Key events
Sad news reaches us of the death of Colin Addison, a name you might recall from probably the greatest FA Cup shock of all, non-league Hereford United beating Newcastle 2-1 in 1972, as the club’s play-manager. Addison also coached Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid, as a exceedingly well-travelled coach. He also played for York, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal and Sheffield United. He was 85.
He spoke to Jamie Jackson in 2007 for the below piece.
Every day I walk through the town someone mentions it. I’m from Somerset, but I’m adopted here. They named a street after me, Addison Court. That was nice. Five years ago I went back to St James’ Park for the first time. I saw Malcolm Macdonald. The fag fell out his mouth and he said: ‘Fucking hell, not you again!’
Alex Whitney gets in touch: “There has been, understandably, a lot of talk about the (arguably) bigger teams struggling against low blocks this season. Arsenal relying on too many set piece goals as a result, etc etc. But tell me – which teams have recently been playing well against low blocks? Aside from De Bruyne-era City, can someone enlighten me as to who Chelsea in this example should model themselves after?”
Here’s our collation of the weekend tean news.
Packed Premier League festive schedule announced
The Premier League has announced the festive season fixture schedule. There will be just one match on Boxing Day, Manchester United taking on Newcastle, a Friday night fixture at 8pm, with a full weekend to follow. Further match days follow on 30 December, where six matches will be played in the evening, and then four on 1 January. After that, games over the weekend of 3 and 4 January, and then a midweek round played over Tuesday 6 January, Wednesday 7 January. To close out, on 8 January, Arsenal v Liverpool.
And then it’s the FA Cup…
Here’s today’s Football Daily, on the touchy subject of AI, penned by, well, me actually.
Jacob Steinberg previews Saturday’s west London derby.
This is a hard game to read. Spurs are five points off first place and unbeaten in the Champions League. Chelsea are world champions and reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup this week. However, fans of both sides remain unconvinced by Frank and Maresca. Spurs supporters have grumbled about a lack of creativity when the onus is on their team to attack; Chelsea’s moan about their young side’s immaturity, indiscipline and toils against low blocks.
Fulham v Wolves on Saturday has the look of a relegation six-pointer, with Marco Silva’s team losing the last four matches. They have suffered for their lack of signings last summer. Silva isn’t quite using Brendan Rodgers’ “Honda Civic” metaphor but the message to owner Shad Khan is fairly explicit.
“Something we didn’t do in August, we should have done. It’s not the moment to talk about it. With all our players, we will be strong and competitive. But results speak louder. We have to be prepared for January.”
Cristian Romero will be back for Tottenham when they face Chelsea tomorrow evening. Thomas Frank: “The positive news is that Romero, Destiny (Udogie) and Wilson (Odobert) are available for selection for Saturday. I am very aware of trying to be able to take the best possible decisions. Of course in the end I will get a lot of information from medical staff, performance staff, but in the end it is always on me.
“If a player breaks down, it is on me. It is not on the medical staff, not on the performance staff, always me. I take decisions, I get all the information and then I have to take a difficult choice or a braver choice, or an easy choice, so that is it. If Romero was fit enough, he would have been involved on Wednesday (against Newcastle), but he is ready to be involved and let’s see how he is.”
Pep has also been talking about his assistants. “I think not me, Man City, Pep Lijnders and Kolo [Toure] and James [French] on set-pieces, it is a joy to work with them. It is a joy to work with them and I am so happy. I was in the past but we are talking this season.
“I am learning a lot. The most important thing for me is people that can add something to my knowledge as a manager and I have it. We talk a lot and that is so nice because it is why you are a manager. Football is not just the pleasure of playing, it is to talk as well and how we can help the team. I feel embrace for all of them and that is all I can ask.”
Guardiola: no dominant team in the Premier League
Jamie Jackson
Pep Guardiola has compared the Premier League’s competitiveness to the NBA (America’s National Basketball Association) due to there being “no dominant team in the last four or six years”. While Manchester City’s manager added that “everyone can beat anyone”, there has been a dominant side: his, as apart from last term when Liverpool were champions, City claimed the title for in a record four consecutive years – 2020-21 to ‘23-24. Guardiola’s point may be that in those seasons Liverpool and Arsenal were always serious challengers to City.
He said: “The Premier League has always been like this, all the teams can beat each other, it is good. At some point like the NBA, there is not a dominant team in the last four or five or six years. There is always one different team and everyone can beat everyone. I think for the spectator and for the show of the Premier League it is really, really good.
“I remember when I was in [Bayern] Munich or Barcelona, I always heard the rumours that in England, everyone could beat everyone. I always had that sense. Maybe Liverpool and ourselves in the past changed that dynamic because we were so consistent in terms of points and arriving every season with 90, 90, 90 points, close to 100 points.”
While the NBA has been claimed by six different franchises since 2020 – the LA Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma Thunder – Guardiola believes City are close to being near their very best again.
“Still, we are not at our best, but we are close. I think I had the feeling, I said a month ago that these words would be completely devastating if you don’t get results. I know that, but I had the feeling when I see the team, when I see in the dressing room, in the trainings, and how we apply, how we want to try to do things, I had the feeling,” said the manager. “[And] that when I think Rodri can come [to] his best, that he will not be soon at his best, but he can help us, and alongside all the alternatives I can have, we will be a team that will be difficult for the opponents to beat us, and this is what I want. Will we be still close to the fight [for the title then]? I don’t know.”
City are in fifth place, six points behind Arsenal, and host second-place Bournemouth in Sunday’s late game. Guardiola said that Rodri may be available to play some part following a hamstring problem. “I think he will be ready to help us. I dunno from the beginning but hopefully with us,” said the manager.
Handover: John Brewin is here to see you down the home straight. Be gentle with him.
Leeds United: Ao Tanaka has been told not to be too self-critical by his manager Daniel Farke after the Japan midfielder claimed he was currently “not good enough” for the Premier League. Tanaka gave a harsh appraisal of his own performance in last week’s home win against West Ham in a radio interview, having returned to the starting line-up following a spell out through injury.
The 27-year-old sustained an MCL injury in the 5-0 defeat at Arsenal in August and then had to be patient due to the form of Sean Longstaff and Anton Stach in his absence.
“I like it if someone is humble and self-critical and puts the crossbar for his demands really high,” said Farke. “I quite like that because normally in this business it’s the other way round. But he doesn’t have to say this, not at all. There’s no reason to be so self-critical because Ao was fantastic for us in the Championship and it’s his first time in a top division and he has a point to prove there.”
Farke said Tanaka was in his starting line-up for the opening-day win against Everton after “a fantastic pre-season” and cannot be blamed for his injury. PA Media
Burnley v Arsenal: Scott Parker believes Burnley can take confidence from their previous clashes with the Premier League’s elite sides ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with table-topping Arsenal. Burnley have already faced Tottenham, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City since their return to the top flight this summer and have lost all four games. They did, however, run both Liverpool and Manchester United very close.
“Every single game we’ve been involved in this [season], there have been parts of games where I look at us and I think, ‘We’re hugely competitive here, we’re right in this game’,” said Parker. “It’s a squad constantly learning, I do see a progression. At the weekend [a 3-2 win at Wolves] I thought it was the best we’ve played with the ball. It’s those experiences that we’ve been through that are improving us and hopefully we keep nudging on.”
Burnley have beaten Sunderland, Leeds and Wolves this season and Parker has called on home fans to play their part at Turf Moor this weekend. “While we’re up against a very good team, we need to have a real understanding of what this team don’t want to face,” he said.
“We’re going to need to bring absolutely humongous energy into this stadium, our players are going to need to bring unbelievable spirit, and, with that, we’ll try and make it as uncomfortable [as we can] and try and get a result.”
Fulham v Wolves: Although you wouldn’t know it going by their results, Vitor Pereira is convinced he has the solution to his side’s woes and knows exactly what they need to do to drag themselves away from the foot of the table.
“I know a way to change the current situation and the answer is to work hard every day,” he says. “I’m trying to convince my team that we have quality and convince them to keep their energy up. We have to go into the next game against Fulham with ambition. We have to increase our tactical organisation. We need to keep fighting because I think we deserve a result from the way that we work.”
To be fair, I’m inclined to agree with Vitor. While Wolves are no great shakes, I don’t think they’re among the three worst sides in the top flight, despite their lowly status. I also think they’re due a win and will see off Fulham tomorrow afternoon but other opinions are available.
Fulham v Wolves: Bottom of the table and still looking for their first win of the season, Wolves got knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Chelsea in midweek, despite a spirited comeback after going 3-0 down. Last weekend, Wolves lost another nail-biter against Burnley, losing 3-2 in added time after overturning a two-goal deficit. Following that particular game, both Jorgen Strand Larsen and the team’s head coach Vitor Pereira had to be ushered away from unhappy fans after Getting Into It with them in an impromptu post-match debrief.
“Jorgen went over to thank the supporters,” said Pereira this afternoon, when asked about the incident. “I felt my players gave everything to win the game, but right at the end they committed a mistake to lose the game.
“I went over to explain that we are fighting and fighting, but we must fight together. I understand the frustration [from the fans] because I’m also frustrated. The Carabao Cup result wasn’t the result we wanted either, but I felt a connection between the supporters and the team again, which is important to me.”
West Ham v Newcastle United: Yet to win under Nuno Espirito Santo, their second manager of the season, West Ham host Newcastle on Sunday afternoon and their Portuguese head coach, who already has about him the air of a man who knows he’s made a terrible error of judgement in taking over from Graham Potter, has been issuing some team news.
Central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos will be out for “another couple of weeks” with a thigh injury, while Oliver Scarles will be sidelined until December after undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury. German striker Niclas Fullkrug also remains absent with a thigh injury.
Sunderland v Everton: Having come up through the playoffs, Sunderland are riding high in fourth place and host Everton on Monday night at the Stadium of Light in a match many people will be expecting them to win. In Enzo Le Fez, Noah Sadiki, Nordi Mukiele, Habib Diarra and Chemsine Talbi, to name but a few of their 14 summer signings, the eartly signs suggest that Sunderland did some excellent business in the transfer window over the summer but arguably the pick of the bunch of new recruits, given the experience he brings to this young squad, has been Granit Xhaka. The Swiss veteran’s arrival at the Stadium of Light from Bayer Leverkusen raised more than a few eyebrows and Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has been talking up the club captain.
“To be competitive at that level, you need to own the performance on the pitch,” he said. “Granit helps a lot because he can manage different elements on the pitch. He’s not alone but he gives hope and faith that we can win. He shows it, tells it in the dressing room. The target as a coach is this, you don’t want to be the main man, this is not my purpose. I want to give knowledge, power, responsibility to the squad because you have to manage the game in real time. We have other players on the pitch able to manage micro situations, not just Granit. We are able to improve our level, to be more flexible and more adaptable.”
Reading: Sacked from his position as head coach last weekend after a 1-1 draw with Doncaster left Reading 19th in League One, Noel Hunt has released a statement through the League Managers’ Association.
“I am disappointed to have left the club so early into the League One season, especially with so much still to play for,” it says. “When I took over as manager of Reading almost a year ago, the club was facing an incredibly difficult and uncertain period. The ownership situation was unstable, we were operating under a transfer embargo, and we had lost several key members of the squad. At that time, the very survival of the club was in jeopardy.
“Despite those challenges, I am immensely proud of the progress we made together – stabilising the club, rebuilding belief, and creating a strong and united team that came within touching distance of the play-offs on the final day of the season.
“Over the summer, we had hoped to build on those foundations. Unfortunately, circumstances meant we once again faced the huge task of rebuilding, with 15 players and key members of my backroom staff leaving before pre-season began.
“Even so, I was confident in the group we were developing. The squad was growing stronger each week, and with 32 league games still to play, I truly believed we were on the path to a successful season. While I am naturally disappointed by the club’s decision, I would like to thank everyone connected with Reading Football Club – the staff, my coaching team, and especially the players – for their loyalty, hard work, and professionalism throughout my time there.”
Hunt has been replaced by Leam Richardson, 45, who signed a deal to manage the Royals until June 2027 and brought James Beattie and Danny Shcolfield to the Select Car Leasing Stadium as part of his coaching staff.
More news! Andoni Iraola, David Moyes, Thomas Frank and the beleaguered Vitor Perira are all due to rock the pre-match mic about now. Having masterminded just one win in seven games ahead of Everton’s trip to Sunderland’s Stadium of Light on Monday night, is it too soon to suggest that the Moyes rump might be inching closer to the bacon slicer?
I predicted relegation for Everton on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast before a ball was kicked this season and was absolutely hammered for it by irate Toffees on social media. I’ve since been surprised by how decent they look at times with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye on either flank, but they really need to get one or both of their underperforming strikers firing. Going on the evidence of what we’ve seen so far from Beto and Thierno Barry this season, it’s a big IF. Everton have already lost against one promoted side in Leeds, if they were to lose to another on Monday, their fans might start getting restless.
Brighton v Leeds United: Daniel Farke staged his pre-match press conference yesterday and said that apart from Willy Gnonto, who is back in training after surgery on a hernia, his squad has a clean bill of health going into tomorrow’s match on the south coast. Several Leeds players had been laid low with an illness last week. Gabriel Gudmonson is also available after recovering from a dead leg he suffered in Leeds’ win over West Ham last Friday. “We are in a way better position,” he said. “I have nothing to report or complain about. Everyone is training and available.”
Farke said he was reasonably happy with the 11 points his side have hoovered up so far from their nine games this season but added that they should have more. “I would be a bit more relaxed if we had taken all the points we deserved from those matches,” he said. “We should be on 15 to 17 points already and, if that was the case, the sun would shine even more. We’re on a good path, but survival isn’t a guarantee. We need around nine or 10 wins to stay up.”
Arsenal injury news: Mikel Arteta told reporters that William Saliba remains a doubt after missing his side’s Carabao Cup win over Brighton, while Gabriel Martinelli is definitely out for tomorrow’s trip to Turf Moor. Arteta was pleased to report that Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are all expectedf to be fit for the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 23 November, following the next interational break.
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea: Spurs host Chelsea in what recent history suggests could be a right old ding-dong tomorrow evening, not least due to Chelsea’s almost chronic inability to keep their full complement of players on the pitch. Despite being third in the table, questions remain over Tottenham under Thomas Frank with detractors pointing out that the fixture list has been kind to them so far. Spurs have “only” beaten Burnley, Manchester City, West Ham, Leeds and Everton. In Chelsea, they welcome a team who have won on five of their six visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“Tottenham are doing very good, they won the Europa League last season and started good this season,” said Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca. “Because it’s a derby it will for sure be a difficult game.” Insightful stuff, there.
Burnley v Arsenal: Mikel Arteta has also had his say on the fact that none of the promoted sides are in the relegation zone after nine rounds of matches. “More than ever the level is increasing, year after year,” he said. “Better structure, better organisation, better decision-making from clubs and managers, better players. It tells you the difficulty of that. When you look at teams and the way they have behaved – how they have earned points or lost points – it is because of small margins. That is the reality in this league.”
Brighton v Leeds: Brighton host Leeds at the Amex Stadium tomorrow afternoon and ahead of the game, Hurzeler was asked if he is surprised by how well Daniel Farke’s side have done since winning promotion from the second tier. Leeds currently sit in 15th place, six points clear of a drop zone in which all three promoted sides are conspicuous by their absence.
“For me it’s not a surprise,” he said. “If you saw Leeds playing last season in the Championship it was already impressive. Then of course they have added new players – everyone who has been promoted this season has spent good money, especially like Sunderland. They’re all doing well which means the league is getting more and more competitive and equal. Just look at the table to see how close it is – a sign that the league is getting more and more competitive.”
Brighton v Leeds: Can Brighton’s evergreen striker Danny Welbeck, 34, play for England? His head coach Fabian Hurzeler and teammates seem to think so. “I just asked the question to the squad whether Danny can play for England and they all agreed,” said the German during his press conference this morning. “That was the only time we’ve mentioned it. Let’s see what happens. I’m very convinced for my players and I have a big belief that Danny will be able to play for England but I always try to emphasise that England has a great coach and he will make the right decisions. Let’s see.”
Obviously, press conference quotes can often be regurgitated out of context by unscrupulous journalists but one presumes Hurzeler was asking his players if they think Welbeck is still good enough to play for England and wasn’t looking for their permission to let him do so in the event of a call-up from Thomas Tuchel. Welbeck has represented his country 42 times but last played for them in a 1-0 friendly win over Switzerland in September 2018, more than seven years ago. He was replaced after 61 minutes at Wembley by Jesse Lingard.
That’s the end of my spell. I’m off for a cuppa. So here’s Barry Glendenning to take the reins.
Here’s a bit more from Arteta on his selection dilemmas amid the increase in depth at Arsenal this season:
In terms of the decision with certain players when you don’t allow them to play, [it] is the hardest part in our job. But they acknowledge that as well. At the end, when they make decisions – some good, some bad – I don’t judge them on every decision that they make. We cannot do that. So the other way around, this cannot happen.
We are dealing with it in a really positive way and you can see the consequences in the impact that every player who is not playing is having when they play – the way they are performing. The way you do that is by good preparation and a good mental state.
Uefa reveals interest in bids for 2028 and 2029 European finals
Uefa has confirmed it has received declarations of interest from 15 different venues associations to host the 2028 and 2029 Champions League, Europa League, Conference League and Women’s Champions League finals.
Although these are not binding at this stage – and final bids must be submitted by 10 June next year – it seems the 2028 men’s Champions League final will be staged in Munich as that is the only current bidder, with Wembley and the Camp Nou the main contenders to host it in 2029.
Cardiff and Dublin are among the contenders to stage the 2029 Women’s Champions League final, with Lyon, Bilbao, Basel and Istanbul the 2028 bidders.
There are a whole host of bidders for the 2028 and 2029 Europa League and Conference League finals, from countries like France, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Poland and Romania, among others.
10 things! From Burnley’s Q, Arne Slot’s selection issues, to Jordan Pickford’s joyous return to Wearside:
Arteta: clubs could pull out of cups amid fixture congestion
Ed Aarons
Mikel Arteta has warned that clubs could consider pulling out of competitions if fixture congestion is not resolved.
The EFL has yet to confirm when Arsenal’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Crystal Palace will take place, with 16 December having been earmarked. A game then would leave Palace facing three fixtures in five days, and talks are understood to be ongoing over when the game will be scheduled.
“Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things: player welfare and then supporters,” Arteta said. “That’s it. And the rest has to come very, very far away from that.”
Asked whether big clubs could decide to prioritise some competitions if the problem gets worse, the Arsenal manager said: “I hope we don’t go [that far]. If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won’t get there. If we don’t and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.”
I’m not sure whether to be impressed or depressed by this.
One day in the off season, I was writing things into ChatGPT like, ‘what is Seattle Reign’s identity?’ And it would spurt it out. And I was like ‘I don’t know if that’s true or not. And then I put in ‘what formation should you play to beat NWSL teams?’ and it spurted out every team in the league and what formation you should play. And for two teams, it went ‘you should play a back five.’ So I did. No joke, that’s why I did it.
Newcastle fans have been hoping to see summer signing Yoane Wissa in action soon, but Howe’s latest update on the former Brentford striker was not overly optimistic.
He said: “He’s on the grass and working but he definitely won’t be involved on Sunday. I’d say he’s not close to training with the group due to fitness. I’m not trying to be evasive but I don’t know when the moment will be when he’s back with the squad.”
Oh dear.
Eddie Howe is up next. And the Newcastle manager has been saying what everyone else has been thinking about their weekend opponents, West Ham.
The thing I would say from looking at the squad they have got is they have a group of very good players. There is no doubting the quality of the players they have got, especially in attacking areas.
Lucas Paquetá, Jarrod Bowen, Niclas Füllkrug… yep West Ham do have some top players. So why have they been so bad this season? They’ve got four points, and one win, in nine games this term.
There’s been a bit of back-and-forth between Amorim and Sean Dyche – largely over comments Dyche made a while back, claiming he “bet [he] could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2,” amid that ongoing debate about Amorim’s 3-4-3.
“Maybe it’s true that if we play 4-4-2 we win more games,” Amorim said. “But I always said that I have a way of playing that is going to take a while, but in the future it’s going to be better. I can look at Sean Dyche as a manager and as a pundit. If you are a pundit and you don’t say very strong things, I don’t want to watch you. So I understand that it’s a completely different job. I know that Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game.”
Dyche did clarify his comments.
The Nottingham Forest boss added: “Clickbait kills everything, it changes the whole story. I’m sure Man United have got a big enough press department to watch that whole interview, because I equally said managers should be given time.”
Here’s what Amorim said about his year in the Manchester United hot-seat:
It was a journey, a big journey. It was tough, really tough, good moments and bad moments. I learned a lot that is really important. I found out that even in my lower moments I can stick with the things I believe and that is a good thing for anyone to understand. Today the answer is different from three weeks ago. One of the biggest honours of my life to be here and I want to continue here for many years.
It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a year since Manchester United appointed Ruben Amorim.
After three successive wins of late, including that first victory at Anfield against Liverpool for almost 10 years, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’s faith in Amorim suddenly feels farsighted.
Rob Draper has dived deeper into the past 12 months at Old Trafford. And in the upcoming posts we’ll hear what Amorim said in his press conference before United’s trip to Nottingham Forest tomorrow.
Paquetá warned for failing to comply with FA
West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá has been reprimanded and warned as to his future conduct over his failure to co-operate with a Football Association investigation into spot-fixing allegations.
Paquetá was cleared of four spot-fixing charges by an independent commission in July, but the commission did find he had failed to comply with a requirement to answer questions and provide information to the FA’s investigation.
The FA later confirmed it would not appeal against the commission’s decision to clear the Brazilian of the four spot-fixing charges. PA Media
Cheers Yara. There are loads more Premier League press conferences for us to get stuck into this morning …
My short stint has come to an end but Dominic Booth is here to bring you the latest.
Newcastle: More from Howe on the challenge of West Ham, who are winless since 31 August.
They have a group of very good players, especially in the attacking areas, we are going to have our work cut out to limit the space for their attacking talent. Our away form has not been strong enough and we want to put that right in this game.
And on the possibility of winning back-to-back games:
It would be huge for us. It’s only with back-to-back wins that we are going to propel ourselves.
It’s so tight. There are a lot of teams congested where we are, you are looking for one positive result to try to elevate you.
Newcastle: Eddie Howe has given an update on Lewis Hall and the rest of his squad’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s trip to West Ham.
[Lewis Hall] is very close. He hasn’t trained with us yet so hopefully he will be training with us today for the first time. We will see how he looks. I think he has worked really hard. He has looked after himself and looks in really good shape. But then we have to reintroduce himself back into the squad at the right time.
I don’t think there is anything new. We are still managing Will Osula’s ankle problem. We will see how he is today, but apart from that I think we are as we were.
FA Cup: A quick turn to tonight’s meeting between Luton Town and Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup first round. Both sides will wear kits made by the eco-conscious brand Reflo and to mark the occasion, Reflo says it will plant 1,000 trees for every goal scored at Kenilworth Road, with a minimum of 1,000 trees guaranteed regardless of the result. The initiative is designed to highlight the growing intersection between football and environmental responsibility, particularly among clubs that have made sustainability part of their identity.
Forest Green Rovers, long known as the world’s first fully vegan football club, are celebrating ten years since that milestone this season. Their kits are also certified by the Vegan Society. Luton Town have launched tree-planting schemes of their own as part of their broader push toward greener practices, including plans for an environmentally conscious new stadium at Power Court.
On the pitch, two former Premier League players-turned-managers, Jack Wilshere and Robbie Savage, face off in the dugouts with a spot in the second round and a few thousand trees at stake.
Liverpool: The defending champions take on Villa this weekend before hosting Real Madrid in the Champions League. Their final game before the November international break will be away to Manchester City. Here is what Slot said on the challenge Villa posses:
If you don’t win the beginning, people say: ‘oh maybe they don’t have the same team as last season’ and then they start winning and everything is positive again. Where with us, it’s exactly the opposite.
We’re both on the same points, apart from Arsenal many teams are in and around the same points. It shows how hard the Premier League is.
They’ve done very well in the last six or seven games. And maybe it’s not a surprise and you could see in the games they lost before the signs that they are a very good team.
They decided not to make a habit out of having more chances than the opponent and not win it. Let’s make sure we don’t have that habit.
The Dutchman also provided some team news:
Ryan [Gravenberch] trained with us yesterday. The other two [Curtis Jones and Alexander Isak] not yet.
In the end bit of an injury, things can slow down. Let’s see where the other two are.
Ryan trained with us for the first time yesterday, and will train with us today. Then we’ll make the call to see if he can start or not. The other two are probably 99.9% not in the squad on Saturday.
Liverpool: Slot is also asked whether he and the club are in negotiations for a contract extension.
This is the last question that I was expecting.
My focus is completely on getting Liverpool back to winning ways. That is my first answer and my second answer, contract talks, if they are even there, we never speak about this here.
Let us first start to win again, that is my main focus.
Liverpool: More from Slot on finding form.
The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality in the players and the chances these players are creating. This will result in the players scoring more goals than we have up until now.
We have to address other things. But if I talk about that and speak about them, people tell me I’m using excuses. So maybe it’s best that I just say that. There are other positives to go int this week – quality of the players first and foremost and the amount of chances we created from open play is enough to compete for the positions we want to compete for.
Slot ‘happy with quality of team’ despite dire Liverpool results
The Liverpool manager Arne Slot was asked whether he feels his squad depth is the reason his side have lost six of their last seven matches.
We miss nothing. I’m happy with the quality of the team. But I’m also convinced by the strategy and policy we have. What makes it ‘the issue’ – not all of them have had a proper pre-season. When three or four are injured, you go down to having 16 players.
I am a firm believer in 21 or 22 players are enough. But you have to keep them fit as we did last season. We are struggling to keep them fit this season for in my opinion, obvious reasons.
[Alexander Isak] came to us on 1 September. A few others missed out in pre-season. It has been more difficult than last season to keep them more available. When players are not available, it [workload] comes down more to the same players.
But no excuses for results. We had to play a lot of away games with only two days in between. That would have been difficult last season, and for any player that has been fit this season through pre-season. But it has not been the case this season.
Then you have to manage it. The upcoming week is three games in eight days. It has nothing to do with squad depth, but it has how we have run through the season in terms of injuries, availability every two or three days.
Preamble
Another spine-tingling weekend of football is upon us. Join us as we preview a frightful round of fixtures from the Premier League, FA Cup, Women’s Super League and more with team news and key press conferences.
Arne Slot’s press conference ahead of Liverpool’s match against Aston Villa is underway and the defending champions’ form leaves much to be desired. Will they rise from the grave? Or will Unai Emery’s men join the list of teams haunting Anfield’s faithful?
