'That Goodison crowd always is mental'
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Metro
10 minutes ago
- Metro
Paul Merson makes Man Utd vs Arsenal predication in 'must-win' for Gunners
Paul Merson feels the trip to Manchester United on Sunday is absolutely critical for Arsenal and their Premier League title hopes this season. The new campaign gets going on Friday night as the defending champions Liverpool host Bournemouth, with the most eye-catching game of the first weekend coming on Sunday. The Red Devils host the Gunners at Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim hoping to prove that his team are much improved from last season's disaster, while Mikel Arteta wants to take the first step on a title challenge. Arsenal have finished second in each of the last three seasons and the pressure is starting to mount on the Spaniard to deliver a significant piece of silverware in the near future. Merson feels the Gunners have to get their campaign off with a win, especially with very difficult games to follow, which could see them lose ground early in the title race. Metro's new weekly football newsletter: In The Mixer. Exclusive analysis, FPL tips and transfer talk sent straight to your inbox every Friday – sign up, it's an open goal. The former England star told SportsKeeda: 'This is a must-win game for Arsenal, it's as simple as that! If you have a look at their fixtures after this weekend, it goes like – Leeds United at home, Liverpool away, Forest and Man City at home before a trip to Newcastle. 'If they don't beat Manchester United on Sunday, I don't expect them to beat Liverpool and City during this run! So all of a sudden, they could be seven or nine points behind in the title race. 'Viktor Gyokeres scored a brilliant header in pre-season. When Arsenal are under pressure in certain games, he will become a nuisance to opponents by running the channels and working the defenders. He's a real presence in front of goal and you can count on him to cause problems to opponents. 'I think Arsenal can win the league, if they can keep all their main players fit. I'd be shocked if Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard all play 35 games and arsenal still don't win the Premier League. They are massive favourites if that happens.' It is a big claim to put Arsenal as 'massive favourites' ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City if they just keep their players fit, but Merson is backing the club where he became an icon. He is also backing them to pick up the all important win on Sunday, tipped the Gunners to head back to north London with a 2-1 victory. Manchester United legends Roy Keane and Gary Neville also discussed the fixture on the Stick to Football podcast, with the Irishman agreeing with Merson's prediction of 2-1 to Arsenal. Neville, though, has backed his former club for a dream start to the season. 'United are winning that,' said Neville. 'I'm going United, 2-1. I just think it's a really bad game for Arsenal to get first up. I think it's a challenging game for Arsenal first up.' More Trending Alan Shearer has gone for the other option, tipping a draw at Old Trafford this weekend. The Premier League legend told Metro: 'It's wonderful for us to sit down on Sunday and watch two giants go head to head so early in the season. Tough one to call but I'll go for a draw. 'There's always a surprise result on the opening weekend. I don't know what a surprise result would be in this game. It's so tough to call with so many interesting moving parts. Gyokores on one side, Sesko on the other. 'Amorim and Gyokores know each other really well. Zubimendi may free up Declan Rice more, Man United have done really well in forward positions. It's a tough one to call so early in the season. There'll be needle at Old Trafford.' MORE: Man Utd make final decision on Carlos Baleba transfer pursuit after Brighton talks MORE: Nuno Espirito Santo makes startling admission about 'major problem' at Nottingham Forest MORE: Ruben Amorim reveals midfield alternative if Man Utd don't sign Carlos Baleba
The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
Liverpool vs AFC Bournemouth LIVE: Premier League team news, line-ups and more
Follow live coverage as Liverpool face AFC Bournemouth today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Liverpool look to fend off competition from Arsenal, Manchester City and more. The race for the Champions League places should also be a compelling battle, with a fifth place possible for English teams. Manchester United's latest rebuild under Ruben Amorim sets expectations high once more after a dismal season last time out. Meanwhile, it's Burnley, Leeds United and Sunderland who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Scotsman
10 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Why Scotland striker Bowie took on impossible shot for Euro winners Hibs
National team boss Steve Clarke watched contender score screamer Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Tell us about THAT goal, big man. Kieron Bowie is going to hear that a lot over the course, hopefully, of a long and successful career. Whatever he goes on to achieve in the game, for club and country, he'll be gladly answering questions about the European glory night when he found the net in front of the Famous Five Stand at Easter Road – and very nearly caused an earthquake in the process. His best ever? Of course. The kid is still only 22, after all. Unlikely ever to be topped? Given the stakes involved and the spectacular nature of his long-distance lob/volley/thunderstruck bolt via the stratosphere, the player himself feels safe in assuming as much. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Opening up on everything from his thought process – just hit it, basically – to the agony of spending the closing minutes of extra time on the bench, not to mention his admiration for team-mate Jordan Smith's mental fortitude in a game of maddening extremes, Bowie also addressed the elephant-sized hole in the Scotland team. Steve Clarke was in attendance for last night's UEFA Conference League classic against Partizan – and must be at least considering starting the Hibs striker against Denmark and Belarus when World Cup qualifying kicks off next month. Admitting that his tendency towards audacity doesn't always pay off, the former Fulham and Raith forward referenced a less impressive effort in last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Kilmarnock as he recalled: 'I mean, obviously, I tried it against Killie, although that one was on the floor ... 'It was a bit different, but nah, it just sat up nice on the volley, and I thought I'd swing my leg. Thankfully, it swung all the way into the top corner. 'When it went in, it felt unbelievable, obviously, the whole crowd erupted, everyone was going mental on the bench, so I just ran over there, and everyone was surrounding me, and that was amazing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I don't think I've scored one better than that, and I might never score one as big again, especially given the atmosphere and the night. It's an amazing experience. 'I think their goalie was speaking to Martin Boyle after the game, asking why I shot. So that just sums it up really. Star man Bowie 'felt like an idiot' for trying a second stunner 'Honestly, I've obviously shielded two of them off, and then it's just sat up lovely, and I've just hit it. And I'll never do that again, probably. 'Yeah, I tried one right after it, too. I need to stop trying now. I felt a little bit of an idiot! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But nah, I feel like when the confidence is gone, you try things that you shouldn't really be doing. But then one of the times it ends up paying off, and thankfully that happened. 'When it went in, I was thinking: 'Right, what do I do?' And then everyone on the bench was celebrating, so I just went over there and just got bombarded. I think Jack (Iredale) was hitting me in the back of the head the whole time, so I probably got concussion!' Leaving aside any potential need for an HIA before training, Hibs boss David Gray will be hoping that Bowie keeps on trying the unexpected/unwise on a more regular basis. He has the ability to shift momentum, as he did after Partizan had stormed into a 2-0 lead, levelling the tie up at 2-2 on aggregate. The art of tormenting 'angry' and 'scared' defenders The No.9 also, for the second time in a week, drove the Belgrade defenders to distraction to such good effect that he forced the referee to dish out a red card. That doesn't happen by accident. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I feel like in the first leg, obviously, they tried to stay off me a little bit,' he said, adding: 'And then they get a bit angry because they're not getting the ball, and then they make silly fouls. That gives me a chance to go at them, and I feel like I thrive on that. 'They were obviously scared to try and get too tight for me, because I could just turn them. So over both legs, I feel like that was very important for us to get us up the pitch, and my part I played in that. 'I feel like they were dominating at the time. And then obviously, I scored, and then their guy got sent off a little bit after that, so it totally turned the tide of the game in our favour. 'I didn't feel like I needed to make something happen. But at half-time, Sammy (goalie coach Craig Samson) spoke to me, just telling me that there's a goal in this for me. I didn't think it would be like that.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Earning himself a reputation as a player for the grand occasion, Bowie ran himself into the ground last night. When his number came up after 113 minutes – plus injury time – of hard graft, though, he admits to feeling sick to his stomach. Well, everyone's been to a party that they never want to leave ... "The fans make it special,' he said, revealing: 'Nights like that are half the reason I came to this club, to get in Europe. 'Before the season started, we set ourselves the target of getting European group stage football. No matter whether that was Europa League or Conference League. So hopefully we can continue to have more big nights. 'I think you know at Hibs we never do things the easy way. So, I mean, obviously, Partizan scored in the last couple of seconds of the game, but then that brings out the character in us to go and win the game from there. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I mean, they score like, what, five seconds before the end of the 90? And my head's gone, and I'm like, oh no. Like, I'm just shouting into the sky. 'But we showed the character that we've had throughout. You've seen that, obviously, back to Aberdeen when we drew 3-3 here last season. The character that this squad has is unbelievable, and it's relentless, and, yeah, everyone knows that we've got character to go on and do well. 'When the final whistle went, it was just pure relief. Like, I came off five minutes before the end the extra time, and it's sickening. It's the worst feeling ever, just sat at the side watching, yeah. 'I would much rather be out there. Going back to the Midtjylland game, that was the worst ever. Like, them scoring goals like that in the extra time, me not even being on the pitch, it's sickening.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland claim staked - and keeper 'pulled out of shxx' Without actually banging doors and demanding to be put into the Scotland starting line-up, Bowie was eager to press his case when it was suggested he'd done himself no harm, saying: 'Definitely. Not even just my goal, I mean, my all-around performance. 'I feel like I'm definitely improving as my games go on, I'm just constantly trying to play as many games as I can, and I've done that. So that's six starts in a row now, and hopefully it can continue. 'I feel like I just need to try and put myself in that shop window, and hopefully I can keep doing that. I mean, as the weeks go on, I'm playing more and more games, getting into my sharpness, and yeah, I'm definitely bringing out the best in myself- and the lads are helping me do that as well. 'I feel like I'm getting there, almost fully fit now. I mean, you can see, like, in my performances, it's not as slack as what I was last season.I just need to keep ticking over, 90 minutes, 90 minutes, keep playing as much as I can, and the best will come for me.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In a game full of characters, few showed as much grit as goalkeeper Smith, who was certainly culpable for a horrible second Partizan goal – yet bounced back from the brink of a crisis in remarkable fashion, pulling off save after stunning save at crucial stages of the contest. 'I feel like that's the type of player he is,' said Bowie. ' He made a mistake. He was sort of calming himself. He could have just erupted after that and made multiple errors 'But after that, it was unbelievable. And, obviously, he needs players to pull him out, to pull him out the shxx. He needs players to help him out, and, yeah, thankful we done that tonight. 'No one said anything to him at half-time. Like, he knew himself. Do you know what I mean? He's a big lad, and he's an old lad. He knows himself that he's made an error, but, yeah, as I say, people need to help him out and pull him out the shxx.'
