LONDON — Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold earned a recall in a 33-man provisional England squad for Euro 2020 on Tuesday as manager Gareth Southgate played for time before whittling the numbers down.
The right-back was dropped in March for World Cup qualifiers but he made the cut in a squad that will be reduced to 26 players ahead of a June 1 UEFA deadline.
Every Premier League fan has those few players they believe should be banished from the league, whether it be a starter on their team that regularly makes costly errors, or the bench player who has as many first team appearances as loan spells.
When it comes to evaluating the worst players of the Premier League, one soon realizes there is a problematic paradox that arises. I refer to it as the mediocrity paradox:
Following Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United in Premier League action on Monday, we finally got down to business. Despite there being no official word on the start date of the newly formed European Super League, we do know that the league is now official and our worst dreams have been realized.
With news of the European Super League dominating the global football conversation, Monday’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Leeds United felt entirely meaningless. Liverpool entered the match chasing the top four and Champions League football next season — something they’ll never have to concern themselves with again if the Super League moves forward.
El bielsismo está de fiesta. El Leeds United de Marcelo Bielsa consiguió hoy un bombástico triunfo sobre el casi campeón de la Premier League, el Manchester City de Pep Guardiola. La victoria además fue a domicilio, jugando con 10 hombres y con un gol de último minuto. Por si fuera poco, también aseguró la permanencia de The Whites en la división.
Ni hablar de esta fantástica sonrisa post-partido.
For a while now, I have touted that college basketball and European soccer, despite an ocean between them, are very much two parallel sports.
The fervor of college basketball student sections, something not found at most professional sports games in the United States, is the closest facsimile to thousands of mad ultras at a European football match, making home advantage so important in each sport.
When we look back at football in 2020/21 over the years to come, there will be no classics, no games to remember — because without fans, matches just don't have the same impact.
Of course, these changes were necessary to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus, and, if current trends hold, it seems that fans will soon be allowed back in stadiums again.
Marcelo Bielsa's continuity in the Leeds United bench is on hold, after the Argentine coach himself addressed the issue with some caution.
"The first thing I want to point out is that it seems to be the chairman who is offering me an extension and I am delaying it; it could be interpreted as the club having more desire for me to stay than me and that is not the case," the 'Loco' pointed out at a press conference.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gets the headlines after netting his first Premier League hat-trick in Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Leeds United at the Emirates on Sunday, but the goal that best highlighted the Gunners’ superiority was scored by Héctor Bellerín with must-see contributions from Bukayo Saka and Dani Ceballos.
Premier League Leeds United suffered the biggest upset of the FA Cup Third Round when they fell to a 3-0 defeat by fourth-tier Crawley Town on Sunday as Manchester City and Chelsea eased through.
A brilliant solo strike from Nick Tsaroulla in the 50th minute put League Two Crawley in front after a first half in which Leeds had caused them few problems.