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• 'This is the year' for Arsenal, says Saka

  Bukayo Saka believes this is Arsenal's year to end Manchester City's reign over the Premier League, ahead of winless Southampton visiting the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

  Arsenal and City are the only unbeaten teams in the Premier League after six matchdays, with both taking 14 points to trail Liverpool by a single point at the summit.

  Mikel Arteta's team secured a thrilling 4-2 win over Leicester City last week before seeing off Paris Saint-Germain by a 2-0 scoreline in the Champions League on Tuesday.

  With many tipping Arsenal to again challenge City, particularly after the champions lost midfielder Rodri to a serious knee injury, Saka believes the Gunners have a golden opportunity.

  "I don't want to put too much pressure on us but I do think that this is the year," Saka told CBS Sports after the win over PSG.

  "I think we've been close the last two years and we're getting closer but this hopefully will be the year."

  Speaking to Amazon Prime, the 23-year-old later added: "Previous years, I've come runners-up a lot. It's just that spirit in me that I want to win this season and of course, I believe in myself a lot.

  "With those two things, it helps. We believe in ourselves, we believe we're a top team. I did tell the boys we have to make a statement when teams are coming to the Emirates."

  Southampton have taken just one point from six league games since winning promotion from the Championship, making this the joint-worst start to any league campaign in their history (also one point in the top flight in 1998-99).

  They were beaten 3-1 by south coast rivals Bournemouth last time out on Monday, leading defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to slam their performance levels.

  "I think it's just about taking ownership as players, doing your bit and not going inside yourself, not playing a solo game," he said.

  "It's just about sticking together... we cannot be 3-0 down with the quality and characters we've got in that group, we cannot be. That's obviously including myself."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  Arsenal – Kai Havertz

  One player who has particularly enjoyed turning out at the Emirates lately is Havertz, who netted against PSG on Tuesday and has also scored six goals in his last six league games on the ground. 

  He has netted in four successive home Premier League games, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the last player to score in five straight for the Gunners, in September 2019.

  Southampton – Aaron Ramsdale 

  Former Gunners shot-stopper Ramsdale could become the ninth goalkeeper to face Arsenal in the Premier League after previously representing them in the competition.

  Only one of the previous eight, Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, has previously kept a clean sheet in his first such match, doing so in a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in November 2020.

  MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

  Southampton have actually caused Arsenal problems lately, going unbeaten through the teams' last three Premier League meetings (one win, two draws), with both of their matches in 2022-23 finishing level – including a 3-3 draw at the Emirates.

  However, Saints have visited Arsenal 24 times in the Premier League without ever tasting victory, drawing eight times and losing 16. That is the most any team has visited another in the competition without winning.

  Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 28 home league games against Southampton since a 1-0 defeat in November 1987. Only against Fulham (a current run of 31) have they had a longer unbeaten home run in their league history.

  Across 2024-25 and their relegation season in 2022-23, Southampton are now winless in 19 Premier League matches, drawing five and losing 14. Only once in their top-flight history have they endured a longer such run, going 20 games without a victory between August and December 1969.

  Arsenal, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last 40 Premier League home games against promoted clubs, winning 35 and drawing five. Only Chelsea (43 between 2001 and 2015) and City (41 between 2007 and 2020) have had longer such runs in the competition's history.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Arsenal – 78.5%

  Southampton – 8.7% 

  Draw – 12.8% 

• In-form McNeil releshing central role at Everton

  Dwight McNeil is relishing playing in a central role in Everton's attack, as he aims to get Sean Dyche's team up the Premier League.

  McNeil scored twice in the space of seven minutes, with his first being a wonderful strike from outside of the box, as Everton came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday.

  That marked the Toffees' first league win of the season, with Newcastle United next up at Goodison Park.

  McNeil, who scored and assisted in Everton's 3-0 win in the corresponding fixture against Newcastle last season, has created 21 chances in the Premier League in 2024-25, more than any other player. Only Bukayo Saka (nine) and Cole Palmer (seven) have created more big chances than the 24-year-old's six, too.

  His form has picked up since moving from the left flank into a role behind striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and McNeil is enjoying the positional switch.

  McNeil told evertonfc.com: "Every time I've played centrally I've enjoyed it, because I feel like I'm always involved in the game.

  "I've really enjoyed it. I know there is still a lot of work to be done – in and out of possession – for me to improve in that position, but I'm doing that in every game. For me, I've always found the best way I learn and improve is by actually playing and experiencing it for real.

  "The stats, I don't really focus on them. For me, I think stats, at times, can overshadow what players actually do on the pitch. I find stats difficult because rule number one for me is to always just play well, and I know myself if I've done that or not. If I'm playing well and enjoying my football, all of that stuff comes with it. 

  "My focus will always be on playing well, helping the team in any way I can and enjoying it, and, of course, getting on a winning run. That's the biggest thing for me – helping the team win games."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Everton - Ashley Young

  Young has assisted a goal in each of his last two Premier League appearances, which is as many assists as he got in his previous 117 games combined.

  At the age of 39, Young is the oldest player in Premier League history to assist a goal in consecutive games.

  Newcastle United - Anthony Gordon

  Former Everton winger Gordon has been involved in 13 goals in 23 Premier League appearances in 2024 for Newcastle (seven goals, six assists).

  However, Gordon is yet to score or assist against his old club and has only scored one goal in his last 15 games at Goodison Park, which came against Crystal Palace in October 2022.

  MATCH PREDICTION: NEWCASTLE WIN

  Everton have lost just three of their last 20 Premier League home games against Newcastle (W12 D5), though two of those defeats have come across their last four such meetings (W2), including a 4-1 victory at Goodison Park in April 2023.

  Newcastle have won five of their last eight Premier League meetings with Everton (D1 L2), as many as in their previous 24 against them (D6 L13). However, they failed to win either meeting with the Toffees last term (D1 L1).

  Only Aston Villa and Manchester City (seven) have picked up more points from losing positions in the Premier League this season than Newcastle (five) – the Magpies have only lost two of their last seven games when conceding first (W2 D3), having lost 11 of their previous 13 games when going 1-0 down.

  After losing their first four Premier League matches this season, Everton have picked up four points in their last two games (W1 D1). Dyche's side are looking for consecutive wins for the first time since April.

  Newcastle have won 11 points in their six Premier League games this season (W3 D2 L1), their most at this stage of a top-flight season since 2011-12 (12) and Eddie Howe’s best start to a league season since 2010-11 in League One with Bournemouth (11 points).

  Everton have won six of their last eight Premier League matches at Goodison Park (L2). Since the first game in this run on April 6, the Toffees have won more home points than any other Premier League side (18).

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Everton - 30.9%

  Newcastle - 43.9%

  Draw - 25.2%

• Dom Rep’s Cibao, Moca take unbeaten records into Carib Cup semis after contrasting wins in final group fixtures

  Domincan Republic’s Cibao FC and Moca FC will take their rich vein of form into the semi-finals of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup as both closed out the group stages with contrasting 4-1 and 2-1 victories over Haiti’s Ouanaminthe FC and Antiguan outfit Grenades FC on Tuesday.

  The results saw both teams consolidating their hold on the top two spots in Group B with unbeaten records. They ended on 10 points each, but Cibao FC took group honours by virtue of a slightly better goal difference.

  Port of Spain, Grenades, and Ouanaminthe all ended on two points each in that exact order.

  As they have done since the start of the tournament, Cibao FC demonstrated class and quality in making light work of Ouanaminthe at Estadio Cibao FC.

  After bossing possession from the onset, Cibao eventually broke the deadlock courtesy of Eddipo Rodriguez, who fired home in the 33^rd from Jean Lopez’s service.

  Before Ouanaminthe could catch their breaths, they were hit again, as Carlos Heredia doubled Cibao’s lead with a tidy finish in the 37th after dispossessing a defender.

  Cibao picked up where they left off on the resumption and pushed the game beyond Ouanaminthe’s reach when Rivaldo Correa drove home a right-footer from the top of the 18-yard box to make it 3-0.

  

  Moca's Guillermo de Pena celebrates the winning goal against Grenades FC. 

  Ouanaminthe pulled one back in the 55th through Dave Altidor Jr, who fired home from close range.

  However, that strike proved to be a mere consolation as Luis Quezada tucked away a calm left-footed effort to complete Cibao’s win.

  Meanwhile, Moca produced a come-from-behind performance to top Grenades at Estadio Moca 85.

  After playing out a goalless first half, Kamol Griffith latched on to a cross from Malcolm Stewart to put Grenades ahead in the 50th minute.

  But the lead was short-lived as Gustavo Ascona expertly headed home from Clifford Thomas’ weighted cross in the 53rd to pull Moca FC level.

  Guillermo de Pena completed Moca FC’s comeback when he finished off a well-worked training ground-style build up from a set play in the 61st minute.

  Moca went down to 10 players when Carlos Russell picked up a second yellow in the 76th minute, and the numerical disadvantage allowed Grenades FC to attempt a rally in the latter stages of the contest.

  However, Moca’s captain and goalkeeper Miguel Baez pulled off a stunning save to deny Keanu Barrett’s effort from a distance to ensure his team came away with all three points.

  Cibao FC will face the Group A runner-up, while Moca FC await the Group A winner. Those spots are to be decided between currently leaders Jamaica’s Cavaliers (six points), Haiti’s Real Hope (five points) and another Jamaican outfit Mount Pleasant FA (four points).

  Cavalier are set to tackle out-of-contention Arnett Gardens on Thursday, at the same time that Mount Pleasant and Real Hope will lock horns in what should be mouth-watering clash.