In Garth Crooks BBC Team of the Week, we saw Cole Palmer feature after his performance against his former side, two Everton players for their win against Palace, and two Liverpool players after their 3-0 win against Brentford.

Palmer was included in Crooks Team of the Week, after his penalty rescued Chelsea a deserved point against his former side Manchester City.

Meanwhile the two Liverpool players included were from either end of the pitch, with Alisson taking the spot in net, and Mohamed Salah in the front three following his brace against Brentford.

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Other inclusions were the likes of Dominic Solanke who scored a brace for Bournemouth in their big 2-0 win against Newcastle.

Soucek who scored a late winner for the Hammers against Nottingham Forest to win 3-2 at the London Stadium.

Two Everton players in Vitaliy Mykolenko and Abdoulaye Doucoure for their performances against Crystal Palace in a 3-2 victory for the Toffees.

Arsenal’s William Saliba and Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof both got on the score sheet for their sides, and managed victories to earn their spots in defence.

Whilst the midfield is completed with Pablo Sarabia of Wolves, and John McGinn of Aston Villa, both of which were on the scoresheet for their sides in victories against Tottenham and Fulham.

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Arsenal have restored their lead almost immediately with William Saliba scoring a header from a Trossard corner.

Trossard gave Arsenal the lead right before half-time but Burnley equalised ten minutes into the second half through Josh Brownhill.

Josh Brownhill SCORES!!

? 2-1 Arsenal FC vs Burnley FC

WATCH EVERY GOAL ? https://t.co/2w98QqADfX#PL #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/GWDake42GH

— FuboCanada ?? (@fuboTVCanada) November 11, 2023

But Arsenal responded back immediately with a goal just three minutes later. Trossard whips in a great ball in from the corner on to the goal-line.

Burnley keeper Trafford is blocked in as Saliba rises to head in from close range.

Watch below:

William Saliba SCORES!!

? 2-1 Arsenal FC vs Burnley FC

WATCH EVERY GOAL ? https://t.co/2w98QqADfX#PL #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/rtl2p87EC9

— FuboCanada ?? (@fuboTVCanada) November 11, 2023

The post Video: William Saliba restores Arsenal’s lead immediately after Burnley drew level appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal managed to beat Sevilla in their Champions League group stage match, winning 2-1 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Arsenal took the lead right at the end of the first half with a goal from Gabriel Martinelli, before making it two in the 53rd minute through Gabriel Jesus.

Sevilla grabbed one back in the 58th minute through Nemanja Gudelj, however the game ended 2-1 and the Gunners managed to get all three points.

Read on for our Arsenal player ratings, and who stood out for the Gunners…

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David Raya – 6 – Only made the one save, did make three high claims though and completed five long passes. Not much he could do about the goal.

Takehiro Tomiyasu – 7 – Looked solid slotting in the inverted fullback role, completed two of his four long balls and made three clearances.

Gabriel Magalhaes – 6 – Lost a few more duels than usual, only winning two of his six attempted duels, however he did make two out of his six long balls and made three clearances.

William Saliba – 7 – Was more involved defensvily, with six clearances and one tackle, and was also the main defender bringing the ball out from the back with 46 accurate passes made out of his 55 attempted.

Ben White – 6 – Was dribbled past on a few occasions and beaten down his flank for Sevilla to put crosses into the box, and didn’t offer much on the overlap for Arsenal.

Declan Rice – 7.5 – Really solid in midfield and looked to be progressive with the ball making three key passes in this game. He also made two tackles, one interceptions and one block protecting the defensive unit.

Jorginho – 6 – Was in the team to control the tempo and he did use the ball well moving it side to side with a 95% passing accuracy and 63 touches. However did pick up a yellow and was slightly liable in transition.

Martin Odegaard – 6 – Not his best game in terms of creation, making no key passes and only creating  0.02 x/A (expected assists). Only had 30 touches and made 17 accurate passes.

Gabriel Martinelli – 8 – Got the opening goal calmly rounding the keeper and slotting it home and could have had another. Made four key passes and looked threatening throughout down the left flank.

Gabriel Jesus – 9 – A complete performance from the centre forward, getting a goal and an assist, making three key passes and creating two big chances. Linked up play very well between the lines.

Bukayo Saka – 7 – A quieter game for Saka, maybe due to the brilliance of the other forwards, still managed three key passes and two shots (both of which were blocked)

Subs: Kai Havertz 4, Eddie Nketiah 4, Leandro Trossard 5, Jakub Kiwior N/A.

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Chelsea took an early lead in the London derby against Arsenal through Cole Palmer. The goal came from a controversial penalty decision when Murdyk’s header struck Saliba’s arm from very close range.

Despite the on-field referee initially waving off the penalty appeal, VAR intervened, leading to a lengthy review and ultimately a penalty awarded to Chelsea.

The decision left Arsenal fans frustrated, but Cole Palmer stepped up and converted the penalty to give Chelsea the lead in a highly contested match.

Literally everybody who knows anything about ball agrees that the Law is shit and that never should be a handball on Saliba. https://t.co/ZpbmFCsam3

— The Short Fuse (@TheShortFuse) October 21, 2023

Watch below:

Chelsea were awarded a penalty and went 1-0 up on Arsenal after William Saliba was called for handball. #CHEARS pic.twitter.com/mwoEVvNggd

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 21, 2023

PALMER SLOTS HOME THE PENALTY! ?

Arsenal concede for the first time away from home this season! pic.twitter.com/eQbo5odfEd

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 21, 2023

The post Video: Chelsea take the lead from the spot but Arsenal fans fume at controversial hand ball decision appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Mikel Arteta has given an update on his two stars ahead of their London derby clash on Saturday.

Arsenal face Chelsea in a crucial clash on Saturday evening and although the Gunners are well above in the table, it is still a massive game.

Mauricio Pochettino seems like he is finally finding his fit as Blues boss as his side comes into this game with three wins on the bounce.

But they will have to be at their best to get one over on Arsenal, especially if Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are fit for the contest.

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“I’m sure he wants to play, yes. I don’t see any players there that don’t want to be in the starting XI.” he said after being questioned on Saka’s fitness via the Express.

When asked about the availability of Saliba, the Spaniard gave a similar answer.

“Hopefully not but obviously he has been carrying that for weeks now and we had to use that time to settle.

“We believe it was the best time to do it. It depends how he’s able to train today [whether he can play on Saturday].”

The post Mikel Arteta provides fresh Bukayo Saka and William Saliba injury update appeared first on CaughtOffside.

William Saliba has withdrawn from international duty with France after picking up a toe injury.

The Arsenal defender put on a dominant display in his side’s statement victory against Manchester City on Sunday.

The 22-year-old marshalled the best striker in the league, Erling Haaland, with ease as the Norwegian registered 0.00XG for the first time in his Manchester City career.

Although unnoticeable on the day, Saliba was playing with a reported ‘chronic toe injury’ as the French Football Federation released a statement confirming his withdrawal from the squad shortly after full-time.

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‘The Arsenal defender suffers from pain in his right big toe. He will remain available to his club to treat this chronic injury.

‘After speaking with Dr. Franck Le Gall, the French team doctor, Didier Deschamps noted William Saliba’s withdrawal and decided to replace him with Jean-Clair Todibo.

‘The latter is expected at Clairefontaine on Monday at noon, like all the selected players.’

An injury to the French defender could be disastrous for Arsenal football club, as we saw last year after his back issues.

Although not ideal, Gunners fans will be happy that Saliba gets a two-week rest to recover before returning for a crucial clash with Chelsea immediately after the break.

The post Arsenal hit with another injury blow as defender withdraws from international duty appeared first on CaughtOffside.

William Saliba has been pivotal for Arsenal this season in their great start to the Premier League campaign, and this stat proves it.

According to Squawka on X (formerly Twitter) William Saliba has not been dribbled past so far this season in his eight Premier League appearances. In these eight appearances without being dribbled past, Saliba has also only committed two fouls. To add to this stat, Squawka have also stated that since the start of last season, Saliba has only been successfully dribbled past three times.

When Saliba got injured towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign, cracks started to appear defensively for Arsenal which saw them dropping points and falling away from the title race, with many fans believing that his injury cost them the title.

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William Saliba has not been dribbled past in his eight Premier League appearances in 2023/24.

And he's committed just two fouls all season. ??? pic.twitter.com/eOYkmvkMPv

— Squawka (@Squawka) October 8, 2023

It will be important for Arsenal to keep Saliba fit this year if they are to mount another title charge. Saliba has started all eight games so far this season, which has seen Arsenal win six and draw two of their opening eight Premier League fixtures.

This has the Gunners second in the table with 20 points, only behind Tottenham who also have 20 points, but are ahead on goals scored due to both sides goal difference being the same (10). Spurs have 18 goals scored compared to Arsenal with 16.

The post Crazy stat shows defensive dominance from France international for the Gunners this season appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes could hinge on keeping William Saliba fit this season, according to pundit Garth Crooks.

The France international has been rock solid since coming into the Gunners’ first-team last season, instantly becoming one of the club’s most important players.

Saliba was badly missed for last season’s title run-in, and his return to fitness has displayed once again how important he is to Mikel Arteta’s men as they look to close the gap on Manchester City.

Yesterday looks like it may have been a pivotal moment, with Arsenal winning 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Gabriel Martinelli, while Saliba was once again a crucial performer, keeping Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland quiet all afternoon.

Crooks is clearly a big fan of Saliba, praising the 22-year-old as being reminiscent of Arsenal legend Sol Campbell, though he did question if an injury to the player could be just as damaging this season as it was last term.

“Once again the steadying influence of William Saliba in defence for the Gunners is proving invaluable,” Crooks said in his BBC Sport column.

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“The atmosphere at Emirates Stadium was as tense as I have known it against Manchester City and yet Saliba was as cool as ice and appeared to handle Erling Haaland without any trouble at all.

“I rate Saliba as highly as I rated Sol Campbell. The France international has the same kind of presence in defence as the former England man and is just as quick.

“What no-one can legislate for is whether Saliba can remain fit. It’s highly unlikely he can go an entire season without some sort of injury and if his fitness does falter can the Gunners survive without him?

“Should Saliba get injured and Arsenal find that they can survive without him, then they must really fancy their chances of lifting the title.”

The post Arsenal title hopes are resting on one player staying fit, claims pundit appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In a very flat game that looked to be petering out to a 0-0 stalemate, Arsenal managed to grab the winner with a late goal from Gabriel Martinelli to beat City 1-0 at the Emirates in what could be a big title deciding game come the end of the year.

Both teams played an extremely cagey game, looking like they were both happy to take a point on the day. Defensive character and tactical chess was the theme of this game between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, and it was Arsenal who came out on top with their first win against Manchester City in the league since December 2015.

Read on for our Arsenal player ratings, as we look at who were the stand out performers in this massive victory…

David Raya – 6 – Started the first half very shaky with a few mistakes playing out from the back, but grew into the second half and made a few good claims/punches from crosses.

Ben White – 7 – Defended very well on his right side, following Phil Foden inside when he came narrow, and also defending the overlapping run of Josko Gvardiol which City made continuously throughout the game.

William Saliba – 8 – Strong presence that made everyone better and calmer around him. Won several duels with Erling Haaland and did not allow him to face up towards goal at all, real leaders performance.

Gabriel – 8 – Gabriel along with his partner Saliba was excellent, defended strong and aggressive and did not allow any of the City forwards time in central areas to make things happen. Gabriel made three interceptions, one tackle and one block.

Oleksandr Zinchenko – 7 – Zinchenko did not invert into midfield this game, and instead had to play more of a classic fullback role. He defended well making two tackles and 1 interception, he also did well covering Alvarez when he came inside to play narrowly off of Haaland.

Jorginho – 6 – Picked up an early yellow card so had to be cautious, but was calm on the ball for the Gunners and helped them to keep possession at times and calm the game down. Jorginho had a 91% pass completion with 63 successful passes out of 69 in his 75 minutes played.

Declan Rice – 7.5 – Rice played a big part in this game, covering a lot of ground in central areas and winning his duels to stop City making any progression through the middle of the pitch. Rice made two clearances (one being off of the line early in the game), one block, three interceptions and three tackles.

Martin Odegaard – 7 – In the first half Odegaard didn’t look as comfortable as usual on the ball and looked a bit rushed, however in the second half he really stepped up and played a big part in leading Arsenal to victory. Very assured on the ball, kept possession well and once Arsenal had the lead he really took responsibility of keeping the ball and retaining possession for the Gunners.

Leandro Trossard – 5 – Came off at halftime for Martinelli, had a relatively quiet first half only having 13 touches and not managing a shot. Played one key pass in his 45 minutes, but struggled to get involved.

Eddie Nketiah – 5 – Nketiah also struggled to get into this game, with all three of his shots being off target, and only managed 19 touches in 75 minutes. He did work hard and pressed well from the front for Arsenal but struggled to make an impact.

Gabriel Jesus – 7.5 – Jesus may not get the plaudits for this game, but he was brilliant for Arsenal. He was an outlet at every opportunity, drifting around the pitch to pick up the ball and alleviate pressure for the Gunners.

Gabriel Martinelli – 7 – Martinelli made a huge impact for Arsenal coming on at halftime. He instantly added some directness to the game, looking to get at the City defenders 1v1, and of course scored the important goal in the 86th minute to win the game.

Subs: Takehiro Tomiyasu 6, Thomas Partey 5, Kai Havertz 6.

The post Arsenal player ratings: Defensive quality shines in rather flat game appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The latest Premier League team of the week is in, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United players featuring after strong performances over the weekend.

The Gunners beat Manchester City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium yesterday in what is surely the result of the weekend, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring what could be a crucial winner in this year’s title race.

Garth Crooks was certainly impressed by Arsenal, putting both Declan Rice and William Saliba in his best XI on BBC Sport, while there were some other big names in there too.

Scott McTominay was the hero for Manchester United, scoring twice in stoppage time to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Brentford, while Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling also deservedly gets in after shining in the Blues’ 4-1 win over Burnley.

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Elsewhere, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah bagged two goals in the Reds’ 2-2 draw with Brighton, while Alexander Isak had another good game for Newcastle, and Crooks perhaps showed a touch of pro-Tottenham bias by awarding them three places for beating Luton Town 1-0.

Fulham’s Willian and Everton’s Jack Harrison complete the line up as the Premier League comes to a temporary halt for another international break.

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