Articles by Ben Fleming

Technology

‘Why not?’ – Nani makes bold Premier League prediction for Manchester United

Former Manchester United winger Nani (Picture: Getty) Former Manchester United star Nani sees no reason why the Red Devils can’t contend for the Premier League title this season under Ruben Amorim. Amorim found himself under immediate pressure at the start of the season as United won just two of their first six league games, while his side were also dumped out of the Carabao Cup following a surprise defeat to Grimsby Town. However, a 2-0 victory at home to Sunderland before the international break has sparked an upturn in form as United went on to beat Liverpool at Anfield before they ran out 4-2 winners at home to Brighton last weekend. That run of form has United up to sixth in the table, just one point off the top four and a point ahead of defending champions and arch-rivals Liverpool. A virtually imperious start from Arsenal has installed Mikel Arteta’s side as the heavy favourites to win their first league title since 2003/04. The Gunners sit four points clear of Bournemouth in second place, and have won their last six games in all competitions without conceding a goal. However, while some have already begun crowning Arsenal as champions-elect, Nani is confident that this season still has plenty more twists and turns left in it. Ruben Amorim’s side have won three league games in a row (Picture: Getty) And the 38-year-old even suggested that his former side could be surprise contenders if they can continue to build on their good recent form. ‘Why not?’ Nani told Covers.com. ‘They are building a strong team and are trying to get back into real competition with the teams that are always at the top of the table: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Man City. So, they are there now. They have the possibility. ‘If they win the next few games, everything can change. So, we never know. Let’s keep on winning games and then we’ll see. The Red Devils are six points behind league leaders Arsenal (Picture: Getty) ‘If it’s not this year, maybe they will get the confidence for next season. So, let’s see. ‘Not being in Europe helps on one side, yes, but obviously everyone likes to see the team in European competitions because in the middle of the week, when you don’t see your team there, you get frustrated. ‘But for this time, for what they are trying to build, it’s better because there is more time to prepare the team and to train the players. Sometimes when players have too much pressure, it’s difficult to manage the physical side. @metrosportuk Which rivalry is the best in the Premier League? 🤔⚔️ After Manchester United won their first game against Liverpool at Anfield in 10 years following a late Harry Maguire header, Jack and Charlie discuss whether the fixture is the biggest rivalry in Premier League HISTORY. #manchesterunited #liverpool #premierleague #rivalry #arsenal ♬ original sound – Metro Sport – Metro Sport ‘I think if there are no competitions in the middle of the week, it’s easier, and then they can work tactically and on a lot of other things to prepare for the weekends.’ Analysing his former side’s start to the season, Nani said he had been left particularly impressed by United’s new-look front-three, who all combined to good affect during their most recent win against Brighton. ‘I’ve been watching the team and I’m really happy,’ Nani added. ‘The performance of a couple of the new players shows they are gaining confidence and starting to display their qualities. ‘Obviously, it’s the beginning of the season, and we know they will perform much better in the middle of the season. The new guys, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko have been fantastic players for the team. They’ve shown their quality and personality. ‘They first demonstrate sacrifice for the team, they run. Sometimes we can see them run too much and then they get tired in the middle of the second half, but that’s good because we know they will get their reward later in the season. ‘They will score goals, run less, and play more relaxed—that’s football. But so far, these three players add a lot of quality to the team and are helping a lot. They’ve been scoring goals, being very productive, and involved in every match. And that’s what we want for each player who comes to the club.’ United are looking to make it four consecutive league wins for the first time since February 2024 as they travel to Nottingham Forest this weekend. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Technology

Theo Walcott claims £75m Liverpool star looks ‘an absolute shadow of a player’

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott (Picture: Getty) Theo Walcott believes Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk looks ‘an absolute shadow of a player’ and said Arne Slot’s side need to ‘forget about their egos’ if they are to get back to their best. The defending champions won their opening five games of the new Premier League season, but a disastrous run of form now has them seventh in the table and seven points off leaders Arsenal. The Reds suffered yet another loss at the weekend, a 3-2 defeat to Brentford, meaning they have won just one of their last six games in all competitions and have lost four on the bounce in the league. Despite the departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz, Liverpool went some way to strengthening their squad by spending almost £450million in the summer window. However, the high-profile signings of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are yet to pay dividends, and have left Slot constantly chopping and changing as he looks to find a set-up which gets the best out of his new-look squad. The fixtures continue to come thick and fast for the Reds, with a Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, before games against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City before the international break. And Walcott said Slot must get his side focusing on the basics ahead of what could prove a pivotal few weeks in the Dutchman’s reign on Merseyside. Arne Slot’s side have lost four in a row in the Premier League (Picture: Getty) ‘I feel that they are overthinking quite a lot and that comes down to the manager,’ Walcott said on It’s Called Soccer. ‘When they signed loads of players we all went ‘Oh they are going to win the league, they’ve signed all these players’ and it was like a fantasy league. ‘Now when you look at the bigger picture and try to implement your style onto a team that didn’t actually have to change that much because it wasn’t broken. Virgil van Dijk has come in for scrutiny (Picture: Getty) ‘Trying to implement five, six, seven new players into a title-winning team doesn’t happen often. ‘You don’t have to tweak too much when you win the league, you really don’t, and I think there are players who aren’t themselves because they are overthinking and they are not playing as a team. ‘They are a bunch of individuals right now, too many egos, they need to separate that and try and focus on getting back to basics.’ @metrosportuk Blaming losing on spending £450m 🤔 Liverpool manager Arne Slot blames his side’s poor form on the fact that they bought so many new players in the summer transfer window, following their 3-2 defeat to Brentford. #arneslot #liverpool #brentford #pressconference #premierleague ♬ original sound – Metro Sport – Metro Sport Analysing Liverpool’s deficiencies further, Walcott pinpointed the spine of the team as a notable concern, particularly the centre-back partnership of Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate. ‘You have Virgil van Dijk who looks an absolute shadow of a player, Konate has been up and down,’ the former Arsenal forward added. ‘There is no structure to the way they play now, there’s no balance. ‘Virgil used to have a solid brick in front of him in Gravenberch but now he has no one at times and you have players who don’t want to comit to tackles. ‘The physical side of it has gone out of the window, so for me Liverpool need to go back to basics and forget about the egos because that is a big problem for me right now.’ Slot opted not to hold a press conference to preview Wednesday’s cup tie against Palace, with club’s not contractually obliged to have one before Carabao Cup matches. The Dutchman decided to do the same thing prior to last month’s third-round win against Southampton. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What is going wrong at Liverpool? The problems Arne Slot must fix to salvage title defence

That's four losses on the spin.