Arsenal News

Could Mathieu Debuchy save his Arsenal career?

Staff Writer
Mathieu Debuchy’s time at Arsenal has been underwhelming to say the least.
The France international joined from Newcastle United as a proven performer in the Premier League and for his country – making him a perfect fit.
But after some initial promise, he struggled with injuries and was soon usurped by Hector Bellerin’s emergence from the youth team.
Debuchy had a loan spell and Bordeaux to try and bounce back, but it didn’t work and he’s since been stuck in the Under-23 team.
A transfer has proven tricky, despite betting companies like NetBet Sport expecting it to happen, and this year he’s been playing centre back for the second string as they mirror the first-teams back three.
However, while many would expect dropping down to play with kids and moving to an unfamiliar position would see Debuchy decline further – he’s actually impressed and looks really good in the position.
Part of Debuchy’s problem has been the pace he’s lost, but at centre back it is less of an issue and the switch appears to have revitalised him.
It’s a stretch to imagine there could be a way back for him at Arsenal, but with Mustafi, Koscienly and Chambers all currently injured, and with little other option, a return to the fold would make sense.
Debuchy looks likely to reject moves and continue to pick up his reported £70,000-a-week salary until the end of the season, so in which case Arsenal might as well try and get some use out of him.
Top 5 wealthiest club owners in the football world

Top 5 wealthiest club owners in the football world

Staff Writer

You may be well familiar with some of the leading stars of the football world; perhaps you are a big football enthusiast well known for his accurate football predictions; however, do you know the wealthiest people who own the popular football clubs and set the grounds for all those star strikers and teams to succeed?! Let’s take you through the top 5 club owners in the football world.

Carlos Slim Helu

With a net worth of $ 86.3 billion, this man is the richest soccer team owner throughout the world. At core a telecom conglomerate giant, Carlos Slim Helu is the owner of 3 popular football clubs – Real Oviedo, Leon and Pachuca. If things go his way, he might end up owning many more clubs in his lifetime! Each one of these clubs is performing amazingly well to make Carlos the well-deserved and successful owner that he is.

Amanico Ortega

Even though Amanico Ortega doesn’t enjoy the kind of popularity that Carlos Slim Helu does outside of the Spain’s fashion world, people associated with soccer certainly know a great deal about him. He’s the second wealthiest soccer team owner in the entire world. Anyone who knows even a bit about Spanish football league may have heard of Deportivo de La Coruna. Mr. Ortega is the proud owner of that La Liga football team. Amanico Ortega’s net worth as of 2017 is $ 57 billion.

Sheikh Mansour

Having a net worth of around $ 27 billion, Sheikh Mansour is at the third position in the world’s wealthiest soccer club owners list. Apart from being the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, he also owns a stake in the Sky News Arabia, Daimler and Virgin Galactic. Mr. Mansour created the City Football Group through which he manages various clubs including the likes of New York City, Melbourne City and Atletico Torque. What Roman Abramovich achieved for Chelsea, Sheikh Mansour managed to do for the Manchester City club, by completely revolutionising their gameplay, making them win 2 Premier League titles, 2 League Cup trophies and one FA Cup title ever since he gained full control of the club in the year 2008.

George Soros

A minority stakeholder at the Manchester United, George Soros’ net worth is in the vicinity of $ 19.2 billion. He bought a stake in the most valuable UK football club, through his popular investment firm called Soros Fund Management.

 

Roman Abramovich

A well-known name in the oil, gas and metals world, Roman Abramovich’s riches came from £ 10 billion earnings through the sale of his 73% stake in Sibneft to Gazprom, in the year 2005. Ever since becoming the owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich has worked round the clock to ensure that the West London club enjoys unprecedented success under his guidance. He has successfully led the club to 4 FA Cup titles, 5 Premier League titles, 1 Europa league title, 1 Champions League trophy and 3 League cups. That’s a fairly impressive feat!

Manchester City Apprehension on Losing Star Arsenal Performer for Better Salary

Manchester City Apprehension on Losing Star Arsenal Performer for Better Salary

Staff Writer

Chilean player Alexis Sanchez has not yet recovered from his extended vacation since pre-season as he played for his Arsenal Carabao Cup against Doncaster, England. Reports have been pouring in from all over as Manchester City fears losing him on grounds on better remuneration from the opposition Paris Saint-Germain FC. Sanchez is on the verge of quitting the Emirates and declares himself open to outsider Europe clubs early next year as his contract will be terminating with his current team. Rumors, of late, have been giving pointers that Sanchez had been cheating all this while on Arsenal, and this incident (if true) could also be reason for him quitting the cluster.

 

Guardiola Keen on Sanchez

After questioning head coach Pep Guardiola, the manager of Man City has reassured Alexis had a hidden desire to get on his team’s roster in spite of not bagging a £60 million track down for the preceding reassignment timeframe. However, the PSG FCteam is now revising their interests for Alexis and sees him alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Santos on the turf. Just as a gentle reminder, Paris Saint-Germain also bought Kylian Mbappe and are now in pursuit of Alexis Sanchez which has higher tendencies towards Alexis to make a changeover.

Getting Ahead with Arsenal Power

The Gunners might now get even stronger, or even the other way round, as the roster fills up with fresh faces. This means fans that are used to placing bets will get even more involved with the upcoming games and will certainly expect more bang for their buck at the gambling tables. However, before rookie punters try their stint with the dice for Arsenal, they must grab a Paddy Power free bet to bet on Arsenal’s next game to stay in the safe zone.

In fact, bookmakers such as Paddy Power and others are sworn by veteran punters to be reliable on counts of accurate betting odds for the gunners, player stats and upcoming strategy information for an overall enjoyable affair. At any point, it is still uncertain about Sanchez dropping the hammer on his imminent team.

 

Negotiations Persist

The Paris Saint-Germain heads met with Sanchez in Paris in the summer of 2017 where both parties discussed a prospective venture together. Sanchez quoted a hefty paycheck amounting to £400000 for each week which the PSG could not afford presumably. However, Unai Emery and his party gave him a lucrative offer on signing the paper and hire him with a £275000 offer for every week. It should become evident by now that Paris Saint-Germain might as well relieve Neymar’s in-team adversary (owing to a free kick) Edinson Cavani  to facilitate the addition of Alexis.

Can Arsenal and Arsene Wenger bounce back in the Premier League?

Staff Writer

There will have been mixed feelings towards the end of the 2016/17 campaign for Arsenal, with the joy of lifting the FA Cup, slightly overshadowed by the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League. After agreeing a new two-year deal at the Emirates Stadium, Arsene Wenger will find himself under pressure in his 22nd season with the Gunners, with a return to the top four an absolute must for the North Londoners.

It is not only a return to the top four that Arsenal fans want to see; they want to see their club competing for the Premier League title, which has eluded them since 2004. Last season, the Gunners were way off the pace, finishing the campaign fifth and 18 points behind eventual champions, Chelsea.

“Arsène Wenger” (CC BY 2.0) by Ronnie Macdonald

Wenger’s side are 12/1 to lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in over a decade next season, but punters can take the edge off an unlikely wager with a range of free bets, such as a £20 welcome bonus. Arsenal’s supporters will be hoping that the recent signing of Alexandre Lacazette solves the striking issues at the club, with the Gunners struggling to properly replace Robin van Persie, who left the club back in 2012.

If Wenger’s latest French striker can reproduce his 2016/17 form in the Premier League, Arsenal will be set for an improvement next term. Lacazette scored 36 goals from just 44 appearances across all competitions for Lyon last season, helping the French outfit finish fourth in Ligue 1. The addition of the 26-year-old could prove crucial in Wenger’s bid to keep Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil at the Emirates, as the signing of the French international is a show of real ambition from Arsenal’s long-serving manager.


Sanchez will again be key for Arsenal next season, and if Wenger has any chance of bringing the glory days back to North London, the Chilean international will be vital. The Gunners will need the forward to rediscover his stunning 2016/17 form and be the talisman at the Emirates Stadium next year.

The rest of the transfer window will also be key for Wenger and Arsenal, with many hoping that the Gunners add steel to the spine of their team, which has proved to be their Achilles heel on so many occasions in recent years.

There is no doubting that the next 12 months are the most important in Wenger’s time with Arsenal, as they could potentially define his time in North London. However, the Frenchman has made all the right noises so far this summer, and the addition of Lacazette should see the Gunners once again compete for a place in the top four.

If Wenger can keep the likes of Sanchez and Ozil in North London, and continue to add players to his squad, there is every chance that Arsenal will be more than a match for some of the division’s frontrunners. The Manchester clubs are once again tipped to set the pace in the Premier League, but the Gunners will be entering the campaign determined to right the wrongs of last season. 

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Is Lacazette an improvement on what Arsenal already have?

Staff Writer

Make no mistake about it, Alexandre Lacazette would be a marquee signing for any top European side and the fact that Arsenal have managed to acquire his signature without the lure of Champions League football represents a real coup for the club.

The forward recently signed a five-year deal with the North London giants for an initial fee, which is believed to be about £46.5 million but could rise to £52 million in potential bonuses. Arsene Wenger has made no secret of his desire to sign Lacazette and the Gunners have been repeatedly linked with the French striker for the last few seasons.

It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to label the 26-year-old as prolific – he scored an impressive 100 goals in 203 appearances for Lyon and has managed more than 20 goals in Ligue 1 for the last three consecutive seasons. Wenger has finally got the player he wants but the question remains, is Lacazette the player Arsenal really need?

Source: The Independent

With Olivier Giroud arguably Arsenal’s number one out and out striker, much has been made about the future of the big Frenchman and how/if he will fit into the Arsenal team due to Lacazette’s arrival. Whilst Lacazette obviously guarantees goals, Giroud’s scoring record is not to be scoffed at and the former Montpellier man has netted 69 goals in 164 appearances in the four seasons he’s spent at the club.

More importantly, Giroud, at 6’4, is more effective in holding the play up and is far more potent in the air than the 5’9 Lacazette. In his time at Arsenal, Giroud has won 4.4 aerial duels per 90 minutes as opposed to Lacazette’s 1 at Lyon and has an aerial duel success rate of 55.5% compared to Lacazette’s fairly paltry 36.1%.

The formidable forward demonstrated his aerial prowess in the Premier League last season in games such as Bournemouth away, where the Gunners came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 and at Manchester United last November where he earned his team a valuable 1-1 draw against Jose Mourinho’s men with a last minute bullet header.

Source: BBC Sport

Whilst it could be argued that there’s a stat to back almost anything up nowadays, the striker situation surrounding the French national team is perhaps more telling when it comes to the merits of both players. Giroud has started the last three games for France and remains the main man up top despite Lacazette’s eye for goal, indicating that that Didier Deschamps may feel the former brings more to the team both offensively and defensively.

France are 13/2 with various international football betting websites to lift the World Cup in Russia next year and the 31st August sees them take on the Netherlands at the Stade de France in a World Cup Qualifier which France probably need to win in order to avoid a dreaded play-off fixture.

With a quick glance at the recently released Premier League fixture list, Arsenal look to have three tough games on paper before Lacazette and Giroud join up with their national team. Arsenal welcome 2015/2016 Premier League Champions Leicester to the Emirates in the first fixture of the Premier League season on the 12th August before two tough away games at Stoke and Liverpool, respectively.

Both neutral onlookers and diehard Arsenal fans alike will be watching with keen interest to see just how Arsenal line up and more importantly, how Lacazette settles into the Premier League. With recent reports linking Giroud with a move away from the Emirates, only time will tell as to whether the two French strikers will get a chance to battle for the red jersey.

Gunners Set for Testing Pre-Season Schedule

Staff Writer

Source: Arsenal via Facebook.

For the first time in two decades, Arsenal will not be a participant in the UEFA Champions League. In staying on as Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has endeared himself yet further in the eyes of the majority of the Emirates faithful. Conversely, he has also incensed the ever-growing faction of Arsenal fans that crave a new face in the dugout, with fresh ideas and a clear vision for the coming generations. With the teams that did qualify for next season’s Champions League set to grow ever stronger, Wenger may need to bank on a Europa League triumph, and gain qualification to the Champions League via that route.

Once more, free from the distraction of international football, Arsenal have prepared well for the upcoming season. A tour of Australia will enable Wenger’s men to bond and release their wrath upon opposition that could be considered equal to a few teams that are guaranteed to be in the Europa League group stage, but amongst the lowest seeded sides. In playing a number of reserves against A-League opposition, Wenger will know exactly how ready his rotation players are for the likes of Zorya Luhansk and FC Lugano. These are potential ‘banana skins’ that could disrupt Arsenal’s bid for Europa League success, as reflected by odds (as of 16 June 2017) of 10/1 from Paddy Power for Arsenal to win the competition outright. In winning the Europa League, Arsenal would have a first European trophy since the 1994 Cup Winners Cup.

Following on from the Australian tour is the first match of an International Champions Cup pre-season tournament. Red, white and neutral alike, every cynical follower of football culture on social media believes that Arsenal’s ICC run will end at the first hurdle, against a Bayern Munich side they are seemingly incapable of beating. Then Arsenal will face two opponents that will provide the greatest reflection yet of the Gunners’ readiness for a Europa League run – namely, Benfica and Sevilla.

Benfica will only meet Arsenal in European competition, for the first time in 27 years, if they finish third in their Champions League group and join them in the Europa League group stage. Three years ago, Arsenal used home advantage against Benfica as they will aspire to this summer, beating the current champions of Portugal 5-1 and making a real statement of intent after yet another fourth-placed finish. One player that Arsenal will ignore at their peril is Mexican striker Raul Jimenez, with the 26-year old hitting seven goals in nineteen appearances last season.

It only gets harder for Arsenal, with a Sevilla side now managed by Eduardo Berizzo visiting the Emirates a day later. It will be the first meeting between the sides in ten years, with each club winning its group stage home game against the other in the 2007/08 Champions League. In the interim, Sevilla have won three European trophies in consecutive years, while Arsenal – as already noted – have won none. Sevilla manager Berizzo will undoubtedly make life difficult for Wenger. Notably, he recently transformed Celta Vigo from a struggling side to Europa League semi-finalists in the space of just two years.

Semi-competitive though the Emirates Cup is, only lifting it will put Arsenal in the frame of mind they must occupy to make 2017/18 a success, especially with the Gunners having the fillip of home advantage.