Chelsea and Arsenal promise goals and flaws, Fulham must tighten up and will sparks fly between Benítez and Warnock?Friday football countdown: latest news and more – live!With two teams in flux, Chelsea’s derby with Arsenal is a meeting that promises goals. Both sides are vulnerable in defence and dangerous in attack. Although beaten comfortably in the end, Huddersfield exposed Chelsea’s weakness to attacks down the wings last week and Arsenal may aim to do likewise, while David Luiz, in particular, will likely struggle to keep up with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the middle. But Chelsea’s midfield thrusters – who could include Eden Hazard from the start as well as N’Golo Kanté in all-new Roving Mode – could wreak havoc at the...
Manchester United and Leicester under pressure to start well, Emery’s formidable opening task, heightened ambitions for Brighton and Wolves Related: Summer transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared Related: Transfer window 2018 – every summer deal from Europe's top five leagues Related: The big Premier League preview – Football Weekly Extra Continue reading...
Post-Wenger era at Arsenal gives the semi-explored player the chance to become the complete midfielder under EmeryHow can I begin anything new with all of yesterday inside me, a wise man once wrote: not talking about Arsenal in the post-Wenger days but still kind of talking about Arsenal in the post-Wenger days.Most likely it won’t hit home until the first Premier League match at the Emirates next week, one of those August days when the grass is a wild lime green, when results and goals pass in a sun-drunk daze and football feels like a dance or a lark or a bit of fun. At which point there might be the first pang. Related: Joey Barton: ‘I’ve been through many...
Arsène Wenger has gone, Unai Emery is in charge and it is time for a new dawn to begin. It could be bumpy at the start and fans have no option but to trust in the new manGuardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not necessarily Jacob Steinberg’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 6th Related: Premier League 2018-19 preview No 2: Bournemouth Related: Arsène Wenger: ‘I haven’t emptied my desk and in a way I am still in shock’ Related: Mesut Özil has what it takes to be Arsenal captain, says Unai Emery Continue reading...
The former PSG coach needs to instil defensive discipline, find a new midfield shape and get the most out of a wealth of young talent if he is to impress at the EmiratesA quick highlights reel of Arsenal’s away performances from last season will tell Unai Emery all he needs to know about how an injection of organisation and motivation are paramount. The concentration lapses, the losing of leads, the lack of robustness, need knocking on the head from day one. Whether it was complacency or anxiety or a weird mixture of both, it needs addressing. The players should be ready to welcome some new instruction, new guidance, new ideas to give them a fresh start. The fear of surrendering...