Ticket4Football.com

Premier League: Reece James might be arranged in a new position, hints Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard said James’ all-round game is so good he can play in central midfield and can fit into whatever formation Chelsea plays. Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says Reece James possibly will be organized in middle midfield in the future as his all-round game is so good. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Reece was selected in his preferential right-back position ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta for Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. And he overcomes against Wilfried Zaha, assassinating out the threat from the flying Palace winger. James may find it hard to set himself up at right-back ahead of Azpilicueta on a regular basis.

Lampard will be eager to keep experience in his defense having played a youthful back four of James, Kurt Zouma, Fikayo Tomori, and Emerson on Saturday. But the Chelsea boss said there will be opportunities for Reece James in whatever configuration he selects - and forecasted the teen will move into midfield as his career progresses.

“Right-back would be his favored position,” Lampard said: “Whether it be there, right wing-back or right of a three. As he’s coming into the team, you’d see him there but he does have that all-round game that he could handle playing centrally in midfield if needs be. At the moment we’ve got good players in there who are used to playing in there anyway, but he could always do that as he matures through his career.”

Lampard said Azpilicueta took it well when James was preferred to him for Saturday’s game. “He took it as I thought he would do, as a perfect professional and it was not a problem,” said Lampard. “He wants to play, of course, he does, but I think he also understands the quality of Reece.”

"He’s played every game, and every minute of the games, so I don’t think it’s the worst for him to have a bit of a rest and now he can go away and have a rest. We’ve got massive games coming up after the break.”

Football fans can get Chelsea Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source to book Chelsea Football Tickets.

Premier League: Klopp's secret weapon transforms yet again into everything Liverpool need

Georginio Wijnaldum is the definition of an enigma. In a world dominated by stats, what he does can rarely be quantified and it’s why so many struggles to appreciate him. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

In several ways, he’s the midfield version of Roberto Firmino. Generally, Wijnaldum star manipulates space to give Liverpool an advantage. He keeps playing nice and simple in order to retain possession and keep the Reds ticking over. The Dutchman is a facilitator. 

Wijnaldum plays the sidekick role to perfection and it’s why he’s one of the first names on Jürgen Klopp’s team sheet. Like many other players turning out for the Reds, Wijnaldum has more in his locker yet he carries out instructions to ensure the needs of the team are put before his.

For the Netherlands, he’s a goalscoring number ten. For the Reds, he’s played as a false-nine, as a wide forward, as a Centre-back, as a number six and as a box-to-box midfielder. In certain games, however, he manages to bundle all of the above together. It just so happens these matches tend to be key ones for Liverpool.

While he wasn’t named man of the match against Manchester City, he was arguably the most effective player on the Anfield pitch as the leaders romped to a 3-1 victory. He didn’t score and he didn’t grab an assist but he put on a midfield clinic in what could be described as stormy conditions.

It was an end to end, a traditional slugfest with the early goals for Liverpool meaning City had to attack. Last year, Pep Guardiola’s men sat back and looked to frustrate as they held the hosts to a 0-0 draw. 

It was frantic and chaotic yet Wijnaldum seemed to operate in the eye of the storm. He never seemed rushed, he was never flustered and City couldn’t get near him. Not only that, though, he was operating in all areas of the pitch. 

Against City, he was near untouchable and finished the match with a 97 percent pass success rate having misplaced just one.

The Liverpool No.5 also completed 50 percent of his dribbles, made one tackle and one interception. For once, his involvement could be quantified but even those numbers do a disservice to his performance against the champions.

In the past, he’s posted similar numbers but he’s done so having played a much safer game. Against City, however, it was anything but safe. The 29-year-old was pinging cross-field passes into feet. He was dancing his way out of tight spaces and generally looking to get Liverpool onto the attack at every given opportunity.

While he was much more expressive, he still remained considered when on the ball. His weight of pass was always perfect. There was always a measured approach to what he was doing even though the game was frenetic. It was a Wijnaldum masterclass in a big game; a regular occurrence for the former Newcastle United man.

During his debut season with Liverpool, he netted the winner against Manchester City on New Year’s Eve, scored the equalizer against Chelsea at Anfield, and rounded off the home win over Arsenal with a goal in the 91st minute after a run from inside his own half to support Divock Origi.

Then, with the Reds in the hunt for Champions League football, Wijnaldum scored an equalizer against Burnley – a game Klopp’s men went on to win –before he smashed home the opener on the final day of the season as Liverpool secured a top-four finish with a win over Middlesbrough.

He also found the back of the net against Roma at Stadio Olimpico during the 2017/18 campaign to help secure Liverpool’s place in the Champions League final. 

Last season Wijnaldum netted just five times for the Reds. The first arrived at Wembley in a 2-1 win over Spurs, he added his second in the 3-0 victory against Bournemouth and fired in the opener as Liverpool eventually beat Cardiff City 2-0. The latter was a big moment with Neil Warnock’s side frustrating the Reds until the Dutch master expertly rifled home Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘s corner.

Then that game happened. The former PSV captain started on the bench against Barcelona but replaced Andrew Robertson at half-time. Within 11 minutes of his introduction, he’d changed the game completely.

With 52 minutes on the clock, Wijnaldum arrived late into the box to lash home another Alexander-Arnold cross. And with Barça reeling, the versatile midfielder rose highest to guide home Xherdan Shaqiri’s pass. In the blink of an eye, he wrote his name into Liverpool folklore.

Wijnaldum is Klopp’s secret weapon, and few have realized this is the case. He plays a defensive role so well that people forget how useful he is when given a little more license to express himself on the ball.

Football fans can book Liverpool Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source to book Liverpool Football tickets.

Chelsea's young beast proves he can scare off Premier League stars

During the course of this season, almost every Chelsea youngster has had a coming-of-age performance in a Blues shirt. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Mason Mount was against Leicester City. Tammy Abraham came at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Fikayo Tomori starred up against Mo Salah when Liverpool visited Stamford Bridge. And Christian Pulisic although not an academy graduate shone at Burnley.

At the weekend it was the turn of Reece James. The 19-year-old full-back was handed his first Premier League start against Crystal Palace just days after he came on and scored in the dramatic 4-4 draw against Ajax.

Up against Wilfried Zaha, one of the top-flight’s trickiest wingers, James, who has been nicknamed The Beast by team-mate Mount, wasn’t handed an easy first assignment by Frank Lampard. Yet he passed it with flying colors.

The Ivorian’s threat wasn’t entirely nullified he completed the most dribbles of any player but what James did was manage these dribbles and ensure they didn’t hurt Chelsea.

The Chelsea defender confined Zaha to the left flank; he was unable to break into the Blues’ penalty area with the ball. The Palace star has averaged 6.47 touches in the opposition box per 90 this term but at Stamford Bridge that was reduced to just three.

Zaha also didn’t register a single shot, didn’t create a chance for a team-mate, completed just six passes in the final third, and saw his touches per 90 drops from his season average of 57.64 to 43.

Of course, not all that is down to James.  Chelsea dominated much of the contest and Zaha was starved of service. But when he did receive the ball, the Blues No.24 was always in close proximity ready to make a challenge or halt a run forward.

Yet it wasn’t only defensively that James stood out, he also made an impact in the final third. And it’s this aspect of his game which is why many Chelsea fans feel he may soon oust club captain César Azpilicueta from the starting XI.

The defender is a Blues icon. He has won Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and the Europa League. He is also one of the most durable players to have ever played for the club. Week in, week out, Azpilicueta is fit, available and reliable.

Yet it’s always been the case that the now 30-year-old is more comfortable in his own half than in the opposition. In the modern game that can be a problem, especially against opponents who sit deep, soak up pressure, and play on the counter.

Full-backs have become a vital component in breaking these sides down think Liverpool Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andrew Robertson and Azpilicueta can cross a ball well from deep areas of the pitch. But he doesn’t have the dynamism to break into the final third and impact the game on a consistent basis.

James has that ability and he will only refine it the more game time he is given. Against Palace, he completed all three dribbles he attempted, his strength on the ball enabling him to brush off opponents with ease. He also completed eight final third passes from twelve attempted and it was his cross that led to Chelsea’s best chance of the first half.

It’s a testament to James’ character, mentality, and self-belief that he was able to slot into the Chelsea side so seamlessly against Palace. Yet those who know the full-back, and those who worked with him at Wigan Athletic last season, would not have been surprised.

You see a lot of young kids going on loan now and sometimes, it’s a shock to them what men’s football is really like, Wigan’s Nathan Byrne told The Athletic in September.

They have a struggle adapting but Reece just stepped in and started doing his thing. He didn’t take any time to settle. He just got on with his work and was impressive all season.

No time needed to settle. Straight into the team and impressive. And if James continues in the same vein, it won’t be long until he becomes a regular fixture in the Blues team alongside Tomori, Mount, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Abraham.

Football fans can get Chelsea Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source to book Chelsea Football tickets.

Premier League: Manchester City players fuming at Liverpool opener Gundogan

Manchester City players were left fuming in the dressing room after watching replays of Liverpool’s controversial opening goal in a 3-1 loss at Anfield on Sunday, midfielder ilkay Gundogan has said. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold appeared to handle the ball inside his own box in the sixth minute but instead of a City penalty the hosts broke and 22 seconds later Fabinho drilled in a spectacular goal from outside the box.

The goal was checked by VAR and allowed to stand as Liverpool went on to clinch the victory and move nine points clear of City in the Premier League title race.

Their sense of criticism would expand when Liverpool went ahead 22 seconds later. Mane’s low cross was not cleared with any conviction by Ilkay Gundogan and, with no City challenges coming, Fabinho took a touch and ripped the sweetest of drives past Claudio Bravo from 25 yards.

Liverpool bowed the secure and their second goal was created by their pillaging full-backs. Alexander-Arnold swapped the play from right to left with a 60-yard permit to Andy Robertson, whose cross invited Mohamed Salah to flash in on Angelino’s blindside.

We saw the happening again in the dressing room then and for me, clearly, it’s a penalty but if you ask a Liverpool player they would say, you can give it but it’s maybe a 50-50 condition, Gundogan told reporters. It takes a hard attitude to fight counter to that and inappropriately, they scored the second conventional after.

City are aiming to become the first team since Manchester United in 2009 to win three consecutive Premier League titles but now occupy fourth spot in the table.

Last season, City recovered in the second half of the campaign to erase Liverpool’s 10-point lead at the top and Gundogan wants the same level of commitment from his team mates. We have to accept it, but there is a long way to go. Last season in January we were rather far behind and able to turn it around Gundogan added.

Football fans can get Manchester City Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source for Manchester City Football Tickets.

Premier League updates: Three Man City talking points from their defeat at Liverpool

Pep Guardiola must channel Anfield anger for Man City to have any chance of catching Liverpool now. Sports enthusiasts from around the world can purchase Premier League Tickets online to enjoy its stunning performances.

Pep Guardiola has to use this. It’s all he can do.

Sky’s cameras picked up the Manchester City manager’s comments to referee Michael Oliver at the final whistle: Thank you so much, he declared with no shortage of irony.

And while it would be a wild disservice to Liverpool to claim such a vital victory was owed solely to the decision not penalize Trent Alexander-Arnold in the opening minutes, it provides Guardiola and City something to cling to. Look at the cold, hard facts after this 3-1 defeat and City have it all to do. The city’s manager will leave Anfield with the belief they have been severely wrong-done. 

In truth, Klopp would have had his own complaints had a penalty been awarded, given Bernardo Silva was as guilty of handling during the same incident as Alexander-Arnold. Either way, the correct decision would have been to halt play, rather than allow Liverpool to break up the pitch and score.

Now Guardiola needs to find the way to make the difference between now and the end of the season and instilling a siege mentality is a well-worn tactic that may just be his best approach from here-on in. 

Two years of unprecedented dominance has taken its toll on a dressing room that has found the going just that little bit tougher this term. Be it Norwich and Wolves finding ways to win against them or Southampton pushing them to the brink, is beginning to feel like a grind. 

But only a fool would write this City team off even from this distance. 

They’ve responded to their previous two defeats this season with five wins on the bounce. Do the same again after this and the table could look very different by the turn of the year. 

Guardiola’s big transfer mistake

City’s grip on their title may well have been lost at Anfield but the tone was set during a summer when Guardiola failed to strengthen in two key areas.

The Catalan’s failure to replace the departed Vincent Company still beggar’s belief. And while he insists the champions didn’t have the funds to compete with Manchester United for top target Harry Maguire, he still managed to make Joao Cancelo the most expensive right-back in English football. 

That decision looks all the more peculiar considering Kyle Walker remains his first choice in that position. Meanwhile, City also opted against bringing in a top-class left-back despite spending the past two seasons with makeshift options in that position. 

Angelino returned after City had already decided the Spaniard wasn’t up to the required standard after selling him to PSV Eindhoven. It was a measure of Guardiola’s ongoing doubts about Mendy and Nicolas Otamendi that neither started such a huge game, with midfielder Fernandinho playing at center back in a game in which City’s defensive frailties came to the fore.  

Salah is in Guardiola’s head

The decision to name Angelino ahead of Benjamin Mendy was a head-scratcher from the moment the team sheets came out. Mendy was outstanding in this same fixture last season and is City’s best answer to Mo Salah – the player who consumes Guardiola ahead of these games. 

The Egyptians had one of his quietest games when the sides drew 0-0 at Anfield as Mendy’s high line forced him to check his own attacking ambitions.

But there was no sign of that as he stole a march on Angelino in the first half to double Liverpool’s lead and put the game beyond doubt.

Football fans can get Manchester City Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Ticket4football.com is the most reliable source for Manchester City Football Tickets.