Lionel Messi expects a difficult test against Chile as Argentina look to maintain their unbeaten start at the 2024 Copa America.
Argentina play their penultimate Group A match at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Wednesday against La Roja, having beaten Canada on matchday 1.
The Albiceleste impressed in their opener against the Canucks, registering 19 shots on goal, surpassing the combined total of 18 shots taken by Chile and Peru in the other Group A meeting.
Messi, who broke the Copa America appearance record during that match, expressed the importance of their victory in the opening game but knows his side are in for a competitive encounter with Ricardo Gareca's side.
“Yeah, we've always known how tough the opening game is. The most important thing is to get off to a winning start," Messi said.
“It's not happened previously under [Lionel] Scaloni, so that calms things down because you suffer a lot when you start off losing.
“But we always play the same way. We're in a difficult group, and now we have to face a very good and competitive team.
“Ricardo Gareca's arrival has given them something else as well.
“So yeah, we're happy to have started with a win, but we're now going to rest and prepare for Chile.
“We know that we have to be a team and achieve our goals in the right way.
“We know that the only path to do so is in our own way. So we will continue with the same humility and desire to win.”
Meanwhile, Chile will be hopeful of improving their recent record against Argentina, having failed to beat their opponents since the Copa America final in June 2016, though they needed penalties to get the victory on that occasion.
La Roja kickstarted their Copa America campaign with a goalless draw against Peru at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, managing to register just one shot on target from the 11 they attempted - the joint-fewest the Blanquirroja have faced in the competition since the debut of goalkeeper Pedro Gallese in the competition (2015).
Gareca's side have failed to score in their last three games in the Copa America, a run of 378 minutes without a goal.
However, the 66-year-old believes their lack of threat in front of goal is not an issue ahead of their showdown with the Albiceleste.
"We were not able to create many plays and execute them. We were under a lot of pressure, and sometimes we were not accurate in our passes," said Gareca, who became the 10th coach to have managed different teams in consecutive editions of the competition.
"I'm not concerned. I think this will be useful for us to analyse our game to improve our game.
"We, of course, hoped to win the match. But I think it's very important that we're able to take a point, and we still have two matches ahead of us."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chile - Victor Davila
Victor Davila will be hoping to rediscover the goal-scoring touch he experienced before the Copa America ahead of coming up against the World Cup champions.
Having scored three goals and provided one assist in his previous three international appearances heading into their opener against Peru, the CSKA Moscow striker showed glimpses of his attacking threat.
The 26-year-old has the joint-most shots (three) and the most touches in the opposition box (five), but failed to register a shot on target, coming off in the 65th minute with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.22.
Argentina - Lionel Messi
Messi has played in 35 out of 36 matches for Argentina in the Copa America since his debut. The only match he missed was a 2-1 group stage victory against Tuesday's opponents in 2016.
The Inter Miami star registered an assist for Lautaro Martinez's late goal, reaching 50 direct goal involvements in official competitions for club and country on U.S. soil (30 goals and 20 assists).
However, Messi will be hoping to add to his 108 international goals at the MetLife Stadium. Should he score, it would take his Copa America tally to 14, level with Chile's Eduardo Vargas and Peru's Paolo Guerrero, three away from equalling Norberto Mendez's record (17).
MATCH PREDICTION: ARGENTINA WIN
The Opta supercomputer is heavily backing Argentina to maintain their unbeaten start at the 2024 Copa America. They won 66.5% of the pre-match simulations, while Chile won just 15.1%.
Argentina come up against a familiar foe in Chile at the tournament, with this their 30th meeting at the Copa America. La Roja are the third-most frequent opponent for Lionel Scaloni's side, behind only Brazil (34) and Uruguay (32).
La Albiceleste remain unbeaten against Chile in these encounters (21 wins, eight draws). However, La Roja clinched their two titles by defeating Argentina in penalty shootouts in the 2015 and 2016 finals.
Since 2011, Argentina have the fewest losses (two) among teams that have played in more than one Copa America edition. La Albiceleste also boasts the most victories in the tournament during this period (18).
Chile, however, will be looking to upset the odds. La Roja are looking for their first win in games between the two teams since June 2016. During that time, Argentina have outscored the Chilean side 7-4, something that will need to change to increase their chances of progression.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chile - 15.1%
Argentina - 66.5%
Draw - 18.4%
Silva delighted with Jimenez form as Fulham's good run continues
Fulham boss Marco Silva is delighted to see Raul Jimenez back to his best, after his 50th Premier League goal gave them all three points against Nottingham Forest.
The Mexican has struggled for regular goals since a serious head injury he suffered playing for Wolves against Arsenal in November 2020.
But Jimenez, who joined Fulham in July 2023, has started this season superbly and has now scored three goals in three successive matches, and he proved the difference against Forest with a well-dispatched penalty.
Silva told BBC Sport: “It's great to see him back at that level again after that bad incident when he was at Wolves. It was tough for him to come back.
"In an important moment of his career, when he was struggling for goals, we showed trust in him, and believed in him. He got used to scoring before the incident but we trusted him.
“From the first moment at this club he showed his hard work and his quality. It's nice to see him score and be decisive for us."
Silva also revealed that Jimenez had apologised for taking the ball off designated penalty taker Andreas Pereira prior to scoring from the spot.
He told Premier League Productions: “Pereira was the penalty taker for the moment. It is not Andreas' fault but it is clearly the fault of Raul.
"It is already decided. It is already sorted. It is not going to happen again. Has Raul apologised? Yes. He had to because he knows the rules and how important discipline is in our squad."
Jimenez is now just four goals away from Javier Hernandez's record as the most prolific Mexican player in Premier League history.
He said: "Yes, why not break records and set new ones. He [Hernandez] was a very good player in English football and now it's my time and I want to keep scoring.
“The most important thing is the three points. It's early in the season, and we have a long way to go, but being there is good for us. We want to make history for Fulham and know we can achieve more."
Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted his side were not at their best, though they still had chances to get back into the match, as they fell to their first defeat of the season.
“Not the best game from us,” Nuno said to BBC Sport. “But we still created near the end and had opportunities to score, we have to bounce back in the next one.
“I’m disappointed for the fans – we are sad, but we have to go again.”
Nuno refused to be drawn on the penalty decision, with VAR intervening after an infringement between Murillo and Pereira, replays showing the defender scraped his studs along the latter’s calf.
He said: “If we start speaking about the referees, I don’t know if it’s the best thing. I hope they improve. I don’t want to go much further than that.”
Palmer acknowledges 'I should have had five or six' despite record-breaking quadruple
Cole Palmer said "I should have had five or six" goals, despite his history-making quadruple during Chelsea's victory over Brighton.
The Blues forward became the first player to score four goals before half-time in a single Premier League game, as the hosts came from behind to prevail 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.
Palmer took his tally for the season to six for Enzo Maresca's side, who climbed to third place and within a point of Manchester City and Arsenal.
Although, the England man was a little disappointed not to add to his haul, having also hit the post, been denied by the offside flag, and sending a decent second-half opportunity wide.
"I try and play every game the best I can," he told Match of the Day. "I should have had five or six!
"When I missed the first chance, I was upset, but with the way they played and their high line, I felt we'd get more chances.
"The manager set up a good game plan, we knew how to attack them with first-time passes in behind. Brighton are a good team, they pass the ball well. They play similar to us. Three points are what we needed, and that is what we got."
Palmer also addressed comparisons made by former Arsenal and England forward Theo Walcott between him and ex-Gunner, Dennis Bergkamp.
"I know he is a legend in the Premier League, but I didn't really watch him, I was too young," he added. "I have seen clips. He was a top player, so thank you, Theo!"
Maresca hopes Palmer can maintain his impressive performance levels, while also revealing his belief that Chelsea are "ahead of my expectations" after stretching their winning streak to four matches.
"I told [Cole] he could have scored two or three more," the Blues boss said. "He is a top player and just has to continue in the same way.
"A very good win, we could have done better in some moments of the game, but overall, we deserved to win.
"The two goals we conceded can happen. The important thing is the team continues in the same way, creating many chances. We are happy.
"I was more focused on the way the team progressed rather than results. We are ahead of my expectations in the way we want to play."
Arteta lauds 'unbelievable' Arsenal mentality in Leicester win
Mikel Arteta labelled his Arsenal side as "unbelievable" after the Gunners left it late to snatch all three points against Leicester City at the Emirates.
A dominant first-half display was rewarded with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, only for the visitors to turn the encounter on its head after the break.
James Justin's deflected header halved the deficit after the break, before the Foxes full-back struck a stunning volley that crashed in off the post.
But Arteta's side eventually prevailed in second-half stoppage time, with Wilfried Ndidi's own-goal and Kai Havertz's fortuitous effort sealing a memorable victory.
Despite squandering their early advantage, the Gunners head coach showered praise on his players as preparations now turn to the Champions League on Tuesday.
"I'm very happy with the performance," he said. "I think we were unbelievable today. We deserved to win with many more goals.
"Starting the second half the way we did, conceding the first goal made things harder and then, with the equaliser, the team showed unbelievable character to keep pushing, creating chance after chance.
"We suffered more than we should have, but this is football. [I am] really happy with the team."
Arsenal were made to work for their victory after registering 36 shots, their joint-most on record (since 2003-04) in a single Premier League game.
But Ndidi’s own goal was the 16th 90th-minute winning own-goal scored in Premier League history, with Arsenal benefitting from five of these - more than any other side.
However, the Gunners' display showed the winning mentality instilled in them since Arteta's appointment, something he highlighted as a standout from the victory.
"We felt it should have been many more, and it wasn't, and suddenly it is 2-2, but we had to deal with a very good team with difficult circumstances, and we stayed really composed," he said.
"We had a lot of clarity, understanding what we had to do, and we kept doing what we had to do, and we earned the right to win it."
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