Premier League news LIVE: Arsenal and Man City injury updates, Liverpool latest after Xabi Alonso blow | OneFootball

Klopp reacts to Xabi Alonso staying at Bayer Leverkusen

The Premier League returns this weekend with one of the biggest games of the season as Manchester City host title rivals Arsenal at the Etihad.

Mikel Arteta’s side return from the international break at the top of the table as they look to win a first Premier League title in 20 years, but an immediate visit to champions City will be the ultimate test of their ambitions.

Arsenal have not won at the Etihad in nine years, as both teams await crucial injury updates ahead of the match. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have yet to train after the international break, while John Stones and Kyle Walker have been ruled out after both picked up injuries while on England duty.

Liverpool will have the chance to return to the Premier League summit when they host Brighton on Sunday, but the Reds have been dealt a blow after Xabi Alonso, their leading candidate to replace Jurgen Klopp, was ruled out of contention for the Anfield job.

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Premier League title race: Who has the best fixtures - Liverpool, Man City or Arsenal?

The Premier League is heading for a classic title race, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal set for a three-way battle as we enter the run-in.

Manchester City, the defending champions, are aiming to win a fourth league title in a row under Pep Guardiola - a feat that has never been achieved in the history of English football. City blew Arsenal away in last year’s run-in, but the Gunners are back in the fight this campaign and have been joined by a resurgent Liverpool side - who are set for an emotional final months of Jurgen Klopp’s time on Merseyside.

The points were shared at Anfield following an epic clash between Klopp’s Liverpool and Guardiola’s City, as the managerial rivals met in the Premier League for the final time. It means Arsenal lead the way, but the Premier League now returns from March’s international break for another blockbuster fixture, as Mikel Arteta’s side visit the Etihad to take on the champions, having already beaten City earlier this season.

After that, as the Premier League title race enters April, the run-in can truly begin. But which team has the best fixtures and who has the hardest run of games to end the season? Here’s where the title could be won and lost.

Jamie Braidwood29 March 2024 22:55

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Xabi Alonso has made a brave choice – and it leaves one clear winner

Xabi Alonso always played the game at his own speed. It was part of his strength as a footballer, a cool detachment, an ability to see the big picture and to identify the right move. Like many a Spanish midfielder, he did not always take the most direct route. When he did, though, a remarkable long passer could do so with great success.

The characteristics that made one of the most cerebral of players an obvious candidate for management seem apparent in his choices in his coaching career. Alonso could have been fast-tracked to two of his former clubs, and two of Europe’s super clubs. And he will take things at his own pace, staying at Bayer Leverkusen. He has been unhurried: in making a decision, in plotting his path.

“There has been a lot of speculation around my future, we have been busy and focused and I wanted the international break to reflect a bit better,” he said. “I had a very good meeting with the decision-makers, and I decided to stay at Bayer Leverkusen. I have to feel it, and right now I feel this is the right place.”

By Richard Jolly

The Spaniard is staying at Bayer Leverkusen after rejecting the chance to manage Liverpool or Bayern Munich – but there is sense to playing the long game, and it could be Real Madrid who benefit most

Jamie Braidwood29 March 2024 22:25

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Erik ten Hag expects Kobbie Mainoo to handle the hype after star England debut

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is confident Kobbie Mainoo can deal with the hype following his impressive full England debut.

“I thought it was very good, but we are not surprised,” the United boss said. “We have seen what he is capable of, that he can very quickly adapt to high levels. It looks very natural.

“We are very happy for him and of course a little bit proud. I would say very proud.

“It’s great for the academy of Manchester United that they bring up a player so young going into the national team. That is a big compliment for the whole club.

“I think definitely in the first place for himself because he did it.

“But also for all the ones who worked with him during his time in the academy, so it’s very good news for Manchester United.”

Asked if he has to manage the hype around Mainoo, Ten Hag said: “Yes, but we have discussed this before and so far he handles it very well.

“If he crosses the line, yeah, of course I as a manager, we as coaches, will interfere.

“But so far it’s not necessary because he enjoys football, he wants to win, he wants to give his best every day because he want to improve.

“As I say, he just wants to have fun on the pitch. For him, it’s fun to play dominant, to dictate the game and to win the game.”

Jamie Braidwood29 March 2024 20:55

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How Joe Gomez completed remarkable comeback to help salvage Liverpool’s title bid

Joe Gomez’s stunning resurgence has been crucial to Liverpool keeping their head above water in this season’s title race – and this doesn’t look set to change as the club braces itself for an intense title climax.

A player who had been straddling on the club’s fringes for four years – perennially linked with a transfer away – Gomez has turned from an injury-prone liability to Jurgen Klopp’s ever-available utility man.

Filling in and excelling across the Reds’ back-line as injuries mounted, the 26-year-old’s dependability hasn’t gone unnoticed - earning a first England call-up since 2020 for a pair of friendlies in late March.

And as the Premier League title race prepares to enter its final stretch, Gomez looks set to remain a regular fixture in Liverpool’s side after the club suffered yet another untimely fitness blow.

By Will Castle

Jamie Braidwood29 March 2024 19:55

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Steph Houghton: The ‘icon’ of the game leaves women’s football in a much better place

Steph Houghton’s announcement of her decision to retire from football might have been low-key, but the impact she has left on the game was not.

The Manchester City centre-back and former England captain deserved the plaudits from all areas of the game for her two-decade long career spanning the course of the growth of women’s football.

She was the sole survivor from City’s first professional team which launched a decade ago and her 20-year career not only spanned four clubs, Sunderland, Leeds, Arsenal and Manchester City, but also the rapid professionalisation of the sport.

By Sonia Twigg

Jamie Braidwood29 March 2024 18:55