Lionel Messi blamed the conditions of the pitch Estadio Monumental de Maturín for Argentina’s “ugly’ 1-1 draw against Venezuela on Thursday night in their first World Cup qualifier of the October international window.
If 2023 was the year in which Arsenal proved unable to last the pace as frontrunners, then defeat at Fulham showed their New Year’s resolution must be to thrive in the role of chasers.
