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Mikel Arteta pinpoints moment Arsenal made ‘phenomenal’ response at Chelsea
Mikel Arteta pinpoints moment Arsenal made ‘phenomenal’ response at Chelsea
Mikel Arteta praised a “phenomenal” response from Arsenal after they fought back from two goals down in the final 13 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at Chelsea and move level on points at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea looked to be sending Arsenal to a first league defeat of the season when Mykhailo Mudryk’s cross-shot put them into a 2-0 lead minutes after half-time, the Ukrainian’s effort drifting over goalkeeper David Raya who was unable to recover from a poor starting position as the ball dropped into the goal. That added to the lead given to them by a first-half penalty from Cole Palmer, increasingly influential in Pochettino’s revitalised attack following his move from Manchester City, who slotted home after William Saliba was adjudged to have handled from Mudryk’s header. It was a commanding and deserved advantage for the hosts, who were seeking a third straight league win, but as so often during Chelsea’s turbulent last 18 months it was an individual error that turned the game and cost them points. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez rolled the ball straight to the feet of Declan Rice who cut the arrears from 30 yards, before Leandro Trossard got a lunging right leg to Bukayo Saka’s cross six minutes from time to salvage an unlikely draw. And afterwards Arteta praised his team’s powers of recovery as they extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine matches to go level at the top with Manchester City. “I think what went wrong was the start of the game,” said the manager. “We didn’t play with enough purpose and clarity. We were just moving the ball without the intention to threaten them. That’s a really dangerous thing to do against teams like Chelsea. “Then we didn’t win enough duels, and in tight areas when we had them, they escaped from that and they attacked open spaces, and they are really dangerous things to do. “When we changed that and we changed the level after 20, 25 minutes, especially in the second half then it’s a different game. We became a much better team, even though we conceded the second goal and it’s a disappointment. “The way the team reacted to the second goal is phenomenal from the players on the pitch and the players on the bench thinking ‘how the hell am I going to change this game?’ I loved that. “I really liked as well going into the dressing room and it’s really quiet, after drawing 2-2 with Chelsea and coming back from 2-0 down, because I know that they wanted more. That’s the positive.” Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino reflected on perhaps Chelsea’s best performance since he took over in the summer, and refused to lay the blame at the feet of Sanchez for allowing Arsenal back into the match. “Too many games that we’re watching every week, always mistakes,” he said. “Football is about mistakes. If you want to score, you want the opponent to make a mistake. Ninety per cent of goals are because the opponent made a mistake. Football is about mistakes. “The only thing we can criticise a little bit is to read better the situation, the tempo and the timing. After 77 minutes, we’re trying to take some risks. OK, we can because it’s our philosophy. But maybe (we need) better decisions. So we can criticise a bit, but also this is football. “It’s not to blame someone. It’s only that in this type of situation you need to read better, but that will arrive with time. Teams need to manage and drive games. You need to read the game, when to be calm, when to play, when to take risks.” Read More Gary O’Neil insists Wolves win at Bournemouth not about revenge over former club Pep Guardiola hails ‘exceptional’ Brighton after Man City return to winning ways Thomas Frank: Five-year anniversary meal will taste better after Brentford win Rob Edwards salutes Luton super-sub Elijah Adebayo after equaliser at Forest England skipper Jos Buttler questions his decision to field first in latest loss A true gentleman – David Beckham pays tribute to ‘national hero’ Bobby Charlton
2023-10-22 04:52
The countdown to Max Verstappen's likely 3rd straight F1 title begins at the Dutch GP
The countdown to Max Verstappen's likely 3rd straight F1 title begins at the Dutch GP
The countdown to Max Verstappen’s likely third straight Formula One title begins on Sunday at the Netherlands Grand Prix
2023-08-25 13:16
Yankees manager Aaron Boone puts on show after getting ejected for 6th time this season
Yankees manager Aaron Boone puts on show after getting ejected for 6th time this season
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the most of his AL-leading sixth ejection this season during a 5-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox
2023-08-08 12:28
McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary
McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary
Conor McGregor is sitting in a hospital bed, clad in a surgical gown, his face still drained from a weight-cut. “I thought it was over,” he says of his career, before the setting morphs to an Octagon, where McGregor is sitting on the canvas, sporting his fight-night attire, his face twisted in pain. “This is not over!” he hisses at Dustin Poirier. That is how Netflix’s McGregor Forever begins, the second documentary built around the MMA megastar. While 2017 film Notorious covered the Irishman’s rise to becoming the first dual-weight champion in UFC history and his iconic rivalry with Nate Diaz, this new series documents the journeys around his last four fights – three of them defeats – with an episode dedicated to each, loosely speaking. McGregor Forever, directed by Gotham Chopra and produced by Religion Of Sports, starts at the end: in the aftermath of McGregor breaking his leg against Poirier in July 2021. It then veers back to 2018 and the Irishman's bitter rivalry with Khabib Nurmagedomov, onto his 2020 return against Donald Cerrone, his January 2021 duel with Poirier, and finally their ill-fated rematch six months later. Notorious was released shortly after McGregor’s spectacle of a super-fight with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, the backstory of which was absent from that film and eludes this series. And so McGregor Forever begins in earnest in the lead-up to the UFC star’s clash with Khabib, a fascinating and until-now-under-explored spell in McGregor’s career. It is a spell made even more bewitching by the stark contrast between scenes of McGregor playing with his first-born son, partaking in a gender reveal for his daughter, and the venom of his exchanges with Nurmagomedov. An eerie soundtrack only serves to enhance the foreboding feeling throughout. McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, once spoke of his fighter’s ominous attitude ahead of the fight; how McGregor was beating up sparring partners, rather than trying to learn from them, before celebrating by going out and drinking. Indeed, this particular stint of the series validates those revelations, painting a picture of an insecure McGregor, and each second of never-before-seen footage is welcome – even an excruciating scene in which McGregor’s dislocated toes are wrenched back into place, three weeks before the fight; especially shots of a teary-eyed McGregor coming to terms with the defeat, surrounded by teammates in his locker room yet desperately alone. For all the intriguing elements to this phase of McGregor’s career, the fighter himself sees it simply: “I was beat, and that’s that. I was beat where it mattered, end of.” There is a similarly revealing moment in the third episode, after McGregor suffers his first ever knockout loss. “That was just abysmal,” he says, before questioning his team. “How come you boys have nothing... I was shot, my leg was dead, and there wasn’t a rattle at all [from you].” Both scenes follow satisfyingly cinematic framings of the fights themselves, and the other episodes employ the same impactful sound and visual editing. The opening episode closes with McGregor carrying out community service in the series’ only acknowledgement of his various legal issues in recent years. Yet hearing McGregor express his sincere feelings about the experience highlights perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the documentary: Elsewhere, there is a distinct lack of soundbites from McGregor, with old interviews instead laid over much of the fresh footage and undermining the excitement of seeing new clips. Yet the biggest problem is the timing of the series itself. McGregor Forever is sold as the story of the Irishman’s comebacks from numerous setbacks, and of his impending comeback from his broken leg; however, he is yet to come back in the manner that matters most to his fans and to the sport: in the ring, and more ideally with a win. Furthermore, the series does not exactly convince you that such a win is impending. If you had not seen McGregor’s final encounter with Poirier, the last episode of the series would lead you to believe that the Irishman was approaching a redemptive victory, rather than the concerning performance and devastating injury that followed. That McGregor has conquered his recovery from that injury is more than commendable and should not be overlooked. The 34-year-old speaks in this documentary about his desire to keep fighting, how he is and always will be a fighter first and foremost, but we are yet to even see a date announced for his next fight, against Michael Chandler. When it comes to making fights, the number and nature of moving parts can be dizzying, so McGregor’s ongoing, extended absence is not entirely his fault. But fans want a clarity on the situation that this documentary cannot provide. Between this series, his appearances as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and his constant presence on social media, there is plenty of McGregor content to consume in 2023. There are just not enough McGregor contests. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in trailer for The Ultimate Fighter Michael Chandler gives disappointing update on Conor McGregor fight Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron are shaming their male counterparts
2023-05-17 15:50
Neymar closing in on move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal
Neymar closing in on move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal
Neymar’s move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is set to be completed in the next 48 hours, the PA news agency understands. Sources close to Paris St Germain say the club are set to receive up to 100 million euros (£86.3m) from Al Hilal for the 31-year-old Brazilian as they rebuild their squad around younger, up-and-coming players. The deal has been sanctioned by PSG because Spanish coach Luis Enrique was open to letting Neymar leave. Selling Neymar would also shift his 25m euro annual wage off the club’s books, with his existing contract due to run until the summer of 2025. News of Neymar’s imminent exit comes less than 24 hours after the club confirmed striker Kylian Mbappe had been reinstated to first-team training. Mbappe is understood to have indicated his commitment to the club, who have offered him a contract with a “guaranteed sale” clause in it allowing him to seal a move to Real Madrid next summer for a fee. The club had been convinced Mbappe was preparing to let his current deal run out, which would have allowed him to leave Paris and join Real on a free transfer next year. The club acted by omitting the player from the pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea and forcing him to train away from the main first-team group, until the thaw in relations confirmed on Sunday. They had also granted Mbappe permission to talk to Al Hilal after receiving a world record £259m bid for the player in July, but it was reported the 24-year-old refused to even meet with a delegation from the Saudi club. The imminent exit for big money of Neymar and the news on Mbappe marks a major and positive turnaround for PSG. The French champions are consciously moving away from what their president Nasser Al Khelaifi has called their “bling bling” era, with Argentina playmaker Lionel Messi also exiting the club earlier this summer. Neymar’s signing for a world record £200m fee in 2017 arguably marked the start of that era, but the club’s incomings this summer indicate a difference in approach, with the likes of 22-year-old Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos changing the profile of the team. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-14 16:51
Chiefs Rumors: Chris Jones responds to haters, Travis Kelce update, Kadarius Toney problems
Chiefs Rumors: Chris Jones responds to haters, Travis Kelce update, Kadarius Toney problems
Kansas City Chiefs rumors: Chris Jones responds to his haters, Travis Kelce gets an injury update, and Kadarius Toney still has some problems.
2023-09-13 02:26
CFB transfer portal rumors: Lincoln Riley has sights set on next Heisman Trophy QB
CFB transfer portal rumors: Lincoln Riley has sights set on next Heisman Trophy QB
USC head coach Lincoln Riley is reportedly courting Kansas State's Will Howard in the transfer portal as the Trojans get ready for life after Caleb Williams.
2023-12-03 13:52
3 NFL teams that should've drafted Jalen Carter but blew it
3 NFL teams that should've drafted Jalen Carter but blew it
The Philadelphia Eagles swindled the entire NFL with the Jalen Carter pick in April's NFL Draft. These three teams in particular have to regret passing on him.
2023-09-27 01:55
India homers in 7th to help Reds beat Mets 5-3, keep pace in wild-card race
India homers in 7th to help Reds beat Mets 5-3, keep pace in wild-card race
Jonathan India hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the Cincinnati Reds beat the New York Mets 5-3 on Friday night, another important victory in the tight National League wild-card race
2023-09-16 10:52
Scott McTominay reveals how David Beckham inspired performance against Brentford
Scott McTominay reveals how David Beckham inspired performance against Brentford
Scott McTominay has revealed that watching the new Netflix docuseries about David Beckham's life inspired him to a brace in the win over Brentford.
2023-10-10 17:46
Women's World Cup opener sold out: tournament boss
Women's World Cup opener sold out: tournament boss
Co-hosts Australia will play their opening game of next month's Women's World Cup in front of a full house, a senior...
2023-06-27 13:51
Bet $15 on College Football Today, Win $550 Bonus at DraftKings and BetMGM
Bet $15 on College Football Today, Win $550 Bonus at DraftKings and BetMGM
Cash in on College Football with $400 in guaranteed bonus bets with these limited-time offers at DraftKings and BetMGM. Read more to learn how you can access your bonus bets in minutes.
2023-09-16 18:23