‘We have to manage the minutes.’

Shearer looks ahead to another big weekend of action (Picture: Getty Images)

Alan Shearer has delivered his Premier League predictions with another packed weekend of action looming large.

A huge clash in north London gets us started on Sa…

Marc Guehi had attracted interest from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid have pulled out of the race to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi on a free transfer next summer, according to reports in Spain.

Guehi’s current…

Marc Guehi had attracted interest from Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Real Madrid have pulled out of the race to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi on a free transfer next summer, according to reports in Spain.

Guehi’s current…

Liverpool have endured a dismal run under Arne Slot (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool’s stance on Arne Slot has been revealed after the Reds suffered their sixth defeat in seven games and crashed out of the Carabao Cup.

The reigning Premie…

Eight teams remain in the Carabao Cup (Picture: Getty)

Holders Newcastle United will continue the defence of their Carabao Cup trophy with a quarter-final tie against Fulham. 

Eddie Howe’s side, who beat Premier League champion…

Liverpool fell to yet another defeat (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Redknapp was left stunned by Arne Slot’s team selection as Liverpool crashed out of the Carabao Cup to continue their woeful run of form.

A first-half brace from Ismaila Sa…

Spurs coach Thomas Frank has some tough selection calls to make over the next few weeks (Picture: Getty Images)

Thomas Frank could be forgiven for thinking he is stuck between a rock and a hard place with crucial matches for Tottenham arri…

Spurs coach Thomas Frank has some tough selection calls to make over the next few weeks (Picture: Getty Images)

Thomas Frank could be forgiven for thinking he is stuck between a rock and a hard place with crucial matches for Tottenham arri…

Jeff Stelling has come under fire for comparing Premier League leaders Arsenal to ‘watching paint dry’ and saying he he was in ‘purgatory’during their victory over Crystal Palace.

Mikel Arteta’s side ground out a hard-fought 1-0 win over London rivals Palace on Sunday to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

It was Arsenal’s ninth win in ten games since they were beaten by reigning Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield back in August.

Arsenal have not been goal-shy this season – scoring the joint-second most goals in the Premier League – but their success has been built on a sensational defensive record.

The clean sheet Arsenal recorded against Crystal Palace was their fifth in a row and tenth in 13 games of the 2025-26 season.

Despite being the clear title favourites, Arsenal have not won over everyone and Stelling has implored Arteta to be ‘a bit more expansive’.

Stelling started watching Arsenal’s clash with Palace but says he ‘turned over before they had a shot’ as it was like ‘watching paint dry’.

‘They can’t keep relying on set-plays, they just can’t,’ former Sky Sports presenter Stelling said on talkSPORT.

‘I love some of the Arsenal players. I love Saka, I love Odegaard, I love Eze. But please, please be just a bit more expansive.

‘I mean watching Arsenal against Palace was like watching paint dry. It was purgatory.

‘I started watching that match, and I had enough of it before they had a shot. I’d turned over by then, to watch Aston Villa vs Man City, which was a much better game.’

The majority of Arsenal fans were understandably unhappy with Stelling’s comments, with one writing on X: ‘Why should we change? We are not there to please him, we’re there to win the title.’

Another said: ‘We don’t want to play expansive, we want to win games and ultimately the Premier League.’

Ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy also disagreed with Stelling’s assessment of Arsenal, claiming it was the opinion of a ‘layman’.

‘Let me interject there because I like Jeff and no disrespect but it’s a laymen’s view,’ Murphy said.

‘I watched the game and Crystal Palace are arguably as well-organised as any team in the Premier League defensively. They’re shape is really good.

‘If you think you can just click your fingers and start scoring three or four and make loads of chances against Palace, it’s not going to happen, they don’t set up like that.

‘You can go out with the intention of playing attractive football but Palace dictate how you play with their shape. You have to be patient, wait for your openings and that’s what they did and got the goal.

‘It’s a bit naive and idealistic to think because you’re a big club and you’re playing a so-called lesser team you can just go out and play this creative, wonderful football.

‘The Arsenal full-backs fly forward so they’re not overly pragmatic. They’ve just got to a level now when teams want to squeeze them and drop off.

‘There’s nothing wrong with Jeff saying he doesn’t like watching it but the reality is we’ve been spoiled with Liverpool and Man City.’

Leaders Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday against Burnley. Before that they face Brighton on Wednesday night for a place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Bournemouth, Tottenham and Sunderland currently make up the rest of the top-four, with Liverpool and Manchester City both outside the Champions League places.

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Micah Richards insists ‘well-oiled machine’ Arsenal have a ‘strong case’ to win the Premier League and admits star defender Gabriel Maghalaes has proved him wrong.

The Gunners boast a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League after a dramatic weekend in which Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all lost.

Defending champions Liverpool suffered their fourth successive league defeat, losing at Brentford, while Man City and Chelsea were beaten by Aston Villa and Sunderland respectively.

Arsenal took full advantage of their rivals slipping up by beating Crystal Palace and extending their lead at the top of the table to four points.

Eberechi Eze scored the only goal of the game, thumping home against his former club, while Arsenal kept their fifth successive clean sheet and tenth of the season.

Richards is beginning to think Arsenal are destined to win the Premier League, having backed Liverpool to retain the title at the start of the season.

The former Premier League defender has been impressed by how Arsenal are ‘finding ways to win games’ and reserved special praise for defender Gabriel.

Richards admits he ‘wasn’t sure’ about Gabriel following his £27m move to the Emirates Stadium but has now been won over by a player who has been hailed as one of the best centre-backs in the world.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Richards said: ‘The game [Arsenal’s win over Crystal Palace] wasn’t a classic, was it?

‘I thought Palace did rather well on the first half, creating a few chances, but Arsenal just snuff them out and know how to kill a game. They’re so good at it.

‘Gabriel, what a player he is. I wasn’t sure about him at the start, he made a couple of mistakes I thought he looked a little clumsy.

‘But he’s now turned into an absolute machine. He’s so key from set-pieces, for and against. People are calling Arsenal Set-piece FC but it doesn’t matter, win the game however you need to win them, that’s the most important thing.

‘Arsenal are finding ways to win games and that’s why they have a strong case for winning the Premier League.

‘I never quite believed it with Liverpool’s squad and their transfer window but now I you look at Arsenal and they don’t give teams opportunities, they just don’t. They look like a well-oiled machine.’

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was keen to play down Arsenal’s advantage in the title race after the ‘massive win’ over London rivals Palace.

‘It’s a massive win because we knew the difficulty of it,’ Arteta said. ‘Big credit to Crystal Palace for the way they set up, they made it really difficult for us.

‘We found a way to score against a team really well organised. We didn’t score a second goal and when you don’t do that you are in danger. They are a super difficult side and we have restricted them to very little.’

On the title race, with Arsenal bidding to win the Premier League for the first time since 2004, Arteta added: ‘It’s very early, we’re still in October.

‘The emotional state is really high but there are a lot of thing to get better. Let’s try and recover for Wednesday [Brighton in the Carabao Cup].’

After facing Brighton in the cup, Arsenal return to Premier League action at the weekend against Burnley, who have won their last two games.

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Could this be what stops the Gunners in their quest for the trophy?

Could this be what stops the Gunners in their quest for the trophy?

Arsenal consigned Palace to only their second defeat of the season.

A massively productive weekend for the Gunners.

Mosquera replaced the Frenchman at the midway point.

Jamie Carragher is a huge admirer of the Arsenal player (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal boast the ‘most influential player in the Premier League’.

The Gunners extended their lead at the top of the Premier Lea…

Palace make the short trip over to north London.

Eberechi Eze admits he was ‘prepared’ to join Tottenham before his ‘dream’ move to Arsenal.

England forward Eze looked set to join Thomas Frank’s Spurs from Crystal Palace and had agreed personal terms over the move.

But Arsenal hijacked Tottenham’s move at the last minute to bring him to the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth more than £60m.

Eze has only scored one goal for new club Arsenal but has helped the Gunners climb to the top of the Premier League and enjoy a perfect start to the Champions League group phase.

The 27-year-old was ‘prepared’ to join Spurs, who only finished 17th in the Premier League last season but are playing in the Champions League courtesy of their Europa League win, but had no hesitating rejecting Tottenham for Arsenal.

Eze spent five years in the Arsenal academy as a child before being released at the age of 13 and ending up at QPR before his successful spell at Crystal Palace.

‘I was prepared to go to Tottenham, but from the moment Arsenal came, it was always going to be them,’ Eze said ahead of Sunday’s clash against his former club Palace.

‘My first [senior] Arsenal game was special. It almost didn’t feel real because it’s something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.

‘Playing for Arsenal from eight to 13, it’s been in the back of my mind wanting to go back. It felt like the realisation of a dream.’

Arsenal have won six games in a row ahead of Sunday’s clash against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners thumped Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League during the week in a result that was widely described as a ‘statement’.

Crystal Palace have largely impressed under Oliver Glasner, winning the FA Cup last season and recently enjoying a 19-match unbeaten run.

But the Eagles have lost two of their last three games ahead of the trip to north London to face Premier League title favourites Arsenal.

Palace’s impressive unbeaten run was ended by David Moyes’ Everton before the international break and the south Londoners were also beaten by Cypriot side AEK Larnaca on Thursday night.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late goal earned Palace a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in this fixture last season.

Arsenal thrashed Crystal Palace 5-1 away from home, with injured striker Gabriel Jesus scoring twice, and also beat the Eagles in the Carabao Cup.

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The Gunners head into today’s game top of the league.

Eberechi Eze has one goal and three assists in 12 games since leaving Crystal Palace for Arsenal (Photo: Getty)

Eberechi Eze is set to play against his former club for the first time when Arsenal take on Crystal Palace in the Premier Leagu…

Gabriel suffered an injury in Arsenal’s 4-0 win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday (Getty)

Gabriel Magalhaes is an injury doubt for Arsenal’s Premier League match against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta has revealed tha…

Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Arsenal host Crystal Palace on Sunday.