Author Archives: Leroy

Mills Admits Arsenal at a Major Disadvantage in the Europa League against Napoli

Former Manchester City defender Danny Mills claims that it is a major disadvantage for Arsenal to be playing the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals away from home. After having come back from a huge deficit against Rennes, Arsenal were disappointed to learn about facing Napoli in the next stage of the Europa League. Even though Napoli have not been as good in the 2018-19 campaign, the quality of the team certainly means that it is a difficult test for the Gunners. It has just been made to due to the scheduling of the second leg matches.

Arsenal were set to play the second leg at home at the Emirates Stadium. However, Chelsea also had a similar Europa League draw and they were up against Slavia Prague in the second leg tie at the Stamford Bridge. Since UEFA decided that it cannot have to London clubs playing on the same evening, it was decided to shift one of the ties are the other way around. As a result of Chelsea’s FA Cup success last season, the West London outfit took precedence in the draw and they were handed a second leg tie at home. Arsenal, meanwhile, will be playing the first leg at the Emirates and the second leg will be at the Stadio San Paolo.
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Posted on April 17, 2019 by

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Lee Dixon says Mesut Ozil’s new contract has softened him

Former Arsenal star Lee Dixon believes Mesut Ozil does not look hungry since signing a new contract during the backend of last season. The German footballer has been in-and-out of the starting lineup under Unai Emery during the current campaign and this has recently generated doubts regarding his long-term future with the club.

In a report covered by The Sun, Dixon has said that Ozil may have been affected following the contract extension last year, where he was made one of the highest-paid players in the division. He added that the midfielder’s performances have not been up to the mark and there has been an evident lack of hunger when compared to recent seasons.
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Posted on March 15, 2019 by

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Arsene Wenger suggests Mesut Ozil has got into a comfort zone at Arsenal

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that Mesut Ozil may be in a comfort zone at the Gunners after penning a new long-term deal last year. The former Germany international had been in a contract saga with the Gunners for the best part of 12 months but he managed to end the speculation by penning a fresh three-year deal 12 months ago.

However, this has not quite translated into consistent performances on the playing field and under Unai Emery this season, he has genuinely struggled for gametime. Speaking to Sportsmole, Wenger has said the length of the contract has nothing to do with the selection process and in Ozil’s case, he may have gone into a comfort zone after the contract extension.
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Posted on March 12, 2019 by

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Arsenal boss insists Denis Suarez has not joined to replace Mesut Ozil

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has indicated that Denis Suarez has not joined the Gunners necessary to replace Mesut Ozil. The Spain international joined the north London side after a lengthy transfer saga on deadline day and he is scheduled to make his debut against former employers Manchester City this weekend.

Speaking to reporters, Emery was asked whether the arrival of Suarez could impact the position of Ozil but he replied in the negative by stating that the former was recruited to bolster the options in the wider areas, he said: “It’s no change for him. [Suarez] is coming here because we have a lot of problems on the wing, we haven’t got players to play right or left – that is the reason. He’s a player with quality and I think he can help us with his quality, and also his ambition to do something important here. It’s a good challenge for him to help us.”
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Posted on February 23, 2019 by

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Mesut Ozil’s agent dismisses Arsenal exit speculation

The representative of Mesut Ozil has indicated that the midfielder has no intention of leaving Arsenal anytime soon. The German has been regularly linked with a potential departure from the Gunners amid his reduced gametime under Unai Emery but his agent Dr ErkutSogut has now dismissed the speculation.

Speaking to Goal.com, Sogut said that he does not like to speak on Ozil’s future in public but he has been made to have a say after the constant speculation surrounding the German footballer, he quipped: “I would prefer not to speak publicly about Mesut’s situation, but given the recent speculation linking him with a move away from Arsenal, I do feel it is important to provide some clarity so we can end this and focus on football.
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Posted on January 21, 2019 by

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Mateo Guendouzi acknowledges Paris Saint-Germain interest

France youth international Mateo Guendouzi has acknowledged that Paris Saint-Germain were among the top sides vying for his signature before he decided to sign for Arsenal. The teenager was a relatively unknown when the Gunners pursued him from Lorient in the previous transfer window but he has since become a genuine favourite among the club’s faithful.

Speaking to Canal Football Club, Guendouzi has admitted that there was the option of heading to Paris with Les Parisiens during the summer but the prospect of joining the Gunners under Unai Emery was hard to refuse, he said: “[Emery] was definitely a reason why I went. It was him who really wanted me to come to Arsenal. He is a very good manager, we have done very good results since the beginning of the season with him.
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Posted on January 3, 2019 by

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Arsenal manager pleased with stalemate against Liverpool

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has said that he is pleased with the performance of his team during Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw versus Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners had come into the game with a 13-match unbeaten run across all competitions and they managed to stay competent with the Reds for the entire 90 minutes.

Both teams had equal chances to find the scoresheet in the first period and it was James Milner who opened the scoring for the Reds before the hour mark after a slight misjudgement from goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Thereafter, the Gunners picked up pace to find the equaliser and they eventually levelled the scores in the final 10 minutes after a brilliant curling effort from Alexandre Lacazette shortly after beating Alisson Becker to the ball.
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Posted on November 24, 2018 by

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Unai Emery speaks on Arsenal’s title prospects this season

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has indicated that he would like to assess the team’s performance on a game-by-game basis rather than speaking about a potential challenge for the Premier League title. The north Londoners began the season with back-to-back losses against Manchester City and Chelsea but they have since made a sublime recovery which sees them just two points behind the lead of the table.

Based on this, there have been some assumptions that the Gunners could compete for the Premier League crown but Emery has refused to get into such discussion by admitting his team are not the best at the moment, he said: “Each match is our focus. Our focus is Sunday. If you win or lose on Sunday, it’s a very different moment after.
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Posted on November 10, 2018 by

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Martin Keown urges Arsenal to bow to Aaron Ramsey’s wage demands

Arsenal legend-turned-pundit Martin Keown believes the Gunners’ hierarchy should bow to the wage demands of Wales international Aaron Ramsey. The midfielder has been in a contract standoff with the Gunners since the turn of the year and reports have recently claimed that talks have negotiations have broken up altogether.

Amidst this, Ramsey has not let his performances dip in the club’s colours and he came up with a stellar performance off the bench versus Fulham which included an assist and a goal which he orchestrated from his own backline. Speaking after that triumph, Keown urged his former side to come to terms with Ramsey regarding a new contract with his existing one expiring in under nine months’ time.
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Posted on October 17, 2018 by

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BBC Sport pundit heaps praise on Unai Emery for picking Arsenal duo

BBC Sport pundit Garth Crooks has praised manager Unai Emery after taking the decision to play Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette on the playing field. Lacazette had featured from the bench during the first three games of the Premier League campaign but he earned a much-anticipated start at Cardiff City where both strikers were able to break their scoring duck.

Following the game, Crooks was appreciative of Emery after he started with the pair in just his fourth match in charge of the club, he said: “The fact of the matter is Arsene Wenger lacked the nerve to play the two up front on a regular basis, and if Unai Emery had started his first two games of the season with both men in his line-up he may have had different results.
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Posted on September 28, 2018 by

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