Month: September 2020

Arsenal will go into Monday’s clash against Liverpool with the hope to end their long unbeaten run in the Premier League at Anfield.

It is the first of two meetings between Liverpool and Arsenal in the space of four days as they will square off again in the Carabao Cup on Thursday.

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 60 Premier League games stretching back to April 2017 – the third-longest such streak in English top-flight history. 

Also, it means Liverpool are fast closing in on second place on that list, a 63-game run they managed themselves which ended in December 1980.

It is a big task for Arsenal as they search for a first Premier League win at Anfield since a 2-0 win back in 2012 following strikes from Lucas Podolski and Santi Cazorla.

However, the Gunners will be banking on their recent impressive form against the Reds after recording victories in their last two meetings in the league last season and the Community Shield.

Both sides have won two from two in the league so far this term, meaning that at least one of their perfect records must go in the final match of gameweek three.

Jurgen Klopp’s side did not look quite as invincible when they welcomed newly-promoted Leeds United to Merseyside in their last home game, surrendering the lead on three separate occasions before Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick heroics eventually sealed a 4-3 victory.

They have now conceded three or more goals in consecutive home league games for the first time since September 1982, and Arsenal will fancy their chances of causing them more problems with the firepower at their disposal.

Meanwhile, on the injury front Liverpool are without captain Jordan Henderson for this match after he failed to fully recover from the injury which forced him off at half time against Chelsea.

Summer signing Thiago Alcantara could be set for his full debut as a result but the Spaniard missed training on Saturday to raise doubts over his own involvement.

Also, Liverpool are sweating over the fitness of Alisson Becker after he alongside Alcantara picked up knocks in training.

There is better news elsewhere on the injury front with Joe Gomez expected to be available after returning to training on Friday.

Gomez missed out last weekend and was replaced at the heart of the defence by Fabinho, who impressed but could return to his more natural midfield role for this match.

James Milner is a major doubt due to a calf strain, while Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are both confirmed absentees.

Arsenal have a number of injury problems themselves, but Kieran Tierney is expected to be fit after pulling out in the warm-up ahead of last weekend’s win over West Ham.

The former Celtic star will likely take the place of Sead Kolasinac in the back three, although David Luiz is now available again too, which could free Tierney up to move to left wing-back.

Lionel Messi scored a penalty as Ronald Koeman’s era as Barcelona boss began with a comfortable La Liga win over Villarreal.

Ansu Fati was the game’s outstanding player and scored Barca’s first two goals, with a first-time finish from a Jordi Alba ball and then a low drive from Philippe Coutinho’s pass.

He won the penalty which Messi scored.

Barca had the game wrapped up by half-time as Pau Torres turned Messi’s cross into his own net.

Unai Emery’s Villarreal offered little opposition, with their only shot on target coming in the final minute.

Messi is the sixth player to score a goal in 17 different La Liga seasons, joining Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, who joined that club on Saturday.

It was Messi’s first game since trying to leave his only club in the summer.

Messi, 33, submitted a transfer request – claiming he was allowed to leave for free because of a clause in his contract – but Barca said he could not leave for less than 700m euros.

He reluctantly announced he would stay because no team would pay that price, and he did not want to take the club to court.

He started in the centre but played on the right and left in a flexible front line.

European champions Bayern Munich suffered their first defeat since December when their 23-match winning run was ended by a shock 4-1 Bundesliga defeat at Hoffenheim on Sunday.

Hoffenheim, the current league leaders, raced into a 2-0 lead with early goals by defender Ermin Bicakcic and striker Munas Dabbur.

Although Joshua Kimmich gave Bayern a lifeline just before the break, Croatia international striker Andrej Kramaric netted a second-half goal and converted a late penalty to seal the win.

It was the first time Bayern have lost under head coach Hansi Flick in any competition since going down 2-1 to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Dec. 7, 2019.

Hoffenheim coach Sebastian Hoeness is the nephew of Bayern’s honorary president Uli Hoeness and left Munich’s reserves in July to take over at the new Bundesliga leaders.

Bayern looked tired in Hoffenheim, showing the effects of being taken to extra time in the UEFA Super Cup on Thursday before beating Sevilla 2-1 in Budapest.

The defeat brings to an abrupt end Bayern’s run of 23 consecutive wins, a record for a club in one of Europe’s five main leagues, surpassing Real Madrid’s 22 straight wins between September and December 2014.

With Robert Lewandowski rested ahead of Wednesday’s German Super Cup showdown at home to Borussia Dortmund — the chance to win a fifth title in 2020 — his 19-year-old understudy Joshua Zirkzee struggled to spark Bayern’s attack.

Hoffenheim took full advantage of Munich’s lethargy with Bicakcic giving them the lead on 16 minutes when he out-leapt Corentin Tolisso at a corner and headed past Manuel Neuer.

The hosts doubled their lead when Bayern defender Benjamin Pavard tried to snuff out a counter-attack, but his pass rolled into the path of Israeli striker Dabbur, who held his nerve to chip the ball over Neuer on 24 minutes.

It was the first time Bayern have been two goals down since they lost 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt in November 2019, a defeat which cost Flick’s predecessor Niko Kovac his job.

Bayern knuckled down and went in 2-1 down at the break after Leroy Sane’s superb pass across the box eventually landed at the feet of Kimmich who fired home superbly from the edge of the box on 36 minutes.

Hoffenheim could have had a third goal as their Croatia striker Andrei Kramaric clipped the crossbar after his shot beat Neuer on the stroke of half-time. Flick responded by beefing up his side by bringing on Lewandowski and central midfielder Leon Goretzka for Zirkzee and Pavard respectively on 57 minutes.

Lewandowski went close with a couple of half chances but Kramaric made sure of the win when he finished a counter-attack with a stunning strike on 77 minutes. With the visitors growing ever more desperate, Bayern conceded a penalty in added time when Neuer brought down replacement forward Ihlas Bebou in the area and Kramaric converted the resulting penalty.