Liverpool are believed to be the "hottest club" in the race to sign an exciting young player, with scouts sent to watch him in action.
Liverpool's January targets
The January transfer window is edging closer all the time, at which point the Reds will have an opportunity to bolster their squad options between now and the end of the season, as they look to beat Manchester City and Arsenal to the Premier League title. Injuries have started to creep in more as a busy festive period kicks into gear, with Joel Matip out for the season after knee surgery and the likes of Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister and Diogo Jota also absent in recent times.
Jurgen Klopp seems content with the squad that he has at the moment, having gutted the midfield and rebuilt it during the summer, but there is always a chance that he could look for a sprinkling of extra magic in certain areas next month.
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At centre-back, Matip's injury means that there is huge pressure on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to stay fit, and Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi has been linked with a move to Liverpool. A defensive midfielder and a young backup option in attack are also potential possibilities – Fluminense middle man Andre has been seen as a target for some time – and a new update has emerged regarding the hunt for a new forward too.
Liverpool eyeing Momodou Sonko
According to Expressen [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are showing an interest in signing Hacken youngster Momodou Sonko, having sent scouts to watch him play. They viewed him in the Europa League against Qarabag FK last Thursday, and Barcelona and RB Leipzig are also credited with interest.
It is the Reds who are described as the "hottest club" when it comes to snapping up the 18-year-old, however, suggesting they are at the front of the queue to secure a move for him.
Liverpool's attack is littered with five fantastic options in Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Jota, but bringing in Sonko as a young squad player could be shrewd long-term planning. Predominantly a left winger, Sonko has 13 goals and eight assists in 43 appearances for Hacken, not to mention netting once in five caps for Sweden's Under-19s.
At some point, Liverpool's attack will be the area that is rebuilt, with Salah turning 32 next year and Diaz not necessarily looking like quite the same player since his knee injury last season, although at 26, there could still be plenty to come from him.
The Merseysiders could even snap up Sonko and then immediately loan him out elsewhere, allowing him to continue maturing as a player, rather than potentially getting stuck at Liverpool for a while and not playing as much as he would like.
The defeat last weekend to Wolverhampton Wanderers has served as a reminder to both Tottenham Hotspur and head coach Ange Postecoglou that the squad is not deep enough to compete for the Premier League title.
Spurs have now lost the likes of Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and James Maddison through injury as a make-shift backline took to the field at Molineux. Ange is now seeing the true strengths and weaknesses of fringe players and certainly will not have been impressed.
One man, in particular, was handed his first league start of the season during the 2-1 loss but could be on his way out of the club in the near future.
Eric Dier to Bayern Munich links
Eric Dier's contract is set to expire at the end of the season, casting a shadow of uncertainty on his future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The England international is coming up to his tenth anniversary with the London club, having moved to Spurs in 2014 for £4m during Mauricio Pochettino's first summer transfer window.
The Portuguese-speaking Englishman has been a loyal servant to the Lilywhites, having survived the reins of Poch, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, playing a key role under each manager. At one point, Spurs were looking for £50m for Dier when Manchester United came calling back in 2017, although a deal never came to fruition.
alfie-dorrington-eric-dier-tottenham-opinion
Nevertheless, Dier's time at Spurs and English football could be coming to an end over the next few weeks as German champions Bayern Munich are set to make a move for the versatile defender, according to Football Insider.
This would be the Bundesliga giants' second swoop of Tottenham's squad this season, having acquired the club's record goalscorer Harry Kane for £100m during the summer.
The outlet is claiming that Spurs have not entered contract talks with Dier, so the defender looks likely to leave either in January or at the end of the season for nothing.
Eric Dier's stats at Tottenham
Dier has offered all his managers positional versatility, given he is capable of playing as a centre-back in a back three or four, while also proving to be adept in the middle of the park and even at fullback.
Quite often, under Pochettino, the former Sporting CP man would play as Tottenham's deepest-lying midfielder, tasked with dropping in between the two centre-backs when his side were in possession to create a three-man defensive line. In fact, the now-Chelsea manager admitted to signing Dier because of his ability to play in a number of different positions.
Even under Conte, Dier constantly stepped into midfield when Spurs were pressing high up the pitch as Spurs' shape would change from a 5-4-1 to a 4-3-3, which worked wonders in a memorable 1-0 win over Manchester City back in February.
Postecoglou recently admitted that Dier is still an "important" member of Spurs' squad, especially since the injury to Van de Ven which could mean that he starts to earn more and more game-time in the run-up to Christmas.
Statistically, Dier ranks quite well compared to the rest of Europe's top five leagues, sitting in the top 12% for aerial duels won per 90 and the top 16% for blocks per 90, according to FBref.
Additionally, the FBref player comparison model has concluded that Dier is most similar to former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling as the pair's defensive qualities stand out, whereas they struggle in possession.
While Dier is struggling for minutes at Spurs, the club would be making a mistake letting him go. Indeed, they must still look to keep hold of him for the foreseeable future as there are very few centre-backs who can offer the versatility that he can, which is particularly useful when a squad is plagued with injuries.
Tottenham Hotspur have made contact to sign one club's star defender as manager Ange Postecoglou seeks to strengthen in January.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Tottenham
Spurs continued their absolutely remarkable early-season run with a 2-1 victory away to Crystal Palace on Friday evening. An own-goal from Joel Ward and Son Heung-min's close-range finish keeps the feel-good factor well and truly alive at Tottenham. The result also makes it eight wins out of a possible 10 for Postecoglou in the Premier League.
The unbeaten Lilywhites are currently five points clear at the top of the table, with Spurs' head coach praising his team for what was, as he describes, a pretty perfect three points despite the late drama. Postecoglou explained that pretty much everything about the win pleased him, drawing attention to his side's composure and patience in the build up.
"Pretty much all of it," said Postecoglou to the media after Tottenham's win over Palace.
"I just really liked the way we handled it tonight. It's a difficult venue, they are a very well drilled team defensively and going into it I knew it wasn't going to be an open game and we weren't going to get bags of chances.
"I really liked the way the boys handled it, they were patient and consistently tried to find the gaps in the ways we spoke about and real composure once we got ahead to control the game. Obviously there was a bit of drama at the end then but even then I thought the lads handled it really well today. It was a different challenge for us tonight and I really liked the way we went about it."
Spurs have come through two games in the space of five days unscathed and flying high. Next up, they take on Chelsea at home on November 6, which gives Tottenham a long rest before their next encounter.
Tottenham transfer targets – January
It's been a truly brilliant ride for supporters so far, but with January approaching, Tottenham have a chance to reinforce their squad with quality. Defence is a particular issue, as there's a real lack of depth behind star centre-back pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.
They could look to the Premier League for a solution, as reports suggest that Tottenham could move for Chelsea ace Trevoh Chalobah. Indeed, Spurs are reportedly targeting Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly as an option too. A left-back may be on the agenda as well, as some news comes out of South America this week.
Joaquin Piquerez strengths
Ball retention
Concentration
Now, according to Brazilian journalist Diego Firmino, as relayed by Sport Witness, Tottenham have made contact for Palmeiras star Joaquín Piquerez as well. The reporter shares a Spurs approach for the 25-year-old, who's also attracted that same interest from Aston Villa and Marseille. Little else is added beyond this, but a seperate report from Brazil has praised the impact of Piquerez; calling him a "standout" who's very "important" for his club.
Mikel Arteta hasn’t faced many troubles during his time as manager of Arsenal but the last five days have been tough.
The Gunners were dumped out of the Carabao Cup in humiliating circumstances as they tasted a 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium before losing back-to-back games on Saturday inside the cauldron of St James’ Park.
Truth be told, Arsenal were not awful against Newcastle but the manner of their 1-0 loss will be a concern.
Yes, the officials played their part with Anthony Gordon’s strike going through four minutes worth of VAR checks before being given, but Arteta’s men never looked like scoring.
Wave after wave of attack came late on and after several corners, of which Leandro Trossard failed to beat the first man, they left the north east with no points.
It is only the first time the north Londoners have lost in the Premier League this term yet they now find themselves three points off Manchester City having both played 11 matches. Arsenal have even beaten City this term. Oh how ruthless the English top-flight can be.
Beyond their position in the table now, Arteta should also be worried about the performance of some of his summer signings. Knowing the Spaniard, he will back his players but he has created a problem in David Raya and Kai Havertz.
The former didn’t cover himself in glory for the goal and in the words of Jamie Carragher, looks “absolutely all over the place” at the moment.
Kai Havertz’s stats this season
The German arrived at the Emirates Stadium a few months ago for a whopping fee of £65m. This wasn’t the way supporters imagined Granit Xhaka’s replacement arriving.
It must be stated that Havertz isn’t like Xhaka. You only need to watch a few minutes of the the former Chelsea star in action to realise that.
His slender and tall frame is something that immediately catches the eye, which when paired with Declan Rice in midfield makes for a powerful midfield. Havertz’s ability to ride a challenge and win earlier battles, therefore, are among his best strengths.
Versus fellow midfield players in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, he ranks within the top 4% of players for aerials won. Xhaka, by comparison, is in the best 33%. The difference is evidently night and day.
That said, the Swiss leads the way for goal involvement. Had you thought of that possibility when Havertz first arrived in England, you’d have been laughed out of the Emirates. The latter was a fine player in the Bundesliga, creating and scoring goals with regularity. In the Premier League, that has been far from the case.
He is in the worst percentile of forwards in Europe for non-penalty goals over the last year, which is hardly surprising when his only strike this season came from the spot against Bournemouth.
It has been a sorry start to the season for the 24-year-old whose expensive price tag is doing him no favours.
The Germany international looks forlorn and is lacking confidence. He is frustrated and can’t seem to nail down a position. It’s a problem of Arteta’s doing, but Xhaka’s own Arsenal experience is a cautionary tale to write someone off before they’ve reached their peak.
Kai Havertz stats vs Newcastle
Truth be told Havertz wasn’t awful against the Toon on Saturday evening. In fact, with Martin Odegaard injured it gave him more freedom to roam in behind Eddie Nketiah. Did it work? Arguably not, but there were some promising signs.
According to Sofascore, the attacking midfielder drew two fouls with his clever forward play and won eight duels. Once more, that physical nature to his play caught the eye again.
However, on another day Arsenal may well have been down to ten men after a “stupid” moment – as Gary Neville criticised him – in the first half nearly let Arteta down.
Havertz, clearly frustrated by the lack of openings in the first 45 lunged in on Sean Longstaff. His right boot was inches away from making contact with the Newcastle midfielder’s shin. Had that happened, it was a straight red. Thank you and good night.
Fortunately, his trailing leg, albeit still in an aggressive manner caught the Toon player and a yellow card was brandished.
What followed was a scuffle on the touchline. Understandably so on the part of the Newcastle team but it led to three of Eddie Howe’s men being booked for their reactions. Well done Havertz, it must be said.
Touches
48
Accurate Passes
23/33 (70%)
Key Passes
0
Expected Goals (xG)
0.08
Dribble Attempts
0
Duels Won
8/16 (50%)
Possession Lost
15x
Fouls Committed
2
Stats via Sofascore.
Unfortunately, that ability to rile the opposition was about as good as it got for the former Leverkusen man.
During the course of the game, the young German lost possession of the ball 15 times, the third-highest number on the pitch behind Joelinton and Gabriel Martinelli. His pass success rate of 70% meanwhile, was only worse than two starters in red and white; Nketiah and Raya.
This was another poor night for the £280k-per-week earner and one that has only upped the pressure on his performance levels. For now, Arteta must take him out of the firing line and rely on alternative options.
With a dab through backward point – and the help of four overthrows – Alastair Cook completed a fairytale hundred in his final Test
Melinda Farrell10-Sep-2018Alastair Cook had passed 20 the afternoon before, so finishing with 12,345 runs was out of the question. A shame for members of the Consecutive Numbers Appreciation Society.Then there was the half-century to tick off. He did so on the first ball of the second over of the morning, crisply flicking a Jasprit Bumrah delivery off his pads as the fans were still flooding in. No doubt at least some of them were skiving: who cares about work or the first full day back at school when history is crooking its finger?Next up was Kumar Sangakkara’s position as fifth on the Test run-scorers’ table: Cook needed to reach 76 for that. He got there driving, not cleanly, but an inside edge was enough for a single and the title of highest scoring left-handed batsman in Test history.And then, of course, the century. Cricket has been cruel to many of its greatest proponents. Few get to name the day of their final stand, let alone write the bit about riding off into the sunset and living happily-ever-after. Cook had scored a half-century and a century on his debut against India in Nagpur; surely, 12 years and 161 Test matches on, he couldn’t sign off a tremendous batting career in a home Test the same way? It would be too symmetrical, too .Alastair Cook soaks in the applause of The Oval crowd after raising his 33rd Test century•Getty Images
Okay, so it wasn’t a glorious cover drive or a dramatic slog sweep for six but in a way it was still a perfect shot to sum up Cook’s career: a dab to backward point. He was only on 96 at the time, but the overthrow for four made sure of it and the first to react was Joe Root, who threw both hands in the air. A kid once more, celebrating his idol.Cook completed the run before raising his bat, removing his helmet and beaming his Jane Austen-hero smile at the crowd. No sweat visible, obviously.The ovations that have greeted him throughout this game have been extraordinary but this was unlike any that preceded it. On and on the applause went, circling the Oval like an unending Mexican wave. It rose again each time his face appeared in the big screen. Play couldn’t restart. Eventually, standing at the non-striker’s end, he had to acknowledge it and, almost sheepishly, walked halfway down the pitch with his arms outstretched.Then play resumed and all that is left is the party. England have won the series, they look ever more likely to win this match, and Cook has his farewell century. Everything else is icing.
ScorecardIan Bell’s outstanding season continued as the Bears handsomely avenged their defeat at the hands of Nottinghamshire in last summer’s T20 Blast final.A bad night all round for the champions in front of a crowd of more than 12,000 was made worse with the news that Chris Nash, the batsman who joined them from Sussex during the off season and was expected to play a key role in their title defence, is likely to miss at least the next two matches – and possibly a few more – after suffering a shoulder injury in the field.Nash, fielding at extra cover to Ish Sodhi, attempted to catch a solid drive from Adam Hose but landed heavily on his right side. In obvious pain, he was attended on the field by the Nottinghamshire physio before leaving the field with his shirt folded into a makeshift sling.Peter Moores, Nottinghamshire’s head coach, was not optimistic about a quick return. “I don’t think it is dislocated but it could be his collarbone,” he said. “He’s going to hospital for an X-ray and we’ll know more after that but it doesn’t look great. He is going to be out for a bit, that’s for sure.”
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Bell, who suffered the indignity of being left out of the Bears team on finals day as his form dipped across all formats and Dom Sibley was preferred, could not have delivered a more impressive retort on his return to the side, finishing unbeaten on 82 – his highest score in T20 for more than three years.This time, the decision was to pick him rather than Sibley and he responded with an innings that was typically Ian Bell, elegantly unfussy and for the most part made up of authentic cricket shots.Sam Hain, a young batsman beginning to ally consistency with his undoubted quality now, supported Bell in an unbroken partnership of 121 that saw his side overhaul a modest Nottinghamshire total with 16 balls to spare.Modest indeed compared with last season’s average of 196 on this ground. Trent Bridge’s reputation as the place for batsmen to prosper has only been reinforced this season but after being asked to bat first on a used pitch, a Nottinghamshire side at full strength with the exception of Alex Hales could never build any momentum.Backed up by some sharp fielding, all of the Bears’ six bowlers employed good variety and all contributed, none more impressively than the 18-year-old fast bowler Henry Brookes, who is already looking a good prospect to be young player of the season.Brookes is excelling across all formats, with 21 wickets in the Championship and nine in the Royal London Cup. This was his senior debut in this format, yet his captain trusted him to bowl at the top of the innings and at the death and he did so without a flicker of anxiety.He could barely have started his T20 career any better, in fact, opening with a wicket maiden. Tom Moores, another young man rapidly making a name for himself, pulled him for a lusty six in his second over and Riki Wessels, always dangerous, took him for three boundaries in his third. Yet he came back for the penultimate over of the innings, with Nottinghamshire desperately looking to swell a paltry total, and conceded only three off the bat.The Bears were on top from the start, restricting the home side to only 40 runs in the Powerplay overs. Jeetan Patel put down a chance off his own bowling when Wessels was on 30 but that was a rare error in the field and it was not an expensive one. Wessels hauled Will Rhodes over the mid-wicket boundary in the next over but then smacked a short, wide ball straight to Bell at backward point.Wessels made 41. Apart from Billy Root’s industrious 33 and Luke Fletcher’s cameo assault on Patel, which yielded 6-4-6-6-1, there was not much else. Colin de Grandhomme, who mixed up his pace superbly, snuffed out two of the bigger threats in Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney.This was a strong performance by the Bears, whose run to the final last year probably exceeded expectations. It was a substantially rebuilt side yet director of cricket Ashley Giles managed to find a winning blend immediately. He will believe they can qualify for finals day again at the very least.With 14 matches to negotiate, there is much that can go wrong as well as right until that point is reached. There is a lot to be said, though, for putting down a marker right at the start and they did so impressively.
When Todd Boehly completed his takeover of Chelsea in 2022, his arrival was filled with excitement and apprehension but fast-forward 17 months, and the Blues have gone through turmoil on the back of their disastrous spending in the transfer window.
From finishing 12th in the Premier League last season after Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard all had spells as head coach, they now lie in the bottom half under Mauricio Pochettino.
What's more alarming is the fact that the Blues have gone backwards as a club despite spending an eye-watering £1bn on 33 new signings since May 2022 and according to Jamie Carragher, still need at least four top players if they are to stand any chance of catching Manchester City.
Astronomical spending without significant returns on their outlay isn't a concept that is alien to Chelsea. In the near two decades that Roman Abramovich owned the club, the Russian shelled out large sums of money on several stars who flopped at Stamford Bridge, including Fernando Torres (£50m), Tiemoue Bakayoko (£40m) and Timo Werner (£45m) – to name a few – but by far the worst of the lost was the deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club in 2021.
How much did Romelu Lukaku cost Chelsea?
Romelu Lukaku declared he had "unfinished business" when he returned to Chelsea from Inter Milan in 2021 for a club-record fee of £97.5m.
The Belgian "monster" – as dubbed by Jose Mourinho during his time at Manchester United – arrived in west London when his stock was at its highest having chalked up a sensational 40 goal contributions in one season for Inter prior to joining the Blues.
Expected to fire Thomas Tuchel's side to a Premier League title on the back of their Champions League triumph over Manchester City, Chelsea paid Lukaku a staggering £325k-per-week, making him the club's highest earner, as per Capology.
Inter Milan's former loan striker Romelu Lukaku.
Amounting to an eye-watering salary of £16.9m across the 2021/22 campaign, the weight of expectation on the shoulders of the 6 foot 3 powerhouse was enormous and a return to Stamford Bridge would either make or break him.
Unfortunately, the latter transpired as Lukaku would go down as one of the worst signings, not just in the club's history, but of all-time.
What went wrong for Lukaku at Chelsea?
Although Lukaku's disastrous spell on the books of Chelsea is still ongoing, initially it looked as though Tuchel would be a match made in heaven for the striker as he opened his account for the club with three goals in as many matches, including a brace against Aston Villa.
Speaking after his excellent display against the Villans, Tuchel expressed his delight, saying: “He was the difference.
“He wants to score and he wants to help the team with his goals. He has composure and confidence. He was super important. He adds something to the group that we did not have in this capacity before now.”
While Lukaku was playing with a point to prove in those initial matches, his second spell at Stamford Bridge would soon unravel into a nightmare, beginning with an injury in late October and continuing when he publicly admitted – months after he signed – that he wasn't happy with his situation at Chelsea, suggesting Tuchel has opted to play a system that doesn't suit his style of play.
"Physically I am fine. But I'm not happy with the situation at Chelsea," Lukaku told Sky in Italy [Via talkSPORT] in an interview that took place in December 2021.
"Tuchel has chosen to play with another system – I won't give up, I'll be professional. I am not happy with the situation but I am professional – and I can't give up now."
If the knife wasn't already stabbed into Tuchel's back enough, he went deeper by saying he regrets the way he left former club Inter Milan and vowed to go back to the San Siro – and would be granted his wish in the following season as he returned on loan, with the Italian side paying £6.9m (€8m) for his services.
Now on loan at Roma, linking up with former manager Mourinho, Lukaku has scored four goals in his first six appearances for the club as Chelsea hope to finally offload their "biggest flop" – as dubbed by the journalist Jonny Bentley – once and for all. That won't be before he's cost them the best part of £114m, though, when considering salary and transfer fee.
The abundance of exciting and eye-catching content around Premier League clubs nowadays is unprecedented, and it makes being a fan much more accessible than ever before. That said, while you can find out anything you want about your club, it can also be somewhat overwhelming at times.
Arsenal are no exception to this, and if anything, the sheer size and success of the club only means that there are even more options to choose from – maybe too many.
So here at Football Fancast, we have put together a cheat sheet of who to follow for all your red and white needs.
Arsenal News Now
If you are looking for the best place to find top-notch journalism about any club, let alone the Gunners, News Now should probably be your first port of call. The website collects headlines from around the world on a vast array of topics and provides you links to all the latest news.
It will even give you a short selection of the most popular stories at any given moment. So you'll know what is worth reading and what isn't, along with always staying in the loop when it comes to Arsenal.
While traditional sports media and recognised journalists are invaluable when it comes to keeping abreast of the latest goings-on at all of our favourite clubs, they can sometimes be a bit sterile and stiff, which is precisely where fan content comes into the equation.
Fan-led YouTube channels, Twitter accounts and podcasts have exploded in recent years, and many of them have Arsenal Fan TV to thank for paving the way. There is no fan channel with more reach or more well-known than AFTV, and no fan creator more respected than Robbie Lyle, AKA Don Robbie.
AFTV has been around for well over a decade, and while the cast of characters has changed over the years, Robbie has remained – as has their place as the number one destination for Arsenal fans on the internet.
With more shows that we can count and several appearances on major broadcasters, if you want to find out what fellow Gooners are talking about at the moment, head to AFTV.
Arsenal Vision Podcast
saka-martinelli-arsenal
AFTV might be the best-known destination for fan-based arsenal content, but they aren't the only one. The Arsenal Vision Podcast is one of the most popular Arsenal-based podcasts going.
Described as 'sometimes funny, sometimes serious, occasionally ridiculous and hopefully always enjoyable' by the hosts themselves, it's a great listen for any Gooner looking for more Arsenal content to consume.
John Cross
Back to traditional media once more, and John Cross is one of the best journalists to follow for Arsenal fans – even if he has, at times, clashed with AFTV. Cross is the Chief Football Writer for the Mirror, and while he might not solely focus on the Gunners in his day-to-day work, he still frequently covers them – especially on his Twitter account.
He also wrote a book about the great Arsene Wenger called Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger – which is good enough for us.
Charles Watts
Sticking with recognised journalists, and Charles Watts is perhaps one of the journalists most associated with Arsenal, and for good reason.
Previously a writer for GOAL and football.london, Watts would focus on the club for these publications and even wrote a book on Mikel Arteta's time with the club called 'Revolution – The Rise of Arteta's Arsenal.'
He now has his own website that focuses specifically on Arsenal, a Twitter account with over 500k followers and a YouTube account with 90k subscribers.
If you're an Arsenal fan, you simply have to follow Watts.
James McNicholas
James McNicholas is one of the most respected journalists in the industry, with more than a decade of experience writing for ESPN, Four Four Two, and Bleacher Report. Oh, and he's also a huge Arsenal fan.
Now primarily writing for The Athletic, McNicholas is one of their Arsenal correspondents, and alongside his work for them, he co-hosts the Arsecast podcast.
He can also be found on Twitter and is well worth a follow.
David Ornstein
Rounding off our list of sports journalists is probably the most famous of all, David Ornstein.
Ornstein has grown in prominence in the footballing world over the last few years, and that's certainly true among Arsenal fans. He has been one of The Athletic's most prominent writers since he joined the company in 2019 after spending over a decade with the BBC and has since gained quite a reputation as a reliable reporter of transfer news, with fans often pitting his reports up against those of transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Outside The Athletic, fans can find him on Twitter, and he's well worth a follow for everything from news, insider scoops and transfer updates.
He doesn't just Tweet about Arsenal, but when he does, it's usually worth taking note.
Afcstuff
As football content continues to be more and more fan-driven, it only makes sense for websites like Twitter – or X if you like – to become even more central to the popular discourse around the game, and Arsenal are no exception.
There are 1000s of Arsenal dedicated Twitter pages on the site, but only some are worth following, and afcstuff chief among them.
After AFTV, afcstuff is the site's most significant fan-run Arsenal page and is a must-follow for Arsenal supporters.
In their own words, you can find the 'latest updates, stats, quotes, team news & transfer news about Arsenal FC' on their page.
Sticking to Twitter for a moment, and another account well worth following if you are after more of the Gunners in your life is Arsenal Buzz.
The page posts constant updates about the team, with quotes from players, managers and pundits.
It's also a great page to follow if you want to stay up to date with the players on international duty, as they post pictures and updates about that as well.
As many are in the industry nowadays, Harry Symeou does a little bit of everything. A broadcaster, commentator, content creator, podcast host and radio contributor, he does it all – and it all links back to Arsenal.
You can find him in several different places on the internet. He's very active on his personal Twitter account, on his podcast's account – The Chronicles of a Gooner – and even on TalkSport, fighting Arsenal's corner.
Following Arsenal Buzz, afcstuff, and Harry Symeou on Twitter should have you covered on fan accounts on the website.
Arseblog
Another site created by fans, but Arseblog is the real deal. Their website has something for everyone, from news articles, tactical breakdowns, features, and opinions- and then there's the podcast.
The Arsecast – the one co-hosted by James McNicholas – is one of the most popular Arsenal-centric podcasts going, with over 550 episodes in the bank and likely many, many more to come.
The podcast crew also put on special live recordings of the podcast that fans can attend, with their last one including a surprise appearance from club legend Ian Wright – what's not to love?
Outside of their own website, you can also find them through their Twitter account.
Love it or hate it, there is simply no getting away from the all-conquering juggernaut that is The Athletic when it comes to sports journalism these days. That said, their coverage of Arsenal is excellent, as are their writers.
While it may lack the charm of a local or even some fan-created outlets, it's hard to knock the quality of the work they produce.
And as one of the country's biggest sides, Arsenal get even more coverage compared to some others in the Premier League.
Football London – Arsenal
One of Reach PLC's many titles football.london could've ended up feeling like a detached and somewhat sterile corporate attempt at covering the clubs local to the capital, but through hiring the right people and focusing on the right things, they have become one of the best websites going when it comes to the London clubs.
Their coverage of Arsenal is no different, with interesting interviews, match reactions, deep dives and features all focused on the North London club.
It would be a bit odd if we didn't end the article with at least a small shoutout to the work we do on the Gunners here at Football Fancast.
Our team of writers cover everything about the club, whether that be transfers, news, match reaction, analysis, features and more.
Keep your eyes on the site to find out the latest The Arsenal.
And there you have it, a list of everyone and every site you should be following to keep up to date with The Arsenal. From traditional journalists to fan channels and even the blending of the two, there is certainly a lot of content out there to get stuck into.
Atuando dentro de seus domínios, o Bahia não conquista os três pontos desde o dia 16 de agosto quando bateu o Bragantino por 2 a 1, partida onde Roger Machado ainda era o comandante do Esquadrão.
Por isso, um dos questionamentos mais constantes na entrevista coletiva da última terça-feira (6) com o atacante Élber foi, justamente, o motivo dessa ausência de capacidade em ganhar atuando na cidade de Salvador. Algo que, para ele, se traduzirá nos detalhes pois, no desempenho, o time vem atuado de maneira satisfatória.
O avante chegou também a responder com lamentação, mesmo que brevemente, o fato do time estar atuando em Pituaçu ao invés da Arena Fonte Nova mediante a impossibilidade da presença de público e as reformas que estão sendo feitas no estádio citado:
– Como todos sabemos, a equipe vem demonstrando um bom futebol, é nítida a nossa melhora em termos de jogo. Mas, infelizmente, os resultados não vem sendo compatíveis com o futebol que a gente vem apresentando. A gente espera cada vez mais melhorar e, em cima disso, sair com os três pontos que, nesse momento, é o que mais importa pra gente.
-Um incômodo muito grande não vencer na nossa casa porque, nos campeonatos anteriores, era um poder muito forte que a gente tinha. Mas eu acho que tudo uma hora acaba, então esse tempo (de jejum) de triunfos em casa possa acabar contra o Vasco. Sobre não jogar na Fonte Nova, com certeza, eu acho que como nosso time é muito técnico e muito rápido e o gramado da Fonte Nova é mais ralo do que o de Pituaçu, está fazendo muita falta. Mas não é desculpa, vamos tentar melhorar para conseguir os três pontos – pontuou Élber.
Um possível desgaste existente no elenco chegou a ser levantado também como pergunta a Élber. Porém, o jogador que está no Bahia desde 2018 se apressou a negar qualquee tipo de “racha”:
– Eu acho que não porque somos um grupo bem unido, não existe vaidade no elenco, todo mundo procurando sempre fazer o melhor e ajudar a equipe a sempre sair com os resultados positivos. A qualidade do nosso elenco não tem discussão, são jogadores técnicos, renomados do futebol brasileiro e, agora, chegou mais dois jogadores para agregar a nossa equipe (Elias e Anderson Martins), então a gente tem tudo para brigar lá em cima. Nosso elenco é forte, experiente e, quando a gente começar a vencer, vamos brigar na parte de cima.
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Tom Curran reflected on a “rollercoaster” experience in Australia after he bagged 5 for 35 to lead England to a stirring 12-run victory in Perth in a contest that seemed to be slipping away from them.Although the series had been decided in Sydney, England were desperate not to let Australia take another victory following their success in Adelaide on Australia Day. Their 259 was a far from overwhelming total, albeit on an unknown surface being used for the first time at the new Perth Stadium, and when Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell took the chase to 4 for 189, it appeared Australia would get home.However, Stoinis picked out long-on against Adil Rashid 13 short of a century then Curran burst through the rest of Australia’s batting. He removed Maxwell and Mitchell Starc in three deliveries then castled Adam Zampa and Tim Paine after Australia’s wicketkeeper had kept the chase alive.Curran made his Test debut in Melbourne after replacing the injured Steven Finn early in the tour, having been planning to only arrive for the Big Bash League where he had a deal with Hobart Hurricanes, and only earned his chance in this series after Liam Plunkett’s hamstring strain.”It’s been crazy, really,” Curran said. “It’s been a rollercoaster, but that’s what happens. I’m just trying to take it all in, been an unbelievable couple of months.”Curran, whose brother Sam will be part of the England squad for the T20 tri-series, has built his white-ball reputation on the back of some nerveless displays for Surrey and said he was someone who always wanted to be in the thick of the action with games in the balance.”That’s why we train as players, you want to be asked to perform in the big moments and involved when it can go either way. That’s when you get the most satisfaction. What a stadium, what a day and what a team to be a part of.”His captain, Eoin Morgan, praised Curran’s ability to slot into the side with limited bowling under his belt after only having three overs in the warm-up match before the series then carrying drinks for the first three games.”You look for guys to take their chance and it’s not easy to do particularly when you haven’t played for a while,” Morgan said. “To come in at a stage of the game where it was in the balance, we’d got Stoinis out at the other end and to get Maxwell did swing the momentum quite nicely.”England finished the series by fielding an attack without their three frontlines quicks – Plunkett, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood – which means Curran is far from assured of a starting place when England next play one-day cricket, in New Zealand. He admitted he was not a good watcher when on the sidelines but appreciated the depth England have.”It is very frustrating, but that’s a great place to be as a side,” he said. “If you are getting left out and are happy about that, don’t think international sport is the place for you. That’s a motivator for you.”Jake Ball, another of the quicks given a chance when England shuffled their pack for the final match, was hit by dizziness towards the end of the chase and Morgan was almost left needing to hurriedly call on Joe Root with the match in the balance. At the end of his eighth over, Ball could barely stand and was then led off the field by the team doctor before managing to return to bowl his final two overs.”He was feeling very dizzy and nauseous and couldn’t really keep his balance, he had to lay down. That was a big concern,” Morgan said. “The doctors got him off and did a great job to get him through that one over, gave him confidence to hold things down and run in a straight line which was key for us because we’d have had to go to Joe which would have been a big moment.”Once your heart rate goes down you lose momentum and adrenalin starts to come down and that is a problem so there was a risk, but I don’t think he could have stayed on the field in his condition. He was reluctant to go off but we had no choice.”When Australia’s eighth wicket fell they still needed 57 to win, but England made closing out the match tougher for themselves as Alex Hales spilled Paine in the deep (Jonny Bairstow also spilled Andrew Tye moments earlier having dropped Travis Head at slip early in the innings) while there were ground-fielding errors which Morgan conceded will need to be addressed.”It’s certainly something we’ll discuss. They are mistakes we shouldn’t make. Maybe if it was a half chance, we’d say on another day we’d catch but, in crucial moments you want to be taking them because they don’t come very often.”Still, Morgan’s concerns were small compared to Steven Smith’s. However, when asked to critique Australia’s showing over the series, he took a diplomatic approach. “Not my job to comment on, that’s their job to assess their performance.”