Canal+ has won back the English Premier League in France, starting next year and lasting for three seasons. The broadcast channel has also renewed their contract to broadcast in Poland. The Premier League is currently broadcast in France by RMC Sport.
Canal+ has lost its rights to broadcast the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, losing its rights to Altice earlier in the year. Mediapro also outbid Canal+ earlier in the year, losing the rights to Ligue 1 in France.
The bid will allow the company to offer a wide selection of French football games along with content from the Ligue 1, Formula 1, Golf, the 2020 Olympics and Moto GP. The move is an attempt by Canal+ to invest in premium content over time.
Premier League saw two of the top four teams going head-to-head on Saturday. Liverpool and Arsenal were the highlight of the week this year, as fans flocked to European football stats to try and predict the winner of the match-up.
Arsenal was 7-1-2 in their last ten match-ups before the game, while Liverpool started the match as a powerhouse with a record of 8-2-0.
Arsenal’s offense remains the second best in the league, with 2.4 goals per game on average, but Liverpool’s defense has been dominating all season long. Arsenal was on a roll before they drew against Crystal Palace, and many believed that the team may be too much for Liverpool to handle.
Liverpool has remained a strong opponent in the last five match-ups against Arsenal, scoring 17 times. Arsenal has scored at least three times in each of the last five league games against Liverpool. The team remains winless in the last six match-ups against Liverpool in the Premier League.
Arsenal has had a strong second-half all year, and Liverpool will need to offset this with a strong defense. The team’s goals, 18 out of 24, have come in the second half. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains a key threat for Arsenal, involved in 22 goals during his 23 appearances in the Premier League with Arsenal. He has scored 17 times and assisted on five goals.
Liverpool has only let in four goals in the last 11 league games, remaining unbeaten during the stretch. Roberto Firmino will be a player to watch. He has scored and assisted in the last three match-ups against the two teams. Mohamed Salah has goals in each of his three Premier League games against Arsenal.
The game saw Arsenal draw with Liverpool on Saturday, in a 1-1 contest.
Perhaps the biggest story of the game was that Unai Emery had been fueling Arsenal’s gameplay. He has a 12-game unbeaten streak, and drawing against Liverpool is a major feat for the team that many view as a “work in progress.”
Arsenal, a team that many suggest may be pushing for a title, played a good game, and in all fairness, they should have lost the game. A bad offside call on a legitimate goal led to the draw, but Arsenal’s gameplay kept them in the game.
The team played a 4-4-2 defense and had a 2-4-3-1 offense, offering the ability to gain the advantage in the midfield. Mesut Ozil was used for his link play ability, and Alexandre Lacazette played close to him to offer him more defensive support.
Liverpool played a 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 defense with a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 setup on offense. Liverpool kept a lot of players in the central position to help force Arsenal to pass wide. The setup played to Liverpool’s strengths, allowing the team to close the gap and regain control of the ball.
Build-up play has been a major problem for Arsenal, and Liverpool attempted to take advantage of Arsenal’s build-up issues.
Mohamed Salah was quickly neutralized in one play where Torreira executed a crunching slide tackle, causing Salah to lose the ball before Torreira jumped to his feet to make another recovery and gain possession.
Arsenal started the game, with the majority of their offense occurring on the left with between Sead Kolasinac, Ozil and Aubameyang.
Liverpool fought back in the second half of the game by moving Milner to the midfield three. The move helped offset Arsenal’s offense, disrupting play. Vertical passes were a major contributor to Liverpool’s game, allowing the team to break the lines. Firmino stayed deeper than Salah and Mane, allowing him to run through on the disallowed goal.
Arsenal’s offense played well, with Liverpool not being able to control Arsenal’s passing game as it has done against many other teams.
The draw against Liverpool gives Arsenal the high-quality opposition it needs to be considered a threat for the title this year. The team showed that with the draw that they can play at the top of the league and compete. But Arsenal, while a good team, may not be in the same tier as Chelsea, Manchester City or Liverpool.
