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Tag: Arsenal

  • Firmino scores hat-trick as Liverpool thrash careless Arsenal

    Firmino scores hat-trick as Liverpool thrash careless Arsenal

    Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick as the Reds thrash Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield in Saturday’s Premier League fixture.

    Arsenal took the lead after only 11 minutes when Ainsley Maitland-Niles slid in at the far post to score from Alex Iwobi’s cross – but it was a false dawn for Unai Emery’s side.

    Liverpool, lifted after title rivals Tottenham’s home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier, responded with an explosive display that saw them 4-1 up by the interval and on their way to continuing their unbeaten league run to 20 games.

    Firmino took advantage of Arsenal’s defensive confusion to quickly equalise then slalom past a posse of defenders to put Liverpool in front after Lucas Torreira lost possession, all in the space of two minutes.

    Sadio Mane extended Liverpool’s lead after 32 minutes when Andrew Robertson’s long cross exposed Arsenal after they needlessly conceded a corner, before Mo Salah effectively ended the contest from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after he had been fouled by Sokratis.

    Liverpool then cruised to close out the win, Firmino completing his hat-trick from the spot after 65 minutes following Sead Kolasinac’s push on Dejan Lovren.

    Manchester City, ten points adrift, will attempt to close the gap at Southampton on Sunday before they meet Liverpool in a pivotal encounter at Etihad Stadium on 3 January.

  • Former Arsenal chairman Hill-Wood dies

    Former Arsenal chairman Hill-Wood dies

    Former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has died at the age of 82.

    He became chairman in 1982 and presided over the appointments of George Graham and Arsene Wenger as managers and they won five league titles, five FA Cups, the League Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup between them.

    Ill health forced Hill-Wood to step down from the position in June 2013.

    Arsenal say he was also “instrumental” in the successful move from Highbury to Emirates Stadium in 2006.

    BBC

  • Arsenal coach Unai Emery charged for bottle kick

    Arsenal coach Unai Emery charged for bottle kick

    Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has been charged with improper conduct by the FA over the bottle kicking incident at Brighton on Boxing Day.

    Emery kicked the bottle in frustration during the 1-1 draw with Chris Hughton’s side at the Amex Stadium.

    An FA statement read: “Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been charged following the game against Brighton yesterday [26 December 2018]. It is alleged his action of kicking a water bottle during the fixture amounts to improper conduct.”

    Emery later admitted that the bottle hit a supporter, however, the incident is not thought to have been included in the referee’s match report.

    “I say yesterday [Wednesday] my apologies, I kicked the bottle in frustration but not for the supporter, I kicked for me and it went near to the supporter and I said to them my apologies,” he said. “There is not another communication.

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

    Emery then said he would respect any decision the FA made, although he was keen to draw a line under the incident.

    “I hope so, yes,” he replied when asked whether his apology would mean he would not face official censure.

    “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.”

    He has until 6pm on January 2 to respond.

  • Arsenal Mkhitaryan out for six weeks

    Arsenal Mkhitaryan out for six weeks

    Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is set to miss six weeks after fracturing a metatarsal in his right foot, the club have confirmed.

    Mkhitaryan was substituted at half-time in the Carabao Cup defeat to Tottenham on December 19 after colliding with Lucas Moura.

    The Armenia international subsequently missed the 3-1 win over Burnley on Saturday and Arsenal have confirmed he will be unavailable over the busy festive period after suffering a fractured metatarsal.

    Mkhitaryan is expected to return to training at the start of February and is set to miss crucial league games against Liverpool and Chelsea.

    He could, however, return in time to face Manchester City at the Etihad on February 3.

  • EPL: Aubameyang scores brace as Arsenal defeat Burnley

    EPL: Aubameyang scores brace as Arsenal defeat Burnley

    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as Arsenal hung on to move level with fourth-placed Chelsea and leave Burnley in the Premier League bottom three at Christmas.

    Mesut Ozil – making a first start in six league matches – produced a sublime defence-splitting pass to Sead Kolasinac for Arsenal’s opener, with the defender picking out Aubameyang for his 11th league goal of the season.

    Remarkably, after 18 top-flight games, Arsenal led at the interval for the first time this season and it took the Gunners fewer than three second-half minutes to double the advantage, Aubameyang’s powerful finish completing a quick counter-attack.

    Burnley kept to their task though and Ashley Barnes brought the Clarets back into the contest on 63 minutes with a low finish after the home side failed to clear.

    The home fans grew increasingly nervous as Burnley pushed for an equaliser but Alex Iwobi scored from close range in stoppage-time to ensure the Gunners maintained their push for a Champions League spot.

  • EPL: Tottenham, Arsenal charged for failing to control players

    English Premier League (EPL) clubsides Tottenham and Arsenal were fined by the Football Association (FA) on Thursday.

    The sanction was over their failure to control their players during this month’s north London derby at The Emirates.

    “Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been fined 45,000 pounds and 50,000 pounds respectively.

    “This was after both clubs admitted an FA charge of failing to ensure that their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion,” the FA said in a statement on their website.

    The fines relate to their clash at The Emirates on Dec. 2, which Arsenal won 4-2.

  • EPL: Southampton end Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run

    EPL: Southampton end Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run

    Charlie Austin’s 85th-minute header clinched victory for Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl on his home debut and ended Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run.

    In a see-sawing encounter, the hosts took the lead after 20 minutes as Danny Ings muscled home a header from Matt Targett’s cross.

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan nodded in shortly after for Arsenal, following good work by Alex Iwobi and Nacho Monreal – but Ings struck again just before the break.

    Nathan Redmond’s floated cross was precise and Ings cushioned a looping effort into the far corner.

    Arsenal turned the screw in the second half and restored parity as Mkhitaryan’s shot deflected in off Jannik Vestergaard.

    The Gunners had their chances with Alex McCarthy impressing in the home goal, but Southampton were dangerous on the break and Shane Long had a goal rightly ruled offside before providing a teasing cross for Austin’s winner.

    The victory takes Southampton out of the relegation zone and up to 17th.

  • Arsenal, Fulham in race to sign Chelsea star in January

    Arsenal and Fulham are in the race to sign Chelsea outcast Gary Cahill from the West London side during the January transfer window.

    Fulham are looking to make reinforcements to their side as they seek to stay away from the drop.

    The Blues are ready to sell Cahill, 32, as he has fallen down the club’s pecking order under manager Maurizio Sarri.

    His contract runs out at the end of the campaign and Fulham want to lure him to the Craven Cottage in January on either a permanent or loan deal.

    Ranieri sees the former England star’s experience as a potentially crucial element in his team’s fight against relegation.

    But the Cottagers have to battle both West Ham United and Southampton for the player’s signature.

  • Europa: Koscielny to make first start for Arsenal since May

    Europa: Koscielny to make first start for Arsenal since May

    Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny will make his first start for the Gunners since May in Thursday’s Europa League dead rubber against Qarabag.

    The 33-year-old, who featured in an under-21 match last week, has fully recovered from a ruptured Achilles.

    Arsenal boss Unai Emery said he had yet to decide whether Mesut Ozil would be fit to play following his back injury.

    Aaron Ramsey is set to return, but Konstantinos Mavropanos, Danny Welbeck and Shkodran Mustafi are out.

    Gunners defender Rob Holding is sidelined for nine months, having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee last weekend.

    When asked whether Koscielny might also feature for Arsenal against Southampton on Sunday, Emery said: “We are going to look also if he can play 90 minutes or less minutes in this game.

    “We can use another player in this position, someone like Nacho Monreal, who is also with us and in his career he played in this position [before].

    “We are going to decide, but the first is to think about the match tomorrow because we need to receive information on how he can feel.”

  • Why I snubbed Celtic in 2012 – Alex Iwobi

    Why I snubbed Celtic in 2012 – Alex Iwobi

    Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi has revealed he could have joined Scottish side, Celtic as a teenager in 2012.

    The Nigerian international told Arsenal’s matchday programme he declined offers from the Scottish side to prove himself at the club.

    “My situation was weird. There was three of us at the time and we were basically told ‘stay if you want, or if not you are free to go,” Iwobi told Arsenal’s matchday programme.

    “It was up to me and at that moment I went to the Crystal Palace training ground to see them.”

    “I had offers from Celtic and Southampton as well. Celtic was the main one but I wasn’t ready to go to Scotland. I thought it was best to stay at Arsenal but I have to say it felt weird.”

    “I was playing for England but I felt maybe I wasn’t rated. My England team-mates and everyone else was getting in my ear saying that Arsenal don’t love me because they weren’t offering me a deal.”

    “It was hard especially because at school as well everyone was talking about it.”

    Iwobi, 22, has become a regular for Unai Emery’s Gunners this season has made nine starts and four substitute appearances in the Premier League for Arsenal so far this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists in the process, according to WhoScored.