Managers up and down the country will be speaking to the press ahead of the latest weekend of Premier League action.
Daily Mail Sport will bring you all the key news here…
Maresca: City galvanised by guilty verdict
Enzo Maresca has told Manchester City’s rivals that the whole club has been galvanised by the guilty verdicts handed down for serious breaches of financial rules.
City are three points clear at the top of the Premier League going into Saturday’s home game against Ipswich Town and possess a 100 per cent domestic record this season.
Their case with the league is going to appeal after an independent commission found the club guilty of all substantive charges, with calls for the leaders to be expelled from the division.
Enzo Maresca believes the guilty verdicts handed down to Manchester City for serious breaches of financial rules have galvanised the whole club
City have won at Anfield and lost a Champions League classic against Paris Saint-Germain since the judgment and Maresca has seen a change in his players.
And it appears that the squad are leaning into the idea that the majority of top-flight followers want them to lose – something Ruben Dias recently suggested has spurred them on for some time.
‘Ruben said that people don’t like City winning,’ Maresca said. ‘But we like to win. I think that is a good message for everyone. Since the noise, I can see from my personal point of view the fans, the club, the team more together for sure.
‘From my point of view, the wise way to judge a situation is always to wait for the final words. But I can understand that now people need to speak about this situation. I don’t need people from outside the club to (help) understand the situation.
‘I don’t feel any kind of stress about the outside situation, because it’s something that I don’t control.’
Daily Mail Sport revealed last week that in a meeting ahead of Liverpool, Maresca’s motivational address was focused on how they have a title to battle for. The Italian has reiterated publicly that they must ‘make their own noise’.
City maintain their innocence and insist they will prevail on appeal, with ex-manager Pep Guardiola’s attendance in midweek a show of support for his former employers.
Guardiola is thought to have entered the dressing room but Maresca said he didn’t speak to the players.
And Guardiola’s successor has been fascinated by the influx of inflatable bananas brought to matches by supporters over recent days in a throwback to a craze first introduced in the 1980s.
‘I didn’t know the history behind the banana,’ Maresca added. ‘I hope tomorrow I can see many bananas in the stadium.
‘I think it creates a nice environment for the fans and for everyone that is in the stadium. I have four kids and they already asked me about them. Tomorrow they’re going to be at the stadium and we’ll see.’
By Jack Gaughan
Arbeloa not distracted by sack talk
Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa maintains he cannot allow speculation over his job to distract him from keeping everyone focused on beating Hull.
The Spaniard’s position has come under the spotlight with his side bottom of the Premier League table and only having secured two points from six games following last weekend’s late defeat at Ipswich, where they had been 1-0 up with three minutes left.
Former Real Madrid boss Arbeloa, who took over at Craven Cottage in the summer, insists his only focus has to be on Saturday’s showdown with newly promoted Hull – a game which he had previously described as a ‘final’.
Arbeloa said at a press conference: ‘I am focused on tomorrow’s game, on my players, on my team. That for me is the most important thing.
Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa won’t let speculation over his future distract him from beating Hull
‘It is not about me. It is about the club, it is about the players. It is about the supporters. And like I said before, we are waiting for the game where the performance turns into a result.’
Despite reports he would be sacked if Fulham do not beat Hull, Arbeloa again stressed it was business as usual. ‘For me, it has been a normal week where we have been working hard, where we were preparing a difficult match against a very difficult team,’ he said.
‘They (players) did (execute the game plan) for many minutes against Ipswich. We did against Man United, we did against Liverpool, so for me, we need to try to keep that level for 90 minutes.
‘I saw the commitment of the players this week, how they have been training, and they are so focused on tomorrow’s game. I saw them how they can play and for me, it is the most important thing: the performance of my players.’
Gibbs-White a doubt for Forest’s clash with Arsenal
Nottingham Forest are sweating on the fitness of Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal.
The England international picked up a calf injury in last weekend’s defeat at Crystal Palace and has not trained all week.
He is expected to train with the squad on Saturday and will be assessed before the visit of the champions.
Nottingham Forest are sweating on the fitness of Morgan Gibbs-White ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal
‘Morgan Gibbs-White is a doubt, he couldn’t train the entire week with us,’ boss Oliver Glasner said. ‘But it looks like he can join tomorrow’s session.
‘He had an individual session today with our rehab coaches, and he suffered a minor muscle injury at Palace. Then we have to see how he reacts today and how he deals with tomorrow’s session, and then how we take the final decision.’
Forest will also assess Nikola Milenkovic, who has returned to training after a bone bruise.
‘Milenkovic trained for the first time today,’ Glasner said. ‘Let’s see now how he reacts.
‘He could be in the matchday squad, but let’s see, because he’s been out now for several weeks.’
Farke: We’re not favourites
Daniel Farke does not accept his side are favourites to end the club’s long wait for a home win against Manchester United in Sunday’s Roses battle.
Leeds, who have not beaten the Reds at Elland Road since 2002, are riding high in seventh place, while Michael Carrick’s side have won only two of their nine games in all competitions this season, with the club heavily criticised in midweek by their own defender Lisandro Martinez.
Farke said: ‘I’m not sure if we’re favourites. I know how the perception is. We we had a brilliant start to this new season and are in a really good position.
‘And yes, perhaps Man U have found it tough to win their last matches, but nevertheless, if you have a look at the squads, if you have a look how long they have spent at Premier League level, you have to say that they are definitely not the underdog in a game against Leeds United.
‘If you look at their transfer value and the quality they have, and also the options, it’s still a very dangerous opponent, and even more dangerous when they come off the back of a few games without a win. So I’m very respectful and know we have to be at the top of our game.’
Farke refused to comment on Martinez’s outburst after Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid when he called out the club’s hierarchy for lacking ambition.
‘No comments about any anything in their camp,’ Farke said, before adding: ‘I just rate it in a different way when the perception is also a bit negative.
‘There’s always a chance, a bit like a hurt boxer more or less, to also change the momentum again.’
