World champions Germany breezed into the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 with a commanding 3-0 victory over Slovakia. Germany took the lead after only eight minutes when Jerome Boateng scored with an excellent low volley from the edge of the box. And Germany could have doubled their lead five minutes later after being awarded a penalty, only for Mesut Ozil to see his spot-kick saved by Matus Kozacik. Mario Gomez made no mistake minutes before half-time, however, converting from inside the six-yard box after excellent work from Julian Draxler down the left flank. Die Mannschaft continued in cruise control in the second half and added a third when Draxler found himself unmarked in the penalty area and fired into the top corner. The Stade Pierre Mauroy … [Read more...]
Ireland plays France for the first time after Henry dubious handball
The Republic of Ireland could be looking to exorcise some demons in Sunday's knockout round match against France. The last time the Ireland squared off against France in a competitive match, there was a bit of controversy. OK, there was a lot of controversy, as France crushed Ireland's 2010 World Cup hopes when a dubious Thierry Henry handball resulted in the decisive goal. Irish fans, you might want to look away (unless you're the kind of person that will use this as rage fuel to root on your team, then go ahead): Henry's handball in extra time that set up William Gallas' equalizer gave France a 2-1 aggregate win after extra time. Henry admitted after the match to handling the ball, but the damage was done. Ireland launched a protest and asked for a … [Read more...]
Euro 2016: Wales edge out Northern Ireland after a Gareth McAuley own goal
Gareth McAuley’s cruel own-goal was enough edge Wales into the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland. On one of Europe’s grandest football stages at the Parc des Princes, the two sides produced a game that would not have won any beauty contests. It was competitive and wholehearted, but entertainment and chances were at a premium with so much at stake. So perhaps the goal which decided matters – and sends Wales through to a quarter-final against either Hungary or Belgium in Lille on Friday – was appropriate as Gareth Bale eventually left his mark on proceedings. It came as Northern Ireland, who had fought and harried for their lives, were within 15 minutes of taking the game to extra time, but punished for switching off for a … [Read more...]
Poles reach Euro quarter-final for the first time in their history after Arsenal new boy Granit Xhaka misses in shootou
Arsenal new boy Granit Xhaka suffered a penalty shootout woe as Switzerland were dumped out of Euro 2016 (5-4) on penalties after their last-16 tie had finished 1-1 AET. A Jakub Blaszczykowski strike had looked to be enough in normal time for Poland only for Stoke’s Xherdan Shaqiri to make it 1-1 with a tremendous athletic volley to send the game into extra-time. With no winning goal found, the tie was decided on penalties with new Arsenal signing Granit Xhaka missing and Sevilla’s Grzegorz Krychowiak hammering home the winning penalty as Poland scored all five efforts. Poland should have been ahead inside 30 seconds when Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer bowled the ball out to Johan Djourou who passed it back across his box, only for Robert Lewandowski … [Read more...]
Ozil preaches Premier League football to German teammates
Mesut Ozil believes the likes of Mario Gotze and Leroy Sane should consider moving to the Premier League. Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in summer 2013 in a club-record £42.5m deal, and has been a success at the Gunners thus far. He won consecutive FA Cups in his first two seasons, and has regularly been one of the club’s best performers in his first three campaigns. With Gotze linked with Liverpool, and Sane a reported target of Manchester City, Ozil has intimated that his team-mates should consider moving to England. “What’s it like at Arsenal? What distinguishes the Premier League? How are the dealings with the media and public? These are questions I am asked [by team-mates],” Ozil told German newspaper Bild. “I can only tell them of my … [Read more...]
Wenger not interested in France Job
Arsene Wenger has ruled out the possibility of managing his native country of France. He believes his time to get into international management has passed. Earlier this month, the Arsenal coach had previously kept the option of leading France open. However, it seems the 66-year-old has no plans of engaging, despite having a year left on his Arsenal contract. “I think this time [to move into international management] has gone now,” Wenger told BeIN Sport. “I have been asked a few times to do it. I was always busy somewhere else. “I just want my country to do well and have a good tournament because at the moment this country is going through a very difficult time. We have been hit hard through terrorism, strikes and many other unrests. “The … [Read more...]
Arsenal turn to Icardi after missing out on Jamie Vardy
Having missed out on Jamie Vardy , Arsenal will look to boost their attacking options by capturing Inter striker Mauro Icardi. The Gunners were left waiting for a decision from Leicester City ace Vardy, before the England international ultimately rejected the move in favour of remaining with the Foxes. With manager Arsene Wenger determined to add more firepower to his squad, Arsenal have turned their attention to the Inter captain, according to Interlive.it. The Nerazzurri are determined to keep hold of their star man however and are not expected to entertain any bids below €40 million for the Argentina striker. The North Londoners are thought to be considering tabling a bid in that region and are remaining vigilant about Icardi’s situation at the … [Read more...]
Vardy snubs Arsenal, signs a new four-year deal at Leicester
Jamie Vardy has rejected a move to Arsenal by signing a new four-year deal with Leicester City, the Premier League champions have announced. Leicester ended speculation about a move to the Emirates after Arsenal triggered the England striker's release clause shortly before Euro 2016 began earlier this month. "Leicester City have today [Thursday] agreed with the representatives of Jamie Vardy to extend the England international's contract with the Premier League champions for a further four years," the club said in a statement. "Both parties hope that this announcement will end recent speculation regarding Jamie's future and confirm his long term commitment to Leicester City Football Club." The decision is a major blow to Arsenal, who had hoped to wrap up … [Read more...]
United to consider Aaron Ramsey if Henrikh Mkhitaryan bid fails
Manchester United are reportedly considering a shock swoop to sign Aaron Ramsey from Arsenal if efforts to lure Henrikh Mkhitaryan away from Borussia Dortmund stall. Jose Mourinho has highlighted midfield as an area key to his Old Trafford redevelopment and is optimistic his latest offer, believed to be in the region of £28m , will be enough to convince Dortmund to sell Mkhitaryan. The Bundesliga outfit are growing increasingly concerned about an exodus following the departures of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan to Bayern Munich and Manchester City respectively. But, according to The Sun , Mourinho is prepared to test their resolve by moving onto other targets, namely Arsenal’s Welsh midfielder Ramsey. After a slow start, the 25-year-old is now making … [Read more...]
Juventus considering Arsenal star man as Morata’s replacement
Alexis Sanchez could return to the Seria A, although the Old Lady will have to be prepared to spend big if they are to tempt him away from the Emirates With Juventus having lost striker Alvaro Morata to Real Madrid , they are identifying attacking arrivals and are mulling over a move for Alexis Sanchez. The Arsenal striker has previous experience in Serie A, having starred with Udinese from 2006 until 2011, where his performances earned him a big-money move to Barcelona. Now in London, Juventus are keen on offering him a way back to Italian football as they look to fill the attacking void that Morata is set to leave behind him. With Juventus set to pocket €32 million from the sale of the Spaniard to Real Madrid, there is cash available for them this … [Read more...]
Petr Cech considering hanging up his gloves for the Czechs
Following Tuesday night’s defeat to Turkey, Petr Cech is pondering whether or not to call time on his international career with the Czech Republic. The 34-year-old has a record 124 caps for his country, but is considering hanging up his gloves in the wake of their Euro 2016 elimination. “I will take time to decide if I [will] continue with the national team,” he told Daily Sport, a Czech outlet, following his team’s 2-0 loss to Turkey. “I’m not going to make my decision today,” he added, according to L’Equipe, “[it is] a huge disappointment. I will really take the time to think, but before the new qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup begins, the coach will be the first to know. “Prior to the tournament, we knew that we wanted to have at least … [Read more...]
Euro 2016: Arsene Wenger backs Pogba to rediscover form
As the tournament goes on this summer, the Juventus star will be hoping to improve at Euro 2016, as he has recently struggled to make an impact for France. France midfielder Paul Pogba has failed to meet expectations at Euro 2016 so far, but Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger believes that the best is yet to come from the player. The 23-year-old was even dropped by Didier Deschamps for their second group game against Albania, but having shown glimpses of his undeniable talent, Pogba will hope to be more consistent in the knockout stage of the tournament. Wenger understands that it’s difficult for the young midfielder to deal with the expectations, pressure and adversity that he is currently facing, but has backed him to come out stronger and continue to … [Read more...]
Wojciech Szczęsny set for Arsenal return after loan spell at Roma
Wojciech Szczęsny is likely to end his loan spell at Roma and return to Arsenal this summer. Szczęsny spent last season with the Serie A side in a loan arrangement that saw Arsenal continuing to pay a percentage of his wages. Despite Roma’s desire to extend the deal, reports have it that the offer they have made has been deemed inadequate by Arsenal. It is also being reported that Szczęsny will be offered an extension to his existing contract, which still has two years to run. The Polish international has rebuilt his career in Rome after enduring a difficult period with the Gunners . He was dropped from Arsenal’s starting line-up in January 2015, after being accused of smoking in the showers following a 2-0 defeat at Southampton. The Pole … [Read more...]
Euro 2016: Wilshere fails to shine as England draw Slovakia
It was precisely the mental picture Jack Wilshere would have held two years ago. Him at the nexus of England's midfield; pointing, manoeuvring, picking up the little pockets of space and being the tempo man of England's European Championship campaign. Then the scene changed utterly. Wilshere has played so little football in the last nine months that his start in the Massif Central last night took his England appearances ahead of those for Arsenal - four to three - for the season and starting a group game was actually against his expectations. “I'm ready. I'm ready,” he said in a player/journalist mixed zone just before this tournament, where the pain behind his scenes revealed what he knew: that others had accelerated ahead of him in the pecking order. Then … [Read more...]
Arsenal target Inter Milan forward Jovetic after Vardy snubs club
The Montenegro international left Manchester City to join Inter last summer, and scored six goals for the Serie A side. But Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claim he will be on the move again, with Arseanl interested in his signature. The report adds Spartak Moscow are also interested in signing the 26-year-old. But the forward, who is valued at £13million, would apparently prefer a move back to the Premier League. And the Gunners could now up their interest in the striker after Arsene Wenger admitted Jamie Vardy will snub a move to the Emirates and stay at Leicester . The Gunners triggered the 29-year-old's £20m release clause earlier this month and the striker seemed set for a move to the Emirates. However the Foxes made a counter offer in … [Read more...]
Euro 2016: Ozil criticized for poor performances
Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil says he does not care about outside criticism of his performances at the European Championship. "It bounces off me," the Arsenal playmaker said, after being one of many Germany players to be knocked for his performance against Poland in the team's second game at Euro 2016. World champions Germany were strongly criticised for their lack of attacking power in the 0-0 draw on Thursday, with even defender Jerome Boateng warning that the team needs to improve to avoid an early elimination. And several former Germany players were highly critical of the performance, with Mehmet Scholl singling out Ozil. The midfielder turned pundit said on ARD that Ozil's body language did not help the team. But, in an interview with Bild, the … [Read more...]
Arsenal new poor impressive in shirtless display
Arsenal's Granit Xhaka, and teammates Admir Mehmedi and Breel Embolo have their Puma shirts ripped to shreds in Switzerland’s match against France But the manufacturing faults did not stop at the shirts – the Adidas match ball astonishingly burst in the second half. There was some major manufacturing errors during France’s goalless draw with Switzerland which saw both teams qualify for the knockout stages of the competition. Three different Swiss players had to change their Puma shirts after having them ripped during the scrappy match. But the faults did not stop with the Puma Swiss shirts. Quite astonishingly, the Adidas match ball even burst in the second half when Valon Behrami stood on the ball while he made a last-ditch tackle on Antoine … [Read more...]
Jamie Vardy set to reject Arsenal
Jamie Vardy is set to turn down an offer from Arsenal and stay with Premier League champions Liecester, according to reports. The England international was subject of a £20million bid from the Gunners prior to Euro 2016, but the 29-year-old has stalled on making a decision since the start of England’s campaign in France. According to report, it is now understood Vardy is set to reject the north-London club and is in favour of extending his stay at the King Power Stadium. Arsenal launched a shock £20million bid for Vardy, activating a release clause in his contract, and offered the England international a deal reportedly worth £120,000-a-week. Leicester responded by offering their star man a reported £100,000-a-week deal, but the former Fleetwood Town … [Read more...]
Alexis Sanchez scores as Chile hit Mexico for seven
This Mexico team was supposed to be different. They were spectacularly talented, had the longest unbeaten streak in the world and were playing what amounted to home matches, with gigantic green-clad crowds packing every stadium they played in. Copa America Centenario was going to be El Tri's breakout tournament, as they conquered the Western Hemisphere to win their biggest trophy ever and make their statement as true contenders on the world stage. Instead, they went out in the first round of the knockout stages, making it no different than every single one of the last six World Cups. And not only were they prematurely eliminated, they were humiliated. Four goals from Eduardo Vargas helped reigning champions Chile thrash Mexico 7-0 in Santa Clara, … [Read more...]
Arsenal target Jamie Vardy admits using nicotine pouches
England’s Jamie Vardy has admitted that he uses nicotine pouches and does not like spending time in the gym but has no intention of changing a routine which runs contrary to what is expected of a striker who wants to lead his country’s line deep into the European Championships. Vardy, who scored England’s vital equaliser against Wales in Lens on Thursday, was pictured last week holding a pouch of powdered chewing tobacco, known as snus, which sources at Leicester say he places in his mouth, underneath his gum, during games. But despite one expert saying this week that the stimulant could boost performance by seven per cent and the anti-doping authorities monitoring it, Vardy insisted he had had the patches checked. “It’s just something I’ve always done and … [Read more...]
Vardy to remain at club- Leicester Chief
Leicester remain hopeful of keeping striker Jamie Vardy away from potential suitors, according to vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha. … [Read more...]
David Ospina the hero as Colombia see off Peru in penalty shootout
Colombia reached the semifinals of the Copa America Centenario by beating Peru on penalties in New Jersey. The two teams played out a low-key goalless draw at MetLife Stadium, Colombia with the better chances until stoppage time, when Peru defender Christian Ramos threatened a dramatic winner. Colombia's goalkeeper David Ospina, who plays for Arsenal in the Premier League, then saved from Miguel Trauco before Christian Cueva's miss handed Colombia a 4-2 win in the shootout. Carlos Bacca's early run and shot drew a sharp save from Peru keeper Pedro Gallese while at the other end, Paulo Guerrero's cross was headed over by Edison Flores. The best chance yet came when Colombia captain James Rodriguez curled a shot with his weaker right foot from 20 yards … [Read more...]