When the Champions League draw took place, Liverpool needed several things to increase their chances of winning not only this competition, but also the Premier League.

As is the case in the current era of Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, the fortunes of Liverpool and Manchester City are usually linked. Only one can earn each of the three remaining trophies on offer, though both might ultimately earn it.

The UEFA draw – done correctly on first request this time – matched liverpool with Benfica: a big check in the “what we wanted to see” box. But the good news didn’t stop there.

Manchester City and Chelsea are both on opposite sides of the draw, with Guardiola’s men facing what could prove to be a tricky double game with Atlético Madrid, although an Atlético Madrid that Liverpool already have beaten home and away this season.

READ MORE: Liverpool may have an innovative solution to Jürgen Klopp’s nightmare as FSG’s only bet could backfire

READ MORE:Liverpool have obvious summer transfer target as £67m double scouting trip confirmed for FSG

The winner will face either Chelsea or Real Madrid; just as tricky as Bayern Munich (assuming they overtake Villarreal), who await the Reds if they can beat Benfica.

More interestingly, Liverpool and Manchester City will be playing on the same night in the Champions League, so neither have a huge advantage ahead of the clash between the two in the league in terms of recovery time and preparation time. The two have five days after the first leg before they meet at the Etihad Stadium, sandwiched between the two European fixtures.

But Atlético should be a tougher test and closer bond overall than Liverpool’s visit to Benfica, although Manchester City will ultimately be favorites to get the job done against Diego Simeone’s well-prepared side. It’s not the Atlético of three or four years ago, but they will always make it tough and keep the scoreline tight, especially against a team that has struggled to score goals at times lately.

The way is there for a Liverpool vs Manchester City final in Paris although there is plenty of action to be played before then. The top two in England are the competition favorites and that is, statistically, the most likely outcome, although football does not always follow that pattern.

Whether Liverpool would rather face Guardiola over two legs or one is a point that can be debated, but they have at least avoided the possibility of having to play against Manchester City four times in 18 days. There’s still a chance it could be two weekends in a row if the duo go head-to-head in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, but that would be far less daunting than a four-time header in pursuit of four trophies .

Frankly, playing as little as possible at Manchester City is better. If the teams played each other four times in such a short time, it would have been a nightmare – after all, it’s hard to imagine a team winning all four encounters (or at least making the most progress in each of the three competitions) .

If Liverpool are to claim the treble this season, they will always need a bit of luck in the draw for each competition, and so far the Gods of Football (if Mikaël Silvestre, the man chosen by UEFA to select meetings, can be called like that…) played ball. The quadruple is still on the way and while it remains an almost impossible task to win it all, it is undoubtedly more likely than it was a few hours ago.

Happy Sunday, Mane Landers. I hope you’re not too groggy to put your clocks forward. At least you won’t have to touch them again until November. Grab your favorite caffeinated drink and dive into today’s news from the world of football.

The Lions suffer their first loss of 2022

Despite dominating possession, passing accuracy, corners, shots and shots on target, Orlando City managed to lose at home to FC Cincinnati. Junior Urso pulled back a goal from Brandon Vazquez in the first half, but the Cincinnati forward scored again in the second half and this time the Lions went unanswered in a 2-1 loss to a team who had previously not scored a goal. the season. Cincy had lost 14 consecutive games since last September and before Saturday night had won only once in the last 27 times the team took the field. It won’t be easy to recover from the loss with a trip to the LA Galaxy looming and a visit to Portland the following week. Michael Citro has your match recap, while later today you can check out our five takeaways from the game and our player ratings and man of the match.

USA beat Mexico to win Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship

The United States Women’s Under-20 National Team beat Mexico 2-0 in the Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship Championship game in the Dominican Republic on Saturday. The win gave the United States a record seventh Concacaf title in that age group. Striker Michelle Cooper scored in the third minute and midfielder Talia DellaPeruta converted a penalty late in the first half. Cooper won the tournament’s Golden Boot and Golden Ball as the competition’s top scorer and player, respectively. Both teams had already secured places for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2022 thanks to their semi-final victories. You can check out the highlights below.

Saturday MLS Results

After revealing his MLS Cup 2021 champions banner in their snowy opener at home, New York City FC crushed CF Montreal 4-1 with an assist and a goal from Magno Talles. The Columbus Crew are now unbeaten in their first three games of the season after beating Toronto FC 2-1. Already trailing 1-0, Brek Shea’s first-half red card crushed Inter Miami’s comeback chances and LAFC added another for a 2-0 win at a soggy and windy DRV PNK Stadium. Inter Miami’s Phil Neville challenged their only designated player Gonzalo Higuaín after the game, saying “for us to be successful, he has to perform.”

The Seattle Sounders defeated the LA Galaxy 3-2 to win their first game of the campaign. Darwin Quintero scored twice to lead the Houston Dynamo past the Vancouver Whitecaps, 2-1. The Chicago Fire beat DC United 2-0 to give Ezra Hendrickson his first win as manager. Real Salt Lake scored three late in the second half to overcome a 2-0 deficit and beat the New England Revolution 3-2. Carles Gil of the Revolution did not have fun in the snow.

The Philadelphia Union gave Jim Curtin his 100th career regular season win and went undefeated as they knocked out the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0. Club record signing Alan Velasco scored on his debut to give FC Dallas a 2-0 victory over Nashville SC.

The final games featured Colorado vs. Sporting Kansas City and Portland vs. Austin.

Ronaldo’s hat trick goes down in history

After missing his side’s 4-1 loss to Manchester City last week, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to propel Manchester United to a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. His three goals give him 807, making him the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of men’s football combined for club and country. Although this record is disputed and unofficial, FIFA estimates that the Austrian-Czech Josef Bican scored 805 goals during a career that spanned from 1931 to 1955.

Free kicks

Thank you for joining us today, Mane Landers. Shake off last night’s loss and prepare for the LA Galaxy next weekend.

Team news, stats, predictions and how to follow the Premier League on Saturday as Manchester United welcome Tottenham, live on Sky Sports.

Brentford v Burnley – Saturday; kick off 3 p.m.

Team News: Brentford will have Kristoffer Ajer and Christian Norgaard available for Saturday’s visit to Burnley.

The duo were sent off with blows in last weekend’s 3-1 win at Norwich but were overtaken by boss Thomas Frank.

The only absentee for the Bees will be midfielder Josh Dasilva, who will serve Game 2 of his three-game suspension for an expulsion against Newcastle last month.

Burnley captain Ben Mee is out with a shin injury which kept him out of action against Chelsea last weekend.

Midfielder Dale Stephens has returned to training but will also not be involved in London

Forward Matej Vydra (dislocated elbow), Erik Pieters (knee) and Johann Berg Gudmundsson (calf) are still absent.

Prediction Jones Knows

The list of matches is softening for Brentford. After a streak of nine games in a row against top 10 teams, matches with those around them in the table have revived them. I want to support them here.

Apart from against Manchester City, on every occasion this season when they have failed to win the home game, Thomas Frank’s side have won the battle of expected goals – even in the 3-3 draw with Liverpool and the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.

It’s a process that’s actually the sixth-best Premier League home record for expected goals. The 11/10 for a home win looks juicy.

With fussy Paul Tierney at the helm, a gamble on the card market appealed to me.

No referee has dealt more cards than Tierney this season (82) with an average of 4.2 per 90 minutes. Hopefully he’ll be busy booking Brentford players in this one.

Frank’s side played with much more intensity and aggression in their 3-1 win at Norwich, committing 18 fouls – a season high for them – and picking up five yellow cards.

This desire to press higher, rather than sit, has been a common theme in their matches against teams from the bottom eight. They have averaged 32.5 booking points in those 10 matches this season and nine of those matches have seen them pick up 20 or more booking points. You can get 6/5 with Sky Bet if it happens again in this match with a referee who likes a card. It’s a bet for me.

SCORE PREDICTION: 2-0 | FOCUS ANGLE: 20 or more Brentford booking points (6/5 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Statistics Opta…

• Unbeaten in their first eight league meetings at home with Burnley (W4 D4) between 1933 and 1996, Brentford have lost three of their last four at home to the Clarets, most recently a 3-1 defeat in January 2016.
• Burnley are looking to complete the league double against Brentford for only the second time in their history, although the other occasion came in the last campaign they met (2015-16 in the Championship) .
• Brentford’s 3-1 win at Norwich last time out ended an eight-game league winless streak for the Bees, as they scored as many goals in that win as they had in their seven previous league matches combined. Brentford are looking to secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time.
• Since the start of 2018-19 (when he moved to Peterborough), Ivan Toney has scored 93 goals in all competitions, with only Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane scoring more for English league sides in this time. Toney also scored five hat-tricks in that span, with no player scoring more in all competitions.
• Burnley’s Dwight McNeil has taken more shots without scoring than any other Premier League player so far this season (32). Overall, McNeil has failed to score with his last 40 shots in the competition, since scoring against Everton almost a year ago to the day (March 13, 2021).

How to follow: Follow Brentford vs Burnley in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be posted on the sky sports digital platforms and Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Manchester United v Tottenham – Saturday; kick-off at 5:30 p.m., live sky sports starting at 17h

Team News: Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Raphael Varane will be available for Manchester UnitedThe Premier League clash with Tottenham.

The Red Devils were without the experienced trio in last weekend’s 4-1 derby defeat to Manchester City, but should be boosted by their returns for the visit of Spurs’ top four rivals on Saturday night.

There is doubt over David de Gea’s involvement, with Sky Sports News being informed that there is a Covid test issue with the Spanish goalkeeper. Manchester United are trying to solve this problem, but Dean Henderson should fill in if De Gea is ruled out.

Luke Shaw remains out after testing positive for Covid-19 last week and Scott McTominay is set to miss with a calf injury. Mason Greenwood remains suspended by the club.

Tottenham Wing-back Ryan Sessegnon has picked up another hamstring injury which will keep him sidelined until the international break.

Sessegnon, who has a long history of similar issues, picked up the problem in Monday’s 5-0 win over Everton.

Oliver Skipp (groin) remains absent with Japhet Tanganga (knee).

Prediction Jones Knows

I have trust issues with both teams. Having confidence when making informed betting decisions is absolutely crucial to coming out on top, so it’s a tough question. I decided it was a question of which defense can I trust the most when it comes to making an outright call on the game. Based on that, Spurs come out just ahead.

The reason could be Eric Dier. Antonio Conte has announced that Dier is ‘world class’ and his importance to this Tottenham side seems obvious. In the 12 games Dier started in the Premier League as a centre-back in a back three, Spurs have lost only once (W8, D3) and conceded just seven goals, keeping seven clean sheets.

However, instead of backing Spurs, I would much rather invest in Harry Kane being a deciding factor in this game, such is his current ruthless touch in front of goal. In his last 12 Premier League appearances, the England striker has put aside his early season struggles and scored nine times, posting a very impressive conversion rate of 17%. He has also scored in four of Tottenham’s last five away wins in the Premier League. I’ll rinse and repeat our successful angle from last week in the win over Everton backing Kane to score once (17/10), twice (11/1) and hit a hat-trick (66/1)

SCORE PREDICTION: 1-2 | BETTING ANGLE: Harry Kane to score (7/4 with Sky Bet – Bet Here!)

Statistics Opta…

• Tottenham have won two of their last three Premier League away games against Manchester United (L1), as many as they have won in their first 26 visits to Old Trafford in the competition (W2 D3 L21).
• Manchester United are winless in their last three games in all competitions (D2 L1) – there hasn’t been a longer winless streak since a run of six games in September/October 2019.
• Man Utd’s Cristiano Ronaldo has been involved in seven goals in his last five Premier League games against Spurs (4 goals, 3 assists), scoring and assisting against them in three different appearances in this run.
• Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has won four of his six meetings with Manchester United in all competitions, most recently winning the FA Cup final 1-0 against them in May 2018. However, the Italian lost in his two visits to Old Trafford against the Red Devils.
• Tottenham’s Harry Kane has scored 93 goals in 137 Premier League away games – one more will see him tie Wayne Rooney for the most away goals in the competition’s history.

How to follow: Watch Manchester United vs. Tottenham live Sky Sports main event and Sky Sports Premier Leagueor follow us on our dedicated live match blog with game highlights. Full match summaries will also be posted on the sky sports digital platforms and Sky Sports Football YouTube channel at the final whistle.

Saturday March 12 5:00 p.m.

Kick off 5:30 p.m.

How the table stands

How to watch Premier League highlights on Sky Sports Digital

Everyone in the UK can watch the best moments on the sky sports app or the Score Center app on your iPhone or Android:

To watch the highlights on the sky sports App, download the app:

Sky Sports’ digital platforms host live blogs for every Premier League game, including commentary, analysis and squad line-ups. Users with a free Sky ID can watch in-game clips of Sky live games on our dedicated live blogs.

The weekend soccer slate shifts to the United States as parity in Major League Soccer continues to stick out like a sore thumb. Going into the third week of the season, only four teams have won their first two matches so far. Will they be able to continue the good races or will they join others who have lost points? Tottenham will also travel to Old Trafford and will be hoping to win their third game on the rebound instead of returning to their rollercoaster form this season as we finish with Serie A and their race wide open for the scudetto.

Here’s what we’re looking at this weekend:

5. New York Red Bulls vs Minnesota United

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Direct: ESPN+
Caesars Sportsbook odds: New York -150; Draw +280; Minnesota United +440

Why watch: The Red Bulls are one of four remaining teams to have won their first two league games to start the season, but hosting the Loons will be a test to see what they are made of. Lewis Morgan is fresh off a hat trick against Toronto and summer signing Luquinhas has arrived. They’re a team that could improve between now and the season, but containing the attack led by Franco Fragapane and Emanuel Reynoso will be a tough test for the defense even with Aaron Long back in the fold. The Loons have drawn their first two games despite attacking too well to be limited to one goal per game.

4. Torino vs Inter Milan

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
Direct: Paramount+
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Torino +440; Draw +275; Inter-150

Why watch: Inter Milan will look to hold their heads high despite being eliminated in their Champions League win at Anfield over Liverpool as the focus shifts to winning a second scudetto in a row. The Serie A title race is tight with AC Milan, Inter and Napoli separated by just three points. If one of them slips, Juventus are waiting to pounce. The midfield duo of Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella will be tough for Torino to deal with, but they have one of the best defensive records in the league when it comes to battling the Nerazzurri. Allowing just 28 goals, Torino has the fourth-best defensive record in Italy and is the only team with less than 30 goals allowed to not feature in the top five due to their lack of goalscoring. Can they get a signature win to end their bad form streak?

3. Chelsea v Newcastle United

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
Direct: peacock
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Chelsea -300; Draw +400; Newcastle +900

Why watch: While the potential sale of Chelsea and the looming problems with travel to away games grab the headlines, there are still football games to play. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe threatened relegation as Newcastle United climb the table with three rebound wins. Up to 14th in the league they are pretty much safe and that is with Allan Saint-Maximin who has missed the last few games with muscle injuries. This is a game where if Chelsea slip up, Newcastle can make them pay unlike the Norwich side who Chelsea knocked out in midweek.

Want to know more about this breakup story? Listen below and follow ¡Que Golazo! A daily football podcast from CBS where we take you beyond the pitch and around the world for commentary, previews, recaps and more.

2. Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy

Dated: Saturday March 12 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Seattle Pollsters +118; Draw +230; Los Angeles Galaxy +245

Why watch: Two teams that should be near the top of the Western Conference face off. While the Sounders struggle with injuries to Nicolas Lodeiro, Will Bruin and Raul Ruidiaz, they managed to dismantle Leon at home in the Concacaf Champions League. Meanwhile, the Galaxy left him late in their opening two matches as their defense gave them a win at every opportunity. Raheem Edwards is proving to be a fine addition to Greg Vanney’s squad, but can they use form to their advantage to open up an early points gap on the Sounders?

1. Manchester United v Tottenham

Dated: Saturday March 12 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Direct: peacock
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Manchester United +115; Draw +245; Tottenham+235

Why watch: Two teams that have not fared well against top opponents meet in a critical clash to determine the race to the Premier League‘s top four. Antonio Conte is blackmailing Tottenham with nine goals scored in his last two matches, but things are set to be a little tougher against Manchester United even after the side fell flat in a 4-1 derby against Manchester City. Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit and available this weekend, but that could prove a distraction for United given he has just one goal in eight Premier League appearances this calendar year.

Honorable Mentions

(all US/Eastern times)

Friday March 11: A game to follow in…

• Spain: Atletico Madrid vs Cadiz, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
• France: Lille vs Saint-Etienne 3 p.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Free trial)
• Argentina: Arsenal v Velez Sarsfield, 5:15 p.m. (Paramount+)

Saturday March 12: A game to follow in…

• MLS: DC United vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• England: Brighton v Liverpool, 7:30 a.m. (Peacock)
• Spain: Villarreal v Celta de Vigo, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Italy: Sampdoria v Juventus, 12 p.m. (Paramount+)
• Germany: Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN+)
• France: Troyes vs Nantes, 3 p.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Free trial)
• Argentina: Sarmiento vs. Newell’s Old Boys, 5:15 p.m. (Paramount+)

Sunday March 13: A game to follow in…

• MLS: Atlanta United vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m. (FS1 and fuboTV — Try it for free)
• England: West Ham United vs. Aston Villa, 10 a.m. (US and fuboTV – Try Free)
• Spain: Barcelona vs. Osasuna, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Italy: Udinese v Roma, 1 p.m. (Paramount+)
• Germany: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Cologne, 10:30 a.m. (ESPN+)
• France: PSG vs Bordeaux, 8 a.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Try for free)
• Argentina: Estudiantes vs. Boca Juniors, 8:30 p.m. (Paramount+)

In a bid to launch his career, Pablo Mari traveled to where he believes the best defenders are created. The 28-year-old left Arsenal and the Premier League on loan last month to join Udinese until the end of the season, seizing the opportunity to experience Serie A for the first time.

“In Italy, we see that’s where the best centre-backs in the world are born,” Mari told ESPN. “For me, that’s my field. In the end, I’m a central defender, I’m a tactical player so for me playing in Italy is a pleasure.

“When I was really, really young, the players I watched were [Alessandro] Nesta, [Fabio] Cannavaro. Now you look [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Leonardo] Bonucci: they are more or less the best central defenders in the world. Of course you have [Virgil] Van Dijk, Sergio Ramos, [Gerard] Prick. Getting to this level is [Matthijs] De Ligt, we now have very good centre-backs playing in Italy.

“I don’t like to compare their appearance and my appearance, but of course you can take something that they do very well and you can put it in you and try to be like you. They are more or less the center – the backs that I like to be when I grow up.”

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Now is the time for Mari to grow up too. The Spaniard speaks to ESPN via Zoom from Bruseschi’s training base in Udinese, where the staff were impressed with his professionalism, a feature that helped him secure this transfer in the first place.

Mari originally signed for the Gunners from Brazilian club Flamengo in January 2020 before making a permanent transfer worth £7million in July of the same year. A combination of COVID-19, injuries and the subsequent arrivals of Gabriel from Lille and Ben White from Brighton & Hove Albion has limited Mari to just 14 Premier League starts, the last of which came in August as Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to Chelsea. .

Although Mari became a peripheral figure as the January transfer window opened, his departure grabbed headlines as it came amid a row over Arsenal’s successful postponement of the derby of January against Tottenham Hotspur due to a lack of available players. However, Mari reveals the move had been discussed much earlier, the product of a conversation he initiated with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.

“In the winter, we made engagements together,” Mari said. “I explained to him my situation, my feelings. I haven’t played in the last six months. [He said] the plan over the next six months until June will be the same. I can play, of course, because maybe other central defenders get injured, there can be a red card or yellow cards, but it will be one, two, maximum three or four games. In the end, I don’t want that for me.

“[Arteta] was a very, very, very good person at that time. He told me “whatever you need, you deserve it”. You were a professional player until the end and you deserve it so anything I can help you with, I will.’ I’m so happy to hear that from a coach because it wasn’t an easy time for me.”

It is a measure of Arteta’s coaching skills that he is praised by those above and below him at Arsenal, but quite another when a player who has found playing time if hard to find remains enthusiastic in its praise.

“I have to say he’s one of the best coaches in the world because when he makes the game plan… I never see him like that,” Mari said. “How he finds solutions for us and makes the game easier: I’ve never seen anything like that. It means he’s an amazing coach. Giving you the tools to play a game easier is amazing because when you go out on the pitch you already have in mind the kind of things you need to do to play easily.”

So how did he help Mari specifically? “He gave me the tool that if I can take three or four seconds before the ball comes to me, I will have those three or four seconds to think about the next action,” he continued. “For me, that was key because I have the time [now]. He was the only coach who gave me this tool and made football easier.

“I play more easily and I can see another type of option that before I never saw because before I never had time with the ball. So now, in this moment, I put in my head another level because of [Arteta].”

There is no option or obligation to sign Mari permanently in the deal between Arsenal and Udinese, so he will return to north London this summer regardless of his performance in the coming weeks. His existing contract with the Gunners expires in 2024: given the strength of his relationship with Arteta, could he still be a success at Arsenal under his fellow Spaniard?

“For me, of course, it’s possible,” he said. “I never close that door. It continues to be my dream, to play for a big club in the world and for Arsenal of course. I played there for two years, I have another two [on my] Contract.

“Of course it would be my dream. But in the end, I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, I can’t predict what will happen next year. Is he there? Yes Of course. I would like to be there? Yes, of course, but I don’t know what will happen. I want to focus on now, in the present, on what I can do now to enjoy football again and to feel like a professional footballer again.”

Mari’s journey has been complicated. Born in Almussafes, a small town just over 20km south of Valencia on the east coast of Spain, he almost gave up football at “around 11 or 12” after a growth spurt that left him grows about five inches in one summer.

“More than the impact of the rapid growth, it was the pain I had at that time because in my hips it was cartilage, not bone,” he said. . “Every time I came back to play football with my colleagues in the team, when I shot, I broke a bit of that cartilage.

“I remember the last time I had the injury – because it happened four or five times – I said to my dad ‘this is the last time I have this injury. If I start again, I quit football because I can’t take this pain every day. And that was the last time. He never came back.”

He joined Mallorca as a teenager with the advice of his parents ringing in his ears, words that served him well in later years. “I was 13 when I said to my parents, ‘Goodbye, I’m going to another town to play football’,” he continued. “They said ‘Yeah, go ahead, be happy, enjoy…but if you decide to go that route, you have to be a pro from now on. Never give up. In the times when you’re on top and the times when you’re down, you gotta fight, you gotta be professional, you gotta work hard every day.'”

Mari is a Mallorca academy graduate but has only made two senior appearances. Three years at Gimnastic de Tarragona followed before joining Manchester City in 2016, never to play a game for the club or even meet Pep Guardiola. Loan spells at Girona, NAC Breda and Deportivo La Coruña preceded a move to Flamengo in 2019, where he became the first Spaniard to win the Brazilian title and Copa Libertadores. It was there that he caught the eye of Arsenal’s technical director, Edu, who brought him to the Emirates Stadium.

However, Mari’s career at Arsenal failed to take off. The COVID-19 pandemic was a factor: the Gunners won their first two games with Mari in the squad, an FA Cup fifth round tie at Portsmouth and a Premier League home game against West Ham United , before the pandemic brought English football to a standstill in March 2020. He started the first game after the restart, at Manchester City, but suffered a serious ankle injury which ruled him out for almost six month. Gabriel and White, a £50m summer arrival from Brighton, have since usurped him in the pecking order.

Arteta could have kept it, but he chose to reward Mari’s dedication and ‘never give up’ mentality. A fifth loan spell, this time at Udinese, offers a new challenge.

Going on loan is not easy because you have to adapt very quickly to be part of this club, quickly,” he said. “Of course the people around you, they help you in that. Here I am so happy that the club, the coach, the staff, the teammates, they are so friendly and they help me from the first day until now and hopefully until the end of the season. You’re growing as a person, more than a player, and that’s a very good thing for the rest of my life.”

Mari has made four appearances for Udinese so far, including in Friday’s 1-1 draw with AC Milan and, as he prepares to turn 29 in August, Mari feels he is now ready to peak.

“For a centre-back, I’m going to be in the best moment of my career because when you’re young, maybe physically you’re really good but you don’t have the mentality to be ready,” he said. “I’m in balance, I have both very good things. Even at 29 I think I’m still young for a centre-back, but I’m in a good moment.

“I’m so happy with the new things that are coming and I think I’m ready to take it. At the moment, [my ambition] is to give everything I have inside, try to do my best to help the club and the team. After that, anything can happen. I don’t set a limit. The worst thing you can do is set a limit.”

Bayern Munich are set to take on Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Arena on Saturday in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich come into this fixture fresh off a 1-0 win over Oliver Glasner’s Eintracht Frankfurt in the league. A second-half goal from former Schalke and Manchester City winger and Germany international Leroy Sane secured victory for Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich.

Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, beat Frank Kramer’s Arminia Bielefeld 3-0 in the Bundesliga. A first-half goal from Argentina striker Lucas Alario and a second-half brace from France international Moussa Diaby sealed the deal for Gerardo Seoane’s Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen head to head

In 32 direct confrontations between the two teams, Bayern Munich have a clear advantage. They have won 20 games, lost six and drawn six.

The two clubs last met last year in the Bundesliga, with Bayern Munich beating Bayer Leverkusen 5-1. First-half braces from Polish superstar Robert Lewandowski and winger Serge Gnabry and a goal from experienced striker Thomas Muller secured victory for Bayern Munich.

Guide to Bayern Munich Bundesliga forms: WWWW

Guide to Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga forms: WLWWW

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Team News

Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann will not be able to call on the services of Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies and French midfielder Corentin Tolisso. There are doubts over the availability of former Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka, striker Thomas Muller and experienced goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. French central defender Lucas Hernandez is suspended.

Hurt: Alphonso Davies, Corentin Tolisso

Doubtful: Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Leon Goretzka

Suspended: Lucas Hernández

Bayer Leverkusen

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will be without experienced winger Karim Bellarabi and Russian goalkeeper Andrey Lunyov. There are doubts over the availability of veteran Austrian midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger and Czech striker Patrik Schick. Other than that, there are no known issues and manager Gerardo Seoane should have a fully fit squad at his disposal.

Hurt: Andrey Lunyov, Karim Bellarabi

Doubtful: Julian Baumgartlinger, Patrik Schick

Suspended: Any

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Predicted XI

Bayern Munich Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sven Ulreich, Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, Niklas Sule, Omar Richards, Joshua Kimmich, Marcel Sabitzer, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Robert Lewandowski

Bayer Leverkusen Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Lukas Hradecky, Jérémie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba, Mitchel Bakker, Charles Aranguiz, Exequiel Palacios, Moussa Diaby, Florian Wirtz, Kerem Demirbay, Lucas Alario

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Prediction

Bayern Munich, as expected, top the table and are set to win the Bundesliga again. Their domestic dominance has become the norm now, and it’s hard to see what will stop them.

Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, are 3rd in the league and have won four of their last five league games. They have done well this season, with young midfielder Florian Wirtz in particular impressive.

Bayern Munich will be the favourites.

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Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Bayer Leverkusenr Leverkusenr Leverkusenr Leverkusen

“Regarding the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final in Saint Petersburg, we would like to inform you that UEFA is continuously monitoring the situation closely and that any decision would be taken in due course if necessary. UEFA has no further comment at this time,” a UEFA spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Wednesday England teams would have to boycott May’s final – if they succeed – following Russia’s actions.

Four English teams – Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool – are among the 16 teams remaining in this year’s competition.

Russian and Ukrainian teams in UEFA and FIFA competitions

There are no more Ukrainian teams in any of UEFA’s major men’s or women’s club competitions, while there are no Russian clubs left in the men’s or women’s UEFA Champions League or the men’s UEFA Conference League .

Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg are, however, one of two remaining teams in the men’s UEFA Europa League competition. They are set to play the second leg of their round of 16 knockout tie against Real Betis in Spain on Thursday. Zenit are currently trailing 3-2 in the draw.

Spartak Moscow have already qualified for the Round of 16 by finishing top of their group in the group stages.

UEFA also announced that it had taken the decision to postpone the UEFA Youth League Round of 16 match between Dynamo Kyiv and Sporting Lisbon, which was due to be played in Kyiv on March 2.

The match is now due to take place a week later on March 9, with UEFA adding that it “is in contact with both clubs for any further decision”.

On the international stage, Russia are set to host Poland in a men’s semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on March 24. The match is scheduled to take place at the VTB Arena in Moscow.

The winner of that encounter would then face either Sweden or the Czech Republic at home on March 29 for a place in the November final.

Ukraine are also in the playoffs. He is due to face Scotland in Glasgow on March 24 in the semi-finals and, if he were victorious, he would then be absent again in Wales or Austria on March 29 to secure a place in Qatar.

FIFA told CNN it is “monitoring the situation”.

Manchester City and Ukraine star Oleksandr Zinchenko took to social media on Tuesday to express his support for Ukrainians amid escalating tensions with Russia.

“My country belongs to the Ukrainians and no one can ever take it over. We will not give up! Glory to Ukraine.”

Russia and Ukraine are also due to play their next round of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 qualifiers in April.

Russia will face away matches in Montenegro and Malta on April 7 and 12, respectively, while Ukraine are set to host Scotland and Hungary in Kyiv on April 8 and 12, respectively.

Dare we say that the managerial climate of the Premier League has stabilized somewhat?

Following a 2020/21 campaign where there were excessively few coaching changes in the English top flight, ax swinging and P45 distribution have returned to their normal pace for the 2021/22 season.

Whether this is due to fans returning to stadiums or clubs feeling safer on the other side of lockdowns remains to be seen, but there has been no shortage of layoffs in recent months.

Premier League dismissals

While only Slaven Bilic, Frank Lampard, Jose Mourinho and Chris Wilder were sent off last time out, there have been no less than eight changes during the current campaign. Ouch.

However, with the teams battling for relegation and the top four stragglers having managed not to press the panic button, there’s reason to believe there won’t be many more cuts and changes. .

Well, at least not for a while, because you have a feeling that any drastic change now would be such a desperate roll of the dice that few managers would be able to make a big impact by May.

Who will leave next?

If anything, it makes the moment even more appropriate for us to zoom out and consider just how secure each of the 20 Premier League managers really are in their current positions.

Sure, we know Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp are safe and Roy Hodgson will inevitably be sacked in the near future, but what about Marcelo Bielsa, Sean Dyche or Thomas Frank?

Fear not, ladies and gentlemen, because we have the answers to all your managerial questions with the UK’s biggest bookmakers always offering odds on who will be the next manager to bite the bullet.

Premier League manager most likely to leave next

So, to get a clearer picture of the managerial climate with no obvious layoffs on the horizon, we turned to SkyBet’s odds for ‘next Premier League manager to go’ this season.

All ratings correct at time of writing and the ‘No Manager To Leave’ option is currently at 4/1 for additional context, but other than that be sure to dive into the full 20 boss rankings below. below:

20. Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool) – 150/1

=18. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) – 100/1

=18. Bruno Lage (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – 100/1

=15. Steven Gerrard (Aston Villa) – 66/1

=15. Patrick Vieira (Crystal Palace) – 66/1

=15. David Moyes (West Ham United) – 66/1

=13. Ralph Hasenhuttl (Southampton) – 50/1

=13. Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) – 50/1

=11. Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea) – 40/1

=11. Graham Potter (Brighton & Hove Albion) – 40/1

10. Thomas Frank (Brentford) – 25/1

=6. Ralf Rangnick (Manchester United) – 20/1

=6. Frank Lampard (Everton) – 20/1

=6. Eddie Howe (Newcastle United) – 20/1

=6. Dean Smith (Norwich City) – 20/1

=4. Sean Dyche (Burnley) – 12/1

=4. Roy Hodgson (Watford) – 12/1

3. Antonio Conte (Tottenham Hotspur) – 10/1

2. Marcelo Biesla (Leeds United) – 7/1

1. Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City) – 4/5

Rodgers under pressure at Leicester

So there you have it, Rodgers is currently seen as the most likely Premier League manager to leave and probably via the sack considering Leicester’s current form.

There has been added pressure on Rodgers since his Foxes side went from back-to-back assaults on the Champions League places to stumbling on their own feet in mid-table with more defeats than Burnley.

Elsewhere, Conte finishing third is certainly eye-catching and we can only assume the reason for this is that his continued dissatisfaction with the Spurs squad might prompt him to throw in the towel.

Meanwhile, that pretty much says it all about Watford’s managerial politics, with Hodgson already being one of the hottest contenders to lose his job, despite also proving the most recent appointment.

Lampard is already feeling the pressure at Everton, Dyche’s dynasty at Burnley could be coming to an end, Arteta continues to support Arsenal and Lage’s rankings are testament to his fantastic work at Molineux.

So all in all it’s a fascinating update on the lay of the pitch as far as Premier League managers are concerned, as even a quiet moment of reflection like now can quickly snowball into drama and revolution. Stay tuned.

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Bundesliga duo Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are said to have ‘joined the transfer pursuit’ for Arsenal target Armando Broja.

After a brief stint at Tottenham Hotspur, Broja rose through the ranks at Chelsea.

The 20-year-old made his senior debut for the Blues as a late substitute against Everton in March 2020.

Warnock talks shit – Chelsea are ‘lucky’, not Azpilicueta

This is Broja’s only appearance for Chelsea. He impressed for Vitesse last season and is currently on loan at Southampton.

The Albania international has scored six goals for Saints in 20 Premier League appearances.

Chelsea are under no pressure to sell their striker as he is under contract until 2026.

It was revealed earlier this week that Arsenal are interested in him.

The sun now report that Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have now ‘joined the hunt’ for Broja. They say the Bundesliga duo are ‘monitoring their progress’.

Kevin Campbell suggested that Broja might be difficult to get out of Stamford Bridge:

“The problem is that with Chelsea they have so many players,” Campbell said.

“They could well say they don’t want to sell it to a rival. But if the youngster wants a career, he won’t want to be on loan all the time or stuck in the reserves – he’ll want to move.

“I don’t know how strong the interest is, but he’s certainly performing brilliantly at Southampton. He looks like a good handful and he’s a young striker, which fits Arsenal’s model in this moment.

“I don’t know what their stance is on selling to a top four rival, but Chelsea won’t be able to please everyone this summer – that’s for sure.”

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards was blown away by Broja’s performance against Man Utd as Southampton drew 1-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Richards was impressed with his ability to intimidate two experienced centre-backs, he told BBC Sport: “Broja, I know we’ve mentioned it before, but he’s not only intimidating Maguire but he’s also intimidating Varane, that that I couldn’t.” completely understandable for someone so young.