Arsenal Archives

Salah shines on Liverpool return in win over Brighton

Mohamed Salah played a key role in Liverpool’s vital win against Brighton on Saturday after an explosive interview raised questions over his future at the club, as Arsenal avoided a major embarrassment against Wolves.

The Egypt forward, the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the game at Anfield, came off the substitutes’ bench to huge cheers in the first half, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

The home team, whose Premier League title defence has collapsed after a shocking run of results, were leading 1-0 at the time, with France forward Hugo Ekitike on the scoresheet after just 46 seconds.

Brighton squandered a number of opportunities to level, and Ekitike scored his second with half an hour to go, heading home Salah’s corner.

The Egyptian superstar now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League — 188 goals and 89 assists — a new record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney’s mark for Manchester United.

Saturday marked a dramatic change of mood around Salah, who last week accused Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

That was the third match in a row that he had been named among the replacements.

The 33-year-old winger also said he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot in his extraordinary outburst and was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0.

After Saturday’s win, Slot said there was “no issue to resolve” with Salah, though uncertainty remains over his long-term future at the club.

“For me he’s now the same as any other player,” said the Dutchman.

“You talk to your players if you’re happy or unhappy with things, but there’s nothing for me to talk about after what happened against Leeds, after the game.”

He added: “I spoke to him yesterday and I think, as I usually never say anything about (what) we talk about, I’m not going to make an exception now, but I think actions speak louder than what has been said.

“He was in the squad again and when I had to make my first substitutions, I brought him in. And he performed as I think every fan, including me, would like him to perform today.”

Salah will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and could potentially be absent for five weeks.

The 2-0 win — Liverpool’s first at Anfield since November 4 — lifts Slot’s men to sixth in the table.

But their title defence is in ruins after a terrible run of just two wins in 10 league matches before the visit of Brighton.

READ: WATCH: Chaos in Kolkata as fans vandalise stadium after Messi exit

Arsenal thump Bayern Munich to stay perfect in Champions League

LONDON: Arsenal thumped Bayern Munich 3-1 in a clash of the English and German league leaders on Wednesday at Emirates Stadium to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League this season.

The Gunners dominated the second half after Bayern’s 17-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl cancelled out Jurrien Timber’s opener in the opening period.

Noni Madueke opened his goalscoring account for the Premier League frontrunners to restore their lead, and fellow substitute Gabriel Martinelli took advantage of a huge blunder from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

England captain Harry Kane, a former Tottenham player, had a miserable return to London, largely a peripheral figure despite his astonishing goalscoring record for the six-time European champions.

“Look at Bayern Munich this season, they have been the best team in Europe,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice told TNT Sports.

“This was probably the toughest game tactically we have played this season. The way they work it is so, so good.”

The England man said this season feels different from the previous campaign, when Arsenal again came up short, finishing second in the Premier League for a third straight season.

“There are so many leaders in the team,” Rice added. “We are just taking it one game at a time. There is a hunger and desire to win every game. There is a long way to go — let’s not get carried away.”

Bayern started the match at the Emirates top of the Champions League table, just above the Gunners, with both teams having won four games out of four.

The game took time to come alive, but the Gunners went ahead in the 22nd minute when Timber headed home a Bukayo Saka corner, with a flailing Neuer unable to intercept.

The goal underlined Arsenal’s relentless brilliance from set-pieces.

Eberechi Eze, who scored a hat-trick in Sunday’s 4-1 win against Tottenham, had a glorious chance to double the Gunners’ lead but scuffed his shot wide.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Arsenal had looked relatively comfortable, but Bayern were back in the game in the blink of an eye in the 32nd minute, courtesy of Karl’s goal.

Joshua Kimmich played a superb diagonal ball that was laid off first time by former Arsenal player Serge Gnabry, and Karl finished confidently past David Raya.

Arsenal were quickly on the front foot in the second half, with Neuer pushing a fierce Saka shot over the bar.

Karl then surged down the right and into the home side’s penalty box, but his weak shot was easily collected by Raya.

As the intensity built, Arsenal’s Mikel Merino failed to connect properly with another dangerous corner before Neuer saved a Cristhian Mosquera header from point-blank range.

Now it was all Arsenal.

Neuer was called into action again, saving with his legs as Rice bore down on him, with Saka unable to turn in the loose ball.

But the pressure finally paid off with just over 20 minutes to go, when Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano played a stray ball that was picked up by substitute Riccardo Calafiori on the left.

He crossed, and fellow substitute Madueke turned the ball home.

There was worse to come for Bayern when Eze sent a long ball over the top, with Neuer well outside his area.

Martinelli’s first touch took him past the stranded goalkeeper, and he had a free run at goal, maintaining his nerve to slot home.

The delirious Arsenal fans taunted Kane with a chant of “Harry, Harry, what’s the score” as they revelled in his misery.

READ: Kylian Mbappe hits four as Real Madrid edge Olympiacos in thriller

Arsenal’s Eze revels in ‘special’ hat-trick after destroying Tottenham

Eberechi Eze hailed his “special” moment as the Arsenal star’s first-ever hat-trick inspired a 4-1 rout of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Eze tore Tottenham to shreds with three clinical finishes after Leandro Trossard’s opener for the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

The 27-year-old had made a relatively slow start to life with Arsenal after his £60 million ($78 million) move from Crystal Palace in August.

But against the club he spurned to join Mikel Arteta’s team, the England midfielder produced a sublime display that fired them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

“That’s a good one, man. Enjoyable day. Happy to help the team, and to win today was special,” Eze said. “It is special. Words can’t explain this one today.”

Rejected by Arsenal as a teenager, Eze has made it back to the top after a long and winding career that now sees him established as one of English football’s elite talents.

Devoutly religious, Eze attributed his man-of-the-match display to his faith. He had scored only twice in 15 previous appearances for Arsenal, but this stunning performance underlined what Tottenham missed out on.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I prayed for it. This is what I pray for. I prayed for a hat-trick so I am grateful to God,” Eze said.

“That was the prayer today. God gave it to me, and that is faith, man. All my family is here, and that makes it even more special for me.”

Eze’s brilliance was a huge boost to Arsenal’s bid for a first English title since 2004 after three successive runners-up finishes.

It was the first hat-trick in a north London derby since 1978 and only the fourth in the long history of the bitter derby rivalry.

Asked which of the three goals was his best, Eze picked his second, which came with a clinical finish just 35 seconds after half-time.

“They are all good. Maybe the second one. That was my favourite,” he said.

“All of them are good for me because I have been working on the process to get in that position, so that’s good again.”

WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo scores stunning bicycle kick at 40 in Saudi league

Arteta warns rule-makers over Arsenal’s fixture pile-up

Mikel Arteta warned that player welfare should be the primary concern for football’s rule-makers as Arsenal’s fixture pile-up threatens to put his team at risk.

Arteta’s side are set to face Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarter-finals on December 16.

But that would mean Palace facing three matches in just five days, and the FA Cup holders are hopeful of moving their match at the Emirates Stadium to the following week.

It is understood Arsenal’s preferred option is for the last-eight clash to remain on December 16 to avoid exacerbating the hectic Christmas schedule.

Arsenal are currently in a run of seven matches in just 22 days, with the Premier League leaders heading to Burnley on Saturday before returning to Champions League action at Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

“Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things; players’ welfare, and then supporters, and that is it, and the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.

“If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won’t get there. If we don’t and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri said last season that players could strike amid an increase in fixtures.

Pressed on whether the talk of player strikes could resume as the fixtures mount, Arteta said: “If we look after the players’ welfare and our supporters, we are never going to get to that point.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It’s our most precious value.”

Arsenal secured their place in the League Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Brighton on Wednesday.

That made it eight successive victories in all competitions for the red-hot Gunners.

They will travel to Burnley with a four-point lead at the top of the table and a defence that has not been breached for six matches.

Arsenal are hoping to win the English title for the first time since 2004 after finishing as runners-up for the last three seasons.

Asked if there is a feeling within his camp that Arsenal are unstoppable at the moment.

“No, because you always have that sense of urgency, and you see the complications and the challenges that the next opponent is going to bring you, and we know that, and every three days, we have very little time to train and prepare,” Arteta said.

“It’s a big opportunity that we have ahead of us, but we have to continue with that level of consistency, and we know how difficult that is.

“We’re going to have to again hit those performance levels.”

READ: Hazlewood, Marsh star as Australia thump India in second T20I

Premier League: Jurrien Timber urges high-flying Arsenal to stay grounded

Jurrien Timber urged Arsenal “not to get too high” after they extended their lead at the top of the Premier League.

On a weekend where title rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all lost, the Gunners beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to move four points clear of the shock second-placed team, Bournemouth.

Arsenal’s seventh consecutive victory in all competitions put them six points in front of City and seven ahead of reigning English champions Liverpool.

The victory over capital rivals Palace also capped a fine week for Mikel Arteta’s men, who also posted a third successive Champions League win with a 4-0 rout of Atletico Madrid.

There are growing hopes among the Gunners’ faithful that Arsenal may be on the verge of ending their long wait for the Premier League title. The club were last crowned champions of England back in the 2003/04 season.

But Arsenal defender Timber said: “It is good to stay neutral, and not to get too high.

“Obviously, we’ve been doing well, but it’s still early in the season, and we just have to keep getting better game by game.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The 24-year-old Netherlands international added: “The next game is already in three days, which is a (League) Cup match (against Brighton), and the next Premier League game (against Burnley) is going to be tough as well.

“So, let’s keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard, and then from there, we’ll see what happens.”

Arsenal’s impressive start to the season has been built on a miserly defence, which has conceded just three goals in their opening 13 games across all competitions, with the clean sheet against Palace their fifth in succession.

“Everyone plays a part in it, but it’s a good thing and a good foundation to build on,” said Timber. “From that standard, you just have to keep getting better and be consistent in what we do, and then throughout the whole season, hopefully we’ll turn it into something beautiful.

“It gives you confidence, and it shows that we’re doing really well, and also, if it’s for multiple games in a row, it says something about consistency.

“We just have to keep improving, and look at what we can do better, but also take that feeling with you, that confidence, and go into the next game with the same mindset.”

READ: ‘We can beat any side’: Salman Ali Agha confident ahead of South Africa series

Arsenal’s Gyokeres ‘hungry’ to build on Champions League double

Viktor Gyokeres says he is eager to respond to manager Mikel Arteta’s call to take his goal-scoring momentum into the Premier League, after Tuesday’s impressive performance against Atletico Madrid.

Attacker Gyokeres ended a run of seven games without a goal by scoring twice in Arsenal’s 4-0 rout of Atletico in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium.

It took the 27-year-old’s tally for the Gunners to five goals following his £58 million ($77 million) transfer from Sporting Lisbon, where he scored 97 times in 102 appearances.

Gunners boss Arteta challenged Gyokeres to keep the goals coming, with Arsenal back in domestic action against London rivals Crystal Palace at the Emirates on Sunday.

“I’m more hungry now,” said Gyokeres. “You always want to contribute with work rate and other stuff, but when you score goals as well, it’s a bit special. So that’s something I always want to do.

“The group we have and the spirit is something different and something very special.

“When you win games and you do these performances, it builds confidence in the team. The belief has to always be there, but of course, this helps to boost it. We just want to keep going like this.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Arsenal have won their three games in Europe so far this season with as many clean sheets.

They have conceded just three goals this term, away to champions Liverpool and Newcastle and at home to Manchester City, with just one of those coming from open play, in their first 12 fixtures.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya, who has posted five consecutive shutouts, said: “I give clean sheets the same credit as goals.

“If we’re keeping clean sheets, it’s going to make games easier to win. It’s really, really important for the whole team, not giving away that many chances and being very, very solid.

“The depth of the squad is incredible. We have a lot of players who can play in two, three or four positions.

“(Mikel) Merino came on as a striker (against Atletico), but he can play as a number six, eight, or as a number 10, and that is the variety that the boss has and he is using it to our advantage.

“It gives us an extra level in training and in games, because if you are not at it, you can lose your spot, and everybody is on board with that.”

Premier League table-toppers Arsenal will head into this weekend’s round of fixtures with a three-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

READ: SLC postpones LPL 2025 to focus on T20 World Cup preparations

Arsenal optimistic about Kai Havertz return after knee surgery

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has had a knee operation, but the Premier League giants are upbeat about the Germany international’s prospects of a swift recovery.

Havertz, 26, missed Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Leeds at the Emirates last Saturday with an injury he sustained following the Gunners’ opening-weekend victory at Manchester United.

He has now undergone what Arsenal said Thursday was a “minor surgical procedure”, with the north London club understood to believe Havertz will be missing for weeks rather than months.

“Further to sustaining a knee injury after our recent game against Manchester United on 17 August, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews with Kai confirmed that surgery would be required,” said an Arsenal statement.

“Today, Kai underwent a successful minor surgical procedure. He will shortly begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting Kai to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Havertz’s injury came shortly before Arsenal scuppered Eberechi Eze’s proposed move to arch-rivals Tottenham by signing the England international from Crystal Palace for an initial fee of some £60 million ($81 million).

Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd before Arsenal’s victory over Leeds and is set to make his debut against Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, with the Gunners desperate to end their 22-year wait for an English top-flight title.

As well as being without Havertz for the trip to Merseyside, manager Mikel Arteta is also unable to select Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard after they sustained hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively, against Leeds.

Christian Norgaard and Ben White are also doubtful, while Gabriel Jesus remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury.

READ: Olympic marathon champion Hassan opts for Sydney ahead of worlds

Mikel Arteta backs Eze to create ‘magic moments’ at Arsenal

New recruit Eberechi Eze will create “magic moments” and take Arsenal to a different level, according to Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.

Eze was presented to the Emirates crowd shortly before Arsenal’s 5-0 thrashing of Leeds that took the north London club to the top of the Premier League table early in the season.

The England international has signed a four-year contract in a deal that could be worth up to £68 million ($92 million) after Arsenal scuppered his proposed move to their arch north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The 27-year-old did not arrive in time to face Leeds, but with both Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard sustaining injuries in Arsenal’s second win in as many matches, Eze could be handed his Gunners debut against reigning champions Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday.

“He (Eze) has the capacity to create these magic moments,” said Arteta.

“He can do it from different positions, different situations. He’s got that flair and he’s got that charisma about him that is very contagious.

“It shows how much we want to take this club to a different level. His talent is unquestionable. He’s experienced in this league. The personality is unbelievable.

“He can play different positions. We know he can play as an attacking midfielder, right or left. He doesn’t care. And you can tell that what happened on that pitch (before the game) meant the world to him, so I am delighted to have him.”

Eze becomes Arsenal’s seventh signing of the summer transfer window, where they have now spent some £250 million following the arrivals of Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard, and Noni Madueke.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Arsenal have finished second in the Premier League for each of the past three seasons and last won a trophy five years ago.

But Eze’s signing is a further indication of their determination to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title.

His return to boyhood club Arsenal comes with Eze assured of a place in Crystal Palace history after scoring the winning goal in the Eagles’ FA Cup final victory against Manchester City in May to secure the south London club’s first major trophy.

Saka and Odegaard sustained hamstring and shoulder injuries, respectively, against Leeds.

Saka missed three-and-a-half months of last season after surgery on his right hamstring –on Saturday, he injured his left hamstring- while club captain Odegaard was also absent for 12 matches with an ankle problem as injuries derailed Arsenal’s quest for silverware.

The duo will undergo scans on Sunday to discover the extent of their latest setbacks, with Arteta adding: “You just have to see the amount of minutes that the team played in 2023/24. You could name the starting XI.

“Last year, it was a bit different because of the amount of injuries we had, and the start to this season has not been great in that sense.

“But we are much more equipped, without a doubt – and that’s necessary. If you want to compete at this level and be very dominant, there is not any other option.”

READ: Cheteshwar Pujara announces retirement from all forms of cricket

Arsenal off to winning pre-season start in Singapore

Arsenal kicked off their pre-season campaign with a 1–0 win over Italian giants AC Milan at the National Stadium in Singapore on Wednesday.

Manager Mikel Arteta started the match with several regulars, including Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Ben White.

Christian Norgaard, a new signing from Brentford, made his first appearance for the Gunners, while fellow arrivals Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi started on the bench.

In front of more than 22,800 fans, Arsenal, who finished runner-up in the last three consecutive seasons in the English Premier League, looked the more lively of the two sides in the first half, dominating possession but failing to convert their chances.

Arteta then made six changes at the break, with Arrizabalaga and Zubimendi introduced to the Arsenal faithful.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Their breakthrough came just seven minutes into the restart, as England international Bukayo Saka latched onto a cross from defender Jakub Kiwior and slotted the ball home into the far corner.

Saka, later named Man of the Match, made way for 15-year-old Max Dowman — a product of the club academy — who impressed with his confidence and flair.

Arsenal continued to press for a second goal, but Milan’s substitute goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani denied Mikel Merino’s header with a full-stretch save in the 75th minute.

He was called into action again seven minutes later, tipping Leandro Trossard’s close-range effort over the bar to keep the scoreline in Arsenal’s favour.

“I’m very happy with the attitude and the domination we had shown throughout the game. But there are always things to improve,” Arteta said at the post-match press conference.

“I have to find that cohesion within the players, and they have to continue to step up to the next level. But we are heading in a good direction.”

The Londoners next take on fellow Premier League side Newcastle on Sunday.

READ: WATCH: AB de Villiers includes one Pakistan cricketer in all-time World XI

Arsenal fall short again as striker woes haunt Arteta

Arsenal fell short on the big stage again as their painful Champions League semi-final exit against Paris Saint-Germain left Mikel Arteta to rue his club’s failure to provide him with enough attacking options.

Arteta’s side were unable to reach the Champions League for the first time in 19 years as PSG clinched a tense 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Trailing 1-0 from last week’s first leg in north London, the Gunners made a blistering start to the second leg but couldn’t convert their chances as Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb saves inspired PSG’s 3-1 aggregate victory.

Arsenal were punished for those misses when Fabian Ruiz struck in the 27th minute before Achraf Hakimi’s clinical finish in the 72nd minute put PSG on course for the final against Inter Milan.

Bukayo Saka reduced the deficit with 14 minutes left, but it was too late for Arsenal to avoid the latest agonising flop of Arteta’s increasingly tortured reign.

Since leaving his role as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City assistant to replace the sacked Unai Emery at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, Arteta has rebuilt Arsenal after a bleak period prior to his arrival.

The Spaniard has turned Arsenal into serial title contenders and a force to be reckoned with in Europe.

But an FA Cup final victory against Chelsea in 2020 remains Arteta’s only trophy.

Losing the biggest game in their recent history leaves Arsenal facing a long summer of regret over their lack of success in the last two transfer windows.

Arteta’s Arsenal legacy is in danger of being tarnished by the club’s curious decision not to sign a prolific striker.

Injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus forced Arteta to use Spain midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker with mixed results during the final weeks of the season.

But even before Havertz and Jesus were sidelined, Arsenal missed the ruthless cutting edge possessed by Premier League champions Liverpool and elite European teams like PSG.

Arteta had tried to remedy that shortcoming with a move for England striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.

However, Arsenal were unable to convince Aston Villa to accept their £60 million ($79 million) offer, prompting a frustrated Arteta to admit he was “disappointed” when the window closed without reinforcements.

Arsenal gifted the Premier League title to Liverpool with 13 draws — six more than Arne Slot’s team — as their lack of killer instinct was exposed.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

And as Arsenal poured forward in waves at the start of the second leg against PSG, it was clear what a predatory forward would have added to their vibrant team.

The sight of Saka blazing over with an open goal at his mercy in the closing stages perfectly encapsulated Arsenal’s attacking woes.

Arteta praised Donnarumma as “the best player on the pitch” rather than blame his forwards.

But penalty area profligacy has been a recurring problem for Arteta throughout a reign that has promised more than it has delivered.

Without a Premier League title since 2004, Arsenal finished as runners-up to Manchester City for the last two seasons after squandering sizeable leads in the title race.

This season they couldn’t keep up with Liverpool’s relentless form, so attention switched to the Champions League.

When holders Real Madrid were demolished 5-1 on aggregate in the quarter-finals, it seemed Arsenal might win the tournament for the first time to validate the Arteta era.

But that Achilles heel of errant finishing, combined with costly defensive mistakes, proved fatal against PSG.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice claimed they would need “big balls” and “magic moments” to beat Luis Enrique’s men.

Yet as Rice trooped miserably down the tunnel after the final whistle, it was painfully clear what they really needed.

“We were not strong enough in the boxes. That’s where we lost it,” Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard said.

“We have to learn from this. We did a lot of good things but it’s not enough.

“In front of goal is where games are decided and that’s where we have to be sharper. We have to use this pain in a good way.”

READ: IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals called off midway