Arsenal and Liverpool will each attempt to arrest damaging sequences of results when they return to English Premier League action this weekend following midweek exertions in the UEFA Champions League.
The two teams have fallen out of title contention over recent weeks, with Arsenal now 15 points behind leaders Chelsea following consecutive losses and Liverpool three points further back after three straight defeats.
Arsenal’s poor form has seen manager Arsene Wenger’s 18-year stewardship called into question as rarely before, amid concerns that a climate of tolerated under-achievement has infiltrated the club.
Photo: Reuters
However, Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League saw Arsenal reach the round-of-16 for the 15th consecutive season, boosting morale ahead of today’s trip to West Bromwich Albion.
“We have to show character and that is what makes me really happy for the next few games, because we have to sharpen up in the Premier League as well,” Arsenal’s German centerback Per Mertesacker said. “Saturday is a good chance to show to everyone that we are still alive. We have to come back in the Premier League and that is the next target.”
Victory over Dortmund came at a cost, with Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta joining a host of players on the sidelines after injuring his calf.
Jack Wilshere has been ruled out for three months after undergoing ankle surgery, but goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny should return from the hip injury he sustained in last Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home to Manchester United.
Liverpool host Stoke City today having slumped to 12th place in the table after successive defeats by Newcastle United, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
They also received a setback in the Champions League, conceding an 88th-minute equalizer to draw 2-2 at PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, but can still secure a place in the knockout phase by beating Basel at home next month.
Welsh midfielder Joe Allen believes Brendan Rodgers’ side should draw encouragement from their display in Bulgaria.
“The manager mentioned that it was almost like a fresh start and we see it that way as players,” Allen said.
“It’s up to us to turn it around and it is now back to Premier League action at the weekend. We are looking forward to giving everything to get three points,” he said.
Second-placed Southampton’s 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Monday means that Chelsea’s advantage at the summit has swelled to six points ahead of their visit to 14th-placed Sunderland today.
Jose Mourinho’s side cruised into the Champions League round-of-16 with a breezy 5-0 win at Schalke 04 on Tuesday and in-form midfielder Cesc Fabregas says their soccer is as enjoyable to create as it is to watch.
“We have a very young, talented team,” said the former Barcelona player, who has already contributed 10 goals to the Chelsea cause this season. “The mood is great and hopefully it will grow as the season goes on, because you know that for the next two months it’s going to be really, really tough — a lot of games.”
Southampton’s hold on second place faces a stiff test over the next two weeks, with successive games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United on their schedule.
Third-placed City travel to St Mary’s tomorrow buoyed by a stunning 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich on Tuesday that breathed fresh life into their Champions League campaign.
Meanwhile, United have crept into fourth place, five points behind City, after their smash-and-grab victory at Arsenal last weekend.
Louis van Gaal’s side host Hull City today, when victory would enable the 20-time champions to register a third consecutive league victory for the first time since December last year.
Newcastle United, who trail Manchester United on goal-difference, visit West Ham United, who are a point further back in sixth place after losing 2-1 to Everton at Goodison Park last weekend.
There is a basement battle at the foot of the table, with bottom club Queens Park Rangers hosting third-from-bottom Leicester City, while second-from-bottom Burnley will be seeking a third straight win when they entertain Aston Villa.
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Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
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