Liverpool have no opportunity of Champions League progress against Actual Madrid, says Paul Merson | Football News
Sky Sports’ Paul Merson pens most current column on Liverpool returning to square 1 following their shock defeat at Bournemouth, Chelsea’s best week and the title race as Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard shone in Arsenal’s win at Fulham when Man City edged previous Crystal Palace
By Paul Merson, Football Specialist & Columnist @PaulMerse
18:38, UK, Wednesday 15 March 2023
Managers have to preserve level-headed and so do players. Liverpool had a fantastic outcome against Manchester United that will place them in the history books but then you have got to turn up and execute at Bournemouth.
When you watch the Bournemouth game you feel, ‘What opportunity have Liverpool got at Actual Madrid?’ Needing to score 3, at least, is a major ask, it would be 1 of the greatest Champions League comebacks of all time. Barcelona did it against PSG but that was at household. This is away at the cup holders. If it was two objectives then you under no circumstances know, but 3…I give them no opportunity.
This is why wherever you go in the planet, the Premier League is becoming shown for the reason that 1 of the bottom 3 teams can beat 1 of the major teams. You under no circumstances get it exactly where Bournemouth rest everyone for subsequent week’s game for the reason that they do not feel they will beat Liverpool. That does not take place in the Premier League and that is why it really is the ideal league in the planet.
Tottenham have won 5 of their final seven in the Premier League. They had a shocking outcome in midweek against AC Milan but that is football. They’ve bounced back to beat a poor Nottingham Forest away side who are chalk and cheese household and away. The major 4 is in their hands and if they win their subsequent two games against Southampton and Everton they will be difficult to chase down.
Chelsea are a hazardous animal
Chelsea are a hazardous animal, they’ve got some unbelievable players and they just have to have to click – at occasions against Leicester they did.
Poor teams do not score the objectives like they did, two of them had been unbelievable. Kai Havertz’s flick has to go down as 1 of the objectives of the season, you are not seeing that on a Sunday morning.
It was an outstanding week for Chelsea, with wins more than Leeds, Dortmund and Leicester, and now with Everton at household subsequent they can get on a roll. Football is a funny game how it can transform so immediately, you have only got to appear at Liverpool losing at Bournemouth.
Graham Potter has switched to 3 at the back and it really is functioning. It is taken a when for him to get it appropriate but it really is one hundred per cent much better than with 4 in defence.
And he nevertheless hasn’t got Reece James. Ruben Loftus-Cheek filled in for him on Saturday and played nicely but when James comes back you have got 1 of the ideal of the business enterprise along with Ben Chilwell on the left. You have got to get your wing-backs higher up the pitch and James and Chilwell are extremely great attacking players.
Mateo Kovacic has come back not too long ago, I am a enormous fan of him, and playing alongside Enzo Fernandez in midfield. Then Potter can choose any 3 from seven solutions up front that can trigger havoc to anyone. Do not neglect, Thiago Silva is not playing either. James and Silva are Chelsea’s two ideal players.
Marc Cucurella has carried out truly nicely not too long ago. Occasionally he can dive in, if you are performing that in his position on the left of the 3 then there is a security net behind you if you do not win the ball. For all 3 of the central defenders, there is a security net for them from every other.
If the Champions League quarter-final draw goes their way, bar Man City and Bayern Munich, I do not feel also several teams will want to play Chelsea. If they do not meet these two then I feel they will get via to the semi-finals.
Trossard an ‘unbelievable’ signing for just £27m
Arsenal’s functionality in the initial half at Fulham was thoughts-blowing. It was like watching Man City in their pomp and this was against a great Fulham group. It was scary. It was bordering on ridiculous.
It felt like they had at least two additional players on the pitch but the factor that will win Arsenal the league is beginning matches nicely. I watched them at Leicester when they had been beneath stress for a outcome and they began nicely and had been fantastic.
Then they had been at household against Bournemouth and start out poorly. Against Fulham they start out nicely and it really is a stroll in the park. I do not see how they are going to be stopped if they start out nicely in matches.
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Leandro Trossard developed an outstanding functionality against Fulham
Gabriel Jesus coming back is a bit of a trouble for Arsenal for the reason that the lad will want to play – he did not sign to be a bit-component player like he was at Man City. It will trigger challenges in time but at the moment it really is like an additional signing.
Leandro Trossard could play for Man City. It is an unbelievable signing for £27m. When his agent mentioned to him he was going to Arsenal for that charge he need to have believed, ‘Is that all I am worth?!’
The lad could go in the Man City group on Tuesday and you would not know any diverse, he’s that great. But Arsenal play like Man City, if you place them in a light blue kit you would feel they are. You do not get larger compliments than that.
Odegaard obtaining larger effect than De Bruyne
Jamie Redknapp believes Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard is at present the ideal midfielder in the Premier League following their extensive three- win at Fulham.
As we speak nowadays, Martin Odegaard is the ideal midfielder in the Premier League. He has additional impact on the Arsenal group than Kevin de Bruyne has on Man City. We have to speak in moments and, in the present, Odegaard is quantity 1 without the need of a doubt. I am not saying he’s a much better player than De Bruyne, but appropriate now Odegaard’s obtaining additional of an effect.
Palace away is a hard game but Leipzig away is a larger match for Man City. If Man City win the league and not the Champions League then it really is not been a fantastic season. They purchased Erling Haaland in to win the Champions League, not the Premier League for the fifth time in six years. And De Bruyne will play against Leipzig.
The title race will come down to the fixtures. Whoever plays initial on a weekend will have a enormous benefit. If Arsenal had played initial against Fulham and beat them like they did, they would have been eight points clear of Man City, who had to go to Crystal Palace.
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Martin Odegaard celebrates scoring Arsenal’s third target at Fulham
City play initial, they win and then Arsenal are only two points clear, and their game becomes additional hard at Fulham.
If Arsenal play initial and they preserve going eight points clear with City needing to win to make it 5, just before you know it, it will take its toll. It occurred with Tottenham and Leicester in 2016.
If Arsenal win their subsequent two games against Palace and Leeds, I do not see how they can be stopped. They will be 5 points clear at least with eight games to go. They’ve got to play Man City but they will have to win that game.
