TheNewsGuru

Tag: Arsenal

  • Arsenal clinch first league title since 2012

    Arsenal clinch first league title since 2012

    Arsenal Women clinched the Super League title for the first time since 2012 with a 4-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.

    Vivianne Miedema opened the scoring with her 22nd goal of the season after six minutes, the Dutch striker hitting a thunderous shot from the edge of the area which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

    And the 22-year-old then turned provider after half an hour, setting up team-mate Katie McCabe to double the lead for Joe Montemurro’s side at the Amex Stadium.

    Beth Mead made it 3-0 with a superb long-range effort and Danielle van de Donk completed the rout in front of a record crowd of 5,265.

    Reacting, Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro said he was “proud and honoured” and praised his players for coming through a testing season.

    “To coach an Arsenal team to a championship as an Arsenal fan is mind-boggling,” he said. “It’s something I’d never have thought about in growing up and becoming a coach. I’m very proud and very honoured to be here as an Arsenal coach.

    “Winning the title means a lot because we’ve had an interesting year. They’ve come together as a group and there’s been a lot of adversity with regards to the injuries and so on. As a group, the love and the respect they have for each other really culminates in what we’ve achieved today.

    “I’m very proud of the way we did it with control, defined our own destiny. We didn’t have to rely on other teams dropping points or anyone else losing. It was just us and that’s all credit to the players who were prepared every week and bought into the philosophy and methodology of play. They’ve represented Arsenal in the best way possible.”

  • EPL: Jamie Vardy brace dent Arsenal’s top-four hopes

    EPL: Jamie Vardy brace dent Arsenal’s top-four hopes

    Leicester inflicted a blow to Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League with a dominant victory at the King Power Stadium.

    The unmarked Youri Tielemans headed in a cross from James Maddison just before the hour mark, and Jamie Vardy scored twice late on with a header and a tap-in from close range.

    Arsenal played almost an hour of the contest with 10 men after Ainsley Maitland-Niles was sent off.

    A third successive Premier League defeat left the Gunners a point behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who face Manchester United at Old Trafford at 16.30 BST on Sunday.

    Leicester still have a slim chance of finishing seventh – they are five points behind Wolves – which could earn a Europa League place depending on the outcome of the FA Cup final.

  • EPL: Ruthless Wolves dent Arsenal top-four hopes

    EPL: Ruthless Wolves dent Arsenal top-four hopes

    Arsenal missed the chance to go fourth in the Premier League as they were outplayed by Wolves at Molineux.

    Ruben Neves put the hosts ahead with a direct free-kick from 25 yards before Matt Doherty headed in a second.

    Diogo Jota added a third just before half-time after the Gunners gave the ball away and he ran at the away defence before firing a shot under goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

    Arsenal defender Sokratis headed in from Granit Xhaka’s corner in the 80th minute but it was not enough for the Gunners.

    The victory takes Wolves up from 10th to seventh, while Arsenal remain fifth, one point adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea and four behind north London rivals Tottenham.

    With three games left of the season, Wolves are in contention to qualify for Europe.

    If Manchester City beat Watford in the FA Cup final the team finishing seventh in the Premier League will take the last available European spot and enter next season’s Europa League at the second qualifying round phase.

    BBC

  • Magnificent Lacazette free-kick sends Arsenal into Europa semi-finals

    Magnificent Lacazette free-kick sends Arsenal into Europa semi-finals

    A magnificent Alexandre Lacazette free-kick sent Arsenal into the 2018/2019 UEFA Europa League semi-finals with a comfortable 1-0 win away to a toothless Napoli on Thursday.

    Arsenal’s win ended Serie A’s interest in European competition this season.

    The Frenchman struck in the 36th minute to earn Arsenal a tie against Valencia.

    Napoli were trailing 2-0 from the first leg, and they were threatening to take control of the game.

    Carlo Ancelotti’s team lost their way after that.

    Arsenal were then able to sit out the second half to reach the semi-finals for the second season in a row with a 3-0 aggregate win.

    In a lively opening half hour, Napoli threatened to make a breakthrough as Jose Callejon’s effort was saved by Petr Cech’s legs.

    Arkadiusz Milik also had a goal chalked off for offside.

    The Pole should have put Napoli ahead minutes later when compatriot Piotr Zielinski’s cross found him unmarked in the penalty area, but he headed wide.

    Arsenal also lost Aaron Ramsey to an apparent hamstring problem.

    But just as it seemed things were going against them, they went ahead as Lacazette curled his free-kick around a poorly-organised wall from 25 metres.

    Arsenal should have wrapped up the game four minutes into the second half.

    But Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, with only Alex Meret to beat, placed his shot too near the goalkeeper.

    The second half petered out after that as Arsenal sat back and Napoli enjoyed most of the possession but did little with it.

    Lorenzo Insigne shot weakly at Cech after getting clear of the Arsenal defence and was immediately substituted.

    It was a decision which infuriated the forward who watched the rest of the match on the touchline with his arms folded.

    Fabian Ruiz summed up their evening by firing their last chance wildly over the crossbar in stoppage time.

  • EPL: Freakish goal gives Arsenal victory at Watford

    EPL: Freakish goal gives Arsenal victory at Watford

    Arsenal boosted their hopes of a top-four finish in the English Premier League after a bizarre 10th-minute goal by striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave them a 1-0 win at 10-man Watford on Monday.

    The result lifted the Gunners two places up to fourth on 66 points from 33 games, ahead of fifth-placed Chelsea on goal difference and two points in front of sixth-placed Manchester United.

    Watford stayed 10th with 46 points.

    The fast-paced clash took a decisive turn in a frantic one-minute spell early on, as Aubameyang found the back of the net in unlikely fashion.

    And then Watford striker Troy Deeney was shown a straight red card for elbowing Lucas Torreira.

    The home side’s goalkeeper Ben Foster dwelled on Daryl Janmaat’s back pass for too long, allowing Aubameyang to close him down and block his attempted goalmouth clearance.

    The ball agonisingly ricocheted into the back of the net.

    Despite their numerical disadvantage, Watford kept pressing and missed a string of chances to draw level.
    They were twice denied by the woodwork as well as by some good saves from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno.

    Aubameyang, Alex Iwobi, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan also came close at the other end,but Arsenal were forced to hang on in the closing stages with Watford throwing men forward.

  • EPL: We’re in a good moment, says Emery after Newcastle win

    EPL: We’re in a good moment, says Emery after Newcastle win

    Arsenal manager Unai Emery expressed delight at the performance of his boys against Newcastle United, saying the team was in a good moment.

    Goals from Aaron Ramsey and Alexandre Lacazette gave Arsenal a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on Monday night.

    The win lifted them to third place in the English Premier League (EPL) above rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

    “We were very consistent over 90 minutes. We didn’t concede any chances. We created and dominated the match. We are happy,” Emery told reporters in his post-match reaction.

    “Each match is very difficult. We got three points and did it our way. It’s a nice challenge to win consecutive matches, it’s a new history and we’re creating our own way.

    “We’re in a good moment. but each match is a new test.

    “I hope Ramsey’s injury is not serious. The doctor is thinking it’s a small injury.

    “We are improving. Today we are third, but the next match against Everton is difficult and our rivals are going to win a lot of matches,” he said.

    Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez, on his part, admitted that his boys played against a better team, adding that there were little or no allowance for error when playing against a top side like Arsenal.

    “We played against a good team and were fine for a while in the first half. We could avoid their goal, it was a little bit lucky.

    “We had situations on the counter attack where we could be more dangerous, but we didn’t do it.

    “The last 10 minutes they had chances to score but until the second goal we were pushing. It is a shame because you could feel the atmosphere was getting nervous.

    “When you play top sides away it can be a mistake which makes the difference. In the end it was a mistake and we must learn from this and be ready for the next one.

    “I think 38 points is enough [to stay up], 40 just in case. Hopefully it will be less,” he said.

  • Europa: Emery hails Arsenal’s strength under pressure

    Europa: Emery hails Arsenal’s strength under pressure

    Arsenal manager Unai Emery hailed his side’s ability to cope under pressure after they came back from a 3-1 loss in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie.

    They beat French side Rennes 3-0 on Thursday to advance 4-3 on aggregate to the quarter-finals of Europe’s second-tier club competition.

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck either side of an Ainsley Maitland-Niles goal as the North London side joined local rivals Chelsea.

    Arsenal became only the second team in Europa League history to win a tie after losing the first leg 3-1.

    “This comeback was very difficult, but I think the reaction was very good from every player,” Emery told reporters.

    “We can be proud of our players today because it was a very difficult week — (Manchester) United on Sunday and today against Rennes.”

    Arsenal’s 2-0 home English Premier League (EPL) win over Manchester United on Sunday kept alive their hopes of a top-four finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.

    “Playing under pressure is good, growing up under pressure — with each player playing like a team and feeling the difficult moments to give us our best performance,” Emery said.

    Arsenal have missed out on UEFA Champions League football for the last two seasons, and their poor away record remains a big concern.

    Although they have no more top-six teams to face in the EPL this season, they play more away than home fixtures.

    Nevertheless, Emery said the UEFA Champions League, Europe’s premier club competition, was not his only focus.

    The Europa League — which he won three times in a row from 2014 to 2016 as manager of Sevilla — also provides the chance for silverware.

    “I said to the players today (Thursday), I’m excited (about) this competition, but it’s exciting not only for the possibility to go to the UEFA Champions League, but also because it’s one title,” he said.

    He also took note of surprising results elsewhere.

    “Today (Thursday), Inter (Milan) are out, Sevilla are out — a big surprise. And the last teams, they are all very important, and it’s going to be very difficult,” Emery said.

    For his side, the focus must always be simple.

    “We are going to think the same before every match. The next match is the most important for us,” Emery said.

  • Arsenal thrash Rennes 3-0 to reach Eurpoa quater-finals

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inspired an Arsenal comeback as they overturned a two-goal deficit from the first leg and reached the Europa League quarter-finals with a 4-3 aggregate win over Rennes, BBC reports.

    The striker put Arsenal ahead within four minutes, firing in Aaron Ramsey’s cut-back, before setting up Ainsley Maitland-Niles before half-time at Emirates Stadium.

    He then poked in Sead Kolasinac’s low cross after the break to make it 3-0.

    Arsenal will be in the draw for the quarter-finals on Friday at 12:00 GMT.

    They join fellow English side Chelsea in the last eight after they thrashed Dynamo Kiev 8-0 on aggregate.

    It is the second successive season Arsenal have made it through to the last eight – they were knocked out in the semi-finals last year following a 2-1 aggregate defeat by Atletico Madrid.

  • Arsenal star Ozil sends football kits to Kenyan kid [Photos]

    Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has shown his class off the pitch by assisting a young Kenyan boy with his authentic club jersey and football boots.

    The boy, Lawrence was snapped by a social media user in December while herding cattle with a makeshift Arsenal shirt that has the name and number of the former Germany international written boldly with a marker.

    Fortunately, Ozil got the message on Twitter and he has taken action by putting smiles on the boy’s face with pairs of boots and newly-signed Arsenal jerseys.

    The gesture might not be a big deal for the 30-year-old who earns £350,000-a-week at the Emirates Stadium but it goes a long way in lifting the spirits of the boy who was captured in Nairobi.

    See post:

  • Man Utd’s defeat to Arsenal is lowest moment – Solskjaer

    Man Utd’s defeat to Arsenal is lowest moment – Solskjaer

    Manchester United’s first Premier League loss under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the “lowest” moment since he took charge, the interim manager said.

    Solskjaer has turned the team’s form around since taking over in December, following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

    The Norwegian has overseen a run of 10 league wins and two draws before suffering defeat at Arsenal on Sunday.

    Solskjaer told BBC Sport: “The performance was good but the result was disappointing.”

    The former striker has brought a feel-good factor back to United with results that mean they are in the fight for a Champions League spot at the end of the season, as well as reaching the quarter-finals in Europe and the FA Cup.

    Such has been the turnaround there have been growing calls from players and supporters to give Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis.

    Going into the fixture at Emirates Stadium, United were in fourth place having been 11 points adrift of the position when Mourinho was dismissed on 18 December.

    But their 2-0 loss allowed Arsenal to jump above them in the league, courtesy of goals from Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

    Solskjaer said: “We are disappointed with the result but looking at the performance, you cannot say it was a game we deserved to lose. We created five big chances, hit the woodwork twice.

    “When you see the boys work as hard as they do, the attitude they show in training – today we were lethargic in the first 10-15 minutes, did not have the zip and we did not take the chances. Hopefully we will be ready for Wolves in the FA Cup next week.

    “It has been fantastic so far but today is the the lowest we have been because we lost and missed the chance to put pressure on Spurs.

    “We have won games we have not deserved to win, and today we lost a game we did not deserve to lose.”