Premier League
AM IN ARSENAL TO WIN TROPHIES, SAYS MIKEL ARTETA
The era of trophy less run by Arsenal may be over if the words of new manager, Mikel Arteta are anything to go by.
The manager who was confirmed on the saddle on Friday has declared that Arsenal needed to be fighting for “top trophies” again.
He however appealed for patience after being confirmed as their new manager on a 31/2-year contract.
The former Arsenal midfielder joined from Manchester City, where he has been assisting Pep Guardiola since July 2016, but has never managed a club before.
“This is a huge honour,” he told the club website. “Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“We need to be competing for (silverware) and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with (owner) Stan and (son and non-executive director) Josh Kroenke, and the senior people from the club.
“We all know there is a lot of work to be done to achieve that, but I am confident we’ll do it.
“I’m realistic enough to know it won’t happen overnight, but the current squad has plenty of talent and there is a great pipeline of young players coming through from the academy.”
Arteta replaces Unai Emery, who was sacked last month, and takes the reins from caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg. The compensation paid by Arsenal to City is understood to be around £1 million (S$1.77 million).
The Spaniard is only the fifth man with no previous managerial experience to take the full-time reins at a “Big Six” club in the Premier League era after Roy Evans, Ruud Gullit, Gianluca Vialli and Tim Sherwood. But the Gunners’ head of football, Raul Sanllehi, insisted that his compatriot was “the perfect person for us”.
“We met several top-class candidates and Mikel stood out to every single one of us,” he said. “Mikel understands Arsenal football club and what it means to our fans around the world.”
The 37-year-old Arteta was a leading candidate to take the hot seat 19 months ago but the club then opted for his compatriot Emery.
While he takes over a team 10th in the league with just two wins since early October and is facing a tough debut at Everton today, Guardiola has backed him to become his own man at the Emirates.
The City manager said yesterday: “He decided to move there. You cannot stop it, follow your dreams and Arsenal was a big part of his career. We wish him all the best, I’m pretty sure he will do a great job.”
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also claimed it was “important that he knew the DNA of the club”.
On Arteta’s appointment, he said yesterday: “If you’ve been here, especially in periods when the club’s done well, you see what the culture is. Build on what’s been going well.”
Pundit Graeme Souness, however, poured scorn on Arsenal for handing such a big job to a relative novice.
But the players appeared to welcome the news, despite reports that the squad had their reservations over his inexperience and wanted Carlo Ancelotti, who looks bound for Goodison Park instead.
Mesut Ozil was the first to congratulate former teammate Arteta. He tweeted: “Welcome back to the Arsenal family!”
England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace
Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.
Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.
The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.
“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”
Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.
United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.
Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.
United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.
Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”
Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”
For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.
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