Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw against Manchester United this evening, a result that represents a significant blow to the Gunners’ title hopes.
Mikel Arteta’s side had been closely tracking Liverpool, with the Gunners having played two games fewer than the table-topping Reds before the match. Arsenal entered the game full of confidence, having comfortably secured a 7-1 victory in their previous competitive fixture. With such a commanding performance behind them, the Gunners were confident of securing all three points from the encounter. However, things did not go as smoothly as they had imagined.
Despite a challenging season thus far, Manchester United refused to roll over, showing great resilience and determination to resist Arsenal’s attacking threats. The Red Devils defended well, frustrating Arsenal at times, and could have easily come out as the victors themselves. Arteta acknowledged his team’s struggles during the game, admitting that they could have been beaten by the home side.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Arteta said:
“When we had the first half that we had where we were exceptional, we didn’t test the keeper. We had some unbelievable situations but we didn’t get the last shot or the last pass. We didn’t capitalise, we rushed the game, we started to lose duels and we could have ended up losing it.”
Arteta’s assessment reflected the frustration felt by the Gunners, as despite dominating possession and creating several good chances, they were unable to capitalise on those opportunities. While Arsenal may have been the better side in terms of controlling the game, their failure to convert chances ultimately meant they were unable to secure a win.
Although the result is far from ideal for Arsenal, Arteta reflected that a draw was a fair outcome given the balance of play. He recognised that, despite their dominance in possession, the Gunners were unable to turn that into a decisive advantage, and a share of the spoils was probably the right result. Arsenal must now regroup and focus on their remaining fixtures, as they continue their pursuit of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
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Manchester United fans might need to brace themselves because Ruben Amorim has hinted that the club won’t be bringing in a big-name striker this summer. Instead, the Portuguese head coach is trusting new boys Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to lead the charge up front, with Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee told they’ll have to earn their spot in the XI. It is a bold move from Amorim, especially when you see what clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal have been doing. While United’s rivals have splashed out on players like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, and Viktor Gyökeres to sharpen their attacks, United’s window has been decent, but still not ambitious enough to compete. Amorim Keeps Faith In New Signings So far, United’s major attacking signings are Cunha from Wolves and Mbeumo from Brentford, and they didn’t come cheap. The duo cost the club over £130 million combined, and Amorim is banking on them to take on a bigger role than many initially expected. While both are talented and could lift the team’s attack prowess to a whole new level, neither is a traditional No. 9, which is what makes this all the more interesting. Amorim addressed the media ahead of United’s preseason opener in the U.S. and didn’t hold back when discussing his plans. “They can play as a striker. We have Josh (Zirkzee), we have Rasmus,” he said. “Our focus is to improve the connection between them. I don’t know if the position is there for them. They have to work. They have other players who are fighting for that position. But again, I’m really pleased.” His confidence in Cunha and Mbeumo was not just about what they can do with the ball. He was just as impressed by their attitude off the pitch. “They proved the qualities that they have. They are really humble, that is really important, and the best thing is that they chose to be here,” Amorim explained. “They had other options, Champions League options, and they read everything people say about our club at the moment, but they chose to be here, which is a key point for me.” That last line stands out. In a time when Manchester United wasn’t quite the European powerhouse it once was, players who willingly chose to join, even without Champions League football, carried real value in Amorim’s eyes. Zirkzee and Højlund Must Step Up Amorim does not believe in automatic starters. Both Højlund, who was signed for £72 million, and Zirkzee, who was brought in for £36.5 million, now need to prove their worth all over again. Despite their price tags, they managed just seven Premier League goals last season, which was hardly the kind of return United had hoped for. Although Zirkzee did improve and showed glimpses of brilliance, Rasmus was shy of confidence all season and couldn’t hit the ground running. That internal competition might be what Amorim is banking on. By refusing to guarantee anyone a spot and backing versatile players like Cunha and Mbeumo, he’s trying to create a merit-based culture. United fans have watched their team struggle for goals in recent seasons, and this summer’s transfer approach doesn’t exactly scream “problem solved.” It does not help that teams like Arsenal and Liverpool seem to be pulling further ahead in the attacking department. With Wirtz, Ekitike, and Gyökeres joining their ranks, both clubs are willing to invest heavily in firepower. United, on the other hand, seems to be banking on internal solutions. MetLife Opener Will Reveal a Bunch United’s first friendly in the U.S. is just around the corner. They will face West Ham at MetLife Stadium this Sunday, and all eyes will be on how Amorim sets up his forward line. Will Cunha be pushed into a central role? Does Mbeumo get the nod? Or will Højlund and Zirkzee take their chance to impress and remind everyone why United spent big on them in the first place? One thing is for sure. Amorim will not change his mind anytime soon. Unless a world-class striker suddenly becomes available and affordable, United’s business up front is done. For better or worse, he’s going with what he’s got.
The Green Bay Packers want to let training camp play out to see how their depth at cornerback is before making significant additions to the group. But after three days of practice, general manager Brian Gutekunst decided to sign another depth piece to create extra competition. On Saturday, beyond confirming the previously reported addition of running back Israel Abanikanda, the Packers also signed rookie cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. He is a 6-0, 199-pound player. Undrafted, Hollis played three seasons at Northwestern before transferring to West Virginia before his final college season in 2024. Throughout his college career, the defensive back had 124 tackles (including five for loss), two interceptions, 12 passes defended, and one forced fumble. He spent some time with the Tennessee Titans after the draft. "I like our depth there," Gutekunst had told Cheesehead TV back in June. "I do think between Kalen King, Kamal Hadden, and Micah Robinson, there's going to be some really good competition for the back end into that roster. I'm excited to give those guys that opportunity to see." Bleacher Report's Cory Giddings projected Hollis as a fifth-round prospect, highlighting his aggressive and physical presence in the run game. "Garnett Hollis Jr. projects as a developmental prospect who will likely find his role as a physical outside cornerback in zone-heavy schemes. His size, length, and aggression make him an asset against bigger-bodied receivers and in run support, but his movement limitations and inconsistent tackling could cap his ceiling as a backup or rotational player. Hollis will need to refine his technique and improve his consistency to carve out a role at the next level." — Cory Giddings Competition on the roster In the first week of camp, the Packers have played with Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs outside, and safety Javon Bullard primarily in the slot. Carrington Valentine has also had significant time with the ones. The roster has Bo Melton, recently converted from wide receiver, Kamal Hadden, Kalen King, and Micah Robinson with more chances. The bottom of the depth chart has veteran Gregory Junior, Isaiah Dunn, and undrafted rookie Tyron Herring. Johnathan Baldwin is also officially listed as a cornerback, but he's practiced mostly at safety so far.
The Cleveland Guardians are quite a mystery heading into the MLB trade deadline, as no one seems to know whether they will buy, sell or possibly even do nothing before July 31. The Guardians are hovering around .500, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. That's in spite of losing 10 straight just before the All-Star break. Even with Cleveland remaining in contention, there are some who believe the Guardians might sell given their conservative nature, but talk show host Bruce Drennan has provided some rather bad news for the team in that regard: the players they might want to move don't have much value. “No top prospects for a big bat, and I don’t necessarily see us selling players, like Carlos Santana or Lane Thomas. What can you get in return?” Drennan said. Drennan has a point. Santana and Thomas are both impending free agents, and neither has been all that good this season. Santana owns a .665 OPS, and Thomas has been on and off the injured list while hitting just .160 on the year. Of course, the Guardians would surely be able to land a hefty return for players like Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase, but it does not seem like Cleveland is going to move either of those two stars. Perhaps the Guardians will surprise some people and go all in by adding pieces at the deadline, but that isn't exactly in their nature. We'll see what happens before the end of the months, but it stands to reason that Cleveland might just stand pat, as Drennan anticipates. Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
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