Mikel Arteta has warned Aaron Ramsdale not to rush any decision over his future after England manager Gareth Southgate told the goalkeeper he could not promise him a place at Euro 2024 if he remains on the bench at Arsenal.
Ramsdale has been called up by Southgate for England’s final two qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia and will be aiming to add to his four senior caps.
However, the 25-year-old has been ousted as Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper since the arrival of David Raya from Brentford and has played just twice since the September international break.
Speaking after naming his latest squad, Southgate said of Ramsdale’s plight: “I think longer-term, we’re just going to have to see how it is. I had that conversation with him in the last camp.
“He’s still battling to be the number one at Arsenal, and his profile and the way he can use the ball with his feet, we like, we think that’s important.
“But there is a reality as a keeper, if we get to March and he’s six months without playing regularly, then I’m never going to promise things that I couldn’t guarantee delivering.”
Arteta has not spoken to Ramsdale about the issue but warned against a January move in a quest to find first-team football.
“First of all my door is open to speak about any player,” he said.
“We just want the best for our players and we try to do that, and we know the influence that we can have – sometimes positively, sometimes not so positively, towards them.
“We will always try to do our best to help them, but this is a team sport that needs 24 players that have to fulfil a role. And the role that you have in August, it might be very different to the one you have in March.
“So making early decisions, in my experience, is not something good at all and as well because the team has certain needs that has to be accomplished. And in order to do that you cannot do it with six, 10 or 14 players. It is impossible. So you need everyone and Aaron has a really important role in the team.
“I have no messages for any clubs (who may look to sign Ramsdale). I can talk a little bit about my players, how much I like my players, how much I like Aaron and that we want Aaron with us, that’s for sure.”
Ramsdale is likely to once again be among the substitutes as Arsenal host Burnley on Saturday night looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League.
Arteta, though, could be without as many as eight first-team players for the visit of the Clarets as captain Martin Odegaard is “still racing” to be fit, while Bukayo Saka and Takehiro Tomiyasu both came off injured in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Sevilla.
Forwards Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah could miss out with hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, while Thomas Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Jurrien Timber are definite absentees.
“Some of the injuries that we had, they are some bad luck, some of them have been long-term injuries with some special players and when we didn’t have a lot of depth,” he added.
“We can talk about the depth, but after you have to talk about the specific positions or certain units where we are a little bit shorter.
“But it is the challenge of the season and other people have to step up, and that as well is a good test for the team – how we take those moments and how we actually respond to that. So far, the team is doing well.”
Pochettino: European qualification would be a major step for Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino believes it would be "amazing" for Chelsea to secure European qualification ahead of their trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
After replacing Graham Potter in the Stamford Bridge dugout last July, the Argentine oversaw just three wins from his first 10 Premier League games in charge of the Blues this season.
However, his side are finishing the campaign strongly and occupy seventh place – level on points with sixth-place Newcastle United and six behind Tottenham in fifth with two games remaining.
"The team is doing well, in the second part of the season – in the last 26 or 27 games," Pochettino told reporters.
"If we can compete well in the last two games then there is a possibility to get into Europe, which would be amazing for us.
"If we are able to finish well and get into Europe, for sure, we can start the next season with hope to be in a better position than we were in this season."
Meanwhile, 10th-place Brighton have struggled for form in recent times, winning just one of their last eight league games – albeit that victory came against Champions League-chasing Aston Villa last time out on home soil.
Nevertheless, head coach Roberto De Zerbi is targeting a third successive top-half finish in the English top flight.
"I want us to finish in the top 10," he said during his pre-match press conference. "It’s important because, after Sunday, we go on holiday. When we’re on holiday, if we have no points [from the last two games], it will be a problem for me."
De Zerbi also paid tribute to the departing Adam Lallana, who will leave the Seagulls when his contract expires at the end of this season after four years with the club.
"I've been lucky to work with him because he is an honest guy, a top man," the Italian added. "I have learned a lot from him because he loves football."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brighton and Hove Albion – Joao Pedro
Scoring the match winner against Aston Villa last time out at the American Express Stadium, Pedro became the first Brighton player to bag 20 goals in a single season since Glenn Murray in 2016-17 (23).
The Brazilian has now been on target five times in the Seagulls’ last five Premier League outings on home soil.
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson
The Senegal striker has been directly involved in five goals in his last three Premier League appearances for Chelsea (four goals, one assist), as many as in his previous 11 such games (three goals, two assists).
With 14 league goals already this season – none of which have been penalties – he could be the first Blues player to score 15 non-penalty goals in a Premier League campaign since Tammy Abraham in 2019-20.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA
Chelsea have won 29 points in the Premier League in 2024, with only the top three clubs – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – collecting more since the turn of the year.
The Blues have lost just one of their last 13 league games (won seven, drawn five), and are aiming to win four in a row for the first time since October 2022.
Meanwhile, Brighton have now failed to score more than once in each of their last 11 Premier League outings, their longest such run in the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brighton and Hove Albion: 33.8%
Chelsea: 37.3%
Draw: 28.9%
Pochettino admits European qualification 'would be amazing' for Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino admits it would be "amazing" for Chelsea to secure European qualification ahead of their trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
After replacing Graham Potter in the Stamford Bridge dugout last July, the Argentine oversaw just three wins from his first 10 Premier League games in charge of the Blues this season.
However, his side are finishing the campaign strongly and occupy seventh place – level on points with sixth-place Newcastle United and six behind Tottenham in fifth with two games remaining.
"The team is doing well, in the second part of the season – in the last 26 or 27 games," Pochettino told reporters.
"If we can compete well in the last two games then there is a possibility to get into Europe, which would be amazing for us.
"If we are able to finish well and get into Europe, for sure, we can start the next season with hope to be in a better position than we were in this season."
Meanwhile, 10th-place Brighton have struggled for form in recent times, winning just one of their last eight league games – albeit that victory came against Champions League-chasing Aston Villa last time out on home soil.
Nevertheless, head coach Roberto De Zerbi is targeting a third successive top-half finish in the English top flight.
"I want us to finish in the top 10," he said during his pre-match press conference. "It’s important because, after Sunday, we go on holiday. When we’re on holiday, if we have no points [from the last two games], it will be a problem for me."
De Zerbi also paid tribute to the departing Adam Lallana, who will leave the Seagulls when his contract expires at the end of this season after four years with the club.
"I've been lucky to work with him because he is an honest guy, a top man," the Italian added. "I have learned a lot from him because he loves football."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brighton and Hove Albion – Joao Pedro
Scoring the match winner against Aston Villa last time out at the American Express Stadium, Pedro became the first Brighton player to bag 20 goals in a single season since Glenn Murray in 2016-17 (23).
The Brazilian has now been on target five times in the Seagulls’ last five Premier League outings on home soil.
Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson
The Senegal striker has been directly involved in five goals in his last three Premier League appearances for Chelsea (four goals, one assist), as many as in his previous 11 such games (three goals, two assists).
With 14 league goals already this season – none of which have been penalties – he could be the first Blues player to score 15 non-penalty goals in a Premier League campaign since Tammy Abraham in 2019-20.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA
Chelsea have won 29 points in the Premier League in 2024, with only the top three clubs – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – collecting more since the turn of the year.
The Blues have lost just one of their last 13 league games (won seven, drawn five), and are aiming to win four in a row for the first time since October 2022.
Meanwhile, Brighton have now failed to score more than once in each of their last 11 Premier League outings, their longest such run in the competition.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Brighton and Hove Albion: 33.8%
Chelsea: 37.3%
Draw: 28.9%
Fast Cash Saddlers United, Jones Group Sandy Point, Security Forces and Conaree Fireball International secure wins to commence round two of SKNFA Division One season
Round two of the 2024 SKNFA Division 1 season got under way last week with wins for Fast Cash Saddlers United, Jones Group Sandy Point FC, Security Forces FC and Conaree Fireball International.
On Thursday at the NBGC Technical Center in St. Peters, Security Forces drubbed Rivers of Living Water FC 7-0.
Evanslie Fahie scored two goals in the 13th and 37th minutes while the other goas came from Everette Ritchen in the 34th, David Joseph in the 57th, Shane Clarke in the 60th, Ronaldo Blake in the 73rd and Shamar Douglas in the 86th min.
In Thursday’s second match Lodge Patriots drew 1-1 with TGE Dieppe Bay Eagles.
Sair Morton scored for Lodge in the 54th minute, while Jason Phipps equalized for Dieppe Bay in the 84th minute.
After the match, Coach of Lodge Leon Natta-Nelson praised his players for their execution on the pitch.
“I thought tonight, the first game of the second round, a better playing from the team…the movement on the ball and off the ball was wonderful in the first half,” Natta-Nelson said.
He blamed the goal they conceded on lack of focus.
“That has been our demise for the whole season,” he said, while expressing satisfaction with a point. He said the aim now is to beat teams they lost to in round one of the league.
“We had some developmental players who are just in the first and second year in the league. We have seen some improvement and we hope that we can regroup after this second round, we can go into next season but we will focus on one game at a time,” he said.
In the Tuesday games, Conaree Fireballs United secured a 2-1 win over Molineux before Jones Group Sandy Point drubbed KFC/Trinity Challengers United 7-0.
Leslian Dasent gave Conaree the lead in the 49th minute before Kahml Wattley got the equalizer for Molineux with 16 minutes left in normal time.
I-Dee Caines then got the Conaree winner in the 96th minute.
In the second game, goals from Deshawn Collins (7’), Diontre Eddy (15’, 45’) and Jahlyan Burnt (21’) meant Sandy Point went into the halftime interval with a comfortable 4-0 advantage.
They didn’t let up in the second half with goals from Troy Bassue in the 52nd minute and Dequan Joseph in the 68th minute making it 6-0 before Collins got his second goal of the contest in the 81st minute to complete the day’s scoring.
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