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Manchester City chiefs are believed to be "crazy" about completing the signing of a massive talent who "fears nothing", as they look to pip Arsenal to his signature.

Man City transfer news

Pep Guardiola's treble winners may have an enviable amount of quality and depth in their squad currently, but they will always be looking to freshen things up when each summer transfer window arrives.

City have been linked with various signings in recent weeks and Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is still seen as a target, with the club reportedly stepping up their interest in the Brazilian.

Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini is also considered an option for the reigning Premier League champions, and City supporters may be even more buoyed by the fact that they want to snap him up from under the noses of rivals Manchester United. At just 20 years of age, the Italian has won an average of 2.9 aerial duels per game across 24 Serie A appearances this season, as well as 2.2 clearances and 1.9 tackles per match.

Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi has also been linked with a summer move to the Etihad, potentially being seen as a long-term replacement for Kyle Walker. There is an eight-year age gap between the pair, and the fact that the Moroccan can also play in midfield is likely to appeal to Guardiola, who likes versatility in his full-backs.

Man City want Michael Kayode

According to Fiorentina.it [via Sport Witness], Manchester City want to sign Fiorentina right-back Michael Kayode, and they are one of the clubs who are "crazy" about acquiring his services.

Arsenal are also strong suitors for the 19-year-old, while Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan are considered good options, too, should he decide he wants to remain in Italy for the time being.

Kayode could be a brilliant long-term signing for City, already becoming a regular for a big Italian club, not to mention being capped a total of 17 times for Italy at youth team level, representing the Under-21s, Under-19s and Under-18s.

He has been lauded by Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano in the recent past as well, who clearly rates him extremely highly.

Planning for the future is something that City have to be focusing on, ensuring that endless success continues to come the club's way long after Guardiola is eventually gone, and Kayode feels like a brilliant right-back option for many years to come.

Man City step up interest in “fantastic” star, Pep personally a "huge" fan

He’s been one of the outstanding midfielders in the league this season.

By
David Comerford

Feb 28, 2024

He could even come in alongside Hakimi, should Walker possibly move on, acting as an understudy to the current PSG man and continuing to mature as an all-round player.

Erik ten Hag is looking forward to new surprises as Manchester United kick off pre-season.

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• Ten Hag wants new players to surprise him
• Heaped praise on Mainoo and Garnacho
• Man Utd began pre-season on Monday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United boss Ten Hag claimed that he is looking forward to new players coming up and turning heroes for the club in the upcoming season just like Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho emerged as unlikely stars in the last campaign. Red Devils players, who are not on national team duties, regrouped on Monday as the club began pre-season at Carrington.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mainoo, in his first full season with the club, appeared in 35 matches across all competitions where he scored five times and provided three assists. Garnacho, on the other hand, established himself as a mainstay in Ten Hag's lineup in the 2023/24 campaign as he played 50 matches across all competitions scoring 10 goals and contributing with five assists. The duo's impressive outings earned them a call-up to their national teams – England and Argentina – for Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024 respectively.

• WHAT ERIK TEN HAG SAID

  Speaking to reporters, the Dutch coach said, "In every season, after a break, you will have surprises. We're looking forward, we're so curious: who is it this season, the surprise who can contribute to our team? Like last year, Kobbie Mainoo, and Alejandro Garnacho coming up and playing a big role. They are two goalscorers in the (FA Cup) final. Today we started (training), but which player is there who can do the same?"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  The reigning FA Cup champions are set to travel to the US later this month where they will play a series of friendly matches against clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool.

Chelsea could reportedly finally get rid of Romelu Lukaku as Napoli prepare for the potential departure of their star striker, Victor Osimhen.

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• Chelsea looking to sell Lukaku
• Napoli are keen on his services
• Osimhen could leave for PSG

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte is keen to have a new striker secured by July 25, when the team heads to their pre-season training camp. The urgency stems from the need to solidify the squad ahead of the new season – but Osimhen’s transfer needs to be finalised swiftly so that they can recycle that transfer money into acquiring Lukaku.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Meanwhile, reports that Lukaku has expressed a strong desire to reunite with Conte, under whom he previously played at Chelsea and Inter Milan. Lukaku has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with Napoli, earning €6.5 million (£5.5m/$7m) per year. However, a financial gap remains between Chelsea’s asking price and Napoli’s offer. Chelsea is holding out for €35 million (£29.5m/$38m) plus bonuses for the Belgian forward, while Napoli is looking to pay around €25 million (£21m/$27m).

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Osimhen's departure from Napoli has been a topic of speculation for months. The Nigerian striker has a hefty €130 million (£110m/$142m) release clause that has deterred potential buyers, including Chelsea and Arsenal. However, reports in Italy claim that Paris Saint-Germain have agreed on personal terms with Osimhen. The French club has offered the striker a lucrative five-year contract worth €14 million (£12m/$15m) annually. Despite this, PSG and Napoli have yet to reach a consensus on the transfer fee.

  Napoli's financial constraints, exacerbated by their absence from the Champions League, make it challenging to retain Osimhen, who commands €10 million (£8.5m/$11m)per year in wages. This vulnerability has prompted PSG to table an €85 million (£72m/$93m) bid, which will be turned down but opens the door for further negotiations.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  For Chelsea, offloading Lukaku would mark the end of a tumultuous chapter. The Belgian striker has had a mixed tenure at Stamford Bridge, and a move to Napoli could offer him a fresh start. Meanwhile, PSG would like to complete the signing of Osimhen as quickly as possible to replace Kylian Mbappe who has already left for Real Madrid. With financial considerations and strategic priorities at play, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the outcome of these high-stakes transfers.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will hope to use last weekend's emphatic turnaround victory over Crystal Palace as a launchpad for the remainder of the campaign, with Champions League qualification on the line.

However, Spurs' antagonists this weekend come in the form of a high-flying Aston Villa side that stands in the way of top four, five points ahead but having played an extra fixture.

Villa Park will bring a deafening roar to try and subdue the Tottenham threat, but the visitors will look to start on the front foot in what may well be a riveting, end-to-end contest.

Richarlison will miss out after sustaining a knee injury several weeks ago, while Ryan Sessegnon and Manor Solomon remain long-term absentees, but Pedro Porro has been given the green light after recovering from an issue that has kept him out for the past few fixtures.

With this in mind, Postecoglou might make two alterations to the side that clinched victory a week ago…

1

GK – Guglielmo Vicario

Signed from Empoli for an initial £17m fee last summer, Guglielmo Vicario has been immense between the sticks for Tottenham.

The 27-year-old has played every minute of the Premier League season and looks set to stay for years to come.

2

RB – Pedro Porro

Pedro Porro is back and the timing couldn't be any better. The Spaniard is Tottenham's joint-top assist maker this season but has strengths across every facet.

It's no surprise that a lack of fluency across recent weeks has coincided with his absence, but now he's back and boosts Spurs' chances of succeeding against Villa significantly.

3

CB – Cristian Romero

Few defenders plying their trade on English shores emit such menace and induce such fear into opponents as Cristian Romero, who has been stunning this season – albeit treading a thin line on the disciplinary front.

The Argentine titan will have a tough task in stifling free-scoring Villa forward Ollie Watkins, but there aren't many better equipped for such a duty.

4

CB – Micky van de Ven

Signed from German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for £43m last summer, Micky van de Ven has been nothing short of a revelation in N17, blending pace, athleticism and defensive excellence under Postecoglou's wing.

He ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, in what underscores his technical quality and progressive approach to his duties.

5

LB – Destiny Udogie

Destiny Udogie only started performing in the Premier League this season, but the Italian gem looks like a cultured veteran, still at the top of his game.

He's immense and will pose problems at both ends of the pitch tomorrow.

6

CM – Yves Bissouma

Yves Bissouma might have seen red on two separate occasions in the Premier League this season, but his faculty for dispossessing and squashing forward-surging opponents makes him an indispensable member of the team.

Against a robust Aston Villa midfield, his performance will be crucial – he just needs to keep his head.

7

CM – Pape Matar Sarr

Pape Matar Sarr didn't feature from the outset last time out, but he simply must be unleashed from the first whistle tomorrow, providing energy and youthful exuberance to meld into Bissouma's tough-tackling style.

As per Sofascore, the 21-year-old Senegal star has scored three goals and provided two assists across 22 matches in the top flight this term, completing 91% of his passes and averaging 4.7 ball recoveries per game.

He's been dubbed a "top-class" player by talent scout Jacek Kulig and he lives up to such praise on the pitch.

8

RW – Dejan Kulusevski

Brennan Johnson's electric cameo against Palace proved to be pivotal, with the Welshman racking up two assists to turn the tide, but Postecoglou should keep him on the bench once again at Villa Park, sticking with the industrious Dejan Kulusevski on the right wing.

Sky Sports journalist Jamie Weir perhaps said it best, summing up the Sweden dynamo's qualities as follows: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special, special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."

9

AM – James Maddison

It's no surprise that Tottenham's blistering start to the campaign hit a hitch after Van de Ven and James Maddison were felled by injury against Chelsea in November.

After winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August, the England playmaker went on to pump creative fuel into Postecoglou's system and has proved to be one of the signings of the season at £40m from Leicester City.

As per FBref, Maddison ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90.

10

LW – Timo Werner

Timo Werner scored his first Tottenham goal last weekend after joining from RB Leipzig on loan in January, and while he's not perfect, the Germany international's pace and energy down the left channel make for a dangerous outlet.

Wrexham stars Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee headline the PFA's six-man list for the League Two Player of the Year award.

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• PFA League Two POTY shortlist announced
• Mullin, Lee and Langstaff headline list
• Jones, Keillor-Dunn & Madden complete nominees

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mullin and Lee were possibly the two best players for Wrexham over the course of their 2023-24 season as the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club cruised to their second-straight automatic promotion. The Red Dragons finished second in League Two, four points behind champions Stockport; Mullin and Lee scored 24 and 16 league goals respectively and have been included in the six-man list for the PFA League Two Player of the Year award.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Notts County duo of Macaulay Langstaff and Jodi Jones have also made it to the list alongside the Wrexham boys. Langstaff finished the season as the league's top scorer as he scored 28 goals while his teammate Jones finished the season with a record-breaking 24 assists to his name, surpassing the English professional league record for most assists in a season held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The list also includes Stockport's Paddy Madden who scored 22 goals for the eventual League Two champions in all competitions. The Irishman has since joined League Two side Chesterfield and will remain in the fourth division of English football. Finally, the list concludes with Mansfield Town's Davis Keillor-Dunn, who scored 22 goals and also gave 10 assists for his side as they secured their return to League One.

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• WHEN WILL THE WINNER BE ANNOUNCED?

  The PFA will announce the winner of the League Two Player of the Year award on August 20 alongside the other awards at the 50th edition of the PFA Awards.

An Aston Villa midfielder who earns £75,000-per-week has been the subject of interest from Serie A in recent days, according to reports.

Aston Villa's attack on fire this season

The difference between Steven Gerrard's Aston Villa and Unai Emery's side is quite staggering. Under Gerrard, the team seemed dilapidated and destined for relegation. However, Emery has managed to turn things around and get the Villans competing for the European spots all while playing with style, boasting more top flight goals than all but the three title chasers.

Indeed, the entirety of the team have seemingly over-performed this season, but their attacking play is the area of the squad which has really shone. Ollie Watkins is the second-highest top flight scorer this season, just two behind than Erling Haaland, but despite his incredible form, his supporting cast have more than lived up to the billing.

Between Leon Bailey, Nicolo Zaniolo and Moussa Diaby, the trio have managed a total of 18 assists across all competitions thus far.

Zaniolo has been picked out for praise by his manager despite rumblings he will leave at the end of his loan spell.

"Zaniolo as a person, it is very easy to talk with him, to work with him," Emery said. “His behaviour and commitment with us from the first day was very good. His adaptation is going very well, and then he is playing well."

And, although the Midlands club are currently on course for a top four finish, all good things have to come to an end, so some players will have to leave in the summer in order for them to be competitive in Europe's most prestigious competition while abiding with FFP.

"Very good" Aston Villa star in Serie A contact

Zaniolo looks set to leave Villa Park this summer. That is, according to TuttoMercatoWeb, as summarised by Sport Witness, who say that there have already "been contacts" between the 24-year-old and Lazio.

The attacker is only on loan with the Villans until the end of the season and the report states that the attacker will 'return to Galatasaray' at the end of his loan spell. Then, a move to Lazio remains in the balance as Zaniolo has an 'important past' with Roma, Lazio's arch-rivals.

Despite this, club president, Claudio Lotito, sees the 24-year-old as an 'ideal profile' for his summer reinforcements.

While he has played in 30 games for Emery, only 11 of those appearances have come as starts, hence why a permanent move to England is currently not on the cards.

As Esme Morgan, Jess Carter and Katie Zelem prepare to feature in the top league in the U.S., GOAL judges the English stars who have done it before

For a long time, the number of England internationals to have played in the NWSL, the top league in United States women's soccer, has been rather small. There have been high-profile cases, such as Rachel Daly at the Houston Dash, and regular returnees, such as Lianne Sanderson and Jodie Taylor, but this summer has seen no fewer than three members of the Lionesses' 2023 Women's World Cup squad head Stateside for new challenges.

Esme Morgan was the first to seal her move across the pond, leaving childhood club Manchester City to join the Washington Spirit. Jess Carter followed, signing for Gotham after six years at Chelsea, and former Manchester United captain Katie Zelem then landed on the west coast in August, becoming Angel City's latest addition.

All three are doing something that few England stars have done before, in signing for an NWSL club for several years. But there are a number of Lionesses who have lit up the league before. So, who are those stars and how did they fare? GOAL takes a look back over the years…

• USA TODAY Sports
  

  Lianne Sanderson (Four clubs)

  Fifty times an England international, the best spell of Lianne Sanderson's career came when she was part of Arsenal's all-conquering team in the 2000s – but she also had some highlights in the NWSL in the 2010s. Prime among those was her 2013 season, when she was named to the league's Second XI, in a frontline with Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair, after a superb year with the Boston Breakers.

  Following her Breakers exit, Sanderson would have short stints with three different U.S. clubs before finishing her career in Europe with Juventus. A five-game spell with the Portland Thorns wasn't fruitful, but she made an impact at the Orlando Pride, as she was directly involved in three goals despite making just three starts, and enjoyed similar success with the Western New York Flash, with which she won the NWSL Championship.

  Verdict? Hit.

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  Jodie Taylor (Five clubs)

  Through a 21-year career, Jodie Taylor played for no fewer than 17 different clubs, five of which were in the NWSL. The first of those was the Washington Spirit, with which she had an outstanding 2014 season and was named to the league's Second XI after netting 11 goals in 22 appearances. That was the best scoring stint Taylor had in the NWSL, though that does not mean there were further highlights.

  After a short-but-sweet spell with the Portland Thorns, Taylor spent two years with the Seattle Reign in 2018 and 2019 and scored nine times in the first of those two seasons, her second-best return in the U.S.. In the twilight of her career, the former striker, who played 51 times for England and won the Golden Boot at the 2017 Euros, returned to the NWSL for two seasons with the Orlando Pride and the San Diego Wave, before hanging up her boots in 2023.

  Verdict? Hit.

• USA TODAY Sports
  

  Rachel Daly (Houston Dash)

  Rachel Daly is the one Lioness who stayed with one NWSL side for a long time. The former England star, who retired from international duty in April 2024, spent almost seven years with the Houston Dash and established herself as a fixture with her national team thanks to her form at the club.

  Daly captained the Dash to its first major title in 2020 when it lifted the NWSL Challenge Cup, and she was named the competition's MVP while also collecting its Golden Boot award. That was the high point of a spell that saw her become the club's all-time top goal-scorer, as well as a firm fan favorite. Though the Dash never made the postseason during her time in Houston, Daly was also twice named to the NWSL's Second XI, in 2018 and 2021.

  Verdict? Hit.

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  Natasha Dowie (Boston Breakers)

  A player whom many believe should have won more than the 14 caps she did amass for the Lionesses, with her controversially left out of squads for the European Championships in 2013 and the World Cup in 2015, Natasha Dowie spent a year-and-a-half with the Boston Breakers shortly before it folded in January 2018.

  For the club, neither season was successful, with it finishing bottom of the standings in 2016 and only one place higher in 2017. However, Dowie was its top scorer in that time and also wore the captain's armband on a few occasions, as one of the best leaders in the team.

  Verdict? Hit.

Chelsea fans had to endure yet another disappointing Premier League result over the weekend, as the team managed to drop two points at home to a ten-man Burnley side.

Mauricio Pochettino has unfortunately overseen plenty of shocking performances this season, but Saturday's result is arguably the worst.

While Cole Palmer was once again the standout player for the Pensioners, there were plenty of terrible displays from his teammates, notably from Nicolas Jackson and one of the back four.

Jackson's performance against Burnley

What was Jackson's best performance this season? While there have been a fair few games in which the former Villarreal man has looked impressive, his best display was unquestionably away to Tottenham Hotspur. He brilliantly exploited the space left by their two red cards to score a Premier League hat-trick.

So, when he saw Lorenz Assingon see a second yellow card in just the 40th minute, he must've been licking his lips at the idea of 50 minutes against a relegation-threatened side reduced to ten men. Yet, he utterly failed to take advantage as the game progressed.

It's not like he didn't have the chances either. In his 95 minutes of action, the 22-year-old had two shots on target, a shot blocked, an expected goals figure of 0.74, missed two big chances, was offside twice, and took 24 touches.

His performance certainly didn't impress 90min's James Cormack, who, rather generously, awarded him a 6/10 on the day, writing that he was 'poor in the box.'

Ultimately, while Jackson has done reasonably well over the course of the whole season, racking up 12 goals and four assists in 33 games, his display against the Clarets just reaffirmed what many see as his biggest weakness: his profligate nature.

So, with chances much harder to come by against Manchester United tonight, he should be dropped to the bench alongside one of his defensive teammates.

Benoît Badiashile's performance against Burnley

Yes, the defender who started against Burnley on Saturday but should be starting on the bench against United tonight is Benoît Badiashile.

The match against Vincent Kompany's side was Badiashile's first start since the FA Cup Fourth Round Replay against Aston Villa in early February, and it really did show in his performance.

He never really looked comfortable at the back despite the relatively weaker opposition in front of him.

Like his Senegalese teammate, the Frenchman's display certainly didn't impress Cormack.

However, where the journalist was quite generous to the forward, he was not so to the former AS Monaco man, awarding him a 4/10 on the day and writing, 'he was caught out at times positionally.'

This opinion is validated by the 23-year-old's match statistics, as in his 95 minutes of action, the "dreadful" defender, as Gabriel Agbonlahor previously described him, lost 100% of his six duels.

Chelsea were bled dry by Lampard flop who earned 3x more than Palmer

The Blues spent a lot of money for very little in return.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 3, 2024

In all, it would make sense to drop him to the bench for tonight's game and start Thiago Silva in his place. On the other hand, Jackson could be replaced by several changes, with potentially even Palmer starting up top.

Wayne Rooney admits he would like Pep Guardiola to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager, but believes Lee Carsley deserves a shot at it too.

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• Southgate resigns as England boss
• Rooney wants Guardiola to succeed him
• Says England U21 boss Carsley deserves a shot

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Southgate resigned as England manager less than 24 hours after their 2-1 Euro 2024 final loss to Spain last month. While ex-Manchester United forward Rooney would ideally like Manchester City boss Guardiola to take up the Three Lions hotseat, he also feels England Under-21 boss Carsley has done enough to be in with a shout, too.

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• WHAT WAYNE ROONEY SAID

  He told Sky Sports: "I'd like Pep to be honest. I think England have to strive for the best managers and Pep would be great; the way he gets his team's playing. But I think Lee Carsley deserves his opportunity. I played with Lee at Everton, we were both younger and he is a very good person and coach. He's done really well with England's under-21s, similar to Gareth's pathway. So I think he deserves this opportunity and if he does well, maybe you are looking at the next England manager."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carsley has been linked with the England job, alongside ex-Chelsea head coach Graham Potter and Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe – although he appears intent on staying at St James' Park for now. Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp ruled himself out of the role so it remains to be seen who will take over from Southgate.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While the FA continues to look for Southgate's successor, they may have an eye on Guardiola – who is out of contract next summer. Whether the Spaniard will take up the role, if offered it, remains to be seen.

Arsenal’s top-of-the-table six-pointer versus Manchester City takes place this afternoon, with a win extending the gap between the two clubs to four points.

Despite the recent history being dominated by Pep Guardiola’s side, Mikel Arteta has gotten the better of his former colleague this season.

A win on penalties in the Community Shield set the standard for the season at the start of August, but it was the Gabriel Martinelli-inspired 1-0 victory in October that now separates the two teams in the table.

The Gunners faithful will be desperate to repeat that result, and there’s one player in particular who will be key after starring in the reverse fixture.

William Saliba’s performance against Man City

There’s a reason why Arsenal have the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, and it’s the fact that Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have been absolutely fantastic at the heart of the backline.

However, it was the French star who truly stood out at the Emirates Stadium earlier this season, helping limit the visitors to just four shots all game.

The task of stopping Erling Haaland is often overwhelming for the most experienced defenders in Europe, but Saliba was more than up for the challenge.

As you can see from the table above, the 23-year-old was extremely dominant, not just in possession but also off the ball, making two tackles and, most importantly, winning his individual battles, as shown by his 100% duel success rate.

Although his defending was as impressive as always, it was Saliba’s ability on the ball that made him arguably the best on the field, misplacing just one pass all game, losing possession on one occasion, and having 76 touches.

The Evening Standard also handed the defender an 8/10 rating for his performance, which further supports his influence.

Arsenal must unleash ace who Ruben Dias has "nightmares" about

He’s been brilliant under Mikel Arteta in recent weeks.

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 30, 2024

Why William Saliba must start today

This time around, a similar performance will be needed once again by Saliba if his side are to pick up the vital three points later today.

Unfortunately, it’s expected that the dynamic centre-half will be in for a much sterner test today due to the inevitable return of Kevin De Bruyne, who was injured for the first encounter.

With the Belgian’s creativity from deeper positions, City are a far more dangerous team, with the attack becoming less predictable, but based on Saliba boasting the second-most clearances in the Arsenal squad, he will be more than prepared for the crosses into the box.

Nevertheless, the No 2 must start in order for Arsenal to gain control of the game, which will prove to be more important than even the attacking threat.

Last time out against the Citizens, Saliba only failed with one pass out of 70, which is impressive regardless of the opponent, never mind City. But that level of composure on the ball will enable the technical players further up the field to have more joy while also preventing City from gaining momentum, which can often happen in the blink of an eye.

In truth, Saliba is guaranteed to start this weekend, and he could prove to be the most important player in the team if he performs to the standard he’s displayed throughout his previous 28 Premier League starts this term.