Have Arsenal really blown the Premier League wide open? You would think so after they finally got the better of Manchester City and beat them 1-0 at the Emirates. The game as ever was hyped up beforehand and why not after their two glorious games last season. However given the occasion and the quality of players on show the game was a let down with only brief moments of quality play. The atmosphere was intense but that was more fuelled by the supporters than what was happening on the pitch. Arsenal's winner took a cruel deflection and left Ederson with no chance and it was a deflection not brilliant play that won the game. In truth this game had 0-0 written all over it after 30 minutes but the Gunners found three points in the end. They celebrated, which was understandable and yet it felt over the top. We have seen this countless times with the Gunners celebrating widely because they won a match not a trophy and it hasn't boded well for the future. You sense that City have a lot up their sleeve though they were poor in this fixture. Erling Haaland was invisible and not for the first time this season and while he has 8 goals and is the leading goalscorer in the Premier League he is not setting the league alight like he did last season and his stats and goals are well down. The problem with Haaland currently is that he doesn't seem to be contributing as much as he should be doing and his vision and runs are not quite there yet. However at the same time you can't criticise a player who is currently the leading goalscorer but City will need more from him in the coming months.
To win the Premier League: Manchester City 1.80, Arsenal 5.00, Liverpool 7.00, Tottenham 15.00, Newcastle 51.00
The domestic season is taking a break currently for friendlies and Euro 2024 qualifying and England will be taking on Italy with no love lost between the sides that contested the Euro 2020 final. Italy have struggled as a nation in the last decade and yet of course they are the current European champions. Is it up for debate that champions have to qualify for a competition they hold. That used to be the situation that champions didn't have to qualify but UEFA and FIFA changed that rule through monetary reasons disguised as those nations not having to play competitive games and everyone bought it. Italy has a game in hand over Ukraine and North Macedonia but all three sides have 7 points and there is a chance that the Italians will end up in a play-off game and not qualify for the next Euro's as champions, that just seems inappropriate not to have the current holders involved. England's record over Italy is not good; they have only beaten the Italians three times since 1977 over 18 games and two of those were friendlies. Gareth Southgate's side did record their first competitive victory over the Azzurri earlier this year and in Italy with a 2-1 win in their Euro qualifying game, so there is much hope that the three lions will win this game. Currently England are six points in front in their group and should qualify with ease if they win this game.
Game odds: England 1.70, Italy 5.00, Draw, 3.25
Keeping with the Euro's the UK and Ireland have secured the 2028 competition which will be a huge boost for the game in the nations and a huge boost for the economy. Effectively one could say that Euro 2020 which of course took place in 2021 because of the pandemic was held much in England and the semi-finals and final of Euro 2028 will be held at Wembley Stadium. Grounds such as Tottenham's and Manchester City's will be used for games and Everton's new stadium not yet completed at Bramley Moore Dock will also be used. While hosting the World Cup has evaded England since 1966 UEFA and FIFA are finally waking up to the idea that England and of course the UK as a whole not only has world class stadiums but a world class infrastructure too (not withholding the fiasco of the Euro 2020 final). Various Champions League finals have taken place in the UK and if we did count Euro 2020 as taking place in England for the most part and at least the most important moments of that competition then England would have hosted 3 European Championships in 32 years.
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