Arsenal fans everywhere are extremely disappointed that they couldn’t secure Champions League football via the top four, instead resting all their hope on winning the Europa League. Risky, risky stuff for the Gunners. 

Clearly, that is a dangerous game and probably not one Unai Emery intended to happen but that is the current situation the Gunners find themselves in nonetheless. With a distinct lack of confidence in the team during the closing stages of the season, all potential for the next campaign is resting on who they can bring in this summer.

Unai Emery must do everything he can to demand a sizeable budget so he can really make a difference, because as he probably well knows, there are a number of positions that need improving.

Starting with left-back, Arsenal (touted as a potential landing spot by A Bola via the Sun earlier this week) should consider Benfica’s Alejandro Grimaldo to be a fine acquisition. Grimaldo, (who is valued at £25.2 million on Transfermarkt) is usually one of the first names on the team sheet for Benfica, given his commitment to the club since 2016.

He cost the Portuguese giants just short of £2 million and what a deal that has transpired to be.

This season alone, Grimaldo has played a staggering 52 games in all competitions, going on to provide seven goals and 11 assists.

He not only provides defensive stability but as shown by his statistics, going forward is where he really thrives. Playable further up the pitch as a wide midfielder, Grimaldo is used to darting up and down the wing, providing balls into the box for his team-mates, or going alone himself.

At the age of 23, his stock is very high considering the performances he has put in this season. It would surely be an expensive deal but one that could solve Arsenal’s left-back problem for the next five years at the very least. As a potential heir to Nacho Monreal’s throne, he could make the side so much more exciting.

Heaven knows they need to be…

Gunners, how much would you like to see Grimaldo arrive? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Arsenal were handed yet another embarrassing defeat in midweek.

Travelling to Molineux to face a Wolves side that has taken a number of scalps this season, the Gunners were soundly beaten 3-1.

On the chalkboard

Per the BBC, Arsenal had 71% possession during the game.

Yet they entered the dressing room at half-time 3-0 down.

It was a remarkable display of counter-attacking by Wolves, who used their limited possession effectively and ran riot against a beleaguered Gunners defence.

WhoScored paints a rather more damning picture. Arsenal attempted 690 passes to Wolves’ 285, yet they both had 11 shots. Wolves made more tackles, blocks, interceptions and clearances and also touched the ball 442 times in total, compared to Arsenal’s 837.

Wolves lost the ball half as much as Arsenal and they also made just one error to the Gunners’ two.

Sometimes having the ball does not guarantee winning the game.

Wasteful

Arsenal simply did not do enough with the ball at Molineux.

Wolves drew the Gunners into a trap and took a risk in doing so; in letting Unai Emery’s men dominate possession, they could have been picked apart by clever movement, incisive passing and clinical finishing.

Instead, they were able to counter swiftly and fire past Bernd Leno three times. It is to their immense credit that the second half was nothing more than a procession.

For Emery, however, this should sting. It is reminiscent of the days when Arsene Wenger would watch from the sidelines as his Gunners teams attempted to score the perfect goal.

It is wonderful when it works, of course, and it can lead to some big scorelines, particularly if the opposition defence crumbles in the face of such sustained pressure.

But it can also look mighty foolish when it doesn’t. We have a classic case of that here.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react after Luke Shaw was named as the club’s Player of the Year, and they are certainly surprised as well as in disagreement at the decision.

It must be difficult to pick a Player of the Season from such a horrendous campaign. The Red Devils look set to finish sixth and have no chance of qualifying for the Champions League going into the final day; despite a decent run of form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the turn of the year, the season has been largely woeful under Jose Mourinho and then the Norwegian.

Will OGS still be in charge of Man Utd come next May? The Flying Pig discusses in the video below…

Shaw has made 40 appearances across all competitions, scoring one goal and recording four assists – he has, for the most part however, looked lethargic and unfit.

As a result, United fans are amazed that he has picked up the award, and are even more flabbergasted that the 23-year-old feels that this term has been his best since joining the club.

Let’s take a look at what the supporters are saying on Twitter…

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to slam Shkodran Mustafi, after the centre-back put in a woeful performance as Crystal Palace snatched a shock 3-2 victory at the Emirates Stadium.

The German international (and World Cup winner, somehow) was particularly culpable for the Eagles’ second goal, after a mix-up between him and Bernd Leno allowed Wilfried Zaha to nip in and tuck the ball home.

The North London Derby of 2008 may never be matched for drama. Lewis from Norwich City Central explains why it’s his all time favourite derby in the video below…

Mustafi always seems to be at fault for everything that goes wrong in the Gunners’ backline, and the fans appear to have had enough of the former Everton man’s incompetence at the back.

Whilst most of Unai Emery’s side didn’t turn up against Roy Hodgson’s men, special hatred has been reserved for the 27-year-old, who is perhaps the most disliked member of the entire squad amongst the Arsenal fanbase.

Having missed out on the chance to take advantage of Manchester United’s loss to Everton earlier in the day, let’s take a look at how the clearly frustrated Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted to Mustafi’s performance…

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Leicester City fans have been backing Kelechi Iheanacho to succeed at the club under the management of Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers has sparked a great run of goal scoring form in Jamie Vardy and Foxes fans believe that the Northern Irish boss can get the best out of Iheanacho in a similar way.

The Nigerian has struggled at the King Power Stadium since his move from Manchester City – the striker has scored just once in 29 games in the league so far this season.

The attacker has looked bereft of confidence but fans are now hoping that he can get back to his best under the new manager.

Iheanacho enjoyed a good start to his professional career, boasting an incredible goalscoring record at Man City netting eight goals in just 753 minutes during his first season at the Etihad.

Here’s what Leicester fans have been saying about the fringe attacker on Twitter…

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

تحوم حالة من الغموض حول مستقبل مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، أليو بادجي، والذي أصبح حبيسًا لمقاعد البدلاء منذ تغيير المدرب رينيه فايلر، في بداية أكتوبر الماضي.

ولم يشارك بادجي كثيرًا مع مديره الفني الحالي بالنادي الأهلي، بيتسو موسيماني، بمباريات الدوري المصري بالإضافة إلى عدم الاستعانة به في مباراتي الوداد البيضاوي المغربي في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

عقد السنغالي مع الأهلي عندما انتقل إليه من رابيد فيينا في يناير الماضي كان 4 سنوات ونصف، بمقابل 2.2 مليون يورو، واستطاع تسجيل 4 أهداف وصناعة 6 آخرين في 16 مباراة لعبها.

ولكن رحيل فايلر كان نقطة فاصلة في مشاركة بادجي مع الأهلي، خاصة مع وجود منافسة مع مهاجم منتخب مصر، مروان محسن، بحسب صحيفة “Le Quotidien” السنغالية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. الإسماعيلي يرد على أنباء التفاوض مع أليو بادجي

وتواصلت الصحيفة الإفريقية مع أحد المصادر المقربة من بادجي للحديث عن وضعه مع الأهلي، وقال: “صحيح أن وضع أليو ليس على ما يرام في الوقت الحالي وتحديدًا بعد تغيير المدرب، لم يعد يشارك”.

وتابع: “بالطبع، كانت هناك مباراتين صعبتين أمام الوداد في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، لكن في المباراة الثانية كانت النتيجة محسومة مبكرًا (بهدف مروان محسن) ولكننا لم نر بادجي على مدار التسعين دقيقة”.

وأضاف: “أجد صعوبة في فهم ما يحدث مع بادجي في الأهلي رغم أنه أثبت جدارته الفنية، لكنني أيضًا أرفض إلقاء اللوم على المدرب الجديد، لأنه وفقًا للمعلومات التي نعرفها أن مدير الكرة (سيد عبد الحفيظ) هو من يتحكم في كل شيء، ولكن إلى متى؟”.

وأتم تصريحاته: “كل ما نستطيع فعله هو الانتظار حتى يعرف المدرب الجديد جميع مميزات اللاعبين الذين يمتلكهم في الأهلي بشكل أوضح”.

It’s safe to say that without Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang or Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal would not achieve what they did this season.

Without the two strikers, the Gunners would be without a Europa League final and a chance to make it back into the Champions League, and after such a blistering season from both attackers, they have both attracted interest across the continent.

Lacazette, who is valued at £58.5 million on Transfermarkt, has found himself being courted by Barcelona if the Catalan giants are unable to sign Antoine Griezmann whereas Aubameyang has recently been linked (as per Diario Gol) with a move to Real Madrid as Los Blancos aim to completely reshape their squad after such a poor season in both Spain and in Europe.

The strikers are irreplaceable at Arsenal, but there is a good chance the duo will remain at the club. With Griezmann recently announcing his move away from Atletico Madrid, it is highly likely the French international will finally make his move to Barcelona, meaning Lacazette will remain a Gunners player.

And if the former Lyon striker stays, it more than likely means Aubameyang will remain as well. The attackers have a clear connection with each other both on and off the pitch, and after their first full season together there is a real chance the duo can take the club into a new era if they both remain at the club.

Their goals took Arsenal into a European final and gave them a shot at returning to the Champions League, and if Lacazette remains at the club, fans can expect more prosperous years together in north London.

Arsenal fans, will Aubameyang and Lacazette remain at the club this summer? Let us know!

أهدى جيني فينالدوم لاعب وسط منتخب هولندا وفريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، هدفيه أمس في مرمى البوسنة والهرسك إلى زميله ومواطنه فيرجيل فان دايك المصاب.

ويغيب فان دايك عن ليفربول وهولندا بسبب الإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي، التي تعرض لها في مواجهة إيفرتون الشهر الماضي، وستبعده 6 أشهر على الأقل عن الملاعب.

طالع أيضًا.. ليفربول يستهدف التعاقد مع موهبة برشلونة

فينالدوم بعد أن سجل هدفين، احتقل من خلال وضع يده اليمنى تحت ذقنه، وتذبذب أصابعه، وهذا كان احتفال زميله فيرجيل فان دايك.

وأكد قائد المنتخب الهولندي من خلال حسابه على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”، أن الاحتفال كان من أجل فان دايك.

وكتب فينالدوم: “احتفالي حتى يعود قائدي فيرجيل فان دايك”.

وقد تعهد فينالدوم بمواصلة الاحتفال بالأهداف التي يسجلها بهذه الطريقة حتى يعود فان دايك من الإصابة.

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According to the Scottish Daily Mail, Celtic are exploring a potential summer move for Bournemouth striker Lys Mousset, but is a move that would surely disappoint new boy Maryan Shved.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Scottish Daily Mail report that the Glasgow giants are keen to bring the former France U21 international north of the border, although they are reluctant to pay the £10m fee the Cherries would demand for the attacker.

The Scottish Dail Mail says that the Bhoys would prefer a players-plus-cash deal instead, as they are reluctant to break their transfer record on the 23-year-old.

According to Transfermarkt, Mousset has scored five goals in 71 appearances for the south coast outfit following a move from Le Havre in 2016, albeit the majority of those outings have come from the substitutes’ bench.

Shved will be disappointed

The 21-year-old has finally linked up with the Celtic squad this week following his move during the January transfer window, and he will be keen to hit the ground running next term.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

The winger has proven during his time with FC Karpaty that he is a goalscoring wide man, but he will surely want to boost his assists tally at Parkhead – he only provided four in 26 appearances in all competitions this season.

The Ukraine international will be expected to do a lot more in that regard if he is a regular starter on the flank for the Scottish Premiership holders, and he will be able to with the right striker/s in the box to feed.

Yes, the majority of Mousset’s outings for Bournemouth have come from the bench, but his record is far from impressive and doesn’t indicate that he is a regular goalscorer.

If Shved is creating chances he will want a centre-forward that he can rely on to put the ball in the back of the net, and the Frenchman simply doesn’t fit the bill.

Arsenal need to get bargain hunting to find their Aaron Ramsey replacement, and Bruno Fernandes would be right up there as one of their best signings this decade.

The Sporting Lisbon attacking midfielder has a huge tally of 16 goals and 11 assists in 29 appearances in the Primeira Liga. We know. crazy, right? He has all the ability to take Arsenal to the next level and help Unai Emery implement his style even more.

It’s clear to see what the Gunners’ manager is trying to achieve in the next few years. He wants to win trophies playing fast-flowing football and Fernandes can help link defence to attack in an instant.

Arsenal’s forwards would love him.

Portuguese outlet O Jogo (via HITC) have reported that Unai Emery wants the Lisbon captain, and that he’ll be fighting with Chelsea for his signature. If they win that battle it could be the difference between winning the title or settling for a place in the top four.

Athletico Madrid and Juventus are also interested according to the report, so they’ll have some stiff competition, but they’ll be pleased to know his club are willing to accept a cut fee of £30m, and that’s well short of his release clause of £85m.

So he’s a bargain as well as a goal and assist machine. Indeed, Arsenal need to make their approach quickly and snap him up. If they do, the fans will forget Ramsey every existed and begin preparing for a title race next season.

Arsenal fans, who would you have in your midfield next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…