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• FC Dallas v Houston Dynamo: Arriola says hosts must pay supporters back

  Midfielder Paul Arriola says FC Dallas need to start paying their supporters back in Saturday's Texas derby against the Houston Dynamo, having failed to impress in the early stages of the season.

  Dallas sit 13th in the Western Conference standings with just five points from eight matches in 2024, their only victory coming against the San Jose Earthquakes in their season opener.

  They have only taken two points from seven matches since then, putting head coach Nico Estevez under pressure. 

  However, Arriola says a clash with their biggest rivals at Toyota Stadium represents a chance to put things right.

  "Our fans have been great all season, we haven't shown up for them. It is motivation for us to go and beat Houston on Saturday and obtain three points," he said. 

  Dallas were beaten 2-1 by the Colorado Rapids last time out, leading Estevez to question his players' character. 

  "We turned up with fear, lacking in determination and character," the Dallas boss said after that match.

  "It is very difficult to play like that because Colorado are one of the hardest working teams in the league on both sides of the ball."

  Houston, meanwhile, are preparing for a second straight meeting with a state rival, having suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Austin FC – their third loss of the year – last week.

  Star midfielder Hector Herrera made his first appearance of the season from the bench in that match, playing 30 minutes after recovering from a groin injury.

  Head coach Ben Olsen said of the Mexican's return: "You can see when he comes on the field, the game changes for the better in some areas.

  "Right after he came on, the pressure was turned up on them. We got into so many dangerous spots, but still that connection in the box just wasn't there."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  FC Dallas – Petar Musa

  Musa is the only Dallas player with multiple goals to his name in MLS this season, having netted his second goal of 2024 in last week's loss to Colorado. 

  Can he provide attacking inspiration for a team with just seven goals in eight games this year? 

  Houston Dynamo – Hector Herrera 

  While it remains to be seen whether Herrera is ready for a start, he could have a sizeable impact upon his return to action.

  Last season, the Mexican led all Houston players for chances created (77), passes into the final third (835) and assists (13) in MLS play.

  MATCH PREDICTION – FC DALLAS WIN

  Dallas have made their second-worst start to an MLS campaign, only taking fewer than five points by this stage of a season when they earned four in 2009. They did, however, go on to make the playoffs that year.

  With home advantage on their side, perhaps things will start to turn on Saturday. The Dynamo haven't won consecutive away MLS matches within a single season for almost 11 years, and they won their last road game 2-1 against Minnesota United.

  Dallas tend to turn up for the derby, having gone unbeaten through their last 13 regular-season home matches against Houston (eight wins, five draws) in a run which stretches back to September 2011.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  FC Dallas – 44.6% 

  Houston Dynamo – 26.5%

  Draw – 28.9%

• New England Revolution v Inter Miami: Porter targets 'mini season' as Messi comes to town

  Coach Caleb Porter will treat the New England Revolution's next eight games as a "mini season", as the MLS strugglers prepare to welcome Inter Miami to Gillette Stadium on Saturday.

  The Revs sit last in the Eastern Conference standings with just four points from their first eight games of 2024, having lost their last two against New York City (0-2) and Toronto FC (0-1).

  Miami, meanwhile, are setting the pace in the East with 18 points from 10 matches, Lionel Messi scoring twice to help Gerardo Martino's team to a 3-1 win over Nashville SC last time out.

  Having started to come under pressure just five months into his reign, Porter says the Revs should approach Saturday's match with a clean slate. 

  "The first eight games weren't good enough in terms of our record, points, goals for, goals against," Porter said. "Bottom line, it wasn't good enough.

  "Right now, it's almost a new mini season, these next eight games. What's our record going to be at the end of these eight games?"

  Defender Nick Lima, meanwhile, called on the Revs to stay calm as he pointed out how quickly things can change in MLS.

  "Things happen fast in this league, man," he said. "We're one or two games away, then you're fighting for a playoff spot already, and who knows what happens from there?"

  The Revs could be in luck for Saturday's match, with reports suggesting the artificial turf used in Foxborough could cause Miami to think twice about risking some of their stars.

  Jordi Alba is injured and Luis Suarez may be held back, given his history of knee issues, but Miami full-back Julian Gressel expects Messi to feature.

  "I will ask when we're preparing for the game, but I'm sure we'll find out who will be available," Gressel said during an appearance on the Player/Manager podcast.

  "But he [Suarez] is the only one who has a question mark. Of course, Alba's hurt."

  Asked if Martino may decide against risking Messi, he added: "Not from what I've heard."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  New England Revolution – Tomas Chancalay

  New England are the lowest scoring team in MLS with just five goals this year, despite attempting 14 shots per match, above the league average of 12.8. The Revs' 4.5 per cent conversion rate is the worst in MLS, with every other team scoring with at least 7 per cent of their shots this year.

  Chancalay has been one of the Revs' worst offenders, failing to score a single goal from a team-high tally of 22 shots this year, totalling 2.31 expected goals (xG). He has also missed a team-high four big chances this campaign, as defined by Opta.

  Inter Miami – Lionel Messi 

  Messi has contributed to a goal in nine straight matches in all competitions, scoring nine goals and recording five assists in total, the second time he has enjoyed such a run since joining Miami (also doing so between June 21 and August 26 last year).

  The Argentina great has contributed to at least one goal in 19 of his first 23 appearances for Miami in all competitions (20 goals, 10 assists). As ever, if Messi plays, everything will go through him.

  MATCH PREDICTION – NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

  With four points from eight matches, New England have made their worst start to a season in club history. 

  Their 1-0 defeat to Toronto last time out was their sixth of the campaign, one more than they suffered during the entirety of the 2021 season, when they won the Supporters' Shield (22 wins, seven draws, five defeats). 

  However, they may just feel home advantage gives them a chance of upsetting Messi and company on Saturday. After the visiting team won both meetings between the Revs and Miami in the 2021 season, the home side won all four meetings across the following two campaigns. 

  New England's three victories over the Herons have come by a combined scoreline of 10-1, while Miami's three wins over the Revs have all come by one-goal margins (6-3 on aggregate). 

  Miami have only won two of their last eight away league matches (two draws, four defeats), and given the likelihood of at least one of their big names being rested, the Revs may fancy their chances.

  Should Messi be rested, Miami have only won one of their four matches without him in MLS this season (one draw, two losses), taking one point per game compared to 2.3 with the Argentine. 

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  New England Revolution – 54.2%

  Inter Miami – 20.4%

  Draw – 25.4%

• Skriniar hails PSG team-mates Mbappe and Dembele as best in the world

  Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were hailed as two of the best players in the world right now by Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Milan Skriniar after their starring roles in a 4-1 triumph over Lorient.

  The duo were each on target twice at the Stade du Moustoir in Wednesday's contest as Luis Enrique's men took another step closer to the Ligue 1 title.

  Speaking to RMC Sport, centre-back Skriniar had high praise for PSG's superstar duo after a game where he felt the team were not at their best.

  "I don't think it was our best performance, because at 2-0, we could have controlled the match better," he said.

  "We lost too many easy balls but we know that up front we are very strong. I think we have the two best players in the world [Mbappe and Dembele] at the moment so we are happy for the victory.

  "For me, they are the two best players in the world. We know their qualities, they help always the team with their goals, with their actions, with everything they do.

  "It's easy to play with them."

  PSG are not quite over the line in Ligue 1 yet as second-placed Monaco defeated Lille 1-0 later on Wednesday.

  It means PSG are 11 points clear of their rivals with only four games remaining and the title will be theirs with victory over Le Havre at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.