TechnoSports Media Group

Tag: Premier League 20/21

Why it’s time the Premier League should reintroduce five substitutions?

Could the third time be the charm for the Premier League in terms of the five subs rule? The managers certainly hope so.

Changes in Premier League rulings require the majority of the clubs to agree on a decision. However, the last two times, most of the clubs in the top flight voted against having five substitutions to use in league matches.

Contrary to the current scenario in England’s first division, most of the other top competitive leagues in the continent have chosen to continue the five subs rule introduced last season. The same applies to European competitions like the Champions League and Europa League.

Why have #EFL clubs made a U-turn on using five subs?

Will the Premier League do the same?@PJBuckingham & @mjshrimper explain…https://t.co/tSOu5tonu3
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) November 18, 2020

According to a recent report published by elite journalists at the Athletic, there has been a shocking 42% increase in injuries this season. The majority of the blame for that can be given to the fact that players are not getting adequate rest in between games.

The international break congesting schedules even further has also taken its toll on the footballers, with substitutions owing to injury becoming a common sight not only in every game but in the first half itself.

The argument presented by the smaller clubs in the Premier League against having five subs was that the bigger clubs in the division, especially those competing in Europe, would have an undue advantage due to them having numerous quality players amongst their ranks.

While that argument could still hold true now, the fact of the matter is that the clubs competing in the Champions League and Europa League are at a disadvantage at the moment. This is due to their squad having to play about twice or thrice every week, with no breaks.

Liverpool is a prime example of how the congested fixtures have taken a toll on the players. While this season of the Premier League seems to be anybody’s competition at this stage, exactly how much of an advantage the five subs rule would give the bigger clubs is up for debate as well.

All things said the Premier League joining the rest of Europe in compliance with the five subs rule will help take the physical burden off of the footballers and give them time to recover.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/18/fans-may-be-back-in-the-premier-league-from-december/

November 20, 2020
Tariq Lamptey explains his move from Chelsea to Brighton

Tariq Lamptey broke into the Premier League about a year ago when he was subbed on in the London derby against Arsenal. That was the youngster’s first appearance for Chelsea and he has since moved to Brighton to further his career.

The right-back has been in fine form at the south coast and has made many Chelsea fans question why he was let go in the first place. That has now been answered by the defender, as reported by 90min.

“I’m an ambitious boy. I look at things and enjoy them in the moment, but the next day I’m looking to see what I need to improve on and how I can stay at that level”

“I’m always looking for a chance to play again, and that moment made me even more hungry. I’d had a taste of it and I wasn’t going to let it go.

“I sat down with the coaches, family members and agents and thought about what’s best for me. It was a really tough decision.

“Being at a club since the age of nine, going up through the whole system and making your first-team debut, everything happened so quickly.

“But I had to look at where I would get the most football and how I could take my game to the next level.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. I thought about it every day. But the opportunity came for me to come to Brighton, which is a fantastic club with a really good plan for the team, and the move made a lot of sense.

“There was quite a few options to go to, but I sat down with my family and talked about where would be best for me, where could help me develop, and I thought Brighton would be the best club for me.”

The youngster was behind club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and fellow academy graduate Reece James in the order for minutes on the right-hand side of the back four.

His move to Brighton now makes a lot of sense considering he is one of the first names on the teamsheet and is one of the most valuable assets for the seagulls this season.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/08/hakim-ziyech-is-on-fire-for-chelsea-ashley-cole-agrees/

November 14, 2020
Can Leicester City be champions of England once again this season?

2016 marked an unprecedented year when the impossible and unthinkable happened. Underdogs Leicester City emerged from the ashes of being nearly relegated, to put together a superb effort which saw them lift the title at the end of it.

Across the gameweeks, many experts tipped them to fall off or lose momentum which would have seen one of the Big Six clubs take home the championship. But that did not happen, and Claudio Ranieri’s men gave it their everything and broke the shackles to do so. However, nearly 5 seasons on, can the Foxes do it once again and repeat history?

Leicester head into the international break on the back of a 1-0 win against Wolves. They have won 6 games so far and sit top of the table with 18 points after eight matches being played.

Brendan Rodgers has done a good job in recent times building a capable squad with relatively lesser financial resources and smart scouting abilities. However, there has been scepticism and criticism of his management style and motivation.

At the end of the day, Leicester do not have a consistent track record of winning the bigger trophies year in and out. Rodgers who once coached Liverpool had a great chance to win the league with them in 2014 but ultimately surrendered with a meek challenge.

Even last season, they were right in the race for a Champions League spot and had built great ground ahead of the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea. But the players just couldn’t get into the right frame of mind and coupled with the pandemic uncertainties, they were left reeling with 5th and had to contend with a Europa League place.

Leicester albeit very talented and creative, have lesser experienced players compared to their 2015/16 squad. That might see them struggle to notch up results in crunch games, and their morale could go the other way.

So all in all while Leicester are definitely a fabulous contender and their league win achievement will always be remembered by everyone in the footballing community, it might just be tough this time around with a close title race in the works and rivals continually improving to produce wins as well.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/10/27/leicester-city-break-40-year-old-drought-with-arsenal-away-win/

November 10, 2020
Premier League 2020-21: Matchday 8 review
The last matchday before the international break brought about the classic Premier League experience, and fans were treated to another round of controversy, surprises, penalties and pouring English evenings. Here is what went down on matchday 8 of the 20/21 season.

Results
- Everton 1-3 Manchester United
- Brighton 0-0 Burnley
- Southampton 2-0 Newcastle United
- Crystal Palace 4-1 Leeds United
- Chelsea 4-1 Sheffield United
- West Ham United 1-0 Fulham
- West Brom 0-1 Spurs
- Leicester City 1-0 Wolves
- Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool
- Arsenal 0-3 Aston Villa
Match of the Week

Everton 1-3 Manchester United

One of the many big matches of the weekend, there were multiple sources reporting that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job was on the line as United travelled to Merseyside.

However, things turned out alright for the Red Devils as they came back from 1-0 down to beat the hosts 3-1 at the end of the match.

Everton’s Bernard managed to score his first goal for Everton in his first start for the Toffees to open the scoring early. However, Bruno Fernandes headed home a brilliant cross by Luke Shaw to pull things level.

The Portuguese was on the scoresheet again as he lobbed a ball from the edge of the penalty area that missed everyone and found the back of the net after hitting the post.

Signing off for the international break with three points! 🙌#MUFC #EVEMUN pic.twitter.com/ANPQxEcCig
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 7, 2020

Fernandes had the opportunity to net a hat-trick but unselfishly passed the ball to Edinson Cavani on the break, who scored his first goal for Manchester United to seal all three points on the day.

Player of the Week

Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

The playmaker turned goalscorer for Manchester United as he netted home two slick goals to rescue his team and save his coach’s job.

His unselfish attitude to get United new boy Cavani off and running in England was a great gestureass well.

Fernandes’ performance in a high-stakes match showed that he has the ability to score goals from open play, as he has been criticised for winning as many penalties as he has since moving to the Old Trafford.

Highs of the Week
- Hakim Ziyech had a great game as he assisted two goals for Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell as Chelsea cruised to a 4-1 win at home.
- Eberechi Eze scoring and assisting one as Crystal Palace beat Leeds 4-1.
- Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins tearing Arsenal apart in their own backyard as they won 3-0 against the hosts.
- Said Benrahma assisting Tomas Soucek for a late goal as West Ham won the London derby against Fulham.
Lows of the Week
- Patrick Bamford’s goal against Palace being ruled offside for POINTING TO WHERE HE WANTED THE BALL PLAYED.
https://twitter.com/vanofsteel0428/status/1325358943346937857?s=20
- Arsenal losing to Villa at home in a dismal display.
- De Bruyne missing a penalty completely, the first since 2018 to draw 1-1 with Liverpool.
1 – Kevin De Bruyne's penalty is the first to miss the target completely in a @premierleague game since October 2018, when in the same fixture at Anfield, Riyad Mahrez blazed over against Liverpool for Manchester City. Spooky. #MCILIV pic.twitter.com/OesSCn9NSk
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 8, 2020
- Sheffield United still searching for their first victory of the 20/21 campaign after a great last season.
- Ademola Lookman going for a Panenka against West Ham and completely botching it.
Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/09/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-explains-the-reason-behind-mason-greenwoods-absence/
November 9, 2020
Hakim Ziyech is ON FIRE for Chelsea; Ashley Cole agrees!

Despite getting injured in his first appearance in a Chelsea shirt against Brighton at the Amex Stadium in a friendly fixture, Hakim Ziyech has taken every competition by storm since he made his first start for the Stamford Bridge Blues against Krasnodar in the Champions League.

The former Ajax man pledged his future to the West London club shortly after the winter transfer window closed last year. Ziyech only recently returned to the pitch after a lengthy spell away from the pitch as the Eredivisie was canceled.

6 & 2 – No player has created more chances in a Premier League game this season than Hakim Ziyech did this evening against Sheffield United (6 chances created & 2 assists). Superb. pic.twitter.com/8raugCIYS2
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 7, 2020

By any and all standards, the Moroccan international has achieved a brilliant start for Chelsea and was incredible in Chelsea’s most recent victory against Sheffield United where he assisted Ben Chilwell’s goal with his ‘wand of a left foot’ as Ashley Cole says.

He has five goal contributions to his name in all competitions for Chelsea already and has been influential in all of his starts for the club. The former Ajax man has adapted very well to life in West London.

His amazing performances for Chelsea have attracted praise from Chelsea legend Ashley Cole, who has tipped the midfielder for great success in a Chelsea shirt. Cole admitted that the 27-year-old’s ability to pass the ball made him want to come out of retirement himself.

‘When Ziyech gets the ball on his left foot it begs for runs, he’s such a talented boy,’

‘If I was playing with him I’d always be looking to get in behind.

‘I would love to play with someone with that quality. I had the pleasure to play with Lampard who used to find me in behind.

‘But as soon as Ziyech opens up and gets it out on that cultured left foot, I’m making runs behind because he’s got a wand of a left foot.’

‘We saw the quality at Ajax last year and in the Champions League but he’s gone under the radar due to the injury,’ Cole added.

‘When he’s come back he looks fit and looks like he’s enjoying the way Frank plays. He’s using that left foot wand to perfection at times.’

Life in West London is only beginning for the Wizard of Amsterdam, and with consistent performances going forward, Ziyech could surely become the Wizard of Stamford Bridge as well.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/08/barcelona-turn-to-pique-for-financial-help/

November 8, 2020
Wolves boss concerned amidst new coronavirus pandemic rules

‘We are concerned, and it’s not only about Wolves,’ said Nuno. ‘I think all the managers are concerned about it and the risks that are involved.

‘If a player returns on Tuesday or Wednesday and has to wait for the Premier League testing to start, what is he going to do in the meantime? At the moment we are waiting for more than 24 hours for the results of the tests.’

‘How are the League going to do it? You have African players, European players, players involved with Mexico or USA. All these things have to be really clear for us so we can prepare well and avoid surprises. If the Premier League say they can’t train before their test results, how is that going to work?’

Surely, the concern for players is shared amongst all the managers of the Premier League following the international break. According to the former set of rules, players could resume training with their clubs as soon as they returned from international duty.

However, according to the latest developments in the Premier League’s rules, players will have to return a negative coronavirus test before they are allowed to resume training.

Given the extremely hectic schedule that is being followed by players all across Europe this season, this new law will surely cause a lot of headaches for managers who will be further reluctant to send their players on international duty.

The need for international friendlies to be contested amidst the pandemic has been heavily debated and criticised by fans and people involved within football as well. Since safety is the priority for the governing bodies, isn’t it better for the national teams to only play the Nations League fixtures and not indulge in meaningless friendly fixtures that nobody takes seriously?

Just something to think about for the organizing bodies across Europe.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/03/russia-leading-the-race-to-host-euro-2021/

November 8, 2020
Southampton reach top of the Premier League for the first time in history

Football fans and pundits all across the world were predicting that Southampton would surely be taking a drop to the Championship when they lost to Leicester 9-0 last season. However, that performance has been covered up pretty well by the Saints, especially by the heroics that came from the club afterwards.

Danny Ings was on the verge of winning the Premier League Golden Boot after coming alive in the back end of the season to save the campaign for Southampton.

This season has seen the club put in a more all round effort despite losing captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham. James Ward Prowse has taken up the armband and put in an excellent performance against Aston Villa on his birthday last weekend to win a seven-goal thriller against the Midlands club who were coming off a loss to Leeds United.

For the first time in the competition's history, Southampton are top of the Premier League table.

Trust the Ralph Hasenhüttl process. 😇 pic.twitter.com/PlmKTZJyyP
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 6, 2020

The Saints have found a steady start to the campaign, and are at the top of the Premier League for the very first time in the existence of the tournament.

Although they currently have an extra game played than most teams below, the Saints will mathematically only drop to sixth at best if the teams below win all of their matches this week. Overall, the performances have been very encouraging from the club that were written off by this time last season.

STOP THE COUNT pic.twitter.com/rS94knWEhO
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) November 6, 2020

In their last five league games, the Saints have accumulated 13 points from four wins and a draw against Chelsea. In other words, Southampton have not been defeated in their last six league outings and have only dropped two points in all of those games.

Much like former US President Donald Trump, Southampton tweeted asking the Premier League to stop the count since they were already on top of the Premier League and declared themselves as winners.

Saints fans would love for that to be reality.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/07/top-10-most-valuable-premier-league-clubs-based-on-market-value/

November 8, 2020
Petr Cech: “I’m fit and ready to play if needed”

In what was one of the most shocking pieces of news to surface last month, Petr Cech came out of retirement and was included in Chelsea’s 25-man Premier League squad for the 2020/21 campaign.

After a Premier League career spanning 15 years, the keeper is still the man with the most clean sheets in the competition.

The Czech international retired at Arsenal and played his last game for the North London club in the final of the 18/19 Europa League where they lost to Chelsea.

Cech has since been given the post of a technical director at Stamford Bridge. He has also been documented working with Chelsea’s younger goalkeepers behind the scenes.

However, his ‘work’ with the likes of Kepa and Edouard Mendy has given him the confidence to put on his gloves once more if Frank Lampard needs the Chelsea legend to step in.

The reason given for Cech’s surprise inclusion into the squad was that of the coronavirus pandemic, and from a logical standpoint, it is hard to argue with that. Especially given the fate of so many clubs across Europe where 10+ players have been infected by the virus.

Speaking to Telefoot, here is what the legendary Premier League goalkeeper had to say about possibly featuring in a Chelsea starting XI this season:

“It’s true that it would have been a professional error to do this if I wasn’t at Premier League level, but that’s not the way we work here,

“I know I’m 100 per cent ready to help if needs be. I’m fit, and with the two months of training, I’ve seen I have the same quality.

“Furthermore, I rested for a year without playing football. It really gave me energy, my body recovered after playing 20 years as a professional. If the circumstances put me on the pitch, I’m ready.”

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/02/edouard-mendy-set-to-break-chelsea-record/

November 3, 2020
Premier League 2020-21: Matchday 7 review
Matchday 7 of the Premier League brought many pleasant surprises to our TVs. At the end of the weekend, Liverpool are once again at the top of the pile, having usurped their Merseyside rivals from the No 1 spot.

On the other side of the table, Fulham achieved their first victory back in the Premiership while Manchester United slump at 15th.

Here is what went down in England this weekend.

Results
- Wolves 2-0 Crystal Palace
- Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City
- Burnley 0-3 Chelsea
- Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United
- Aston Villa 3-4 Southampton
- Newcastle United 2-1 Everton
- Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal
- Spurs 2-1 Brighton
- Fulham 2-0 West Brom
- Leeds United 1-4 Leicester City
Match of the Week

Leeds United 1-4 Leicester City

Leeds United lost their second consecutive game at Elland Road, shipping 4 goals in the 90 minutes that they played Brendan Rodgers’s Leicester.

The scoring opened early, with Harvey Barnes netting the ball in the fourth minute to give the foxes the lead. Youri Tielemans would double the lead within half an hour of the game following a great assist by Jamie Vardy.

The half time break saw Bielsa change players, as well as tactics and the deficit reduced by one goal following a lobbed cross by Dallas that missed everybody and ended up in the back of the net.

However, Jamie Vardy spelt further woe for the hosts as he buried a shot in the 76th minute to restore the 2-goal lead. Youri Tielemans was on the scoresheet again after scoring a 90th-minute penalty to finish the game.

Overall, the match was a display of the fluidity of Bielsa’s side, their crisp passing and their ability to change tactics at the drop of a hat.

Leicester were not too shabby themselves and managed to punish the hosts on the counter on multiple occasions.

Player of the Week

James Ward-Prowse: Southampton

The Saints captain celebrated his birthday in the best way possible as he scored not one, but two brilliant goals from free-kicks and assisted one from a set-piece position as well.

https://youtu.be/tUp6emp90TE

The England international showed just how talented of a player he is, and why he deserves to compete in Europe with an outstanding day in Villa Park as his team went 4-0 up in an hour.

Highs of the Week
- Arsenal winning their first match at Old Trafford since 2006, despite playing out a dull match. Thomas Partey and Gabriel had a great day in the park for the Gunners.
- Edouard Mendy equalling Petr Cech’s record of keeping a hat-trick of clean sheets in his first three PL games.
- Liverpool coming from behind to extend their unbeaten home run against West Ham, with Diogo Jota proving to be a super sub.
- Gareth Bale netting his first goal for Spurs since making his return.
Shockers of the Week
- Man Utd having a horrid game against Arsenal and Pogba giving away a cheap penalty to give them the win.
- Everton and Aston Villa losing to Newcastle and Southampton respectively to further blemish their great start to the season.
- Sheffield United losing to Manchester City at home to put them at only one point from 7 games.
Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/11/03/top-5-best-premier-league-signings-of-this-summer-based-on-performances/
November 3, 2020
Top 5 best Premier League signings of this summer based on performances

Millions are spent in every transfer window over player recruitment by the top clubs in England. While not all signings hit the ground running, some of them take no time in getting adjusted to their new team.

Here, we look at the five best Premier League signings of the summer. They have been chosen on the basis of the impact that they have made on their team’s performance.

5. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

via tottenham hotspur’s twitter

The former Southampton man has featured in every single Premier League match for Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.

Since his arrival, he has absolutely bossed the midfield for the London club and enjoyed his best outing in the 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United at home. Hojbjerg has been one of Spurs’ best players, overshadowed by Kane and Son.

4. Ruben Dias

The former Benfica man joined Manchester City in the wake of their 5-2 home defeat to Leicester City.

Since his move to the Etihad, the Portuguese has managed to make a good impact on the Manchester City backline. His partnership with Laporte will be one to watch when it develops in the weeks to come.

3. Gabriel Magalhaes

Joining the Emirates this summer, Gabriel Magalhaes was touted to be a great investment by the Gunners. And he has repaid the club’s faith in him by solidifying the Arsenal backline enough for Arteta to play it 4 at the back.

Young and energetic, the Brazilian is one of the main reasons why Arsenal have conceded the least goals in the division yet.

2. James Rodriguez

The Colombian international reportedly joined Carlo Ancelotti for the third time in his career for free from Real Madrid. There was a lot of speculation about his future at Everton, and the attacker has proven all doubters wrong with his amazing performances for the Toffees.

With 3 each of goals and assists, James Rodriguez is a key member of the Everton squad and will be a valuable asset in the long season ahead.

1. Edouard Mendy

The expectations were low when Mendy joined Chelsea, but the Senegalese has managed to make Petr Cech proud with his performances between the sticks for Chelsea.

So far, he has only been beaten once across all competitions and has managed to keep a hat trick of clean sheets in the Premier League in his first three games.

Do check out:

https://technosports.co.in/2020/10/31/top-10-longest-serving-managers-in-premier-league/

November 3, 2020