In the race to catch Arsenal, champions Manchester City have
no margin for error when they host struggling Everton, while Newcastle aim to
extend their hot streak against Leeds.
Nketiah key to Arsenal charge
With Gabriel Jesus ruled out for several months, Arsenal
boss Mikel Arteta was relieved to see Eddie Nketiah get on the scoresheet in
the 3-1 win against West Ham on Boxing Day.
In his first start this season, Nketiah bagged the third
goal in the London derby as the 23-year-old proved he can be an able deputy for
Brazil striker Jesus, who suffered a knee injury at the World Cup.
While some fans felt Nketiah might struggle to replace the
impressive impact made by Jesus since his close-season move from Manchester
City, Arteta was confident his young forward could cope with the added
scrutiny.
“He’s a really confident boy,” Arteta said. “But hopefully
the goal can give him, if he had any doubts, more confidence about what he is
capable of doing.”
A win at Brighton on Saturday would ensure Arsenal go into
2023 at least five points clear at the top.
But Arteta knows prolonging their shock title challenge will
require Nketiah to continue to flourish.
“His performance was really good. For Eddie and for the team
I think it was really important,” Arteta said.
Lewis gives new dimension to Man City
Manchester City’s teenage starlet Rico Lewis could provide a
new dimension to the champions’ bid to retain the title after a dazzling full
debut in the Premier League.
The modest Lewis insisted he still did not feel like a
member of City star-studded team despite impressing in City’s 3-1 win at Leeds
on Wednesday.
But the 18-year-old full-back’s performance repaid the faith
of City manager Pep Guardiola, who selected him instead of England right-back
Kyle Walker and Portugal’s Joao Cancelo.
Bury-born Lewis belied his tender age with the kind of
confident defending and dynamic movement that could make him ideal for the
Guardiola system, which allows full-backs to wreak havoc with attacking surges.
Speaking ahead of second placed City’s clash with Everton on
Saturday, Lewis, who also started in last week’s League Cup win against
Liverpool, said: “I don’t feel like a first-team player.
“I’m doing my best to keep up with them and put in the best
performance to help them win.
“I don’t know when I will feel like a first-team player. It
will just slowly become natural, I don’t think there will be a turning point.”
Trippier rewarded by rampant Newcastle
Kieran Trippier believes his decision to join Newcastle has
been vindicated by the Magpies’ remarkable climb to third place.
When Trippier swapped Atletico Madrid for a Newcastle team
then mired in the thick of a relegation battle last January, the England
right-back was accused of lacking ambition.
But Eddie Howe’s men stayed up and have improved
dramatically this term, reeling off six successive league victories to
gate-crash the title race as they prepare to face Leeds on Saturday.
“I came when they were 19th in the league and got questioned
about that, but I believed and have believed throughout my whole career,”
Trippier said.
“I believed that I could help them stay up – not just me, of
course. But it is about building. We are high up at the moment but the Premier
League is relentless so you’ve got to keep your feet on the ground.”
Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)
Friday
West Ham v Brentford (1945), Liverpool v Leicester (2000)
Saturday
Wolves v Man Utd (1230), Bournemouth v Crystal Palace,
Fulham v Southampton, Manchester City v Everton, Newcastle v Leeds, Brighton v
Arsenal (1730)
Sunday
Tottenham v Aston Villa (1400), Nottingham Forest v Chelsea
(1630)
0 comments:
Post a Comment