SO MUCH for the Thursday/Sunday grind – Arsenal are making it look easy. Well, not as easy as it would be if they could put away more of the chances they create in the Europa League. For Mikel Arteta this was mission accomplished, getting the result his team needed to avoid a play-off tie despite fielding only four of his first 11. And who knows how important it will be NOT to have two...
KIERAN TIERNEY put in an impressive display to seal Arsenal’s passage into the Europa League last 16. And it seems it was so impressive that Zurich star Nikola Boranijasevic even wanted the shirt off of Tierney’s back – literally. The Scot was left was a massive hole in his shirt after a grapple with Boranijasevic. However, the 30-year-old Serbian was not even booked for the...
A LUXURY liner to be used as England’s Wags’ World Cup base was tonight steaming towards Qatar — but no players will be allowed on board. Ace Jack Grealish, 27, and girlfriend Sasha Attwood, 25, and others will be kept apart as the Three Lions live in a strict hotel Covid bubble away from MSC World Europa. MSC World Europa’s maiden voyage saw it inching through the Suez Canal yesterday. The...
CHELSEA have been dealt a transfer blow with Presnel Kimpembe reportedly in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a new contract. The French defender, 27, is heading into the final 18 months of his current deal at the Parc des Princes. In the summer, he was linked with a transfer away from the Ligue 1 champions. He angered his club with comments in the summer hinting at a possible exit...
WORLD CUP countries have been told by FIFA to concentrate on football and not focus on human rights issues. The world’s governing body has sent a letter to all the nations competing at the World Cup — including England and Wales — to stress that everyone will be welcome in Qatar. FIFA bosses, led by chairman Gianni Infantino and general secretary Fatma Samoura, are hoping severe criticism of the...
WEST HAM ended their Romania hoodoo on a history-making European night as Fornals nets twice. The Hammers became the first team since the Europa Conference League’s inception last year to win six from six group stage games after a comfortable victory over FCSB. On his 150th appearance for the club out in Bucharest, Pablo Fornals scored twice in a first win in five on Romanian soil – a run dating...
Arsenal 1 FC Zurich 0 : There may be no rest for the wicked but even Jesus doesn’t get a night off at the Emirates these days. Gabriel Jesus might have played in all but one of Arsenal’s games this season but still has to answer the call of duty every three days. News of the £45million striker’s inclusion in Mikel Arteta’s starting line-up inevitably went down like a s*** sandwich with the...
ERIK TEN HAG could be handed a nightmare play-off tie against Barcelona after Manchester United failed to qualify top of their Europa League group. An emotional return to Ajax is also on the cards. United fell a goal short of a bye through to the Europa League last 16 in Thursday’s 1-0 win against Real Sociedad. Instead a play-off tie to reach that stage against one of the eight sides to...
PROMOTER Frank Warren reckons three of the top five heavyweights on the planet are British – but NONE of them are Anthony Joshua. The Top Rank chief doesn’t believe Joshua is among the world’s best in his division following his back-to-back defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk. Frank has Usyk as No2 in his top five list behind “no-brainer” No1 and WBC champ Tyson...
ANTHONY JOSHUA could return straight into a super-fight with Deontay Wilder next year.The British heavyweight superstar is taking time out to recover mentally after consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk. Before the rematch in August, his promoter Eddie Hearn sent Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel an invitation to hold talks. Only now has Finkel responded, leaving the door open to AJ returning...