EPL

'What an opportunity to get our confidence back' – Fabinho relishing Arsenal showdown

By Sports Desk October 08, 2022

Fabinho says Liverpool's showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal will provide a great opportunity for the Reds to "get our confidence back" as they look to improve their recent form.

Jurgen Klopp's side have endured a slow start to the Premier League season and are already 11 points behind the Gunners after their opening seven games.

The trip to the Emirates is the third of nine matches that Liverpool will play across all competitions in October, while they welcome reigning champions Manchester City to Anfield next weekend.

And with games coming thick and fast, Fabinho has called for focus from his team-mates as they look to build momentum and embark on a run of positive results.

"[The] Emirates is a nice place to play and Arsenal, of course, are in a really good moment right now, playing really well, winning their games, top of the league," the Brazil international told Liverpool's official website.

"It's a good opportunity for us as well to show that we are Liverpool, we are still one of the best teams in this league. So, it's a good opportunity for us to get the three points and to close the gap on these teams as well.

"I always say that this is the moment every player likes; playing every three or four days. Different competitions to play – Champions League, Premier League – so a lot of big games to play.

"In the league, our next two games are against maybe the better two teams at the moment, Arsenal and Man City. So, what an opportunity for us to play against these teams, to play these kind of games to get our confidence back.

"This moment is not good, and it's not easy when we know you can do better, you can play better, you can win more and more games. We just have to keep focused, keep concentrating, try our best to turn this situation."

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    Tom Cleverley believes Watford "deserved the three points" after an improved second-half display saw them beat Oxford United 1-0.

    Vakoun Bayo scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute after he turned in the rebound of his own saved shot.

    It is the fifth goal he has scored in three games, having also netted four times in the Hornets' 6-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.

    The hosts registered 12 shots, seven of which were on target, as they upped the pressure after the break. They only had four attempts in the first half, though Ciaron Brown had to clear an in-swinging Watford corner off his own goal line on the stroke of half-time.

    The three points lift Watford up to fourth in the Championship table ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures, and Cleverley was pleased with the marked improvement he saw in the second 45 minutes.

    "I thought the second-half performance was really good until the last five minutes really," he told Sky Sports.

    "I thought we didn't manage the game as well as we could do and a few refereeing decisions - dubious one that went against us - meant they could get the ball in our box.

    "So, it felt a bit hands to the pump at the end, but I thought for the first 35 minutes of the second half, we were absolutely fantastic and were unlucky not to make it two, three.

    "Understandably flat performance in the first half, probably from both teams with it being such a demanding week.

    "But I thought our second-half performance in the main deserved the three points and our supporters helped us through."

    Meanwhile, Oxford remain 16th and have now won just one of their last 10 matches in the Championship.

    They failed to register a single shot on target in the first half, and are yet to win a game when conceding the opening goal in the league this season, with this the fifth such match they have gone behind.

    It was Oxford's sixth defeat of the season and while manager Des Buckingham said there were positives to take, he was left frustrated by their lack of a clinical edge.

    "I'm extremely proud but extremely frustrated," he said.

    "I'm disappointed we haven't come away with something. I felt we created enough, we just haven't taken them. If we keep playing that way, we will be fine.

    "We speak about being a together group. We did well, but Watford took their chance."

  • 'When we get to that level, we're unstoppable' - Shaw hits hat-trick in Man City rout 'When we get to that level, we're unstoppable' - Shaw hits hat-trick in Man City rout

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    Shaw made history, overtaking Vivianne Miedema as the player with the most WSL hat-tricks and becoming the first player in the league to net three separate trebles against the same side.

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    City dominated throughout, with Lauren Hemp also unlucky not to end up on the scoresheet after hitting both posts and the bar with a pacy strike from inside the box.

    It was a win that moved City four points clear at the top of the WSL table ahead of Chelsea's match at Liverpool on Sunday.

    Shaw was delighted to walk away with the match ball, but especially with the quality that City have shown so far this campaign.

    "We really enjoyed that one," Shaw told Sky Sports. "We spoke as a team that we wanted to come out here and be on the front foot.

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    City have won their last nine matches in all competitions, scoring seven goals without reply in their last two WSL outings.

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    Cushing previously spent seven years in charge of Manchester City in the Women's Super League between 2013 and 2020 and has been touted for a return to England with the Gunners after Jonas Eidevall's dismissal last month.

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    The Pigeons travel to the TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati this weekend in an encounter that will decide who will advance to the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the MLS playoffs.

    Cushing encouraged his players to play their football and dig deep in their pursuit of a victory, adding his side can harness the momentum generated from their 3-1 win in Game 2.

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    Pat Noonan, meanwhile, noted that his side were unable to create clear-cut opportunities against NYCFC, which resulted in defeat last time out.

    The Orange and Blue scored 58 goals in the regular season, with only the four sides who finished above them in the East netting more.

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    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    FC Cincinnati – Luca Orellano

    Orellano scored Cincinnati's only goal in their Game 2 defeat to the Pigeons, notching his 13th goal in all competitions this term.

    He is the seventh different player to score Cincinnati's last seven playoff goals dating back to last season's first round. Four of those seven scorers hail from Argentina.

    NYCFC – Alonso Martinez

    Martinez found the back of the net against Cincinnati in NYCFC's 3-1 win in Game 2, taking his tally to two goals in five appearances against the Orange and Blue.

    Along with Santiago Rodriguez, either Martinez (nine) or his Uruguayan team-mate (five) have scored 14 of NYCFC's 21 goals in the regular season and playoffs since MLS returned from the Leagues Cup break in August.

    MATCH PREDICTION: FC CINCINNATI WIN

    Cincinnati's 3-1 defeat in Game 2 was the fifth time they conceded multiple goals in their last seven matches dating back to the end of the regular season.

    They are winless when allowing multiple goals in that time (D1 L4) while winning both matches in which they held their opponent under two goals.

    NYCFC have won only one of their last 14 away matches in all competitions dating back to late May (D6 L7). Overall, they have won just five out of 40 away matches in all competitions since the start of last season (D15 L20).

    The Pigeons' win over Cincinnati last Saturday was their second win of the season over Noonan's side, both coming at home. Cincinnati have won their last five home matches against NYCFC in all competitions, though, including a 1-0 victory in Game 1 of their best-of-three series.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    FC Cincinnati – 50%

    Draw – 25.3%

    NYCFC – 24.7%

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