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Tag: Arsenal

  • EPL: Declan Rice makes plea to Arsenal board

    EPL: Declan Rice makes plea to Arsenal board

    Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is urging the board to back manager Mikel Arteta in buying a new striker this month.

    After victory at Champions League opponents Dinamo Zagreb, Rice admitted the players are now feeling their lack of options in attack.

    “I think now where we’ve lost Gabi (Gabriel Jesus), he’s probably going to be out for a year with an ACL, that’s really tough,” he said.

    “I’m sure the manager is probably going to look for something, because tonight we’ve had to bring Tierney on left wing, we’ve had to bring Zin (Oleksandr Zinchenko) in on left wing so we’re a bit short up there.

    “I’m not surprised if we are going to do something.”

  • Transfer: Sesko’s agent reacts to Arsenal links

    Transfer: Sesko’s agent reacts to Arsenal links

    Red Bull Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been linked with a winter move to Arsenal in recent weeks but his agent has now ruled out such a switch.

    The player’s agent, Elvis Basanovic spoke to Slovenian TV channel Arena Sport about the idea of a January loan – which he says was news to him as rumours continue to circulate about the striker’s future.

    “I think you should ask Mr. Arteta about that. But I think Sesko could suit many clubs because he has different football skills. He can play alone in attack, with two strikers, a little further back, he has height, speed, technical speed.

    “We can see that our decision was correct, six months later he is already a better striker than he was last season,” Basanovic said.

    “What he lacks is experience. We must not forget that he is only 21 years old, so we did not want him to go to the Premier League in the summer. There were concrete options, but we consciously decided to stay in the Bundesliga to give him time to progress and develop into a better striker.”

    When asked what kind of fee it would take for Leipzig to consider a January sale to the Gunners, Basanovic was blunt and stated that no price would be suitable for Leipzig.

    “I don’t think Leipzig would be satisfied with any compensation at the moment, Leipzig does not want to sell Benjamin Sesko because they really value him immensely.”

    Tribalfootball

  • Ten-man Man United flush Arsenal out of FA Cup

    Ten-man Man United flush Arsenal out of FA Cup

    Altay Bayindir was Manchester United’s unlikely hero as the holders held out for over an hour a man down to knock Arsenal out the FA Cup on penalties after a feisty 1-1 draw at the Emirates on Sunday.

    United’s stand-in goalkeeper saved a penalty from Martin Odegaard in normal time and then denied Kai Havertz in the shootout as the wasteful Gunners had another day to forget in front of goal.

    Bruno Fernandes had fired the visitors into the lead early in the second half before Diogo Dalot was sent-off on the hour mark for a second bookable offence.

    Gabriel Magalhaes quickly levelled for Arsenal, but they wasted a host of chances to win the tie in 90 minutes and were made to pay.

    United were perfect from the spot as the much-criticised Josua Zirkzee stroked home the winning penalty in front of the jubilant travelling support.

    Defeat is another hammer blow to Mikel Arteta’s attempts to end a five-year trophy drought for Arsenal, who also lost the first leg of their League Cup semi-final 2-0 to Newcastle on Tuesday.

  • Arteta reacts as Arsenal win first match of 2025 to close gap on Liverpool

    Arteta reacts as Arsenal win first match of 2025 to close gap on Liverpool

    Arsenal showed they can cope without the injured Bukayo Saka as they began the year in style by recovering from an early sucker-punch to beat Brentford 3-1 away from home.

    The result ensured that they moved back into second place in the English Premier League on Wednesday.

    Forward Saka, arguably Arsenal’s most influential player this season, has been ruled out for at least two months after hamstring surgery, dealing a blow to the club’s title hopes.

    A visit to a Brentford side who have been impressive at home this season felt like a must-win game for Arsenal.

    However, things began badly as Bryan Mbeumo gave his side a 13th minute lead with the home side’s first attack.

    Arsenal did not panic, though, and Gabriel Jesus continued his recent resurgence to equalise before halftime.

    Mikel Arteta’s side came out firing in the second half and Mikel Merino put them ahead five minutes after the restart after Brentford failed to deal with a corner.

    Three minutes later Gabriel Martinelli produced a clinical volleyed finish to put Arsenal in complete control.

    The victory lifted Arsenal above Chelsea and Nottingham Forest with 39 points from 19 games with leaders Liverpool on 45 from 18.

    Injury-hit Brentford’s second home defeat of the season left them in 12th spot with 24 points from 19 games.

    Defeat would have left Arsenal nine points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand, but the way they reacted to going behind suggests they can still be a factor in the title race.

    Arteta will also have been impressed with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri after handing him a first Premier League start.

    “I think the team showed a lot of composure. To keep insisting, keep attacking them,” Arteta, whose side are unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions, said.

    “We can only win our next match and see what happens. It’s not in our hands, but what is in our hands we need to make sure we do it.”

    Arsenal did not lose a London derby in 2024 and have started off in similar fashion.

    They were caught cold, though, when Brentford burst forward in the 13th minute and Mbeumo was given too much space to cut in from the right and fire a shot past David Raya.

    Raya was almost left red-faced soon after when he allowed a Mbeumo shot to burst through his gloves but he managed to race back and claw the ball off the line.

    It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later Brentford were guilty of failing to clear the ball and it eventually arrived for Thomas Partey to fire a shot that was parried by Mark Flekken and Jesus dived to head in the rebound.

    It was the Brazilian’s sixth goal in his last four games for Arsenal in all competitions, as many as in his previous 48 games for the club.

    “I keep working and everyone at the club can tell how I work every day, not just me but everyone. I don’t give up and it is not easy to play for a big club like Arsenal,” Jesus said.

    Arsenal’s efficiency from set-pieces was evident again early in the second half when a corner caused chaos in the area and Merino was able to fire home a loose ball.

    Martinelli gave the visitors breathing space with a superb finish when the ball came out to him on the edge of the box.

  • Arteta admits Arsenal was stung by a virus before bashing Brentford 3-1

    Arteta admits Arsenal was stung by a virus before bashing Brentford 3-1

    Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal’s preparations for their 3-1 win at Brentford were hampered by a virus that stung his squad.

    Several of Arsenal’s stars were struck down by the illness on the eve of the crucial Premier League clash on Wednesday.

    German forward Kai Havertz was sent home with the bug, while England midfielder Declan Rice was only able to come off the bench in the second half.

    Martin Odegaard reportedly struggled with the virus ahead of kick-off and although he was able to start, the Arsenal captain made a mistake that led to Bryan Mbeumo’s opener and was replaced in the second half.

    But the Gunners recovered impressively at the Gtech Community Stadium as they ignored the illness outbreak to climb back into the title race.

    Goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino, and Gabriel Martinelli ensured Arsenal would not be derailed.

    “It affected players on the pitch and off the pitch,” Arteta said after second-placed Arsenal moved within six points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

    “It is nothing serious. But it wasn’t the ideal situation. In relation to the symptoms, with Kai it was obvious. He wasn’t feeling well at all. He had very clear symptoms so stay away from it, put him in a car, and go back to London.

    These things happen. In this period, there are always things thrown at you, infections, viruses, so I try to delay the line-up as late as possible because you can get up in the morning and unfortunately have a surprise like this.”

    Arteta is hopeful the virus will have abated for his side’s trip to Brighton on Saturday.

  • How Jota saved 10-man Liverpool in Fulham draw, Arsenal frustrated

    How Jota saved 10-man Liverpool in Fulham draw, Arsenal frustrated

     

    Diogo Jota saved Liverpool as the Premier League leaders recovered from Andy Robertson’s early red card to snatch a 2-2 draw with Fulham, while Arsenal’s title challenge was dented by a goalless stalemate against Everton on Saturday.

    With just four minutes left at Anfield, Arne Slot’s side were in danger of losing for just the second time in 15 top-flight games this season.

    But Jota grabbed a valuable equaliser as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 19 matches since a loss to Nottingham Forest in September.

    With last weekend’s Merseyside derby at Everton postponed by severe weather, Liverpool have now gone two league games without a win following their 3-3 draw at Newcastle.

    The Reds sit five points clear of second-placed Chelsea, who can close the gap with a win against Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

    Liverpool were rocked in the 11th minute as Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira met Antonee Robinson’s cross with an agile volley that deflected in off Robertson.

    The Reds suffered another blow when Scotland left-back Robertson was sent off in the 17th minute for a professional foul on Harry Wilson.

    But Slot’s men have made a habit of coming from behind this season and Cody Gakpo equalised in the 47th minute with a stooping header from Mohamed Salah’s cross.

    The Dutch forward’s ninth goal in all competitions this season was the prelude to a period of sustained Liverpool pressure.

    But Fulham forward Rodrigo Muniz delivered a sucker punch as he bundled over the line from Robinson’s cross in the 76th minute.

    That set the stage for a dramatic finale as Jota levelled in the 86th minute with a cool finish past Bernd Leno from the edge of the area.

    Arsenal failed to take advantage of Liverpool’s rare stumble as the Gunners were kept at bay on a frustrating afternoon at the Emirates Stadium.

     

    The north Londoners have become a force from set-pieces, scoring 23 goals from corners since the start of last season.

    But their lack of firepower outside of that route has been questioned this season and once again they were hampered by a failure to turn pressure and possession into goals.

    After a second successive league draw, third-placed Arsenal remain six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand on last season’s runners-up.

    Newcastle handed Ruud van Nistelrooy his first defeat as Leicester boss with a 4-0 rout at St James’ Park.

    Former Manchester United striker Nistelrooy had taken four points from his first two games since replacing the sacked Steve Cooper.

    But Newcastle ended that encouraging start as Jacob Murphy drilled a clinical finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the area in the 30th minute.

    Bruno Guimaraes nodded in Newcastle’s second goal in the 47th minute after Lewis Hall headed Anthony Gordon’s free-kick toward the Brazilian.

    Alexander Isak bagged the Magpies’ third two minutes later with a close-range finish and Murphy struck again on the hour to leave Leicester two points above the relegation zone.

    Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time goal gave Ipswich a priceless 2-1 win over relegation rivals Wolves at Molineux.

    Kieran McKenna’s team went ahead through Matt Doherty’s 15th-minute own goal after Wolves made a hash of clearing Liam Delap’s cross.

    Just as Wolves fans were calling for chairman Jeff Shi and owners Fosun to sell the club, Matheus Cunha grabbed a 72nd-minute equaliser as his shot beat Arijanet Muric’s weak attempted save.

    But Taylor headed home from a 94th-minute corner to seal Ipswich’s second league win since their promotion to the top tier.

    Third-bottom Ipswich are just one point adrift of safety, while second-bottom Wolves are three points behind them after an 11th loss in 16 league games piled further pressure on boss Gary O’Neil.

    Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa in a battle of top four contenders in Saturday’s late game.

  • Saka, Partey on point as Arsenal end winless run

    Saka, Partey on point as Arsenal end winless run

    Arsenal got their title challenge back on track by beating Nottingham Forest to secure a first win in five Premier League matches.

    The Gunners’ form has dipped in recent weeks amid a tough fixture schedule and a number of injuries, which meant Mikel Arteta’s side were nine points behind leaders Liverpool before kick-off on Saturday.

    Arsenal dominated from the outset at Emirates Stadium and Bukayo Saka gave them the lead after 15 minutes, when he exchanged passes with Martin Odegaard before beating two defenders and slamming a strike into the top corner.

    Thomas Partey, who came on as a half-time substitute, doubled the hosts’ lead when he curled in from 20 yards, before youngster Ethan Nwaneri added a third late on to secure the win.

    Forest have been the surprise package of the season so far and came into this match with the same number of points (19) as the Gunners. However, they struggled to get into the game and their best chances were tame headers from Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez.

    Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber thought he had put the hosts in front when he tapped in from close range before Saka’s opener, but Mikel Merino was offside in the build-up.

    This match was Arteta’s 250th in charge of Arsenal in all competitions – and he will hope victory sparks a run of form that will help his side close the gap on their rivals at the top.

    BBC

  • Transfer: Arsenal ready to sell three senior players

    Transfer: Arsenal ready to sell three senior players

    Premier League scout Mick Brown expects three senior players to leave Arsenal in 2025.

    Gabriel Jesus, Oleks Zinchenko and Kiernan Tierney are all set to be moved on, according to Brown.

    “There are three players that the club would like to sell. It’s Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney. They are not part of the coach’s plans.

    “When it comes to sales, you have to look at what your assets are,” he told Football Insider.

    “We know there has been interest in (William) Saliba, for example, but I think he is one of the last players they would ever consider selling. If they feel they need to raise money, they have these (three) players they are much more likely to turn to.

    “It will bring down a large part of the salary costs and help them reinvest in strengthening their team.”

    Tribalfootball

  • EPL: Boost for Arsenal as 5 senior players due for return

    EPL: Boost for Arsenal as 5 senior players due for return

    Premier League title challengers Arsenal may be strengthened after the international break.

    The Gunners had a lot of injuries in key positions in the early part of this season.

    As a result, they are adrift of Liverpool and Manchester City in the title race and playing catch up.

    Per football.london, Arsenal will be boosted by as many as five players returning to action.

    Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Riccardo Calafiori may all be fit.

    Arsenal will be without Ben White for some time, as he had surgery on a small knee injury.

    Tribalfootball

  • EPL: Arsenal share spoils with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    EPL: Arsenal share spoils with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

    Arsenal and Chelsea shared the spoils at Stamford Bridge in an enthralling English Premier League (EPL) fixture on Sunday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chelsea played at home to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in a game that saw Gabriel Martinelli and Pedro Neto on the scoreboard.

    Chelsea created chances early in the game. David Raya was forced to tip over Cole Palmer’s 20-yard drive and Malo Gusto headed off-target from close-range.

    Arsenal also created opportunities as Martinelli was earlier denied by Robert Sanchez before Kai Havertz had a goal ruled out for offside.

    The Gunners eventually broke the deadlock midway through the second half when the ball fell for Martinelli in acres of space at the back post, and the Brazilian beat Sanchez at his near post.

    The lead, however, didn’t last long as Neto equalised with a powerful effort from 25 yards after cutting in from the right.

    Both teams pushed for a winner, but neither side could find the net for a second time. Leaders Liverpool sit nine points clear of both sides heading into the last international break of 2024.

    The draw keeps the London sides level in the Premier League, but still nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

    In a finely balanced game, the sides enjoyed almost equal possession and both had three shots on target.

    It was Arsenal who looked the more disappointed at the whistle, Mikel Arteta holding his head in disbelief after substitute Leandro Trossard failed to put away two late chances.

    Gabriel Martinelli had put the visitors in front in the 60th minute, turning in a neatly lifted ball from captain Martin Odegaard, whose influence on his return from injury proved crucial after the Gunners’ failure to score in their last two games.

    Chelsea equalised 10 minutes later when substitute Enzo Fernandez pushed the ball to the ever-lively Pedro Neto just outside the Arsenal area and the Portuguese stepped to one side and shot low to David Raya’s left.

    “We came to win, so we’re not as happy as we wanted to be, but we didn’t want to lose and it’s a good point against a good team,” Neto told Sky Sports.

    Chelsea’s Cole Palmer had almost made the perfect start but his third-minute rocket was tipped over by the ever-vigilant Raya.

    Arsenal thought they had gone ahead in the 32nd when former Chelsea striker Kai Havertz latched on to a speedily taken free kick and sent the ball across Robert Sanchez into the bottom corner.

    But VAR showed the German was fractionally offside.

    Sanchez had been called into action five minutes earlier, getting his hand to a shot from Martinelli.

    Chelsea fluffed a couple of second-half chances with Levi Colwill shooting just over and Noni Madueke firing high and wide.

    But as the minutes ticked down it was Arsenal who pushed forward. Sanchez kept out substitute Mikel Marino, before Trossard fired over from close range

    In time added on, William Saliba sent the ball across the six-yard box but Trossard could not connect with it despite an open goal.

    The result lifted Chelsea to third and Arsenal, who have gone four Premier League games without a win, to fourth in the table, both on 19 points.