Activision Blizzard Accused of Fighting Union at Blizzard Albany
Activision Blizzard has reportedly hired Reed Smith, the same union busting firm it used against the Raven Software union, to fight the one building at Blizzard Albany.
1970-01-01 08:00
The tactical conundrum behind Arsenal’s quest to end absurd Man City streak
On Thursday evening, Arsenal were still hoping that Bukayo Saka would feature on Sunday, but Mikel Arteta has had to start drawing up alternative plans. And that could serve his side well in a pivotal clash with the potential to define the title race. It is no bad thing to have Pep Guardiola second-guessing you, and the Manchester City manager can take that to third-, fourth- or even beyond fifth-guessing. The Catalan will be rolling everything around in his mind, having pored over recent footage. Most of the footage of recent Arsenal-City games, mind, has been all too clear. They’ve all gone one way, to an almost farcical degree. City have beaten Arsenal for 12 successive Premier League games. That run would be bad enough if it was over a bottom-half side, but it is virtually unprecedented among financial heavyweights or the old “big six”. Arsenal have admittedly had many iterations throughout what was a transformative and often difficult period in their history, but you have to go back to a Shkodran Mustafi header in April 2017 for the last time they even claimed a point off City. And you have to go back to December 2015, and goals from Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud, for Arsenal’s last victory in the fixture. That is what Arteta is trying to overcome, as he makes constant appeals to only consider the present and the future. It is not just about revenge for last season, a quick recovery after a shock defeat to RC Lens or even reasserting Arsenal’s title credentials after a rare City defeat. It will be about overcoming the knowledge that the champions almost always beat them. That can be a huge psychological factor for a team, creating a fatalism, even subconsciously. Arteta can at least point to one big victory in the FA Cup as well as this summer’s shoot-out win in the Community Shield, but the fact that the Premier League represents their great ambition means there’s a different feel to it. It’s something they need to address, especially if they are to actually beat City in the league. It is one of those psychological hurdles that needs to be overcome, just as City faced with Manchester United after the Abu Dhabi takeover. The Community Shield may still influence this, mind, because of how Guardiola did something so different in that game. He decided to properly bait the press, in the same way that Roberto De Zerbi has made this his great innovation. Arsenal didn’t bite, and came through the game, but it has almost set a kind of tactical arms race in motion; where last season’s top two keep trading significant moves that could affect the course of this year. Arsenal beat City to Declan Rice, City attempted to undercut Arsenal’s entire approach by baiting the press. Arsenal didn’t respond but are trying to add more tactical variety to last season, meaning they didn’t start the campaign as well as the champions. City then lost Rodri to a red card and unexpectedly lost a game, allowing Arsenal back in. That could now be offset with the absence of Saka, as both managers attempt to figure out what happens next. Perhaps Arsenal are “due”, but that could have been said years ago. Will Guardiola attempt to bait Arsenal again? Does Arteta prepare for that, or something different altogether? Both of these managers could send each other down all manner of avenues with second guesses. And how it all ends may depend on just who starts. Read More Bukayo Saka ‘in contention’ for Arsenal vs Man City as Gareth Southgate reveals plan Gareth Southgate gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City Manchester City can put a stamp on the season with Arsenal win – Rico Lewis Bukayo Saka ‘in contention’ for Arsenal vs Man City as Gareth Southgate reveals plan Gareth Southgate gives Bukayo Saka injury update ahead of Arsenal vs Man City Ollie Watkins and Jarrod Bowen make England return but Raheem Sterling left out
2023-10-06 21:48
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes puts 1 thing above all else, and it isn't his contract
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes has his own definition of success, and his latest quote on his future contract status should make every Chiefs fan jump for joy.Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes prioritizes one thing before everything else, and that's... his family.Just kid...
2023-05-25 04:28
60 bn euros pledged to help Ukraine rebuild
Foreign donors have pledged 60 billion euros ($66 billion) of new financial support for Ukraine, the UK said Thursday, as an international conference aimed at funding...
2023-06-23 01:25
Neymar reportedly seeking move away from Paris St Germain
Neymar has told Paris St Germain he wants to leave the club, according to reports in France. The club have not commented publicly on the matter, but the PA news agency understands the Brazil superstar, who is under contract until 2025, has yet to formally communicate his intention to leave to the club’s executives. It is unclear whether new PSG coach Luis Enrique sees Neymar as part of his plans in any case, but the report comes at a time when the club are resigned to either selling France striker Kylian Mbappe this summer or losing him for nothing next summer, when he will be out of contract. Lionel Messi left the club earlier this summer to join Inter Miami and, if Neymar and Mbappe follow him out of PSG, it will well and truly mark the end of an era. The club are trying to shake off what their president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has previously described as their “bling bling” image of the past and work to develop more players organically rather than bring in top-of-the-range superstars. Neymar was arguably the epitome of the old approach, with PSG smashing the world transfer record to sign him from Barcelona in 2017 for 222 million euros (£200m at the time). He has won France’s Ligue 1 title five times since joining PSG but has failed to add to the single Champions League crown he won with Barca in 2015. Mbappe, meanwhile, has been left out of PSG’s main training group as the standoff over his contract continues. PSG sources are convinced he has already reached an agreement to officially sign for Real Madrid when his contract expires and benefit from a 160m euro signing-on fee as a free agent. PSG are understood to have even offered Mbappe a new contract with a “guaranteed sale” clause in it confirming he can leave for a fee next summer, but sources say his representatives have refused to engage on that, or any other, offer they have made. PSG gave Al Hilal permission to speak to Mbappe after the Saudi club tabled a world record £259million offer last month. However, it was reported Mbappe and his representatives declined to even meet a delegation from the club when they visited Paris. Chelsea and Barcelona are also understood to be trying to put together player-plus-cash deals to bring in Mbappe, who won the World Cup with France in 2018 and also starred at last year’s finals in Qatar. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-08 00:30
MILAN FASHION PHOTOS: Sharon Stone takes front row at Tod's show celebrating Italian craftsmanship
MILAN (AP) — Rain forced more than one fashion house to scramble for indoor locations in Milan and fashionistas to find a way to move about the gridlocked Italian city on Friday without the threat of a drenching.
2023-09-22 19:45
Serbia and Kosovo leaders set for talks on the sidelines of this week's EU summit as tensions simmer
The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have been invited to meet with top European Union officials to try to breathe life into talks aimed at normalizing their relations
2023-10-25 16:27
Bottler Coca-Cola HBC lifts full-year profit expectation
(Reuters) -Bottler Coca-Cola HBC AG raised its 2023 profit expectation on Friday, aided by robust sales and price increases in
2023-07-07 14:32
China’s Hot-and-Sour Noodle Chain Picks Banks for Hong Kong IPO
Chinese hot-and-sour noodle chain Maliuji has selected banks for a potential initial public offering in Hong Kong that
2023-10-30 14:32
Ezekiel Elliott says time in free agency left him 'anxious' and 'ready to ball' with Patriots
Ezekiel Elliott’s diminishing output and price tag helped hasten the end to his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys
2023-08-24 06:52
Springbok strength in depth boosts hopes of retaining World Cup
Strength in depth among forwards and backs has South Africans believing that captain Siya Kolisi and his Springboks can successfully defend in France the Rugby World...
2023-08-30 10:16
Trucking boss gets 7 years for role in 2019 smuggling that led to deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants
The final member in a migrant smuggling ring that was responsible for the deaths of 39 Vietnamese immigrants who suffocated in a shipping container in 2019 has been sentenced by a London judge to seven years in prison
2023-12-01 03:20
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