can do. We saw what they can do.”

There was one blow for City on an otherwise positive night as John Stones suffered a suspected hamstring injury, forcing him off shortly before half-time, with Guardiola saying he suspected the defender was “not ready” from the opening minutes.

Nathan Ake proved the unlikely match-winner as Manchester City edged out title rivals Arsenal 1-0 in a tense FA Cup fourth-round tie on Friday.

The Netherlands defender steered home a low shot in the 64th minute at the Etihad Stadium as City landed the first blow in their trilogy of clashes with the Gunners over the coming months.

Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, had enjoyed the better of the first half, with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Leandro Trossard both forcing good saves from Stefan Ortega.

Yet, while much had been made of the growing touchline rivalry between City manager Pep Guardiola and his former assistant Mikel Arteta, for a seventh time in eight meetings it was ultimately the old master who prevailed.

Guardiola, perhaps aware that a victory could also have a psychological impact heading into next month’s league encounter between the sides, went with a strong side and made just two changes to Arteta’s six.

The Gunners, however, retained all their usual energy and, in a frantic start, seemed determined not to allow City to establish their customary early rhythm.

As a result the hosts played more direct than normal and the results were mixed. There were some promising attacks but Erling Haaland seemed uncomfortable with the altered plan and despite plenty of touches, the Norwegian’s impact was minimal.

The Gunners initially looked the brighter team and Tomiyasu stung the palms of City’s number two goalkeeper Ortega with a ferocious shot in the fifth minute.

Trossard, making his first start for his new club, also forced a good save from the German after breaking into the area on the left.

City had a half-chance when Haaland broke clear after a Rob Holding miskick but Gunners keeper Matt Turner met him outside the area. The ball looped into the air and Haaland adjusted to attempt an ambitious overhead kick, but Tomiyasu comfortably cleared.

City’s best chance of the first half came when Kevin De Bruyne cut inside and curled a left-foot effort narrowly wide, but Arsenal went close again when Eddie Nketiah poked wide from a Trossard cross.

City suffered a blow just before the interval when defender John Stones was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury but they returned for the second half more determined to take control.

De Bruyne began to run through the middle more and passes became slicker. The attack was enlivened further when Julian Alvarez came off the bench in the 58th minute.

The change paid off six minutes later when the World Cup winner thumped the base of the post with a powerful long-range drive and Jack Grealish laid off to Ake from the rebound. The Dutchman had time and space and calmly placed a shot beyond the reach of Turner.

It proved a decisive strike and City comfortably and efficiently closed out the game with Arsenal failing to threaten again.