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Tag: Arsenal

  • I was sent death threats after Arsenal draw – Zaha

    Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha says he suffered racist abuse and threats to his family after being awarded a late penalty during the 2-2 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

    The Ivory Coast player was tripped by makeshift left-back Granit Xhaka late on to allow Luka Milivojevic to equalise from the spot.
    “For all the people taking it one step further and being racist and wishing death on my family, I wish you and your families the best too,” Zaha said.
    “My life is still very good despite your hate.”
    After the match, Xhaka said in a post-match television interview he thought the incident had been a “clear penalty”.
    Since the start of the 2014-15 season, only Leicester’s Jamie Vardy (13) has won more penalties in the Premier League than Zaha (11, level with Raheem Sterling).

  • Palace snatch late draw to end Arsenal's 11-game winning run [EPL standings]

    Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic scored twice from the penalty spot to earn his side a dramatic draw and end Arsenal’s 11-game winning run.

    The Serb smashed in a late equaliser after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s controversial goal had put the visitors ahead after the break.
    Milivojevic scored the opener in the first half after Shkodran Mustafi brought down Cheikhou Kouyate.
    Granit Xhaka’s sublime free-kick had drawn Arsenal level at 1-1.
    Wilfried Zaha was brought down by Xhaka in the box with seven minutes to go and Milivojevic drilled his spot-kick into Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno’s right corner, having also beaten him on that side in the first half.
    Earlier in the second half, the ball appeared to brush Alexandre Lacazette’s hand before it fell at the back post to Aubameyang, who poked home off the inside of the post – with the ball going over the line by just 9mm.
    Before his error in bringing down Zaha to give away the late penalty, Xhaka’s stunning curler had cancelled out Milivojevic’s opener – which was Palace’s first goal at home this season.
    Zaha also hit the outside of the post before the break, while Andros Townsend dragged a shot wide.
    Palace substitute Max Meyer struck over the bar from close range later in the second half and Alex Iwobi’s deflected shot flew wide.
    Arsenal remain fourth in the Premier League table, a point behind Manchester City, while Palace move up to 14th and three points above the relegation zone.
    See EPL standings:

     

  • Arsenal make it eleven in a row with win over sporting

    Arsenal make it eleven in a row with win over sporting

    English striker Danny Welbeck struck the winner as Arsenal beat Sporting Lisbon 1-0 in Europa League Group E, to maintain their 11 game winning streak.
    After a dull first half, inform striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang forced two good saves out of Lisbon goalkeeper Ruben Ribeiro, before Welbeck saw a header ruled out for a soft push.
    Both teams had maximum points on the board after two rounds and they looked set to play out a goalless draw in Lisbon.
    However, Welbeck got his goal late on (78), striking through Ribeiro after former Liverpool and Sunderland defender Sebastian Coates’ mistake.
    The victory puts the Gunners three points clear at the top of Group E, while Sporting are still well-placed to qualify for the knockout stages as they hold a three-point cushion in second spot.

  • Former Arsenal star Van Persie to retire at end of season

    Former Arsenal star Van Persie to retire at end of season

    Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie says he will retire from football at the end of 2018 season.

    The Dutch international who returned to Feyenoord, where he made his debut aged 17, in January – has scored 50 goals in 102 appearances for his country.
    During his time in England, Van Persie won the FA Cup with Arsenal and a Premier League title at United.
    “When I have to stop? That is probably at the end of this season,” he said.
    “I will be 36 years old and will have been a professional for 18 years. From the age of five, I’ve only been involved in football.”
    Van Persie, who had a spell in Turkey with Fenerbahce between leaving Manchester United and rejoining Feyenoord, told Dutch publication AD he had “lost the fun” before returning to his homeland.
    “I also do not believe that my return to Feyenoord has only been successful if we win the title,” he added.
    “How is it successful? This is actually it, if you look at the whole picture. I had lost the fun. That’s not how I wanted to end, without pleasure. The fun has returned at Feyenoord.
    “I want to win as a football player and the cup win was nice, but that is not the measurement between whether it is successful or not.
    “I wanted to give something back, share my experiences. I am trying to help my fellow players.
    “I see it as broader than just winning a title or not. That is the goal, that is what the club also say, but whether or not we win a title is not decisive for me on whether my return is successful or not.”

  • Ozil gives me confidence to express myself – Iwobi

    Arsenal star Alex Iwobi says teammate Mesut Ozil has helped him to become a key member of the Arsenal side.
    Having played and trained alongside the German for a while now, Iwobi was unsurprised by Ozil’s match-winning performance on Monday night against Leicester at the Emirates.
    The Nigerian said: “I have been training with him since I was 17 and I have seen what he can do.
    “The quality he has is not just in training. He is a world-class player and he proved that again last night.
    “He gives me advice in a different way.
    “He jokes around but always tells me I can do more – even last night, he was saying I can do more, he is always one of those guys.
    “But he is always happy, always telling me and giving me the confidence to express myself, so it helps me.
    “Mesut will come across as laid back but he is helping everyone in a different way and he helps me a lot.”
    Iwobi has started five of the last seven games and also believes that playing under Unai Emery has benefited his game.
    “For me, he has just given me confidence to express myself,” said Iwobi
    “To believe in my ability, which I have been trying to show, and also in training, he is always letting me try new things, be positive, be direct and prove it in the game.
    “It is working for me, so I just have to keep it going.
    “I’d just say I am more confident.
    “I feel that, even if I make a mistake, I am able to go again. I think that is the difference between me last year and this year.”

  • Ozil inspires Arsenal to 10th successive win against Leicester

    Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil displayed one of the best midfield moments in the Premier League this season as Gunners beat Leicester City for a record-equalling 10th successive win in all competitions.

    Ozil’s first-time finish for the equaliser, the pass that led to the second goal and his two flicks in the build-up to the third were the catalyst for a remarkable performance by the Gunners, who had been overwhelmed by Leicester in the opening 30 minutes.
    The Foxes deservedly took the lead in the 31st minute, and might argue they should already have been awarded a penalty when Rob Holding appeared to intentionally handle the ball.
    Their goal came from a pacy counter-attack, which resulted in Ben Chilwell’s attempt at a low cross being turned in by the boot of Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin.
    That appeared to jolt the Gunners into action. They levelled just before the break when Ozil sprinted forward and played a one-two with Bellerin before opening up his foot to place the ball in off the far post. It was a stunning finish.
    Arsenal, who came into the match having scored 14 of their 19 league goals in the second half, were a different proposition after the break.
    Their second goal came after Ozil cut open the defence with a beautifully weighted ball which found Bellerin. The Spaniard then played it square for Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who tapped home two minutes after coming on.
    The Gabon international’s second followed one of the moves of the season. Ozil’s audacious flick in midfield set it in motion, before a sand-wedge of an assist by the German gave Aubameyang a simple finish.
    Alexandre Lacazette should have added another but his shot, from Ozil’s pass, was saved at point-blank range by Kasper Schmeichel.

  • Arsenal must improve a lot of things to catch leaders – Emery

    Arsenal must improve a lot of things to catch leaders – Emery

    Arsenal boss Unai Emery says his team must improve in several areas if they are to catch the Premier League’s frontrunners – despite their fine form.

    A win over Leicester City on Monday would give the Gunners a 10th straight victory, their best sequence of results since October 2007.
    However Emery, whose side could move into third with a victory by four goals, is still demanding more.
    “We need to get better in a lot of things now,” Emery said.
    “It is our best target now, don’t stop. Think and analyse with the players to improve.”
    Since defeat to Manchester City and Chelsea in the opening two games of the season, the Spaniard – who joined Arsenal in May – has steered his new club to victories in every game.
    But Emery is conscious Arsenal are still playing catch-up with those two clubs – with leaders City five points ahead of his side and Chelsea three clear.
    “We need to carry on to find our best individual and collective performance to stay close to them,” he added.
    “They are two teams in form and with more points than us. Their qualities and performances are very, very high. But also we are improving our things.
    Full-back Hector Bellerin echoed his manager’s sentiments and says the players are still adjusting to Emery’s style of play.
    “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he told the club’s website.
    “We probably risk it a bit more than before, but for us it is important for our fans and for everyone around us to believe in this idea we have.
    “For us it is about getting used to the system, be a team, be competitive and have this winning mentality, take it to the next level and become the team that the manager has in mind.”
    BBC

  • Arsenal sign new kit deal with Adidas

    Arsenal have signed a new kit deal with German sportswear firm Adidas starting from July 2019, the Premier League club said on Monday.
    Adidas will take over from Puma, whose five-year contract with the north London club expires at the end of the season.
    British media reported the new deal is worth 300 million pounds over five years until 2024.
    A 60 million-pound per season deal would put Arsenal third in the most lucrative kit deals in football.
    Behind Barcelona’s contract with American company Nike and Manchester United’s with Adidas which are worth 140 million and 75 million pounds-a-year respectively.
    It signals the end of Arsenal’s five-year association with Puma which came after two decades with Nike.
    Arsenal last wore Adidas’s three stripes between 1986 and 1994 during which they lifted two top-flight league titles.
    British media reported that Puma is set to become the kit supplier for Premier League champions Manchester City in a deal worth 50 million pounds a year from the 2019-2020 season.
    Reuters/NAN

  • Arsenal run riot over Fulham in 6 goals thriller

    Two goals from Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette and two more from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Arsenal a 5-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League on Sunday.
    There was also a wonderful back-heeled strike from Aaron Ramsey in between.
    Fulham pressed forward in the opening minutes as they looked for their first win over Arsenal since January 2012.
    And Argentine midfielder Luciano Vietto very nearly beat Gunners keeper Bernd Leno in the second minute.
    Fulham’s powerful Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic also had a number of half-chances but was unable to get any clear shots in on goal.
    Perhaps his best attempt was a thumped volley over the bar from outside the area.
    Against the run of play, Lacazette opened the scoring in the 29th minute for Arsenal.
    The Frenchman collected a pass from Nacho Monreal, spinning round past defender Tim Ream and rifling the ball low into the corner of the net from close range.
    Fulham’s Andre Schurrle levelled the score just before the break, chipping calmly over Leno for his third league goal since joining the Cottagers in the summer on loan from Borussia Dortmund.
    But the visitors ran rampant in the second half, with three unanswered goals.
    Lacazette scored his fourth league goal of the season before substitute Ramsey back-heeled in an exquisite third for the Gunners after a pass across the area from Aubameyang.
    The Gabonese striker then took the game away from the home side with two more goals that left Fulham with the worst defensive record in the league by a distance.
    They have now let in four more goals than any other team.
    “We don’t show the Premier League level, and this is our situation,” Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic told reporters.
    “Today we tried, we offered some positive signs, but it’s not enough.”
    The loss leaves the Cottagers on the edge of the relegation zone in 17th place.
    Arsenal, on the other hand, move up to third above Tottenham on goals scored and ahead of Chelsea who play at Southampton later on Sunday.
     

  • Europa League draw: Arsenal drawn against Sporting, Chelsea meet PAOK Salonika

    Europa League draw: Arsenal drawn against Sporting, Chelsea meet PAOK Salonika

    Arsenal will play Sporting Lisbon in the group stage of the Europa League.

    Unai Emery’s side have been drawn in Group E of this season’s competition with the Portuguese club, Qarabag of Azerbaijan and Ukrainian side Vorskla.

    Chelsea, who won the competition in 2012-13, are in Group L with Greek side PAOK Salonika, BATE Borisov of Belarus and Hungarian outfit Vidi.

    Celtic meet Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Rosenborg while Rangers face Rapid Vienna, Villarreal and Spartak Moscow.

    The final of this season’s Europa League takes place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on 29 May.

    Spanish clubs have won the competition for five of the last seven seasons and Sevilla – who triumphed under Emery in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – have been drawn to face Russian side Krasnodar, Standard Liege of Belgium and Turkey’s Akhisar.

    Dudelange, the first club from Luxembourg to reach the group stage of the competition, were handed a trip to the San Siro to play AC Milan.

    Europa League draw in full

    Group A: Bayer Leverkusen (Ger), Ludogorets Razgrad (Bul), FC Zurich (Swi), AEK Larnaca (Cyp)

    Group B: Salzburg (Aut), CELTIC, RB Leipzig (Ger), Rosenborg (Nor)

    Group C: Zenit St Petersburg (Rus), FC Copenhagen (Den), Bordeaux (Fra), Slavia Prague (Cze)

    Group D: Anderlecht (Bel), Fenerbahce (Tur), Dinamo Zagreb (Cro), Spartak Trnava (Svk)

    Group E: ARSENAL, Sporting Lisbon (Por), Qarabag (Aze), Vorskla Poltava (Ukr)

    Group F: Olympiakos (Gre), AC Milan (Ita), Real Betis (Spa), Dudelange (Lux)

    Group G: Villarreal (Spa), Rapid Vienna (Aut), Spartak Moscow (Rus), RANGERS

    Group H: Lazio (Ita), Marseille (Fra), Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger), Apollon Limassol (Cyp)

    Group I: Besiktas (Tur), KRC Genk (Bel), Malmo (Swe), Sarpsborg (Nor)

    Group J: Sevilla (Spa), Krasnodar (Rus), Standard Liege (Bel), Akhisar Belediyespor (Tur)

    Group K: Dynamo Kiev (Ukr), Astana (Kaz), Rennes (Fra), Jablonec (Cze)

    Group L: CHELSEA, PAOK Saloniki (Gre), BATE Borisov (Blr), Vidi (Hun)

    BBC