Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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Arsenal midfielder set for dramatic Premier League return against Fulham

By
Nithyanand
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Mesut Ozil

Mesut Ozil could make a return to the Arsenal first team for the opening game against Fulham on Saturday, according to reports in Metro.

The 31-year-old is currently one of the Gunners’ longest serving players after joining from Real Madrid in 2013. Since the resumption of the footballing season after COVID enforced suspension, he has not featured for the first team but that might change very soon.

The report in Metro states that the German play-maker could make a dramatic return to the squad for the season opener against Fulham after sitting out for 13 straight Premier League games. It appears that Mikel Arteta could offer him another chance to prove his worth.

The midfielder started in a preseason friendly against Aston Villa on Saturday at the Emirates stadium. He was part of a strong Arsenal side that also included the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette, Dani Ceballos and Willian.

Ozil is the highest paid player at the club as he earns £350,000-a-week. He has just a year left on his contract so this would be a good time for him to come back into the team. Though there are rumors linking him with a move away from London, he reiterated his commitment to the club in an interview with The Athletic as he said:

“My position is clear. I’m here through to the last day of our agreement and I’ll give everything I have for this club.”

The signing of Ozil back in September of 2013 was a breath of fresh air for a club which has stayed away from big-money transfers until then. His time in England has proven to be a success given that he has won four FA Cups and also helped end the club’s nine year trophy drought in 2014.

Fans will be hoping that the German can once again showcase the form that made him one of the best midfielders in the world. Arsenal have a lot of matches to contend with this season and Arteta will be looking to make full use of his squad. If the preseason game against Aston Villa is anything to go by, Mesut Ozil might get a lot of game time if he manages to impress the Spanish boss.

24-year-old midfielder lands in London to finalize Arsenal move

By
Nithyanand
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Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos has landed in London to finalize a loan move to Arsenal, according to reports in Spanish publication ABC(via Metro).

The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at the North London club making a total of 36 appearances. His time at the Emirates ended on a successful note as he played a crucial in the Gunners FA Cup triumph.

The report in ABC states that Dani Ceballos has arrived in London on Wednesday to complete his medical and is expected to sign the contract today. The midfielder returned to Madrid at the end of the season and even took part in training, but the Spaniard has been allowed to return to the Emirates for another season-long loan deal.

Evening Standard are reporting that a major reason behind the return was the promise of game time with the midfielder keen on wanting to be a part of Spanish national team for the Euros and Olympics. Ceballos will have to wait before he can get to training due to the guidelines that have been laid out by the UK government.

He will have to spend two weeks in quarantine before he can join up with his teammates. This was also the case with the Gunners’ new signing Gabriel Magalhaes.

Ceballos proved to be an integral part of the Arsenal side since football resumed following the enforced suspension due to COVID. His partnership with Granit Xhaka in midfield was one of the driving forces that helped the Gunners finish the season on a strong note.

Earlier in the year, manager Mikel Arteta had spoken about his desire to bring in Ceballos again and the Spanish boss will surely be a happy man. Arsenal have kick started the season on a winning note with their Community Shield victory against Liverpool.

With the addition of players such as Ceballos, they will be looking to challenge for the Champions League spots this season. Fans will be happy to see him back at the Emirates and will be hoping that he can pick up from where he left off.

22-year-old Brazilian heads to London to complete Arsenal transfer move

By
Nithyanand
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Predicted Arsenal Line-up

Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes is on his way to London to complete a move to Arsenal, according to latest reports in Daily Mail.

The 22-year-old has established himself as a regular starter for the French club making 24 appearances this season and scored a solitary goal. He also featured in all of Lille’s Champions League fixtures.

The report in Daily Mail claims that Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes with the centre-back on his way to London to finalize his £27m transfer. However the youngster will have to spend 14 days in quarantine before joining his new teammates. France is on the quarantine list of UK and anyone coming in from outside will have to self-quarantine for a period of 2 weeks.

It further claims that the North London club faced competition from Napoli and Manchester United but they managed to emerge victorious. Some fans have gone a step further and claim to be tracking the car that is supposed to take the defender to the Gunners training ground.

The Brazilian will become the second singing of the summer after his countryman Willian joined from rivals Chelsea on a free transfer. Gabriel is a centre-back that is strong in the air and comfortable on the ball. Being left-footed, he will open new avenues for Arsenal in building their attack.

Having other Brazilians such as David Luiz, Willian and Gabriel Martinelli should make it easier for him to settle down in London. It is important for the North London club to get as much business done as possible before the season begins.

Gabriel is at the right stage to make a move on and fans will be hoping that he will be able to replicate the performances of his former teammate Nicolas Pepe who came to the Emirates last summer. Getting him ahead of clubs such as Napoli and Manchester United is a real coup for the club.

The Gunners will be taking on Premier League champions Liverpool in the Community Shield on August 29th. Mikel Arteta will want to continue his trophy winning ways after winning the FA Cup.

Barcelona intensify transfer talks with Arsenal over sale of 28-year-old midfielder

By
Nithyanand
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Coutinho Arsenal

Barcelona are prioritising the sale of Philippe Coutinho and are intensifying talks with Arsenal over a possible deal, according to Spanish publication Sport.

The 28-year-old has spent the 2019/20 season on loan at German club Bayern Munich and has done reasonably well with nine goals from 34 appearances. The German club had an option to make the loan deal permanent but they did not pick up that option.

The report in Sport claims that Barcelona are keen on selling Coutinho as quickly as possible. The Spanish giants felt that the current market conditions would lead to swap deals but that has not been the case and they would now like a transfer that involves straight cash.

It further claims that Arsenal are keen on signing the Brazilian midfielder and both parties are willing to get a deal across the line. The North London club are the front-runners but Barca haven’t closed the door to other clubs.

Speaking recently to talkSPORT(via Metro) on Coutinho’s future, his agent Kia Joorabchian said:

“After the Champions League, I think it’s not been a secret, we’ve not kept it a secret, that he wants to come back to the Premier League if he can.”

Coutinho would be a great signing for Arsenal but it will be interesting to see how they will be able to structure a deal, but they will have a financial boost after qualifying for next season’s Europa League by virtue of their FA Cup heroics. He has an array of talents and his Premier League experience will push the club even further.

It will be sometime before the deal materializes, as the midfielder will be keen to focus on Bayern’s Champions League campaign which could last for few more weeks. But in the meantime, if Arsenal are able to sort out a deal it will be a win-win situation for both clubs.

Coutinho can play in multiple positions which will give Arteta a lot of options to play around with. If a financially favorable deal can be arranged, there is no reason why the midfielder won’t be playing at the Emirates next season.

Arsenal prepared to move for £120,000-a-week attacker on Arteta’s request – David Ornstein

By
Sri Aswin
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According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal are prepared to offer a three-year contract to Willian, who is likely to leave Chelsea on a free transfer this month.

The Brazil international has been a regular starter for the Blues over the past seven years where he has registered 63 goals and 62 assists from 333 appearances.

His current deal concludes following the Blues’ Champions League campaign and so far, he has declined an extension as the hierarchy are reluctant to meet his demand for a three-year deal.

Hence, he appears set to part ways with the Blues in the coming days and Ornstein reports that the Gunners and an unnamed club are leading the race to sign the 31-year-old.

While there are better offers on the table, it has been mentioned that the vision and desire of manager Mikel Arteta and technical director Edu to bring him to the Gunners has impressed the attacker.

Willian, who is currently on £120,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge, missed the recent FA Cup final defeat to the Gunners with an unmentioned injury.

The same problem is expected to keep him out of the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich on the road.

Hence, it appears only a matter of time before Willian makes a decision on his future and a move across London appears likely to happen.

Arteta is keen on adding more experience to the first-team squad and Willian is said to be one of the prime targets alongside Philippe Coutinho and Thomas Partey.

Despite his advancing age, Willian has been a quality performer and he is currently enjoying his best-ever return with 11 goals and nine assists.

He may not be a regular starter for the Gunners next term but could provide a creative outlet off the bench. Elsewhere, he has the tendency to fare well in the big games and that is a quality which should have caught Arteta’s eye.

‘Tremendous’, ‘Best performance’, some Arsenal fans praise one player after win vs Man City

By
Sri Aswin
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A selection of Arsenal fans have praised the performance of defender David Luiz during the club’s 2-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.

Luiz had a dreadful performance in the previous meeting against the Cityzens last month (3-0 loss) where he was culpable for conceding two goals in the space of 25 minutes before he was red carded for a professional foul.

Thereafter, they were doubts whether the club would extend his contract beyond June 30 and the announcement of a one-year renewal came with opposition from some of the Gunners supporters.

Since his comeback, Luiz has been solid at the heart of the club’s defence and he came up with his best performance of the campaign against the Cityzens on Saturday.

The entire Gunners backline produced a solid display in the 2-0 victory in the FA Cup semi-final and Luiz was the pick of the defenders over the course of 90 minutes.

The Brazil produced a dominant display at the heart of the defence with one tackle, four interceptions, 11 clearances and also won four aerial duels in the process, as per whoscored.

This has certainly pleased a number of the club’s fans and here are some of the reactions on Twitter during and after Cup encounter.

https://twitter.com/GurjitAFC/status/1284590553708011520

The Gunners had lost seven straight games against the Cityzens before Saturday’s meeting, but they produced a superb showing on either side of the pitch with just 29 percent of the possession.

The margin of victory could have been bigger, considering Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who bagged a match-winning brace, had a couple of more chances to find the back of the net.

One of those came prior to the opening strike after Luiz made a splendid pass to put him through on goal, but he unfortunately hit his effort straight at Ederson.

Regardless of this, the north London giants managed to prevail with a solid win and they now have the opportunity to win a record 14th Cup title at the Wembley on August 1.

Holding and Ceballos start, Predicted Arsenal lineup (3-4-3) vs Manchester City

By
Sri Aswin
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Dani Ceballos

Arsenal will face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final at the Wembley Stadium this evening. The Gunners have experienced a mixed set of results since the season restart, but they should go into the Cityzens clash with some confidence after the midweek result.

Mikel Arteta’s side were able to come from behind to beat champions Liverpool by a 2-1 scoreline and the manager will be hoping for another solid defensive display as the club look to cement their berth in the FA Cup final for a record 21st time.

Their recent record against the Cityzens has not been great with seven straight defeats and that includes six losses where they have conceded three goals. Still, a knockout game usually throws the form out of the window and the players need to play at their best to overcome the opposition.

Formation: 3-4-3

Predicted Lineup:

Emiliano Martinez has deputised for Bernd Leno since his injury suffered at Brighton & Hove Albion last month. The Argentine has been in sublime form with a number of key saves in goal and he is expected to start the semi-final. Leno remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a moderate knee sprain.

Arteta should stick with the three-at-the-formation for this game to provide the extra protection to Martinez’s goal. David Luiz will definitely act as the central figure in the backline and we are fancying Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding to feature either side of him.

At left wing-back, Kieran Tierney should get the nod ahead of Bukayo Saka. The Scotland international has been one of Arsenal’s top performers since the restart and his defensive and crossing abilities have caught the eye.

On the opposite end, Hector Bellerin should return to the mix after playing second fiddle to Cedric Soares (cup-tied) against Liverpool. Compared to Tierney, Bellerin has often played in a more defensive role and the same should be the case this evening.

In the centre of the park, Lucas Torreira is likely to make way for the return of Dani Ceballos to the starting XI. The Spaniard is expected to partner Granit Xhaka. Matteo Guendouzi is set to miss out after being sidelined from the game due to an internal issue.

Further forward, Alexandre Lacazette will definitely lead the attack. He has been in fine form over the past four games where he has registered three goals and one assist. Club-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is an obvious choice on the left-wing.

Reiss Nelson bagged the match-winner against Liverpool in midweek, but he could still drop to the bench with Nicolas Pepe likely to retain his spot ahead of him. The Ivorian should feature in his regular right-wing position.

Predicted Arsenal lineup (3-4-3) vs Manchester City

 

 

 

‘Absolute hero’, ‘Another level’, some Arsenal fans react to 27-year-old’s performance vs Liverpool

By
Sri Aswin
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Emiliano Martinez

A section of the Arsenal supporters have expressed their delight over the performance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez against Liverpool last night.

The Argentine has been in fine form between the sticks since replacing the injured Bernd Leno and he came up with another solid display in the Premier League.

Martinez had a shaky moment at the beginning when his clearance was closed down by Roberto Firmino, but barring this, he had a fluent display in goal.

The 27-year-old made eight saves in the Premier League clash and two of those were critical towards the Gunners picking up maximum points from the contest.

The shot-stopper impressively tipped Mohamed Salah’s effort from six yards out over the bar and right in the dying seconds, he came up with delightful fingertip save.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 96th-minute effort deflected through the Gunners backline and Martinez went full stretch towards his left to intercept the ball which seemed on course to find the net.

This has definitely impressed some of the Gunners fans and a few of them took to Twitter to praise Martinez, who is experiencing the best phase of his career.

Twitter Reactions:

https://twitter.com/WorldwideAFC/status/1283527027715342338

https://twitter.com/afczak_/status/1283526127525429256

https://twitter.com/jogafutboI/status/1283517743187271683

Martinez’s future with the club had been questioned earlier this year, but he has experienced a tremendous U-turn in his career, having taken advantage of Leno’s injury absence.

Arsenal are set to face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final in a few days’ time and Martinez may have to come up with another top-notch display for the Gunners to progress to the final.

‘Excellent’, ‘Back in form’, some Arsenal fans praise 29-year-old’s display vs Liverpool

By
Sri Aswin
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Alexandre Lacazette

A selection of Arsenal fans have heaped praise on the performance of Alexandre Lacazette during the club’s 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool on Tuesday night.

The Gunners went 1-0 behind after just 20 minutes on the clock after Sadio Mane had an easy tap-in from a pass from Andrew Robertson.

However, they managed to make a comeback with two first-half goals which came on the back of errors committed by Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker.

Reiss Nelson induced the mistake from Van Dijk which put Lacazette through on goal and the Frenchman delivered with the equaliser after rounding Alisson in the 32nd minute.

Prior to the half-time whistle, Lacazette showed impressive workrate to get on the end of a weak Alisson pass intended for Robertson and he thereafter laid the ball into Nelson’s path, who registered his first-ever Premier League goal.

The 29-year-old was handed the captain’s armband for the game with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang featuring on the bench, and he capped off a delightful performance with a goal and an assist.

The Frenchman was also impressive on the defensive front during his 57 minutes on the field and he managed four tackles -which was more than any other Arsenal player, as per whoscored.

This has definitely pleased some of the Gunners’ faithful and here are some of the reactions on Twitter following the hard-fought 2-1 win over the Reds.

Twitter Reactions:

Lacazette has picked up form since the season restart after the coronavirus shutdown and he has now registered three goals in the space of the previous four league matches.

He is definitely going through his best phase of the campaign and it will be interesting to see whether he can replicate the showing against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday.

‘Brilliant performance’, some Arsenal fans are delighted for one player after Thursday’s win

By
Sri Aswin
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A selection of Arsenal fans have expressed their delight over the performance of Rob Holding during the club’s 2-0 league win over Southampton yesterday.

Holding has struggled to find his consistency since the long-term knee injury suffered last season, but he came up with an assured display alongside Shkodran Mustafi and Kieran Tierney in the back three on Thursday.

The north London side were fortunate with both of their goals which resulted from goalkeeping mistakes from Alex McCarthy, but they still needed to defend a 1-0 lead for more than an hour before the second goal right at the end.

Holding stood out as the standout performer in the backline as he managed two successful tackles, one interception, eight clearances and won four aerial duels, as per whoscored.

It was definitely one of Holding’s best performances in a long time and he was named the supporters’ man of the match following the game. Some of the Gunners fans took to Twitter to appreciate his showing.

Twitter reactions:

https://twitter.com/HolyHolding/status/1276227738710552583

https://twitter.com/MaximusArsenal/status/1276206020314963968

https://twitter.com/classenalfc/status/1276227066392989697

With the victory at St Mary’s, the Gunners picked up only their third away win of the Premier League season and the first under the guidance of manager Mikel Arteta.

Meanwhile, the club got their first points on the board since the season resumption and that sees them return to the top half of the table in ninth.

They are scheduled to face Sheffield United on the road in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday and Arteta will be hoping that the club can make further progress in the competition.

Chris Wilder’s side have looked a different outfit since the season restart with three winless games and the Gunners should fancy their chances of beating the Blades this weekend.

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