Hello! EFL Cup competition resumes in England this week, with the Premier League’s star-studded squad entering the fray in time for the third round. Plus, it might be time to get ready for the upcoming international break – at least if you ask Cavan Sullivan. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest news.
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Monday, September 14
🇮🇹Serie A: Inter Milan vs Udinese, 2:45pm ➡️ Paramount+
🏴PUIJIANZHUIJIANZHUIZHUIJIANZHUIZHUIZiYIPL EPL: Leeds United vs Newcastle United, 3pm ➡️ US Network
🇪🇸 La Liga: Villarreal vs Real Betis, 3pm ➡️ ESPN+
Tuesday, September 15
🏴шѠѠѠѠЁ EFL Cup: Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur, 3pm➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Elche vs. Real Madrid, 3:30 PM ➡️ ESPN2
⚽Frontline
🇺🇸 Cavan Sullivan makes his case
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With the World Cup now officially in the rear-view mirror, there’s no better time for budding talents to sow the seeds of their international futures, and one player in particular is wasting no time – Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan.
Sullivan has two goals and two assists in the last week alone, including back heel ball another person who saw him nutmeg keeper before the ball flies into the back of the defence. His latest performance is just the latest example of his upward trajectory – he now has five goals and seven assists in 10 games, easily ranking among MLS’s most productive attackers since the World Cup break. Sullivan became the youngest player to make his MLS debut at the age of 14 and signed a contract with Manchester City that took effect after his 18th birthday. Sullivan was hopeful, but he quickly turned that potential into practical and exciting results.
He is highly skilled in front of goal, ranking in the 91st percentile among attacking midfielders and wingers in non-penalty expected goals in MLS this past year, and is equally gifted at creating chances, making him a key player for a team in a league that entered the World Cup below the playoff line but is no longer an outsider. What’s remarkable about Sullivan’s rise is that his outstanding season was built on the post-World Cup campaign. Former head coach Bradley Carnell, who was fired during MLS’s summer hiatus, used Sullivan sparingly, but interim head coach Ryan Richter has included the 16-year-old in his plans since July, as has 18-year-old centre-back Neil Pierre. Richter’s faith in the up-and-comer paid off, so much so that Sullivan felt like he was on the verge of a call-up to the U.S. men’s national team.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino will name his autumn friendlies squad this week, describing the four games as a “new start” for the national team as the long road to the 2030 World Cup begins. Pochettino did not name names but said there will be a mix of experienced players and fresh faces, with a wide variety of players in the latter category to choose from as a generation of young talent starts knocking on the door of the national team. Not everyone makes the cut, largely because not every talented player is ready to handle the pressure of the national team; however, Sullivan is as strong a case as anyone that his time has finally arrived, and not too soon. Chuck Booth made the argument in Sullivan’s favor.
- Booth: “With the international break coming up, the first of FIFA’s new window that will see teams face four teams for a three-week break, Sullivan absolutely has to be there. Initially, with U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino able to scout young players, Sullivan has reason to try out training camps and what he needs to get into the national team, but now he should return to Milan based on merit.” Folarin Balogun is in uncertainty after Monaco’s proposed move to Everton fell through. We need to look at the other attackers, and one of them has to be Sullivan. “
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🏴Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur meet in the League Cup
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The third round of the Carabao Cup is the most star-studded competition yet, with 10 of last season’s best teams in the Premier League taking part, most of whom will face competition from the lower divisions in the hope of inching closer to the first trophy England competes for every season. There are two Premier League clashes left, though, the most notable of which is Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Liverpool on Tuesday.
Like many of their peers, both teams are still in the early stages of season transition and don’t yet look like finished products. While the Reds have started to achieve some notable results under new coach Andoni Illaura, the same cannot be said for Tottenham. Their only win of the season so far was a lopsided result against Championship side Charlton Athletic, but more pressingly, they go into Tuesday’s game without a goal in the Premier League. Four games into Roberto De Zerbi’s first full season in charge, Tottenham are yet to score, with only newly promoted Coventry City also falling into the very unpopular category. Here’s James Benge’s assessment of his team’s attacking woes after watching Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
- True form: “[Spurs] The game ended with 14 shots and an expected goals against (xG) of 0.64. Pickford made just two saves, neither of which came from shots inside the box. Van Herk’s shot at the back post from Andy Robertson’s free-kick was Tottenham’s only shot worth more than 0.1 xG (0.14 to be precise). Their four defenders combined for five shots. Their front three passed just three times… Dominic Solanke had no shots, no assists in 63 minutes and his 11 passes were worth just 0.01 expected assists. You can tell Omar Mamouche is used to following better forwards. “
How long the drought will last is now the question facing De Zerbi and his company. Liverpool have kept just two clean sheets in five games in all competitions this season, although the fact they did so against Ipswich and Fulham is nothing to write home about. Their error-prone backline could provide Spurs with an opportunity if they’re willing to accept it, but it depends on if and how De Zerbi plans to rotate the team in a game they clearly don’t enjoy. Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa will be more instructive, though – Unai Emery’s side are 19th in the table with zero points and seven goals from four games, and this clash is the perfect opportunity for both sides to shake off their woes. Villa should be at least a little better than where they are, so there’s reason to be optimistic about the chances ahead of them.
However, as the saying goes, if you don’t take the shot, you miss 100% of it, and if Spurs – or Villa, for that matter – fail to capitalize on a real chance of victory this week, optimism will quickly fade.
🔗 Popular Stories
👎 Manchester United are in trouble again: Manchester City’s 1-0 victory exposed Manchester United’s offensive inconsistency, and although they played for more than an hour, they were unable to break through their opponents’ organized defense.
⏪ Referee issues remain: It’s not been a great weekend for Premier League referees, who admitted making a major error in City’s victory over Manchester United and are now facing a complaint from Arsenal following their victory over Sunderland.
🔴⚫ Pulisic’s return to style: United States international Christian Pulisic provided an assist in AC Milan’s 2-2 draw with Lazio, his first game since suffering a microfracture in his leg during the World Cup.
🏴Chase, pursue, pursue Premier League power rankings: Arsenal and Manchester City are the leaders after four weeks, and now may be the time to sound the alarm for Tottenham and Aston Villa.
💰 Backline
💵 Best choice
- Serie A: Inter Milan v Udinese, Monday 2:45pm
💰 Best Bet: Inter win 2-0 (+600) – Inter Milan have made a perfect start to the league campaign with three wins from three games and the defending champions will no doubt be keen to extend their winning streak in the final Serie A match at the weekend. They will hope for a chance against Udinese, who have made a mediocre start to the season with four points, which could provide Inter with a chance to show off their attacking prowess. Lautaro Marinez scored twice in last week’s 3-2 win over Napoli, while Pio Esposito scored his first goal of the season on the opening day. Look for a regular win from Inter Milan which will prove their ability to compete for the title again this season.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss CBSSports.com’s betting homepage.
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