Silky Arsenal ease to victory at Fulham, keep title bid on track

By and Mar 13, 2023, 10:59 AM EDT
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LONDON — Arsenal eased past Fulham to regain their five-point lead atop the Premier League table as they ran riot in a 3-0 victory at Craven Cottage.

FULL MATCH REPLAY

“We’re going to win the league!” sang the Arsenal fans at various stages of the game and on this showing, they looked like a title-winning side.

Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard all scored in the first half as Fulham couldn’t handle Arsenal’s slick movement and Mikel Arteta’s side should have won by many more.

Marco Silva’s side improved in the second half but Arsenal eased to a fifth-straight Premier League win as they now have 66 points and are five clear of Manchester City. Fulham have now lost two straight games and remain on 39 points.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

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Martinelli, Trossard deliver timely extra layer at perfect time

It was a joy to watch Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli rip Fulham apart in the first half. The duo ghosted between the left flank and central areas seamlessly and Fulham just couldn’t track them. Arsenal pressed Fulham high but they were also so clever in the way they allowed Fulham to play one pass out of the back into midfield and then snapped into challenges. Martin Odegaard pushed further forward to play as a second striker and was always free to combine when they won it back. Without Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah (the former is back fit and came on late in the game), Arsenal have had to be creative with their attacking options and that has inadvertently given them an extra tactical layer at a pivotal point of the season. Jesus will of course start a large chunk of the final 11 games of the campaign but Arsenal now have a very different option to roll out whenever they want. That is going to be crucial in the final months of the season as they aim to win the title.

Mikel Arteta praises attacking unit as Gunners maintain lead

Stars of the show; Fulham vs Arsenal player ratings

Leandro Trossard: A hat trick of assists in the first half and oozed class whenever he got on the ball. What a January signing.

Martin Odegaard: Got his goal and popped up in dangerous areas all game long.

Gabriel Martinelli: Could have had a hat trick in the first half and his clever runs could not be tracked.

Fulham vs Arsenal
Graphic via FotMob.com

What’s next?

Fulham head to Manchester United on Sunday, March 19 for an FA Cup quarterfinal. Arsenal host Sporting Lisbon in their Europa League last 16 second leg on Thursday, then host Crystal Palace on Sunday, Mar. 19.

How to watch Fulham vs Arsenal live! – By Joe Prince-Wright at Craven Cottage 

Kick off: 10am ET Sunday
TV Channel/Online: Watch on Peacock Premium

FULL TIME: Fulham 0-3 Arsenal – Absolutely clinical from Arsenal. They were excellent. Fulham were blown away in the first half. Too easy for Arteta’s side.

CHANCE! Gabriel Jesus is played in but his low finish is saved by Leno. So close to a goal on his return and he should have scored.

Gabriel Jesus comes on and there is a huge roar from the Arsenal fans in the away end. What on ovation for Jesus on his return. His first appearance since before the World Cup.

CROSSBAR! Fulham hit the bar. A header from a corner is a good one but it bounces away. So unlucky for the hosts.

SAVE! Aaron Ramsdale saves down low to deny Decordova-Reid. Fulham have been much better in the second half. But that wasn’t exactly tough after their first half display…

Fulham are having more of the ball but Arsenal look so dangerous every time they break.

Second half us underway and Ramsdale has come flapping at a few crosses. Fulham putting Arsenal under serious pressure to get one goal back.

HALF TIME – Fulham 0-3 Arsenal: About as dominant a first half as Arsenal have had all season long. Totally in control, 3-0 up and cruising. It could have been five or six. Arsenal’s fans chant Mikel Arteta’s name from the away end. Fulham have missed Joao Palhinha badly in midfield and just don’t look at it.

GOALLL! Fulham 0-3 Arsenal – Right on half time Martin Odegaard fires home after another fine Arsenal counter. Brilliant play by Martinelli and Leandro Trossard again. Arsenal have been excellent on these transitions.

SAVE! Great stop from Leno to deny Martinelli. That looked certain to be a third for Arsenal.

Nervous moment for Aaron Ramsdale as he inexplicably passes the ball straight to Andreas Pereira but the Fulham midfielder lobs over the bar. Big chance for Fulham. The Arsenal fans sing Ramsdale’s name.

CHANCE! Great flowing football from Arsenal after Tosin gave it away but Xhaka decides to take an extra touch and he gets it all wrong as Leno gratefully collects. Brilliant chance for Arsenal to go 3-0 up.

Bit of possession for Fulham now as Manor Solomon bends one wide of the far post. Very similar to his recent effort from that position which usually fly in. The home fans are getting a bit anxious. Arsenal happy to sit deeper and protect their 2-0 lead. Nice position to be in for the Gunners.

“You know you’re going to believe us, we’re going to win the league!” sing the Arsenal fans in the away end here at Craven Cottage.

GOALLL! 2-0 to Arsenal. Leandro Trossard with a lovely clipped cross to the back post and Martinelli heads home. Trossard and Martinelli have been sensational early on. Fulham can’t handle their movement.

William Saliba strides forward and smashes a shot over the bar from 35 yards out. That sums up the confidence in this Arsenal side right now.

GOALLL! Gabriel heads home as he climbs above Tosin and heads home a corner. Poor defensively from Fulham. Arsenal deservedly lead. Fulham 0-1 Arsenal.

NO GOAL! Gabriel Martinelli has a shot from the left which Bernd Leno saves but it bounces off Antonee Robinson and goes in. Arsenal think they are 1-0 up but VAR is used and Martinelli was just offside. The home fans celebrate the VAR decision arriving on the screen like it is a goal for Fulham. Early drama here.

Just like at the World Cup, Bukayo Saka and Antonee Robinson look set for a really good battle down the wing nearest to me here in the press box. Robinson had Saka’s number in Qatar…

Slow start here as Arsenal have been a little bit sloppy. Perhaps you can excuse them after their trip back from Lisbon on Thursday? The home fans are very happy with the start from Fulham.

KICK OFF! We are underway here at the Cottage and it is the Arsenal fans making all of the noise early on.

Lovely buzz around Craven Cottage as the atmosphere builds. The home fans are full of optimism and the away fans are also expecting a big win too.

Give this a watch before the game. Can Arsenal handle the pressure of Man City breathing down their necks?

Team news is here! Ben White and Granit Xhaka in for Arsenal. Fulham have made two changes with Tosin coming in for Diop and Bobby Decordova-Reid in for Willian as the Brazilian winger misses out totally.

Some intriguing team news early on here. Gabriel Jesus is here at the Cottage and that is a huge boost for Arsenal.

Welcome to west London! Beautiful early spring day here as Fulham host Premier League leaders Arsenal. Can the Gunners make it five wins in a row in the Premier League? Can Fulham cause a big shock?

Key storylines & star players

Fulham’s still alive in the FA Cup and has that route into Europe as well. Israeli striker Manor Solomon has been a big part of the Cottagers’ recent scoring, as adapting to the Premier League has not proven a problem for a man with plenty of European experience through Shakhtar Donetsk. Palhinha misses out through suspension and Fulham will have its work cut out for itself in the heart of the pitch.

Arsenal is getting performances all over the pitch, but the consistent showman has been Bukayo Saka, as Mikel Arteta has not been afraid to start the young Englishman time and time again.

Fulham team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Palhinha (suspension), Tom Cairney (ankle), Neeskens Kebano (achilles), Layvin Kurzawa (knee), Cedric Soares (loan – parent club), Willian (undisclosed)

Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Mohamed Elneny (knock), Eddie Nketiah (ankle)

Player ratings: USMNT thumps Grenada in Nations League

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:12 AM EDT
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The USMNT kicked off the 2026 World Cup cycle as the Yanks reconvened (the first team, at least) for the first time since the 2022 tournament in Qatar, in a 7-1 victory Grenada on Friday.

[ MORE: Folarin Balogun to USMNT? “It’s something that will come to me” ]

Who stood out (for better and for worse) as the USMNT thumped Grenada?

USMNT player ratings vs Grenada

GK – Matt Turner: 6 – Faced just three shots on target (0.36 xG), made two saves and watched helplessly as a screamer from outside the box hit the back of the net.

RB – Bryan Reynolds: 6.5 – The USMNT focused the vast majority of its attacking play down the left side of the field, making Reynolds the target of a handful of cross-field switches as he played the full 90 minutes.

CB – Mark McKenzie: 7 – Teamed up with his former center back partner from his Philadelphia Union days, McKenzie was tasked with being the far and away the senior figure and leader of the defense on Friday (his 10 caps were four more than the rest of the back-four combined).

CB – Auston Trusty: 7 – A solid performance in his USMNT debut for the 24-year-old Arsenal defender (on loan to Birmingham City, where he has appeared in 37 games in the Championship thus far). With nearly 70 percent of possession on the night, there aren’t many better opportunities to get your feet wet at the senior international level.

LB – Joe Scally: 7.5 – Do not get overly excited about a 20-year-old’s performance against Grenada. I repeat, do not get overly excited about a 20-year-old’s performance against Grenada. That said, does the USMNT have… two left backs?

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USMNT kicks off 2026 World Cup cycle with 7-1 win in Grenada
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USMNT upcoming schedule – Nations League, friendlies, Gold Cup
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DM – Luca de la Torre: 7 – It would be unwise to assign too much value to a game that finished 7-1 against the no. 173-ranked nation in the world, but one thing is for certain and has been proven on a number of occasions: LdlT is a smooth operator as a ball-playing defensive midfielder, and he showed himself quite capable further up the field, in and around the opposing penalty area, on Friday as well.

CM – Weston McKennie: 8 – Two goals (both off of free kicks) for the newly acquired Leeds midfielder, which would be an incredibly welcome development for a side that hasn’t made enough of its set pieces in recent times.

CM – Gio Reyna: 6.5 – This was the solid, if unspectacular, return that Reyna needed after weeks of off-field controversy surround himself, his family and former (but perhaps future) head coach Gregg Berhalter. There were plenty of fireworks elsewhere in the team on Friday, and Reyna managed to come through the game unscathed.

RW – Brenden Aaronson: 7 – It’s been a tough first season in the Premier League for Aaronson, so his first-half goal will hopefully provide a much-needed boost in confidence (his first goal, for club or country, in any competition, since Aug. 21, his third game for Leeds).

CF – Ricardo Pepi: 8 – Aside from scoring the opening goal, Pepi was active and involved in much of what the USMNT tried to do going forward in the first half. Given how deep Grenada sat defensively to begin the game, the Yanks could have taken the easy way out — staying wide and crossing the ball repeatedly — every time down the field, but there appeared to be a concerted effort to combine through the middle of the field, which meant Pepi had to be sharp and quick with his movement to create space for Reyna, Aaronson and Christian Pulisic. Speaking of building confidence, how about the finish for his second goal…

LW – Christian Pulisic: 8 – Ho hum. Just a one-goal, two-assist performance from Pulisic. As previously discussed, the USMNT found infinite joy down the left side of attack and Pulisic was at the center of most of it (for 64 minutes, at least).

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Premier League table, 2022-23 season

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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If it’s the 2022-23 Premier League table you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

After the break for the 2022 World Cup, the Premier League returned with a bang and the start to 2023 has delivered plenty of fun.

Now we are approaching the final few months of the campaign, it is so tight up and down the Premier League table.

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Who’s looking like title contenders and/or favorites?

As we head into the final months of the 2022-23 season, Arsenal and Manchester City are looking head and shoulders above the rest and although Manchester United briefly surged into the picture, they look more likely to cement their spot as the third best team in the Premier League.

[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ] 

The Gunners will have their hands full for the duration of their title challenge, as Erling Haaland continues to take the Premier League by storm with an almost impossible goal-scoring record.

What about the top four and European places?

Uneven Tottenham are hanging in the top four battle and for the moment have hunted down Newcastle, while Liverpool is back in the Champions League picture after their return to form and Chelsea looks like a top six finish is their ceiling. For now.

Surprising Fulham, Brentford, and Brighton are all hanging around on the periphery with fine campaigns. Can one of them surprise and qualify for Europe?

Who are the candidates for relegation?

Southampton, West Ham, and Bournemouth currently occupy the relegation places but that keeps changing all the time and it is so tight at the bottom of the table.

Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves, Leeds, Everton and Crystal Palace all find themselves within a few points of the bottom three as the race to stay in the Premier League intensifies. This could be the craziest relegation scrap in Premier League history.

Below you will find the latest Premier League table.

Premier League table – March 19

Premier League standings

NBC Sports’ standings and scoreboard


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England vs Ukraine: How to watch live, team news, updates

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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England host Ukraine in a UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier at Wembley with an extremely emotional atmosphere expected in London.

[ LIVE: EURO 2024 qualifying scores – England vs Ukraine ]

As the war rages on across Ukraine following the Russia invasion just over a year ago, the United Kingdom have been one of Ukraine’s key partners in the fight against Russian forces.

The English Football Association have given away close to 1,000 free tickets to Ukrainians who were forced to flee their country and resettle with families in the UK. Over 4,200 Ukraine fans will be in the away end at Wembley amid a sea of blue and yellow and you can expect plenty of mutual respect and support from fans of both countries towards each other. This match is Ukraine’s first of 2023, as they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup after losing to Wales in a playoff last summer.

[ MORE: Full EURO 2024 qualifying schedule, standings ]

England beat Italy 2-1 in Naples on Thursday as Harry Kane became their all-time leading goalscorer with his 54th goal for the Three Lions and they held on after going 2-0 up as Luke Shaw’s red card with 10 minutes to go complicated matters. Gareth Southgate’s young side are developing but will they be able to finally win a major tournament?

They have to qualify for the Euros in Germany next summer first, but a first win away in Italy since 1961 was a great start to this qualifying campaign.

Here’s everything you need for England vs Ukraine.

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Player ratings: USMNT thumps Grenada in Nations League
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How to watch England vs Ukraine live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 12pm ET, Sunday (March 26)
Updates: Via NBCSports.com
Stadium: Wembley Stadium, London
TV: FS1

Key storylines, in-form players

The last time this nations met England ran out 4-0 winners in the quarterfinals of EURO 2020. They will be the heavy favorites in this game but Ukraine should not be underestimate as the No. 26 ranked team in the world have the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Mykhailo Mudryk and Vitalii Mykolenko all playing in the Premier League.

England’s forwards ran riot in the first half against Italy with Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka sensational, plus Jude Bellingham’s driving runs from midfield give this Three Lions side an extra dimension. There is more creativity and cutting edge about this England side compared to recent years and it feels like they are ready to win something. There will be a ceremony before this game to honor Harry Kane becoming England’s all-time goalscorer as he passed Wayne Rooney with his goal in Italy on Thursday.

England team news, lineup options

Luke Shaw will be suspended for this game after his red card in Italy, so Kieran Trippier or Ben Chilwell will come in at left back. It is likely Jordan Henderson will come in for Kalvin Phillips in midfield, while Phil Foden could start over Jack Grealish out wide. Reece James and Conor Gallagher could also come into the team as Bellingham limped off towards the end of England’s win against Italy.

Ukraine team news, lineup options

Andriy Yarmolenko (three goals away from equalling Andriy Shevchenko as Ukraine’s all-time leading scorer) has been struggling with a hamstring injury so he may start on the bench, while Bournemouth’s Ilya Zabarnyi and Shakhtar’s Oleksandr Zubkov are both out. Yevhen Konoplyanka and Roman Yaremchuk offer real quality in attack, while Zinchenko is the heartbeat of this Ukraine side.

USMNT kicks off 2026 World Cup cycle with 7-1 win in Grenada

By Mar 25, 2023, 6:10 AM EDT
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The USMNT scored early and often, as they cruised to a 7-1 victory over Grenada in CONCACAF Nations League action in St. George’s on Friday.

[ MORE: Folarin Balogun to USMNT? “It’s something that will come to me” ]

The victory puts the USMNT (7 points) atop Group D with one game left to play, against El Salvador (5 points – 2nd place) on Monday.

The Yanks got on the board in the 4th minute, and it was a sensational cross from Christian Pulisic which found Ricardo Pepi atop the six-yard box. Pepi used the considerable pace on Pulisic’s cross to head the ball down and out of goalkeeper Jason Belfon’s reach.

Brenden Aaronson made it 2-0 in the 21st minute, as the Leeds attacked received the ball atop the 18-yard box, turned into open space and cut inside before firing a right-footed finish hard and low to the near post.

Weston McKennie made it 3-0 just after the half-hour mark, as he smashed an off-balance, left-footed volley home after his initial header on Pulisic’s free kick was blocked. Two minutes after Myles Hippolyte fired a laser past Matt Turner (a minute later McKennie’s first goal), the recently acquired Leeds midfielder struck again to make it 4-1, applying the final touch after Auston Trusty headed the ball down after another free kick from Pulisic.

[ MORE: Three key questions for USMNT in March ]

The USMNT jumped on Grenada just as quickly when the second half began, with Pulisic putting his name on the scoresheet in the 49th minute. Luca de la Torre found Pulisic cutting in from the left wing, and the ball somehow found its way past Belfon for 5-1.

Four minutes later, De la Torre played a slightly trickier through ball to spring Pepi in behind the Grenadine defense, and Pepi made no mistake with his one-on-one chance against Belfon. Pepi, who is currently on loan to Gronigen from Augsburg, waited for the goalkeeper to go down one way and coolly slotted the ball the other way.

Alejandro Zendejas, who recently elected to represent the USMNT internationally, became cap-tied to the USMNT when he came off the bench in the 64th minute. Eight minutes later, the 25-year-old winger got his first senior international goal.

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Start of a new World Cup cycle = a clean slate

For all intents and purposes, the USMNT kicked off the 2026 World Cup cycle on Friday, with the first team reconvening for the first time since the 2022 tournament in Qatar. A new World Cup cycle means brand new opportunities for new players, and a fresh start for those who didn’t get the starts or appearances that they thought they should have.

The net will be cast far and wide as the rest of 2023 sees the USMNT (likely) head to the finals of the Nations League and then the Gold Cup, with a handful of players seemingly coming from out of nowhere to claim consistent call-ups ahead of Copa America 2024 (on U.S. soil once again). There will be even more opportunities than usual for fringe players to make a case, with the Yanks automatically qualifying for the 2026 tournament as hosts.

What’s next?

The USMNT will host El Salvador in a winner-take-all Group D finale on Monday (7:30 pm ET), at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The group winner will qualify for the finals (four teams) of the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League (June 15-18) as well as the 2023 Gold Cup (June 24-July 16); the group runners-up will also qualify for this summer’s Gold Cup.

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How to watch Grenada vs USMNT live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 8pm ET, Friday (March 24)
Stadium: Kirani James Athletic Stadium, St. George’s
TV in English: TNT
TV/streaming en Español: Universo/Peacock

[ LIVE: CONCACAF Nations League scores – Grenada vs USMNT ]

USMNT squad

Goalkeepers (3): Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Zack Steffen (Middlesbrough), Matt Turner (Arsenal)

Defenders (8): Sergino Dest (AC Milan), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Tim Ream (Fulham), Bryan Reynolds (Westerlo), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Birmingham City)

Midfielders (7): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo), Weston McKennie (Leeds United), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Alan Sonora (Juarez), Djordje Mihailovic (AZ Alkmaar)

Forwards (6): Taylor Booth (Utrecht), Daryl Dike (West Bromwich Albion), Ricardo Pepi (Groningen), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Alejandro Zendejas (Club America)

EDIT: Tim Weah (Lille) was originally called up, but exited due to a head injury.

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