Author: cimi

?Brighton make the long voyage up to St. James’ Park this Saturday for their sixth game of the new Premier League season.

The two sides are separated by a single point, both winning just one match so far this term. A late long-range effort from Jeff Hendrick denied the Seagulls victory last time out; the Irishman drawing Burnley level at one goal apiece in stoppage-time.

Meanwhile, opponents ?Newcastle United went down 3-1 at Anfield as ?Liverpool overturned an early deficit. Jetro Willems’ stunning opener had seem the Magpies take a shock lead, but they were ultimately denied anything from the trip to Merseyside and remain on four points.

Here’s our preview of the ?meeting in the north-west.

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Where to Watch

?When Is Kick Off?	Saturday 21 September?
?What Time Is Kick Off?	?17:30 (BST)
?Where Is it Played?	?St. James’ Park
?TV Channel/Live Stream?	?Sky Sports Main Event
?Referee?	?Martin Atkinson

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Where to Buy Tickets

Tickets for the game are, as ever, available on both teams’ official club websites, though membership is required in order to purchase. In terms of resale, both teams provide the option to make season tickets available for others to use, if a supporter is unable to attend the game themselves.

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Team News

?Brighton have a fully fit squad, with the exception of Leandro Trossard. The Belgian is suffering from a groin problem and looks set to remain on the sidelines until mid-October.

There are a couple more injuries for Steve Bruce to contend with. He is without defensive pairing DeAndre Yedlin and Florian Lejeune, both of whom have been missing since early August.

Winger Allan Saint-Maxim is likewise unavailable, with a thigh strain against ?Tottenham Hotspur seeing the Magpies’ last three fixtures.

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Potential Lineups

?Newcastle United	?Dubravka; Krafth, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Willems; Almiron, Hayden, Longstaff, Atsu; Joelinton.
?Brighton	?Ryan; Duffy, Dunk, Webster; March, Stephens, Propper, Gross, Burn; Murray, Maupay.

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Head to Head Record

If Newcastle beat Brighton, the overall record will be level at ten victories for either side. There have also been five draws since they first locked horns in February 1930, the latest coming last Easter.

Ayoze Perez broke the deadlock at the Amex with an exquisite attempt that soared into the top corner of Martin Dubravka’s net, but the Magpies couldn’t hold onto their advantage.

Glen Murray sent a looping header into no man’s land with time running out, Pascal Gross beating Mat Ryan to the ball to nod home a priceless equaliser as the Seagulls staved off the threat of relegation.

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Recent Form

It’s been a familiar story for the two clubs in question. The results haven’t necessarily been there and performances have often been disjointed, yet there are still reasons to be cheerful.

£40m import Joelinton is beginning to enjoy his role as the sole striker in Steve Bruce’s lineup; the Brazilian looking increasingly confident and capable of damaging opposing sides.

There’s no shame in losing to Jurgen Klopp’s ravenous Liverpool outfit, with Newcastle once again causing problems for supposedly-better teams.

Just like the Magpies defence, Brighton’s seems assured and difficult to break down. ?Manchester City hit them for four prior to the international break, but drubbings such as that will be handed out to many visitors at the Etihad Stadium. 

Graham Potter’s men are solid at the back when playing other clubs outside the Big Six, whilst there is a clear style of play that’s in the process of being perfected.

Here’s a look at the two teams’ last five results:
?

Newcastle? United	Brighton?
?Norwich City 3-1 Newcastle United (17/8)	?Brighton 1-1 West Ham United (17/8)
?Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Newcastle United (25/8)	?Brighton 0-2 Southampton (24/8)
?Newcastle United 1-1 Leicester City *(2-4) (28/8)	?Bristol Rovers 1-2 Brighton (27/8)
?Newcastle United 1-1 Watford (31/8)	?Manchester City 4-0 Brighton (31/8)
?Liverpool 3-1 Newcastle United (14/9)	?Brighton 1-1 Burnley (14/9)

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Prediction

Since the pair were promoted from the ?Championship in 2017, Newcastle have won neither of their home games against Brighton. It appears the 350 mile journey up from the south coast isn’t too taxing.

That doesn’t mean the Seagulls will have it easy at St. James’ Park, however. Bruce has got his recruits organised and they will prove a stern test for the seasiders. Of course, Potter’s team are also no pushovers.

Expect a tight encounter in the north-west – goalscoring opportunities are likely to be at a premium. A point would satisfy both of them and a point is what they may well get.

Prediction: Newcastle 1-1 Brighton

Let’

?It was a pulsating night in Greece, as Spurs cruised to a 2-0 victory over Olympiacos, and showed the steel everyone associates with the North London warriors.

Oh wait, that was my half-time notes, sorry everyone. 

Spurs threw away that two goal advantage against Olympiacos (or is it Olympiakos, who knows?) with some exceptional self-sabotage, the likes of which we haven’t seen from Mauricio Pochettino’s men in years. 

If only we had an expression for when Spurs bottle a seemingly unassailable lead… it’ll come to me. 

But let’s rewind for a second and enjoy that magic 43 minutes when all was right and cheery in the Spurs camp.

Actually…let’s just skip to the funny bits. 

Pochettino’s team selection raised questions about the Argentine’s short-term memory, or worries that he’d recently suffered a strong blow to the head. The Spurs boss started ?Davinson Sanchez at right-back despite his horror-show performance in the North London derby. 

@SpursOfficial I really worry about Pochettino’s mentality.
Using Sanchez and Davis was very wrong.
We should have gone strong and secure all 3 points.
Very poor decision by Pochettino again IMO.

— Williams Besong (@Willsbesong) September 18, 2019

His ability on the ball is definitely questionable, and well, we spotted that from the off. 

Davinson Sanchez at right back is like an OAP’s mobility scooter trying to manoeuvre the aisles of Morrisons

— Spirit of Sherwood (@timsherwoodvine) September 18, 2019

Davinson Sanchez at right back is like an OAP’s mobility scooter trying to manoeuvre the aisles of Morrisons

— Spirit of Sherwood (@timsherwoodvine) September 18, 2019

Mind you, actual left-back Ben Davies didn’t survive the Twitter outrage either. 

“Ben Davies a top pro” ? the guy has zero pace and can’t get forward. Not good enough.

— . (@SpursWHL1) September 18, 2019

Im not going to critcise Sanchez because he isn’t actually a RB.
However Davies has no excuses , this is why i want Rose starting…

— 40winks__ (@SpursTransfer10) September 18, 2019

So, we’ll jump 40 minutes into the match if you don’t mind, and Spurs are winning 2-0. They then decide to – what is that expression? Anyway, they throw it away in a spectacular way. 

Spurs are proper Spursing up the Champions League already ?

— Brendon (@DonKilvo) September 18, 2019

???Spurs were cut open by some smart play for the first goal, but the second goal was all their own doing. Despite his error leading to the penalty, everyone was convinced ?Christian Eriksen was fully committed to the Spurs cause, putting in a solid performance full of heart and desire. 

Christian Eriksen is going through the motions for Spurs at the moment. He’s thinking of a brighter future. Like your last day at school when you don’t go to any of the classes and get everyone in your year to sign your shirt.

— Paddy Power (@paddypower) September 18, 2019

Spurs should’ve cashed in on Eriksen last summer, it couldn’t be more obvious that he doesn’t want to be there.

— Tom (@CynicalLive) September 18, 2019

Some people didn’t agree with this Eriksen bashing. 

Most people did though. 

Presenting your three ? of the game:

?: Davinson Sanchez
??: Christian Eriksen
???: Harry Winks

— Fort Worth Spurs (@FortWorthSpurs) September 18, 2019

He was pretty lucky not to be the three poo emoji’s for me. 

The main takeaway from this game was that Spurs’ defence was back to its glorious best, which ironically, is its worst. 

Well that was Spursy. Defence looking very suspect so far this season. Why Poch played Sanchez at RB after his dreadful performance at Arsenal I don’t know.

Spurs lacking two or three players but it’s been said since May and is still try after summer additions. #coys

— Goose (@twiteringgoose) September 18, 2019

Spurs defence in the last couple years has gone to pieces

— Ryan Ricardo Dunkley (@ryanricardo76) September 18, 2019

Seriously what are Spurs trying to do to me – least they have decided to put some defenders IN DEFENCE but gaps bigger than OJ had in his defence #OLYTOT

— Iseult Cody (@iseultcody) September 18, 2019

??And finally, we must appreciate the karma of such a tweet as this. Spurs, you really did Spursy it up once more. Hey, I got there in the end! 

Weird isn’t it, watching a North London club go 2-0 up against weak opposition, keeping their best passers on the pitch and playing the ball around to tire out their opponents rather than giving them 30 chances to reply

— Mark White (@markwhlte) September 18, 2019

Let’

Tottenham Hotspur threw away a two-goal lead against Olympiacos on Wednesday evening, as the home side fought back to claim a precious point in their opening Champions League match of the new campaign. 

Spurs took the lead on 26 minutes, Kane earning and converting a penalty after being tripped in the opposition box. Lucas Moura doubled the Lilywhites’ advantage on the half-hour mark, lashing home brilliantly from 20 yards. 

The hosts pulled a goal back before half-time, Daniel Podence exchanging passes with Mathieu Valbuena before rifling past Hugo Lloris. Valbuena then levelled the contest from the spot, after Christian Eriksen needlessly lost possession on the edge of his own box. 

Both sides pushed for a winner, but a draw was a fair result in an intense and breathless encounter in Greece. 

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Olympiacos 

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Key Talking Point 

Much was made about Olympiacos’ excellent record against English sides in European competition, and the Greek side once again held a stronger opposition in their intimating backyard. Olympiacos had won five of their previous six home meetings with English opponents, and their supporters are known for creating a very intimidating atmosphere for the players out on the pitch. 

Pochettino’s men seemed to be well up to the task, but ultimately the English side were pegged back as momentum titled in the home side’s favour. It’s a special atmosphere with a passionate fanbase, and this stadium will be a destination that no player wishes to find himself in during this Champions League campaign. 

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Player Ratings 

Starting XI: Sa (7); Elabdellaoui (8), Meriah (7), Semedo (7), Tsimikas (7); Guilherme (8), Bouchalakis (7); Podence (9), Valbuena (8), Masouras (7); Guerrero (8).

Substitutes: Benzia (6), Randjelovic (6), El Arabi (N/A)

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STAR MAN – Daniel Podence was a constant thorn in Spurs’ side, and looks to be an exciting young player to keep an eye on this year. The Portuguese youngster showed neat footwork whenever in possession and drove dangerously at the away side’s backline. 

He was rewarded for an excellent first-half with a lovely goal just before the break, and continued to threaten as the game wore on. His stellar performance dragged his team back into the match, and plenty of managers will be paying close attention to his progress during the competition. ??

Welp, Olympiacos have one back. Great one-two and Podence fires past Lloris. 2-1 Spurs.

— Cartilage Free Captain (@cartilagefree) September 18, 2019

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Tottenham Hotspur

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?Key Talking Point

?Spurs fans were in for a nasty shock when Pochettino opted to start ?Davinson Sanchez at right-back against the Greek side on Wednesday. It was not a complete surprise as the Argentine had previously tried this alternative in the Premier League, however the greater astonishment stems from the fact he was willing to attempt this failed tactic for a second time. 

It feels unfair to criticise Sanchez for his display, as he is evidently not comfortable playing at right-back, but Pochettino clearly feels that he lacks quality alternatives.

?Serge Aurier put in a strong performance at the weekend, and perhaps rotation forced the Colombian back into his less-favoured position. After another awkward display, it’s hard to see the Spurs boss persisting with this plan in the future.

A penny for Kyle Walker-Peters’ thoughts.

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Lloris (7); Sanchez (5), Alderweireld (7), Vertonghen (6), Davies (6); Winks (7), Ndombele (7), Eriksen (5), Dele (7), Lucas (9); Kane (7).

Substitutes: Sissoko (6), Son (5), Lamela (5)

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STAR MAN – Lucas Moura loves the Champions League. Despite his struggles to perform consistently in the Premier League, the diminutive Brazilian excels when playing in Europe. 

Despite Spurs’ topsy-turvy display, the 27-year-old continued to probe and run in behind the Olympiacos defence all evening. 

The Brazil international scored a sensational first-half goal, sending an absolute pile-driver beyond the Greek side’s goalkeeper, and he seemed to be on the top of his game until his surprising substitution. 

Lucas will be desperate to translate his Champions League form into the Premier League and earn a consistent run in Pochettino’s side. 

Buying Lucas Moura for only £25million doesn’t get talked about enough, that is daylight robbery.

— Hotspur Edition (@HotspurEdition) September 18, 2019

Ben Davies and Sanchez are killing Toby and Jan. They’re both getting split 24/7, expected goal.

— Cenk (@ForzaYids) September 18, 2019

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Looking Ahead 

Olympiacos follow up their impressive display against Spurs with a huge trip to Panathinaikos on Sunday, as they look to continue their excellent start to the new campaign. 

Pochettino’s men put in a disappointing display on Wednesday night, but they face a tough test upon their return to domestic competition when they travel to Brendan Rodgers’ ?Leicester City in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff. 

Let’

The first Derby della Madonnina of the year takes place at San Siro on Saturday as Inter and Milan clash in round four of the 2019/20 Serie A season.

Both clubs are under new management, Antonio Conte getting off to a bright start after taking charge of the Nerazzurri in the summer. They were victorious in their first three league games this term, though a stoppage-time Nicolo Barella header was required to grab a point against Slavia Prague on Tuesday night.

It’s not an ideal start to their ?Champions League campaign, though the situation is worse for their neighbours, who have been banned from entering European competition this year due to a breach of Financial Fair Play regulations. 

In domestic matters, the ?Rossoneri have won two and lost one, with goals currently at a premium for Marco Giampaolo’s recruits.

Here’s our preview of the ?Milanese meeting.

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Where to Watch

?When is Kick Off?	Saturday 21 September?
?What Time is Kick Off?	?19:45 (BST)
?Where is it Played?	?San Siro
?TV Channel/Live Stream?	?Premier Sports 1
?Referee?	?Giuseppe Meazza

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Where to Buy Tickets

Tickets for the game are, as ever, available on both teams’ official club websites, though membership is required in order to purchase. In terms of resale, both teams provide the option to make season tickets available for others to use, if a supporter is unable to attend the game themselves.

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Team News

Conte has a full compliment of players to choose from, with summer signings Stefano Sensi and Romelu Lukaku set to make their derby debuts. Fitness issues made Diego Godin wait for a maiden appearance in black and blue, the Uruguayan getting his first start last time out.

Milan counterpart Giampaolo is without two of his first-team squad, one through injury and the other due to suspension.

A cruciate ligament rupture has kept central-defender Mattia Caldara out of action since May, though he is expected to return in late November.

Right-back Davide Calabaria was dismissed in the dying embers of the victory over Verona. The referee showed him a straight red following a professional foul on opposition frontman Samuel Di Carmine, the 22-year-old now set to sit out the next three games.

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Potential Lineups

?Milan	Donnarumma; Conti, Musacchio, Romagnoli, Rodriguez; Biglia, Kessie, Calhanoglu; Suso, Paqueta; Piatek.?
?Inter	?Handanovic; Godin, de Vrij, Skriniar; Candreva, Barella, Brozovic, Sensi, Asamoah; Martinez, Lukaku.

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Head to Head Record

Milan have triumphed over ?Inter in only three of their last 17 encounters, winning just once in their seven most recent match-ups.

The Nerazzurri have taken the victory on 80 occasions throughout history, four more than their rivals, whilst there have also been 67 draws.

When the pair last did battle, it was Inter who stole the spoils as the Rossoneri twice found themselves with a two-goal deficit to make up in March.

Matias Vecino’s close-range blast and a towering header from Stefan de Vrij gave the Nerazzurri a healthy lead which was swiftly halved when Tiemoue Bakayoko glanced in a Hakan Calhanoglu free-kick shortly before the hour.

Lautaro Martinez restored Inter’s advantage from the spot, with Mateo Musacchio’s scrappy goal scant consolation for Milan in what proved to be manager Gennaro Gattuso’s final derby.

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Recent Form

Both sides have failed to win just one match this term, the midweek draw with Slavia ending Conte’s faultless start to life in northern Italy.

Inter were electric as the 50-year-old made his San Sir bow versus Lecce in late August, though they had to show grit and determination to secure victories over Cagliari and Udinese in the following two games.

Lukaku and Sensi – bought for a combined €110m over the off-season – have looked like strong additions to the squad, whilst the defence is also showing signs of improvement.

Milan, on the other hand, struggle for goals. In their three competitive fixtures this year, they’ve scored just twice, but that isn’t too pressing an issue for now given the solidity of their backline.

Giampaolo’s men certainly seem in a good position to keep Inter’s attack at arm’s length, yet they’re unlikely to pose too much of a threat at the opposite end of the pitch.

Here’s how the rivals fared in their last five matches:

?Milan?	Inter?
Feronikeli 0-2 Milan (10/8)	?Valencia 1-1 Inter *(6-7) (10/8)
??Cesena 0-0 Milan (17/8)	?Inter 4-0 Lecce (26/8)
Udinese 1-0 Milan (25/8)	?Cagliari 1-2 Inter (01/9)
??Milan 1-0 Brescia (31/8)	?Inter 1-0 Udinese (14/9)
?Verona 0-1 Milan (15/9)	?Inter 1-1 Slavia Prague (17/9)

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Prediction

Milan will ensure this is a competitive affair. However, it will probably be a contest dominated by Inter, who possess the necessary tools to break their rivals down over the course of 90 minutes.

Conte has various avenues of attack through which he can punish the Rossoneri, ranging from the reinvigorated Lukaku to the aerially-adept centre-backs in his lineup. There is reason to fear what the Nerazzurri have at their disposal.

Eventually, they should find a way past Gianluigi Donnarumma and once they do, it’s doubtful Milan are capable of mounting a comeback.

Prediction: Milan 0-2 Inter

Let’

?Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson has deleted his Twitter account after receiving abuse from online trolls after he conceded a penalty in the defeat to Napoli on Tuesday night.

The Scotland captain has been consistently good for the Reds since joining from Hull City in 2017, playing an integral part in a backline that conceded just 22 goals in the league last term – the best record in the division. Alongside this, Robertson has provided quality on the left flank, notching up 11 assists in 36 Premier League games last season.

Yet last night, the 25-year-old came under heavy criticism from certain ‘supporters’ on Twitter after fouling Jose Callejon in the penalty box eight minutes from time. Dries Mertens converted the spot-kick to give Napoli a crucial lead before Fernando Llorente cemented the victory in the dying moments.

Even though ?Jurgen Klopp felt it was wrong to award a penalty for the challenge Robertson made on Callejon, stating he felt it was a dive, Robertson was still the hot topic of conversation amongst Liverpool fans after the game, with many taking to twitter to criticise his performance.  

Is Andy Robertson the most overrated player in world football? Not for me to say but yes, he is.

— Jamie (@Jamie67_) September 17, 2019

Liverpool down…dodgy penalty!!

Poor from Robertson even though don’t know if touch him!!

— Ukoko I ????????????? (@ukokospeaks) September 17, 2019

??

Everyone knew Robertson was a poor mans Tierney.

— Clarkey (@clarkeysean) September 17, 2019

These were just a few of the tweets directed at Robertson, with other trolls dishing out far greater amounts of abuse. 

Robertson has since deleted his twitter account in the wake of last night’s social media reaction which has caused a reaction in itself online, with many disgusted by some of the tweets directed at the defender and the situation it has caused.

Andy Robertson, arguably the best left back in world football, having to deactivate his Twitter account because of the abuse he received after his first awful display in roughly 18 months is a rather sad view of modern-day football fans. Some people don’t deserve nice things.

— Patrick Timmons (@PatrickTimmons1) September 18, 2019

Liverpool fans abused their own player on Twitter, Robertson, arguably the best left-back in the world in the last two seasons after one mistake yesterday and he had to deactivate. They are European champions and probably the best team in the world. What does YNWA stand for lmaoo

— Aubazettes (@Aubazettes) September 18, 2019

?Liverpool fans will be hoping Robertson can return to the form he showed last season in the coming weeks, starting with Sunday’s game away at ?Premier League rivals Chelsea. 

Let’