LONDON — The Arsenal vs Chelsea reaction saw Thomas Tuchel, Mikel Arteta and Romelu Lukaku all discuss an edge clash at the Emirates Stadium as the London derby delivered plenty of drama and a debut goal for Lukaku.
Chelsea had the extra quality in attack which made the difference as Romelu Lukaku (on his debut after returning to the Blues for a second stint) and Reece James scored in the first half to seal the win.
Arsenal had plenty of chances but Mikel Arteta’s men couldn’t find the cutting edge, as they have now suffered back-to-back defeats to start the season.
This is the first time in Arsenal’s 118-year history they have opened the season with two defeats without scoring in either game. Ouch.
Below is the latest Arsenal vs Chelsea reaction, with Thomas Tuchel, Mikel Arteta, Romelu Lukaku and others sharing their thoughts to the media at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal vs Chelsea live reaction: Thomas Tuchel, Mikel Arteta, Romelu Lukaku post-game comments
I’m at the Emirates Stadium in north London providing live reaction from managers and players of arsenal and Chelsea. Welcome! Pleasure to have you on board.
Shall we get stuck into this reaction? Yup. Let’s go!
Thomas Tuchel is now speaking to the written media in his post-game press conference:
ProSoccerTalk asked Tuchel about the link-up play that Lukaku brings to Chelsea, and if that is almost as exciting as the goals he brings: “I think his profile gives us something that we did not have so much. We can overcome pressing with long balls. When we are close to the box we can also play in to him with some defenders on his back because he is a very physical player.
“He also suits out strengths for counter attacks because he likes to run in to open spaces. He was involved in training, involved with the guys. He is a very open and smart and friendly person. It was easy to connect with everybody. They like to play with each other. This is very important. He gives us some more opportunities. At the same time we need to keep going.”
“He was always a Chelsea fan and his dream is to make it at this club. He has this personality and he has this trust in himself. I hope it takes pressure off our young guys’ shoulders.”
More on Lukaku: “It was a very good start. When a striker scores right away and to give us an important lead. He links up well. He was dangerous throughout the whole game. He almost scored the second one. Was a very good debut. He linked up very well.”
Mikel Arteta is now speaking to us in the written post-game press conference:
“It is really challenging at the moment. We are missing nine players. It is what we have. Credit to the boys. The passion they are bringing to the team. They are playing with a lot of courage. They are trying their best.”
“I don’t want to see anybody put their heads down,” Arteta said when asked about playing Manchester City next.
“They really tried to push the team. We you are 2-0 down at half time, nobody is going to be happy. In the second half, every time the team tried to give them something. They were reacting. We need them more than ever,” Arteta said when asked about the reaction from the fans at the Emirates, as there were plenty of boos.
Arteta said they should have had a penalty kick in the first half when Saka went down.
He also confirmed that Ben White will likely be out for the Manchester City game, as he has recently tested positive for COVID-19. When asked if he is available he simply said: “I don’t think so.”
Granit Xhaka is the latest Arsenal player to come out of the tunnel to speak with the media. The Arsenal skipper doesn’t look best please. Let’s leave it at that. His manager, Mikel Arteta, is stood a few yards away and isn’t exactly beaming from ear to ear either. Oh dear…
Here is the man of the moment, Romelu Lukaku, speaking to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports.
“It is good to start like this,” Romelu Lukaku told Sky Sports. “I worked hard throughout the week. The team worked hard throughout the week. It was a big game for us. Everyone was watching us. We did well. As an individual I tried to help the team. I said I wanted to add something different to the team. Hopefully I did and I want to continue doing that to help the team win. That is the most important thing.”
Lukaku adds: “We played really well. We dominated. We could have scored more.
Thomas Tuchel is very, very happy with this display and Chelsea’s start to the season.
They’ve won the UEFA Super Cup and now won their opening two PL games. Yep, Chelsea look like legit title contenders this season.
“It is a perfect start. We didn’t concede a goal and we have two victories. It is a London derby and gives us a lot of genuine confidence. This is what you need as a team. We are a different group. Some players left, some new players came in. This is what you need, these experiences together. Good victories. Moments where you suffer. But you work hard together. This is how a group is built. We are happy with the start. It was a unique preparation. We are still in the process and we need to keep going.”
🗣"I don't know if it is possible to manage games in the Premier League."
Thomas Tuchel reveals how his game plan changed during their 2-0 win over Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/UOxADZnnce
Tuchel, Lukaku, Mari, James and Arteta all currently speaking to the media. Some Arsenal fans are angry with their team and are shouting things out to Sol Campbell who is live on Sky Sports in the UK breaking things down.
Aubameyang has just thrown his shirt into the crowd after warming down, as some young Arsenal fans are very, very happy with that. Other Arsenal fans around me in the press box were not as happy. At all.
One of the Gunners faithful tells the media ‘it wasn’t that bad’ and asks what we are writing. Other Arsenal fans heard him say that and tell him to give his season ticket back and ask him ‘what wasn’t bad about that?’ Not a great start to the season for the Gunners.
What a start for Lukaku in his second debut for Chelsea! Here he salutes the Chelsea fans at the final whistle, who have been singing his name all day long.
That is $132 million well spent by Chelsea. What an impact he had.
🔥❤️🙌 Chelsea fans salute Romelu Lukaku at the final whistle and he pats the #CFC badge and shows his love for them. Great scenes in the away end here at the Emirates. Dream 2nd Chelsea debut for Lukaku. #ARSCHE#AFCpic.twitter.com/MvYe7TK2cu
Harry Kane scored twice on Saturday to give him 20 goals on the Premier League season, and impressive figure with 10-plus matches left for the teams of the Premier League this season.
Then Erling Haaland converted a penalty at Crystal Palace to give him 28 on the season, reminding the country that the Golden Boot race remains in fait accompli territory.
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’s Premier League-leading 28 goals have him seven goals clear of the next closest challenger: Tottenham’s fantastic and firing Harry Kane.
The Norwegian star 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 within five goals of equalling Kevin Phillips’ record for most goals in a debut Premier League season.
And the later this season goes with him projected so far over the current record, the less chucking is accompanied by marking out the pace (especially considering Haaland was not beaten up by the World Cup, as Norway was not in the tournament). And even though Haaland is currently overperforming his expected goals total, it’s clear that projecting him for the Premier League record is rather realistic.
Haaland may not be likely to hit 50 goals given the schedule congestion to come for Man City, but the Premier League record is very well under assault and that figure isn’t entirely absurd. He’s played in 23 of Man City’s 24 games, scoring 26 goals.
Mohamed Salah holds the 38-game season record with his 32 goals scored for Liverpool during the 2017-18 season, while Newcastle’s Andy Cole and Blackburn’s Alan Shearer bagged 34 during 42-game seasons in the 20th century’s final decade.
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.
Other records that Haaland could legitimately tie or topple:
30 goals in a first Premier League season (Kevin Phillips, Sunderland, 1999-2000)
Goals in 24 different Premier League matches (Salah, Liverpool, 2017-18)
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.
Remember: you can watch all 380 Premier League games across NBC, USA Network, NBCSports.com and Peacock. We’ve got you covered.
Will Manchester City win yet another Premier League title? Can Arsenal push them all the way? Will Chelsea and Liverpool recover to finish in the top four? Can Manchester United’s new-look side surge into the title race? What about Tottenham? How will the new boys get on? Who will be the surprise package?
Those questions will be answered from August 2022 to May 2023, with the full list of Premier League fixtures.
While below are the answers to all of the questions you have around the Premier League fixtures and everything else you need to know for the upcoming season, with full details on the Premier League TV schedule across the NBC family of channels and more.
The Premier League fixtures for the 2022-23 season were announced on Thursday June 16, 2022 at 4am ET. Below is the full schedule, as you can watch all 380 games across our NBC platforms.
The Premier League fixture computer decides who plays who and when, as teams located close to one another are usually playing at home on opposite weekends to help with policing, crowd control and transport congestion in those areas.
When will the Premier League take a break for the 2022 World Cup?
When will the 2022-23 Premier League season finish?
The final day of the season will be on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Which teams will compete in the 2022-23 Premier League?
These are the 20 teams which will compete in the Premier League for the upcoming season:
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Leeds United, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Predictions for 2022-23 Premier League season
We made a few bold predictions ahead of the Premier League campaign, which you can read in full here. And we’ve also predicted how we think the Premier League table will look at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. I’m sure you agree wholeheartedly with these predictions…
2022-23 Premier League TV schedule
Below are the Premier League fixtures in full, with all kick offs listed at 10am ET unless otherwise stated:
2:45pm: AFC Bournemouth v Brighton
2:45pm: Leeds v Nottingham Forest
2:45pm: Leicester vs Aston Villa
3pm: Chelsea vs Liverpool
Wednesday 5 April
3pm: Man United v Brentford
3pm: West Ham v Newcastle
Matchweek 30
Saturday 8 April
7:30am: Man Utd v Everton
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Newcastle
Fulham v West Ham
Leicester v AFC Bournemouth
Spurs v Brighton
Wolves v Chelsea
12:30pm: Southampton v Man City
Sunday 9 April
9am: Leeds v Crystal Palace
11:30am: Liverpool v Arsenal
Matchweek 31
Saturday 15 April
7:30am: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Chelsea v Brighton
Everton v Fulham
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Spurs v AFC Bournemouth
Wolves v Brentford
12:30pm: Man City v Leicester
Sunday 16 April
9am: West Ham v Arsenal
11:30am: Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
Monday 17 April
3pm: Leeds v Liverpool
Matchweek 32
Friday 21 April
3pm: Arsenal v Southampton
Saturday 22 April
7:30am: Fulham v Leeds
Brentford v Aston Villa
Crystal Palace v Everton
Leicester v Wolves
Liverpool v Nottingham Forest
Sunday 23 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v West Ham
9am: Newcastle v Spurs
Postponed due to European action
Man Utd v Chelsea
Brighton v Man City
Matchweek 33
Tuesday 25 April
2:30pm: Wolves v Crystal Palace
2:45pm: Aston Villa v Fulham
2:45pm: Leeds v Leicester
Wednesday 26 April
2:30pm: Nottingham Forest v Brighton
2:45pm: Chelsea v Brentford
2:45pm: West Ham v Liverpool
3pm: Man City v Arsenal
Thursday 27 April
2:45pm: Everton v Newcastle
2:45pm: Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
3:15pm: Spurs v Man Utd
Matchweek 34
Saturday 29 April
7:30am: Crystal Palace v West Ham
Brentford v Nottingham Forest
Brighton v Wolves
12:30pm: Arsenal v Chelsea
Sunday 30 April
9am: AFC Bournemouth v Leeds
9am: Fulham v Man City
9am: Man Utd v Aston Villa
9am: Newcastle v Southampton
11:30am: Liverpool v Spurs
Monday 1 May
3pm: Leicester v Everton
Rearranged games
Wednesday 3 May
3pm: Liverpool v Fulham
3pm: Man City v West Ham
Thursday 4 May
3pm: Brighton v Man Utd
Matchweek 35
Saturday 6 May
AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea
Spurs v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Aston Villa
12:30pm: Liverpool v Brentford
Sunday 7 May
9am: Man City v Leeds* subject to possible Champions League schedule
11:30am: Newcastle v Arsenal
2pm: West Ham v Man Utd
Monday 8 May
10am: Fulham v Leicester
12:30pm: Brighton v Everton
3pm: Nottingham Forest v Southampton
Saturday 13 May
Arsenal v Brighton
Aston Villa v Spurs
Brentford v West Ham
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v AFC Bournemouth
Everton v Man City
Leeds v Newcastle
Leicester v Liverpool
Man Utd v Wolves
Southampton v Fulham
Saturday 20 May
AFC Bournemouth v Man Utd
Brighton v Southampton
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Aston Villa
Man City v Chelsea
Newcastle v Leicester
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Spurs v Brentford
West Ham v Leeds
Wolves v Everton
Sunday 28 May
16:00 Arsenal v Wolves
16:00 Aston Villa v Brighton
16:00 Brentford v Man City
16:00 Chelsea v Newcastle
16:00 Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest
16:00 Everton v AFC Bournemouth
16:00 Leeds v Spurs
16:00 Leicester v West Ham
16:00 Man Utd v Fulham
16:00 Southampton v Liverpool
Pep Guardiola’s Man City can momentarily cut the gap to leaders Arsenal to five points but there are question marks swirling around the fitness of goalscoring machine Erling Haaland heading into this game. City are looking for a three-peat of Premier League titles and five in the last six seasons, but Arsenal don’t look like they’re going to slip up anytime soon. So City can’t afford to either. They’ve won six in a row in all competitions, scoring 23 and conceding once in that run. We all know they love to kick on at this point of the campaign, so let’s see if they can do it again.
As for Liverpool, well, it has been one step forward and one step back pretty much all season long for Jurgen Klopp’s side. After their 7-0 shellacking of Manchester United, they then lost at Bournemouth to infuriate Klopp and their fans further. The front three of Salah, Nunez and Gakpo are all clicking through the gears nicely but Liverpool have to become more consistent and dominant games in midfield if they’re going to close the gap to the current top four. They’ve had success against City in recent years as their contrasting style of play match up well but this seems like a different, more fragile, Liverpool this season.
How to watch Manchester City vs Liverpool live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 7:30am ET, Saturday TV Channel: Peacock Online: Stream via Peacock Premium
Key storylines & in-form players to watch
The fitness of Haaland is obviously a huge concern for City as he suffered a groin issue and did not play for Norway over the international break and returned to Manchester for treatment. If he isn’t fit to start then expect Julian Alvarez to come in. Elsewhere, City are flying with Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gunodgan having a big role to play with Phil Foden out following his Appendectomy. As always, Kevin de Bruyne is the main man and will relish this chance to cut Arsenal’s lead atop the table.
Liverpool just can’t find consistency right now. They have improved defensively but they are a real Jekyll and Hyde team. Jurgen Klopp isn’t a fan of that and showed his frustration after their defeat at Bournemouth, which was their last Premier League game and was way back on March 11. He’s had a few weeks to stew over that loss and it will be intriguing to see what plan he has come up with. For this game as earlier this season Liverpool beat Man City 1-0 at Anfield by playing a front four which pinned City in.
Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options
QUESTIONABLE: Erling Haaland (groin) | OUT: Phil Foden (appendix removed)
Liverpool team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Calvin Ramsay (knee), Stefan Bajcetic (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Luis Diaz (knee), Darwin Nunez (ankle), Kostas Tsimikas (rib), Thiago Alcantara (hip), Joe Gomez (undisclosed)
Manchester City star Erling Haaland left the Norway squad during the international break after suffering a groin injury.
Our partners in the UK at Sky Sports News say that Haaland missed team training on Thursday, less than 48 hours before the huge game against Liverpool this weekend.
Haaland, 22, joined up with Norway for their EURO 2024 qualifiers but has been sent back to Manchester City for treatment.
That meant he went to Marbella and then Barcelona in Spain for specialist treatment and he is now back in Manchester recovering from the groin injury he picked up against Burnley.
He has scored 42 (yes, forty two) goals in all competitions for Man City this season.
However, Pep Guardiola and Man City now face an anxious wait as an injury to Erling Haaland is the last thing they wanted before a pivotal final few months of the season as they chase the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.
Norway’s team doctor, Ola Sand, gave an update on Haaland’s injury.
“We hoped that this was just a familiarity that would carry over to Saturday, but after doing tests and examinations yesterday it became clear that he will not make it to the games against Spain and Georgia,” Sand said. “It is better that he receives medical follow-up at the club.”
Norway face Spain on Saturday and Georgia next Tuesday, so it seems like Haaland is in a race to be fit for Man City’s games after the international break.
Which games could he miss?
After the international break Man City are playing in the first game of the weekend as they host Liverpool on Saturday, Apr. 1 at the Etihad Stadium.
It seems like Haaland could be struggling to be fully fit for that game, and maybe even the trip to Southampton on Apr. 8, so Pep Guardiola may choose to rest him for their massive UEFA Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich on Apr. 11.
Given the form Haaland is in right now, it will be a blow for City if he does miss the next few games but the last thing they want is any long-term damage. Plus, it’s helpful to have the likes of World Cup winner Julian Alvarez in reserve to step in for Haaland.
