Here are the latest Premier League headlines on Thursday, March 24.
Walker-Peters told to emulate Trippier
Southampton full-back Kyle Walker-Peters was told to follow the example of Newcastle United’s Kieran Trippier in order to break through to the England squad. Walker-Peters received his maiden Three Lions call-up for the upcoming March international fixtures after enjoying a very impressive season for the Saints.
The 24-year-old has played on both the left- and right-hand side of defence at times this season, something which Trippier did excellently for England at EURO 2020. This is an attribute particularly useful to Gareth Southgate’s squad given their shortage of left backs and via quotes from Hampshire Live, Walker-Peters revealed the advice he was given before the start of the season.
He said: “The manager at Southampton [Ralph Hasenhuttl] brought this up with me at the beginning of the season. He said if I want to play for England, it is important to show I can play on the left as well. He actually brought up [Kieran] Trippier's name and said like him, he played at left-back in the Euros. So I think it is definitely a quality that Gareth [Southgate] appreciates, but there is a long way to go until that [World Cup] squad is announced and I just have to keep performing as best as I can.”
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Bissouma future
Yves Bissouma has reportedly told Brighton & Hove Albion he would like to leave the club amid ongoing speculation about his future. That is according to 90min.com, who claim that a number of clubs including Aston Villa, AS Monaco, Arsenal and Manchester United have all shown interest in the past and could rekindle it this summer.
Bissouma will have just 12 months to run on his contract at the Amex Stadium and has established himself as a quality centre midfield player since his arrival from Lille in 2018. Villa went in strongly for his signature during the January transfer window, however the Seagulls rejected their advances.
Alonso on Tuchel tactics
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso believes the ‘leap’ that the Blues took tactically under the management of Thomas Tuchel was the main factor in last season’s Champions League victory. Tuchel was appointed as Frank Lampard’s successor at the midway point of the campaign and took them from mid-table mediocrity to the champions of Europe.
The Blues are again in the last eight of the competition this season after comfortably overcoming Lille in the last-16 and are set to face the side they defeated in last year’s semi-finals Real Madrid. Alonso thinks that the way Tuchel made them into such a difficult team to play against is what helped turn their fortunes around.
In an interview with AS, via quotes from the Independent, he said: “We were a very balanced team. In these close knockout ties, the little details make the difference. We were a team in every way. We defended very well, we were an uncomfortable team to play with, we defended all eleven and the small details made the difference.
“At this point in the Champions League everything is very even and it depends on very small details. Since [Tuchel] arrived, the team took a leap tactically and when it came to defending. We are very happy with it.”
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