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Tag: Arsenal

  • Petr Cech a big loss to football – Mourinho

    Petr Cech a big loss to football – Mourinho

    Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says four-time Premier League winning goalkeeper Petr Cech will be a “big loss” to football.

    The Portuguese said he is proud to have managed one of the modern game’s best goalkeepers, who announced on Tuesday he will be retiring at the end of this season.

    Mourinho and Cech arrived at Chelsea in the same summer of 2004 – and won the Premier League title in their first season in England.

    Cech went on to win three more titles – and the Champions League – with Chelsea, before moving across London to his current club Arsenal.

    “I am honoured to have been the manager that, at such an early age, gave Petr a top Premier League number one shirt, Mourinho told Sky Sports.

    “After that day, it is all about him. All about his numbers, his performances, his clean sheets, his titles and his professionalism.

    “It’s a big loss for football but history can’t be deleted. Many congratulations on such an amazing career.”

     

  • Arsenal’s Petr Cech set to retire end of season

    After 20 years as a professional, Arsenal’s first choice goalkeeper Petr Cech is set to retire at the end of the 2018/2019 English Premier League (EPL) season.

    The 36-year-old who joined Arsenal in June 2015 from Chelsea announced this on his twitter handle @petrcech on Tuesday.

    “This is my 20thseason as a professional player and it has been 20 years since I signed my first professional contract.

    “So it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire at the end of this season,” he tweeted.

    The Czech professional arrived England, signed for Chelsea from French Club Rennes in 2004 winning 13 trophies at the Stamford Bridge and FA Cup title in 2017 with the Gunners.

    “Having played 15 years in the EPL, and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve.

    “I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this season, then I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch,” the tweet ended.

    Arsenal under new manager Unai Emery is fifth placed with 41 points from 22 matches this season.

  • EPL: Ozil no longer fit for Arsenal team – Emery

    Arsenal manager Unai Emery has suggested Mesut Ozil is no longer fit for his team as he sat out Saturday’s Premier League defeat at West Ham.

    Ozil, returned to full training over the last week following a knee problem, but was left out of Emery’s travelling party completely as Declan Rice’s first senior goal sealed a 1-0 victory for West Ham at the London Stadium.

    The German has missed a number of games this season, with differing reasons given for his absence. A 2-1 win at Bournemouth in November was the only time Emery conceded the former Germany international was left out for tactical reasons.

    The Arsenal head coach stuck with the side which beat Fulham in their last Premier League outing, but the visitors were poor as they failed to find the back of the net in a league game for the first time since the opening weekend of the campaign.

    But when pushed over why he opted to leave Ozil at home for the short trip to east London, Emery claimed all of those players who did make the trip deserved to be there.

    “I decided the idea of the players that I think are the best for this match,” he said.

    “We win with him, we lose with him. I think it is not one player [which means] we can’t win or lose.

    “Today the players who were here are the players who deserved to be in this match. We could’ve won or lost.

    “We continue working with every player because they are all important, but today the decision was to come with these players.”

  • Teenager Rice gives West Ham rare win over Arsenal

    Teenager Rice gives West Ham rare win over Arsenal

    A superb finish by West Ham midfielder Declan Rice – the 19-year-old’s first Premier League goal – earned his side a fine win and dented Arsenal’s top-four ambitions.

    Rice beat Bernd Leno with a first-time shot after a good lay-off by Samir Nasri, who was making his first top-flight appearance in England since August 2016.

    In a highly-competitive London derby, Alexandre Lacazette was denied by an excellent save from Lukasz Fabianski as Arsenal failed to score in the league for the first time since the opening day of the season.

    West Ham were full value for their win, with Marko Arnautovic, Rice, Nasri and Felipe Anderson all going close when the game was goalless.

    While West Ham move up to eighth in the table after a sixth win in nine league games, Arsenal remain fifth.

    The Gunners are three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who entertain Newcastle.

    BBC

  • EPL: Arsenal cannot afford permanent deals – Emery

    EPL: Arsenal cannot afford permanent deals – Emery

    Arsenal are looking at signing players who can ensure a strong finish to their Premier League campaign, but their transfer activity this month could be restricted to loan signings, manager Unai Emery has said.

    The north London club are fifth on the table with 41 points, but Emery said fans could not expect permanent recruits in January.

    They have missed out on top-four finishes and Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.

    “We cannot sign permanently. We can only loan players,” Emery told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s league trip to West Ham United.

    The Spaniard pointed out the difficulties in recruiting players in the January transfer window, but said the club were keeping their eyes open.

    “I know the club is working on possibilities of which players can help us with big performances like we need now.

    “If we can find one player who can help us like we need, with the quality and a different player for getting in our squad, we are going to do it,” Emery added.

    Arsenal’s transfer strategy in recent seasons has seen players run down their contract and leave for free, the latest being midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

    The Welsh midfielder is set to join Juventus in the close season after failing to agree a new deal.

    “I respect his decision a lot. My last conversation with him is very important,” Emery said.

    “We both spoke about the situation with respect from him and from us. His response has been very good in training and matches with good performances.

    “I want his behaviour and his focus to be on West Ham on Saturday.”

  • Transfer news: Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey set to join Juventus

    Italian champions Juventus are set to sign Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey at the end of the season on a free transfer, according to reports in the British and Italian media.

    Ramsey has made more than 250 appearances since joining the Gunners from Cardiff City in 2008, but the Wales international has failed to agree on a new deal with the London club in the final year of his contract.

    The impasse has enabled the 28-year-old to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs since Jan. 1.

    The reports added that Juventus were set to pay the player 140,000 pounds (179,074 dollars) per week, a fee that would make Ramsey the club’s second-highest earner behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Ramsey has made 18 league appearances this season, scoring twice, including a memorable strike against Fulham in October that was regarded by many as an early contender for goal of the season.

    The reports added that while manager Unai Emery was keen to retain Ramsey, Arsenal need to keep their 200 million pound (255.64 million dollars) wage bill under control, leaving the club’s longest serving player open to leave on a free transfer.

    Ramsey’s signing would be seen as a shrewd piece of business by Juventus, who are nine points clear at the top of the Serie A as they chase an eighth straight title.

  • Arsenal host Man Utd in FA Cup fourth-round [Full draw]

    Arsenal host Man Utd in FA Cup fourth-round [Full draw]

    Arsenal have been drawn at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round.

    The Gunners have won the competition a record 13 times, while United are 12-time winners.

    Non-league Barnet – the lowest-ranked club left in the competition – are at home to Championship side Brentford.

    League One Gillingham, who knocked out Premier League Cardiff in the third round, will face another Welsh side when they travel to Swansea City.

    Premier League champions Manchester City are at home to relegation-battling Burnley, while another top-flight match-up sees Crystal Palace host Tottenham.

    FA Cup holders Chelsea will take on Sheffield Wednesday or Luton Town at Stamford Bridge. Wolves, who knocked out Premier League leaders Liverpool on Monday, travel to Shrewsbury or Stoke.

    Fourth-round draw

    Swansea v Gillingham

    Wimbledon v West Ham

    Shrewsbury or Stoke v Wolves

    Millwall v Everton

    Brighton v West Brom

    Bristol City v Bolton

    Accrington v Derby or Southampton

    Doncaster v Oldham

    Chelsea v Sheffield Wednesday or Luton

    Newcastle or Blackburn v Watford

    Middlesbrough v Newport

    Manchester City v Burnley

    Barnet v Brentford

    Portsmouth v QPR

    Arsenal v Manchester United

    Crystal Palace v Tottenham

    BBC

  • Transfer news: Ramsey to become second-highest earner at Juve

    Arsenal midfielder, Aaron Ramsey, has agreed a five-year pre-contract with Juventus, according to Mediaset.

    Ramsey will however wait until the summer, before he joins the Italian champions.

    The Welshman will earn €6.5million per annum (after tax) basic salary.

    The 28-year-old will also pocket €500,000 bonuses should he play 50% of games per season and €1m bonuses should he play 70%.

    This deal makes him the second highest earner at the club, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

    Ramsey’s current deal with Arsenal expires at the end of the season and the midfielder is set to leave The Emirates, after the Gunners withdrew their offer of a new contract.

  • EPL: Arsenal coach Unai Emery fined for kicking bottle

    EPL: Arsenal coach Unai Emery fined for kicking bottle

    Unai Emery has been fined £8,000 by the Football Association after he admitted improper conduct during Arsenal’s game against Brighton for kicking a bottle towards a fan.

    The Arsenal head coach was charged last week over the incident which happened late on in their Boxing Day draw against Brighton at the Amex Stadium and was not included in the officials’ match report.

    Emery immediately apologised to the supporter after seeing the bottle had gone into the stands and subsequently repeated his regret at a pre-match news conference last week.

    n FA statement read: “Arsenal Manager Unai Emery has been fined £8,000 after he admitted an FA improper conduct charge and accepted the standard penalty.

    “It concerned his conduct during the game against Brighton on 26 December 2018.”

    Emery said after the match he was hopeful an apology would be the end of the matter but later added he would respect any decision the FA made.

    He said: “I repeat my apologies for my individual action but I kick the bottle because it is near me, not because it is my intention.

    “But I have to respect the decision because it is a circumstance of my action but not another intention from me with the supporter. I say to them my apology.”

  • EPL: Why Arsenal fell flat to Liverpool – Unai Emery

    EPL: Why Arsenal fell flat to Liverpool – Unai Emery

    Arsenal manager, Unai Emery, has blamed his defence and officiating, for their 5-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday.

    The Gunners took the lead in the 11th minute, after Ainsley Maitland-Niles converted Alex Iwobi’s cross.

    Arsenal’s goal sparked the hosts into life, as they took the lead within five minutes, through a Roberto Firmino brace.

    Sadio Mane connected with Mohammed Salah’s touch-down to make it 3-1, before Salah converted from the spot in added time of the first half.

    Firmino rounded off scoring in the 65th minute from the penalty spot.

    “In the second half we needed to stand up, to keep our position individually and collectively on the game.

    “The two last goals, two penalties, it’s a lot for us.

    “VAR is important – it’s coming next year, because it’s going to help the referees to take better decisions,” he told BBC.

    On the better performances within his squad, Emery singled out Maitland-Niles and Alex Iwobi for praise.

    “There were some positives, Ainsley played as right winger and scored. Iwobi, after some matches not playing very well, today he played 90minutes with a good performance. But defensively we need to be stronger, to work.

    “Our defensive moments in our box, it’s my responsibility,” he added.