Arsenal
Arsenal See Off Napoli To Secure Europa League Semifinal Spot
Arsenal are through to the Europa League semifinals after they saw off Italian Serie A giants Napoli in their quarterfinal tie.
The Gunners faithfuls would have expected a much tougher test from the second best team in Italy but the Arsenal players made light work of the threat posed by Napoli over two legs.
Arsenal had won the first leg of their quarterfinal tie at home via a 2-0 victory made possible by goals from Aaron Ramsey and Kalidou Koulibaly (own goal).
The comfortable lead was not in danger throughout the second leg meeting which ended in a 1-0 win for Arsenal.
French international Alexandre Lacazette was brought down outside the Napoli box and he stepped up to convert the resulting freekick to give the Gunners a 36th-minute lead.
Arsenal were able to preserve that lead to seal a 1-0 win on the night and a 3-0 aggregate victory over their Italian opponents.
The Gunners will now face Spanish La Liga club Valencia in the last four of the competition.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery will face his former club while ex-Gunners players like Francis Coquelin and Gabriel Paulista are on the payroll at Valencia.
The Gunners host Valencia in their first leg before both teams face each other again in Spain for the second leg to determine this year’s Europa League finalists.
Arsenal midfielder Mohamed ElNeny was the subject of strong interest from three clubs in the summer according to the publication from football365.
Mohamed ElNeny is presently out of Arsenal on loan following his summer move to Besiktas FC of Turkey.
He has been able to resurrect his career while on loan at Besiktas after the Egyptian international struggled for playing time at Arsenal.
The aforementioned report said that Mohamed ElNeny could have joined the likes of West Ham United, Leicester City and Spanish La Liga outfit Valencia before his loan transfer to Turkish Super League club Besiktas in the summer.
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At Besiktas, Mohamed ElNeny has gotten more first team minutes.
The Egyptian midfielder is a regular in the Besiktas XI this season upon his loan move from Arsenal in August.
Without him at Arsenal, the Gunners have been able to produce a good start to the Premier League season.
Arsenal are in third position on the Premier League table after the first eight games of the season.
Only Liverpool and Manchester City have more points than the Gunners this season.
Arsenal have lost just once this season and that was the league game at leaders Liverpool which ended in a 3-1 loss for the North Londoners.
Italian Serie A giants Juventus have concluded plans to offer first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny a new contract in a bid to secure his long-term future at the club.
According to Goal, Juventus are not willing to take chances on their first choice shot-stopper after Premier League giants Manchester United made an enquiry about him.
It was revealed that the Manchester United enquiry came while David De Gea was stalling over a new deal at the club.
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David De Gea had less than a year on his Manchester United contract before the Spaniard was handed a new deal to make him the highest paid player at the club.
The aforementioned report from Goal said that Juventus will give Wojciech Szczesny a three-year extension in addition to a significant rise on his almost three million euros yearly salary with the Italian champions.
Wojciech Szczesny was an Arsenal goalkeeper before he joined Italian champions Juventus two years ago.
Despite the return of club legend and veteran shot-stopper Gianlugi Buffon to Juventus this summer from a short spell at French champions Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Szczesny has retained his spot as the first choice goalkeeper and has helped his team to the top of the Italian Serie A table.
Arsenal play newly promoted team Sheffield United in one of the week nine games in the Premier League this weekend and they could have one of their best players in the squad for the game.
Ahead of the Sheffield United game, the Gunners are expected to welcome back Alexandre Lacazette back into their squad after a long injury layoff.
French international Alexandre Lacazette has been out of action for the last one month with his last appearance coming in the North London Derby just before the international break last month.
He was one of the goalscorers for Arsenal as they came from two goals down to play out a 2-2 draw at home against Tottenham Hotspur in that North London Derby.
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Lacazette suffered an ankle injury during that game against Spurs.
He scored two goals in two Premier League starts before that injury.
Arsenal travel to Yorkshire to take on the Blades with the aim to close the gap in the top two on the table namely Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Gunners trail league leaders Liverpool by eight points and champions Manchester City by a solitary point ahead of the weekend’s games.
Liverpool are away to Manchester United, while Premier League champions Manchester City will be guests of Crystal Palace.
Italian Serie A giants Inter Milan are reportedly keen to sign veteran Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud.
This is according to the report from football365 which revealed that French international Giroud could leave Chelsea in search of more playing time.
Olivier Giroud is the third choice striker at Chelsea this season behind first choice Tammy Abraham and second choice Michy Batshuayi.
He’s in danger of losing his place in the France squad if his lack of playing time continues at Chelsea.
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Olivier Giroud signed a new one-year contract this summer to take him till the end of this season.
The former Arsenal star has been linked with a return to France as well as the MLS (Major League Soccer).
Olivier Giroud joined Chelsea from Arsenal at the start of last year and he was a major part of the team that won the Europa League title last season.
He was amongst the goals against his former club Arsenal who were beaten to the Europa League title by Chelsea.
Giroud scored the opening goal of the game as Chelsea thrashed Arsenal 4-1 in their final clash in Baku.
It was his first title as a Chelsea player since his move from London rivals Arsenal.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is reportedly happy with the squad at his disposal at the Emirates Stadium and that he won’t be making additions.
This is according to the report from the stables of football365 which revealed that no player would be signed by the Gunners when the winter transfer window starts in January.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is in his second season at the club having been appointed into the job last summer.
The Spanish tactician was the replacement for legendary manager Arsene Wenger who resigned from his job last summer despite the fact that he had one year left in his then Arsenal contract.
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Wenger won three Premier League titles as well as seven FA Cup titles during his time in North London.
The Frenchman spent almost 22 years as the Arsenal manager before he made way for the aforementioned Unai Emery.
Arsene Wenger also led Arsenal to two European finals which ended in defeats.
His successor Unai Emery also led the Gunners to a loss in an European final.
He led Arsenal to the Europa League final last season only to lose 4-1 to London rivals Chelsea.
Unai Emery has led the Gunners to third place in the league this season.
Italian Serie A giants AC Milan are surprisingly interested in signing Arsenal outcast Mohamed ElNeny if recent reports in the British media are anything to go by.
Egyptian international Mohamed ElNeny has been farmed out on loan for this season by Arsenal.
He joined Turkish Super League outfit Besiktas on loan during the summer and he’s expected to stay with them until next summer.
According to the publication from the stables of football365, fallen Italian Serie A side AC Milan want to sign Mohamed ElNeny.
AC Milan have already sacked their manager this season just weeks into the job at the San Siro.
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The Rossoneri only appointed Marco Giampaolo as their manager in the summer after his impressive outing with fellow top slight Sampdoria last season.
He was sacked earlier this month after making a poor start to his career as the AC Milan manager.
Marco Giampaolo has since been replaced by Stefano Pioli at the San Siro.
The target for former European champions AC Milan this season is to return to the Champions League stage after almost a decade of missing out on Europe’s premier club competition.
AC Milan want to boost their midfield in the New Year with Arsenal loanee Mohamed ElNeny.
Former Arsenal defender Lee Dixon has labeled Manchester United midfielder Fred a flop on the back of his poor displays in the colours of the Red Devils.
While he was on American media outlet NBC, Arsenal legend Lee Dixon criticized Fred as he said that the Brazilian international is not good enough for Manchester United.
He went on to say that Manchester United is in big trouble if they have to rely on players like Fred.
The Brazilian has failed to live up to his expensive price tag since he moved to the Premier League.
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Fred left Ukrainian outfit Shakthar Donetsk for Manchester United at the start of last season and has not produced assured displays for the club in almost two years at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United paid 52 million pounds for the signing of Fred.
He was one of the major culprits for Manchester United in their last league game at Newcastle United and that was pointed out by Arsenal legend Lee Dixon.
Fred was one of the worst players on the pitch as Newcastle United beat Manchester United at St. James Park.
Newcastle United beat Manchester United by a lone goal courtesy the goal from debutant Matty Longstaff.
Premier League giants Arsenal have reportedly opened talks of a new contract with star player Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in a bid to secure his long-term future at the club.
This is according to Italian publication La Gazzetta Dello Sport which revealed that the Gunners want to tie their deputy skipper to a new deal.
Arsenal striker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang has less than two years left on his current deal at the Emirates Stadium.
He was recently named the deputy skipper at Arsenal by manager Unai Emery following the exit of former captain Laurent Koscielny to French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux controversially.
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Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka was made the Arsenal captain last month by Unai Emery who conducted an election amongst his players.
Apart from Gabonese international Aubameyang, the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Hector Bellerin and Mesut Ozil were also named deputy captains.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League following his move from German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund for a then club-record fee of 57 million pounds at the start of last year.
He won the Golden Boot Award in the Premier League last season alongside the Liverpool duo of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with 22 goals.
