You know the names of the teams in the Premier League, but how well do you know their logos?
In the last 100 years Chelsea have changed their team badge over 5 times and Arsenal over 10 times! With each new era of the game comes club design overhauls. So how well do you know your Premier League club crests? Take our quiz and test your knowledge!
Quiz supplied by football odds bookmakers Paddy Power
Tony Adams is returning to Arsenal next season to work with the Under-18 team.
Adams, a true Gunners legend, will work with Thierry Henry as assistant U18 coaches with current Under-16 boss Kwame Ampadu expected to be the manager.
This is a major signal of intent from Arsenal who are keen to bolster their coaching options by turning to former players – something that we haven’t done in the past.
Adams has management experience, previously working for Wycombe, Portsmouth and Gabala, and while things didn’t always go well, there’s no doubting he has a lot to offer.
I’m interested to see the balance between Adams’ defence knowledge and Henry’s striker knowledge, which should give the youth team total balance.
Henry is expected to sign his contract with Arsenal after Euro 2016, where he is working as a pundit for the BBC. Make sure you follow bethut’s Euro 2016 News for more on that.
Overall, Arsenal’s youth teams have been a bit of a mess for years and fans will be pretty excited by this news of two legends returning – to try and move the club forward.
Will another Jack Wilshere be just around the corner? We can only hope so.
Having suffered a frustrating end of season, in which only a final day victory saw them cement a second placed finish in the Premier League, Arsene Wenger looks set for a busy summer as he looks to turn his side into title contenders come next season. Following the arrival of midfielder Granit Xhaka from German Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach for a reported £30million, Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy is set to be the next newcomer at the Emirates Stadium. Having continued his dramatic rise to stardom by leading his side to Premier League glory, Arsenal have now triggered a release clause in the England man’s contract, and will now discuss terms with the former Fleetwood Town striker before finalising a deal.
With Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho joining Manchester rivals City and United respectively for the new season, Wenger seems determined to add to his team’s strength in depth, in order to contend with a heightened challenge from elsewhere next season. Despite coming in second place last time around, a ten-point deficit to winners Leicester further highlighted Arsenal’s shortcomings, in a season which should surely have been the Gunners first title victory since 2004. With the coming campaign looking likely to be one of the most competitive in recent Premier League history, why not place your bets on your favourite team using the calculator at Bookmakers.com, supplied by Bell Internet Limited.
Keeping hold of Hector Bellerin could well be one of Wengers’ biggest challenges during the off season, as the defender who was among the standout performers for the Gunners this year, continues to be linked with a move to Barcelona and Manchester City. Bellerin is part of the Spain squad for the upcoming European Championships in France this summer, and will be hoping to help his side to successfully defend their title from four years ago. Use the betting calculator from Bell Internet to locate the best odds for the tournament starting later on this week.
With Danny Welbeck a long term injury issue for Arsene Wenger, the arrival of Vardy would certainly offer a more potent goal threat for the Gunners, with Olivier Giroud struggling for large periods of the season. Vardy finished with 24 league goals, just one behind Tottenham’s Harry Kane in the standings.
Last weekend, Arsenal earned a 2-1 victory against Championship side Burnley to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup. With nine Premier League teams remaining in the competition, it looked as though the Gunners would face a difficult tie but they will once again face second-tier opposition after drawing Steve Bruce’s Hull City.
Fortunately for the Gunners, Manchester City and Chelsea were drawn against each other – meaning that one of their main rivals for the crown will be eliminated before the quarter-final stage. Arsenal will be quietly confident of their chances this season and although the Premier League will remain the number one priority, a third consecutive FA Cup success shouldn’t be snuffed at.
According to Betway’s football odds, Arsenal are now the favourites for the FA Cup this season. At the time of writing, the Gunners are 7/2 to defend their title – and it’s hard to argue against them. On current form, Arsenal are capable of beating anybody and, with no disrespect to Hull, they were fortunate to avoid a top flight side in the draw.
With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud in the side, Arsenal have enough offensive talent to cause problems for Hull’s defence. The Tigers have enjoyed plenty of success since suffering relegation to the Championship but Bruce’s side are likely to struggle against the sheer power and ability of Arsenal’s octane attacking unit.
In fact, Arsenal’s strike force could well be the key to both their FA Cup and Premier League hopes this campaign. At the start of the season, many Arsenal fans criticised Arsene Wenger after the Frenchman decided to stick by Giroud as Arsenal’s main striker. The Gunners were linked with Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema throughout the summer but a move never materialised – something that riled the majority of supporters.
However, Giroud has been simply sublime this campaign. The Frenchman has flourished as Arsenal’s leading forward and is enjoying his football at the Emirates Stadium. With the European Championships on home soil in France this summer, it’s hardly a huge surprise to see Giroud trying desperately to impress both Wenger and national team coach Didier Deschamps.
Attention will now turn to Arsenal’s upcoming Premier League fixtures. On Sunday, the Gunners will travel to Bournemouth as they look to keep pace with Leicester City and Manchester City at the top of the table. Punters can visit Betway’s website to check this weekend’s football odds and as of February 1st, Wenger’s men are priced at 11/10 to pick up all three points in that clash.
However, it’s the FA Cup that will be on Arsenal’s minds right now – and rightly so. Gunners’ supporters will already have one eye on a potential quarter-final clash and with a number of top flight sides facing difficult ties, Arsenal could well have a fairly straightforward route to the final. With a bit of luck, there’s absolutely no reason why Wenger’s men cannot win the competition once again this season.
There was a sense of déjà vu about Arsenal’s defeat by Tottenham at the weekend.
Not in the sense of losing to Spurs as that hasn’t happened too often under Arsene Wenger. But in the sense that it is reminiscent of the situation 12 months ago.
It wasn’t the way Wenger would have wanted to mark his 700th Premier League game as Arsenal manager.
Losing 2-1 at White Hart Lane, especially after being in front at half-time, has again led to fears that Arsenal are in danger of missing out on qualification for next season’s Champions League.
That finishing in the top four is the target when we’re only just into February is clearly a disappointment after at least being involved in the title race for the opening months of last season. A 14-point gap to Chelsea isn’t going to be bridged in the next three months is it?
And it is understandable why there is annoyance, even anger, when making the Champions League again is what will be classed as a successful season.
The parallels with this time of year last season are drawn with Arsenal losing 5-1 at Liverpool the week before the FA Cup fifth round, which was a similarly demoralising and depressing defeat as Saturday’s was at Spurs.
But Arsenal recovered from that setback to subsequently knock Liverpool out of the FA Cup before going on to beat Hull City in the final.
Wenger also ensured Arsenal qualified for the Champions League for the 17th consecutive year.
An FA Cup fifth round tie at home to Middlesbrough offers a great opportunity to reach the quarter-finals and Arsenal could easily end the week back inside the top four.
So, come the end of May, there could be a repeat of the 2013/14 season, with Arsenal finishing in fourth place and winners of the FA Cup.
But, it is this perpetual feeling of Groundhog Day which is the source of such discontent when it comes to talk about Wenger and Arsenal’s future, and what is the ultimate ambition.
Wenger never wavers in his belief that Arsenal will finish in the top four. Meanwhile, the odds have Arsenal as 4/9 to finish in the Premier League’s top four.
Yet the fans demand more than that. There is a desire, a desperation even, to see a sustained assault on the title, which hasn’t been won since 2004. That only three clubs have won the league since then, and those are the three with the biggest resources, is of little consequence.
It always seems a case of one step forward, and then one step back, over and over again. The promise and potential is there, the footballing talent is unquestionable, but the character and bull-by-the-horns leadership of past greats like Adams and Vieira always seems to be out of reach.
Sure, the game has moved on since Adams and Vieira were leading Arsenal’s charge for honours. But there is always the need for players of that ilk.
It is hard to see Arsenal’s seemingly pre-determined seasonal destiny changing until that issue is addressed.
Still, would finishing fourth at the expense of Spurs make up for failing to challenge for the title?
Arsene Wenger’s swoop for highly-rated Legia Warsaw midfielder Krystian Bielik will be welcomed by the Arsenal fans, who are keen to see the squad bolstered ahead of a tough second half of the season.
At just 17-years-old, however, Bielik is one for the future and has made just five starts for his club this season. If he does make the move to the Emirates, he looks unlikely to break straight into the first team and dislodge the likes of Jack Wilshere or Aaron Ramsey just yet.
If Arsenal are to progress in the Champions League or to break back into the Premier League top four, Wenger must look to sign established stars that are ready to contribute to the team’s efforts straight away.
Potential
There is no doubting Bielik’s potential. Legia Warsaw are also clearly confident of his temperament, having made him the youngest player to appear in the Europa League this season when he came on as a substitute against Trabzonspor. But the Premier League will surely be too big a step up at this stage.
Having signed goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from Legia Warsaw as a 16-year-old, Wenger will be hoping for similar success with Bielik. But he will know that it will take time for him to get up to speed. You can follow his progress and keep up with other transfer and betting news at bluesq.
Consistency
Having lost two of their last six league games, including a 3-2 defeat to this weekend’s opponents, Stoke City, Arsenal must find some consistency in the New Year if they are to make a challenge for silverware.
There is no doubt that Arsene Wenger needs to strengthen and that defensive midfield is a priority area, but he should turn his attention to established stars with proven Premier League track records if he expects them to make an immediate impact.
The likes of Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko, with whom the Gunners have been linked, would be an ideal target and could make a significant improvement to the Arsenal starting 11.
Arsene Wenger has been great for Arsenal since being appointed 18 years ago but his time is up.
Two wins out of eight and 11 points behind unbeaten Chelsea already is not where the Gunners should be.
Saturday’s scrambled 2-2 draw against a modest team like Hull City showed off all the current team’s fallibilities. Yes, there are injuries to key players, but the root of the problem is Wenger himself and he should walk away now for the good of the club.
Transfer policy
It hasn’t been right for several years but this summer’s policy was probably the worst since Wenger was appointed.
How can he let Thomas Vermaelen leave and not have a replacement lined up? Nacho Monreal had to play as a central defender against Hull because Laurent Koscielny is injured and Calum Chambers suspended.
But it didn’t take a genius to work out that such a scenario would happen sooner rather than later when there are only three senior central defenders on the books.
And why wasn’t a defensive midfielder signed when that was clearly an area that needed strengthening? Mathieu Flamini is not the player he was a decade ago.
Poor tactics
Wenger has his way of playing and will not change it if the Gunners are playing Chelsea or Burnley.
He is so pig-headed that he will not adapt and intransigence is his middle name.
Arsenal – who you can follow on blue square – won’t win the Premier League title this season that much is already clear. That means that it is now 11 years since the last success, which is far too long.
Out of date
Football has moved on since 2004 but Wenger hasn’t. Monaco are said to want the 64-year-old and it may be best for all concerned if he does indeed head to the south of France.
It almost makes you wish that Arsenal hadn’t won the FA Cup in May, as surely if Hull had won at Wembley Wenger would have gone in the summer.
Arsenal fought hard to get Hector Bellerin out of Barcelona – with Arsene Wenger a huge fan of his ability.
Bellerin was a winger who sometimes played up front when Arsenal grabbed him, but now he is a right back; and a great one at that.
Speed, technique and excellent crossing ability – Bellerin has all those qualities but has now added some defensive steel to that. He’s bulked up and improved so much, now he just needs the chance to show it.
He got a chance against Hull City and now he needs more. Bellerin is a super talent and will only improve by getting more and more match time.
Will it happen? Even the best betting in running odds can’t tell us that right now, but Wenger likes him and that’s what matters.
Anderlecht is his next chance and we’ll know before kick off the full teams.
Three reasons why Arsenal can cope without Mesut Ozil
Mesut Ozil has been ruled out of action until probably the new year and, while the news is a blow to boss Arsene Wenger, there is no need for Arsenal fans to panic. Here we look at three good reasons why losing the German star for a while might not be such a bad thing.
1. It means others will step up
Ozil’s absence means there is a regular starting role at the Emirates up for grabs – and there are no shortage of players ready to step into the void.
Ozil has started six games so far this season so it is clear he is automatically in Arsene Wenger’s line-up if he’s fit. After an impressive initial start in the months to Christmas last season, the playmaker’s influence waned in the second half of the campaign with the World Cup looming. That allowed the likes of Santi Cazorla, Jack Wilshere and, eventually, Aaron Ramsey to shine – with the latter’s own return from injury coming just a little too late to help force a Premier League title challenge. Theo Walcott’s imminent return from injury also means he can immediately find a way back into the side so there is considerable strength in depth without Ozil.
Ozil being out for the next few months means the aforementioned players can again assume a more important role, while the often-forgotten – but talented – Tomas Rosicky could even step up to the plate.
2. He’s not been at his best anyway
Ozil may well have been suffering from a post-World Cup hangover as he has not been up to the level many fans would have expected of him so far. Some pundits suggest the quick pace of English football does not suit his game and he has struggled to control matches in recent months with the same poise and tempo as in the past. Frankly, there have been games this term that have passed him by somewhat and he has found it difficult to get going and on the ball enough in dangerous areas to make a real difference.
Ozil has scored just one goal (but a check of the stats show he’s only actually had six shots in the league), while he also has just one assist to his name. They are figures that prove he’s not been anywhere near his best so it could be argued Arsenal will not miss him all that much anyway.
3. He should be fit for the run-in
Like several of the Gunners squad, Ozil was hardly coming into the season fresh after playing in Brazil over the summer. The fact he went all the way with Germany to the World Cup final meant by the time the new campaign came round in the middle of August he’d barely had a month off. That gruelling schedule seems to have taken its toll and this enforced injury absence arguably gives the 25-year-old a well-deserved and timely rest.
The knee injury is being assessed by Arsenal’s medical staff and they will hope he can be back in action for his club in 12 weeks or less but his return will not be rushed with Wenger wary of him suffering a setback.
Provided his rehabilitation goes to plan, Ozil should be fighting fit by the end of January at the latest and in great shape to improve Arsenal’s odds in the football betting markets while spearheading what is hoped will be a Gunners’ title challenge in the final few months of the season.