Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper says his side cannot let the outcome of Everton’s game with Wolves affect preparations for their clash with Arsenal.
Forest welcome the Gunners to the City Ground on Saturday night knowing that if Everton lose at Molineux earlier in the day then a victory for them would ensure their survival.
Even if they lose against Arsenal they could virtually be safe if West Ham beat Leeds and Leicester lose at Newcastle.
But Cooper is wary of the attention being anywhere other than a hugely difficult fixture against Mikel Arteta’s side.
“I understand, but the opposite could happen as well,” the Welshman said in reference to Everton losing. “In the end it’s about us trying to get whatever we can out of our game. If stuff outside of us helps us then great but the other teams will be thinking that about our game as well.
“We’ve got one of the toughest games you can have, there’s no doubt about that.
“There’s a lot of thinking you can do outside of your own game and the impact it might have but you’ve still got to go and play the game and whatever happens before and after the biggest determination of the weekend has to be on what we do.
“Anything can happen this weekend and that’s why I think that we’ve got to be careful that you don’t let your mind wander too much into good or negative outcomes. That’s dangerous, we’ve got to just focus on the game.
“We’re in control of our game and performance, decision-making and what we do. All of the other stuff and what we want to achieve and happen is motivation but you have to focus on what achieves your motivation and outcome.
“You’ve got to understand context, of course, and we do but I don’t want the context of ‘what if’s’, good bad or in between that. At the forefront of our mind is what does it take to be at our best because we need to be against Arsenal.”
Flick takes over at Barcelona following Xavi's U-turn sacking
Hansi Flick has been appointed the new head coach of Barcelona following the club's shock decision to sack Xavi.
A club announcement on Wednesday revealed Flick will take over ahead of next season after penning a two-year deal at Camp Nou.
Xavi initially announced in January he would leave Barca at the end of the season, but club president Joan Laporta managed to convince him to prolong his tenure.
However, just 30 days after that U-turn was announced, the club reversed its decision again, stating Xavi would be dismissed come the end of the campaign.
On Wednesday, the club formally announced Xavi's backroom staff would join him in departing, thanking the former midfielder for his "commitment, dedication and generosity" as well as his willingness to work towards a mutual termination of his contract.
With Xavi out the door, former Bayern Munich boss Flick will take over ahead of next season, looking to improve on the Catalan giants' runners-up finish in LaLiga behind rivals Real Madrid and their quarter-final Champions League exit this term.
Flick's last role was with the national team of Germany, though he lasted just over two years in that job as they crashed out at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The German football federation initially stuck with Flick after that tournament, only to dismiss him after three successive friendly defeats last year.
Flick enjoyed more success in his most recent club role, leading Bayern to two Bundesliga titles, as well as a treble that included the club's sixth Champions League crown during his maiden campaign in charge in 2019-2020.
Flick would retain the Bundesliga title the next season, as well as adding the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup trophies before taking over the Germany role from Joachim Low.
Flick finished his time at Bayern with a win percentage of 80 per cent over his 145 matches in charge.
After then winning just 12 of his 25 games at the helm of Germany, Flick will be hoping for a stark improvement during his new role in Spain.
Seattle Sounders v Real Salt Lake: Mastroeni lauds visitors' 'magic' mentality
Pablo Mastroeni believes Real Salt Lake's "magic" mentality has helped them earn a reputation as comeback kings, though he is hoping for a more routine outing against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday.
RSL fought back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with FC Dallas last Saturday, having recovered from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to beat the Colorado Rapids 5-3 one week earlier.
Mastroeni's men are now unbeaten in 11 league games and sit four points clear at the top of the Western Conference standings ahead of their midweek visit to the improving Sounders.
"It's not a surprise to me that the guys, given the scoreline, stay in there and fight," said Mastroeni. "It's a testament to the group.
"Everyone that's a part of this club has the same mindset, and I think when you're aligned in that way, magic like that happens.
"Obviously, we don't want it to happen too often, but I think it just shows the mental fortitude of the group."
Seattle have recorded back-to-back 2-1 wins over Phoenix Rising in the U.S. Open Cup and St. Louis City in MLS, moving within reach of the playoff places after a tough start to the year.
Boss Brian Schmetzer knows they will have to be at their very best to get anything against RSL, though.
Speaking after Saturday's win in St. Louis, Schmetzer said: "They were a little unlucky not to get a goal at the end. Our luck is changing.
"There is some momentum building but Real Salt Lake are a good team. We have to back up a good performance with another good performance against Real Salt Lake."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris
Morris has scored in consecutive regular-season games for the first time since early last season.
He only has one streak of more than two straight games with a goal in MLS, finding the net in four appearances in a row between April and May 2016.
Real Salt Lake – Cristian Arango
Arango's 13 goals in MLS this season put him out on his own at the top of the goalscoring charts, two clear of Christian Benteke and Luis Suarez.
Four of those goals have come in RSL's last four games, with the team netting 12 times in that span.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Real Salt Lake extended their league-best unbeaten run to 11 regular-season games (seven wins, four draws) with their 3-3 draw at Dallas last Saturday.
This is their longest single-season unbeaten run since a 12-match streak to begin the 2014 campaign, though that streak ended with a loss in Seattle in late May.
The Sounders have improved of late, winning consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time this year. An entertaining draw could be on the cards.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Seattle Sounders – 35.6%
Real Salt Lake – 36.6%
Draw – 27.8%
Chicago Fire v Orlando City: Lack of goals concerning for Pareja
Oscar Pareja has admitted Orlando City's lack of goals in recent weeks is a cause for concern as they aim to change that against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday.
The Lions have won two of their last five matches but alternated between hitting the back of the net and failing to score during that run, getting shut out by Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Orlando are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference, two points off the playoffs, and Pareja hopes his side can add a more clinical edge against Chicago to close that gap.
"[Not scoring] is a concern, especially when you don't have the accuracy to cross or to find somebody in the box. Or if somebody is in the box but isn't precise to finish it off," Pareja said.
"The concern in the week is how can we polish them. But we have scored before, and we were collecting some games where the strikers start scoring. It's day by day, but today we need to be worried about it."
Chicago sit second from the bottom with just 11 points after only winning two games this season.
The Fire have failed to win any of their previous eight matches but snapped a four-game losing streak with their 1-1 draw against D.C. United at the weekend.
"It's about consistency now to keep going," Frank Klopas said. "We have the level, we've shown it.
"We've got to do it consistently, but [Saturday] was a step in the right direction with the attitude, the mentality, the fight with the group and playing really good football and creating good chances.
"[One] step at a time, we take it, we regroup, and now we need to come out with even more energy on Wednesday."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Kellyn Acosta
Acosta scored his second goal for the Fire on Saturday, with both coming from outside the box. The American has scored eight goals from outside the box in his regular-season MLS career, with four coming from his right foot and four from his left.
Orlando City – Nicolas Lodeiro
Orlando have scored nine goals on the road this season, with Lodeiro recording assists on five of them. Lodeiro has 38 career regular-season assists on the road, the most among active MLS players and seventh-most in MLS history.
MATCH PREDICTION – ORLANDO CITY WIN
Orlando have won four of their last five meetings with the Fire (one draw), including the last three in a row. Prior to this run, Orlando had won just three of 14 matches against Chicago (five draws, six losses) in all competitions since joining MLS in 2015.
Orlando have also won three of their last four regular-season road games (one draw), including back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia Union and San Jose Earthquakes. This is the Lions' ninth set of consecutive away wins in MLS league play, though they've never won three in a row on the road before.
Meanwhile, Chicago ended a four-match losing streak with a 1-1 draw against D.C. United on Saturday. Still, the Fire have a club record-low 11 points after 15 matches, a total only one team since 2000 has overcome to reach the playoffs: Inter Miami in the extended playoffs of 2020.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 32.1%
Draw – 27.9%
Orlando City – 40%
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