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“What’s up with any of those things you say? You are making it sound as if that’s a problem because they are good at set-pieces and they are a strong, physical side. I don’t see any problem with any of that. It’s part of the game.
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“If there’s this thing out there where everybody has to play the beautiful game and everything has to be perfect, well if we all do that then it would be boring. Football would be boring. Part of the reason you people are talking about it is because it might be slightly different from what we have seen for a few years.
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“It’s giving you something to talk about, but I would hate to be going to football matches all the time and seeing football only played the one way. I want teams to play different styles and in different ways.
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“We have got some unbelievable managers, and Mikel [Arteta] is one of them, who have come into this country and shown us what they can do. But maybe they can’t really stay with it and do it all the time. So you can bring something in, but you have got to bring something that is going to work. Mikel has been able to evolve his team and move it on. And he’s certainly got a very good team at the moment.”
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Reece James has committed his future to Chelsea by signing a new six-year deal. The club captain’s previous contract expired in 2028 but he has agreed terms on an extension. The move will quash any prospect of the right-back, who came through Chelsea’s academy, leaving on a free transfer.
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The England international, who signed his previous deal shortly after the takeover by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, is understood to have agreed terms in line with Chelsea’s incentivised pay structure. James had enjoyed a fine season and having previously struggled with fitness problems he has largely managed to stay injury free. He is expected to be a key player for England at this summer’s World Cup.
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Right then, English football has had a tough time of it in Europe this week, Aston Villa the only winners across nine games (Unai Emery always delivers in the Europa). So perhaps a return to domestic life is something to be welcomed. Manchester City got the Valverde treatment but they’re still very much in the title race; Nottingham Forest went down to Midtjylland but they’re getting closer and closer to Tottenham in the table. The good news for Spurs? Um, come back to me on that one.
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Key events
A couple of Opta stats to show that Everton could be very tricky opponents for Arsenal this weekend.
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Only Arsenal (9) have won more Premier League away games this season than Everton (7). The Toffees have won four of their last five league games on the road (D1).
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No team has shipped fewer goals from set piece situations than Everton (8 including penalties, 6 excluding).
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David Moyes won with West Ham on his last visit to the Emirates in December 2023.
Moyes defends Arsenal’s style
Everton boss David Moyes has been speaking ahead of the trip to Arsenal. The Toffees manager isn’t having the criticism being chucked Arsenal’s way, especially the negative connotations of ‘physical’ and ‘set-pieces’, the knee-jerk terms when discussing the Gunners these days it seems.
“What’s up with any of those things you say? You are making it sound as if that’s a problem because they are good at set-pieces and they are a strong, physical side. I don’t see any problem with any of that. It’s part of the game.
“If there’s this thing out there where everybody has to play the beautiful game and everything has to be perfect, well if we all do that then it would be boring. Football would be boring. Part of the reason you people are talking about it is because it might be slightly different from what we have seen for a few years.
“It’s giving you something to talk about, but I would hate to be going to football matches all the time and seeing football only played the one way. I want teams to play different styles and in different ways.
“We have got some unbelievable managers, and Mikel [Arteta] is one of them, who have come into this country and shown us what they can do. But maybe they can’t really stay with it and do it all the time. So you can bring something in, but you have got to bring something that is going to work. Mikel has been able to evolve his team and move it on. And he’s certainly got a very good team at the moment.”
English teams’ poor results in the Champions League this week has been a hot topic. Was it random or is there something deeper at play? Here’s Barnay Ronay’s interesting take.
It’s the Women’s League Cup final this weekend with Manchester United taking on Chelsea at Ashton Gate. Ahead of the game, Tom Garry has been speaking to United’s Sweden winger, Fridolina Rolfö, who knows a thing or two about playing in finals.
The game kicks off at 2.15pm GMT on Sunday.
Need a live football fix right now? Well, we have one, courtesy of Joey Lynch.
Apart from the weather forecast, here’s a match-by-match guide of other things to look out for in the Premier League this weekend.
“Erling Haaland’s first competitive outing in English football came at the London Stadium. He ran riot that day, scoring twice as Manchester City opened the 2022-23 season with victory over West Ham, and this venue has been a happy hunting ground for Haaland ever since. He found the net in another win in September 2023 and bagged a hat-trick there last season, but he is in patchy form before City visit West Ham for a must-win game on Saturday night.”
Thanks Taha. Good morning everyone. Off to a game this weekend? Let me know. I’ll be at Anfield on Sunday which could be a bit wild. Just checking the weather forecast and it looks set to be really windy. Gusts up to 40mph! That doesn’t look ideal for two sides prone to lots of errors even in flat calm conditions.
That’s enough from me. Here’s David Tindall to take the reins.
Will Unwin
Arne Slot accepts it was a difficult week for English teams in Europe after the six Premier League sides failed to win the Champions League but does not believe it is fully reflective of the quality of those clubs.
Liverpool will be aiming to turnaround their tie against Galatasaray after losing 1-0 in Istanbul in midweek. “To jump to a conclusion after one gameday, I think that is such a small sample size that is never the smartest thing to do because maybe, after the next week, we will have a different conclusion,” Slot said.
“In general I think it is not helpful for English clubs not to have a winter break but I am not saying that all these teams have lost because we don’t have a winter break. Why? Because you are facing in the last 16 of Europe good teams and four of the five teams in the Champions League played away from home, it is usually an advantage to play at home and a disadvantage to play away.
“To jump to conclusions – missing a winter break or the level of the Premier League is not as high as we expected it to be – would be for me, at this moment in time, not right the conclusion to make. Let’s first judge us all after next week and then maybe it is still too early to jump to conclusions. But one of the things is definitely also is that if you are in the Champions League last 16 all the teams are good and strong teams and if you play four of the five teams away from home and the margins were quite as small as our own game – I thought we didn’t deserve to lose – Arsenal the margins were really small but I didn’t see the 3-0 coming when I saw the first half of City v Real Madrid. The only one I didn’t see was Paris St Germain v Chelsea but people told me Chelsea were very involved in that game and didn’t deserve to lose 5-2. Jumping to conclusions on one game is usually not what I would do.”
Max Rushden decided to rewatch the first 20 minutes of Spurs’ defeat in Madrid. Brave.
“Harry Redknapp rules himself out of return.” A real human person wrote the words that a 79-year-old has had to rule himself out of managing Tottenham again. In March 2026.
Time for a Europa League and Conference recap. For Villa, yay. For Palace, meh. For Forest, nay.
Slot adds on Alisson that it’s a “minor” muscle problem and he’s hoping the goalkeeper is ready to play on Sunday. “If not, I’m expecting him – if things go as planned – definitely against Galatasaray.”
Reece James signs new six-year deal with Chelsea
Jacob Steinberg
Reece James has committed his future to Chelsea by signing a new six-year deal. The club captain’s previous contract expired in 2028 but he has agreed terms on an extension. The move will quash any prospect of the right-back, who came through Chelsea’s academy, leaving on a free transfer.
The England international, who signed his previous deal shortly after the takeover by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, is understood to have agreed terms in line with Chelsea’s incentivised pay structure. James had enjoyed a fine season and having previously struggled with fitness problems he has largely managed to stay injury free. He is expected to be a key player for England at this summer’s World Cup.
Arne Slot’s been speaking to reporters ahead of his side’s meeting with Spurs on Sunday. He’s hoping that Alisson, who missed Liverpool’s loss at Galatasaray on Tuesday, will train today.
“He’s been with the physios and rehabbed until now,” said Slot. “We are training today and let’s see if he can join the team session. That’s something I expect but I am not 100% sure because I have not spoken to him or the medical staff this morning. I am hopeful.”
Preamble
Right then, English football has had a tough time of it in Europe this week, Aston Villa the only winners across nine games (Unai Emery always delivers in the Europa). So perhaps a return to domestic life is something to be welcomed. Manchester City got the Valverde treatment but they’re still very much in the title race; Nottingham Forest went down to Midtjylland but they’re getting closer and closer to Tottenham in the table. The good news for Spurs? Um, come back to me on that one.
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