Arsenal held by Southampton in six-goal thriller

By and Apr 22, 2023, 8:00 AM EDT
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LONDON — One of the craziest games of the Premier League season saw leaders Arsenal drop more points as they drew 3-3 against Southampton at the Emirates.

In truth the draw helped neither team in their battles for the title and against relegation. 

Mikel Arteta could not believe it as his side dropped points again and drew for a third-straight game to hand Manchester City the initiative in the title race.

FULL MATCH REPLAY

Bottom of the table Southampton went 2-0 up early on through Carlos Alcaraz and Theo Walcott as they made the most of sloppy mistakes, while Gabriel Martinelli pulled one back for Arsenal before the break.

Southampton went 3-1 up in the second half as Duje Caleta-Car headed home but then Arsenal roared back and scored in the 88th and 90th minute through through Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

The point puts Arsenal on 75 points for the season, five points ahead of second-place Manchester City but City have two games in-hand. Southampton move on to 24 points and are three points from safety with six games to go.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]

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Sloppy mistakes continue for the Gunners

After all of the talk about their collapses against Liverpool and West Ham in back-to-back games the last thing Arsenal needed was a sloppy, error-strewn start against bottom of the table Southampton. That is what they got. Aaron Ramsdale’s horrendous error after 29 seconds set the tone and a misplaced pass was then ruthlessly punished as they were 2-0 down after 14 minutes. They then allowed Southampton a free header from a corner to go 3-1 up. Arsenal’s attacking play was superb throughout and grabbed them a point late on. And there has never been a question about how good they are going forward. But there has now been a long trend (Bournemouth at home, Villa away, the last three games) of Arsenal making sloppy defensive errors and being their own worst enemies. Arsenal’s Achilles heel is clear and has been made even clearer in the absence of William Saliba. When all is said and done, the results over the last three games are probably going to be what costs Arsenal the title. They are still in the hunt but they’ve stuttered badly.

Theo Walcott reflects on goal; says Arsenal “way better” than Man City

Mikel Arteta ”very confident” of win against Man City

Stars of the show; Arsenal vs Southampton player ratings

Theo Walcott: Scored a beauty of a goal on his return to Arsenal and always willing to run and give Saints an outlet.

Bukayo Saka: Whipped in a great ball for Martinelli’s goal, scored the equalizer and was a constant threat. He and Gabriel Martinelli were brilliant as usual but couldn’t do it all on their own.

Arsenal vs Southampton
Graphic via FotMob.com

What’s next?

Arsenal are next in action when they head to Manchester City on Wednesday, April 26 for a huge title showdown. Southampton host Bournemouth on Thursday, April 27 in a South Coast derby.

Arsenal vs Southampton reaction

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta — quotes from the BBC:

“It hasn’t changed. Obviously the task is even bigger, but now we have to do the simple things better and cut out mistakes, and then you will win games.”

…

“Obviously unhappy with the result. We made it very difficult again for ourselves, but mistakes are part of football but the way we reacted I love my players more than ever.

“It is incredible, we were on the way back, we conceded again with a sloppy goal but in the end we should have won the game. We created enough chances and opportunities, but it didn’t happen and we are disappointed.

“You can’t concede three goals in this league. If you concede three like we did in a sloppy way, it is very difficult to win matches.

“This young team reacts in a way that is incredible, when it is against the odds, but the chances they created and the spirit they had it was a joy to watch. The message is clear that I love them.

“We are down and they are more willing than anybody to win it. You can see that spirit and fight in the dressing room, but it is clear we have to do defensive things better.”

How to watch Arsenal vs Southampton live, stream link and start time

Kick off: 3pm ET, Friday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: Stream via NBCSports.com

Arsenal vs Southampton live analysis! – By Joe Prince-Wright at Emirates Stadium

FULL TIME – Arsenal 3-3 Southampton. What a game.

This is nuts.

WIDE! So close to a goal. Shot is deflected wide. Arsenal are throwing everything at Southampton.

CROSSBAR! Leandro Trossard hits the bar. They are pushing for a winner. This is bonkers.

GOALLL! Arsenal 3-3 Southampton – Bukayo Saka slots home a rebound. Chaos here at the Emirates. 8 minutes of stoppage time.

GOALLL! Arsenal 2-3 Southampton – Martin Odegaard curls home a beauty. How did he have that much space!? We are into the 90th minute.

About five minutes to go, plus stoppage time. The Saints fans in the away end are making all of the noise. Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah both on for Arsenal, who have gone to basically a 4-1-5 formation.

About 10 minutes to go, plus stoppage time.

This is some stat and just shows how crazy of a scoreline this is at the Emirates.

GOALLLL! Arsenal 1-3 Southampton – Duje Caleta-Car heads home a fine corner from Ward-Prowse after a lovely flick on by Bella-Kotchap. The Saints fans go absolutely bonkers. Arsenal’s fans are stunned here at the Emirates.

HUGE, huge, huge (did I mention huge?) 30 minutes in the season for both Arsenal and Southampton. It is getting very tense here.

Leandro Trossard is on for Fabio Vieira. Huge roar from the home fans.

CHANCE! A ball is whipped in and Lyanco flicks it away just as Fabio Vieira is about to head home. Arsenal cranking through the gears.

Second half is underway. Lyanco on at half time for Saints, who have switched to a 3-5-2.

HALF TIME: Arsenal 1-2 Southampton – What. A. Half. That was absolutely bonkers from start to finish. Southampton scored twice after two mistakes from Arsenal but the Gunners got one back before the break and it has pretty much been one way traffic. What a big second half coming up for both of these teams in their respective campaigns.

CLOSE! What a clearance from Alcaraz off his own line. Ben White’s flicked header from a corner looked certain to go in but somehow Alcaraz headed if off the line.

SAVE! Gavin Bazunu stands tall and denies Gabriel Jesus after a rapid Arsenal counter attack.

Seven minutes of stoppage time. Gabriel heads over as it begins. Arsenal pushing hard for the equalizer before the break.

Jan Bednarek is desperate to come back on after going down injured but he is not going to be allowed to. Duje Caleta-Car is on for him. 5 minutes before half time. There will be a lot of stoppage time.

There are legends and then there are LEGENDS. Henry and Vieira in the house.

SAVE! Almost a third for Southampton. Aaron Ramsdale saves twice from Elyounoussi and then Alcaraz. Brilliant play from Romeo Lavia before that.

Only 20 minutes in and we have three quality goals and a whole lot of drama.

GOALLLL! Arsenal 1-2 Southampton – Bukayo Saka with a lovely run and cross and he finds Gabriel Martinelli who slams home. Game on!

The Arsenal fans are urging their team on. They have actually been pretty good and created a lot of half chances.

GOALLLL! Arsenal 0-2 Southampton after 14 minutes. Theo Walcott scores a beauty of a goal against his former club. Lovely ball from Carlos Alcaraz to find Walcott in-behind and he slots home. The Arsenal fans here are stunned. I repeat, 1st place Arsenal are losing 2-0, at home, to 20th place Southampton.

The last time Arsenal conceded a goal at home in the first minute was against Bournemouth. They ended up winning that game 3-2 in dramatic fashion late on. Are we about to see another thriller today?

The away fans are going bonkers. Southampton’s supporters are in dreamland. For now. There is a long way to go and Arsenal are pushing hard for the equalizer.

GOALLLL! Arsenal 0-1 Southampton – Carlos Alcaraz has put Southampton 1-0 up inside the first minute!!! I don’t believe this. Terrible mistake from Aaron Ramsdale but Alcaraz finishes superbly. Wow. What a start here. The home fans roar their team on and chant Ramsdale’s name, but that is a huge error.

KICK OFF: We are underway at the Emirates! What a great atmosphere here.

Lovely atmosphere is building here. The drum is beating already. It’s a Friday night, under the lights and so much is at stake for both teams. Beautiful.

The team news is out and the big surprise for Arsenal is no Granit Xhaka, with Fabio Vieira coming into the starting lineup. The only other change for the Gunners is Zinchenko coming in at left back as he returns from injury. Southampton bring Adam Armstrong, Romain Perraud and Mohamed Elyounoussi in, while Theo Walcott starts against his former club.

Hello and welcome to a very sunny north London! A lovely spring evening here and there is real optimism in the air in the streets surrounding the stadium. 1st place Arsenal host 20th place Southampton and both teams need the points for very different reasons.

Can Arsenal momentarily move seven points clear at the top of the table? Of course, Man City will have two games in-hand before their huge game against the Gunners next week, but getting a win here is crucial for Arsenal.

Key storylines & in-form key players

The Gunners need more from their midfield, which could mean Jorginho enters the fray for Thomas Partey. But Martin Odegaard and Granit Xhaka figure to be key pieces regardless, as they’ve let the way through example in very different manners.

Southampton have many players who can change the game with one key moment, whether James Ward-Prowse through free kicks, Romeo Lavia through an exceptional idea, or Carlos Alcaraz with a freaky show of skill. They’ll need two or three of those to show up if they’re going to grab a first-ever Premier League win at the Emirates.

Arsenal team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: William Saliba (back), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Mohamed Elneny (knock), Granit Xhaka (unknown)

Southampton team news, injuries, lineup

OUT: Juan Larios (adductor), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (loan – unable to face parent club), Che Adams (calf), Mohammed Salisu (undisclosed), Valentino Livramento (fitness)

Manchester City complete treble, win first Champions League

By Jun 10, 2023, 7:25 PM EDT
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Champions of Europe: Now they can say that. Manchester City won the UEFA Champions League to wrap up a historic treble with a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul on Saturday.

[ HISTORY: Manchester City join exclusive club as latest treble winners ]

It wasn’t vintage as City as Simon Inzaghi’s Inter put up a vintage defensive display, full of bite and fury, but Rodri’s vicious strike deep in the second half put City in the driver’s seat.

The Premier League winners three times running had an FA Cup under their belt after beating Manchester United on June 3 and the final jewel in their treble crown arrived Saturday.

[ MORE: Player ratings: Manchester City, champions of nearly everything ]

It’s the second treble for Pep Guardiola, who pulled it off with Barcelona in 2008-09. The achievement gives heated rivals United domestic company on the treble stage right down the road.

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UEFA Champions League final reaction

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola:

“Tired. Calm. Satisfied. It’s so difficult to win it.

“They are really good. Be patient, I said at half-time. You have to be lucky. Ederson or they miss it, they could draw. This competition is a coin.

…

“Our players have international games now. UEFA and FIFA, think about it. The Premier League finished two or three weeks ago, now people have to come back. It’s too much. We will start from zero next season.

“We’re going to celebrate in the hotel with family and friends. Monday, the parade is in Manchester. With this competition, the treble is so difficult.”

Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan:

“Unbelievable. Difficult to put in words. Today we made history.”

“It was probably a 50-50 game. We feel very fortunate it was for us. We knew everyone was talking about the treble. The pressure was there, but this team is built to handle the pressure in the best possible way.”

Manchester City defender/midfielder John Stones:

“It was the thing we were missing. I feel so pleased. It’s a pleasure to be a part of this team and create this history.

“We’re only the second team [from England] to do the treble. Both are so special in their own rights in different eras. I’m holding words back because I’m on camera, put it that way.

“We’ve set the bar high now. After this season, from where we were in the Premier League, to bring it back, win the FA Cup, then come here and win this, I can’t put it into words.”

…

“I played more like a No. 8 today, which I loved. I’m still learning. I don’t think I’m the best there, but I gave it my all. I thought it paid off. We created chances and there were key moments. Ederson saved that one at the end. Now, we can have a good chat about us actually winning this.”

Manchester City vs Inter Milan as it happened

2nd minute: Inter allowing City the ball and setting up with a 2-3-3-1 shape.

7th minute: Some hard fouls from Inter on Man City, underlined by Francesco Acerbi’s sliding takedown of Erling Haaland. Understandably just fouls but Inter opening the day daring referee Szymon Marciniak, the World Cup Final boss, to show a yellow.

12th minute: Is that a little rust from Ederson under the press of Lautaro Martinez? Inter continues to show some bite early and Jack Grealish is getting a familiar amount of physical opposition.

18th minute: Terrific discipline from Inter who’s been able to oscillate between keeping their shape and aggressive pressing. There’s width there but no regular spaces. If they can keep this up, it’s on for them.

29th minute: Haaland snaps a left-footed shot from a tight angle and Andre Onana stands firm, dipping his arm to block the shot. It stays in play and City put it out for an Inter goal kick. Kevin De Bruyne then lashes a bounding ball into Onana’s arms, and Grealish scuds a tepid effort to the keeper.

36th minute: INJURY SUB. And it’s a big one. De Bruyne can’t go on and it’ll be Phil Foden stepping into the fold with the score 0-0 and 10+ minutes left in the first half. And it’ll be eerily familiar to City supporters, who saw this in the club’s last UCL Final and will hope for a better outcome.

HALFTIME: City was definitely a bit better but the margins are close and Inter will like its chances even more now that De Bruyne has exited the contest. City predictably had 62 percent of the ball and edged the xG battle that half but Inter took four of the game’s seven shots and Onana made the best stop when he got his arm to Haaland’s rip around the half-hour mark. It’s all there for Inter… and City.

50th minute: It’s still City in possession without many obvious openings. Ironically, Onana makes an error to threaten some excitement, but Bernardo Silva is well handled by Inter and Federico Dimarco clears the danger.

56th minute: Enter this storyline –> Former Man United and Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku has been in scoring form and he’s entering for Edin Dzeko.

68th minute: GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL!! It’s RODRI and it’s 1-0 Manchester City! The treble is on, for the moment as Rodri runs onto a loose ball after Akanji slipped Bernardo Silva on goal and the Portuguese’s cross is blocked into space. Wow. A powerful rip and City’s in front.

71st minute: This should be level! Dimarco pops a header off the cross bar and then his follow-up header doesn’t get to the line because it zips off the leg of his teammate Lukaku. He might’ve been offside if VAR had to take a look at it but warning bells for City who almost fell victim to the honeymoon period after scoring a goal.

77th minute: Foden nearly makes it two! Onana’s on the scene and we’re set for a crazy final few minutes in Turkey.

88th minute: Oh, the minutes are ticking down now. There shouldn’t be too much stoppage time in Istanbul… and WHAT A SAVE! Ederson makes a close-range stop on Lukaku and Ruben Dias gets the rebound wide of the near post. Exhales all over the blue side of Manchester.

90th minute: Lukaku’s got a chance to beat Ederson again, but he drags his left-footed effort wide of the far post. FIVE minutes stoppage time ahead.

FULL TIME: MANCHESTER CITY HAVE WON THE TREBLE.

Rodri goal video: Vicious strike puts Man City in front

How to watch Manchester City vs Inter Milan live, stream link and start time

Dates: 3pm ET June 10, 2023
Online: Live updates via NBCSports.com
How to watch: TUDN, Paramount+

What Premier League clubs have won the treble?

Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1998-99.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils are the lone Premier League club to win it.

That’s was it until Saturday.

How many times has the treble been won?

It’s now 10 times in history that a team won its domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.

PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.

(UEFA.com)

Champions League Final odds (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links. 

Man City (-250) vs Inter Milan (+625) | Draw over 120 mins (+380)

Over 2.5 goals (-160). Under 2.5 goals (+110)

Champions League Final predictions

Joe Prince-Wright: Man City 2-1 Inter Milan
Andy Edwards: Man City 3-1 Inter Milan
Nick Mendola: Man City 2-0 Inter Milan

Manchester City team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: None

Inter Milan team news, injuries, lineup options

OUT: Dalbert.

Manchester City make history as latest treble-winning side

By and Jun 10, 2023, 7:24 PM EDT
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Manchester City are not only the champions of England, winners of the FA Cup and champions of Europe, but Pep Guardiola’s side (perhaps his greatest) will now be forever remembered as treble winners.

It’s an elite club, by the way, of teams that have won their domestic league, top domestic cup, and the European Cup.

Nine Now, 10 times in history has a team won the treble and once now, twice it has been done by a Premier League club.

[ MORE: Recalling Zlatan’s “unicorn” career ]

The Premier League title was captured via 12 straight victories from late February to late May, as Arsenal collapsed and let their eight-point lead slip. Five titles in six seasons. Ho-hum.

The FA Cup final was a tricky, tricky prospect, as Manchester United — the only other English club to achieve the treble feat — stood in their way at Wembley Stadium a week ago. Once again, for the third time since 2010, sky blue ribbons adorned the famous trophy. Once again, been there, done that.

Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final proved just as challenging, with Inter Milan fighting tooth and nail with a fantastic defensive gameplan. Enter: Rodri’s rocket. For the first time in club history, Manchester City are champions of Europe, and for the third time in three weeks they lift a trophy as fireworks erupt behind them and confetti rains down upon them.

For more treble trivia, head below the jump.

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How many times has the treble been won?

Bayern Munich and Barcelona have each done it twice, with Bayern doing it in 2012-13 and 2019-20 and Barca pulling it off in 2008-09 and 2014-15.

Celtic was the first to win a treble, doing it in 1966-67, while Ajax was the next in 1971-72.

PSV Eindhoven then won it in 1987-88 before Man United made it happen 11 years later. Inter Milan is the only Italian team to pull it off, winning in 2009-10.

Edit: Add Manchester City, 2022-23, to the list.

(UEFA.com)

Player ratings: Manchester City, champions of nearly everything

By Jun 10, 2023, 7:23 PM EDT
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Manchester City are the champions of Europe after their triumph in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League final, a hard-fought victory over Inter Milan on Saturday.

[ RECAP: Manchester City complete treble, win first Champions League ]

Who stood out (for better and for worse) as the Premier League champions and FA Cup winners added the final piece of the puzzle to their historic treble?

Manchester City player ratings vs Inter Milan

GK – Ederson: 7 – Six saves, including a critical late stop just ahead of the goal line as Romelu Lukaku looked certain to equalize and send the final to extra-time.

CB – Manuel Akanji: 5.5 – The game nearly swung away from Manchester City when Akanji fell asleep in the 58th minute and Lautaro Martinez was permitted to race into the penalty area unobstructed. Fortunately for the Swiss international, Ederson soared off his line and made the shooting angle far too tight.

CB – Ruben Dias: 6.5

CB – Nathan Ake: 6.5

DM – John Stones: 7.5 – Alongside Bernardo Silva (more on him in a moment), Stones played the roll of Pep Guardiola’s defensive Swiss Army knife masterfully

DM – Rodri: 8 – Aside from generally being the best midfield anchor in the world, Rodri packs a mean right foot when the ball falls to him at the edge of the penalty area. When he struck the ball in the 68th minute, there was little doubt he would put it on target.

RW – Bernardo Silva: 7.5 – Few attackers in the world, if any, press as effectively and destructively as Bernardo, who oftentimes renders the entire left side of the opposition attack useless. He did it again on Saturday, with bombarding extraordinaire Federico Dimarco held to just one key pass in the waning moments of the game (he averaged 1.8 per game in Serie A this season and 1.5 in the Champions League as a key creator).

CM – Ilkay Gundogan: 7 – In what might be the final appearance of his Manchester City career, Gundogan was typically silky smooth in possession, even as Inter Milan clogged the middle of the field and made life rather difficult.

CM – Kevin De Bruyne: 5.5 – Another bitterly disappointing Champions League final for De Bruyne, who left the 2021 final with a fractured nose and orbital bone after 60 minutes, and lasted just 35 minutes on Saturday after pulling his hamstring midway through the first half.
CM (Sub 36′) – Phil Foden: 6

LW – Jack Grealish: 6

CF – Erling Haaland: 6 – By his otherworldly standards, it was a rather quiet game from Haaland, who had just one scoring chance (and one shot) which he hit straight into the chest of Andre Onana.

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Premier League 2023-24 season: Start date, teams, fixture release, how to watch live, odds

By Jun 10, 2023, 3:58 PM EDT
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An epic 2022-23 Premier League has only just finished but the 2023-24 Premier League is already fast approaching and there are plenty of key dates and information you need ahead of the new campaign.

[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ] 

From Premier League fixture release date to the opening day of the season, how to watch the games and early odds for who will win it all, there is a lot going on.

Below is everything you need to know about the 2023-24 Premier League season.

Latest Premier League news

Manchester City vs Inter Milan
Manchester City complete treble, win first Champions League
Manchester City win treble - Champions League
Manchester City make history as latest treble-winning side
Manchester United transfer news
Manchester United transfer news, live! Latest reports, rumors, updates

When are the 2023-24 Premier League fixtures released?

The Premier League will announce the schedule for the new season on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 4am ET.

When will the 2023-24 Premier League season kick off?

The opening day of the season will be on the weekend of Saturday August 12, 2023.

When is the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season?

Championship Sunday will take place on Sunday, May 19, 2024, with all 10 games kicking off at the same time.

Where can I watch Premier League games in the USA?

You can watch all 380 games during the 2023-24 Premier League season across our NBC platforms. During the 2022-23 season you could watch games on USA Network and NBC, plus via Peacock Premium.

Will there be a winter break in the 2023-24 season?

Yes, there will! It has returned after the 2022 World Cup impacted the 2022-23 season. There will be a ‘mid-season player break’ of Premier League action from January 13-20.

Which teams will compete in the 2023-24 Premier League?

Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Luton Town, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers

Odds to win the 2023-24 Premier League title – (Betting odds provided by our partner, BetMGM )

BetMGM is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on BetMGM for the first time after clicking our links. 

Manchester City: -175
Manchester United: +800
Arsenal: +900
Liverpool: +900
Chelsea: +1200
Newcastle United: +1400
Tottenham: +4000
Brighton: +5000
Aston Villa: +12500
West Ham: +20000
Brentford: +25000
Crystal Palace: +25000
Nottingham Forest: +25000
Everton: +25000
Fulham: +30000
Wolves: +30000
Bournemouth: +30000
Burnley: +50000
Sheffield United: +50000
Luton Town: +50000

Premier League 2023-24 kits

And of course, a new season means new kits! We are ranking the new threads as they are released and you can see all of them right here.