Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Watford on Sunday was key and not just for Arsene Wenger, who is able to keep the vultures from his door for a little while longer.
The shutout was also Petr Cech’s 200th in his Premier League career, the most of any player in the division’s history and fittingly, it was preserved by a penalty save from the former Chelsea man as he kept out Troy Deeney – who had scored one past him in the reverse fixture this season.
Cech – who is valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt – had been stuck on 199 since the 1-0 win over Newcastle United in December but Arsenal’s much-publicised defensive frailties had prevented him from reaching the milestone sooner than he did.
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It proved to be worth the wait as he reached his double century in style and Arsenal fans certainly enjoyed having something to celebrate; it’s a rare moment of relief in a season that has seen the pressure on Arsene Wenger increase to unprecedented levels as the Gunners look set for a second consecutive season of finishing outside the top four.
That meant their fans were keen to let Cech know just how pleased they were to see him make it 200-up and we’ve had a look at the best of the reaction…
There can be little debate that Arsenal have underperformed in terms of their league form this season and the Europa League is now their only viable route back to Europe’s top table next time around.
Although the Gunners could well do what Manchester United did last season and win the continent’s second competition, their domestic away form has undermined the club’s Premier League campaign.
The voices of dissent against Arsene Wenger’s continued employment are growing ever louder but of course his players must take their fair share of the responsibility for their continued underachievement.
With that in mind, we’ve run the numbers to see which players individually have the best win percentage at the Emirates Stadium.
These might well be the players Wenger needs to rely on more as among the top five, there are certainly some players who would not be the first name on the team-sheet every week.
Read on to see who came out on top…
Lacazette’s Arsenal career to date has been strange. When Wenger smashed the club’s transfer record to sign his countryman from Lyon, it felt like a signal of intent.
It hasn’t worked out like that and it’s almost as if Lacazette isn’t trusted by his manager, who has already brought in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to take his place in the side.
It always felt that he got a raw deal from Wenger and Lacazette’s win percentage only serves to back that up.
Ozil signing a new contract is the highlight of Arsenal’s season so far and it will likely remain that way unless they win the Europa League.
After the departure of Alexis Sanchez, retaining the World Cup winner was imperative and his win percentage backs that up.
For a man who is accused of going missing when he is most needed, this is a decent riposte.
Ramsey and Monreal have both missed chunks of the season through injury but are among Wenger’s most reliable performers. The stats bear that out.
They both have weaknesses; Monreal is not physical or imposing enough to play as a centre-half and lacks the pace of a modern elite left-back while Ramsey is prone to defensive lapses which hamper his ability to play in a midfield duo.
Nevertheless, they both make the difference to the Gunners’ ability to get over the line and win a match.
Mustafi looked a top signing last season but this time around he has drawn ridicule, not least for his performance in the EFL Cup final debacle against Manchester City.
Yet, he is the Gunners defender with the best win percentage which may serve to outline his understated importance to the Arsenal back-line.
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Wenger finally spent big on a centre-half with Mustafi and these numbers maybe show he isn’t perfoming as badly as some might suspect.
Elneny is a proper defensive midfielder and it might be telling that he is at the top of this list.
He is not as aggressive as Granit Xhaha, as gifted as Jack Wilshere or as prolific as the aforementioned Ramsey but he is a basic holding midfield player who knows that his role is to protect the back four.
That may well be food for thought for Wenger as his side seem to win more often when Elneny is on the pitch…
According to the Manchester Evening News, Real Madrid are monitoring the situation of David De Gea as they look to freshen up their squad. The Los Blancos attempted to side the Spanish goal keeper in 2015 but the deal fell through at the last minute.
What’s the story?
David De Gea has been an extremely important player for Manchester United in the last five years and his stock has risen. He is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and Real Madrid have been linked with him for years. MEN are reporting that the Spanish giants will attempt to sign him again this summer.
Madrid are also monitoring the situation of Antony Martial and Paul Pogba. According the the MEN, they have asked to be kept informed about the situation of these three players and are said to be willing to let Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric go the other way.
Madrid are aware of Man United admiration for these three players, who they have tried to sign before and are also aware of their need to bolster their midfield. Michael Carrick will be retiring this summer and Marouane Fellaini’s contract is up.
How big of a miss would De Gea be?
Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Manchester United have struggled to challenge for trophies. A shining light through this period has been their goalkeeper.
De Gea ignored the early criticism he faced when he arrived at United and has gone on to become the most important members of the squad.
The Spaniard has saved United on a number of occasions and losing him would leave a huge hole which United will struggle to fill.
While second choice keeper Romero is an excellent keeper, he is not at the level of De Gea. The Spaniard is almost impossible to replace.
De Gea might be tempted to move to Madrid, where he is guaranteed Champions League football and trophies as well as return to his home city, Madrid. However, he was quoted in the Daily Express saying he will snub any offers from Madrid.
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Would a 3-way swap deal benefit United?
The news on MEN, suggests that Real Madrid will offer Bale, Modric and Kroos in exchange of De Gea, Pogba and Martial. Real Madrid would definitely get the better deal here.
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While Bale, Modric and Kroos would improve United’s midfield, the Red Devils would be losing three of the most influential and youngest players. Martial and Pogba are entering the peaks of their careers while Modric and Kroos are coming into the twilight of theirs.
Martial and Pogba have had mixed seasons at United but in glimpses have shown world class potential, something if nurtured could prove extremely successful in the long term for United.
Bale’s talent is undoubted but he has struggled with injuries since moving to Spain. A swap deal involving these players would only benefit Real Madrid and weaken United in the long term.
Arsenal have contacted Atletico Madrid regarding a swoop for midfielder Saul Niguez, according to AS.
What’s the story?
The North London outfit need to be busy in the transfer window this summer, and their main priorities should be recruiting a new defender, defensive midfielder and goalkeeper.
Fans have been coming up with their own transfer lists on social media, but not many have suggested that the latest target is a realistic one.
According to AS, Saul has emerged as an option for manager Arsene Wenger, with the Spanish publication claiming that contact has been made between the two clubs.
The report states that the Gunners have had a close eye on the midfielder for a while, but they could struggle to get a deal done as the 23-year-old is happy at Atletico.
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It is also believed that the midfielder’s release clause is set at a staggering £130m, and he still has eight years left on his contract.
Is it a distant dream?
It would be a huge shock if Arsenal managed to pull off a deal given the financial hit that they would take in doing so.
There is no denying that Saul would boost the team given that he can provide plenty of options for the team in midfield.
This season, the Spaniard has played the majority of his games – 25 in fact – in a central midfield position.
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He has also, though, featured out wide on both the left and the right, as well as in a more advanced role in the final third.
If Arsenal fail to win the Europa League, then they are unlikely to qualify for the Champions League via the domestic route as they are 13 points behind the top four.
It would be difficult for the club to convince Saul to sign without securing a place in the elite competition.
For so long this season, Manchester City looked unstoppable under manager Pep Guardiola, but the last week has changed perceptions.
There is not much doubt in the Cityzens’ title bid considering that they have a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with six games left to play, but three defeats on the trot have raised eyebrows.
City were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage on Wednesday night by Liverpool 5-1 on aggregate.
Guardiola’s men were undone in 31 minutes at Anfield in the first leg last week due to goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane.
In the second leg at the Etihad Stadium, City had a sense of renewed hope when Gabriel Jesus scored inside the first two minutes, but Liverpool defended well and nabbed two away goals.
In between those outings, the North-West outfit squandered the chance to secure the league title due to a 3-2 defeat to neighbours Manchester United.
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Bernardo Silva, who signed for the club last summer, was one of the more impressive players for City on the night, but he was unable to change the course of the game.
After the final whistle, the 23-year-old, who has struggled for regular game time this season, took to Twitter, and received a warm response from the fans.
Bayern Munich right-back Joshua Kimmich impressed and scored in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night, and Manchester United fans have urged their club to sign the defender, rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt.
The 23-year-old has been in impressive form for the Bundesliga champions this season, and he has scored five goals and provided a further 17 assists for the German giants in 42 appearances in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho may well be looking for a new right-back this summer as it is quickly becoming a problem position for him, with Antonio Valencia getting no younger and being criticised by his own fans on Twitter for his displays.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on Kimmich’s latest display via social media, and while one said “give Bayern whatever they want”, another said “Kimmich to replace Valencia please”.
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Manchester United recovered so well in their comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur that it would appear much of their FA Cup final team is already in place.
Yet, with United in pursuit of second place in the league and the seven points required to secure it, Jose Mourinho cannot afford to close the door for the other members of his squad and risk the complacency that led to the 1-0 home defeat against West Brom earlier this month.
One man who will be hoping to force his way into contention is Marcus Rashford. The struggles of Alexis Sanchez might have given the England international – valued at £45m by Transfermarkt – hope that he could force his way into the United side on the left flank.
The Chilean responded with a man of the match performance at Wembley but Football FanCast wanted to see whether United fans still wished to see Rashford in the starting 11, regardless.
The response was emphatic, as a whopping 88 per cent of them want the local boy to start against Arsenal this Sunday. Check out the full results of the poll below…
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Leeds fans are split on the latest comments from Pontus Jansson, after the towering defender apologised for the side’s poor season.There have been plenty of disappointing performances from Leeds players this season, but none more so than Pontus Jansson.This is not to say the Swedish defender was the worst performer this season, but that he set himself a high standard with some great performances at times, so it is even more disappointing to fans when he falls shorts of those expectations.The 27 year-old, who has grabbed three goals in 41 league starts this season, has apologised to the fans for the capitulation since Christmas.[ad_pod ]The centre back joined permanently last summer after a successful loan spell at Elland Road, and said on his Instagram: “Of course it’s disappointing for everyone involved and a lot of people have to see their thing in the failure but at the end it’s about us 11 that are on the pitch every week.“So sorry for those months. “I know it (has) been a wake up for a lot of people. Thanks for the support even if we didn’t deserve it and see you next year.â€If there’s one thing fans and players can agree on it’s that they didn’t deserve their recent support, as the disappointing results and performances have come thick and fast in the second half of the season.Some fans are praising Jansson for his honesty and having the courage to admit his mistakes, while others are annoyed he is doing his talking on social media rather than on the pitch.Either way, some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
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Hector Bellerin will form a major part of Arsenal’s future plans under Arsene Wenger’s successor – and it looks like a case of when and not if on Unai Emery’s appointment – as one of the few players in the Gunners backline who looks fit for purpose.
However, his performances this season have not been enough to secure a place in Spain’s squad for the World Cup in Russia which kicks off next month.
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Julen Lopetegui has preferred Dani Carvajal of Real Madrid and Odriozola of Real Soceidad with Cesar Azpilicueta of Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea as cover in the right-back zone, leaving the man valued at £36m by Transfermarkt watching the spectacle on BBC and ITV like the rest of us.
Few could debate Carvajal’s inclusion, although he has struggled with injury in recent weeks, but Odriozola feels like a left-wing selection – even allowing for the Premier League bias that permeates the English audience.
That’s why we’re asking you; should Bellerin be going to the World Cup with Spain or was it the right call to leave him at home?
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Let us know by voting in the poll below and keep your eyes peeled for the results…
Tottenham fans are praising the heavens after a report claimed the club are actively looking to sell Moussa Sissoko this summer.
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko will be offered around to clubs this summer, and fans couldn’t be happier.
Every club has their scapegoats. At Liverpool it’s Dejan Lovren, at Newcastle it’s the infamous Mike Ashley, and in the Tottenham half of North London it’s Moussa Sissoko.
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The French midfielder swapped Tyneside for Tottenham in the summer of 2016, and it’s fair to say his two seasons in North London have been a bit of a disappointment.
Mauricio Pochettino clearly appreciates his power and versatility, as Sissoko has played 47 times in all competitions this season, but he is still sat on just one league goal for Tottenham, which came in the September demolition of Huddersfield.
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Spurs have been heavily linked to multiple midfielders despite it still being relatively early in the transfer window, and with Sissoko now joining Moussa Dembele and Victor Wanyama on the list of possible departures there could be a major overhaul this summer.
Some of the best Twitter reactions have been assembled below, Moussa Sissoko look away now…