List of All Articles with Tag 'eppersons'

Following a host of midweek European action, the Premier League takes centre stage this weekend. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points heading into the forthcoming round of fixtures. North London derby tops bill Arsenal and Tottenham will lock horns at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in the pick of this weekend’s matches. The Gunners host their north London rivals following an impressive 4-0 home victory against PSV Eindhoven on their return to the Champions League, and are boosted by the news that captain Martin Odegaard has committed to the club for another five years. For Spurs, they will be looking to continue their post-Harry Kane bounce under new boss Ange Postecoglou. The Australian’s side extended their Premier League winning streak to four matches last weekend following two stoppage-time goals in a 2-1 comeback win over Sheffield United. There is little to separate the arch enemies ahead of Sunday’s blood-and-thunder clash with both clubs on 13 points. Expect a frenetic Emirates atmosphere in what should be a pulsating clash. Manchester United bidding to reverse slump Erik ten Hag’s United are in crisis mode following three straights defeats, but they will hope a trip to Burnley will provide them with the opportunity to stop their alarming slide. Successive 3-1 defeats against Arsenal and Brighton have left United 13th in the table, already nine points behind leaders Manchester City, and a midweek Champions League loss at Bayern Munich will have done little to improve the Old Trafford gloom. On their return to the top flight, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley have already suffered heavy home defeats to Manchester City, Aston Villa and Spurs, but they finally got off the mark with a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest. And with United in turmoil, and the Burnley supporters likely to create a hostile welcome under the Turf Moor lights, Saturday night’s match could prove a banana skin for Ten Hag’s stuttering side. Will City retain 100 per cent record? Over on the other side of Manchester, there are no such concerns for Pep Guardiola’s high-flying side despite injuries mounting up. City, who have been slow-starters in recent seasons, have won five from five and will be looking to retain their unblemished record when they host Forest at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Indeed, they could become the second team – after Chelsea in 2005/06 – to start their Premier League defence with six straight wins. Forest have started the campaign in positive fashion with a respectable seven points so far. But Steve Cooper’s men will upset the form book if they manage to take anything away from the Etihad. Everton looking for first win The Toffees have endured a miserable start to the season. Following four defeats and one draw, Everton head to Brentford off the back of their joint-worst start to a campaign since 1994. In years gone by, Everton will have been expected to swat away the Bees, but Thomas Frank’s side – who have tasted defeat just once this season – will start as favourites to heap more misery on Sean Dyche’s men. The Toffees, who have failed to score in four of their five matches so far, are winless in their last four away games against Brentford and recent history is against Dyche, too. The former Burnley boss has not won a Premier League match in August or September for four years. Can Luton get off the mark? Only newly-promoted Luton have fared worse than Everton so far, but boss Rob Edwards may hope his troops can finally get off ‘nul points’ when they entertain fellow strugglers Wolves. The Hatters fell to their fourth straight defeat against Fulham last weekend and are the only side in the top division without a point. They could become only the sixth team in Premier League history to start a season with five consecutive losses. However, Wolves head to Kenilworth Road with only thee points from a possible 15, and have won just four of their last 29 Premier League matches. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ireland need ‘a big performance’ to beat world champions South Africa Rory Sutherland hopes strong show against Tonga helps him find a fresh challenge Europe suffer nightmare start to Solheim Cup bid

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It had taken Tottenham more than 70 days to appoint a new manager but a candidate who emerged from far down the shortlist made a flying start. He was manager of the month for August. September brought a North London derby. It went terribly and he was sacked on the first day of November. For Nuno Espirito Santo read Ange Postecoglou? Obviously not; the similarities are superficial and, unlike in 2021, there are plenty of reasons to believe a haphazard process has produced the right man. But the fixture list does feel familiar: for the third year in a row, Tottenham visit their neighbours at this early stage of the season. It was their seventh league game last season and Antonio Conte’s previously unbeaten side lost 3-1. It was their sixth in 2021 and, after three straight wins had earned Nuno the August prize, another 3-1 reverse was a third successive defeat. Nuno’s felt the more damning defeat, partly because Spurs were 3-0 down after 34 minutes and partly because his midfield was a mess. And yet it proved the less damaging setback; if it helped foster the impression that the Portuguese was miscast as a Tottenham manager, his departure facilitated a surge to fourth place, at Arsenal’s expense. Two years on, Arsenal are a barometer of Postecoglou’s progress, the rivals who look role models. They have effected their own transformation from unhappy, underachieving club to a united camp and an increasingly successful team. In 2021/22, Arsenal were not in Europe. Now, in a week when the Gunners have ended their six-year exile from the Champions League, Tottenham have had more time to prepare: for the first time since 2009/10, their schedule has not included continental competition. If the second half of last season, the unravelling of Conte’s reign and the interim spells under Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason prompted the question of how bad tTottenham were; now the phrasing is more welcome: how good are Tottenham? The second best side in the country, a team likely to earn a top-four finish or one who may slip from their current lofty position? A seven-day spell containing meetings with Arsenal and Liverpool could bring a more definitive answer. Thus far, they have been sufficiently impressive to take 13 points from five games. The fixture list has looked favourable, however, and even the Australian’s flagship win, 2-0 against Manchester United, may have an asterisk applied because of the problems at Old Trafford. But that is scarcely his fault. Where he can be judged, he has passed tests: late goals and impactful substitutions are often signs a coach is exerting an influence and Spurs have had both, particularly last week against Sheffield United. Postecoglou’s sympathetic man-management of Richarlison – perhaps it is unfair to a couple of his recent predecessors to suggest they would have been less supportive of the Brazilian – has added to the positive impression, as does introducing a style of play that feels in keeping with Tottenham’s past. Jose Mourinho, Nuno and Conte could be called the three pragmatists, but there was little pragmatic about some of their defeats. The Italian and the Portuguese, in particular, played too passive a brand of football. Postecoglou has been bolder and, a couple of weeks ago, James Maddison reflected that he is the kind of footballer Tottenham have not had since Christian Eriksen, which highlighted a lack of flair in their recent past. It added to the huge burden Harry Kane shouldered, too, and Postecoglou has navigated the England captain’s departure with the minimum of fuss. They were never going to acquire a player of his calibre as a direct replacement but, shorn of their 280-goal record scorer, they have struck at least twice in each of their five league games. Kane’s reliability may have made him a crutch but, as the years went on, it scarcely guaranteed Tottenham glory. This game is a case in point. Kane has scored more goals in the North London derby than anyone else, with 14, but he only tasted victory at the Emirates Stadium once, and then as a substitute in the Carabao Cup in 2018. Another talismanic figure for Tottenham, Hugo Lloris, was culpable for goals in both derbies last season. Meanwhile, Postecoglou has sidelined one pillar of the side, in Eric Dier, and redeployed another, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, as a substitute. It may prove that only Cristian Romero and Heung-Min Son start for Spurs at the Emirates both last season and this. There was a case for a break with the past and, perhaps, it is again shown by Arsenal, though Mikel Arteta’s fallouts with Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were more explosive than Postecoglou’s decision to move on without Dier. Thus far, he has made change look easy. In the rejuvenated Yves Bissouma, the precocious Destiny Udogie and the influential Maddison, he is shaping a new side with a different ethos. But Spurs could nevertheless be forgiven for travelling the four miles to Arsenal with some trepidation. The Gunners have exposed delusions before, made fine starts to seasons look false dawns. Now Tottenham have more grounds for optimism but, as previous managers can testify, things can go wrong on their shortest trip of the campaign. Read More Son Heung-min believes Arsenal should fear in-form Tottenham Arsenal are back in the Champions League — and they look like contenders too What is wrong with Manchester United’s defence? Everything North London derby the headline act this weekend – Premier League talking points Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praises Ange Postecoglou ahead of Tottenham’s visit Son Heung-min believes Arsenal should fear in-form Tottenham

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What made last Sunday’s pulsating Singapore Grand Prix so captivating was a genuine battle at the front: a battle for first, from lights out to the chequered flag. But it was only made possible by a clanger of a weekend from runaway constructors leaders Red Bull, whose perfect win-streak in 2023 came to an abrupt end amid the tight twists and turns of the city-state. Yet briskly onto Japan, a more conventional racetrack, would the status quo be restored? It certainly seems so. Judging by initial signs from Friday practice at Suzuka – a driver-favourite on the calendar due to its heart-shredding high-speed corners – it would be a major shock if Max Verstappen did not claim his 11th win in 12 races come Sunday. The flying Dutchman, closing in on the home-straight in his irrepressible march to a hat-trick of world titles, was fastest in both free practice sessions. And by some distance too. Six-tenths of a second in FP1, narrowed down to three-tenths by FP2. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris, in consistency unexpected from practice, were the next-best in both sessions. “It felt really good today,” said Verstappen, back to his customary satisfied self after the anomaly of Singapore. “From lap one, the car was really enjoyable to drive again. It seems we had a strong day on short runs and long runs. So far, we have a good start to the weekend. “It looks tight behind me between Ferrari and McLaren, they’re close. But we just focus on ourselves, try to optimise our performance and if we do that, then I’m confident we’ll fight for pole.” Last year’s frenetic Suzuka race in the rain, memorable for Pierre Gasly’s close shave with a repair vehicle, saw Verstappen crowned a two-time champion following a dramatic end with Leclerc handed an position-changing penalty. For so long, it seemed Suzuka would be the venue for his crowning glory again in 2023. But all Singapore did was delay the inevitable by a race: that moment is likely to come amid the sprint weekend in Qatar at the start of October. Norris, still chasing his first win after recording a ninth Formula 1 podium last week, struggled to hide his deflation at realising Christian Horner’s team were back in their usual flow. “I doubt it’s going to be pole [for us], Red Bull is normal Red Bull,” the Brit said. “The pace was there… but the car feels pretty all over the place. A handful. “I don’t think we’re far away. Challenging for pole is a big task and probably a bit too far – challenging Mercedes, Ferrari and Astons has to be our battle for tomorrow.” Mind you, Mercedes might count themselves fortunate to be included in that list, given their performance on Friday. Neither driver was in the top-10 in first practice, while Lewis Hamilton only managed a best-result of 14th in FP2. “It was a very challenging day for us out there,” said the seven-time world champion and five-time winner in Japan. “I had a lack of confidence in the car and that contributed to our struggles. It was difficult to find the right balance and we didn’t manage to get on top of it by the end of FP2. The tyres were overheating and that left us quite far off the top of the timing sheets. “We know we’ve got a lot of work to do tonight to pick up the performance. I do believe we can make improvements though. We have had similar Friday’s this season and come back stronger on Saturday. We will see tomorrow if we have done so again. We will be putting in the effort this evening to give us every chance of getting ourselves higher up the order.” Higher up the order is certainly obtainable. What is not, it seems, is a major weekend challenge to Verstappen. Last week was nothing but a blip. Stranger things have happened – and the last two pole positions have been claimed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz – but even on race simulations on Friday, the Red Bull was about a second-a-lap quicker on average than anyone else. Following qualifying on Saturday – bright and early in the UK (7am BST) – the racing on Sunday looks once again likely to be behind the champion-in-waiting. Read More Lewis Hamilton says ‘something’s up’ at Red Bull – if Max Verstappen struggles in Japan ‘Buzzin corner’: Sebastian Vettel reunites with F1 grid for ‘bee hotels’ in Japan Lando Norris calls for ‘harsher penalties’ after Max Verstappen incident How to buy tickets for the 2024 British Grand Prix at Silverstone ‘Buzzin corner’: Sebastian Vettel reunites with F1 grid in Japan F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and times at Suzuka

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