Tag: Arsenal

Categories
football Slides Sports News

Arsenal close to agreeing Martin Odegaard deal

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on a €35m (£29.8m) deal to bring Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard back to the Emirates.

The Norway captain enjoyed a positive six-month loan spell at the Emirates last season – contributing two goals and two assists in 20 appearances – and the Gunners have been keen to land him on a permanent basis all summer long.

After Odegaard was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad to face Alaves in Saturday’s La Liga match, the playmaker’s agents reportedly flew to London in order to discuss a deal with Arsenal.

Now, The Athletic reports that Arsenal are ‘close’ to welcoming Odegaard back to the club, and the 22-year-old missed Real Madrid training on Tuesday in anticipation of a potential move.

The report adds that Real will sanction a sale for under £30m, and should the details be finalised quickly, Odegaard could be announced in time to face Chelsea on Sunday.

The former Stromsgodset starlet signed for Real Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2015 but has only made 11 appearances for the senior team, and his existing deal at the Bernabeu is due to run out in 2023

Categories
football Sports News

MIKEL ARTETA ISSUES APOLOGY TO ARSENAL FANS AFTER OPENING DAY DEFEAT AT BRENTFORD

A despondent Mikel Arteta apologised to Arsenal’s baying fanbase after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Premier League new boys Brentford, saying it wasn’t ‘the result or performance’ he wanted.

The Gunners ended last season on a high with four wins on the bounce but endured a dismal return to top-flight action at a raucous Brentford Community Stadium, with Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard netting in either half to fire the hosts to victory.

The north London outfit appeared blunt in attack in the absence of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette – who missed the clash through illness – and struggled to make inroads against Brentford’s high press across a frustrating 90 minutes.

Arsenal’s complete inability to deal with Mads Bech Sorensen’s long throw-in for Norgaard’s towering 73rd-minute header in many ways summed up the visitors’ miserable night.

Emile Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney were two shining lights for the visitors but the Bees held firm to seal a famous and deserved win, 74 years on from their last match in the top division.

Arsenal will have to quickly find their cutting edge, with Chelsea and champions Manchester City next up in the league.

‘First of all, thank you because of the support that they are giving to the team, the travelling fans that were here,’ Arteta told reporters at his post-match press conference.

‘And after that, I apologise for the result and we know that we have to improve.

‘We have two big games coming up right now and we need to a different performance to get a different result.’

The Spaniard added: ‘We are very disappointed to start the way we did in the season.

‘We didn’t get the result or performance that we wanted.’

Arsenal have already invested heavily this summer – spending over £70million on new arrivals Ben White, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares – and there will inevitably be calls for the club to further strengthen after the loss.

But Arteta was keen to stress that he would not be hitting the panic button in the transfer market and will instead be looking to get improvements out of the players he currently has at his disposal.

‘My focus is with the players we have, try to make them play as best as possible and get the best out of the team and find a way to win football matches,’ he went on.

‘We are very clear of what we wanted to do, where our strengths are and where we can improve and I don’t think today’s performance shows anything different to what we’ve already seen.’

Categories
Slides Sports News

BRENTFORD TOP THE TABLE AFTER BEATING ARSENAL IN PREMIER LEAGUE OPENER

The Premier League season got off to a flying start on Friday as Brentford marked their first game in the top flight for 74 years and their first in front of fans at their new stadium with an emotional 2-0 victory over a ragged Arsenal.

Sergi Canos carved his name into the west London club’s Hall of Fame when he cut inside Calum Chambers and drilled a low shot inside the near post of Bernd Leno after 22 minutes to spark an explosion of joy from the fans who have waited so long to take their place in the new 17,500-capacity home.

It was the least Brentford deserved as, revelling in their chance to take on the big boys, they took the game to an Arsenal team who looked disjointed and toothless in the absence of “unwell” strike duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

Some hesitant Arsenal defending after a long throw in the 73rd minute allowed Christian Norgaard to head home the second and Brentford, the team who suffered an agonising nine playoff failures before finally succeeding last season, were in dream land.

Their red and white bedecked fans filed off into the night singing “we are top of the league” and though they are unlikely to stay there for long, nobody can begrudge them their moment in the sun.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

HAVERTZ, ABRAHAM ON TARGET AS CHELSEA BEAT ARSENAL IN PRESEASON FRIENDLY

Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham fired Chelsea’s men’s side to a 2-1 preseason friendly win over Arsenal on Sunday in the Emirates.

In what was a double header with both the men’s and women’s teams competing to raise money for the charity Mind, Arsenal’s women’s side beat their London rivals 2-1 in the earlier game.

Havertz opened the scoring in the first half before Granit Xhaka pulled one back for Arsenal after the break. However, the lead only lasted four minutes before Abraham got Chelsea’s second.

Chelsea dominated possession for much of the match and were rewarded on 26 minutes when Timo Werner started a fast break and found Havertz whose right-footed shot went past Bernd Leno.

There was an injury worry for Arsenal on 40 minutes when Thomas Partey was forced off. Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said after the game that Partey would have a scan on Monday but “at the moment it is not looking good.”

While the Partey situation is concerning for Arsenal, the match also saw the introduction of new £50 million signing Ben White.

Xhaka scored Arsenal’s equaliser on 69 minutes when he headed home from a Nicolas Pepe cross.

The Switzerland international had been linked with a move to Roma but Arteta said after the match that he would be staying with Arsenal this season.

“Granit is going to stay with us,” Arteta said. “He is a key member of our squad.”

Chelsea weren’t down for long, though, and Abraham scored a powerful right-footed shot into the bottom corner to give them the lead on 73 minutes.

In the early kick-off between the women’s sides, Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 with goals from Katie McCabe and Freya Jupp.

Reanna Blade had levelled things for Chelsea on 80 minutes but 17-year-old Jupp — who was making her senior debut — was the star as she scored the winner for Arsenal on 83 minutes.

McCabe had given Arsenal the lead on 27 minutes but it was the younger players who impressed.

There were injury worries for both sides with Jordan Nobbs and Pernille Harder going off with knocks.

Categories
football Sports News

BEN WHITE COMPLETES ARSENAL MOVE

Brighton & Hove Albion defender Ben White has completed his move to Arsenal for a fee of around £50 million, reports Fabrizio Romano. The defender joins hoping to become a key part of Mikel Arteta’s ongoing rebuild at the Emirates. He should tick the boxes for age, potential and ball-playing ability to slot straight into the side.

As for Brighton, they’ll consider the deal good business having received the £50 million fee. Without White, the Seagulls still have a solid bunch of defensive options including the more experienced Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman and Adam Webster.

Arsenal fans will be satisfied with the move, but they’ll still have plenty of questions probably starting with, did they even need another centre-back? The Gunners already have David Luiz, Rob Holding, Gabriel and Pablo Mari. Sure Ben White offers added quality, but surely the budget should have gone on the frontline?

Last season saw Arsenal concede less goals than third place Liverpool yet finish the season five places and eight points away from them. The argue could be made that they didn’t need to target defenders, especially when looking at their offensive numbers.

Whilst conceding less goals than Liverpool, Arteta’s side scored less than Leeds United and Newcastle United. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggled for the majority of the season, scoring just ten Premier League goals.

At the age of 32, the likelihood is that he only continues his decline in the forthcoming season, too, leaving Arsenal without a goalscoring. White will undoubtedly find success at the Emirates, but is he needed? No.

Instead, Arteta should have thrown sentiment out of the window and targeted a replacement for Aubameyang. Luckily for the Gunners, there is still time to welcome further players before the beginning of the season.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

INTER JOIN ARSENAL TO WITHDRAW FROM FLORIDA CUP

Inter Milan are the latest club to pull out of the Florida Cup due to take place this pre-season after Arsenal withdrew on Tuesday.

Arsenal announced they would not be travelling to the U.S. for the tournament due to “a small number of positive COVID tests” at the club.

And, the following day, Inter released a statement confirming they, too, would be pulling out of the event.

“FC Internazionale Milano announce that they will not be travelling to the USA for the Florida Cup due to the current risks involved in international travel as a result of the spread of the pandemic, risks that have already caused Arsenal F.C. to withdraw from participation,” an Inter statement read.

Inter were due to face Arsenal on Sunday and then potentially face on July 28 the winner of Everton’s game against Millonarios.

Florida Cup organisers issued the following statement after Inter dropped out: “Though we regret Inter Milan’s decision to withdraw from the Florida Cup today, we welcomed Everton to Orlando this afternoon, with Millonarios set to arrive tomorrow. Those clubs will meet as planned on Sunday, July 25, with the match beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

“Additional updates to the tournament schedule will be announced shortly. Out of respect for the fans who purchased tickets to the original lineup, we will be automatically refunding all purchases through Ticketmaster. Additional information will be sent to ticket holders through their point of purchase.

“General admission tickets will be sold for contests on both original match dates, July 25 and 28.

Regarding Arsenal bowing out on Tuesday, the Florida Cup said: “We are disappointed that Arsenal have decided not to participate in the 2021 Florida Cup.

“We wish the members of the Arsenal traveling party who tested positive for COVID-19 a speedy recovery as we continue making final preparations for the event.

“We will be in communication with fans who purchased tickets to see Arsenal in Orlando regarding their options.”

Inter won Serie A for the first time since 2010 last term but financial issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic meant right-back Achraf Hakimi left for Paris Saint-Germain while manager Antonio Conte stepped down and was replaced by Simone Inzaghi.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

SPOTIFY CEO, DANIEL EK, READY TO LAUNCH SECOND ARSENAL TAKEOVER BID

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is readying a second Arsenal takeover bid having seen his initial £1.8bn offer rejected last month.

This time round the Swedish billionaire is planning to increase his over to £2bn in an effort to test the Kroenke’s resolve.

Ek said that the unpopular Gunners owners told him that they “didn’t need the money” when he tried to buy the club last time.

But the billionaire’s camp claim they “are not going anywhere and want to get a deal done”.

Arsenal insiders have admitted they are expecting a second offer, reports the Daily Mail.

Ek has looked to use the public fallout from the proposed European Super League to push forward with his takeover plans.

Arsenal were one of six teams to join the failed proposal which only served to increase the divide between the supporters and the club’s hierarchy.

Ek went public to state that the offer included fan ownership, representation at board level and a golden share for supporters.

Gunners legends Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are also backing the Swede’s bid.

Stan Kroenke, who assumed full control in 2018, has been heavily criticised for the manner in which he runs the club.

Arsenal have experienced a sharp decline over the past decade with Mikel Arteta now set to oversee a huge rebuild.

Kroenke’s son, Josh, is a director at the club and a key figure in day-to-day-operations.

He engaged in a fans forum following the Super League plans in an effort to build bridges with supporters.

Ek, himself a life-long Arsenal fan, received a glowing review from Henry who spoke highly of his plans for the Gunners.

“I know a lot of people wanted to hear about [the takeover],” he told Sky Sports. “It is true. Daniel is an Arsenal fan, he didn’t say it for any publicity. He is an Arsenal fan for a very long time.

“He already – I’ll give you something – reached out [to the Kroenkes] and already said himself that he had collected the funds to make sure that he can put in a good bid.

He added: “I think it is going to be long and not easy – if it does ever happen. One thing that I want to reiterate is that Daniel will not move away, he will be there waiting to see if they want to sell.

“That is going to take a very long time, we know what we want to do, but first and foremost we need to make sure that we can take over, if they are listening.”

Categories
football Sports News

ASTON VILLA AGREE FEE WITH NORWICH FOR EMILIANO BUENDIA

Aston Villa have announced they have agreed a deal with Norwich for midfielder Emiliano Buendia.

Buendia was the Canaries’ player of the season as they won the Championship title and sealed an immediate return to the Premier League, scoring 15 goals and registering 16 assists – creating more chances than any other player in the division.

Arsenal were also reported to have been interested in signing the 24-year-old but Villa have moved quickly to land their transfer target.

“Aston Villa and Norwich City have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emiliano Buendia,” said a Villa statement.

“As Emiliano is currently in the Argentina national team’s biosecure bubble, preparing for a World Cup qualifying match with Colombia on Tuesday evening, he will undergo a medical and complete the transfer after the game.”

The reported £30million fee would be a club-record for Villa, with add-ons potentially taking the final figure nearer to £40million.

Villa boss Dean Smith guided the club to an 11th-placed finish in the Premier League last season and last week outlined the club’s aspirations by saying their owners are determined to break into the “upper echelons” of the top flight.

The prospect of Buendia and Jack Grealish spearheading Villa’s attack is certainly a mouthwatering one for Villa supporters.

Norwich signed Buendia from Getafe for around £1.6million in 2018.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

ARSENAL FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR EUROPE FOR FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS

Arsenal missed out on qualifying for European competition for the first time in 25 years after finishing the Premier League season in eighth place following a 2-0 win over Brighton on Sunday.

Arsenal needed to win and for both Tottenham and Everton to drop points to seal seventh place and a spot in the inaugural Europa Conference League next season.

Mikel Arteta’s team did its part, with Nicolas Pepe continuing his fine end to the season by scoring twice in front of 10,000 returning fans at Emirates Stadium.

However, Tottenham’s late turnaround in its 4-2 win at Leicester meant Spurs finished above Arsenal, its fierce north London rival.

Arsenal had to settle for an eighth-place finish for the second season in a row but Arteta is adamant the team has improved after ending the campaign with five straight league wins – its best run in the competition since October 2018.

“When I was with the team a few months ago and with them now, regardless of the results, we are in a much better place and will be in a much better place and can hopefully take the club where we want,” Arteta said.

“It is frustrating because last season, with 61 points, we (would have finished) fifth, now we are eighth and that is the step that we have to identify. The level has gone so high so the only way to do it is to be much better next season and much more consistent and this is the challenge ahead of us.”

With muted protests against the club´s owners before the game and director Josh Kroenke watching on from the stands, this could have been a powder keg of emotions had Arsenal lost. Instead, Arteta´s side won comfortably, although it proved not to be enough in their quest to maintain a 25-year run of European qualification.

Martin Odegaard, who returns to Real Madrid after the game, showed why Arsenal are so keen to keep hold of the Norway international as he ran the show. There we also strong performances from Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in the heart of the midfield.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

ARSENAL SCORE LATE GOALS AGAINST PALACE TO KEEP EUROPEAN HOPES ALIVE

Stoppage-time goals by Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe earned Arsenal a 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace that keeps alive their hopes of a top-seven finish.

Palace had the better of the early chances in Roy Hodgson’s final home match in charge of his boyhood club, with Gary Cahill, Christian Benteke and Jeffrey Schlupp all going close.

But Arsenal went in front after 35 minutes through Pepe, who volleyed in from Kieran Tierney’s cross.

Benteke equalised in the 62nd minute, heading in from Andros Townsend’s free-kick for his fourth goal in as many matches.

With both sides pushing for a late winner, Martinelli bundled in Martin Odegaard’s cross before Pepe sealed the win with a fine run and finish for his second goal of the match.

A seventh London derby unbeaten takes Arsenal above Leeds United into ninth, a point behind Tottenham Hotspur and Everton.

Palace lie 13th with 44 points.