Nine internationals return to starting XV for Leinster against Connacht

Leo Cullen has named his Leinster side to face Connacht this Friday night, with several familiar faces making their returns (KO 7.45 pm).

Cullen has been able to call on a selection of internationals that were involved in the November window.

Two of those, Hugo Keenan and James Lowe, will line out in the back three where they are joined by Jordan Larmour.

Robbie Henshaw swaps from outside centre to inside while Garry Ringrose returns to don the number 13 shirt.

Luke McGrath will lead the side out as captain and he is partnered in the half-backs by Harry Byrne, who made a late cameo against Ulster last week.

In the pack, Cian Healy, newly-capped international Dan Sheehan and Samoan star Michael Ala’alatoa make up the front row with Ryan Baird and Devin Toner slotting in behind them.

Autumn Nations Player of the Series Caelan Doris starts at No 8 where he is flanked by the familiar presence of Rhys Ruddock and Josh van der Flier.

Josh Murphy will reach a half-century of appearances for the province if he is introduced from the bench.

He’s joined in the replacements by Rónan Kelleher, Andrew Porter, Vakh Abdaladze, Max Deegan, Nick McCarthy, Ross Byrne, and Tommy O’Brien.

Leinster Team v Connacht

15. Hugo Keenan (34)
14. Jordan Larmour (65)
13. Garry Ringrose (90)
12. Robbie Henshaw (58)
11. James Lowe (55)
10. Harry Byrne (26)
9. Luke McGrath (156) CAPTAIN

1. Cian Healy (236)
2. Dan Sheehan (17)
3. Michael Alaalatoa (5)
4. Ryan Baird (32)
5. Devin Toner (269)
6. Rhys Ruddock (194)
7. Josh van der Flier (102)
8. Caelan Doris (43)

Replacements:

16. Rónan Kelleher (28)
17. Andrew Porter (80)
18. Vakh Abdaladze (13)
19. Josh Murphy (49)
20. Max Deegan (69)
21. Nick McCarthy (39)
22. Ross Byrne (109)
23. Tommy O’Brien (11)

Connacht make three changes for Leinster interpro

Connacht have made three changes to their starting XV for Friday’s interprovincial clash with Leinster at the RDS Arena (k/o 7.45 pm).

Oisín Dowling, Eoghan Masterson and Peter Robb are named to start in the second row, blindside flanker and inside centre respectively after getting minutes from the bench last week,

The rest of the team is unchanged from the one that ran in seven tries against Ospreys, meaning Robb is partnered by Sammy Arnold with a back three of wingers Mack Hansen and Alex Wootton and full-back Oran McNulty.

Kieran Marmion and captain Jack Carty continue at 9 and 10 respectively.

The front row of Matthew Burke, Dave Heffernan and Finlay Bealham makes its fifth straight start, while Ultan Dillane partners Dowling in the second row.

Masterson’s inclusion means Jarrad Butler moves to number 8 while Conor Oliver completes the line-up from openside.

The replacements include Cian Prendergast and Tom Farrell who both return to the matchday 23 having recovered from injuries.

Head Coach Andy Friend says: “Last week was pleasing not just to pick up 5 points but to continue our recent level of performances, even with a substantial break in the middle. The challenge for all of us now is to raise our game even more, away to one of the best sides in Europe.

We’ll take confidence from our win at the RDS last January, and our travelling supporters will be a big help as always. This game will tell a lot about where we are right now so we’re really looking forward to it.”

Connacht Team V Leinster Rugby

15. Oran McNulty (3)
14. Alex Wootton (23)
13. Sammy Arnold (21)
12. Peter Robb (48)
11. Mack Hansen (6)
10. Jack Carty (165) (C)
9. Kieran Marmion (192)
1. Matthew Burke (29)
2. Dave Heffernan (150)
3. Finlay Bealham (165)
4. Oisín Dowling (12)
5. Ultan Dillane (120)
6. Eoghan Masterson (114)
7. Conor Oliver (26)
8. Jarrad Butler (79)

16. Shane Delahunt (106)
17. Jordan Duggan (18)
18. Jack Aungier (19)
19. Leva Fifita (2)
20. Cian Prendergast (14)
21. Caolin Blade (136)
22. Conor Fitzgerald (40)
23. Tom Farrell (65)

Man United v Arsenal – Preview, Betting, Probable Starting Teams

Ralph Rangnick will get his first chance to claim a win as he plays the Gunners at home in a tough midweek clash in the Premier League

Man United v Arsenal will kick off at 20:15 tonight, Thursday 2nd December in Old Trafford. Referee Martin Atkinson will take charge of the tie.

For those that could not claim a ticket, the match will also be shown live on Premier Sports ROI 1.

This week is the beginning of a transition in Manchester United. On Sunday, German manager Ralf Rangnick was officially appointed as the club’s new boss. He will need to impose his mantra quickly as the club are now three games without a wing.

The Reds team is also hampered by injuries so the new head coach will not have a full list to choose from. This important game will still be the idle moment to endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful.

Mikel Arteta has begun to build a very threatening and consistent side with the young Arsenal team. Since a poor 4-0 loss to Liverpool in November, the Gunners are on a three-game winning streak while Aaron Ramsdale has kept three clean sheets.

They sit in fifth place now but a victory will jump them ahead of West Ham United into the Champions League places. It could be some very important points for the club also resigning their rivals to the tenth place in the table.

Many would consider this fixture to be one of the historic and important matchups in the Premier Leagues’ lifetime. Two of the most successful clubs in the competition but Manchester United have a slight advantage going by statistics. The Red Devils have won 11 of their last 25 games while the Gunners have seven wins and the remaining seven are draws.

Last season was quite an uneventful year for this fixture with only one goal score in both matches combined. Arsenal won the first game away from home while the most recent game in January ended 0-0 in the Emirates Stadium.

There is still a long road ahead and nothing is impossible when you play for Man. United. We will keep chasing our goals until the end! 👊🏽 pic.twitter.com/FZEuoDqBVa

— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 28, 2021

Man United v Arsenal Probable Starting Teams

Manchester United

Formation

4-3-3

Probable Starting 11

De Gea (GK), Telles, Maguire, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka, McTominay, Fred, Matic, Rashford, Ronaldo, Sancho.

Injuries / Suspensions

Cavani (Tendon injury), Shaw (Concussion), Pogba (Thigh), Varane (Hamstring)

Arsenal

Formation

4-2-3-1

Probable Starting 11

Ramsdale (GK), Tierney, White, Gabriel, Tomiyasu, Partey, Lokonga, Pépé, Odegaard, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette.

Injuries / Suspensions

Saka (Muscle injury), Xhaka (knee), Kolasinac (Ankle)

✌️ 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 ✌️

📍 Arsenal Training Centre pic.twitter.com/ZOJwjkukfD

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 1, 2021

Man United v Arsenal Match Betting

Manchester United to win: 19/20

Draw: 5/2

Arsenal to win: 13/5

Score Prediction

This set up to be the biggest and most eye-watering matchup of the midweek fixtures. The match looks to be a six-pointer game that could prove important in how the European places are given out but it is hard to see a victor in this battle between Arteta and Rangnick.

Expect this game to end 1-1 with the sides sharing the points.

Old Trafford ➕ @ManUtd ➕ @Arsenal = Legendary goals #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/eu7zUAKQxb

— Premier League (@premierleague) December 2, 2021

To read more from this writer, click here.

And to read more in-depth and up-to-date Premier League and international club football news, click here.

Irish UFC Talent: Ian Garry (“The Future”)

Conor McGregor is one of the biggest names synonymous with Irish UFC talent and the UFC itself, until now. Ladies and gentleman, introducing Ian Garry, a new Irish-born MMA fighter who is turning heads in the UFC.

There is no hotter place on the planet for producing UFC talent than Ireland it seems right now. Ian Garry is a name that needs to be paid close attention to because he very well may be the latest Irish-born UFC champion.

Ian Garry’s Tale Of The Tape

The impressive tale of the tape starts with Garry’s measurements and reach. Garry is a 6’ 3” welterweight with a 74” reach. Garry is currently on a 12 straight fight winning streak, and just won his first fight in the UFC. With only 25 years of age, he seems to have a bright future ahead of him.

Undisputable Record

There is no disputing that since his huge defeat of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds to win the UFC Featherweight Championship, Conor McGregor has been the biggest name in the UFC. It is widely known that the Irish have a deep talent pool in MMA, the success of McGregor and his championship run opened the floodgates of recruiters looking for the “next” one.

UFC #268

Garry’s time was now. He made his UFC 268 (Usman vs Covington 2) triumphantly by defeating Jordan Williams by KO/TKO at 4:59 of Round 1. Garry came in as the betting favorite and lived up to his role. Did you bet on it? For your next bet, check out the top bookmakers online and secure the best available odds.

In fairness, however impressive his win over Williams was, it should also be noted that Garry entered his bout with Williams as a heavy favorite, and Williams had a less than spectacular overall record of 9-5.

Williams was also much more experienced than Garry. Garry took on Williams who fights out of an UFC breeding ground in southern California. Garry’s UFC #268 fight with Williams was particularly impressive because it was a knockout of an opponent who was heavier, had a longer reach, and was so quick about it.

Even though the bout lasted only 5 minutes of the first round, Garry had perfect scores for striking significant distance body strikes landed versus attempted (4/4) and had a total strikes landed to attempted ratio of nearly 70%, according to ESPN.

Appeared Out Of Nowhere?

Garry did not simply appear like weeds growing on a green lawn, he came up fighting in Cage Warriors. Garry was full of nothing but praise for Cage Warriors. In a recent article on sportsnewswireland.com, Garry says it is massive that CW provided a platform that put on shows during a pandemic where almost everything else was shut down.

“The Future”

What is next for “The Future” Ian Garry? Garry wants to get what all MMA with Irish blood flowing through them wants, and that is to follow in Conor McGregor’s very big footsteps and become a UFC champion.

Garry’s ego could not have got a bigger boost than when he elicited McGregor’s cheers during the match and post-match, which McGregor shared through tweets and voice-recordings on social media.

McGregor credits the fight by Garry with inspiring him to comeback after a devastating loss and suffering a catastrophic leg injury against Dustin Poirier.

“Ireland will explode if you put me and him (McGregor) on a card together. So I’m in.” Garry exclaimed post-fight.

Garry has explosive power as a breakdown of his perfect 8-0 professional record will show. Of his 8 professional MMA fights, 5 of them Garry has either knocked out his opponents or won by TKO. The other 3 matches were made up of 2 decisions and an impressive submission with Rear Naked Choke.

UFC is the name that is most commonly associated with the world of MMA. Under the spotlight of Dana White and the UFC brand, the most talented, famous and infamous male and female athletes are presented on the biggest stage in combat sports.

Although Garry is considered to be a newcomer, he is now in a division that is overloaded with talent at 170 lbs. Garry only began his professional career in 2019 and in that time, has piled up a list of impressive victories.

After the holidays, Garry is going to return to Florida from Ireland, meet with the coaching and training staff at his gym Sanford MMA. Garry intends to work on his wrestling with coaches and fight at least 3 times in 2022 with four months in between fights for proper rest and training.

Waving The White Towel

Garry is patient and remains humbled during his rise up the UFC ladder. Without having the brash personality of a McGregor, he knows that he is going to travel a long path to greatness using his skills and learning whatever he can to improve with every fight.

ROB KEARNEY FAREWELL MATCH RUINED BY COVID-19

It was supposed to be the dream ending for an Irish legend. But, instead, Rob Kearney will have to live to take off his boots another day after positive tests for COVID-19 have caused a late cancellation of the game between the Barbarians and Samoa. It would have been an emotional day for both Kearney, and the fans, who would have gotten their money’s worth as one of the greats of modern UK rugby took his bow. Instead they got some measure of entertainment on new online casino sites UK, while holding out hope for the marquee match.

The legendary Irish full-back was set to face Samoa as part of the invitational Barbarians side in Twickenham on Saturday for the Killick Cup, but a couple of positive COVID-19 tests in the Barbarians camp have derailed the contest. Meanwhile, the female team, set to play against South Africa, was pushed to later on the same day.

35-year old Kearney is the most decorated Irish player and had an illustrated career in Leinster, playing 219 games, winning six pro14 titles, a European Challenge Cup and four Heineken Cups. His last game for Leinster was in 2020 during the COVID-19-impacted season against Ulster at the Aviva stadium. The Irishman also played for the Australian side Western Force for a brief spell.

Kearney played for both the British and Irish Lions and the Irish National Team at the national level and was part of a dominant spell for UK rugby, winning four Six Nations titles in 95 appearances. He won the 2009 Six Nations, the Triple Crown, and the Grand Slam with the Irish national team. In 2010, Kearney missed almost a year due to injury, but that was his longest-ever spell from the game.

In what was supposed to be a return to normal around the sports world, COVID-19 continues to take away from the rugby season. In recent weeks, the ODI between South Africa and the Netherlands has been postponed, while the women’s World Cup qualification tournament in Zimbabwe was cancelled as a new variant of the virus rears its head.

It is unclear what the schedule will be for the Barbarians and if Kearney will have another game to say a proper goodbye, but surely something will be done to give the legend his due ovation.

Earlier in the week, the man himself had tweeted that he has no regrets leaving the game that had “given him so much”.

ch”.

The 10 Best Premier League Strikers of All Time, Ranked

The 10 Best Premier League Strikers of All Time, Ranked

Since the start of the Premier League in 1992, the competition has seen many good to great strikers come and go. Many of the bigger and well-known clubs have had numerous talents throughout their history.

Picking ten strikers from 29 years of Premier League football was a tough task, with many greats playing before the re-branding of the English football landscape. Because of that, many players will miss out here.

Before we begin, players like Robbie Fowler, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Matt Le Tissier and Dwight Yorke will all miss out here, not that they weren’t good players, they were, but most of those players named do not have the same legacy or influence that the players on this list have. While Tottenham’s Hotspurs Harry Kane, for instance, is still playing and will more than likely make the list in the near future.

With the being said, here are the top ten strikers in Premier League history.

The 10 Best Premier League Strikers of All Time, Ranked:

10. Eric Cantona (Leeds United, Manchester United)

👑 𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑪 👑

Eric Cantona signed for United #OnThisDay in 1992 ✍️#MUFC | #PhotoOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/n8qiQdlO2d

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 26, 2021

Appearances: 156

Goals: 70 Assists: 56 GPG: 0.45

PL Titles Won: 4 Golden Boots: 0

Never a man to shy away from the spotlight nor controversy, Eric Cantona is similar to a fabled fairy tale within the Manchester United consciousness.

Being part of the great United sides from the early to mid-1990s, Cantona was a strong, bullish and clinical forward with the ball at his feet.

He intimidated opponents with his mere presence and gave United another option in their already established forward line. He also bagged the first Premier League hat-trick for Leeds United in a 5-0 hammering of Tottenham in 1992.

With his collar up, chest out, he was a major reason as to why Man United won four league titles in five years, along with two FA Cups.

9. Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)

44 – Ruud van Nistelrooy scored 44 goals for @ManUtd in all competitions in 2002-03, a record in the Premier League era. Bountiful. pic.twitter.com/QqxMKZaSE3

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 29, 2017

Appearances: 150

Goals: 95 Assists: 14 GPG: 0.63

PL Titles Won: 1 Golden Boots: 1

Arriving from PSV back in 2001 after a serious cruciate knee ligament injury, Van Nistelrooy became a fan favourite at Old Trafford with his excellent goalscoring output for five years.

In his first season he notched up 23 goals in 33 games, and from there he hit 20+ goals in four seasons. Winning the PFA Player’s Player of the Year, Golden Boot and Premier League title in 2002/03, scoring 25 goals in the process and 44 in all competitions.

With a goals-per-game ratio of 0.63, he contributed to 109 goals in 150 appearances. His goal return was outstanding, a player who often was in the right spot at the right time, Van Nistelrooy was an excellent finisher in his prime.

He left United after disagreements with Sir Alex Ferguson after being subsequently dropped for the League Cup final in 2006.

8. Robin Van Persie (Arsenal, Manchester United)

📸 We love this photo of Robin van Persie celebrating scoring @ManUtd's second goal against Everton back in February 2013 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EFUS4ATDwK

— DHL Man Utd (@DHLManUtd) April 3, 2021

Appearances: 280

Goals: 144 Assists: 53 GPG: 0.51

PL Titles Won: 1 Golden Boots: 2

The Dutchman joined Arsenal as a mere 21-year-old from Feyenoord in 2004, and from his debut to the 2009/10 season, he bagged 48 goals in 131 appearances.

Struggling with injuries and seemingly running out of patience with the Arsenal faithful, he turned a major goalscoring corner, scoring 48 Premier League goals in 63 games before making the controversial move to Manchester United in 2012/13.

He joined Manchester United as the missing key to Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in charge of the club, practically winning them the title with 26 goals. Winning back-to-back Golden Boots from 2011/12 with 30 goals and the following season with 26 goals, Van Persie was a great striker in his day, with a peach of a left-foot.

He would be higher on this list if he was not consistently injured and with only one league title to his name, it’s hard to justify him being anywhere else but 8th.

7. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

ON THIS DAY: In 2007, Chelsea beat Man City 6-0 at Stamford Bridge with Didier Drogba grabbing a brace. #CFC pic.twitter.com/F771Ff5rPK

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 27, 2014

Appearances: 254

Goals: 104 Assists: 55 GPG: 0.41

PL Titles Won: 4 Golden Boots: 2

Didier Drogba joined the Blues from French outfit Marseille in a £24 million deal in 2004, the player struggled in his first season for a consistent run of goals, and often being maligned for his diving.

Come the 2005/06 Premier League season, Drogba managed to turn things around becoming a major part of Chelsea’s success in England and in Europe.

Winning back-to-back titles under Mourinho, and winning two Golden Boots in 2006/07 and 2009/10 with 20 and 29 goals respectively.

Never seen a prolific goalscorer, only scoring 20+ goals twice in his eight-year spell in England, but don’t get it twisted, the big Ivorian was a world-class striker in his prime, a man for the big occasion, with 10 goals in 10 finals.

The highlight of his Chelsea career was his iconic role in Chelsea winning their first European Cup, scoring an 88th-minute equaliser against Bayern Munich and scoring the winning penalty to seal his place in Chelsea history.

Contributing to 159 goals in 254 Premier League games. Winning four League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League.

6. Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal)

15 years ago today, Dennis Bergkamp said farewell to Arsenal, as his testimonial marked the first game at the Emirates Stadium. pic.twitter.com/9B918HR5M9

— Patrick Timmons (@PatrickTimmons1) July 22, 2021

Appearances: 315

Goals: 87 Assists: 94 GPG: 0.25

PL Titles Won: 3 Golden Boots: 0

The Flying Dutchman was simply an exquisite player during his time in England. Signed by then Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch in 1995.

Bergkamp struggled in his first season, with many pundits and fans thinking his style would not suit the rough and tumble style so heavily associated with English football.

How wrong they were.

He went on to be crowned PFA Player’s Player of the Year and a Premier League winner in the 1997/98 season. Scoring the best Premier League hat-trick of all-time at Leicester in the process.

He is fondly remembered by many for his frightening partnership with Thierry Henry, where the pair worked seamlessly together to capture two more league titles, first in 2001/2002 and then their Invincible season in 2003/04.

The player retired in 2006, having won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, with two of those being doubles.

5. Andy Cole (Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland)

Happy Birthday, Andy Cole. Thanks for the memories. #Treble pic.twitter.com/QxDSvV1Yl4

— United Eleven (@ManUtd_ID11) October 15, 2013

Appearances: 414

Goals: 187 Assists: 73 GPG: 0.45

PL Titles Won: 5 Golden Boots: 1

Starting out his Premier League career in 1993 with Newcastle United, Andy Cole was one of the hottest properties in England after scoring 55 league goals in 70 appearances for the Magpies. It was not long until Manchester United came calling.

Joining United in 1995, he would go on to become a focal point of the massive success they endured during the 1990s. His unique partnership with Dwight Yorke during the 1998/99 season catapulted them to a historic treble.

The prolific partnership netted a combined total of 98 goals for the club in their first two seasons playing alongside one another, but with incoming signings such as Ruud Van Nistelrooy, minutes on the pitch started to dwindle.

Out of Cole’s 187 Premier League goals, 93 of them came during his time at Old Trafford. Which would be expected with the team surrounding him, but out of 187 league goals, only one of them was from the penalty spot.

Enough said.

4. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

150 #PL goals for Sergio Aguero!#FPL history:

2011/12 – 211 pts (23 goals)
2012/13 – 121 pts (12 goals)
2013/14 – 156 pts (17 goals)
2014/15 – 216 pts (26 goals)
2015/16 – 184 pts (24 goals)
2016/17 – 175 pts (20 goals)
2017/18 – 169 pts (21 goals)
2018/19 – 73 pts (7 goals) pic.twitter.com/pfpb1sA1Mj

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) November 5, 2018

Appearances: 275

Goals: 184 Assists: 47 GPG: 0.69

PL Titles Won: 5 Golden Boots: 1

When you think of little Argentines to have played in the Premier League, Sergio Aguero comes to mind, and rightfully so. The striker is easily one of the prolific strikers to ever grace the league during his 10-year stint with Manchester City.

Joining City in the 2011/12 season, scoring 23 league goals in his opening campaign he would go on to clinch City’s first-ever Premier League title in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season in a 3-2 victory over QPR.

The striker would notch up double-digit goals in nine of his 10 seasons in England, with six of those being 20+ goals. The Argentine reached the 100-goal mark in 129 starts while holding the joint record for the most goals in a single Premier League match with five.

Winning five Premier League titles with City is an incredible feat, but in terms of pure volume of goals scored, it’s hard to find anyone who can rival him. With the striker’s goals-per-minutes ratio at a ridiculous 108.

To think Chelsea declined to sign him over Fernando Torres.

Sigh.

3. Wayne Rooney (Everton, Manchester United)

📷 Wayne Rooney celebrates his injury-time match winner in the League Cup semi-final vs Manchester City, 2010. pic.twitter.com/mRQThuVPR1

— UnitedReds (@UnitedRedscom) January 5, 2021

Appearances: 491

Goals: 208 Assists: 103 GPG: 0.42

PL Titles Won: 5 Golden Boots: 0

Manchester United’s greatest ever player. Wayne Rooney became Manchester United’s top goalscorer with 253 goals, while he sits second in the all-time Premier League goalscorer list with an incredible 208 goals.

Blessed with pace and power, Rooney was one of the best youngsters to ever come out of England. Joining United in 2004 from boyhood club Everton he won 12 major honours during his spell at Old Trafford, five of those being Premier League titles.

His latter career in Manchester was filled with persistent injuries and being played as a deep-lying midfielder and sometimes as a defensive midfielder.

His best seasons were from 2009 to 2012 where he won the PFA Player’s Player of the Year in 2010, where he contributed to 41 goals in 44 games. While in the 2011/12 season, he notched up 43 goal contributions in 43 games.

Outstanding to say the least.

2. Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United)

Happy Birthday to the Premier League Top Goalscorer and the man with the most boring celebration ever, Alan Shearer.

260 goals ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/IAgmXlYww7

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) August 13, 2017

Appearances: 441

Goals: 260 Assists: 64 GPG: 0.59

PL Titles Won: 1 Golden Boots: 3

Based on pure footballing ability, England’s Alan Shearer was maybe not the greatest. But in terms of legacy and the sheer volume of goals scored, Alan Shearer has to be included on this list.

Dragging a Blackburn side to an unlikely title win in 1995, scoring 34 goals in what would turn out to be his only league title. The infamous number nine striker scored a record-breaking 260 goals (yet to be broken) and 64 assists in 441 league appearances.

He won three Golden Boots in three consecutive seasons. Scoring 31 goals in 40 games in 1993/94, 34 goals in 42 games in 1994/95 and 31 goals in 35 games in 1995/96.

He won the Football Writer’s Player of the Year in 1994 and received the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award in 1995 along with his only Premier League title in the same season.

An out and out goal-scoring machine, Shearer could score from anywhere, but it usually involved a thunderous right-foot strike from 30 yards.

The lasting image of the proud Geordie with his right hand raised after scoring is a highlight in the League’s history and is burned into every Newcastle fans mind.

1. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry sees his goalscoring record finally brokenhttps://t.co/drhyJLFdXJ pic.twitter.com/MAElE0WJpx

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) November 29, 2021

Appearances: 258

Goals: 175 Assists: 74 GPG: 0.68

PL Titles Won: 2 Golden Boots: 4

The greatest player to ever grace the Premier League, French forward Thierry Henry was well and truly out of this world during his time in England.

Joining the Gunners from Juventus in 1999 for £11 million, Henry became a world-class player during his 9-year stay in London.

Scoring 175 goals and notching up 74 assists in 258 Premier League appearances, winning two Premier League titles in 2001/02 and 2003/04.

He went on to win the Player of the Season twice in 2003 and 2004 while picking up the Football Writer’s award in 2003, 2004 and 2006 along with four Golden Boots from 2001 to 2006.

Scoring 25+ league goals in five consecutive seasons, as well as being the only player to hit 20+ goals in five consecutive league seasons. In four of those five seasons, he was Premier League’s top scorer.

While Shearer scored more goals and spent longer in the league, Henry was a once in a lifetime striker and lit up English football that no one to this day has ever replicated, leaving behind a legacy that will be hard for anyone to match.

The 10 Best Premier League Strikers of All Time, Ranked

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The 10 Best Premier League Strikers of All Time, Ranked

Southampton v Leicester City – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Leicester City travel to St Mary’s Stadium to take on Southampton on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm.

Leicester have won their last two games after going four games with a victory and will look to mount a win streak and climb the table.

Southampton, on the other hand, come into the game having been torn apart by Liverpool’s fluid football and are aiming to stop their two-game skid before it gets out of control.

Leicester’s recent upturn in fortunes has seen them rise to the top of their Europa League group and get back on track in the league.

The season has seen them start poorly as their woes from the end of last season trickled into this season.

On top of this, their old three-man defensive system leaked goals without Wesley Fofana in the eleven – Fofana is recovering from an injury.

Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff made the decision to switch to a four-man defence six days ago for their match against Legia Warsaw and the extra man has helped them pick up two wins, albeit, conceding three goals in the process.

Southampton have looked impressive at times this season but their defence was exposed against Liverpool and massive improvements at the back will be needed if they are to stop the rot.

On the plus side, their attack has looked threatening on occasion this season but consistency is needed for success to be found – that being said, Che Adams and Adam Armstrong are finding their rhythm together.

Leicester’s Youri Tielemans will miss the game through injury while Stuart Armstrong will not be available for Ralph Hassenhuttl to select – Mo Elyounoussi and Ibrahima Diallo are however.

Teams

Southampton (4-2-2-2): McCarthy; Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters; Romeu, Ward-Prowse (C); Redmond, Tella; Armstrong, Adams.

Subs: Forster, Lyanco, Perraud, Valery, Smallbone, Elyounoussi, Djenepo, Long, Broja.

Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel (C); Castagne, Evans, Soyuncu, Thomas; Soumaré, Ndidi; Lookman; Maddison, Barnes; Vardy.

Subs: Ward, Vestergaard, Amartey, Choudhury, Dewsbury-Hall, Albrighton, Pérez, Iheanacho, Daka.

Odds

Southampton 13/10

Draw 12/5

Leicester City 19/10

Where To Watch

The fixture will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video.

Aston Villa v Man City – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa host Premier League champions Manchester City at Villa Park on Wednesday night at 8:15 pm.

Villa have won two from two under their new boss, who joined the Midlands team after a successful spell in Glasgow with Rangers.

However, this will be his biggest challenge yet as he comes up against one of the generation’s greatest tactical minds – Pep Guardiola.

City sit second in the league, a point off the leaders Chelsea and a point ahead of Gerrard’s old club, Liverpool.

A win would, at the very least keep City above Jurgen Klopp and co. but if Gerrard can get a result against the league holders, he could do his former employers a favour.

The Sky Blues have recovered from their defeat to Crystal Palace with three straight wins in the league, as well as a victory over PSG to seal first place in their group in the UEFA Champions League.

However, the game against Palace showcased that City do not fare as well without a traditional striker against smaller sides as they have done against Liverpool and Chelsea.

Villa’s new pressing system under Steven Gerrard is still raw but positive work against the likes of Rodri and Joao Cancelo could swing momentum in their favour.

But City have talent and quality in excess compared to Villa and the aforementioned players will still be able to cause the problems they have been causing all season.

The Villains’ defence has looked much more uniform and impressive under Gerrard thus far and a monumental effort will be needed if they are to topple the Kings of England.

Manchester City will be without Kevin De Bruyne, Ferran Torres and Aymeric Laporte for the match, but John Stones is expected to feature.

Former Villain Jack Grealish and Phil Foden face a late fitness test before a decision is made on their status.

Danny Ings, Bertrand Traore and Trezeguet are all out for Villa.

Teams

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings (C), Targett; Nakamba, McGinn, Douglas Luiz; Bailey, Watkins, Buendia.

Subs: Steer, Hause, Tuanzebe, Young, Sanson, Ramsey, Chukwuemeka, El Ghazi, Davis.

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson; Cancelo, Dias, Ake, Zinchenko; Fernandinho (C), Rodri, Bernardo; Mahrez, Jesus, Sterling.

Subs: Steffen, Carson, Grealish, Foden, Mbete, Palmer, McAtee, Lavia, Wilson-Esbrand.

Odds

Aston Villa 7/1

Draw 7/2

Man City 4/11

Where To Watch

The match will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime.

Everton v Liverpool – Preview, Teams, Odds, Where To Watch

Rafa Benitez and Everton welcome Liverpool to Goodison Park for the first Merseyside derby of the season on Wednesday night at 8:15 pm.

The two sides come into the game in contrasting form – Everton are winless in seven and have only scored four goals in that stretch, conceding 13 while Liverpool sit two points off the top of the Premier League table with eight goals in their last two games in the competition.

Liverpool are expected to dominate possession in the game, with Everton tending to sit back and soak up pressure in the hope of releasing counter-attacks.

Since their first loss of the season against West Ham, Liverpool have looked superb, scoring 10 in three games without reply.

The return of Andrew Robertson against Southampton at the weekend saw him showcase his fantastic on-field relationship with Diogo Jota.

Jota, Sadio Mané and Mo Salah lead the goalscoring charts in the Premier League at the moment – The Portuguese forward and Mané have seven goals to their name while Salah sits top on 11.

Liverpool are already outscoring Everton in the competition by a ratio of 2.5 to 1 while Everton have allowed almost twice as many goals.

Four of Liverpool’s players have netted more than Everton’s top scorers Demarai Gray and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who will miss the game through injury.

Everton will also be without Yerry Mina and Tom Davies for the match, as well as Mason Holgate who is suspended for his red card against Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Andre Gomes is back in training and Richarlison is available for selection again after serving a suspension.

Joe Gomez and Naby Keita are still sidelined for the Reds alongside Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones.

Teams

Everton (4-2-3-1): Pickford; Coleman, Godfrey, Keane, Digne; Doucouré, Allan; Gray, Townsend, Richarlison; Rondon.

Subs: Begovic, Kenny, Delph, Iwobi, Tosun, Gordon, Gbamin, Branthwaite, Dobbin.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson; Salah, Jota, Mané.

Subs: Kelleher, Konaté, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Minamino, Tsimikas, Origi, Williams, Morton.

Odds

Everton 13/2

Draw 4/1

Liverpool 1/3

Where To Watch

The game will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime at no extra cost for Prime customers.

Luke McGrath: ‘It’s nice to be back in the mix’

Leinster scrum-half Luke McGrath returned to the Ireland setup last month for the first time since March 2020 after teammate and fellow number nine Jamison Gibson-Park suffered a thigh injury.

The 28-year-old joined up with the boys in green ahead of their final game of the Autumn Nations Series.

Gibson-Park had orchestrated the Ireland attack alongside Johnny Sexton in victories over Japan and New Zealand before being ruled out.

McGrath did not get back onto the pitch in green but noted that the time he spent with the squad was valuable.

“It was great,” McGrath exclaimed. “It’s obviously been a long time since I was in but it was nice to go in after they beat New Zealand, you know, they were in great spirits.

“To be there for the rest of the Argentina week was great, even to be an extra just on game day kinda – you know, there was a while where I was very far away from that so it’s nice to be back in the mix and, like I say, hopefully, I’ll be able to get a couple odd more Irish caps in the future.

“But the only way I can do that is by playing well with Leinster, so that’s kinda where my focus is at the minute but it was a great experience.”

McGrath has appeared five times for Leinster this season, with four starts to his name and captained the side in their interprovincial clash with Ulster.

Their rivals got the upper hand on them at the RDS on the day as Dan McFarland’s men registered their first win over the boys in blue since April 2019.

Leinster were dominated for the majority of the game and were unable to deal with their linespeed and quality in the breakdown.

Ulster manipulated space against the Pro 14 champions really well, especially at the start of the game.

McGrath’s opposite number, John Cooney called three-man pods often to bring Leinster’s concentration towards the ball and not the wide men, leading to some enticing chances when the number nine chose to go down that avenue.

Connacht star Jack Carty is known to use space to his advantage and has thrived this season with Mack Hansen and him forming a dynamic duo.

Hansen has started life in the West of Ireland like a house on fire and his energy and speed caused lots of problems for the Ospreys defence last week at the Sportsground.

“We did watch a bit of the Ospreys game [Monday] morning and Jack used his kicking game really well.

“You know, Ulster, like you say, were very effective against us around the ruck, they tightened us up very well and, like you say, took the edges so maybe Connacht might use a bit more of that template this week – again, it’s kind of hard to know.

“But, like you say, Jack’s playing really well at the minute. His kicking game is so effective – it was definitely very effective against us in the RDS last year when they beat us.

“Connacht have a load of threats – Hansen’s playing really well as well so, you know, it’s gonna be a massive defensive effort from us but, yeah look, we’re really looking forward to the challenge.”