Starters and finishers; a Mikel Arteta philosophy. Mikel Arteta’s rise as a football manager sterns not only from his tactical brilliance but also wise choice of words, and his recent ones, ‘starters and finishers’ has become a motivation to his players, maintaining the high level of performances at all point of their games. In the wake of their impressive Champions League victory over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, Mikel Arteta chose his words intelligently yet again, and such has been part of his aid in building a dominant Arsenal team. “Everybody’s ready. Whether it’s a starter or a finisher, the…
Author: Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
For the first time in more than a decade, Arsenal finally earned their first victory over Bayern Munich, and this time, ended what has been an unbeaten start to the season, which has made the Bavarians the best team in the world. Before their trip to the Emirates, Bayern Munich had won 18 and drawn one in 19 games across all competitions this season, scored at least two in each of these games, and kept consistent positive attacking numbers. They were the highest scoring team in Europe and had the joint most Champions League goals alongside defending champions Paris Saint-Germain,…
Lamine Yamal meets the Premier League, a different ball game Just like Robert Sanchez remarked, every player can be considered good until he comes to the Premier League’, while this doesn’t make Lamine Yamal just any player, it does highlight the reservations, so much so that a 17-year-old youngster may never achieve the heights of the Spaniard, even if they have bigger talents. Last night, Lamine Yamal played a Premier League team for the first time, and while he was not unimpressive, he was made to realize that the English League is a class of its own. The Spanish sensation…
Rodrygo’s time at Real Madrid is done There have been a lot of comments lately from the Rodrygo Goes, especially during the international break, as the media wanted to know what was going on behind the scenes about his future, which remains uncertain under Xabi Alonso. In response, the Spanish manager gave him the nod against Elche on Sunday evening, but that decision backfired as the 24-year-old stood out as Real Madrid’s least performing attacker in his almost an hour spent on the pitch. Created no chance. Failed to trouble the goalkeeper with four shots. Completed none of his attempted…
Nico Williams to be booed in Camp Nou. As Barcelona prepares for their Camp Nou return on Saturday, the atmosphere in the stadium is set to be less than welcoming for Nico Williams, who visits with Athletic Club amid widespread reports of planned fan protests and booing. The expected frosty reception stems from the young Spanish international’s decision to twice reject the Catalan giants, most recently in the summer, opting instead to sign a long-term contract with his boyhood club. Nico Williams held no prisoners Not for the first time, Nico Williams rejected the chance to join the Catalan giants…
The recent vote by Premier League clubs marks an absolute turning point in the governance of English football as months of intense debate and bitter internal wrangling, over the proposal for Top-to-Bottom Anchoring (TBA), a hard salary cap, was finally rejected. This outcome was a victory for the league’s financial heavyweights, who successfully defeated a measure they viewed as stifling and fundamentally anti-competitive. Premier League clubs defeat ‘Anchoring’ According to reports, the controversial TBA proposal, which aimed to cap spending at five times the lowest club’s central revenues, failed dramatically to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority (14 votes). Instead, the…
Chelsea have been dealt another injury setback as Cole Palmer is now sidelined with a fractured toe, just as he was nearing a return from a groin injury. Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed the news, stating the injury occurred due to an unfortunate accident at home. “Cole Palmer has a fractured toe after an accident at home. He is probably not available for Burnley… Barcelona or Arsenal, for sure,” Maresca said. “His toe is fractured… Cole was almost back from the groin injury but now he has this small issue.” Palmer’s absence comes at a critical time for Chelsea, who are…
The Perfectionists, the Invincibles, and the best teams of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers The long road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has produced its own tapestry of dominance, resilience, and defensive steel, shaping a qualifying cycle defined by perfection and invincibility. While the journey has come to an end for many of the teams, with some already secured their ticket to the global showpiece, while some have been condemned to the fate of watching from their sofas, a few more remain in the quest as the playoff looms. From Africa to Europe, Asia to the Americas, a select…
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s struggle for minutes at Real Madrid continued during the weekend as the Englishman was almost as good as an unused substitute in the stalemate at Vallecans. The former Liverpool man was brought in for the final seven minutes, placing the makeshift right-back Federico Valverde, in a forced alteration due to the midfielder’s injury. The decision of Xabi Alonso to deploy the Uruguayan at right-back is an additional insult to injury for Trent, who already struggled for minutes before the injury to his main competitor, Dani Carvajal. Can Real Madrid get any worse with Trent Alexander-Arnold? Trent Alexander-Arnold has…
Five Arsenal milestones after win in Slavia Prague Arsenal’s Champions League trip to Prague was always billed as another checkpoint in a season gathering weight and authority, yet it unfolded into a night of history layered on history. A ruthless 3-0 win thanks to Mikel Merino’s brace and Bukayo Saka’s first-half penalty against Slavia Prague stretched Mikel Arteta’s side’s dominance in Europe, but beyond the scoreline came milestones that will sit firmly in the club’s modern folklore. From a record-breaking debut that rewrites UEFA history books to another chapter in Bukayo Saka’s rapid continental ascent, and from defensive feats unseen…