With nine rounds to go in the Premier League, Liverpool now has a lead over the two title competitors, although it is very small. Liverpool also have to visit rival Manchester United (next week), neighbor Everton (Wednesday, April 24) and Champions League contender Aston Villa on the penultimate matchday.
Arsenal was already at the top of the Premier League from rounds 3 to 33 last season, but after the 4-1 win for Manchester City on April 26, 2023, the title went to Guardiola’s team again last season. City also went all out for the win in this top match, but failed to break down Arsenal’s defense.
On the one hand because the pace was too slow for a long time, but also because star players Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland did not perform at the top of their abilities. Haaland spent the entire match in the clutches of William Saliba and his Brazilian guard Gabriel Magalhães. The bickering between the two continued even after the match, although the two eventually gave each other a big hug to end a disappointing match at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland had a good chance in the 84th minute, but stepped over the ball at the far post after a good header from Joško Gvardiol.
Guardiola also had to do without his experienced defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones, who were injured last week in England’s international matches against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley. In addition, there was also the injury of Dutch international Nathan Aké, who had to leave the field injured after 26 minutes after grabbing his calf. It remains to be seen how serious his injury is, but the quarter-finals against Real Madrid in the Champions League will already be played on April 9 and 17.
Liverpool was already doing very good business in the run-up to the cracker in Manchester. The team of outgoing coach Jürgen Klopp won 2-1 against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield. The team of Bart Verbruggen, Joël Veltman and Jan Paul van Hecke (all played 90 minutes) took the lead in the second minute through Danny Welbeck, the former striker of Manchester United and Arsenal.
Colombian attacker Luis Díaz equalized for Liverpool after 27 minutes, after which Mohamed Salah scored the winning 2-1 in the 65th minute. At Liverpool, captain Virgil van Dijk played the entire match, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch only came on in the final phase. The Reds.
Liverpool will play their home match against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United on Thursday evening (8:30 p.m.). Only then can the focus be on the crack at Manchester United, where Klopp’s team lost 4-3 in the FA Cup quarter-final two weeks ago after a thrilling match.
Victoria Pelova wins prize with Arsenal Women
Arsenal’s women’s team has won the Continental Cup, the League Cup in English women’s football. At Molineux in Wolverhampton, the final against rival Chelsea was won 1-0 by a goal from Swedish attacker Stina Blackstenius in the 116th minute. Victoria Pelova participated for 120 minutes and was chosen by the BBC as the best player of the match.
The match was halted for a while around the 90th minute after Frida Maanum, Arsenal’s Norwegian midfielder, suddenly went to the ground. Everyone present and television viewers were immediately frightened, but after ten minutes of treatment on the field, Maanum left the field wearing an oxygen mask. Shortly afterwards, during extra time of the final, Arsenal announced via social media that Maanum is conscious and her situation is stable. Winning the final could therefore be celebrated on a grand scale by the players and many Arsenal supporters.
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Vivianne Miedema is still recovering from her meniscus operation, but afterwards she took a team photo with her teammates with the prize. Pelova can report back to the Dutch team next week, which will play in the European Championship qualification against Italy (April 5 in Cosenza) and Norway (April 9 in Breda). There is therefore a good chance that Maanum will not be present for Norway.
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