Arsenal and Liverpool seasons will be transformed by absolutely huge injury boosts
Liverpool will be thrilled to finally drop Trent Alexander-Arnold for Calvin Ramsay. Arsenal are about to be transformed by Reiss Nelson.
Full Nelson
In the process of both having their cake and eating it, the Daily Mirror website have transitioned from an eight-man injury crisis at Arsenal to ‘Arsenal injury issues set to hand Mikel Arteta’s “special” forgotten man fresh chance’.
Every cloud and all that.
‘Arsenal have been handed a significant injury worry ahead of the North London Derby with Emile Smith Rowe set to be ruled out for the foreseeable future,’ the story begins.
And it should be said that they lay it on awfully thick – ‘a huge blow to Arsenal and of course their hopes of extending their stay at the top of the current table’ – when you consider Arsenal are top of the Premier League table despite Smith Rowe having played just 47 minutes all season.
But the point here is that “special” ‘forgotten man’ who is in line for a ‘fresh chance’ as a result of Smith Rowe’s absence.
‘Smith Rowe’s fellow academy graduate Reiss Nelson is now back in North London following a loan spell with Dutch giants Feyenoord and was handed a place in the Gunners’ most recent Premier League squad, courtesy of being a home grown player. Should he too recover from his own injury issues, he could well be in contention to be handed a place in the side against Tottenham.’
That would be the same Reiss Nelson whose last Arsenal appearance in any competition was as a late substitute in last season’s Premier League opener – a defeat at Brentford.
He is definitely ‘in contention to be handed a place in the side against Tottenham’ after an injury to a player who hasn’t been in said side.
At least the quote marks around “special” are relevant. That is how Mikel Arteta once described Nelson. In March 2020. The winger has started two Premier League games since, both in July of the same year. But still, back to that ‘fresh chance’.
‘Whilst it remains to be seen whether Nelson is ready to be drafted straight back into the Arsenal starting line-up – particularly with the current form of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli.’
Leaving aside that nonsensical sentence structure, it doesn’t really feel as though that ‘remains to be seen’ at all. There is approximately zero chance that Arteta looks at a team which has won six of its opening seven games and decides to drop any member of a highly functioning attack for a player who has not started a meaningful Arsenal game in over two years, all because someone who has barely featured this season is injured.
Insult to injuries
The Daily Mirror website are at it when it comes to Liverpool, too. This is another of their headlines:
‘Jurgen Klopp handed double boost and enhanced options with returning Liverpool duo’
Ibrahima Konate’s return will indeed be welcomed, but this line is questionable:
‘His return should also help Liverpool address the defensive issues which have plagued their early-season inconsistencies.’
Only Brighton have conceded fewer Premier League goals so far this season. Liverpool have been outscored by three teams and only have as many goals as Brentford after six games, despite beating a team 9-0.
Their defence is not the area that has ‘plagued their early-season inconsistencies’ in the slightest.
But what of the other half of that ‘double boost’? Who is the other player returning from injury to ignite Liverpool’s season and drag them to glory?
Well that would be 19-year-old Calvin Ramsay, whose entire senior career consists of 39 games for a largely mid-table Scottish Premiership club.
Manchester City must be absolutely bricking it.
Calvin decline
Not content with just the one story on 19-year-old Calvin Ramsay, whose entire senior career consists of 39 games for a largely mid-table Scottish Premiership club, the Daily Mirror website have even published a second separate one on Liverpool’s saviour:
‘Liverpool’s forgotten summer signing makes long-awaited return to training’
Can someone who has been ‘forgotten’ make a ‘long-awaited return’? And can we stop pretending he has any chance whatsoever of playing ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold?
Give someone an inch…
It is almost comforting to see the MailOnline slip back into the narrative of roughly a month ago.
Their football homepage carries this headline to an Ian Ladyman preview:
‘It’s David vs Goliath as 5ft 9in Lisandro Martinez goes up against 6ft 4in Erling Haaland in the Manchester derby… but as he showed for Ajax against Dortmund last season, Erik ten Hag’s ‘warrior’ is ALWAYS up for the challenge’
And this, for Martin Keown’s tactical look at the Manchester derby:
‘With intelligence, physicality and improvisation, Erling Haaland is the perfect striker on paper… at 5ft 9in, Lisandro Martinez will need to fight for every ball’
It’s great to be back.
Tall order
In his article, Ladyman writes:
‘The 24-year-old has faced questions about his size ever since he was released by his boyhood team Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina. It’s a touchy subject and one he has grown weary of discussing.’
It definitely sounded like ‘a touchy subject’ when Martinez said “I don’t care about criticism, I believe in myself and I trust my abilities” earlier this month.
Chelsea dagger
‘Graham Potter facing hectic six week period as new boss seeks to solve Chelsea issues,’ the Daily Mirror website tells us.
What follows is a rundown of their fixtures before the World Cup, featuring this on AC Milan:
‘The game against the Italian champions will be the first true test of Potter against elite opposition and he will be hoping for a positive performance.’
And then this on Manchester United, a couple of paragraphs later:
‘That game against the Red Devils is the first time that Potter’s Chelsea side will take on a fellow ‘Big Six’ team and will be the first realistic marker of the Englishman’s progress.’
Hell, soon after that Manchester United match, Chelsea play both Arsenal and Manchester City. Both of those will presumably be the first proper examination of Potter’s team.
Hit the road, Jack
‘Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood drops him off at Man City training then fills up his £80k Range Rover at Asda’ – The Sun website, bringing us the finest scoops.
