Arnaut Danjuma celebrating his goal against Bayern Munich
Arnaut Danjuma’s early goal secured Villarreal a deserved 1-0 win against Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
The former Bournemouth winger Danjuma gave the Spaniards a slender advantage going into the return leg by scoring the only goal early in the first half at Estadio de la Cerámica.
But it could have been worse for Bayern, who produced a disappointing display, as Villarreal had another effort ruled out for offside before they struck a post through Gerard Moreno.
The home side, backed by a vociferous crowd, made an excellent start and took an eighth-minute lead through Danjuma. The on-loan Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso cut the ball back into the area before Danjuma diverted Daniel Parejo’s shot into the bottom corner.
The Spain defender Raúl Albiol’s well-timed challenge on the edge of the box denied Serge Gnabry a scoring chance as Bayern looked to get a foothold in the game.
But the German champions were relieved to see Pau Torres fail to connect with a flick-on from Parejo’s free-kick as Villarreal threatened again.
And the stadium erupted just before the break when the Spanish side thought they had taken a deserved two-goal lead. Francis Coquelin’s attempted cross flew into the net, but referee Anthony Taylor was told the French midfielder had been offside after a VAR check and Bayern breathed again.
The visitors, who had failed to register a shot on target, had it all to do at half-time. Thomas Müller was inches away from diverting in a cross for an equaliser early in the second period, but there was no respite for Bayern, who were spared by the woodwork when Moreno’s shot hit a post in the 53rd minute.
Bayern sent on Leroy Sané and Leon Goretzka for Gnabry and Müller and in the 66th minute Alphonso Davies fired straight at the Villarreal goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli. It was Bayern’s first effort on target.
The Bundesliga side pressed in the final 15 minutes, but still found chances hard to come by and Alfonso Pedraza fired a golden chance wide for Villarreal in the 87th minute.
Arsenal and Tottenham are firmly in the hunt for Champions League qualification; West Ham, Man Utd, Wolves still in with a shout; watch the race for the top four unfold live on Sky Sports.
Manchester City and Liverpool are fighting for the title but the race for fourth is heating up too.
Chelsea have long looked set on finishing third but could they be sucked into the battle to finish in the top four?
Tottenham and Arsenal are the frontrunners to grab fourth from the chasing pack, with West Ham, Manchester Utd and Wolves in with a shout.
It’s an intriguing race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Here, we assess the runners and riders in the battle for fourth, their form and their fixtures until the end of the season…
Chelsea
Position: 3rd Games played: 29 Points: 59 Active cup competitions: Champions League, FA Cup
Chelsea appeared to be virtually guaranteed a top-four finish until Brentford derailed their impressive run of form, with Arsenal and Tottenham ramping up the pressure.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were early title contenders but have slipped away during the campaign, while questions remains whether the Blues can stay focussed on the pitch during the unsettling sale of the club.
The title tilt began to wane in early November, failing to record back-to-back league wins after a 1-1 draw against Burnley until the recent run of five successive victories.
Tuchel’s side have also navigated numerous competitions, including all domestic cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
Key fixtures: Arsenal (H) – Wednesday Apr 20; kick-off 7.45pm, West Ham (H) – Sunday Apr 24; kick-off 2pm, Wolves (H) – Saturday May 7; kick-off 3pm, Man Utd (A) – Sunday May 15; kick-off 3pm
Tottenham Position: 4th Games played: 30 Points: 54 Active cup competitions: None
Tottenham had alternated between wins and losses in each of their last seven games but were able to post back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2022 with victory over West Ham before the international break and they made it three in a row with a 5-1 win over Newcastle which moved them into fourth on Sunday.
Boss Antonio Conte says his side are improving – but the competition for the top four is tough.
Key fixtures: Brighton (H) – Saturday Apr 16; kick-off 12.30pm, Leicester (H) – Saturday Apr 30; kick-off 3pm, Liverpool (A) – Saturday May 7; kick-off 3pm, Arsenal (H) – TBC
Arsenal
Arsenal Manager, Mikel Arteta
Position: 5th Games played: 29 Points: 54 Active cup competitions: None
Arsenal endured a torrid opening to the campaign, losing their first three matches to suffer their worst start to a season in 67 years. They were rock bottom of the Premier League with Mikel Arteta under pressure, but the Spaniard has overseen a remarkable recovery at the Emirates Stadium.
Their 1-0 victory over Aston Villa saw the Gunners claim a 10th Premier League victory in 13 games, conceding just eight goals in that 13-game period. However, a bad 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace has raised questions about whether they can complete the job.
Key fixtures:Brighton (H) – Saturday April 9; kick-off 3pm, Chelsea (A) – Wednesday April 20; kick-off 7.45pm – live on Sky Sports, Manchester United (H) – Saturday April 23; kick-off 12.30pm, West Ham (A) – Sunday May 1; kick-off 4.30pm – live on Sky Sports, Tottenham (A) – TBC
West Ham
Jarrod Bowen celebrating a goal
Position: 6th Games played: 31 Points: 51 Active cup competitions: Europa League
West Ham had a fantastic start to the season. Under David Moyes, the Hammers were flying high and looked real contenders for the top four. Despite wins at home against Liverpool and Chelsea though, they suffered a bit of a blip with back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Man City in November before successive defeats to Arsenal and Southampton in December.
They responded well, though, and wins against Watford, Crystal Palace and Norwich put them firmly back in the race for Champions League qualification. But defeat to Manchester United on January 22 saw them concede fourth place on a weekend in which Arsenal dropped points and Tottenham lost to Chelsea.
A narrow win over Watford got them back on track, but subsequent draws against Leicester and Newcastle saw their top-four bid stutter before they rounded off February with an important three points at home to fellow European challengers Wolves.
Defeat at Tottenham before the international break came at the end of what Moyes described as a “good week” for the club, having sealed progression to the Europa League quarter-finals. That could be their best route into next season’s Champions League now, although a win over Everton has kept them in the hunt.
West Ham’s run-in to the season looks tricky, with trips to Chelsea and Brighton to come. They also face Arsenal and Man City at home. If they are going to reach the top four, West Ham will have to do it the hard way.
Key fixtures: Chelsea (A) – Sunday April 24; kick-off 2pm – live on Sky Sports, Arsenal (H) – Sunday May 1; kick-off 4.30pm – live on Sky Sports, Man City (H) – Sunday May 15; kick-off 3pm, Brighton (A) – Sunday May 22, kick-off 4pm.
Manchester United
Manchester United Manager, Ralf Rangnick
Position: 7th Games played: 30 Points: 51 Active cup competitions: None
United will end a fifth successive season without a trophy as the club find themselves at yet another crossroads. Hopes of lifting the Champions League always looked faint and their failure to land a glove on Atletico Madrid saw them meekly tumble out at the round-of-16 stage.
Having finished as Premier League runners-up and lost the Europa League final on penalties, hope of further progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fuelled by the summer acquisitions of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
But they were out of the Carabao Cup in September then humbled on home soil by Liverpool and Manchester City, with the 4-1 loss at Watford leading to Solskjaer’s exit in November. Interim boss Ralf Rangnick has only lost two Premier League games but there have been too many draws and disjointed displays, plus they are out of the FA Cup and Champions League.
The club have now won just two Champions League knockout matches in the last decade – a period in which their gross transfer spend is reported to be £1.4 billion.
The fact a club of United’s stature went for an interim appointment in November says everything about the long-term planning at a club whose interest in Ajax’s Erik ten Hag and Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is well documented. Thomas Tuchel’s name has also been mentioned since issues at Chelsea began to brew.
Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher want to make an appointment before the summer to provide a foundation to build on. Unless performances improve, the club could even slip into the Europa Conference League or miss out on European football for the first time since they finished seventh in 2013/14. That possibility ramped up with a draw at home to Leicester.
Key fixtures: Liverpool (A) – Tuesday April 19; kick-off 8pm – live on Sky Sports, Arsenal (A) – Saturday April 23; kick-off 12.30pm, Chelsea (H) – Sunday May 15; kick-off 3pm.
Wolves
Wolves Captain Conor Coady , Maximilian Kilman and Romain Saiss
Position: 8th Games played: 31 Points: 49 Active cup competitions: None
Wolves had a rocky opening to the season with three successive 1-0 losses under new manager Bruno Lage that left them 18th in the league. One of those losses came against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Tottenham, who had left last season to take charge of the north London club.
However, Lage has since overseen an improvement in his side’s form with impressive victories against Aston Villa, West Ham and Brighton. Though they are the third-lowest scoring team in the division with 24 Premier League goals, their defensive nous has been a key component of their rise up the table. They have conceded just 21 times this season, a record that is bettered only by Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Their start to 2022 was impressive, with successive victories over Manchester United, Southampton and Brentford.
Home and away defeats to Arsenal were setbacks, but they did immediately respond to the loss at Molineux to the Gunners with key victories over Tottenham and Leicester which kept Wolves firmly in the hunt for European qualification.
The Midlands club were back on track from successive wins over Watford and Everton – but their dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Leeds means it is now looking increasingly likely that a Europa League berth is the limit of their aspirations, although a 2-1 win over local rivals Aston Villa boosted the mood after the international break.
Key fixtures: Brighton (H) – Saturday April 30; kick-off 3pm; Chelsea (A) – Saturday May 7; kick-off 3pm; Liverpool (A) – Sunday May 22; kick-off 4pm; Man City (H) – TBC
Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui has been full of praise for Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s La Liga clash against the Catalans at the Camp Nou.
The coach spoke about Xavi’s team ahead of the match and made it clear how impressed he’s been by the team’s recent form.
“We’re going into this match with ambition and excitement, and we’re keen to face the most in-form side in not just Spain, but I’d say in Europe, based on their style of play, squad, run of form and performances. They’re one of the most important sides you can face,” he said.
“Every match in LaLiga is complicated, but this time we’ve got the difficulty of facing an in-form team, who aren’t just winning matches comfortably, they’re playing well and putting in top performances.
“This must motivate us to achieve an aim that really excites us, and that’s playing well at the Camp Nou and beating an extraordinary rival despite the difficulties. That’s the intention we’re going there with, we’re aware of how tough it is but we’ve got that excitement that must drive us”.
Barcelona are the form side heading into the match. Xavi’s team are unbeaten in their last 13 La Liga matches, while Sevilla have drawn their last four in a row in the Spanish top flight.
This weekend, all eyes will be on the major showdown between Juventus and Inter which will take place at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday. With one point separating the two arch rivals, this promises to be a thrilling affair.
The Nerazzurri and the Bianconeri are respectively third and fourth in the Serie A standings, but they are both hoping for a win that reignites their Scudetto hopes.
On Saturday, Max Allegri held his customary pre-match press conference, revealing some of the names that will start in tomorrow’s match.
Thankfully for the Old Lady, the injury crisis has finally eased up, and the manager now has more options at his disposal.
The former Milan and Cagliari tactician revealed that Alex Sandro should get the nod at left-back after returning from injury.
However, Allegri wants to keep everyone guessing when it comes to his choices in the middle of the park.
“We’ll see how it goes tomorrow, today I can say we’re doing well. We’ve got Chiellini back, Bonucci will be on the bench but he’s still behind, Zakaria and Alex Sandro are back. So we’re almost all fit and able,” said the Juventus manager as translated by Football Italia.
“Alex Sandro will start. Zakaria? I have to see. Chiellini is fine and will play. Bernardeschi could be a starter, he’s recovered and feeling better.”
The reporters asked the manager to comment on Paulo Dybala’s future, and he offered a diplomatic response.
“Arrivabene has spoken clearly, I have spoken today. Once you’ve made your choices, they remain those. I don’t think this is the first case of a player changing clubs, there are others who expire.”
Khadija Shaw celebrating her goal against West Ham
Manchester City’s hopes of qualifying for the Women’s Champions League received a major boost as they won 2-0 at West Ham.
Georgia Stanway opened the scoring for Gareth Taylor’s side by finding the bottom corner of the net with eight minutes gone.
Seventh-placed West Ham, though, can be testing opponents under their the New Zealand coach, Olli Harder, – they beat City in the reverse fixture – and they dug in, albeit benefiting from some City wastefulness and a fine display from the home goalkeeper, Mackenzie Arnold.
West Ham briefly threatened, with Claudia Walker heading over and then denying her own team a golden opportunity by touching the ball when offside instead of leaving it to teammate Adriana Leon to run through on goal.
City were never sure of the victory until the second goal arrived on the hour mark when Khadija Shaw made it 2-0 with a clinical header.
City’s win, their seventh consecutive victory in all competitions, put them level on points with third-placed Manchester United. The top three qualify for next season’s Champions League and four WSL games remain.
The two sides face each other again in the FA Women’s Cup semi-final on 16 April.
K’Ogalo took all three points courtesy of a late goal scored away from home as the Soldiers were whitewashed.
Gor Mahia registered a Football Kenya Federation Premier League season double over Wazito FC after claiming a 2-1 victory on Saturday at the William Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok.
George Odhiambo – with a well-taken header – scored the opener for the record league winners in the 18th minute, but Wazito responded swiftly as they equalized in the 20th minute.
After Gad Mathews – in the Gor Mahia goal – failed to stop Rooney Onyango’s shot, James Kinyanjui pounced on the loose ball and struck the equalizer.
Wazito’s Onyango was dismissed in the 80th minute when he received his second yellow card, and K’Ogalo claimed a late winner.
Parmenas Ochola, who was signed from Mara Sugar FC, scored at the death to hand Gor Mahia the win that takes them fourth with 41 points.
Elsewhere, Kakamega Homeboyz outshined Ulinzi Stars as they picked up a 4-0 win at Bukhungu Stadium.
Mike Isabwa scored his first goal for Kakamega Homeboyz when he found the back of the net in the 21st minute for the opener.
David Okoth, a prolific scorer for the Western-based club, doubled their lead in the 58th minute and went on to register a brace in the 72nd minute before Michael Isabwa scored the final goal for the hosts.
Kakamega Homeboyz now sit comfortably at the peak of the Premier League table, with a 10-point gap separating them from second-placed Tusker.
At Ruaraka Ground, Tusker and KCB shared points courtesy of a 1-1 draw.
Had Humphrey Mieno, Stewart Omondi, and Jackson Macharia scored from their open chances in the first half, they would have guaranteed Tusker more goals in the encounter on their own turf, while Derrick Otanga and John Mwangi wasted clear chances for the Bankers.
However, Otanga scored before the break to put KCB ahead and punish Tusker for their wastage.
Omondi’s well-taken shot in the fourth minute of added time ensured the two sides drew and shared points from the entertaining encounter.
World Cup 2022: Fixtures, schedule and kick-off times for Qatar
England’s World Cup opening game with Iran will take place on Monday November 21; Three Lions’ clash with USA will be on Friday November 25; final group game against Scotland, Wales or Ukraine will be on Tuesday November 29; World Cup final is at 7pm on December 18
THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF THE 2022 WORLD CUP
When and where is the 2022 World Cup?
The 2022 World Cup is taking place in Qatar in the winter months rather than the usual summer ones, due to the heat.
The tournament kicks off on Monday November 21 at the Al Bayt stadium in Al Khor with a match that will feature the host country against Ecuador.
England will also play on the opening day when they take on Iran. Gareth Southgate’s team will then finish Group B with games against the USA on Friday November 25 and versus either Scotland, Wales or Ukraine on Tuesday November 29.
The knock-out stage begins on Saturday December 3.
The final will be played at the Lusail Stadium in Doha a week before Christmas on Sunday December 18.
Adidas unveil the Al Rihla match ball for World Cup Qatar 2022 (pic: Adidas)
What is the World Cup format and schedule?
The 2022 World Cup will feature 32 teams in eight groups of four.
Four matches will be played each day during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16.
Matches will only be assigned to particular venues after the finals draw, so organisers can choose optimal kick-off times to suit television audiences in different countries, as well as supporters out in Qatar.
Unlike at Euro 2020, there will be a third-place play-off game on December 17.
Group stage
Monday November 21
Group A: Qatar vs Ecuador (Al-Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick off 10am) Group A: Senegal vs Netherlands Group B: England vs Iran Group B: USA vs Scotland/Wales/Ukraine
Tuesday November 22
Group C: Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Group C: Mexico vs Poland Group D: France vs UAE/Australia/Peru Group D: Denmark vs Tunisia
Wednesday November 23
Group E: Spain vs Costa Rica/New Zealand Group E: Germany vs Japan Group F: Belgium vs Canada Group F: Morocco vs Croatia
Thursday November 24
Group G: Brazil vs Serbia Group G: Switzerland vs Cameroon Group H: Portugal vs Ghana Group H: Uruguay vs South Korea
Friday November 25
Group A: Qatar vs Senegal Group A: Netherlands vs Ecuador Group B: England vs USA Group B: Scotland/Wales/Ukraine vs Iran
Saturday November 26
Group C: Argentina vs Mexico Group C: Poland vs Saudi Arabia Group D: France vs Denmark Group D: Tunisia vs UAE/Australia/Peru
Sunday November 27
Group E: Spain vs Germany Group E: Japan vs Costa Rica/New Zealand Group F: Belgium vs Morocco Group F: Croatia vs Canada
Monday November 28
Group G: Brazil vs Switzerland Group G: Cameroon vs Serbia Group H: Portugal vs Uruguay Group H: South Korea vs Ghana
Tuesday November 29
Group A: Netherlands vs Qatar Group A: Ecuador vs Senegal Group B: Scotland/Wales/Ukraine vs England Group B: Iran vs USA
Wednesday November 30
Group C: Poland vs Argentina Group C: Saudi Arabia vs Mexico Group D: Tunisia vs France Group D: UAE/Australia/Peru vs Denmark
Thursday December 1
Group E: Japan vs Spain Group E: Costa Rica/New Zealand vs Germany Group F: Croatia vs Belgium Group F: Canada vs Morocco
Friday, December 2
Group G: Cameroon vs Brazil Group G: Serbia vs Switzerland Group H: South Korea vs Portugal Group H: Ghana vs Uruguay
Round of 16
Saturday December 3 49 – Winners of Group A vs. Runners-up of Group B (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm) 50 – Winners of Group C vs. Runners-up of Group D (Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 7pm)
Sunday December 4 52 – Winners of Group D vs. Runners-up of Group C (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm) 51 – Winners of Group B vs. Runners-up of Group A (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Monday December 5 53 – Winners of Group E vs. Runners-up of Group F (Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah; kick-off 3pm) 54 – Winners of Group G vs. Runners-up of Group H (Stadium 974, Doha; kick-off 7pm)
Tuesday December 6 55 – Winners of Group F vs. Runners-up of Group E (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm) 56 – Winners of Group H vs. Runners-up of Group G (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Quarter-finals
Friday December 9 58 – Winners of 53 vs. Winners of 54 (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm) 57 – Winners of 49 vs. Winners of 50 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 3pm)
Saturday December 10 60 – Winners of 55 vs. Winners of 56 (Al Thumama Stadium, Doha; kick-off 3pm) 59 – Winners of 51 vs. Winners of 52 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Semi-finals
Tuesday December 13 61 – Winners of 57 vs. Winners of 58 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Wednesday December 14 62 – Winners of 59 vs. Winners of 60 (Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor; kick-off 7pm)
Third-place play-off
Saturday December 17 63 – Losers of 61 vs. Losers of 62 (Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan; kick-off 3pm)
Final
Sunday December 18 64 – Winners of 61 vs. Winners of 62 (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; kick-off 7pm)
Victor Lindelof in the match against Istanbul Basekshir
Manchester United completed the signing of Swedish midfielder Victor Lindelof from Benfica four years ago. Back then, Lindelof was an up-and-coming talent. The Swede just had his breakthrough season after five years with the club.
He did not have the best of starts after moving to Manchester United in 2017. The Swede struggled in his debut season and often found himself bearing the brunt of the pundits. But an impressive season saw him establish himself as one of the first-names on the teamsheet.
Victor Lindelof a CDM in the making?
Lindelof always possessed the necessary skillset to play further up the pitch. Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho even talked about deploying him further up the pitch, but the idea never materialized. Four seasons later, and Manchester United are still in search of their defensive midfielder.
The arrival of Jadon Sancho and Rafael Varane is likely to have made an impact on the transfer budget. That said, it could be the right time to experiment with Lindelof further up the pitch.
Victor Lindelof: A Potential Solution in Defensive Midfield for Manchester United
Victor Lindelof Started as a Midfielder
When Victor Lindelof first arrived at Old Trafford, he was quizzed about his best positions and his playing style. During the interview, the Swede stated that he started his career as a midfielder before moving back into defence. A couple of days later, his manager at Vasteras confirmed Lindelof’s story during an interview with the Manchester Evening News.
Granath said that Lindelof started training with the first-team as a 15-year-old. He started in midfield but later moved to defence after he was deemed ‘too high’ for a position in midfield. Back in 2019, Lindelof gave us another glimpse into his formative years during an exclusive interview with ESPN. The Swede said that he started his career as a No.10. He later played as an eight then as a six before playing in defence. But, he often thought about himself as a No.10 in his head.
Is Victor Lindelof the key to Manchester United’s defensive midfield issues?
Jose Mourinho, the man who brought Lindelof to Manchester, also spoke about the idea of playing the Swede in midfield. But four seasons later, Manchester United are yet to experiment with Lindelof further up the pitch.
Victor Lindelof Fulfills Many of the Criteria’s for a Defensive Midfielder
Defensive midfielders are often one of the most underrated players in a football team. They rarely share the spotlight. But, their absence often disrupts the balance of any team.
A good defensive midfielder has the ability to read and break up play. They have great confidence in their abilities. Their technique, game awareness and defensive skillsets are often their striking attributes. They also have high concentration levels, stamina, and provide a calming influence in midfield. Most importantly, they have good positional sense and tactical awareness.
Potential Strengths
A glance at Lindelof’s abilities is quite noticeable to understand that he fulfills many of the categories. Lindelof is a ball-playing central defender who marks the area rather than the attacker. He often jockeys the attacker and draws him to less dangerous areas before committing a tackle rather than going head-on against the opponent.
A player with great game reading ability, Lindelof has the ability to nip attacks in the bud. He has helped stop several attacks early before they have transformed into dangerous offensive moves. He also has very good game awareness and has found himself taking up good positions on the pitch.
One of his major attributes is his ability with the ball. Lindelof is very good with the ball at his feet and has a wide range of passes in his arsenal. He has showcased the ability to progress with the ball and initiate attacks from deep. Last season saw Lindelof spray dangerous long balls for the forwards, which was a common sight during his Benfica days.
Nicknamed the ‘Iceman’, Lindelof describes himself as a calm player. Over the years, he has shown a tendency to crumble under pressure but in most physical situations. However, on the ball, he has lived up to his name.
His communication skills is another attribute that is rarely spoken about. The central defender communicates very well with his defence. His fitness record also speaks volumes about his availability. Apart from his difficult debut season in England, Lindelof has played 40 or more games in each of the last five seasons.
Some of these attributes are not quantifiable, while some can be broken down into numbers. According to Whoscored.com, Lindelof has a career 88.5% pass completion rate. The Swede also averages one tackle, one interception, 3.7 clearances and 0.5 blocks per 90 mins. These numbers are not eye-boggling but are decent for a defender.
According to Fbref.com, Lindelof possesses a press success rate of 31.5%. He also has a 57.1% career dribble success rate. The numbers indicate the Swede’s ability to progress with the ball and defend without one.
Potential Weakness
The Manchester United man is obviously not the ideal player to play as a defensive midfielder. The Sweden international has his own set of flaws that could potentially hamper his chances of playing up the pitch.
One of Lindelof’s major drawbacks is his lack of recovery pace. He is not one of the quickest players on the pitch and has struggled while playing against quicker opponents. He has found himself struggling to get back into great positions after being beaten by a pacy attacker.
Another of Lindelof’s major drawbacks is his less aggressive playing style. As mentioned before, the 27-year-old likes to draw attackers into difficult positions and make challenges rather than taking a risk and confronting them head-on. Playing as a defensive midfielder often compels a player to make that quick decision rather than drawing them into a less dangerous position.
Heading is another department that has seen Lindelof struggle to cope. But being a defensive midfielder doesn’t always require a player to have the best heading attributes. Now the obvious one would be his lack of experience playing further up the pitch. But having a little experience of playing up the pitch can help the coaches to successfully re-train the 27-year-old.
The Arrival of a New Centre-Back
The arrival of a new centre-back leaves Manchester United with six first-team central defenders. While Axel Tuanzebe left the club on loan this season and the future of Phil Jones is still uncertain, Nemanja Matic could play in defence if any injury crisis hits the Manchester United backline.
This scenario could help the Red Devils explore a bit more of Victor Lindelof’s talents. With the incoming player likely to replace Lindelof in the starting 11, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could experiment with the 27-year-old in a slightly more advanced role. Versatile players always have a better advantage over players that are capable of playing in just one position.
The presence of two great defensive midfielders, Nemanja Matic and Michael Carrick, could help ease Lindelof into the position.
Sergi Canos wrote himself into the history books with a hat-trick of firsts when he scored the opening goal of the 2021/22 Premier League season for Brentford in their 2-0 win over Arsenal.
The Spanish midfielder’s 22nd-minute strike ensured that the Bees became the first promoted club to open the scoring in a top-flight campaign since Hull City in 2016/17.
Canos with the first Brentford goal in the Premier League campaign
Canos’s effort – Brentford’s first ever Premier League goal – was also the first time that a new club in the competition have netted first in a PL season since the inaugural 1992/93 campaign.
The last Spaniard to net the first goal of a Premier League season was Swansea City’s Michu in 2012/13.
Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette missed the trip to Brentford and was denied the opportunity to extend a Premier League record, having become the first player to score the opening goal of a campaign for two PL seasons in succession.
The Frenchman had previously achieved the feat on his Arsenal debut at home to Leicester City in 2017/18, before striking at Fulham in 2018/19
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