Emma Hayes lauded “maverick” Lauren James’ performance in Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Women’s Super League title rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
James impressed once again and scored Chelsea’s opener when she latched onto a through ball, showed good skills to open up a shooting opportunity before drilling in a shot which Arsenal goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger got her hands to but was unable to keep out.
Sjoeke Nusken then struck twice more in the first half to put the game beyond Arsenal as Chelsea moved three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.
It was an impressive display from the reigning WSL champions in a game delayed by a sock clash, and James’ performance in front of 33,000 fans in west London drew special praise from her coach.
“It’s a playground for her out there,” Hayes said.
“We coach many different players but Lauren is a maverick. It’s not always perfect, it’s not always on point, it’s not always consistent in every element but I understand her as a person and I know that when we get to Stamford Bridge she will 1000 per cent perform for the team here.
“She did her job out of possession with Nusken and I thought she played with joy and freedom when the ball was played to her feet.
“She can carry the weight of the crowd and knows she’s important for the team. I’m happy for her.”
James had been a doubt for the game after battling with illness earlier in the week but Hayes admitted she needed the 22-year-old England international.
She added: “She’d been sick all week. She came on against Everton and wasn’t very well, she came out for one training session and I told her that she has to go and play up top because we don’t have another striker.”
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, whose third-placed side netted a late consolation through Catarina Macario’s own goal, said failing to deal with James contributed to their downfall.
“We allowed Chelsea to play (with) our organisation and that was their plan when playing James at nine,” he said.
“She’s very good and I thought we dealt with her very poorly and that was a big part of us not performing well enough to push for the result or the win today.”
Jonas Eidevall revealed referee Rebecca Welch delayed Chelsea’s Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal when both teams were lined up in the tunnel.
Kick-off for Chelsea’s 3-1 victory was delayed by 30 minutes while Arsenal staff collected black socks from their opponents’ megastore, using blue tape to cover the Chelsea and Nike logos.
Arsenal had arrived to Stamford Bridge with the same colour white socks as the hosts and were forced to make a change.
“It was a clash of colour with the kits which came to mine, the players and the other team’s attention very late,” he said.
“We got told that we can’t go out and play with the kit we had so we had to adapt and that was definitely a first.
“I was not involved in the process in how it was resolved.
“We found out when we left the dressing room to go to the tunnel so it was a very late call and notice.
“It is what it is. It was the same for both teams.”
Emma Hayes admitted she was delighted with the incident and relished seeing Arsenal players wearing Chelsea lions on their socks.
Hayes also called for less criticism towards Arsenal’s kit man, acknowledging he was left red-faced after the mix-up.
“I’m not throwing the kit man under the bus,” Hayes said.
“He’s going to be feeling terrible tonight, it was a mistake. He’s a new guy, new into the position so please don’t slaughter him.
“Because we didn’t have our blue socks I couldn’t say ‘don’t worry about it, we’ll put blue socks on’.
“I was delighted to see lion crests on Arsenal players’ legs in the first half. Maybe that gave my players motivation, I don’t know.
“It was an earnest mistake and something which that poor guy is going home tonight and will feel bad about. I’m certainly not going to pile in on him.”
Chelsea’s Women’s Super League clash with Arsenal was delayed by 30 minutes because of a clash of socks.
The Gunners arrived to Stamford Bridge with the same colour white socks as the hosts, causing referee Rebecca Welch to delay the match until a solution was found.
Arsenal sported black socks from Chelsea’s megastore in order for the match to go ahead. Blue tape was used in a makeshift attempt to hide the Chelsea logo on the socks.
As the scheduled kick-off time approached, a crowd of more than 30,000 in west London were instead treated to loud music.
Former Arsenal men’s striker Ian Wright, a keen supporter of the women’s game, posted on social media site X: “Embarrassing this. Ridiculous.”
Things did not improve for Arsenal once the match began, as a Lauren James goal and two from Sjoeke Nusken gave Chelsea a 3-0 half-time lead.
Gareth Southgate is aware Ben White could face a backlash after he made himself unavailable for England duty but felt it was “impossible” to conceal the reason behind Thursday’s omission.
White has starred for Premier League leaders Arsenal this season and was set to be part of this month’s 25-man squad for the friendlies with Brazil and Belgium.
However, Arsenal sporting director Edu informed John McDermott, technical director at the Football Association, last week that White does not want to be currently considered for England squads, having not been called-up since he was sent home early from the 2022 World Cup.
White left Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” but reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.
Southgate denied any such fall-out on Thursday, although White’s absence from a squad ravaged by injuries has already sparked debate over the future international prospects of the versatile defender.
“John McDermott had a call from Edu last week to say that Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time. For me, that’s a great shame,” Southgate reflected.
“For me, England was the pinnacle. Did I enjoy every moment with England? No. Were there moments where you thought ‘here we go, into the lions’ den’ if you like, literally? Yes, but I always wanted to challenge myself and test myself.
“And the things I regret in my life are the things that I’ve not had a go at, not the things that I’ve failed at. For me, it was always the ultimate, but, I wasn’t at a club going for the league title, or in the last couple of rounds of the Champions League. I can’t speculate what’s behind it.
“We have to respect that. There’s clearly a reason, but I don’t know the full reason.
“As I’ve said, in these situations I’ve tried to protect players. Clearly that is impossible at this point because the timing of asking to come off the long-list, and the fact that I don’t have huge credibility if I didn’t pick him on form!
“I don’t think it would be right not to state the situation we’re in. We’ve explained to Arsenal we were going to do that and if you make a decision like that, you do have to stand by it.
“But like I say, I want to keep the door open. I don’t want there to be a backlash. I understand that we’re in a situation where that could happen, but I believe he’s announced he’s signing a new contract, so there’s no question he’s got the love of the Arsenal fans.
“For me, the shame is that he’s a player I like. I can see his ability is obvious. I would have liked to have picked him, but it’s not an option that’s open to me.
“I completely respect it. The door for me is completely open. Look, we have to say that’s unlikely now for the Euros because of the situation this month. But moving forward, I would hope that he feels differently about it.”
Southgate handed White his England debut against Austria in June 2021, then drafted him into the squad for that summer’s rearranged Euros as replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold. The defender did not make an appearance in the run to the final, nor did he play a minute at the World Cup in Qatar.
The bombshell news that White does not want to add to his four England caps came hours after the announcement that he had signed a new and improved contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, the PA news agency understands, having featured in every Premier League game this term.
Gareth Southgate has revealed in-form Arsenal defender Ben White does not want to be selected by England at the moment.
The 26-year-old has starred for the Premier League leaders this season but has not featured in the national team squad since the 2022 World Cup.
White returned early from Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” and reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.
Southgate denied any such fall-out on Thursday, when he had hoped to include the defender in his squad for March’s Euro 2024 warm-up friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
“Look, it’s absolutely the question you should ask because clearly on form I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in,” the England boss said.
“We, (FA technical director) John McDermott, had a call from (Arsenal sporting director) Edu last week to say that Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time.
“For me, that’s a great shame. He’s a player I really like. He’s a player that we took to a Euros when he was at Brighton, a player that we took to the World Cup.
“I spoke to him post-Qatar because I was keen to pick him and there was clearly reticence on his side. I don’t know fully why that is, but I have to respect that.
“I want to leave the door open for him because he’s a good player and I think he’s a player who can make a difference for England.
“But he’s not available to us and so the only other thing I would say is there is no issue between us at all.
“And also I should say there’s never any issue with Steve Holland because that has sort of been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that.
“People can talk about me, and I have to accept that things get said that are false about me. For whatever reason in this role, you have to almost stomach that.
“But I’m not prepared for that to happen for a key member of my coaching team because that is not the reason Ben is unavailable for selection.”
Southgate handed White his England debut against Austria in June 2021, then drafted him into the squad for that summer’s rearranged Euros as replacement for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The defender did not make an appearance in the run to the final, nor did he play a minute at the World Cup in Qatar.
The bombshell news that White does not want to add to his four England caps came hours after the announcement that he had signed a new and improved contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, the PA news agency understands, having featured in every Premier League game this term.
White says it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at Arsenal but clearly does not feel as comfortable wearing an England shirt.
“I have to respect it,” Southgate said of the decision. “Look, he’s not the first player that at certain times hasn’t wanted to be available for selection.
“So, I’ve always tried to protect those players because I always want the door to be left open, even though on lots of those occasions I’m the one that gets it in the neck for not picking them and people don’t know the reasons.
“But sometimes as a leader, you have to take the flak for others and allow them time to come through.
“Sometimes we’ve had young players that haven’t felt comfortable coming away with England, when I was with the Under-21s and then as they get older, they get more comfortable with it. So there can be all sorts of reasons for that.
“As I said, I think we should respect that. I repeat: he’s clearly playing very well and has been for a long time but he’s not available.”
Gareth Southgate has revealed in-form Arsenal defender Ben White does not want to be selected by England at the moment.
The 26-year-old has starred for the Premier League leaders this season but has not featured for the national team since the 2022 World Cup.
White returned early from Qatar for what the Football Association called “personal reasons” and reports later emerged of an alleged bust-up with England assistant Steve Holland.
Southgate denied any such bust-up on Thursday, when he had hoped to include the defender in his squad for March’s Euro 2024 warm-up friendlies against Brazil and Belgium.
The manager revealed White would otherwise have been in his 25-man squad, explaining: “Clearly on form I can’t sit here and say he doesn’t deserve to be in.
“We, John McDermott and I, had a call from Edu (Arsenal sporing director) last week (and he) said Ben didn’t want to be considered for England squads at this time.
“For me that is a great shame. He is a player we took to the Euros, a player we took to the World Cup and I spoke to him post-Qatar because I wanted to pick him.
“He is not available to us and there is no issue between us at all and I also should say there is never any issue with (coach) Steve Holland because that has been mentioned in articles and I don’t like that.
“I want that door wide open. He would be in this squad but he’s not available to us and I have to focus on who can help us.”
White has earned four senior England caps since his move to Arsenal, but has not been part of Southgate’s plans since an early departure from the last World Cup in Qatar.
Earlier on Thursday, White signed a new contract with the Gunners, admitting it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months in north London, the PA news agency understands.
White has been a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s side as they sit top of the Premier League and prepare for a first Champions League quarter-final appearance in 14 years.
He featured in every Premier League game last season as Arsenal were pipped at the post by treble-winners Manchester City but has further impressed in his role at right-back this campaign.
Having come through the ranks at Brighton, White spent three seasons out on loan – with Newport, Peterborough and Leeds, respectively, as he gradually made his way up the leagues.
He then spent a solitary season in the Brighton first-team before impressing Arsenal enough that the Gunners forked out £50million to sign him in the summer of 2021.
Asked if Arsenal now feels like home, White replied: “I have been on loan three times, I have been places for a year.
“I think this is the first time I’ve actually settled and known I am not going anywhere in the summer. Being here is unbelievable and I’d love to stay (for more years).”
Ben White has signed a new contract at Arsenal as the defender admits it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old has agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months in north London, the PA news agency understands.
White has been a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s side as they sit top of the Premier League and prepare for a first Champions League quarter-final appearance in 14 years.
He featured in every Premier League game last season as Arsenal were pipped at the post by treble-winners Manchester City but has further impressed in his role at right-back this campaign.
Having come through the ranks at Brighton, White spent three seasons out on loan – with Newport, Peterborough and Leeds, respectively, as he gradually made his way up the leagues.
He then spent a solitary season in the Brighton first-team before impressing Arsenal enough that the Gunners forked out £50million to sign him in the summer of 2021.
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Asked if Arsenal now feels like home, White replied: “I have been on loan three times, I have been places for a year.
“I think this is the first time I’ve actually settled and known I am not going anywhere in the summer. Being here is unbelievable and I’d love to stay (for more years).”
White has earned four senior England caps since his move to Arsenal, but has not been part of Gareth Southgate’s plans since an early departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
At club level, though, he is the latest in a growing list of Arteta’s key men to commit their futures to the Spaniard’s project.
He follows in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who extended their deals last year, while Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and William Saliba have also signed new contracts in the past 18 months.
“I think when those sort of players are getting signed (to new deals), it shows there is a real ambition about the club and it is something I am loving being a part of,” White added.
“I think if you do look at their ages, it’s going to get better. Day to day it is shown how important this club is and how important it is to do the little things right and get the results that we need.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “It’s great news that Ben is committing his future to the club.
“Ben is a key player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality, and one of the guys who leads by example every day.
“Ben’s ability, determination and positive attitude are so important, but he is also a great character and human being.
“We all look forward to continue working with Ben in the coming years.”
Martin Odegaard insists Arsenal cannot head into a long-awaited Champions League quarter-final draw fearing any opponent and called for Tuesday’s penalty shoot-out win over Porto to act as the catalyst for a Premier League title tilt.
The Gunners ended a 14-year wait to reach the last eight of Europe’s top-level club competition after David Raya saved two spot-kicks to seal progression following a 1-1 aggregate draw with Porto.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike at the Emirates Stadium drew Arsenal level in the last-16 tie, but the two sides could not be separated until Raya took centre stage, with all four of the hosts’ penalty takers finding the back of the net.
Arsenal had crashed out at the first knockout stage for seven consecutive years under Arsene Wenger and went on to endure a seven-year exile from the Champions League until they finished second in the Premier League last season.
Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the table at present and Odegaard, who converted the first penalty of the shoot-out, believes Arsenal cannot fear facing the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City in the next round.
“To be honest, we can’t think like that,” he replied when asked if there was anyone he wanted to avoid in Friday’s draw.
“It’s the biggest tournament in the world and, no matter what team we get, it’s going to be a good team. We will just take what we get and we will try to win.
“That’s where we want to be. We want to be on the biggest stage. We want to play the biggest games and fight for the biggest trophies.
“When I came here I believed in the project, in the club, what they were doing, everything around the club, I believed in it – and now we are here doing well.
“We just have to keep pushing each other and make sure we get a little bit better every day. We will see where it takes us.”
Those improvements could also yet take Arsenal to a first Premier League crown in two decades, having fallen agonisingly short last year.
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After leading the way for 248 days of the campaign, they were pipped at the post by Treble-winning City.
However, a 2-1 victory over Brentford on Saturday followed by a draw between City and Liverpool means Arsenal will be top heading into the international break.
They travel to the Etihad Stadium on March 31 and Odegaard wants the win over Porto to act as fuel for their title drive.
“I think it is a massive boost for everyone,” the Norway international added.
“The way we did it also, it maybe wasn’t the best game, but you just saw everyone pushing so hard, digging so deep.
“I think you saw the mentality in the team when we stepped up for the penalties. I am really proud of everyone. We have to use this in a good way.
“I think we have to use this, we have to grow off this. It is a massive night for everyone. We are still a young squad, but this was another big experience for everyone.
“We have to keep building on that and use it in a good way going into the end of the season. It should be a massive boost for everyone.
“Every time we play, we want to win. We want to fight for all the trophies we can.”
What the papers say
Liverpool have expressed their faith in Colombian winger Luis Diaz after telling Spanish giants Barcelona that the 27-year-old is not for sale and is a part of their long-term plans, the Daily Mirror reports. Diaz has scored six goals and created three more in 27 games in the Premier League for the club this season.
The Mirror says Manchester United have set a price tag of £43million on striker Mason Greenwood with an unnamed Saudi Pro League interested in the 22-year-old’s signature. The forward has spent the season in La Liga at Spanish club Getafe on loan where he has scored six goals and assisted five more in 23 matches.
The Daily Mail reports Chelsea could be looking to offload several stars this summer including Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella.
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Mikel Arteta hailed a “magic night” at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 on penalties to reach first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg in Portugal, a goal from Leandro Trossard just before half-time levelled the tie late in the first half, but there Arsenal’s momentum stalled as they failed to wrap the game up inside 90 minutes.
After a nervous extra-time it took heroics from goalkeeper David Raya, saving twice in the shoot-out, to put the hosts into the last-eight for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s team faced Barcelona in 2010.
“A magic night,” said Arteta. “We expected a really tough opponent. It’s very difficult to generate momentum and that’s credit to them.
“It’s a huge experience for us. We had to do it as well through penalties. Credit to David who had some difficult moments to start but showed incredible determination and stood up and got rewarded.”
Arsenal, roared on by a home support determined to drag their team through, began with urgency befitting of their predicament, but they suffered a frustrating first half.
Not until four minutes before the break did the second leg tip their way, and the goal was brilliantly made by Martin Odegaard, receiving the ball from Trossard 30-yards out and taking four Porto players out of the game with a superb slide-rule pass.
There on the end of if was Trossard, skipping in off the left and sliding it cooly past Diogo Costa for 1-0.
Odegaard thought he’d given Arsenal the lead in the tie when he tapped into an empty goal in the second half, only for his effort to be ruled out for a foul by Kai Havertz on veteran defender Pepe. A furious Arteta was booked for his protests.
Gabriel Jesus came off the bench and almost settled things with his first touch, goalkeeper Costa spreading himself well and deflecting his effort wide, before Odegaard shot inches past the post after the goalkeeper beat out Bukayo Saka’s shot.
Porto’s threat on the break lingered throughout the ensuing extra 30 minutes, though penalties had long looked the likeliest destination.
So it proved, and it was goalkeeper Raya who was the hero, saving from defender Wendell and first-leg match-winner Galeno to send Arsenal through.
“For (the players) to do it when the club hasn’t done it for 14 years, I tell you it will be a boost,” said Arteta. “The margins are so small.
“I see how much they want it, how much they try and they are able to sacrifice anything to win. When you play like this at the end good things are going to come your way.
“It’s another big step (in the season), especially as a club. For seven years we haven’t been in this competition and for 14 years we haven’t got this far. That tells you the difficulty of it. We want more and we’re going to go for it that’s for sure.
“It’s the first time that I’ve done it in the Champions League. I try to learn every day, get advice and that’s why you have good people around you, great coaches around you as well to help you and make you better.”
Porto boss Sergio Conceicao was involved with an altercation on the pitch with Arteta at the end of the game, and gave a terse explanation of what was said.
“During the game, (Arteta) turned to the bench and in Spanish – it must be a Spanish coach thing because it was the same thing with (Pep) Guardiola – he insulted my family,” he said.
“In the end I told him to pay attention because who he insulted is no longer with us, and to worry about coaching his team, because due to individual quality he has an obligation to do more and better.”
David Raya admitted it was a “great feeling” to help Arsenal into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.
Goalkeeper Raya was Arsenal’s hero with two penalty saves as they won a shoot-out against Porto 4-2.
Leandro Trossard’s goal four minutes before half-time levelled the tie at 1-1 on aggregate.
Extra time could not separate the sides and in the shoot-out, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz buried their penalties before Raya tipped Wendell’s spot-kick on to his left-hand post.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice then converted and Raya made another fine save from Wenderson Galeno to send the Gunners through.
“Obviously it’s a great feeling especially for me personally, my first time in the Champions League and the first time in a long time club has got to the quarter-finals,” the Spaniard told TNT Sports.
“We’ve been working a lot on penalties this year because on a night like this you need to be good and the hard work has paid off. It’s a great night.
“I should have saved three, but I’m over the moon to save two and get through to the quarter-finals.
“Porto made it so difficult over there and here. But we scored the goal that we needed and it went to penalties. Obviously mentally it’s tough but the team played really, really well, we kept a clean sheet, scored the goal and went to penalties.
“It means everything, You play football for these kind of nights. Over the moon and I’m going to celebrate and enjoy the night.”
David Raya saved two penalties as Arsenal beat Porto 4-2 in a shoot-out to reach their first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.
Leandro Trossard’s first-half strike cancelled out a first-leg deficit but Mikel Arteta’s side then struggled to create chances to win the game as the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.
All four of Arsenal’s penalty takers were faultless as Raya kept out spot-kicks from Wendell and Galeno to take the Premier League leaders past the last-16 stage for the first time since 2010.
As a player, Arteta suffered four straight defeats in this round of the competition but – having ended Arsenal’s seven-year Champions League exile – he has now guided his side into the final eight.
They could yet face rivals Manchester City, with the draw made on Friday, but for now they will be happy to have banished painful memories of defeats at this stage down the years – with seven consecutive exits in this round under Arsene Wenger.
David James still thinks Liverpool or Manchester City will win the Premier League title, despite Sunday's draw between the pair leaving Arsenal at the summit.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola's final Premier League meeting ended in a frantic 1-1 draw at Anfield, with Arsenal, who beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday, remaining clear of the Reds on goal difference at the top of the table.
Liverpool accumulated 2.7 expected goals (xG) to City's 1.56, but shared the spoils as Alexis Mac Allister's 50th-minute penalty cancelled out John Stones' inventive set-piece opener.
Though Mikel Arteta's Gunners sit narrowly ahead of Liverpool and a point clear of third-placed City with 10 league games remaining, James believes Sunday's draw does not favour Arsenal in the title race.
"I think this is the worst result for Arsenal, even though they ended the weekend top of the table," former City and Liverpool goalkeeper James told Stats Perform.
"If Arsenal slip up, both City and Liverpool are in exactly the right place to take advantage. Whereas, had one team won, then [Arsenal] would only essentially be looking at one team in a preferential position, even if they were in second place.
"I still see this as a Liverpool and Man City race. I think Arsenal, of course, are there numerically, but I think when it comes to the crunch, these two are the best teams in the country, and one of these will be crowned Premier League champions."
Liverpool had 19 shots on Sunday, their most in a Premier League clash against City, with 12 of those coming in the second half – a record high Guardiola's side have faced after half-time in a league match since May 2021 (12 against Brighton).
Though Liverpool may lament Luis Diaz missing a gilt-edged chance in the second period, as well as a contentious decision right at the end when Mac Allister was caught by Jeremy Doku inside City's area, James insists the Reds should take encouragement from their showing against last season's treble winners.
"[Liverpool] could have beaten the best team in the world with the better chances in the game," the 53-cap England international continued.
"That would give me confidence in the short term, of not getting the points, but that you can play the best team in the world and should beat them, that's a nice feeling."
James lauded "a fantastic game of football" but suggested an inexperienced and injury-hit Liverpool may have lacked a clinical edge, owing to their young side.
Indeed, with Conor Bradley (20), Harvey Elliott (20) and Jarell Quansah (21) all starting, it was the first time Liverpool had named three players aged 21 or under in a Premier League starting XI against City since March 2015, when Raheem Sterling, Emre Can and Lazar Markovic all featured.
James, who played 214 times for the Reds, added: "I don't want to say that nobody is allowed to miss chances…
"But the crucial moments in the game, I think in the first half in particular, Liverpool were getting into very good positions and were not making what I thought were the right decisions at the right time.
"[That was] either the correct pass or the shot, it was a touch that allowed City to get back into the box. Things like this, I think are understandable.
"Bradley, who has been fantastic since he came into the side, was culpable a couple of times, I think that might be just experience.
"He's playing in his biggest match ever, in front of the Kop, and there was a moment where you think just put your foot through it. You're playing against a fantastic team and there are a lot of influences on it."
Whether a point dropped for Liverpool or one gained for City, James believes both sides will look back on the showdown as decisive come the end of the campaign.
He concluded: "Ultimately though, it won't be until the end of the season. If the league is decided or lost by a point by either of these teams, they'll look at if they could have got that extra two points and won the title."
What the papers say
Manchester United have identified 21-year-old Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite as their top transfer target this summer, according to the Daily Star. Branthwaite has a deal with the Toffees until 2027.
The Daily Mirror says United will pursue Branthwaite regardless of boss Erik ten Hag’s future at the club, with the England Under-21 international valued at £75million.
Meanwhile, Everton are said to be interested in Hull defender Jacob Greaves, Football Insider reports, with the 23-year-old likely to leave the club if they miss promotion to the Premier League.
The i says Tiago Pinto, who was formerly at Roma, is interested in taking over the sporting director role from Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, who looks to be headed to Manchester United.
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Mikel Arteta has called on his players to control their emotions when they host Porto on Wednesday as he looks to guide Arsenal into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in 14 years.
A late Galeno winner gave Porto a 1-0 win in the first leg of the last-16 clash in Porto last month on a tough night for the visitors.
There were 36 fouls during the match – a Champions League high this season – with Porto boss Sergio Conceicao claiming after the game: “They (Arsenal) wanted to play, we wanted to win.”
The Gunners have won eight straight Premier League matches either side of the loss in Portugal, and head into the second leg top of the table.
Arteta has asked supporters to “bring your noise” and create a passionate environment at the Emirates Stadium – but has warned his players to remain in check.
Asked if there has to be a level of control on the pitch, he replied: “For sure. The game context is very important.
“We know that we have a long match to play. There are moments that could go your way and that it can change dramatically quick.
“That’s the Champions League and you have to be ready for these kind of games.
“We’re certainly going to have to tweak a few things to generate much more than we did (in Porto). It’s the level of the Champions League.
“You’re facing top teams. The fact that there are two games plays in your mind and we have to be better (on Tuesday).
“That’s the opportunity that we have (on Tuesday). In front of our people, in our stadium for 96 minutes. Bring your energy, bring your noise and let’s do it together. I think the impact that they can make is incredible. I don’t think they realise.
“It’s a beautiful opportunity to live one of those nights. It’s been 14 years (since a Champions League quarter-final) so everything that we put in there is going to be worth it.”
Arsenal have been in fine form domestically of late, winning 5-0 at West Ham and 6-0 at Burnley and Sheffield United, while beating Newcastle 4-1 at home.
Their last game ahead of the visit of Porto was a tighter contest as a late Kai Havertz header earned Arteta’s side a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Brentford.
While not dispatching the Bees in the same emphatic manner, captain Martin Odegaard believes the stop-start nature of the game was good preparation for what they expect from Porto.
“We will take a lot of good things,” Odegaard said. “It was a really good practice for this game coming up. We had to deal with a lot of different situation, a lot of time wasting.
“We had to control our emotions the whole game and I think we did that brilliantly. It was really good practice for another big game and we did really well.
“Top of the table so of course we have to build on that momentum and the good feeling we have at the moment. That’s the goal, to keep that going.”
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