Premier League

WILLIAM SALIBA has been copying title rival Virgil van Dijk in his quest to become the best defender in the business.Arsenal’s French international centre-half is already regarded as one of the most formidable stoppers in the Premier League.
William Saliba copied title rival Virgil van Dijk in his quest to become the best defenderCredit: Getty
But he insists that he is still nowhere near the finished article as he continues to study the strengths and weaknesses of all the defensive greats.
Saliba will be reunited with the man who brought him to England this evening when Arsenal travel to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
But although it was Emery who gave the green light to his £27million move from St.Etienne in 2019, it was to be another three years before Saliba finally made his debut for the Gunners.
And now he believes that the long wait was a blessing in disguise as it allowed him to properly learn his trade before being thrown into the shark-infested waters of the Premier League.
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He says: “When you are a kid it’s always a dream to play in England because it’s the best league in the world and every game is so intense.
“My first experience at Arsenal was not so good because I had to play a lot of games away on loan but I learned from that time away and came back to the Emirates stronger.
“And now I know that the manager trusts me, it makes it easier for me to play well.
“I feel a lot of confidence from him. He is always teaching and giving us things to develop and if I’m a good player now then it’s because of him and the staff.
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“I know I still have a lot of work to do to improve my game, but I have the right environment at Arsenal to develop and I will give everything to one day become the best centre-back in the world.
“I have watched many great defenders over the years. Not so long ago, I used to watch a lot of videos of van Dijk and now I play in the same league as him.
“I am still so impressed by him, but I try to watch and learn from everyone and then one day I can become the model for others.
“We are all competitors. I play for one of the best teams in the world, so of course my dream is to become the best defender in the world.”
Saliba was initially reluctant to return to London after playing so well during his loan spell at Marseille that he won his first French call-up without ever playing a game for the Gunners.
But now he has become immersed in the club’s culture and Arteta’s determination to fully connect with their supporters.
This week he was one of a number of Arsenal players who were visiting the Emirates hub to support some of the club’s work in the local community.
He teamed up with Emile Smith Rowe to participate in an anti-bullying project with local school kids from Tufnell Park and also joined in a kickabout with a Down’s syndrome group.
The club is backing 26 community schemes in an all-year project to help people in Islington, Camden and Hackney.
He said: “It’s good to be with these kids. We enjoy it, we make them happy and it’s good to be engaging with things like this.”
And today he is looking to further boost the mood in North London as Arsenal travel to Villa Park with a two-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
But he is refusing to get carried away after the disappointment of the run-in to last season’s title race.
Saliba was an ever-present when the Gunners moved eight points clear of the pack, but missed the last two months of the season after suffering a back injury and was a helpless spectator as his team-mates were reeled in by Manchester City.
He says: “It was so hard to watch my team play in these difficult moments and not be there to help them.

“We were so close but you cannot control the injuries and now I am back and even stronger than before.
“It’s behind me now and I am focusing on the future. I’ve started this season well, we’re top of the Premier League and first in our Champions League group, but we still have a lot of games to come.
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“Maybe we can go one better than last season but it’s too early to say that.
“But we are all competitors and we want to win everything.”
Saliba is regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the leagueCredit: Rex More

NOTTINGHAM FOREST are reportedly considering Julen Lopetegui as a potential replacement for Steve Cooper.The Reds currently sit 16th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone.
Steve Cooper is at risk of being sackedCredit: Getty
Nottingham Forest are considering Julen LopeteguiCredit: PA
Cooper’s position came into question following Wednesday’s 5-0 defeat to Fulham.
Forest fans voiced their support for the manager after the match by chanting his name.
However, the 43-year-old insisted that he didn’t deserve the backing.
He told BBC Sport: “It means so much but I’m personally embarrassed, I’m grateful, of course, but I don’t deserve that [support].
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“Regardless of who is playing, who the manager is, you can’t let these people down like that – you just can’t.
“We’ve shown over the last few years how important this club is to the city and the joy that it has given, so to not represent it in the way that it should be is hurtful. I take responsibility for that.
“I didn’t deserve that tonight from the supporters – we all let them down and we have to take responsibility.”
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is now understood to be concerned about the direction his club is heading in.
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And he has already started to consider other managerial candidates.
According to The Guardian, Lopetegui is on Forest’s radar.
Lopetegui left Wolves just before the start of the Premier League season, with Gary O’Neil taking the helm at Molineux.
Although he is yet to find a new job, the 57-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United.
He also turned down a mega money offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad which would have made him one of the world’s highest-paid managers.
With Cooper’s future in doubt, Saturday’s trip to Wolves could be make-or-break. More

ERIK TEN HAG says it is on Marcus Rashford to recover his form and get back in the team.Last season’s 30-goal top scorer for the club was dropped to the bench for Wednesday night’s win over Chelsea after a poor performance against Newcastle.
Erik ten Hag says it is on Marcus Rashford to recover his formCredit: Getty
Ten Hag pointed to Harry Maguire as an example for Rashford to followCredit: Alamy
The Man Utd boss also praised Scott McTominayCredit: EPA
And manager Ten Hag pointed to Premier League Player of The Month Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay, who scored both in the victory over Chelsea, as examples of what you have to do to get back into his team.
Ten Hag said: “They are here, they are great players and played their way into the team. That’s what you expect from every player, there has to be dedication to aim for this.
“So Rashford is an incredible player. But he can’t play every game, he’s not in this moment in the form he was last year but I am sure he will get there.
“It was like what I said about Scott and Harry: it’s up to them.
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“I think we have a squad and in the squad there is internal competition. If you want a successful season you need more than 11 players.
“The team will always line themselves up and the best players who form the best team will play.”
Rashford has only two goals this season and has been way off the levels he reached in the last campaign.
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United played some of their best football in the league this season on Wednesday without him.
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Alejandro Garnacho sparkled on that left flank that Rashford used to own.
The performance in beating Chelsea 2-1 swept away the dark clouds that had gathered over Ten Hag once more following the performance at Newcastle.
Indeed his three straight wins in November saw him named Premier League manager of the month, alongside Maguire’s player award while a hat-trick was completed with Garnacho’s overhead kick at Everton voted goal of the month.
So ahead of the visit of Bournemouth to Old Trafford, there was a positive air at United’s Carrington Training Ground.
Ten Hag said: “So we know where we are going and we had our setbacks, especially at the start of the season, things went against us with injuries, decisions and sometimes you find yourselves in such a place.
“But you’ve seen the character of the team, we’re in a better place, better form.
“The performances are increasing, we are performing as a team and as individuals, you have to be sharp in every game.
“This league is very competitive and you see it in results this week. Everyone kills everyone.” More

WOLVES defender Jonny Castro Otto has been BANNED from the first team until the end of January.The 29-year-old was banished from the club’s training ground last week following a training incident.
Jonny has been banned from the Wolves training groundCredit: PA
He was subsequently left out of Gary O’Neil’s matchday squad ahead of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.
And now he has been axed from the squad until the end of January.
An official statement from Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs read: “As people have become aware, there was an incident with Jonny last week, and since then I’ve sat down with him, he’s apologised, and we have outlined the way forward.
“We had a conversation and have agreed that at least until the end of the January window he won’t be part of the first-team group.
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“He will still be training at the club and, if he chooses, he can play for the under-21s to keep up his match sharpness, and I think, knowing him, he’ll probably do that.
“This is a guy who has been a great servant to the football club. One incident doesn’t define the role he’s played during the successful times and the man he is day to day around the place.
“Everybody has moments and that’s all it was, but we have to deal with it and move forward for the wider group.”
Jonny initially signed from Atletico Madrid on loan in 2018, but his deal was made permanent the following January for £18million.
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The full-back has since made 134 appearances in all competitions, with his most recent coming in September.
His first – and only – Premier League appearance this season was in Wolves’ 2-1 win over Manchester City.
The Spaniard is under contract at Molineux until June 2025.
Hobbs added: “It might seem big because someone’s been removed from the group, but it’s not. When you’re trying to create a culture, keeping everything aligned, sometimes things happen which aren’t what you want to be and where we want to go.
“Now it’s dealt with. It’s not something Gary’s had to deal with, we’ve dealt with it as a football club and allowed Gary to focus on getting the team ready for the important games coming up.
“It makes sense to take it up to then (the end of January) because a lot of things can change between now and then, and then we’ll sit down, talk again and decide the way forward.
“December’s a busy month with lots of points to play for and lots of games we feel we can be really competitive in. That always has to be the focus.” More

CHELSEA legend Ruud Gullit would be happy if the Blues lost against Everton on Sunday.Gullit, 61, was known for his success at PSV and AC Milan and captained the Netherlands national team in their Euro 1988 success.
Ruud Gullit revealed he would be happy to see Everton beat Chelsea on SundayCredit: Getty
Gullit spent three seasons at Chelsea and part of his time as a player-managerCredit: Getty
Gullit is known for his success in leading the Netherlands to a Euro 1988 victoryCredit: Getty
The Ballon d’Or winner then spent three terms at Stamford Bridge and led the Blues to an FA Cup title in the 1996-97 campaign as a player-manager.
But despite his history with the West London club the Dutchman snubbed his former side and revealed he would be happy to see Everton beat them at Goodison Park on Sunday.
His bizarre stance is because of his feelings towards The Toffees after they were plunged into a Premier League relegation battle after being hit with a 10-point deduction for breaching FFP rules last month.
He explained to Gambling Zone: “I feel for Everton, and I think everybody feels a bit of sympathy for them.
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“I also like Sean Dyche as a coach. He knows the game very well and he hasn’t always had the best players to work with.
“What he does with his team is fantastic despite that. People tend to forget that. 
“I want Everton to stay in the Premier League, and I wouldn’t mind if they got a result against Chelsea! I say that only due to Everton’s situation, though.”
The Premier League called for the punishment after Everton recorded heavy financial losses over the past three years.
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The Prem’s permitted amount is £105m.
The Toffees posted financial losses of £44.7million for the 2021-22 season – bringing their three-year total to £124.5m, £19.5m over budget.
And Everton are now 17th in the league with ten points but could have been one point above Chelsea had they not received the sanction.
Gullit continued: “I’m still a massive Chelsea supporter and I want them to win!
“However, I have sympathy for Everton and I want them to stay up.
“I want Everton to win! I’m sorry to all the Chelsea fans! I like Dyche. I’d like to see Everton stay in the Premier League. 
“It’s a tough one as I’m such a huge fan of Chelsea!
“I love Chelsea but I want Everton to beat them on Sunday.”
Chelsea have struggled to make a breakthrough this term with their inconsistent form.
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And losing 2-1 to Manchester United on Wednesday put them in 10th place in the league, trailing West Ham by five points who are in ninth.
In their weekend showdown, both Sean Dyche and Mauricio Pochettino’s sides will be fighting to secure all three points. More