Key events
This is a good read from Tom Garry on the curiously-timed women’s international break. With the WSL season reaching its climax and the weather improving for fans, an 11-day window for up to three international fixtures seems to take the wind out of the domestic league’s sails.
Jamie Jackson
More from Jamie Jackson/Manchester City here – as Pep Guardiola was asked about Rayan Cherki’s controversial mid-match shirt-swap with an opponent.
Rayan Cherki impressed when Manchester City beat Liverpool 4-0 to reach the FA Cup semi-final but when replaced late on the Frenchman momentarily wore the shirt of Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, who is a friend. With Cherki also having also showboated on occasion during games, Guardiola was asked his opinion of the 22-year-old.
“I think he’s a little bit of a free soul,” said Guardiola. “You have to understand, every player is completely different. He’s one of the most unbelievably talented players I’ve seen. Just in the future, hopefully he can stay [here] for longer, because he has the attributes to be one of the top players. One of his attributes is difficult to find – in difficult moments, with a lot of pressure, he plays like he is in a friendly game.
“So in the future, what will be his behaviour: to stay humble enough, to stay and work for the team?”
I know criticism of Arteta for supposed negativity is widespread, but I think this comment hits the nail on the head.
Yesterday may have been Arsenal’s first league defeat since January but they’ve now lost three of their past four in all competitions.
Arsenal’s angst has happened because they’ve decided to try to avoid defeat instead of going for the win, I really don’t understand Arteta’s mindset, you’re at home so attack, you’ll never score if you’re playing too slow or ponderous. Maybe after the Champions League this week he’ll have a change of tactics at the Etihad, because if he doesn’t they’ll get beaten easily and the title will be out of their hands and into City’s.
Jamie Jackson
Our reporter Jamie Jackson has been speaking to Manchester City’s goalkeeper:
Ahead of Manchester City’s trip to Chelsea, Gianluigi Donnarumma is aware of the challenge that may await at Stamford Bridge. “It’s always going to be a complicated game,” he said. “It will be a difficult because going there to play is never easy. We hope to get a great result because it’s very important for us for the title race.”
Arsenal’s defeat by Bournemouth dented the Gunners’ title quest, with City able to move within three points with a game in hand by beating them at home next Sunday if they win today at Stamford Bridge. “The destiny [of the title] is no longer in our hands, but we will try to hang on until the end and put pressure on them. These two games for us are important,” said the Italian.
On working under Pep Guardiola, Donnnarumma added: “I think until you live it, you will never understand. Until you experience him, you can’t understand the importance he has and the effect he has on a team. Sometimes you are shocked, you are enchanted, sometimes to hear him speak, to prepare a game tactically. I am very lucky in my career to be coached by him.”
Arsenal: There’s only one place to start when it comes to reacting to yesterday’s action and that’s at the Emirates. After a lacklustre start it looked like the Gunners would find a way to win when Viktor Gyökeres levelled from the penalty spot, after Junior Kroupi’s early strike, but Arsenal remained flat and lacking in ideas. It was a fine goal from Alex Scott that settled the game (how many suitors will the English midfielder have this summer, by the way?) with Arteta describing it as “a big punch to the face” and a “painful day”.
“There’s no grey areas,” he said. “We need to be very, very, very strong and determined to approach it in a different way than we’ve done today, especially when the game wasn’t going our way. There’s a lot, a lot, a lot on our plate to look at ourselves.”
Preamble
Morning all and welcome to Sunday’s matchday live – and what a Sunday it could be in the Premier League, with potential consequences for the relegation fight, the battle for Champions League qualification and the title race. Oh, and whatever Crystal Palace v Newcastle means. After Arsenal’s catastrophe at home to Bournemouth, can Manchester City capitalise with a win at Chelsea? Can Nottingham Forest and Tottenham respond to West Ham’s thumping win on Friday night? And do Aston Villa have anything left in the tank to revive their top five ambitions?
As always, we’ll be bringing you all the reaction from Saturday and buildup to today’s fixtures. Feel free to drop us an email with your thoughts on the weekend so far, or predictions of what’s to come.
Let’s get straight into it, shall we? I’ll begin by plugging this Paul MacInnes piece from the Emirates yesterday, where many of Arsenal’s flaws were exposed.
