A dramatic comeback against Bournemouth last night ensured Arsenal avoided a third consecutive defeat on the road in the Premier League but dropping two points opens the door for Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur to take advantage this evening.Trailing by three goals in the second-half, Arsenal fought back valiantly to secure a 3-3 draw and two of their goals came from a familiar opening- as the Gunners once again displayed their worth in the air.
Both Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud scored via headed goals last night and it sees Arsenal lead the charts for the most headers scored since the start of the 2013/14 Premier League season, with a whopping 46.
Considering Arsenal pride themselves on slick build-up play and the Gunners have been criticised for trying to score the perfect goal at times, the stat shows Arsene Wenger’s side should not be afraid to put the ball into the box.
With Olivier Giroud in the middle, there’s always a chance for Arsenal to find an opening.
Every great adventure has a journey. And every journey has a story behind it. Nowhere is that more true than in football.
From fans who follow their side across the country to the clubs themselves whose season can definitely be described as a journey. Europcar, Arsenal’s official car and van rental partner, understands that the journey is just important as the destination. They have been exploring the ‘Footballing journey’ this season to discover the stories behind some great and meaningful journeys.
They recently managed to sit down with three Arsenal players to find out about their footballing journeys throughout their careers…
As one of the best players in the world, Mesut Ozil will be no stranger to regularly travelling the world as part of his job.
The Arsenal superstar and Germany international is one of the most recognised names in the game and has represented the Gunners across Europe in the Champions League and Germany in World Cups and European Championships.
With so much travelling experience, Ozil will have lots of stories to tell, as well as his own preferences when being on the road.
From being late to his first meeting at Real Madrid to travelling to Germany’s World Cup semi-final in Brazil, the creative midfielder has been there, seen it and done it when it comes to travelling.
Ozil sat down with Europcar, Arsenal’s official car and van rental partner, to talk about his travelling habits. He names the people he likes to travel with most, the one thing he can’t be without while one the move and the best place he enjoys travelling to…
Worst journey to a match?
My first year in Madrid we had a meeting as a team and I forgot it, drover to the training ground and all the team was somewhere else. I waited and after 30 minutes I called them to say ‘where are you guys’? We had a dinner and I ended up being two hours late, it was my first year and I was a bit nervous – there were all these big players and big coaches so it was a big big mistake. I didn’t get fined, the coach just smiled and said it can happen so sit down and enjoy the night. I was very relieved!
Aside from Emirates Stadium which ground is your favourite to travel to?
Here to the training ground, because we spend a lot of time here. Every day, laughing, enjoying our time here, so I would say here at London Colney.
Which is your favourite ground to play at?
It’s difficult to say there are so many great grounds, I would probably say Liverpool. The atmosphere is great.
Most memorable journey to a match?
I think the journey to the World Cup semi-final, because we drove on the bus to the stadium and all the Brazil fans were singing around the bus. It was huge, even before the game started. The national anthem was really loud and it was an amazing feeling. Also, the ride to my first FA Cup Final with Arsenal. I’ll never forget that.
Name one item you can’t travel without…
Of course my mobile so that I can speak with my family and friends.
Are you early, late or on time?
I think I’m always on time.
Driver or passenger?
The passenger, so that I can relax!
City or countryside for driving?
Countryside.
Car journey anthem?
I like to listen to Turkish music, so something by Tarkan.
Favourite country to road trip in?
I haven’t done a big driving holiday but I like to spend time in LA and I drive where I am there because it is so big.
Favourite companion on a long journey?
I have a lot of friends, I grew up with them and we’re always in contact. We text or call each other every day.
Read about Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin’s travelling habits, too!
“Two Ryder Cup legends, 24 icons of football, one prestigious trophy”
After hearing those words from Golfing icon Darren Clarke, what more could a sports fan want?
Icons of Football 2017 combines the worlds of the beautiful game and golf as 24 foootballing greats test their hands teeing off at The Belfry in a Ryder-Cup-style competition that pits England against the Rest of the World – an event taking part as a wider Icon Series.
Representing the Three Lions are a host of former and current internationals, namely Michael Carrick, Andrew Cole, Robbie Fowler, Paul Ince, Phil Jagielka, James Milner, Paul Scholes, Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham, headed by captain Lee Westwood.
The Rest of the World, meanwhile, sees the aforementioned Clarke attempt to orchestrate Gabriel Batistuta, Patrik Berger, Ronald de Boer, Ryan Giggs, Dirk Kuyt, Alessandro Del Piero, Peter Schmeichel, Andry Shevchenko, Nemanja Vidic and Dwight Yorke’s path to victory.
The players included on both teams have developed something of a Man United v Liverpool storyline, which will undoubtedly be as hotly contested on the golf course as it always is on the football pitch.
The hotly-anticipated tournament, which tees off on the 23rd of June, includes four rounds; the foursomes, two doses of singles action and perhaps most excitingly of all, the £1million SwingÂ- where every player and captain gets one chanceÂto hit a hole-in-one on the infamous 18th Hole and win some cold-hard cash for their favourite charity.
Speaking at yesterday’s launch event, Clarke revealed that despite the carnival atmosphere surrounding the tournament, he expects his side to be highly competitive…
“I think the team is very strong. I’ve looked at them all and I know quite a few of them – I know how good they are. Those guys wereÂat the very top of their professions, some of them still are, and they haven’t got there through lack of determination, skill and passion. They’ve obviously got a huge passion for our sport as well, so to marry those two together and see the guys come here to play, I think their professionalism and desire to succeed will really kick off come that first shot on the first morning.”
Leicester City’s 2015/16 campaign will always stand as a beacon of what’s possible for clubs in England outside of the established and uber rich top six team in the country.
Claudio Ranieri’s troops delighted everyone last season: their own fans, neutrals and even followers of other clubs by doing the unthinkable and breaking that monopoly.
Their success took everyone by surprise, but they deserved every bit of it and were by far the most consistent and even enjoyable team to watch across the campaign.
This season that success has looked as far away as it ever did, with the club currently languishing in 15th place, just one or two bad results away from a real relegation battle.
It’s a far cry from the exploits of last season but perhaps illustrates just how momentous that Premier League win was.
Where has it all gone wrong for the Foxes and can they become contenders again?
Here are the FIVE things missing from last year that Leicester badly need…
Underdog spirit
Britain Soccer Football – Leicester City v Everton – Barclays Premier League – King Power Stadium – 15/16 – 7/5/16Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater celebrates with the trophy after winning the Barclays Premier League Action Images via Reuters / John CliftonEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publicatio
Success comes with a target on your back. When you’re the best around, you are the measuring stick by which teams test themselves week in, week out.
A massive part of Leicester’s success last season was their ability to harness an underdog spirit, a feeling that they were unified together against a shared cause. It’s the type of squad feeling you don’t usually see in the Premier League with inflated wages and even bigger individual egos the norm.
Now that’s gone, you have a team struggling to live up to their billing playing teams determined to get one over on last season’s champions.
It’s a massive shift in perception internally and externally from last season and is directly contributing to a series of poor league results.
N’Golo Kante
Britain Football Soccer – Sunderland v Chelsea – Premier League – The Stadium of Light – 14/12/16 Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante in action with Sunderland’s Lamine Kone Reuters / Andrew Yates Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further det
Put simply, N’Golo Kante is a force of nature. The French international is currently enjoying a second season of league success at Chelsea, and is well on his way to lifting the league title for a second successive year.
He was arguably Leicester’s most important player last season away from the Foxes’ headline-grabbing goalscorers. His dynamic displays in midfield gave Leicester a combative nature that was hard to counter, and was at times seemingly everywhere on the pitch at once making tackles and interceptions.
He’s playing a more restrained role at Stamford Bridge this season but has been no less effective and it’s no surprise that the Blues are flying high at the top with him in their midfield.
Jamie Vardy’s party
Britain Football Soccer – Stoke City v Leicester City – Premier League – bet365 Stadium – 17/12/16 Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy looks dejected after being sent off Reuters / Anthony Devlin Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further
Jamie Vardy’s goalscoring exploits last season set Leicester on their way to glory. His form in the first half of the season, in particular, was glorious and gave the Foxes the belief that they could keep winning and do the impossible.
He scored 24 league goals across the campaign, also contributing six assists, but that contribution has dried up and he’s failed to replicate anything near that success this term, aside from in one game against Manchester City in December.
The England striker has only scored five league goals this term, including that hat-trick against Guardiola’s side at the King Power Stadium.
Sadly for Leicester, no-one else has been able to step up to the plate and it’s indicative of their campaign so far that he remains their top scorer.
If he can find his form again then the Foxes will likely end the season safely midtable but if the drought continues, it will be an edgy few months at the tail-end of the season.
Premier League focus
Britain Soccer Football – Leicester City v FC Porto – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group G – King Power Stadium, Leicester, England – 27/9/16Leicester City’s Marc Albrighton in action with FC Porto’s Danilo Pereira Action Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Winning the league meant Leicester City would have the opportunity to test themselves against the best that Europe has to offer, flying straight into the group stages of the Champions League.
The underdog spirit we talked about previously was well and truly alive in this competition as they picked up some massive results to qualify for the last 16 of the tournament.
That has come at a cost though and has likely directly impacted on their Premier League season with their focus and efforts channelled into European action.
It’s been a remarkable continental campaign for Leicester and full credit to them, but they’ve failed to fight on both fronts this term so far and need to address that heading into the knockout stages.
Mahrez’s magic
Britain Soccer Football – Leicester City v FC Porto – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group G – King Power Stadium, Leicester, England – 27/9/16Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez Action Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Like Jamie Vardy and N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez was a massive part of Leicester’s success last season. The Algerian international performed way beyond what anyone thought he was capable of and provided a contribution that drove the Foxes towards the title.
With eleven assists and a massive 17 goals, he was arguably Leicester’s most consistent player across the title-winning campaign but, like Vardy, he has reverted the form of previous seasons this term. He’s only managed three goals and two assists in the league.
In Europe, though, he’s excelled, showing he still has the ability to be a massive performer when motivated and with the right attitude to his game.
Whether Ranieri can tap into that in the closing stages of the season remains to be seen but if he can, it’d go a long way to getting Leicester back to their best.
From a mockably expensive signing to one of the league’s best players, popular opinion of Sadio Mane has changed drastically in just a few months. Liverpool have grown dependent on the former Southampton livewire, as was evident when he was away at the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.
Jurgen Klopp has seen his Liverpool team wane. From their dazzling, electric football of earlier in the season that made them Chelsea’s greatest threat, they are now floundering with the rest of the chasing pack and look unlikely to finish in the top four. An inability to defend against counter-attacks or break down low-block defences has been the bane of Liverpool’s 2017 to date.
The one answer to their problems has supposedly been Mane. While he has not fixed everything that has gone wrong, his influence is still clear. He tore Spurs apart last weekend in a way that few players have done in recent seasons. For all the mistakes made tactically by Mauricio Pochettino, it was Mane’s presence that made Spurs look so abject, so incapable of defending properly. His pace is clearly what makes him so key for Liverpool, especially as Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are naturally not as willing to run beyond a defence.
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It is that burst of pace, the lightening acceleration, which makes Mane such a joy to watch. He fits into Liverpool’s high pressing game as a result. He hounds opposition defenders in possession and disappears off their shoulder when a ball is played into the space behind them. He must be hideous to play against.
To put his importance solely down to his speed, though, is to do him a disservice. Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi are both fast – albeit not quite as rapid as Mane – but they do not have the same impact on Liverpool’s forward line. It’s his intelligence that sets him apart. The timing of his runs and the collective understanding he has with his teammates is part of what makes him such a vital cog. He has attacking instincts which, when combined with his physical attributes, make for quite a threat. A knack of knowing where the ball will drop and being able to beat anyone to the ball makes him a terror.
While Coutinho will occasionally drift wide, Mane holds width more naturally as he has played as a winger for much of his career, offering his side a different option. He knows when to drift inside and run the channel between the opposition’s left-sided centre back and left-back, but he also will go to the touchline to create room centrally. Having loaned out Lazar Markovic, Liverpool lack natural width in the final third, without Mane they become congested centrally.
Although he was not signed as a solve-all to Liverpool’s problems, Mane has done a damn good job at doing just that. His role in the Liverpool team is far more complex than simply running beyond defences. He performs as a winger, he fills the gap of a striker at times and his goal scoring – which has seen him outscore Christian Benteke, Olivier Giroud and Eden Hazard this season – has been one of the keys to Liverpool’s success.
This summer Liverpool must find a plan B or a Mane mark two. In the meantime, they must hope he continues to score at a prolific rate and remains fully fit.
According to The Mirror, Liverpool have joined the race for in-demand midfielder Naby Keita, who is also attracting the likes of Everton and Arsenal…
What’s the word?
Jurgen Klopp clearly has a big job on his hands this summer to turn his tenure around, with a fantastic start to the 2016/17 season contrasted with a poor run of form in the new year.
The German reportedly has a few targets in mind for the summer, and near the top of his list is RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, who has been impressing in the Bundesliga this season.
Bringing him in will be no easy feat, though, with a host of clubs reportedly keen on the midfield talisman.
What can he do?
Naby Keita is currently plying his trade in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, where the German side are flying high in the German top flight – second only to Bayern Munich.
Keita has been a big part of that, with his tireless and efficient running serving as the engine to an impressive Leipzig side.
He is a player very much in the ilk of N’Golo Kante, with his knack of getting into the right position, tackling successfully and bringing the ball forward all vital components to his playstyle. He also offers a bit more of an offensive threat than most in his role, having picked up 6 assists this season.
He would fit in perfectly at Anfield, with Klopp’s high press, high-intensity playstyle perfectly suited to the midfielder.
A midfield trio including the likes of Keita, Henderson and Lallana would be an irresistible temptation for Klopp.
Newcastle United are considering launching a bid for Napoli star Dries Mertens this summer if they get promoted to the Premier League, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
What’s the story?
With the Magpies currently at the top of the Championship table, level on points with Brighton and six above the playoff spots, the club have a strong chance of moving back up to the top flight.
Despite not yet sealing a place in the elite division, it is believed that they are already mapping out transfer targets for the summer window.
Belgian news outlet Het Nieuwsblad reports that Newcastle could make a surprise bid for Mertens, who according to Italian paper Il Mattino, recently had a two-hour meeting with Manchester United ahead of a potential move.
The winger’s camp, though, rubbished the story, insisting that any hotel meeting was for personal reasons rather than transfer related.
It has been reported that Mertens, whose contract expires in 2018, is considering his options.
Could Newcastle convince Mertens to join?
It would be a huge coup if Rafael Benitez was able to lure the Belgium international to St James’ Park, but it could prove to be difficult to get over the line.
The 29-year-old is likely to have attracted interest from many clubs due to scoring 24 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season.
If the likes of Manchester United enter a bidding war then Newcastle could drop to the back of the race, purely because they will not be able to offer European football to Mertens.
The winger moved from PSV to Napoli in 2013, so naturally would opt for a so-called bigger club if interest was made from the Premier League.
What Newcastle do have in their favour, though, is having a top-class manager who has coached Liverpool, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid.
In addition, Benitez was responsible for taking Mertens to Napoli, making the winger his first signing after joining the Italian outfit.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman seemed to be in a nostalgic mood on Thursday when he tweeted a picture from the 1994 World Cup.
The former Barcelona player was in the latter stages of his career when he represented the Netherlands in the tournament hosted by the United States.
The national side, coached by Dick Advocaat at the time, made it into the knockout rounds where they faced the Republic of Ireland in the last-16 stage.
The Netherlands progressed into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 triumph, but their campaign was killed by eventual champions Brazil.
On the day, five goals were scored, but it was Brazil who came out on top 3-2 to face and later beat Sweden in the semi-finals.
Koeman, who won the 1988 Euros with the Netherlands, retired from the international game after the World Cup.
In the present day, he is focused on Everton after beingÂappointed as Roberto Martinez’s successor last summer.
The Merseyside outfit are the closest challengers to the top six in the Premier League as they reside five points adrift of Manchester United.
While Chelsea are looking like the most comfortable team in the Premier League by far, rarely swaying from the imperious 3-4-3 formation deployed by Antonio Conte way back in October, the Stamford Bridge boat is never far from being rocked it seems.After seeing their season almost take a rather unexpected turn over the course of the January transfer window as star striker Diego Costa was linked with a big-money move to the Chinese Super League, the Spaniard is back in the media of late talking about the notion of leaving SW6.
“I’ve done everything to come back to Atletico Madrid but I wouldn’t fight the same to return. When Atletico didn’t wait for me, I had to go to Conte with the tail between my legs.”
Strongly linked with a return to former club Atletico Madrid last summer, the 28-year-old has admitted he did try and make a return to the Spanish capital, where he helpedÂLos RojiblancosÂwin the La Liga title and reach the Champions League title in 2014.
Though Costa does suggest he won’t try as hard to move back to Madrid again, Chelsea fans on Twitter have been slightly annoyed his recent comments and are wary about his long-term future in west London.
With that in mind, here’s a look at how Chelsea fans reacted on Twitter to Costa’s comments.
Indulging in hyperbole about the latest homegrown talent in English football appears to be as much of an institutional trend on these shores as talking about the weather, or the love of a Sunday roast.
Considering the state of the English national side over the last few years (who’d have ever thought football fans in this country would be longing for the days of Sven-Goran Erikkson and his perennial quarter-final runs?), identifying the next Golden Boy on a fairly regular basis is about the only source of excitement available to fans in these isles.
As much as the Euro 2016 debacle went even further in warning us against getting too excited, the continued excellence of Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli makes it increasingly hard not to. On today, just his 21st birthday, the midfielder is drawing comparisons to greats such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
Despite starting his second season as a Premier League footballer rather slowly, Alli is constantly growing at White Hart Lane. Operating as a shadow striker recently, since Mauricio Pochettino switched a hybrid of a 3-4-2-1 and a 3-4-3 system, his unique ability in that role is fast becoming evident.
While he initially started as a central midfielder, his deployment further up the field has seen an improvement in his goal haul, with Alli now outscoring elite marksmen such as Neymar and Karim Benzema in league competition. In fact, only five players (Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa) have scored more Premier League goals this season.
Football Soccer – Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur – Barclays Premier League – Selhurst Park – 23/1/16 Dele Alli celebrates with team mates after scoring the second goal for Tottenham Reuters / Stefan Wermuth Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account
It’s hard to compare Alli to any of his contemporaries his age, such is his unique brand of football. A wonderfully skilful, 6’2 attacking midfielder with the engine to flourish in a physically demanding style under a manager such as the aforementioned Argentine.
Granted, he doesn’t yet have the varied passing range of Gerrard, though it’s important to remember his age. That may still be introduced into his game and the England international is already showing the kind of footballing intelligence required in that regard.
His work off the ball is constantly improving. Not only does he make the runs that open up spaces that seem to lay between heartbeats, but Alli is now instructing others to do so. When Kane wasn’t in the team, he worked well with Heung-min Son as the pair rotated in the central role of the attack, helping identify the sort of runs his South Korean partner should make.
In all honestly, we could sit here and wax poetic about Alli’s importance both off the ball and off the field for Spurs, England and whatever European powerhouse he may eventually join, though we should enjoy just what he can do on it for now.
So, on his birthday, here’s another a look at the goal just how talented he actually is. Alli may score better goals in his career, more important ones in fact, though his wonderful strike against Crystal Palace during a season in which he and his teammates proved so exciting will live long in the memory.