Wenger confirms Arsenal interest in Leicester’s Mahrez

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images
0 Comments

With several uncertainties at the Emirates Stadium ahead of next season, the Gunners could be restocking this summer.

[ MORE: Griezmann shuns Man United to return to Atletico ]

Manager Arsene Wenger has agreed to a new contract, however, two of Arsenal’s most integral players — Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil — aren’t sure things to return to London come August.

One player the Gunners could target in the event one or both players don’t return next season though is Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez, according to the French boss.

“We have not made a bid for him but personally I like the player, yes.” Wenger told beIN Sport. “I think he had a huge impact at Leicester when they won the championship, like everybody else.

“It’s been a different season this year but it doesn’t take anything away from his qualities.

“Have we made a bid for him? No. Not yet. Not yet means it could happen, it could not happen.”

Mahrez has been linked with a move away from the Foxes after the club’s drastic fall off from the 2015/16 season, when Leicester captured the Premier League title in unexpected fashion.

The Algerian has spent four seasons in the PL with Leicester after joining the club from French side Le Havre in 2014, and has scored 35 goals across all competitions in that span.

Everton vs Bournemouth, live! Score, updates, how to watch, videos

0 Comments

Everton host Bournemouth at Goodison Park on Sunday as the Toffees must win to guarantee Premier League survival on the final day.

STREAM LIVE EVERTON v BOURNEMOUTH

Sean Dyche’s side sit two points above the relegation zone heading into their final 90 minutes of the season and their 1-1 draw at Wolves last time out, courtesy of a 99th minute Yerry Mina goal, gave them an advantage in the frantic relegation scrap. It will be a nervous occasion at Goodison as injuries have piled up and Everton’s 69-year stay in England’s top-flight is still in jeopardy with Leeds and Leicester within touching distance below them.

Bournemouth are safe from relegation and Gary O’Neil’s side have no pressure on them whatsoever. They lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United last weekend but gave it a real go and the Cherries certainly have dangerous players on the counter who can make the most of any defensive mistakes from the Toffees.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA

Here’s everything you need for Everton vs Bournemouth.


How to watch Everton vs Bournemouth live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 11:30am ET, Sunday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

Everton vs Bournemouth live analysis! – By Joe Prince-Wright at Goodison Park 

First, as it stands of today – Leicester City have gone 1-0 up against West Ham. With Everton drawing here at Goodison against Bournemouth, that means the Toffees are going down. Chants of “going down, going down!” from the Bournemouth fans in the away end. Everton’s fans are stunned.

BIG CHANCEEE! Idrissa Gana Gueye is played in but his shot is tipped over. Should be 1-0 to Everton. Moments later Travers tips away a shot from distance

A cross is whipped into the box but there isn’t an Everton player anywhere near it. Huge roars of discontent from the home fans. They want more attacking intent from their team.

The home fans are driving their team on. Everton seeing a lot of the ball but it is mostly from wide positions.

Demarai Gray with a half chance as he wriggles free but his shot/cross is cleared at the near post.

KICK OFF! We are underway and it has been a tense start. Everton’s fans are urging their team on but they’re in a back five. Bournemouth have had some good chances to whip it in from the right but the quality hasn’t been there on the final ball.

The nerves continue to build here at Goodison. 45 minutes until kick off. Everton fans just want to get this started. This has to be excruciating for them. Meanwhile in the away end the Bournemouth fans are having a lovely time in the sun. Completely opposite atmosphere.

As we sit in the press box in the main stand at Goodison, you can hear a wall of noise approaching the stadium from every angle. Great atmosphere building here.

Team news is out and there are two changes for Everton as Conor Coady comes in for the injured Nathan Patterson. Demarai Gray starts up top in place of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Looks like Coady is at right back and McNeil is at left back. Bournemouth are without captain and star goalkeeper Neto who misses out due to personal reasons.

Hello and welcome to Goodison Park, where the nerves are jangling, the sun is shining and the flares are plentiful! The equation is simple for Everton: win and they will stay up. Lose or draw and their safety is out of their hands. Get ready for an intense few hours.


Key storylines & in-form players to watch

Everton have really been through it with injuries in recent weeks and the fact that Calvert-Lewin is once again struggling means that Dyche may play without a recognized striker on the final day. Defensively they have issues at full back but they have hung in there and the home crowd has inspired them on several occasions as they are within one win of safety.

Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto has been exceptional, so too has Dominic Solanke and Dango Ouattara at the other end of the pitch as there has been a really nice balance about the Cherries over the last few months as they stayed up without much stress in the end. In the reverse game in November Bournemouth beat Everton 3-0 to spark ugly scenes in the away end as the Everton fans turned on their players and demanded and were hugely disappointed with the display.


Everton team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Seamus Coleman (hamstring), Dele Alli (groin), Ruben Vinagre (achilles), Andros Townsend (knee), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh), Nathan Patterson (thigh), Tom Davies (thigh), Vitalii Mykolenko (thigh), Ben Godfrey (groin)

Bournemouth team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Antoine Semenyo (leg), Ryan Fredericks (calf), Junior Stanislas (other), Joe Rothwell (thigh), Hamed Traore (ankle), Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Neto (personal reasons)


Premier League top scorers: Who is leading Golden Boot race?

0 Comments

Harry Kane has 28 goals on the season and a lead of eight on the closest competitor behind him on the Premier League goals list this season.

Key words: behind him. Because no one’s ever scored more goals in a 38-game Premier League season than Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Haaland has 36 goals on the season, as he surpassed the record set by Newcastle’s Andy Cole and Blackburn’s Alan Shearer who each bagged 34 goals during 42-game seasons. Haaland still has another four games to improve on his tally.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ] 

There is something somewhat dull about knowing the identity of the 2022 Golden Boot winner, the lone curiosity being the final number of his final tally, we get it, but most of what Haaland is doing this season is simply marvelous and to be admired without much fear.

Haaland piled up 20 goals in a single Premier League season faster than any player in history… by seven games (Kevin Phillips of Sunderland did it in 21). Now he’s beaten Phillips’ record for most goals in a debut Premier League season.

He’s passed Salah and may find his way to an absurd 40 if City’s rich vein of form continues down the stretch of their Premier League title run.

Which records can Haaland break?

Haaland may not be likely to hit 40 goals, but the Premier League record is his and that figure isn’t entirely absurd.

Haaland has set a new record of scoring 36 in a season.

Haaland also could topple the record for goal involvements (goals plus assists) in a single season, including beating the 42-game record. Alan Shearer put up 47 over 42, while Thierry Henry holds the 38-game record with 44.

He’s also broken Phillips’ record of goals in a first Premier League season when he bagged his 31st of the season versus Leicester City on April 15.

Other records that Haaland could legitimately tie or topple:

  • Goals in 24 different Premier League matches (Salah, Liverpool, 2017-18 – Haaland’s at 23 now)
  • Most goals in a Premier League match (Five tied with five)
  • 11-straight Premier League games with a goal (Jamie Vardy, Leicester, 2014-15)

Read on to see the latest Premier League goal totals for the 2022-23 season, as Haaland looks to claim a Golden Boot in his first PL season.

Premier League 2022-23 Golden Boot race

    1. Erling Haaland, Man City — 36
    2. Harry Kane, Tottenham — 29
    3. Ivan Toney, Brentford — 20
    4. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool — 19
    5. Callum Wilson, Newcastle — 18
    6. Marcus Rashford, Manchester United — 17
    7. Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal — 15
    8. Martin Odegaard, Arsenal — 15
    9. Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa — 14
    10. Aleksandar Mitrovic, Fulham — 14
    11. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal — 14
    12. Rodrigo, Leeds United — 13
    13. Harvey Barnes, Leicester City — 13
    14. Miguel Almiron, Newcastle — 11
    15. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool — 11
    16. Alexander Isak, Newcastle — 10
    17. Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal — 10
    18. James Maddison, Leicester City — 10
    19. Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton — 10
    20. Eberechi Eze, Crystal Palace — 10
    21. Phil Foden, Man City — 10
    22. Heung-min Son, Tottenham — 10
    23. Taiwo Awoniyi, Nottingham Forest — 10
    24. Darwin Nunez, Liverpool — 9
    25. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford — 9
    26. Julian Alvarez, Man City — 9
    27. Pascal Gross, Brighton — 9
    28. James Ward-Prowse, Southampton — 9
    29. Leandro Trossard — Brighton/Arsenal — 8
    30. Danny Ings, Aston Villa/West Ham — 8
    31. Brennan Johnson, Nottingham Forest — 8
    32. Ilkay Gundogan, Man City — 8
    33. Kai Havertz, Chelsea — 7
    34. Solly March, Brighton — 7
    35. Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton — 7
    36. Phillip Billing, Bournemouth — 7
    37. Kevin De Bruyne, Man City — 7
    38. Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace — 7
    39. Dwight McNeil, Everton — 7
    40. Yoane Wissa, Brentford — 7
    41. Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United — 7

Premier League assist leaders: Who will win Playmaker of the Season?

0 Comments

Kevin De Bruyne’s gaudy assist numbers give rise to any number of considerations, and we have to wonder if the Manchester City star has ever wondered if the Premier League record would be his in a world in which Jose Mourinho found better use for him at Chelsea.

De Bruyne’s 16 assists this Premier League season are five more than his nearest competitor — Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka — and give him 102 for his career. That’s fifth all-time, two more than Dennis Bergkamp and 63 (?!) behind record holder Ryan Giggs.

[ MORE: Premier League Golden Boot race ]

The Belgian star, 31, arrived at Chelsea from Werder Bremen at the age of 22 and managed only 425 in a half-season before being offloaded to Wolfsburg. Back in the Bundesliga, De Bruyne got six assists the rest of the way before setting up 21 goals the next season to set up a move to Man City.

He’s since won the nascent Premier League Playmaker of the Season Award twice, including a 20-assist 2019-20 season, and he’s on pace to make it three of six. Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, and Eden Hazard have also won the award, which is only five years old.

De Bruyne also led the Premier League in assists in 2016-17, the year before the league but a name on the honor.

His stats hint that there’s more to come, as ‘KDB’ is creating a gaudy 3.77 chances per 90 minutes. After a season in which he scored 15 times with eight assists, De Bruyne is back taunting those who’d dare chase him in terms of setting up goals (Some guy named Erling Haaland is helping…).

Premier League 2022-23 assist leaders

  1. Kevin De Bruyne, Man City — 16
  2. Bukayo Saka, Arsenal — 11
  3. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool — 11
  4. Leandro Trossard, Arsenal/Brighton — 11
  5. Michael Olise, Crystal Palace — 10
  6. Riyad Mahrez, Man City — 10
  7. James Maddison, Leicester City — 9
  8. Andy Robertson, Liverpool — 8
  9. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool — 8
  10. Ivan Perisic, Tottenham Hotspur — 8
  11. Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United — 8
  12. Christian Eriksen, Manchester United — 8
  13. Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest — 8
  14. Martin Odegaard, Arsenal — 7
  15. Solly March, Brighton — 7
  16. Jack Harrison, Leeds — 7
  17. Erling Haaland, Man City — 7
  18. Granit Xhaka, Arsenal — 7
  19. Dominic Solanke, Bournemouth — 7
  20. Pascal Gross, Brighton — 7
  21. Kieran Trippier, Newcastle United — 7
  22. Alex Iwobi, Everton — 7
  23. Jack Grealish, Man City — 7
  24. Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham Hotspur — 7
  25. Bryan Mbeumo, Brentford — 7
  26. Andreas Pereira, Fulham — 6
  27. Ollie Watkins, Aston Villa — 6
  28. Rodri, Manchester City — 6
  29. Joe Willock, Newcastle — 6
  30. Mathias Jensen, Brentford — 6
  31. Douglas Luiz, Aston Villa — 6
  32. Jacob Ramsey, Aston Villa — 6

Leicester vs West Ham, live! Score, updates, stream link, video highlights

0 Comments

Leicester City needs a win over West Ham United and help or else the Foxes will be relegated from the Premier League on Championship Sunday at the King Power Stadium. 

Leicester is two points back of Everton for 17th place on the Premier League table and needs to beat West Ham and hope the Toffees fail to beat Bournemouth.

STREAM LIVE LEICESTER vs WEST HAM

West Ham, on the other hand, will be forgiven for focusing on the Europa Conference League Final having secured Premier League football with a nine-point cushion on the bottom three heading into Championship Sunday.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Leicester vs West Ham.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]


Leicester vs West Ham live score: 1-0


Harvey Barnes goal video: Leicester lifeline!


How to watch Leicester vs West Ham live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 11:30am ET Sunday
TV Channel: SYFY
Online: Watch live on Peacock + Watch live on NBCSports.com


Key storylines & star players

Leicester would love to see Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Wilfred Ndidi pass fitness checks, but Dean Smith will have rested and ready Harvey Barnes and James Maddison in a bid to score more goals than the Irons.

West Ham could be seeing the penultimate appearance of Declan Rice in an Irons shirt, as the big-money midfielder is being linked to several big clubs in the Premier League.


Leicester team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: James Justin (calf), Jannik Vestergaard (calf), Wilfred Ndidi (thigh), Caglar Soyuncu (thigh), Ryan Bertrand (other)

West Ham team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Gianluca Scamacca (knee)