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Five Spain Players To Watch At The 2022 World Cup

Spain have disappointed in the last two World Cups after lifting the trophy in 2010.

They are in the chasing pack in World Cup odds for Qatar, but they come into the tournament after a string of positive Nations League results and a run to the semi-finals at Euro 2020.

Only a couple of players remain from the all-conquering team which was a football tips success story from 2008 through to the early part of the 2010s.

A new generation is emerging, but Spain are a team in transition, lacking the high-end peak talents of some other contending nations.

Pedri

One of the most valuable players in world football, Pedri turns 20 just days after the World Cup kicks off.

Despite his young age, Pedri is blessed with several seasons of experience for both club and country, and has already amassed 14 caps.

Hard-working, technically sublime and versatile, Pedri could operate from a central midfield role or be used behind the striker. He can do a bit of everything and has rightly earned comparisons to Andres Iniesta.

Gavi

Gavi started with Pedri in the midfield three in Spain’s penultimate Nations League match.

It is a bold call to start two teenagers in the World Cup, but there is no question the duo have the talent to deliver in football’s biggest competition.

Having succeeded Pedri as the Golden Ball winner in 2022, Gavi is already an established member of the Spanish squad with 12 caps to his name before his 19th birthday.

Álvaro Morata

Spain cannot afford to miss chances against Japan and Costa Rica. Álvaro Morata has 27 goals in 57 caps, yet there are still doubts about his reliability as a goal scorer.

Morata can flatter to deceive, and having been paired with Germany in the group stage, Spain need to be clinical.

Luis Enrique isn’t blessed with an array of options in the final third. Morata is the starter, but he has just 14 league goals in 49 appearances since the start of last season for Juventus and Atletico.

To some, he will be a dark horse for the Golden Boot. To others, Morata is one of the reasons Spain cannot go all the way in Qatar.

Ferran Torres

Speaking of goal scorers, Ferran Torres has 13 goals in 30 caps for Spain, and brings off-ball movement which can complement the intricate play of Spain’s midfielders.

Torres, though, hasn’t had the best of times since he signed for Barcelona, and has been limited to six La Liga starts in 2022-23.

Optimists can interpret that as a fresh player. Enrique will have to be wary of rust, and perhaps a lack of sharpness.

Marco Asensio

Don’t be fooled by Marco Asensio having a lone goal in 27 La Roja caps.

As already mentioned, goal scoring is a potential issue for the Spaniards, and Asensio has an eye for goal, as was exhibited in his 10 goals in 19 La Liga starts last term.

Much like Torres, Asensio brings a similar uncertainty over match fitness after being no more than a backup at Real Madrid. He has started just two matches across La Liga and the Champions League this season.

November 18, 2022

World Cup 2026

By Sam Cox

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Sam is a sports tipster, specialising in the Premier League and Champions League.

He covers most sports, including cricket and Formula One. Sam particularly enjoys those on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – notably MLB and NBA.

Watching, writing and talking about sports betting takes up most of his time, whether that is for a day out at T20 Finals Day or a long night of basketball.

Having been writing for several years, Sam has been working with 888Sport since 2016, contributing multiple articles per week to the blog.

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Five Croatia Players To Watch At The 2022 World Cup

Croatia were a longshot in World Cup winner odds four years ago. They still reached the final, only to lose 4-2 to France.

A repeat of that run might very unlikely in Qatar, but this is still a nation with sufficient talent to cause problems for the inner circle of contenders.

Croatia are grouped with Belgium, Canada and Morocco and are favoured by most World Cup result predictions to reach the knockout rounds at the very least.

Luka Modrić

Despite being into his thirties, Luka Modrić is one of the best midfielders in the world. Alongside Mateo Kovačić and Marcelo Brozović, he can orchestrate matches even against players with much fewer miles in the legs.

Few players can match Modrić’s big-game experience too, from a collection of stellar Champions League performances to his Golden Ball showing in Russia.

Modrić doesn’t have to get on the scoresheet or notch an assist to influence a match. He can pull teams apart from deep positions. The duel with Kevin De Bruyne and Belgium’s midfield in the group is especially intriguing.

Mislav Oršić

Not the biggest football betting name in the Croatia squad, Mislav Oršić has resisted transfer interest from elsewhere to stick with Dinamo Zagreb.

Oršić has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last three full seasons for Dinamo, and has already netted 11 in 25 outings this season.

With pace to burn, Oršić is invaluable late in games. He has his work cut out to start at the World Cup, having not started Croatia’s last three, but he is a serious threat on the break.

Ivan Perišić

Scorer of the equaliser against England in the semi-final four years ago, Ivan Perišić has won the Champions League, Bundesliga and Serie A since then.

Perišić might be 33 years old, but he still has the energy to bomb up and down the left flank when required.

Where he has predominantly been a wing-back for Inter and Tottenham, look Zlatko Dalić to utilise Perišić in a more advanced role.

Mario Pašalić

The veteran trio still patrol the midfield, but Mario Pašalić has an important role to play either from the flank or as an option off the bench to replace one of Modrić, Kovačić or Brozović.

Pašalić has been featured on the right of the front three at times, though the Atlanta midfielder usually operates in a central role at club level.

A hard-worker with an eye for goal, the Mainz-born midfielder could be overshadowed by his bigger-name teammates, but he has a meaningful role to play in this squad.

Joško Gvardiol

Linked with Leeds in 2021 and Chelsea earlier this year, Joško Gvardiol is a man in demand across Europe.

While still in the early stages of his career at just 20 years old, Gvardiol has proven he can perform at a high level in the Bundesliga and Champions League with RB Leipzig.

The youngster has the highest market value of any Croatian player – he’s the future of the national team, but he’s also an asset in 2022.

November 18, 2022

World Cup 2026

By Sam Cox

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Lauren EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal Are Serious Title Contenders

Former Arsenal defender and famed Invincible Lauren believes the Gunners are firmly in the reckoning to win a first Premier League title for 19 years under Mikel Arteta.

“I haven’t been surprised by Arsenal, but I didn’t expect the team to get all of Arteta’s concepts so early. Everybody in the team knows when to press. They keep momentum. Their passing is very good.

“What did surprise me is they are capable of playing at the same level for 90 minutes in all of the games. This is very important, to maintain their consistency for the whole game. They are doing this and it’s fantastic.

“If they are up there around late January, then they can be a serious contender for the title.”

The North London giants flew out of the blocks this season and have been winning ever since, confounding expectations and disproving the doubters who claim their squad lacks genuine depth.

Yet on the subject of their limited resources Lauren insists the club should avoid any temptations to strengthen in the next transfer window, instead going with what they’ve got until the season’s end.

“Arsenal have to keep believing in what they’re doing, because so far they’ve been brilliant. And they have to keep believing in their squad because rather than bringing in other players I would prefer the club kept their confidence in the team, not thinking about who to sign in January.”

If this may count as a somewhat unpopular option among the Emirates faithful we only need to acknowledge the players Arteta presently has at his disposal, a young team full of verve and adventure who are lighting up the upper echelons of the top-flight.

Arteta said Arsenal watched the City game together on the team bus this afternoon.

I asked what the reaction was like when Toney scored:

"As you can imagine," he said with a smile. pic.twitter.com/b1r2KffSoz
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) November 12, 2022

Of these, Bukayo Saka especially stands out, the 21-year-old putting in some outstanding performances of late after a notably slow start to his campaign. Knowing a thing or two about wingers after facing a multitude of them across a decade of playing at the highest level, Lauren is evidently a fan.

“Saka has many attributes. He understands the game and what I like about him is he doesn’t rush his actions. He gets in those positions higher up the pitch to damage the opponent and only there he is entitled to do his tricks. He knows where and when he can dribble and that is important from a young lad.

“He can take players on and I believe he can keep progressing. He’s a top player.”

At the back meanwhile, Arsenal have been solid, conceding the joint-fewest number of goals after 13 games, and central to their defensive fortitude has been a pairing who appear to be getting better, and stingier with every passing fixture.

Having played to the right of some iconic partnerships down the years, does Lauren suspect William Saliba and Gabriel may go on to be favourably compared to the likes of Adams and Bould one day?

“Saliba and Gabriel are already a great centre-back partnership. There is a real understanding between them.

“There was a moment yesterday against Chelsea when Gabriel lost his position a little and Sterling attacked the space. But Saliba came in from behind and was quicker. He reads the game so well and he is quick and confident.

“Gabriel can score goals at set-pieces and he understands the game. He’s been great. He is aggressive in his approach and this is important when you play a high press.

“Those two centre-backs are right up there at the moment.”

Another player who has received a lot of plaudits this term is Granit Xhaka, who has transformed his reputation at the Emirates and in doing so became a pivotal figure in Arteta’s revolution.

🗣️| Granit Xhaka on Mikel Arteta:

“You know what? I had to turn 27 to understand football correctly, that's his merit. Mikel showed me football anew. He explains the game, the tactics, the opponent to you so that you can only go out and win. He's a crazy guy.” [@Blickch] #afc pic.twitter.com/2Gf38298d8
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) November 13, 2022

Yet here, instead of simply praising the Swiss star, Lauren focuses on the midfield as a unit, pointing out how one part inspires the other.

“The reason Granit Xhaka is doing well is because Partey is dominating the middle of the park. That allows Xhaka more freedom to get forward and combine with the strikers. The better Partey is, the better that makes Xhaka because there is a balance. Everybody contributes.”

The same thinking is applied when assessing the Gunners’ attack, with the two Gabriels, Martinelli and Jesus, observed as a duo, rather than as individual talents.

“Martinelli is not yet a player who has got to his peak. He’s on the way and he’s doing well, playing better than last season and being more consistent in his performance.

“He is a different player to Jesus, who is mobile and attracts players while Martinelli is used more for quick transitions, going forward. Arsenal need Martinelli because even if they dominate possession sometimes opponents defend with a low block and they need his speed for that quick transition. This we’ve seen many times this season and he is a real player.

“These players will become superstars. Look at Gabby Jesus who is playing so well and can make the difference. Even when he doesn’t score he holds onto the ball, which allows the midfield players to come out. He can stretch the team as well."

Arsenal’s Premier League record ahead of the World Cup:

🏟️ 14 games
✅ 12 wins
🤝 1 draw
❌ 1 defeat

Arteta’s side will be top of the tree at Christmas. 🎄 pic.twitter.com/gz3IpiMBUY
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 12, 2022

The last time Arsenal won a Premier League crown, Lauren was their first-choice right-back, the Cameroon international playing a considerable part in the Gunners going through the whole season undefeated.

Nearly two decades on, he is watching the same club win on a weekly basis once again, this time as a fan.

It will not surprise you in the least to learn that every word spoken above was accompanied by a broad smile.

Lauren quickfire questions –

Score prediction for Wolves v Arsenal

If Arsenal are away then 1-2.

Who will win the Premier League?

I wish for Arsenal but we’ll have to wait. If they are still up there at the end of January then anything can happen.

Who will win the Champions League?

Real Madrid. Once they get to the latter stages, they know how to compete. It is not a question of luck that they’ve won the competition five times in recent years.

November 14, 2022

Premier League