On “Boxing Day”, football is coming back to Europe

FOOTBALL – 44 days later. After a short break related to the holding of the World Cup in Qatar, which Argentina won against the French team, the English Football Championship is the first of the big European ones to resume this Monday, December 26, the day of the traditional and long-awaited. ” boxing day “. A 17th day that lasts, not to spoil anything, of a real interest in sports, the leader Arsenal was able to particularly increase his lead over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

At the start of the day, it was Arsenal’s rivals, Tottenham’s Spurs, who (re)launched the championship with a dangerous trip to Brentford at 1.30pm on Monday. After that, and until Wednesday night, ten matches is planned and should make it possible to definitively close the chapter of the Winter World Cup.

Hope and injury at Arsenal

For its part, at the top of the Premier League with 37 points, five better than its first chaser, Manchester City, Arsenal are not thinking about the highest title they have not won since 2004. But according to their coach that Mikel Arteta, the Gunners are in no mood to give gifts to West Ham, who are in 16th position, this Monday (9:00 pm).

” We play at home. ‘Boxing Day’ is a very special match in the history of the championship. The family atmosphere is always fantastic, we want to make the most of it, but most of all we want to continue our momentum and make an impression. “warned the Spanish technician.

His team finished the first part of the season with an impressive record of twelve wins, one draw and just one defeat (3-1), at the beginning of September at Manchester United’s ground. ” The second part of this season is going to be interesting and intense, we can’t wait to get back ” Arteta’s assurance.

The 2022 World Cup, however, has left traces in the workforce of the north London club: the Brazilian Gabriel Jesus, author of five goals and five assists in the Premier League, injured his knee in Qatar and ” it is very difficult to set a date for his return “, recognized Arteta who did not rule out a reinforcement in the offensive sector during the winter transfer window. But even without Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal are the favorites in their rivalry in London against West Ham: ” It’s really hard to keep fighting like this “David Moyes, the Hammers coach, admitted that the team had pocketed just 14 points in its first fifteen games of the season.

Therefore, England, but not only…

Also on Monday, Newcastle, surprisingly 3rd (30 points) and newly rich in the championship since the Saudis took it over, travel to Leicester (13th, 17 points) hoping to cement their ambitions to compete in the Champions League and take a psychological advantage over the Foxes who will face the Magpies again in January in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, the League Cup.

Other contenders for C1, Tottenham (4th) and Manchester United (5th) respectively face Brentford (10th) on Monday and Nottingham Forest (18th) on Tuesday, while Liverpool (6th) travel to Aston Villa (12th) who will be without their controversial goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, still in Argentina like the other 2022 Premier League world champions.

Tottenham coach Antonio Conte is convinced that his star striker Harry Kane is digesting his missed penalty in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against France and his club-mate Hugo Lloris, which is synonymous with elimination (defeat 2-1). ” We are talking about one of the best strikers in the world “, swept the Italian technician.

Erling Haaland did not play in the World Cup because Norway did not qualify, but he already showed that we should count on him and Manchester City, against Leeds on Wednesday at the end of “Boxing Day”. The Premier League’s top scorer (18 goals) is back on the pitch and… scored a goal in his team’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool in the League Cup on December 22.” We are ready, mentally and physically, and we want to fight for it “warned Algerian international Riyad Mahrez.

Note that English is not the only thing that will continue as soon as possible after the World Cup. This Monday, in particular Annecy – Saint-Étienne will be decided for retention, the French Ligue 2 will start again with a vengeance. And from Wednesday 28, it is the big sister, Ligue 1, that will find the yard with a particular one Paris Saint-Germain – Strasbourg where Kylian Mbappé can take part, less than ten days after his defeat in the final of the World cup.

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