Max Dowman made football history on Saturday. Running from his own half, he fired into an empty net to secure Arsenal a 2-0 win over Everton and become the youngest goalscorer in the Premier League.

But afterwards, in the “ecstatic dressing room, the man of the match wasn’t there”, said Miguel Delaney in The Independent. That’s because Dowman “isn’t actually the man of the match”, but a child. The midfielder, aged 16 years and 75 days, isn’t allowed in the same dressing room as the adults, and gets changed in his own space near the referees’ room.

‘Never left alone’

Dowman “probably cannot even remember a time when he was not skipping past opponents with a ball at his feet”, said Sam Dean in The Telegraph. There has been “a buzz” around his name for years. He was scouted when he was just four; at 13, he became the youngest player to represent Arsenal’s under-18s; at 14, he was the youngest to play for their under-21s. He also played for the England under-17s at 14, and started training with Arsenal’s first team. Earlier this year, he became the youngest player in Champions League history and the youngest starter for Arsenal.

There are “clear rules in place” for minors playing adult football, said BBC Sport. Dowman has to change in a separate room from his teammates, before going into the main changing room for pep talks. The teenager, who is due to sit his GCSEs this summer, divides his non-playing time between a private tutor and school. One member of Arsenal’s security team is “assigned to stay close to Dowman at all times”.

“In the eyes of the law, he is still a child,” said former Leeds United welfare officer Lucy Ward. “He looks and behaves like an adult, he’s in an adult environment and scores goals for Arsenal, but the law says that he is treated as a child until he is 18.” Dowman is “never left alone with anyone” who hasn’t been cleared by a DBS check. His parents must give consent when he travels for an away match, and he has to have a chaperone. “He doesn’t want to stand out – he just wants to fit in – but these safeguarding measures are in place for young players.”

‘Right temperament to deliver’

Last season, Dowman was “so far ahead of his opponents and teammates that he was almost playing a different sport”, said Dean in The Telegraph. It was obvious he had “outgrown youth football”. If Premier League rules hadn’t prevented him from playing for the senior team last year, “he might have broken through even earlier”.

In January, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta likened the teenager to a young Lionel Messi. That was after Dowman signed a pre-contract agreement with the north London club (his father handled the negotiations). A professional deal will follow when he turns 17 in December.

“For all the skill, though, you need to have the right temperament to deliver” at that age, said Sky Sports. For every wunderkind who went on to a glittering senior career, there are “players who fell through the trapdoor of promise”.

“He doesn’t seem to be fazed by the occasion or the moment or the context or the opponent,” Arteta said on Saturday. “I’ve seen a lot of players with talent but at 16, very few that can cope with that level of demand.”

Dowman’s goal will “go down in Arsenal folklore”, said Sky Sports. The “touch of the head” to gain control of the ball, the “physicality” required to get past Everton left-back Vitalii Mykolenko, and the touch that sent midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall “to the shops”. It took Arsenal closer to their first Premier League title in two decades, but it looked like Dowman “had been doing that for years”.

“I just felt it was a magical moment for Max Dowman, a magical moment for Arsenal and absolutely it stopped me in my tracks,” said football pundit Gary Neville. “This kid does look different.”

Sheffield United fans voted with their feet during this week's demolition by Arsenal, with some heading for the stadium exits after just 15 minutes.

The Blades were already 0-3 down with only a quarter of an hour played when the sight of home supporters leaving Bramall Lane "sparked a mix of sympathy and derision from rival fans" on social media, said The Mirror.

There were similar scenes during Arsenal's recent win over West Ham, when Hammers fans flooded out of the London Stadium before the half-time whistle, as their team slumped to 4-0 down. The mass walk-out was condemned by former Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton on the Daily Mail's "It's All Kicking Off" podcast. "If you're a football supporter, you support your team through thick and thin, don't you?" said Sutton.

'True fans stay to the end'

There is "an unwritten rule in football", said the Mail's Kathryn Batte, that "to be a 'true' fan, you must stay until the end – no matter what".

So-called "early-leaver syndrome" tends "to afflict those who are either seriously peeved about an inept performance", said Amy Lawrence in The Guardian, "or those who spent quite a lot of any second half worrying about masses of people, claustrophobic transport, endless traffic jams".

It is also a distinctly English phenomenon and is much less common on the Continent. This cultural difference was highlighted by Jürgen Klopp soon after taking over at Liverpool in 2015, when he complained about feeling "pretty alone" after many of his supporters left Anfield in the 82nd minute in what would end up being a 2-1 defeat by Crystal Palace. "We decide when it is over," Klopp said at the time. "Between 82 and 94 [minutes] you can make eight goals if you like."

A recent survey by YouGov for Betfair ranked the Premier League supporters who were most likely to leave a match early, with the so-called "top six" occupying the top six spots, said TalkSPORT. By contrast, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa had the most loyal supporters, who stay for the full 90 minutes regardless of their team's performance.

'Walking out is a form of protest'

"There are a lot of things in football that do not make sense," said Batte in the Mail. The notion that fans should stay to the end, "even if your team is being humiliated, even if it feels as if they are not trying and even if it is painful to watch", is one of them. And "that's without taking into account how long your journey home is".

"To attend a game and then leave when the result is still not certain just defies common sense," said Mark Segal in The Guardian in 2013. But if your team is getting demolished, "in my mind, it's actually the people who stay who are doing more damage", he argued. "Walking out is a form of protest. You are saying to the players that they do not deserve your support."

Some fans have had cause to regret leaving early, however. Selina Travis and her father left Manchester City's game with QPR in 2012 with the Sky Blues 2-1 down and arch-rivals Manchester United set to win the league. City went on to turn the game around in the last few moments, to win their first Premier League title in decades.

"The thing about missing the goals," Travis told The Athletic, "it's become such a fun story that it's almost become part of the mythology of the day for me. To the point that I don't really regret it – the only thing is that I've been going to City with Dad since 1994 and we missed that moment together."

After three successive draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton, Arsenal’s Premier League title bid has stuttered. Up next for Mikel Arteta’s side is the showdown away at reigning champions Manchester City, who come into the big match five points behind the leaders and with two games in hand.

Tonight’s clash at the Etihad Stadium (8pm kick-off BST) has been described as a “final” by Gabriel Jesus, Arsenal’s Brazilian striker who signed from Man City last summer. If the Gunners are to be champions this season then “we will have to go there and win the game, that is all”.

However, Arsenal boss Arteta, also formerly of City as an assistant coach, does not believe the fixture will decide the title. “It will be difficult, but will it decide the season? No,” he said. “We really want it and we are again going to show it [on Wednesday night]. But it has to be perfect because that is what is demanded at this time in the season.”

In pursuit of the ‘greatest accomplishment’

City are in “relentless” form as they pursue an “incredible treble” and have 12 games left to achieve the “greatest accomplishment of all”, said the Daily Mail. A victory over Arsenal would see them “move into the driving seat in the title race”, while they also face rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final and are set to face Real Madrid in “a rematch” of last season’s Champions League semi-finals. “Can anyone derail Pep Guardiola’s bullet train?”

This title showdown “justifies weeks of hype”, said Nick Ames in The Guardian. But if Arsenal are to “stretch their lead” at the top then they must “find a way to subdue” City’s goal machine Erling Haaland and the “greatly improved” Jack Grealish.

Things could ‘get ugly’ for the Gunners

With City “really turning up the style” in recent fixtures, it is looking “increasingly difficult” for Arsenal to hang on to top spot, said Planet Sport. Both teams go into the “potential Premier League title decider” on long unbeaten runs, but with “momentum perhaps swinging towards City”.

The absence of defender William Saliba for this “top-of-the-table spectacular” means things “could get ugly” for the Gunners, said Ben Knapton on SportsMole. This is a Man City side who “just cannot stop scoring – or winning – at home” and they should stroll to a “comfortable victory” – 3-1 – to take a “giant step towards dethroning their capital counterparts”.

After going three games without victory, Arsenal can approach this as “if the pressure is off”, said Chris Sutton on BBC Sport. But that run of draws was “so damaging”, and you can see that “doubt” has kicked in. “If the Gunners can win, it would be an incredible turnaround after what has happened to them in recent weeks.” However, Sutton is “very confident” with his prediction for the game – 3-1 to City – the only thing he “wasn’t sure about” was whether Arsenal would score.

City have “come into their own” since the turn of the year and are “unlikely to relent towards the end of the season”, said Aditya Hosangadi on SportsKeeda. Arsenal cannot afford “another slip-up” in this game, but “better team” City “hold the upper hand”. Hosangadi predicts a 2-1 win for the home side.

Arsenal’s “problems at the back” are “too great to ignore”, said the Evening Standard’s Marc Mayo, who predicts a 4-2 win for City. It is “all too easy” to imagine Haaland and Co “exploiting space left in behind to secure a suckerpunch, knockout blow of Arsenal’s title dream”.

The Premier League title “isn’t quite on the line just yet”, but “in the eyes of most people it is”, said Mark Jones in The Mirror. The pundits from the Mirror Football team believe that the Etihad clash is “only going one way”. All predicting wins for City, Mike Walters, Alex Richards and Simon Mullock say 3-1; Tom Victor, Darren Lewis and John Cross say 3-0; Andy Dunn says 4-1; and Sam Meade says 2-0.

City have already beaten Arsenal twice this season and “it’ll be a surprise if they don’t make it three out of three”, said Rob Dawson on ESPN. Haaland looks “unstoppable”, which means Arsenal will “have to score at least twice” to win the game. “Arsenal’s confidence is fragile and it could be a heavy 4-0 win for City.”

How anyone could “bet staunchly” against Man City in any match in world football right now is “beyond me”, said Michael Potts on RadioTimes.com. However, “completely rule out Arsenal at your peril”. Pressure does “funny things” to football teams and while City boast “resilience and know-how to see out the title war”, they could find themselves “held up by this battle”. Potts predicts a 2-2 draw between the title rivals.

What the statisticians say

Our “trusty” AI-powered supercomputer “doesn’t like to overblow things”, said Graham Bell on Opta Analyst. But even it believes this could be “one of the most pivotal” midweeks in Premier League history. At the summit, the supercomputer puts Man City as favourites to win against Arsenal, with a 62.6% chance of doing so.

Despite coming back to draw 3-3, the result against Southampton means that Arsenal’s chance of winning this season’s Premier League is down from 32% to 19.3%, according to the Euro Club Index. Simon Gleave, head of sports analysis at data analyst Nielsen’s Gracenote, told the BBC that City’s probability of a third successive league title has increased to 80.7% with Arsenal “dropping points for the third match in a row”. Gracenote gives Arsenal a 16% chance of winning at the Etihad, while City have a 62% chance.

What the bookies say

Man City are favourites to win the title, according to Oddschecker.co.uk. Guardiola’s team are 1/4 to lift the Premier League trophy for the third successive season, while Arsenal are 10/3 to win the league for the first time since 2004. For tonight’s match, City are priced at 3/5 to win the encounter. A draw is priced at 15/4 while Arsenal are 5/1 to take three points at the Etihad.

Manchester City vs. Arsenal kicks off at 8pm (BST) and is live on BT Sport

The English football referees’ body has apologised to Arsenal after “human error” was to blame for an incorrect VAR decision that allowed Brentford’s equaliser to stand in last weekend’s Premier League game.

Former top referee Howard Webb, who is now in charge of Premier League officials, also apologised to Brighton after they had a goal disallowed for offside against Crystal Palace because VAR guidelines were wrongly drawn.

The twin controversies have put VAR “once again under the microscope”. The technology is facing scrutiny “from fans and managers alike”, said the Independent after a survey for Sky Sports found that 67% of fans believe VAR makes watching football less enjoyable.

1. Pro: can help referees

VAR was introduced to football in the early 2010s to minimise human error and help referees make the right decision. Standing for “video assistant referee”, it allows certain incidents to be reviewed by the main referee or by the VAR team, helping the correct decisions to be made.

The VAR team helps referees in four scenarios: goals and offences leading up to a goal; penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty decision; direct red card incidents and mistaken identity, explained Fifa. A wrong decision in these scenarios can swing a game, so supporters hope it will make the game fairer.

2. Con: disrupts the game

When there is a potential goal or penalty, the referee has to pause the match and review the footage on a screen. Sometimes, this process takes several minutes, which disrupts the flow of the match and means players stand around waiting, which can impair their performance. VAR is “taking the spontaneity away from the game”, wrote former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore for Caught Offside.

“It’s clear that football is fairer but it’s also clear that VAR has had an impact on the flow of the game,” David Elleray, a former Premier League referee, told Four Four Two. “Inevitably if you are going to stop the game to look at a replay, that involves stopping the flow of the game.”

3. Pro: more excitement

VAR has “helped to add an extra layer of excitement to matches”, said Digital Mahbub. It argued that “the suspense of waiting for a decision from the VAR officials can often be just as thrilling as watching the match itself”.

Legendary referee Pierluigi Collina also feels that the technology increases the thrill of the game, said Goal. “I don’t think VAR kills the excitement of a goal celebration, if anything it increases the level of excitement,” he said. “You get to celebrate twice, when scoring and when it’s confirmed.”

4. Con: produces mistakes

VAR has not eliminated mistakes from the game. Last weekend alone, offside checks surrounding key goals “cost Arsenal and Brighton victories” while Chelsea were “controversially not awarded a penalty in their London derby against West Ham”, said the Independent.

Referees chief Howard Webb contacted Arsenal and Brighton to “acknowledge and explain” the “significant errors”. Last December, the BBC noted that Premier League video assistant referees had made a number of “incorrect interventions” this season and “missed another six incidents when they should have stepped in”.

5. Pro: greater player discipline

Supporters of VAR argue that the enhanced scrutiny of players has led to greater discipline on the field. “Behaviour is better,” Elleray told Four Four Two.

He added that there has been a “significant reduction” in diving, a “general reduction in players mobbing and arguing with referees” and “fewer players getting away with violence on the field behind the referee’s back”.

6. Con: dehumanises the game

“One of football’s charms is that it’s an unpredictable sport”, where “anything can happen” and “part of this is due to human error – whether it’s a mistake by a player, coach or referee,” said Digital Mahbub. VAR “takes away from this element of unpredictability” and detracts from the “human element of the game”, it added.

This dehumanising element could lead to poorer refereeing, believes Collymore. “We’ve now got a situation where referees are having their natural skills blunted because they know they can always rely on VAR,” he wrote.

If Arsenal are to win the Premier League title for the first time since 2004, they may well look back to the dramatic victory over Manchester United as the moment where their name started to be engraved on the coveted silver trophy.

In a thriller at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, Mikel Arteta’s side ended Man Utd’s ten-match unbeaten run with a 90th-minute Eddie Nketiah goal securing a 3-2 win. The victory saw them move five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand at the top of the table. Earlier in the day City had closed the gap to two points with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Wolves.

Following the “emotional” battle against the Red Devils, in which his side came back from 1-0 down, Gunners head coach Arteta said “it doesn’t get much better than that”. After the derby win against Tottenham last week, “to come here against this team” and “play the way we played”, the performance was “incredible”, the Spaniard told Sky Sports. “To win it in that way makes it even better.”

Arsenal ‘will be champions’

Aware that Man City were “on their shoulders” after beating Wolves, a draw would “hardly have been disastrous” for Arsenal coming against Erik ten Hag’s “improving” United team, said Phil McNulty on BBC Sport. But the whole mood in the Emirates was “lifted sky high” by Nketiah’s “last-gasp intervention” and the “celebrations on and off the pitch” at the final whistle “showed the huge significance” of the late winner.

The “pressure is on City to reel them in”, but this Arsenal side are “playing without fear and nerves”, said Mark Ogden on ESPN. Of course, “both may come”, but right now they are “showing the same kind of carefree form that propelled Leicester to the title in 2016”. Unless City can beat them in their first league meeting at the Emirates on 15 February, “it will become increasingly difficult” to see how anyone can stop Arsenal from winning the title.

In the eyes of those who have seen them “wilt under pressure in recent years”, Arsenal are having to “prove themselves on a weekly basis”, McNulty added on the BBC. Why should there be “lingering doubts” about the “pedigree” of a team that have won 16 and only lost one of their first 19 league games?

Arsenal “will be champions”, said Jonathan Liew in The Guardian. “It’s about time someone committed this to print.” Arteta and Co “will not say it themselves”, they may “not even yet believe it themselves”, but there is “not a better or more complete team in England”.

Arsenal ‘won’t win the league’

Ex-City assistant Arteta insists that his former club are still the team to beat. The Arsenal boss has “been at pains not to acknowledge” his team’s position as title favourites, said the Daily Mail, and is adamant that Pep Guardiola’s squad, “who have won four of the previous five championships”, remain “a cut above”.

With 50 points from their opening 19 games, Arsenal may have a five-point lead, and a game in hand on their title rivals, but City under Guardiola are a “massive powerhouse” and you can imagine them sitting there “not being too fazed by this”, said Gary Neville on Sky Sports. The reason he believes that Arsenal “won’t win the league” is because “they’ve not won it for 20 years” and the majority of the players “haven’t won it yet”. Neville doesn’t see the Gunners going on to win the title, “I still think Man City will” and feels the defending champions “have a special run in them”.

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.

You can subscribe to The Week Unwrapped wherever you get your podcasts:

• Spotify
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In this week’s episode, we discuss:

The man of the hole

The last member of an indigenous tribe in the Brazilian Amazon, known as “the man of the hole”, has died. His story, and his resistance to being contacted, is fascinating in its own right, but his death has also drawn attention to the threats faced by tribal groups in Brazil. Illegal miners, loggers and farmers are encroaching on their territory, and President Jair Bolsonaro is explicitly unsympathetic to their cause. Now, though, there seems to be a chance for change: a record 181 indigenous candidates are standing in Brazil’s forthcoming election.

The Celebration police

When Arsenal beat Fulham last weekend, their players and fans reacted with relief and joy – prompting criticism from commentators, who suggested that they had not earned their celebrations. The resulting argument divided fans between those who thought Arsenal should have set their sights higher, and those who were cheering them on – a division that plays out daily on social media, as commentators attempt to police each other’s joy. Where does that instinct come from, and is it a healthy one?

Edinburgh on a shoestring

This year’s Edinburgh Festival recorded a significant drop in ticket sales, which were 25% lower than at the last pre-pandemic event? The rising cost of accommodation is one factor, but rail strikes, post-Covid caution about live events and the broader cost-of-living crisis may all have played a part. What does this tell us about how culture will fare over the next year?

It’s not just the title race and relegation that’s going to the wire in the Premier League – the battle for Uefa Champions League qualification is also hotly contested with just three matches remaining in the 2021-2022 season.

With the top five teams having played 35 games each, as things stand defending champions Manchester City are favourites to retain their crown with Pep Guardiola’s side currently on 86 points, three clear of title rivals Liverpool.

The race to finish in the top four is equally a closely-fought affair, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur all still in with a chance of finishing third or fourth. Chelsea currently sit in third place with 67 points from 35 games, while Arsenal are on 66 and Tottenham are on 62.

Third-placed Chelsea, who are five points clear of Spurs in fifth, “should have enough to secure their current position”, said Jack Cunningham on talkSPORT. Therefore, it appears to be “a straight shootout” between bitter rivals Arsenal and Spurs. However, there could still be “some twists and turns to come”.

‘Biggest meeting for years’

Arsenal travel to Spurs on Thursday night for a Premier League encounter that has been described as “seismic” by Henry Winter in The Times. “At last”, this is a north London derby that “really matters”.

Last weekend’s results saw Arsenal beat Leeds United 2-1 at home while Spurs drew 1-1 against Liverpool at Anfield. Going into Thursday’s derby, the Gunners have a four-point advantage and they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium knowing that a victory would take them back into the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

This “massive” clash is the “biggest meeting between these two rivals for years”, said Jonathan Gorrie in the London Evening Standard. And “barring a late Chelsea collapse”, Europe’s elite competition will “only likely be big enough for one of them”.

Thursday’s north London derby kicks-off at 7.45pm and is live on Sky Sports.

North London derby predictions

Tottenham “simply have to win” and certainly “boast the kind of attacking talent” to damage their rivals, said Gorrie in the London Evening Standard. Still, as strong as Spurs are at home under Antonio Conte, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have “learned how to grind results out” and Gorrie is predicting a 1-1 draw.

Michael Owen is also “leaning towards” a 1-1 draw. Speaking on BetVictor, the former England striker said that although Conte is building a good side at Spurs, even a draw “would be a good result” for Arsenal. “I think that’s what we will see.”

This derby is “set to be a thriller” with both teams “finding form” towards the end of the season, said Sarah Rendell in The Independent. However, Spurs have “more consistency in their ranks” and so “should be able to pull off the victory” which would see their hopes of Champions League football rise. “Tottenham 2-0 Arsenal.”

Conte’s side will be “buoyed by their stellar showing” against Liverpool and should expose the Gunners’ recent “defensive lapses” to keep the race for fourth place alive that little bit longer, said Ben Knapton on SportsMole. He has predicted a 2-1 victory for Spurs.

Following their impressive performance at Anfield, Gary Neville is also backing Spurs to beat Arsenal. The match was postponed in January at Arsenal’s request – due to the Gunners having “many players unavailable” as a result of Covid, injuries and players away with their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations – and Neville believes there will be added “needle” for the clash. “I think it will be a really tasty game – not just because of the fact it’s a north London derby and they’re playing for Champions League places,” he said on his podcast. “But the way in which this game was called off earlier in the year – even I wasn’t too happy with that! I fancy Tottenham on Thursday night. I thought they were brilliant at Anfield.”

While Neville is tipping Spurs to win, former England international Micah Richards is saying the Gunners. “I think Arsenal, yes,” he said last week on The Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live. “I just think with their form and winning the last three, I’m going Arsenal.”

According to win probability statistics from StatsPerform, Tottenham have a 41.2% chance of winning on Thursday, while Arsenal have a 30.5% chance, Squawka.com reported. There’s a 28.3% chance of the match ending in a draw.

Top four betting odds

The bookies make Arsenal second favourites behind Chelsea to complete the Premier League’s top four and qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea’s odds of 1/200 are “a fair reflection of their prospects given their remaining fixtures”, said The Daily Telegraph. Arsenal are 3/10 and Tottenham 5/2. As implied by the latest odds, Chelsea have a 99% chance of finishing in the top four, while Arsenal have a 77% chance and Tottenham 29%.

Premier League top five: the remaining fixtures

Manchester City

• 11 May: Wolves (away)
• 15 May: West Ham (away)
• 22 May: Aston Villa (home)

Liverpool

• 10 May: Aston Villa (away)
• 17 May: Southampton (away)
• 22 May: Wolves (home)

Chelsea

• 11 May: Leeds (away)
• 19 May: Leicester City (home)
• 22 May: Watford (home)

Arsenal

• 12 May: Tottenham (away)
• 16 May: Newcastle (away)
• 22 May: Everton (home)

Tottenham

• 12 May: Arsenal (home)
• 15 May: Burnley (home)
• 22 May: Norwich City (away)

Mesut Ozil has called out Arsenal’s lack of loyalty after he was left out of the club’s 25-man Premier League squad.

The German playmaker, 32, signed for the Gunners for a then club record £42.4m deal in 2013. He has won three FA Cup winners’ medals during his time at the Emirates Stadium, but his career in north London looks set to come to a sorry end.

As well as being omitted from the Premier League list, the 2014 Fifa World Cup winner is also out of Arsenal’s Europa League squad.

In a statement on social media he said: “I’m really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being.

“Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated.

“I’ve always tried to remain positive from week to week that there’s maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That’s why I kept silent so far.”

Arteta: I’ve failed Ozil

Since joining from Real Madrid, Ozil has scored 44 goals in 254 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, BBC Sport reports. However, he has not featured in the first-team since March and his omission from both squads means he can now only play for the Under-23s until his contract expires next summer.

When asked for a response to Ozil’s statement, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta stressed that the omission from the Premier League and Europa League squads was entirely down to footballing reasons. The Spaniard explained that he was fair in his decision, but admitted he had “failed” with Ozil.

“What I can say from my side is that it is just a football decision,” said Arteta. “My level of communication with him has been really high and we know what to expect with each other.

“Obviously a player of that dimension, with the career he has had, everything that happens around him has a big impact. It has been the case for the last eight years, it is nothing new that is just happening now. A lot of things have happened over these eight years.

“My job is to get the best out of every player, to contribute to the team performance. Here I feel at the moment, today, that I have failed. I want the best possible Mesut for the team. And in some moments I was able to get close to that, and at the moment I have not been able to do it because I have to make the decision to leave him out of the squad.”

Quitting Germany and Erdogan links

Ozil’s international career with Germany ended in controversy in 2018 after he accused the German FA of “racism and disrespect”.

Germany, the defending champions, were dumped out of the 2018 Fifa World Cup at the group stage and Ozil bore the brunt of fans’ displeasure for his performances in Russia.

He also angered supporters and sections of the media after posing for a photograph with Turkey’s controversial president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during a visit to London.

That led some Germans to question where Ozil’s loyalties lay – given his Turkish background – and the midfielder never managed to win back the trust of the fans.

Last year Turkish president Erdogan was the best man at Ozil’s wedding in Istanbul.

Politics over football?

Arteta said the decision to drop Ozil from the two squads was taken for “footballing reasons”. However, the player is “convinced” that Arsenal’s commercial interests in China influenced the decision, the Daily Mail reports.

Last December Ozil went public with his criticism of the way China is treating the Uighur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.

His comments sparked a furious reaction among many of his four million social media followers in China, with several burning his shirts in protest. He was “airbrushed from Chinese TV” and coverage of Arsenal’s game against Manchester City on 15 December 2019 was initially pulled.

In the statement posted on Wednesday, Ozil insisted he will keep fighting and continue using his voice for justice.

“Before the coronavirus break I was really happy with my development under our new coach Mikel Arteta - we’ve been on a positive way and I would say my performances were on a really good level,” he said. “But then things changed, again, and I was no longer allowed to play football for Arsenal.

“No matter what, I will keep fighting for my chance and not let my eighth season at Arsenal end like this.

“I can promise you that this hard decision won’t change anything in my mindset - I will continue to train as best as I can and wherever possible use my voice against inhumanity and for justice.”

‘Sad for everyone involved’

Arsenal legend Ian Wright was one of the many fans and pundits to react to Ozil’s situation.

The former Gunners and England striker said on Twitter: “Football will never stop surprising me. The fact that whatever has gone on couldn’t be resolved between the club and Mesut is sad. Sad for everyone involved and I can only send him strength for what will be a difficult few months knowing he won’t even have a chance to play. Gutted.”

Before the pandemic Ozil was still a regular starter under Arteta. Now he’s a footballer being paid £18m a year not to play football.

Commenting on the “absurdity” of Ozil’s exile, The Guardian’s Jonathan Liew says: “Mikel Arteta wants quick, solid lads who can play to a plan, press like dogs, who relish contact rather than avoid it. The club wants good, loyal lads who will take a pay cut when asked and won’t piss off the Chinese government on Twitter.

“Perhaps this was a relationship that was always going to run aground.”

Arsenal fans will be glad to never see an hourglass timer emoji again on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s social media feeds.

Speculation started over the club captain’s future in north London when he posted nothing but the timer on 16 August. Yesterday morning he posted the emoji again, but as Arsenal fan @afc_richard pointed out on Twitter, “Auba’s sand has just run out on his hourglass. It’s time…”

Yes, it was time, and in a live video from the Emirates Stadium the club confirmed what every Gunners fan wanted to hear: their star striker was staying and he had signed a new three-year deal.

Aubameyang’s contract was due to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season, meaning he was free to talk to other clubs in January, BBC Sport reports. However, the 31-year-old said his future was “never in doubt” and he’s excited to continue working under head coach Mikel Arteta.

Aubameyang confirmed to fans that he had just signed “da ting” and later told arsenal.com: “I want to become an Arsenal legend, just like Thierry [Henry], Wrighty [Ian Wright], [Tony] Adams and [Dennis] Bergkamp. I want to leave a legacy, this is where I belong. This is my family. We have something exciting here and I believe the best is to come for Arsenal.

“Signing for this special club was never in doubt. It’s thanks to our fans, my team-mates, my family and everybody at this club that I feel like I belong here.”

Crucial signing for Arteta

Since 38-year-old Arteta replaced Unai Emery in December 2019 he has led Arsenal to two trophies: last season’s FA Cup and this season’s Community Shield. In both games Aubameyang proved how important he is to Areta’s and Arsenal’s future.

In the FA Cup final on 1 August man-of-the-match Aubameyang scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Chelsea. Then on 29 August the striker was again on the scoresheet in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool in the Community Shield, which Arsenal lifted following a 5-4 penalty shoot-out win.

Arteta is delighted that the club’s star man has agreed to extend his stay. The Spaniard said: “It was important for Pierre-Emerick to stay with us. He’s a superb player with an incredible mentality. Being the player to have taken the least amount of time to reach 50 goals with this club tells you everything you need to know about him and his way of working.

“He’s an important leader for the team and a big part of what we’re building. He wants to be up there with the best players in the world and leave his mark. He can achieve that here.”

‘Big boost for everyone’

Arteta’s rebuild of the Arsenal squad has continued this summer with the arrivals of players such as winger Willian from Chelsea and defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille, while midfielder Dani Ceballos has also returned on loan from Real Madrid.

However, Aubameyang’s future was critical to Arteta’s project and his new long-term deal could prove to be Arsenal’s most important signing in years.

Since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 for a then club-record £56m fee, Aubameyang has scored 72 goals in 111 games for the Gunners. In the Premier League he has scored 55 goals and won the Golden Boot in his first full season, the BBC says.

In the first game of the new season last weekend Aubameyang scored once as Arsenal got their campaign off to 3-0 winning start at Fulham.

Arsenal technical director Edu said: “It’s clear Auba loves the club and everything we stand for on and off the pitch. He’s obviously a very important part of the team so we’re all delighted he has committed his future to us. It’s a big boost for everyone - fans, teammates and staff.”

Wrighty: ‘I love you, captain’

Aubameyang says it’s his ambition to become a club legend like Thierry Henry or Ian Wright. But following yesterday’s announcement it was Wright who was in a jubilant mood after the long-standing contract saga officially ended, talkSPORT reports.

In a video call he told Aubameyang: “I love you, man. Thank you for signing - others left in the past but you’ve stayed with us when we needed you most.

“You have legendary status for life. I love you, captain. Everyone’s happy man. The fans love you.”

Wright later joined Aubameyang on the pitch at the Emirates and like every other Arsenal fan he celebrated the striker signing “da ting”.

Main image: Arsenal/Twitter

Arsenal may have finished their season on a high with a superb 2-1 victory over Chelsea in last weekend’s FA Cup final, but any optimism for the team’s performances on the pitch has been quickly overshadowed by the club’s economic situation.

The Premier League side has this week announced that 55 staff redundancies are being proposed following a loss of revenues due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Athletic reports that this amounts to around 10% of the club’s non-playing workforce.

News of the redundancies has angered current players, fans, former stars and pundits alike.

What happened?

A statement issued on Wednesday by head of football Raúl Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: “In line with other football clubs and many other businesses operating in the sport, leisure and entertainment arena, we have been impacted directly by Covid-19.

“Our main sources of income have all reduced significantly. Revenue from broadcasters, matchday and commercial activities have all been hit severely and these impacts will continue into at least the forthcoming 2020/21 season.

“Our aim has been to protect the jobs and base salaries of our people for as long as we possibly can. Unfortunately, we have now come to the point where we are proposing 55 redundancies.

“We do not make these proposals lightly and have looked at every aspect of the club and our expenditure before reaching this point. We are now entering the required 30-day consultation period on these proposals. We know this is upsetting and difficult for our dedicated staff and our focus is on managing this as sensitively as possible.”

Arsenal’s scouting department is the main area of the club that will be impacted by the restructuring. The Guardian reports that head of recruitment Francis Cagigao - who discovered stars such as Cesc Fàbregas and Héctor Bellerín - is the highest-profile name to be released.

The Daily Mail adds that UK head of scouting Pete Clark and recruitment specialist Brian McDermott are also set to lose their jobs.

Players are furious

The club’s decision has left many Arsenal players feeling “frustrated” and “disappointed”, says The Athletic, and certain stars intend to speak to managers to discuss the situation.

In April the majority of the first-team squad agreed to a voluntary 12.5% pay cut to help the club through the financial turbulence caused by Covid-19. And it was done so on the understanding that it would preserve jobs for other staff.

According to the Daily Mail, Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka is reportedly leading the players’ revolt against the cuts.

‘Shameful decision’

Wednesday’s announcement also cited that a “key priority” will be the continued investment in the team - and this has left a sour taste for many fans.

There’s talk that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is close to signing a new three-year deal while Brazilian winger Willian could also be close to completing a free transfer from Chelsea.

With club owner Stan Kroenke worth an estimated £6.32bn and high-earning players such as Mesut Ozil on around £350,000-a-week, the redundancies have sparked anger among the fanbase, including several high-profile supporters.

Gunners legend Ian Wright, who scored 149 goals for the club, reacted on Twitter to the news of the redundancies. Quoting his late friend and former team-mate David Rocastle, Wright tweeted: “Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent!!!”

TV presenter Piers Morgan also launched a stinging attack on the club’s board, the Daily Mirror says, calling the decision shameful.

Morgan tweeted: “Arsenal firing 55 staff when we’re owned by a multi-billionaire, have just made £££ by winning the FA Cup & qualifying for Europe, & pay Mesut Ozil £350,000-a-week to sit on his a***, is morally indefensible & not what I expect from a club with our heritage. Shameful decision.”

What happens next?

The FA Cup victory brought the feel-good factor back to the club’s fanbase and saw Mikel Arteta win his first trophy since replacing Unai Emery as head coach in December.

However, FourFourTwo’s Seb Stafford-Bloor says the redundancies announcement undermines the club’s positive new identity under Arteta.

He wrote: “It has created a duelling perception of Arsenal. On the one hand, they are in the embryonic stages of an intriguing new epoch, full of ideas and differences. On the other, they are also more the same than ever before, with their unfeeling corporatism more pronounced than at any other point during Stan Kroenke’s ownership.”

The decision to make 55 people redundant also doesn’t sit well with ArseBlog’s Andrew Mangan, who cites the potential free transfer of Willian and lucrative contract offer for star striker Aubameyang.

Mangan says: “As fans we want the best for our club and for our team, but it’s hard to square the circle of 55 job losses with the idea that we’re about to drop a big signing on fee for a soon to be 32 year old player from Chelsea, as well as paying him north of £6m a year for three years.

“I know it’s back of a match-book stuff, but if the average salary of those 55 people was £50,000 per year, the saving to KSE [Kroenke Sports & Entertainment] over the year is £2.75m.

“We want to give Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang a new contract of £300,000 a week, we can find the money to pay him £15.6m a year but 55 hard working people have to lose their jobs in a pandemic in order to do so? Does that sit right with everyone? It doesn’t with me.”

Spurs stars apologise

“You clowns” is the headline on the back page of the Daily Mail as they take Tottenham’s Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko to task for what they call a flouting of the social distancing rules.

“Will they never learn?” is the question posed by the Daily Express, which reminds its readers that earlier in the month Spurs were in hot water for a similar offence when manager Jose Mourinho took an informal fitness session for some of his players on north London parkland.

The Mail reports that Aurier and Sissoko uploaded footage of them doing some shuttle runs before deleting the clip a short while later.

By then the damage had been done and the two players issued an apology: “We wish to apologise for not setting the right example here.

“We must all respect the government advice to minimise the number of lives lost during this pandemic.

“We recognise that as professional footballers we have a responsibility to be role models, particularly during this uncertain period that everyone around the world is facing.”

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Magpies want Mauricio

Some of the papers report that Amnesty International has written to the Premier League to express its concern about the proposed takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi consortium, but the Daily Star and the Daily Mirror are more interested in the possibility that Mauricio Pochettino could be the Magpies’ next boss.

Apparently the Saudis are “confident” that they will be given the go ahead to buy the Magpies from Mike Ashley for £300m, and the man they want at the helm is the former Spurs gaffer.

Poch has been out of work since being sacked by Spurs in November but he’s expected to jump at the chance to replace Steve Bruce at St James’ Park.

Newcastle takeover: Amnesty warning over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record

Arteta intervention

The Sun claims a double header of Arsenal exclusives on its back page. The first concerns the news carried by several other papers that the Gunners squad were pressured into accepting a 12.5% pay cut.

Initially the club’s proposal was rejected but then, claims the Sun, head coach Mikel Arteta personally intervened and the players “reluctantly gave the green light to the plan”.

Or at least 24 of the 27 players did. Three didn’t, one of whom allegedly is Mesut Ozil, and it’s claimed that some of the Arsenal players are “unhappy with the way Ozil has been vilified for refusing to agree to the proposal”.

UCL spot for Gunners?

Perhaps they’ll be cheered up by the other exclusive in the Sun, which is the claim that the Gunners could be heading for the Champions League next season, despite the fact they currently languish ninth in the Premier League.

Speculation is growing in Europe that it won’t be possible to finish this season because of the coronavirus pandemic and as a result relevant national associations “could be instructed to to use Uefa coefficient scores” to determine which teams qualify for which European tournament next season.

Describing the idea as “ludicrous”, the Sun says it would mean the Gunners joining Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United as the Premier League representatives in the Champions League with Tottenham, Chelsea and Leicester City in the Europa League.

Coefficient scores are calculated on European performances over a rolling five-year period, with points for wins and draws and bonus points for knockout phase qualification.

Today’s sport headlines

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Arsenal’s first-team players and head coach Mikel Arteta have agreed a pay cut to help the club through the financial turbulence caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement the Gunners, the first Premier League outfit to take a pay cut as opposed to a wage deferral, explained that the “voluntary agreement” entails the squad accepting a 12.5% reduction in their annual wages.

BBC Sport adds that the club’s core coaching staff are also included in the cutbacks while 14 members of the executive committee have also agreed to take a 30% reduction.

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Ozil off message

However, the Daily Mirror alleges that three players have refused to accept the deal, and one of those is the club’s biggest earner, Mesut Ozil.

The German midfielder pockets £350,000-a-week but the Mirror claims he is “one of three Arsenal players to reject the club’s 12.5% pay cut”. The identities of the other two players are not known.

Ozil’s agent, Dr Erkut Sogut, refused to comment on the allegations but earlier this month he declared himself opposed to wage cuts for players “when the clubs may still make the same profit as last year”.

Respect

The Mirror says that Ozil may agree to the proposal in the coming weeks but wants more time to see the “full financial impact of the coronavirus”.

Only then will he make a final decision but in the meantime he has apparently asked his team-mates to “respect” his decision as he does theirs to sign up to the deal.

That deal involves the players taking a 12.5% drop in wages until March next year. The money will be reimbursed if the Gunners qualify for the Champions League either this season or the next and they will also receive a £100,000 bonus for their achievement.

Furthermore, any player who is sold during this time will have their money refunded. They will receive 7.5% back if they reach the Europa League.

Mikel’s the man

According to the Mirror, Arsenal boss Arteta “played a key role in negotiations with the players”, and it was his performance in a video conference last Wednesday that convinced them of the need to sign up to the scheme to help out the club in a worrying period of financial uncertainty.

In the statement, Arsenal said: “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time. The move follows positive and constructive discussions.

“In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the gravity of the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to show their backing for the Arsenal family.”

Today’s back pages

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid tie linked to coronavirus spread

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Anfield tie under spotlight

The Guardian reports the claim that Atletico Madrid supporters may have brought coronavirus with them when they came to Anfield for last month’s Uefa Champions League tie.

The match, on 11 March, saw 3,000 Spaniards make the journey to Liverpool at a time when Madrid was already in the throes of a partial lockdown.

The Guardian says that Liverpool city council’s director of public health, Matthew Ashton, has admitted that the fixture “should have been called off”, while the mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida, said at the weekend that it was a “mistake” to permit Atletico fans to make the journey.

Speaking yesterday at the daily coronavirus press conference at Downing Street, the government’s deputy chief scientific adviser, Angela McLean, described the possibility of a link between cases of the virus in the two cities as an “interesting hypothesis”.

She then told a reporter from the Liverpool Echo: “I think it would be very interesting to see in the future when all the science is done what relationship there is between the viruses that have circulated in Liverpool and the viruses that have circulated in Spain.”

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Gunners agree deal - but Ozil snubs pay cut

Many of the papers report the news that Arsenal have become the first Premier League club to agree a wage cut with its players.

Watford, West Ham and Southampton have all announced wage deferral schemes in recent weeks, but yesterday the Gunners revealed the terms of their deal.

“Arsenal hope to take a short cut”, says Metro, with the paper explaining that the players will take a 12.5% cut until March 2021, but this money will be reimbursed if they finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League. If Arsenal make it to the Europa League the players will receive 7.5% back.

Metro quotes the Arsenal statement declaring that the “agreement is based on the assumption we will finish the season 2019/20 and receive the full broadcasting revenues”.

The majority of Arsenal’s squad agreed to the deal but the Daily Mirror and Daily Star report that Mesut Ozil is one of three first-team players to reject the club’s 12.5% pay cut.

Arsenal confirm wage deal but Mesut Ozil refuses 12.5% cut

Depression worry

The Times devotes part of its back page to a report warning that among professional footballers “symptoms of depression [have] doubled in the wake of lockdown measures”.

Between 1 January and 31 March, 299 members of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) sought therapy through Sporting Chance Clinic’s networks of therapists and a confidential helpline, “just under half as many as sought counselling services in the whole of 2019 [653]”.

As a consequence every pro player has been sent a mental-health survey by the PFA as they “seek feedback” from players in England’s male and female professional leagues.

The Times says that “counsellors have been made available to players via the Skype, FaceTime and Zoom video call apps to discuss any problems”.

Today’s sport headlines

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Arsenal’s senior players have rejected the terms of a 12.5% pay cut over 12 months in response to the coronavirus crisis.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the Gunners have spent recent weeks drafting a deal in which the squad was asked to take a 12.5% drop in wages with the money being reimbursed if they are sold in the next year or if they extended their current contract.

Furthermore the players would receive a 5% rebate if they qualified for the Europa League and they would get the full 12.5% if they finished in the top four of the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League.

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Seniors say no

The deal was put to a vote yesterday afternoon and according to the Telegraph “none among the more senior professionals on the top-earning contracts voted in favour”.

Some of the younger players did give the deal their seal of approval but Arsenal did not get the three-quarter majority required for the proposal to be implemented.

Apparently the realisation that the transfer market is expected to be very sluggish this summer - with players and their agents no longer able to call the shots - was an influencing factor on those players who voted no.

The fact that Arsenal are currently ninth in the Premier League table may also have made the squad reluctant to vote in favour of the deal.

The 12.5% cut would have represented a saving for Arsenal of around £25m which, says the Telegraph, would be a “welcome economy for a club with a £230m annual wage bill”.

Aubameyang off?

The Athletic claims that Arsenal have also asked their players to “donate a week’s wages to help cover the salaries of lower-paid staff to protect all jobs at the club during the coronavirus crisis”.

Whether they will agree to this isn’t yet known but it’s expected they will seek guidance from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

The Sun claims that the rejection of the deal leaves Arsenal in a financially precarious situation and they could be forced to offload some of their biggest names this summer as a result.

Among those who could be ditched include Mesut Ozil, although finding a club for someone on his £350,000-a-week salary is a challenge. Meanwhile, the Sun says captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is believed to be a £44m target for Real Madrid.

Today’s back pages

Spurs make furlough U-turn and English football gears up for 6 June restart

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Manchester United have offered their “full support” for the completion of the Premier League, FA Cup and Uefa competitions this season.

English professional football is currently suspended until at least 30 April because of the coronavirus pandemic and there’s uncertainty on when fixtures will resume after the shutdown.

The 2019-20 campaign has been extended indefinitely in a bid to complete the schedule and last week football authorities said that the aim is to finish the Premier League season no matter what.

Man Utd have issued a statement to supporters to confirm the financial arrangements which will be put in place for season ticket holders if remaining games are played behind closed doors or cancelled.

The statement said: “The club fully supports the collective intent to complete the Premier League, Emirates FA Cup and the Uefa club competitions.

“However, if it were decided that games cannot be played, or needed to be played behind closed doors, Manchester United confirms it will offer season ticket holders either a pro-rata rebate against their season tickets for next year, or a pro-rata cash refund based on the number of games still to be played.

“This rebate or a refund will also apply to supporters who have paid in advance for general admission tickets or Matchday VIP packages for the games that could be impacted this season.

“A rebate will also be offered to seasonal Executive Club members. If postponed matches are played as normal, all tickets will remain valid.”

As things stand United are fifth in the Premier League table with 45 points, three behind fourth-placed Chelsea. United’s big rivals Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top.

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3pm kick-offs ‘behind red button’?

The Daily Mirror reports that Premier League broadcasters Sky Sports and BT Sport are putting together an “emergency coronavirus plan”.

One of the items being discussed is the possibility of Saturday 3pm fixtures being put “behind the red button” for existing subscribers if games are forced to be played behind closed doors.

The Mirror said: “Sky Sports and BT Sport could do it to help prevent supporters turning up en masse at stadiums to try and watch their games even if they are locked out.

“That is the nightmare scenario for clubs and police and emergency services because fans will be desperate to watch the games - and showing them live on TV would ease the problem.”

Klopp’s praise for healthcare workers

Last night millions of people came together to “clap for our carers” and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was one of the many sporting figures to also praise the NHS staff and key workers on the frontline.

Klopp said: “Myself, the staff and all the players of LFC would like to take this opportunity to deliver a message to say thank you to all the incredible people who work in the health services and all the health workers out there.

“It’s unbelievable what you are doing and on behalf on all of us from LFC, I would like to say thank you, or how we would say in Germany - vielen dank.”

Mustafi has ‘question marks’ over future

Shkodran Mustafi’s Arsenal career remains in doubt after the German defender admitted there are “question marks” over his future at the north London club.

The 27-year-old’s contract expires in June 2021 and he told Sky in Germany: “I’ve played more regularly under [head coach] Mikel Arteta, also in the Premier League. That has really helped me. I feel very good. I understand his style of football, how he likes to play, that really fits me.

“The way he is at his age, that has really surprised me, I don’t know if after four years, I could be that serious and have a charisma like his to lead a team.

“He is managing that very well. I feel that in this short amount of time I already learned some new things that help my game.

“I can imagine continuing to play for him. But we still don’t know about the future. There are still many question marks.”

Today’s back pages

Non-league clubs threaten legal action against The FA

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Shearer: Kane will be off

If Tottenham Hotspur fail to win a trophy in the next 12 months they will risk losing Harry Kane.

That’s the opinion of former England striker Alan Shearer when asked about the future of the current Three Lions skipper.

Last season, under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League table and reached the final of the Uefa Champions League, where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.

However, Pochettino was sacked in November and his replacement, Jose Mourinho, has struggled to bring results to north London. The club were eighth in the table before fixtures were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

With Spurs seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea their hopes of Champions League qualification may rest on Kane returning from a hamstring injury for the remainder of the season.

Shearer, the Premier League’s record goalscorer, said on the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast: “My guess is, if he doesn’t win anything in the next 12 months then he has to leave. He’ll do another year, I think, and if nothing comes in terms of trophies, then he’ll be off.”

According to reports in Spain Kane is a target for Real Madrid. Manchester United and Manchester City have also been linked with the 26-year-old.

Transfer ‘free-for-all’ as summer window could stay open until January

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United plan to snatch £120m Sancho

The Daily Star reports that Manchester United are poised to make a club record £120m bid for Jadon Sancho.

“Sancho snatch” is the back page headline in the Star with the paper claiming that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is “winning the race” for the Borussia Dortmund ace.

The England winger, 20, has attracted interest from Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent months but the Daily Mirror claims that United are determined to get their man, “despite the club record-breaking price it would take to do”.

United’s previous biggest transfer fee was the £89m they paid Juventus for Paul Pogba in 2016.

Coutinho to return to England?

Since leaving Liverpool for Barcelona in the 2018 January transfer window Philippe Coutinho has struggled to make an impact at the Camp Nou.

The Brazilian found himself loaned out to German champions Bayern Munich and now it’s reported that he could be on his way back to the English top flight.

Bayern are unlikely to take up an option to buy the 27-year-old and Sky Sports says Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham are all understood to want to take him on loan next season.

Real plan deal for Auba

The Daily Star says Real Madrid are keen on signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and are prepared to “pull out all the stops” to secure the transfer of the Arsenal captain.

Aubameyang has also recently been linked with Man Utd, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but the Star reports that Real are hoping a “cash-plus-player deal” will be enough to persuade Arsenal to part with their star striker.

Spanish outlet Diario Madridista claims that Arsenal have already made contact with Real regarding a deal for Aubameyang, who is out of contract in the summer of 2021. The Gunners could cash in rather than risk losing him on a free transfer.

Dani Ceballos, who is on loan at Arsenal from Real, could be offered as part of a potential deal between the two clubs.

Today’s back pages

Premier League and EFL stars braced for pay cuts and Man Utd are poised to snatch Sancho

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future at Arsenal remains a major talking point with the striker’s contract expiring in the summer of 2021.

Reports suggest that the Gunners are working hard behind the scenes to get their skipper to agree to a new deal. However, should the Gabon star not sign he would then be available on a free transfer.

In February Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed he was delighted with the 30-year-old’s contribution since taking over in December.

Aubameyang has scored 20 goals in 32 games this season for the Gunners and has attracted interest from a number of European clubs.

Arteta said of his captain: “Before I took over I had my questions about him but he has shown his commitment. I wanted him to show if he wanted to do it and do it physically.

“I’m so happy with him. He is scoring important goals and as a captain he is giving a great example to everyone else with the way he is working defensively.”

Arsenal are currently ninth in the Premier League table with 40 points from 28 matches. That’s eight points behind Chelsea, who sit in the fourth Champions League qualification spot.

It’s Aubameyang’s Champions League ambitions that could have a major impact on where his future lies.

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Trio lead chase

Barcelona have regularly been linked with the frontman and the Daily Mail reports that the Spanish giants, French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal’s Premier League rivals Manchester United are all interested.

Aubameyang’s form in front of goal helped Arsenal win three matches in a row before the Premier League was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In fact without Aubameyang’s 17 top-flight goals this season the Gunners would be 19th in the Premier League table and facing a relegation battle.

The Mail’s Jordan Seward says: “He has single-handedly won 16 points for Arsenal this season and scored 43% of all of their goals in the Premier League - it’s hard to think of any player more pivotal to their team than Aubameyang.”

Merson: just what United are missing

Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has risked the wrath of the Gooners by suggesting that Aubameyang is “just what Manchester United are missing”.

The Sun reported at the weekend that United are “circling” around Aubameyang and boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes to take advantage of the contract situation. The paper adds that the Old Trafford club are plotting a sensational £50m swoop.

Sky Sports pundit Merson believes United could be a “major force” if they sign Aubameyang and Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish.

Merson said: “Aubameyang is what Manchester United are missing. He is a goal scorer and goal scorers are priceless.

“They are crying out for someone who is going to score them 20 to 25 goals, and that’s what Aubameyang can bring. He gets you 25 goals without even breaking sweat.

“Add a [Jack] Grealish if they can get him and then you’ve got Bruno Fernandes as well playing in behind a striker, Manchester United will be a major force.”

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Football was thrown into turmoil last night as it emerged that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi had both tested positive for coronavirus.

The news came after the Premier League announced that this weekend’s fixtures would go ahead. However, it was confirmed today that all matches are now postponed until 3 April at the earliest.

Spaniard Arteta was, according to the Daily Mail, “the first confirmed member of staff of a Premier League team to contract the disease”.

But the paper says that the 37-year-old did not come into contact with Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who earlier this week revealed he is infected, during their Europa League game on 27 February.

In a statement released on Arsenal’s official website, Arteta said: “This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed.”

The Gunners also confirmed that their London Colney training centre has been closed. The north London club said: “Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines.

“We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution.”

Arteta is said to be “in good spirits” and Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi told the club website: “Mikel and the full first-team squad, players and staff, will be fully supported, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows. Obviously Mikel’s full recovery is the priority now for us all.”

A few hours after Arteta’s announcement, Chelsea revealed that 19-year-old Hudson-Odoi had also tested positive.

A club statement said: “Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men’s team building will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. These will include initially the full men’s team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff.”

Coronavirus impact on sport: which events are cancelled, postponed or being played behind closed doors?

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Return on 4 April?

Following Arteta and Hudson-Odoi testing positive for coronavirus the Premier League, Football Association (FA), English Football League (EFL) and the Women’s Super League (WSL) have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.

A statement said: “Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time.”

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Above all, we wish Mikel Arteta and Callum Hudson-Odoi speedy recoveries, and everyone else affected by COVID-19.

“In this unprecedented situation, we are working closely with our clubs, Government, The FA and EFL and can reassure everyone the health and welfare of players, staff and supporters are our priority.

“Despite the challenges, it is the Premier League’s aim to reschedule the displaced fixtures, including those played by Academy sides, when it is safe to do so. In this fast-moving environment, further updates will be provided when appropriate.”

Today’s back pages

Five-star Man Utd march on and Euro 2020 could be put back a year

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Manchester City’s match against Arsenal this evening has become the first Premier League fixture to fall victim to coronavirus.

The decision to call off the Etihad clash was taken after Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis tested positive for coronavirus a fortnight after watching his Greek team beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the Europa League.

The 52-year-old, who divides his time between Nottingham and Greece, confirmed in an Instagram statement that he has contracted the virus.

“The recent virus has ‘visited’ me and I felt obliged to let the public know,” he wrote. “I feel good as I take all the necessary measures and I discipline to the doctors’ instructions. I strongly advice [sic] all my fellow citizens to do the same. I wish all a quick recovery.”

In response to the news, Arsenal issued a statement, saying: “Our home match with Olympiacos was played on Thursday 27 February and none of our staff who came into contact with [Marinakis] on that matchday have reported any symptoms since.

“We continue to follow strict protocols with regard to coronavirus. We’re following the Government health guidelines and have additional procedures in place to protect our players and staff.

“This has included regular deep cleaning of areas used by players at Emirates Stadium and our training centre.”

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People who have come into contact with carriers are obliged to self-isolate for 14 days and in the case of Arsenal this timeframe expires on Friday.

“The players will remain at their homes until the 14-day period expires,” continued the statement. “Everyone at Arsenal Football Club wishes Mr Marinakis a swift recovery and we look forward to the players and staff returning to work on Friday in preparation for our match at Brighton.”

Expressing their disappointment at the development, Arsenal assured supporters that “tickets will be valid for the match when it’s rearranged”.

When that is, however, is still to be decided.

In its own statement the Premier League said: “We understand this will cause inconvenience and cost to fans planning to attend the game but Arsenal, Manchester City and the Premier League have agreed that the short notice of Mr Marinakis’ infection means there is no alternative but to take the time to complete a proper assessment of risk.

“All necessary measures are being taken and the Premier League currently has no plans to postpone any other matches.”

Today’s back pages

Spurs crash out, Klopp warns of Atletico’s ‘dark arts’ and Wolves must play in Greece

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Young Gunners reach the quarters

Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Portsmouth in the fifth round of the FA Cup last night dominates the back pages with most newspapers illustrating the victory with a photograph of a smiling Eddie Nketiah.

The youngster scored the second of the Gunners’s goals and was one of six players in the Arsenal line-up aged 20 or under.

One of the old-timers, 31-year-old Sokratis Papastathopoulos, had given the visitors the lead at the end of the first half with a crisp volley and Nketiah then doubled the advantage shortly after the break.

“Ready Eddie go!” is the Daily Mail’s headline, while the Independent declares that “young Gunners past test”.

The Daily Mirror describes Arsenal’s win against their League One opponents as a “cup cruise” but adorns its back page with a picture of a crumpled Lucas Torreira.

The South American was laid low by what The Sun calls a “heavy challenge” from James Bolton, and the paper says he left Fratton Park in a leg brace and on crutches.

FA Cup fifth round results and fixtures

• Last night: Portsmouth 0 Arsenal 2
• Tonight: Chelsea vs. Liverpool (7.45pm, live on BBC One); Reading vs. Sheffield United (8pm, live on BBC iPlayer); West Bromwich Albion vs. Newcastle United (8pm, live on Facebook)
• Tomorrow: Leicester City vs. Birmingham City (7.45pm, live on Facebook); Sheffield Wednesday vs. Manchester City (7.45pm, live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer); Tottenham Hotspur vs. Norwich City (7.45pm, live on BBC iPlayer)
• Thursday 5 March: Derby County vs. Manchester United (7.45pm, live on BT Sport)

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Sturridge ‘devastated’

The Independent is one of several papers to report on the punishment meted out to Daniel Sturridge, who has been banned from football for four months for breaching betting rules.

Quoting the former Liverpool striker’s reaction to the ban, the Indy says he is “devastated” at the decision.

The 30-year-old was initially handed a six-week ban last summer, four of which were suspended, but the FA appealed the decision and they won their case with the appeal board also doubling Sturridges’s fine to £150,000.

The Times says that it represents a “significant victory for the FA...[and] reflected the gravity of the case”.

That case concerned potential loan moves from Anfield in January 2018, and according to the Times Sturridge “gave information to Daniel Hemmings, a friend, over the possibility of a move to West Bromwich Albion”.

Having contacted Hemmings about the odds, the former England frontman advised that certain odds were “worth a flutter”.

In response to the ban, his club, Turkish side Trabzonspor, terminated Sturridge’s contract.

Today’s sport headlines

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Europa League round of 32 second leg Arsenal 1 Olympiacos 2 (2-2 on agg; Olympiacos win on away goals)

Arsenal are out of the Uefa Europa League after losing 2-1 last night against Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium.

It was the Gunners’s first defeat of 2020, but a costly one that reduces their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Now, their only hope of reaching Europe’s showpiece competition is finishing in the top four of the Premier League, but on the evidence of last night's defeat that is a distant prospect.

Gutsy Greeks

The headlines this morning are about the last-minute miss of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but to single out the Arsenal captain is grossly unfair.

He had levelled for his side in extra-time with a stunning overhead kick after Pape Abou Cisse’s second-half goal had brought the tie level on aggregate.

Arsenal were on course for the last 16 but then familiar defensive failings allowed Youssef El Arabi to stab the ball home to send the raucous travelling fans wild.

This dramatic game had one twist in the last seconds of extra time when the ball fell to Aubameyang at point-blank range but this time he scuffed his shot wide before slumping to his knees in disbelief.

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Ozil: the invisible man

But don’t blame Aubameyang. Blame a defence that is institutionally incompetent, and blame Mesut Ozil who once again, when it mattered, went missing.

As the Daily Mirror said: “His nickname should be Simon Templar. At times it’s as if he is The Invisible Man.”

For Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta it was a painful reminder of the work that needs to be done - his squad is mediocre technically and weak temperamentally.

“It hurts big time,” he admitted. “We had a lot of hope in this competition. It was a great way for us to be able to go to Europe and as well, it’s a very beautiful competition to try to win.

“I think we did a lot of positive things in the game, I think we created a lot of positive chances to win the game but if you concede two set pieces in a tie like this you put yourself in big trouble.”

When the going gets tough

Arteta must now lift his players before the Premier League campaign resumes. The Gunners are ninth, seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, and they still have an outside chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. But only if they toughen up.

“It’s part of this sport that a big disappointment can happen,” reflected the Spaniard. “We have to learn and react as a team and as a club.

“I just want to concentrate now on lifting those players and getting back the belief, and convince them that there is still a lot to play for.”

But some remain sceptical that this squad has the heart to rise to the challenge.

“The commitment wasn't there from the off,” said former Gunner turned TV pundit Martin Keown. “It was there for the taking, they were complacent. It was so disappointing.

“It was the first time tonight that I felt the players weren’t responding to the manager and the manager didn’t have an answer.”

Reactions to Aubameyang’s miss

• The Sun: “Hero to Tear-O”
• Gary Lineker: “Blimey. Absolute shocker.”
• Daily Mirror: “Plum centre, a kind ricochet, and the goal gaping, he can have no excuses for missing.”
• Henry Winter, The Times: “Aubameyang could have rescued his side, but was narrowly off target. Arsenal’s Greek tragedy was complete.”

Today’s newspaper back pages

Bruno Fernandes stars as Man Utd enjoy Bruges cruise

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Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the striker scored twice in the 3-2 Premier League victory over Everton on Sunday.

Club captain Aubameyang has now scored 19 goals this season and 60 in 95 matches for the Gunners since joining from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.

The 30-year-old, whose contract expires in the summer of 2021, has been linked with a move away from the club after it was reported he wants to play Champions League football next season.

After 27 matches this season Arsenal are currently ninth in the Premier League table with 37 points - seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Arteta, who was appointed Arsenal head coach in December, admits that he “had questions” regarding the Gabon international’s commitment. However, the Spaniard has praised the skipper for his performances and goal record.

“Before I took over I had my questions about him but he has shown his commitment,” said Arteta. “I wanted him to show if he wanted to do it and do it physically.

“I’m so happy with him. He is scoring important goals and as a captain he is giving a great example to everyone else with the way he is working defensively.”

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The right place to be

Aubameyang’s supreme finishing has seen the striker linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.

Metro reported earlier this month that the reigning La Liga champions tried to sign him in January and confirmed that they remain interested in a future deal.

Arteta is not surprised by the interest in Aubameyang, but the Arsenal boss hopes he can convince the in-form forward to stay at the Emirates for the long term.

“They are completely right to want him because he is a superb player,” added Arteta. “It’s right that big teams like him. Hopefully we can convince him this is the right place to be.

“I think it’s been tough for him because he has big expectations. He wants to play in the biggest competitions and with the best players. We have to help him do that. He needs to feel fulfilled.

“He is our most important player, no doubt the impact he has in this team. We will have to convince him to stay with us.”

Neville: Aubameyang is world-class

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville admits he’s been won over by the “world-class” Arsenal striker.

“Including me, we have stopped short of announcing Aubameyang as world class,” said Neville.

“We’re happy to go with Aguero, we're happy to go with Mane and Salah, Firmino, Kane… all these players who have graced the Premier League in the last two or three seasons.

“He’s one of the best players we’ve got in the Premier League, but for some reason he doesn’t quite get the credit and the plaudits that others get.

“I don’t know why that is, but I think now’s the time for us all to start recognising the quality and the brilliance of this player. He fights for the team, he’s always there, and for me, he’s everything you would want in a football player.”

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1. Gloves are off in north London

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are known for their bitter rivalry on and off the football pitch, but now it’s escalated to the boxing ring.

The Daily Mirror reports that the Gunners have joined Spurs in the battle to host Anthony Joshua’s next title fight, which is potentially against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in June.

Heavyweight champion Joshua is keen to fight in London after bouts in New York and Saudi Arabia and promoter Eddie Hearn said the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the “frontrunner” to stage the event.

However, Arsenal are also keen and the Gunners hope to “nick” the fight from their rivals and bring boxing to the Emirates Stadium.

On Joshua vs. Pulev in north London, Hearn said: “Terms are, I’d not say agreed, but we’re in a good position. We have an agreement in principle for a June fight.

“Spurs is our preference and now Arsenal have come in. It’s not been done before at Arsenal, but I don’t see why not.

“If you want to establish yourself as a sports entertainment destination, it’s a pretty big coup to get this fight.

“It’s the north London race for this fight. Tottenham is our preference, but we’re talking to Arsenal and they’ve come in and said, ‘How do we make this happen?’.”

2. Emery criticises Gunners

Former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has gone public with his criticism of the Gunners following his sacking last November.

“Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years before I arrived,” said the Spaniard. “We lost our four captains: [Laurent] Koscielny, [Petr] Cech, [Aaron] Ramsey and [Nacho] Monreal.

“They were personalities that we missed this season to stay on the right track, and some stars did not have a good attitude and asked for more than what they were giving back.”

Emery accuses Arsenal players of lacking a ‘good attitude’

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3. No ban for tennis star Farah

BBC Sport reports that Colombian tennis player Robert Farah will not be banned for a positive doping test after the International Tennis Federation accepted that the presence of anabolic steroid Boldenone was from eating contaminated meat in his home country.

The Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion said: “Two weeks before the test mentioned… I did an anti-doping test in Shanghai which had a negative result.

“I was also tested at least 15 other times randomly in the international circuit throughout the year with the same negative result.

“As stated by the Colombian Olympic Committee in 2018, this substance is found frequently in Colombian meat and may affect athletes’ test results.”

4. Climber Coxsey selected for Tokyo 2020

Shauna Coxsey will make history after being selected as Team GB’s first ever Olympic sport climber.

The 27-year-old said: “I am really excited to be part of Team GB and to have the privilege of joining so many incredible athletes to represent our country and sport climbing on the world’s biggest sporting stage.”

Climbing makes its debut as an Olympic sport in the summer Games in Tokyo.

5. Striker Ighalo in United squad

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that new signing Odion Ighalo will be in the squad for next Monday’s Premier League trip to Chelsea.

Solskjaer said: “Yeah, he is going to travel with us. We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp. We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us.”

6. Messi’s the ‘dream’ signing

Italian newspaper Tuttosport reports that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is “the dream” signing for fans of Serie A giants Inter Milan and Juventus.

Messi’s future at Barcelona has been questioned after his public spat with sporting director Eric Abidal and social media has been rife with rumours of where he could go if he ever decided to leave the Spanish champions.

If Messi did leave Barcelona for Juventus, he would form a strike partnership with great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

That certainly would be the dream team for Juve fans...

7. LeBron ‘in the hat’ for US Olympic squad

ESPN reports that NBA star LeBron James is considering a return to the Olympic Games.

Los Angeles Lakers forward James, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, said: “My name is in the hat, and it’s always predicated on one, my body, how my body is feeling at the end of the season. I hope to make a long playoff run. And then where my mind is, and then where my family’s head is. So it’s a lot of factors, but my name is in the hat.”

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8. Mercedes and Lewis to begin talks

Mercedes may have revealed the livery for their 2020 car yesterday, but the biggest topic of conversation remains the future of star driver Lewis Hamilton.

Sky Sports reports that negotiations are set to begin between the team and the six-time Formula 1 champion and The Times adds that the Silver Arrows are ready to offer the Briton a £46.5m-a-year deal to stay.

Wolff: Mercedes and Hamilton are the ‘obvious pairing’

9. England’s asset management

England cricket coach Chris Silverwood is planning to rotate pace bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to ensure they avoid injury as much as possible.

“Maybe they don’t have to play every game,” he told reporters. “Maybe they can play one on, one off - every now and then they play together. That’s an exciting prospect.

“My dream would be to have three fast bowlers all working together at any given point - one of them sat out, getting his feet up, getting the rest that he needs. And we can keep him on the park for longer. It’s all part of managing our assets.”

10. Back pages: Alli accused of ‘dangerous racism’

One story dominates the back pages this morning and that’s the hot water Dele Alli is in after his joke about the coronavirus.

“Dele in the dock” is the headline in a number of papers, who report that the Tottenham and England midfielder stands accused of “dangerous racism” after appearing to mock the spread of the virus in China.

Today’s back pages

Dele Alli is ‘in the dock’ over coronavirus joke

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Former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has gone public with his criticism of the Gunners following his sacking last November.

The Spaniard got the boot after 18 months in charge of Arsenal, and in the three months since the north London club have continued to struggle under new boss Mikel Arteta, winning just one league game in seven, a slump that has seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.

Now, in an interview with France Football magazine, Emery has accused some of the Arsenal players of lacking a “good attitude” while defending his record during his brief spell in charge following the departure of Arsene Wenger.

“Arsenal was a club on a downward slope for two years before I arrived,” said the Spaniard, who arrived at the Emirates after coaching Paris Saint-Germain.

“We stopped this fall and even began to rebuild the club with the Europa League final and fifth place in the league, only one point off Tottenham despite the fact that we took just one point in our final five matches.”

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Transitioning

Emery cited the departure of four players last summer as key to what unfolded in the first three months of this season at the Emirates.

“We lost our four captains: [Laurent] Koscielny, [Petr] Cech, [Aaron] Ramsey and [Nacho] Monreal,” he added.

“They were personalities that we missed this season to stay on the right track, and some stars did not have a good attitude and asked for more than what they were giving back.

“Taking all of that into account, we needed time to succeed with our transition to a new Arsenal, which is what I wanted.”

Although Emery didn’t name names, he probably had the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette in mind, neither of whom flourished under the Spaniard.

Ozil was sidelined for the first half of this season, and said recently that since the arrival of Arteta the squad are “much happier and everyone wants to give everything for this club”.

Merson agrees with Emery

Happier they may be, but Arsenal are still a club heading in the wrong direction and Ozil, who briefly picked up his form when Arteta arrived, has since slipped back into his inconsistent ways.

In response to Emery’s comments, Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal star Paul Merson said: “I believe what Unai Emery was saying about the team, because they shouldn’t be where they are with the quality of players they have, and the results they’ve had, they weren’t doing the right things, no doubt about that.”

Today’s back pages

Spurs star Dele Alli is ‘in the dock’ over coronavirus joke

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1. Arteta’s big plans at the Emirates

It promises to be a busy few months ahead for Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.

According to the Daily Mail the Spaniard is planning to “revolutionise” Arsenal’s squad this summer in a bid to restore the Gunners to their former glories.

The Mail says that Arteta wants to have his transfer deals completed before the start of Euro 2020. He’s “prioritising” a box-to-box midfielder, a central defender and a creative central midfielder.

James Maddison, Odsonne Edouard and Dayot Upamecano are reportedly on the target list while players such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette could leave the club.

2. Ronaldo breaks Juve Serie A record

Cristiano Ronaldo scored in his tenth successive Serie A match for Juventus, a club record, but the superstar striker could not stop the Italian champions from losing 2-1 at Hellas Verona on Saturday.

Ronaldo’s 65th-minute effort means he has beaten the previous nine-match Serie A scoring record for Juventus set by David Trezeguet in 2005. The Portugal captain, 35 last week, has taken his season tally to 23 goals in 28 games.

Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s great rival, was in sublime form for Barcelona in their 3-2 win at Real Betis last night. Messi provided a hat-trick of assists for goals from Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Clement Lenglet.

Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo: all-time career goals, assists, trophies

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3. RFU deny Rasmus could replace Jones

The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) were forced to issue a statement yesterday denying media reports that they have sounded out South Africa chief Rassie Erasmus about replacing current head coach Eddie Jones.

Erasmus guided the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory last year, including a 32-12 hammering of England in the final, and has since changed roles to become the country’s director of rugby.

Six Nations: is England head coach Eddie Jones on his way out?

4. Jones: mistake to expand Six Nations

Eddie Jones believes it would be a “mistake” adding more teams to the Six Nations. Reports have suggested that South Africa, Fiji or Japan could join the northern hemisphere’s rugby union championship.

England head coach Jones, speaking after Saturday’s 13-6 win over Scotland, said: “It’s called the greatest rugby tournament in the world and I think it is. So why would you want to add other teams that are going to decrease the level of competition?”

Six Nations 2020 guide: round three fixtures and standings

5. Rory returns to world No.1

Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has returned to the top of the world rankings ahead of American star Brooks Koepka.

McIlroy is a four-time major champion and should he win the Masters Tournament in April it would complete a career grand slam for the 30-year-old.

6. Mercedes unveil W11 livery

Formula 1 world champions Mercedes today unveiled the livery for their new 2020 car, the W11, at an event in London.

The Silver Arrows, who have won the constructors’ championship for six successive seasons, also announced a new official principal partnership with INEOS at the Royal Automobile Club in England’s capital city.

Mercedes will now fully launch their 2020 challenger with a Valentine’s Day shakedown at Silverstone on Friday.

Mercedes W11 livery: video, pictures and fan reactions on Twitter

7. Ferrari ‘SF1000’ launch tomorrow

Ferrari will kick off F1 launch week tomorrow by unveiling their 2020 challenger at an event at the Romolo Valli Municipal Theatre in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

According to reports the Ferrari 2020 F1 car could be called the “SF1000” - to mark the team’s 1,000th grand prix which will happen this season.

F1: 2020 car launch week schedule

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8. England draw ODI series

England suffered a customary batting collapse against South Africa yesterday in Johannesburg but the tourists just managed to sneak home in the third one-day international. The result means the three-match series ended in a 1-1 draw after Friday’s match was washed out.

Moeen Ali - back in England colours after being dropped last year from the Test squad - was economical with the ball, and then saw England home as they chased South Africa’s target of 256.

9. Blades up to fifth

Sheffield United’s 2-1 victory against Bournemouth yesterday has moved them to fifth in the Premier League table. On a weekend when most of their rivals were enjoying a winter break, United were in action and they came back from a goal down to win thanks to strikes from Billy Sharp and John Lundstram.

10. Back pages: City’s fixture chaos

“Wet & Wild” is the headline in the Daily Mirror beneath a photo of a sodden Etihad Stadium. The Mirror - along with The Times, The Sun and i Sport - says the postponement of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with West Ham yesterday because of Storm Ciara has left the Sky Blues facing a “fixture chaos”.

Pep Guardiola’s City aren’t in action again until 22 February, which means they will have had 20 days without kicking a ball in anger, a good rest for their players but a headache going forward.

Today’s back pages

Man City face fixture chaos and the Blades mean business

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FA Cup fourth round Bournemouth 1 Arsenal 2

Arsenal’s renaissance under Mikel Arteta continued with a comfortable 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the FA Cup fourth round last night.

The Gunners’s reward for their victory is a fifth-round trip to another stretch of the south coast to play Portsmouth.

If Arsenal play against Pompey like they did in the first half last night they’ll have no trouble seeing off the League One side.

Arteta fielded a mix of youth and experience, including a couple of 18-year-olds in Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, and 20-year-old Eddie Nketiah up front.

All three repaid the faith of their manager, as did another youngster, Joe Willock, in an impressive first 45 minutes.

Willock and Martinelli combined after just five minutes to tee up Saka for a thunderbolt strike and the goalscorer then turned provider midway through the first period, delivering a well-judged cross from the left that Nketiah hammered past Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers.

The Cherries got a goal back deep into stoppage time through Sam Surridge but it couldn’t mask the gulf in quality between the sides.

The defeat will increase the pressure on Cherries boss Eddie Howe, whose team have won just three of their last 15 matches in all competitions.

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Young Guns looked good

For Arteta, the win was further evidence that Arsenal are starting to move in the right direction with the Spaniard having lost just once in his eight games in charge.

There is still a long way to go but the Gunners boss was happy with what he saw at the Vitality Stadium.

“I knew it was going to be a tough game and we played a really young squad,” said Arteta. “I wanted to see the reaction and I was very pleased because I saw a lot of things I really liked.”

Asked to be more specific, Arteta said: “We played with that accountability, making decisions and I really liked it. They were terrific with their work-rate, showed courage to make those big decisions and not to play safe.”

Steady Eddie

The Arsenal boss was particularly impressed with Nketiah, a player he recalled from a loan spell at Leeds last month and who last night gave a glimpse of his raw talent.

“Eddie Nketiah was terrific,” said Arteta. “He was on the wing then three seconds later he was in the middle and scoring a goal. This shows me he will score goals and the way he worked without the ball was excellent.”

FA Cup fifth-round draw

While Arsenal will fancy their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, the last-16 draw will mean one of the big guns goes out.

Assuming Liverpool beat Shrewsbury in their replay next week, the Reds will play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the fifth round.

Another all-Premier League clash will be between Norwich and the winner of the replay between Southampton and Tottenham.

Holders Manchester City travel to Sheffield Wednesday while Manchester United are also on the road, playing the winner of the replay between Northampton Town and Derby County.

Victory for Derby will see Wayne Rooney go up against his former club.

Fifth-round draw

The fifth round will be played across three midweek nights from 3-5 March with no replays

• Sheffield Wednesday vs. Manchester City
• Reading or Cardiff City vs. Sheffield United
• Chelsea vs. Shrewsbury Town or Liverpool
• West Bromwich Albion vs. Newcastle United or Oxford United
• Leicester City vs. Coventry City or Birmingham City
• Northampton Town or Derby County vs. Manchester United
• Southampton or Tottenham Hotspur vs. Norwich City
• Portsmouth vs. Arsenal

Today’s back pages

Man Utd to miss out on signings and Joe Root sends Ashes warning

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Premier League: Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2

How Chelsea didn’t take maximum points against Arsenal last night is a mystery that left Frank Lampard an angry and bewildered Blues manager.

His side dominated their visitors and took the lead from the penalty spot on 26 minutes after David Luiz had hauled down Tammy Abraham as he closed in on an open goal.

Luiz was given his marching orders and after he trudged off the pitch, Chelsea midfielder Jorginho stroked the spot kick past Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Cynical as Luiz’s foul was, he was left with little choice after Shkodran Mustafi’s shocking back-pass had gifted the ball to Abraham.

German centre-half Mustafi has built up an impressive back-catalogue of blunders in his four seasons at Arsenal but last night’s gaffe was surely the one that will close the book on his catastrophic career at the Emirates.

Teenage sensation

Yet despite the disaster, Arsenal showed what head coach Mikel Arteta described as “togetherness and leadership” to fight back against their London rivals.

Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli was the beating heart of the Gunners, the 18-year-old belying his youth to score a brilliant length-of-the-field goal on 63 minutes after a slip by N’Golo Kante.

There were more defensive blunders to come, first from Arsenal, who allowed Cesar Azpilicueta to restore Chelsea’s lead on 84 minutes with a tame effort, and then from the hosts, who gave Hector Bellerin the freedom of Stamford Bridge.

The Spaniard’s speculative effort from the edge of the penalty area three minutes from time crept into the far post to give Arsenal a point that few of their fans had expected when Luiz was sent off an hour earlier.

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Fighting spirit

“To do that against this kind of opponent in this stadium, I really value,” said Arsenal boss Arteta, who has instilled a fighting spirit into his players in the last month if nothing else.

“The way they have done it, with the spirit they have done it, that’s great. I wasn’t here a few weeks ago but what I am demanding every day they are trying their best to do it. The togetherness and leadership they showed today, this is what I wanted to see.”

Lampard livid

All Arteta has to do now is get the Gunners winning, for despite the joy at rescuing a point, the fact remains that Arsenal lie tenth in the table, only seven points above the relegation zone.

Chelsea are six places and ten points superior to their London rivals, but it was another inconsistent performance from the Blues that left Lampard fuming.

“We could have had three or four goals today, having shots, crosses and lots of ‘ooh’ moments,” said Lampard, who also saw striker Abraham hobble off at the end of the game after colliding with an advertising hoarding.

“You have to have the killer instinct. We’ve not got that at the moment… Then we didn’t defend and gifted them two goals.

“That’s people not doing their jobs which they should know. Moments like that lose you points at this level.”

Shkodran Mustafi gets savaged

BT Sport pundit Martin Keown

“I sense there’s a fear in this player, you can smell it. When he gets the ball, when he defends, and he thinks he’s going to make a mistake - and then he makes it.”

Joe Miles, The Sun

“Mikel Arteta needs to sell him now or he will make the same mistakes until his deal expires in 2021.”

TV presenter Piers Morgan

“Sub him now, and transfer him immediately. I’ll drive him to any UK airport.”

BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand

“I feel sorry for Arteta because he has to keep picking Mustafi. I don’t ever see a good performance in him, he makes mistake after mistake, there’s nothing in his performance that gives me any comfort or confidence.”

Today’s back pages

Arsenal are ‘saved by the Bell’, Rashford ruckus, Saracens saga

Premier League results and fixtures

Last night’s results

• Aston Villa 2 Watford 1
• AFC Bournemouth 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 1
• Crystal Palace 0 Southampton 2
• Everton 2 Newcastle United 2
• Sheffield United 0 Manchester City 1
• Chelsea 2 Arsenal 2

Tonight’s fixtures

• Leicester City vs. West Ham United (7.30pm, live on BT Sport 2)
• Tottenham Hotspur vs. Norwich City (7.30pm)
• Manchester United vs. Burnley (8.15pm, live on BT Sport 1)

Tomorrow’s fixture

• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Liverpool (8pm, live on BT Sport 1)

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Drama at the Bridge

There is one story that dominates the back pages and that is Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Domination is what the Blues did to the Gunners on the pitch, but the visitors still managed to share the spoils thanks to Hector Bellerin’s late equaliser.

“Saved by the Bell” is the headline in the Independent, Daily Star and the Daily Express, while Metro plumps for “Gunners survive Luiz cannon”, a nod to the first-half red card for ex-Chelsea defender David Luiz.

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Rashford ruckus

The other prominent story making the back pages is the long-term injury to Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford.

The Times claims that the stress fracture to his back could keep Rashford out of England’s Euro 2020 campaign, which will be “a worry” for England manager Gareth Southgate, given that Harry Kane’s hamstring injury has also cast a doubt on his availability.

The Daily Mirror and the Independent focus on the criticism directed towards United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

BBC pundit Ian Wright has accused the United boss of putting his own needs before those of his player, but the Norwegian has hit back, saying: “I never put myself before the team. I always put the team and the club before anything else.”

Saracens saga

Several papers carry the latest news on Saracens, the bad boys of English rugby union, after their relegation from the Premiership for breaching salary cap limits.

The Daily Express slams Sarries for their lack of contrition and says that the club has “refused to hand back trophies” that were won during their tainted era.

Independent reports that Saracens are refusing to refund season-ticket holders despite the fact that next season they will be watching their team in the second tier of English rugby.

The Guardian’s angle is that Saracens should “come clean over [the] salary-cap report”, which they are allegedly not doing at the moment.

Today’s newspaper back pages

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Ozil pledges future to Arteta

Mesut Ozil has pledged his future to Arsenal and believes it will be an “exciting” one under new boss Mikel Arteta.

Prior to the arrival of the Spaniard at the Emirates, Ozil had been linked with a move to Turkish club Fenerbahce after falling out of favour with Unai Emery. But Arteta, a former teammate of Ozil’s when they played for the Gunners under Arsene Wenger, has made it clear that he sees the German playmaker as fundamental to his plans.

That faith has been rewarded, for the time being, with eye-catching performances from Ozil and the 31-year-old told Bein Sports Turkey that he envisages staying at the Emirates until his contract expires at the end of next season. “I’m very pleased with my contract and I will continue here this season and next,” declared Ozil, reputed to be on £350,000-a-week. “I can’t tell you what the future will bring, I’m excited about the future, but I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Back to basics

Asked what Arteta had brought to the club since his appointment as manager last month, Ozil said: “It is basically getting us back to the old Arsenal virtues. Fighting and having possession, being in control of the game, having the ball all the time. These are the things that he is working on with us and you can see it - everyone is smiling, laughing, enjoying their time. It has made us successful.”

Dakonam in, Mustafi out?

Despite the clear signs of improvement in Arsenal in the short time Arteta has been in charge, glaring weaknesses remain, none more so than in defence. So it’s no surprise to learn in the Daily Mirror that Arteta “heads the chase” for Getafe defender Djene Dakonam and he is quietly confident he will lure the Togolese defender to the Emirates.

The 28-year-old, who comes with a a £22m price tag, is attracting interest from Monaco, Tottenham and Everton but apparently he is sweet on Arsenal, and the Mirror says Arteta will offload Shkodran Mustafi to Galatasaray in order to free up space in the dressing room for Dakonam.

Nketiah to stay

Such is the positive mood at the Emirates that no-one wants to leave it seems, and 20-year-old striker Eddie Nketiah is no exception. He was expected to head out on loan for the second half of the season after spending the opening months of the campaign with Leeds.

But Sky Sports says he has decided to stick around and fight for an opportunity in the first team, with Pierre-Emerick Augbameyang set to miss three games after his red card against Crystal Palace.

“Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City were all interested in taking him on loan for the second half of the season,” reports Sky Sports. “However, after talks with head coach Mikel Arteta, Nketiah will remain at the Emirates.”

Spurs land Gedson Fernandes

Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes has joined Spurs on an 18-month loan deal.

Jose Mourninho secured the services of the 21-year-old after he fell out with Benfica coach Bruno Lage. The loan deal includes an option to buy the Portuguese international for £56m.

“His key attribute is running with the ball, frequently being fouled and winning free-kicks - but he also provides midfield mettle with an above-average number of duels won and forward-thinking distribution,” says Sky Sports.

“With Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele out injured, Harry Winks and Eric Dier spending time in the treatment room themselves this season and Victor Wanyama and Oliver Skipp on the fringes, Fernandes could soon find himself straight into the Spurs XI”

Inter bid for Eriksen rejected

Inter Milan have failed in the first bid to sign Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen.

The Italian side offered £10.5m for the Dane, who is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave on a free transfer.

“The Italians have been told they will have to double their bid to at least £20m in order to prise the Dane away this month, with Spurs confirming talks between the sides are underway,” reports the Daily Mail.

More talks are expected this week and Inter have “discussed the possibility of throwing players into the deal aware that Tottenham have an injury crisis”.

City block Stones Arsenal move

Manchester City have “ruled out” the possibility of defender John Stones joining Arsenal this month, but the move could still happen in the summer.

The 25-year-old is on the fringes at the Etihad and is reportedly concerned about his place in the England squad for Euro 2020.

“Stones has the same agent as new Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, and the two men struck up a good relationship during the Spanish coach’s time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City,” reports the Manchester Evening News. “But City, who have no plans to sign a new centre back in this window, will not countenance any move away for Stones.”

However, that could change this summer if Guardiola is able to bring in a replacement.

Gunners want Maddison

Another target for Arsenal is Leicester City midfielder James Maddison, but that move too could be delayed until the summer, reports Goal.com.

“Maddison, 23, is currently under contract until 2023 with the Foxes and is said to be locked in talks over a new deal with Brendan Rodgers’ side,” says the website.

“With Arsenal now joining both Manchester club in being credited with an interest in the England international, however, a move to a historically bigger club may be appealing.”

Lingard set to leave Man Utd

Manchester United’s pursuit of Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes could lead to an Old Trafford exit for Jesse Lingard, says ESPN.

“Lingard's contract at United expires at the end of next season, which means his value is decreasing, while he’s also struggling for playing time,” says the website. “Fernandes’ arrival wouldn't help the situation and United are reportedly open to considering bids now.

“Lingard looks set to depart for Serie A, with Napoli, Roma, AC Milan and Inter Milan all interesting in him.”

Barcelona have topped football’s rich list for the first time as former leader Manchester United suffered a costly slide down the list of football's highest earning clubs.

With revenues growing by more than a fifth to £741m in the 2018-19 season, the Spanish giants overtook bitter rivals Real Madrid, who raked in £667m.

Deloitte, which compiles the list, expects Barcelona to remain number one in next year's standings. Analysts say the Catalan club is set to achieve its stated ambition to be the first to generate revenue of over one billion euros in years to come.

Meanwhile, Sky News says that Manchester United, who came in third on £627m, now seriously risk losing their prized position as the Premier League's top earning club for the first time after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Forecasted revenue for 2019-20 is somewhere between £560-£580m, partly because of the European failure. Deloitte told the BBC those figures “would likely see the Red Devils fall to their lowest ever Money League position in next year's edition”.

“This could also put the club at risk of losing its position as the Premier League's highest revenue generating club for the first time in Money League history,” Deloitte added.

Meanwhile, Tottenham achieved its highest-ever position of eighth as it increased revenue 21% to £459.3m. The club is now generating more money than any other club in London, with Chelsea ninth overall and Arsenal now outside the top 10 after going consecutive seasons without qualifying for the Champions League.

Dan Jones, partner in the sports business group at Deloitte, remarked that: “Growth in the football industry continues to outpace that in other sectors, and the top 20 money league clubs are on track to generate over €10bn collectively in a single year in the near future.”

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Fernandes set for Spurs medical

With Harry Kane and Moussa Sissoko both out until the spring and Christian Eriksen set to leave, Spurs are poised to make their first signing under Jose Mourinho, with Benfica midfielder Gedson Fernandes expected to arrive for a a medical, reports the Evening Standard.

“Spurs have agreed to sign the 21-year-old on an 18-month loan with an option to make the deal permanent for around £40m in summer 2021,” reports the paper.

“Fernandes, who fell out of favour at Benfica, chose Spurs over West Ham, having been offered to the north London club by Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes.”

United chase another Fernandes

From one Fernandes to another, as Man United close in on a deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has watched the player in action and the two teams are said to be working on a £50m deal.

But although the player has asked Sporting to let him leave and Portuguuse officials have travelled to England the move may not be straightforward as it seems.

That’s because, as Metro reports, “Sporting have told Manchester United they want Marcos Rojo as part of any deal… but will likely need the Premier League giants to subsidise his wages”.

The defender earns £160,000 a week, and Sporting could not afford to pay that, so United would have to chip in, says the paper. “If an agreement cannot be reached over Rojo, United and Sporting will need to go back to the negotiating table,” adds Metro.

“Nevertheless, there is a growing feeling that Fernandes will become a United player before the end of the month – though Sporting are hoping he will remain long enough to play against Benfica on Friday night. That would be his farewell appearance for the side, with United ready to offer him a five-and-a-half year deal as they look to bring more flair, creativity and goal threat to their midfield.”

Solksjaer scouts Soumare

United are also keen on Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare, but will scout the 20-year-old again this month before deciding whether to make an offer.

According to The Sun: “United and Spurs have both been watching the 20-year-old closely throughout this season as they weigh up whether to make a move this month.

“But reports in L'Equipe suggest Lille have already received six offers for the young Frenchman as the battle hots up for his signature.”

Lille will expect a fee of around £50m is they do let the France Under-21 international leave.

Arsenal face fight for Boateng

Arsenal will have to see off AC Milan if they are to land Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng, reports Mail Online.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta wants to shore up the Emurates back line and has “earmarked Boateng as a target and Bayern are understood to want £12.8m for their experienced defender”, says the website. “The player himself is keen on a move away in January and can play either centre-back or full-back, though he is more comfortable in central defence.”

However, AC Milan are also in the market for a defender and are keen on the 31-year old.

Chelsea interested in Brighton's Dunk...

Chelsea are another London club looking at defenders in the January sales and the Sunday Times reported this weekend that the Blues have “have inquired about Brighton and Hove Albion’s Lewis Dunk”.

However, he will not come cheap. “The 28-year-old, who has one full international appearance for England, is understood to be valued at around £50m by Brighton, who would not prevent Dunk from moving to a club of Chelsea’s stature,” says the paper.

...As Forest eye Glenn Murray

Championship high flyers Nottingham Forest are expected to start the bidding for Brighton striker Glenn Murray, according to the Daily Telegraph.

It says: “The 36-year-old has attracted interest in the January transfer window as the veteran has not started a Premier League game since mid-September.

“Championship clubs are willing to offer a deal for him to be part of a promotion push in the second half of the campaign, although there have been no bids yet.”

Mesut Ozil may be playing his best football in years since Mikel Arteta took over as Arsenal head coach but his rejuvenation has been overlooked in China.

According to The Times, the German is “facing a permanent blacklisting in China” after he went public last month with his criticism of the way China is treating the Uighur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region.

A Muslim himself, Ozil’s comments sparked a furious reaction among many of his four million social media followers in China, with several burning his shirts in protest.

Initially, Chinese television pulled its coverage of Arsenal’s game against Manchester City on 15 December, and although they have continued to broadcast the Gunners’s matches, commentators are “deliberately not mentioning his name”.

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Ban still in place

Given the way that Ozil has thrived in recent matches, that must be a challenge for commentators.

According to The Times he was not namechecked once on the PPTV streaming channel despite his stunning performance in the 2-0 win against Manchester United on New Year’s Day. That included omitting his name when announcing the line-ups before kick-off.

At least PPTV is showing Arsenal’s games, unlike state broadcaster CCTV, where the ban is still in place.

Blanked

The Times says that Ozil will be “blanked forever” for having dared criticise the Chinese regime, and it appears he is already being airbrushed from the internet.

If the playmaker’s name is typed into a Chinese internet search engine the response is an error message, although there are some anti-Ozil memes doing the rounds, with one a doctored photograph showing Ozil “with his foot on a flag of China”.

The Times quotes a Chinese football specialist (who wished to remain anonymous) explaining that: “As a commercial money-making body, PP Sports have to balance their commercial interests and the political risks. So they have chosen what they think is the best strategy: continuing airing Arsenal matches in a low-key way with Ozil ignored.”

Today’s back pages

Harry pain for Tottenham after Kane KO

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FA Cup third round Arsenal 1 Leeds United 0

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta gave his players the hairdryer treatment at half-time last night after they had been given the runaround by Leeds United in the first half of their FA Cup third-round tie.

Championship leaders Leeds bossed the Emirates during an opening 45 minutes that showcased the old Arsenal, the listless team that had performed so woefully under Unai Emery this season.

Had the Yorkshire side been a little more precise in their finishing they could have gone into the break with an unassailable lead, but somehow the Gunners kept a clean sheet.

Shouting

In the Arsenal dressing room at the break Arteta was giving his players a piece of his mind.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said the Spanish coach was “really angry” while Alexandre Lacazette told the BBC: “The manager shouted a lot. He was not happy because we knew they’d play like this and we didn’t respect what he had said.”

The result of Arteta’s anger was a different Arsenal in the second half, more like the side that had beaten Manchester United on New Year’s Day.

The breakthrough came - albeit in scrappy style - on 55 minutes when Reiss Nelson’s scuffed shot from Lacazette’s deflected cross sneaked into the Leeds net.

Today’s back pages

Saracens could be forced to sell players and Reiss is the word for Arsenal

Attitude

“We changed our attitude, desire and organisation at half-time and then we were completely different,” said Arteta when asked to account for the transformation.

“Sometimes they have to experience themselves how tough and how hard it is going to be. I watched a lot of Leeds games and they battered every team every three days. It was good for my players to learn and to suffer on the pitch.”

Cherries trip

Arsenal’s reward is a fourth-round trip to Bournemouth, while holders Manchester City will face Championship outfit Fulham, who knocked out Aston Villa at the weekend.

Premier League leaders Liverpool will hit the road, playing the winner of next week’s replay between Bristol City and Shrewsbury Town. Northampton Town, the lowest-ranked side in the competition (ninth in League Two), will host Derby County.

FA Cup fourth-round draw

Matches will be played between Friday 24 January and Monday 27 January.

• Watford or Tranmere Rovers vs. Wolves or Manchester United
• Hull City vs. Chelsea
• Southampton vs. Middlesbrough or Tottenham Hotspur
• Queens Park Rangers vs. Sheffield Wednesday
• Bournemouth vs. Arsenal
• Northampton Town vs. Derby County
• Brentford vs. Leicester City
• Millwall vs. Sheffield United
• Reading or Blackpool vs. Cardiff City or Carlisle United
• West Ham United vs. West Bromwich Albion
• Burnley vs. Norwich City
• Bristol Rovers or Coventry City vs. Birmingham City
• Manchester City vs. Fulham
• Rochdale or Newcastle United vs. Oxford United
• Portsmouth vs. Barnsley
• Bristol City or Shrewsbury Town vs. Liverpool

Saracens’s fire sale

Many newspapers carry the comments of Edward Griffiths, the interim chief executive of Saracens, who admits that England’s dominant rugby club of the last decade might have to take some drastic action in the wake of their record fine for salary cap breaches.

These, explains The Times, will include having “to trim their wage bill by offloading players or implementing wage cuts”.

Liam Williams, the Wales full-back, has already announced his return to the Scarlets at the end of the season but it looks like he won’t be the only player who will be leaving Sarries this year.

In November Saracens were given a 35-point deduction and fined £5.36m for breaching league salary cap regulations.

Arsenal into the fourth round

The Daily Mirror and Daily Express both report that “Reiss is the word” for Arsenal as the Gunners beat Leeds United 1-0 last night to reach the FA Cup fourth round.

Forward Reiss Nelson scored a 55th-minute winner for Mikel Arteta’s side, who will now travel to Bournemouth in the next round.

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Fantastic five

With England needing to take eight South African wickets today to level the series, Scyld Berry in The Daily Telegraph says that the gripping second Test in Cape Town “prove the merits of five-day Tests”.

Last week it was revealed that cricket’s global governing body is considering shortening Test matches to four days, but events at Newlands have ensured that today’s fifth day “will see drama of a kind that no other format in cricket - and no other sport - can offer”.

Thanks to an unbeaten 133 from Dominic Sibley, and a quickfire 72 from Ben Stokes, England have set South Africa a record target of 438.

The hosts finished the fourth day at 126-2 and today’s fifth day finale should provide gripping entertainment.

Noisy neighbours

Tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Manchester United and holders Manchester City creates plenty of excitement in the press, and the Daily Express is one of several papers to report on what Sky Blues boss Pep Guardiola had to say when asked if he could ever switch sides in the future.

“I will never train them,” Guardiola said of United. “Like I would not train [Real] Madrid. I will be in the Maldives if I don’t have other offers or on the golf courses.”

Guardiola also had a playful dig at former United manager Alex Ferguson, and his description of City as their “noisy neighbours”.

“I know for the years I was not here we were the noisy neighbours,” he said. “Now I don’t know who we are. But I know what the derby means to Man City fans.”

Today’s newspaper back pages

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Premier League Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0

Mikel Arteta’s 2020 started in superb style with his first victory as Arsenal manager.

The fact it came against Manchester United made it all the sweeter, and for the long-suffering fans there are reasons to be cheerful after a miserable few months.

Arsenal’s 2-0 victory was built on an impressive first-half performance in which they could have had four or five goals as they laid siege to their visitors’s penalty area.

As it was, Nicolas Pepe gave the Gunners the lead on eight minutes when he fired home and Sokratis Papastathopoulos made it 2-0 from a corner three minutes before the interval.

Man Utd, who before last night had lost just one of their last nine games, were better after the break but they put Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno under little pressure.

Having started well against Chelsea on Boxing Day, only to implode in the final ten minutes, Arsenal showed more organisation and resolution this time around with David Luiz the pick of a team that look inspired under their new manager.

None more so than Mesut Ozil, who as BBC Sport reports, “covered 11.54km, more distance than any other Arsenal player”.

The victory brings to an end a run of seven home games without a win in all competitions for the Gunners, and yet despite their shocking run of form in recent months, they are now tenth, four points behind United, who are fifth.

“The confidence, the things they tried and the energy they had towards the game was much better,” said Arteta of his players. “The challenge is to maintain it.”

Idiot alert

It wasn’t such a good day on the other side of north London with Tottenham losing 1-0 at Southampton, a result that leaves Spurs in sixth, a point behind United and six shy of fourth place Chelsea.

Spurs striker Harry Kane hobbled off with a hamstring injury shortly after having a goal disallowed for offside in the second half, and that incident sparked an angry reaction from Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese became embroiled in an argument with Saints goalkeeping coach Andrew Sparkes over what he perceived to be time-wasting tactics, and was shown a yellow card by referee Mike Dean. Admitting he “deserved” his punishment, Mourinho said he had been “rude with an idiot”.

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Today’s newspaper back pages

Mourinho is ‘rude to an idiot’ and Solskjaer takes swipe at Pogba’s people

Kane’s setback

Sky Sports reports that England captain Kane could be set for a “lengthy spell on the sidelines” after hobbling off at St Mary’s. The Spurs striker had started four games in 11 days.

The Sun adds that the hamstring injury could rule Kane out of the rest of the games in January.

Blues in Brighton

Chelsea found the going harder in Brighton yesterday than they did on Boxing Day at Arsenal as they were held to a 1-1 draw on the south coast.

Cesar Azpilicueta had put the Blues ahead on ten minutes but Brighton secured a share of the spoils on 84 minutes with a spectacular overhead kick from Iranian ace Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

The result leaves Chelsea in fourth, eight points behind Manchester City, who beat Everton 2-1, and nine adrift of Leicester City, who romped to a 3-0 victory at Newcastle.

Leaders in action

Premier League leaders Liverpool host eighth-placed Sheffield United this evening at Anfield and a win would take the Reds 13 points clear of the chasing pack. The match kicks off at 8pm and is live on BT Sport 1.

Premier League results and fixtures

Yesterday’s results

• Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Chelsea 1
• Burnley 1 Aston Villa 2
• Newcastle United 0 Leicester City 3
• Southampton 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0
• Watford 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
• Manchester City 2 Everton 1
• Norwich City 1 Crystal Palace 1
• West Ham United 4 AFC Bournemouth 0
• Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0

Tonight’s fixture

• Liverpool vs. Sheffield United (8pm, live on BT Sport 1)

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Football’s worst-kept secret has been confirmed with the news that Mikel Arteta is the new head coach of Arsenal.

The Spaniard, who was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract at the Emirates and will officially start his new role on Sunday.

Former Arsenal captain Arteta played for the club for five seasons from 2011 to 2016, scoring 16 goals in 150 appearances.

Caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg will take charge of the team for tomorrow’s trip to Everton (12.30pm, live on BT Sport 1).

Arteta: a huge honour

Speaking to arsenal.com Arteta said: “This is a huge honour. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and 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.

“My first task will be to get to know the players better and get them playing the kind of fast flowing, attacking football that Arsenal supporters around the world want to see.”

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What club officials say

Josh Kroenke, Arsenal director

“We’re delighted to be bringing Mikel back to Arsenal. He knows our expectations and those of our fans around the world are high and we are confident he can play a lead role in taking the club back to the levels we all demand. Mikel was the outstanding candidate and showed a burning desire to get Arsenal back to winning ways.

“I also want to thank Freddie Ljungberg for skilfully guiding us through the last three weeks. He stepped up at short notice and has helped us through this difficult period with great professionalism.”

Raul Sanllehi, head of football

“We met several top-class candidates and Mikel stood out to every single one of us as the perfect person for us. Mikel understands Arsenal Football Club and what it means to our fans around the world. We look forward to him getting down to work and bringing the best out of our squad as we work to get our season back on track.

“I must also pay tribute to Freddie Ljungberg for his hard work and leadership. Together with Per Mertesacker, he has done a vital job for us in difficult circumstances. Freddie and Per are important parts of the Arsenal family and care deeply for this club.”

How Twitter reacted

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Mikel Arteta will be unveiled as Arsenal’s new manager in the next 24 to 48 hours and one of his first tasks will be to have heart-to-heart talks with club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Spaniard will have been alerted to comments made by the striker’s brother, Willy, who used an Arsenal Fan TV Instagram post to criticise Arteta’s lack of managerial experience.

According to The Sun, irate Arsenal fans “have demanded Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is stripped of the club captaincy” as a punishment for his brother’s remarks.

While there is no evidence that Pierre-Emerick endorses his brother’s view of Arteta, it’s another embarrassing episode and underlines the anarchy within the “Mayhemirates”.

Aubameyang exit?

On the other hand, did the Arsenal skipper give his brother the green light to go public with his criticism of 37-year-old Arteta?

There is mounting speculation in north London that Aubameyang wants out of the club, and this may be part of an elaborate strategy to force his exit next month.

The Sun says Arsenal are aware that Aubameyang needs to be handled sensitively and they are hoping that the appointment of Arteta and a new backroom staff will persuade the Gabon goal machine to sign a new contract.

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Free agent

Aubameyang has 18 months remaining on his £200,000-a-week deal and the Sun claims he is in “no rush” to extend it.

As it stands, he will walk out of the Emirates as a free agent in 2021 and if Arsenal can’t convince the 30-year-old to extend his deal they may have to sell him in June rather than risk letting him leave on a free transfer the following year.

Apparently the Gunners are “relying on Arteta’s appointment to quell the dressing-room unrest caused by a miserable run of one win in their last 12 games”, and they believe that getting their captain on board will signal a new chapter for the club in 2020.

Sign of intent

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror says that Arteta has already drawn up his January shopping list as he looks to overhaul the awful Arsenal squad, and in his sights is Sevilla teenage sensation Antonio Zarzana.

Described by the paper as a “wonderkid”, the 17-year-old midfielder has been scouted by Liverpool and Bayern Munich in recent months, but Arteta is hopeful he will be able to persuade Zarzana to commit his future to Arsenal.

Today’s back pages

Firmino to the rescue as Liverpool reach Club World Cup final

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Klopp hails Firmino and Alisson

Roberto Firmino came to Liverpool’s rescue, The Times reports, after scoring a stoppage-time winner to send the Champions League holders into the final of the Fifa Club World Cup.

In last night’s semi-final against Monterrey Naby Keita gave Liverpool the lead after 11 minutes, but the Mexican side were level shortly afterwards through Rogelio Funes Mori.

Reds manager Jurgen Klopp made changes in the second half by bringing on Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and it was the duo who combined for the winner on 91 minutes. England right-back Alexander-Arnold played in a low cross which Firmino converted from close range.

After the match Brazilian striker Firmino was hailed by Klopp for his late winner, who said: “I was actually afraid of extra time so I was more than happy that Bobby scored that goal.”

Klopp also praised Firmino’s fellow Brazilian, goalkeeper Alisson Becker. “All you need is Alisson Becker, Alisson Becker,” he added. “He was there in the decisive moments. A really hard game and then you can bring on the boys.”

It will be a “Pool party” in Qatar on Saturday, says the Daily Star, when Klopp’s men face Brazilian side Flamengo in the final. Kick-off is at 5.30pm and the match is live on BBC One.

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Arteta on his way

Manchester City may have won 3-1 last night in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Oxford, but they are set to lose Mikel Arteta, Metro reports.

Spaniard Arteta, Pep Guardiola’s assistant, is poised to join Arsenal and become the new manager at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are holding final talks with Arteta’s lawyers, says The Guardian, after City boss Guardiola accepted his assistant’s wish to leave City.

Today’s newspaper back pages

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Mikel Arteta will be unveiled as Arsenal’s new manager in the coming 24 hours, claims the Daily Mirror, and the Spaniard is set to be in charge of the Gunners when they play Everton on Saturday.

The paper is one of several to claim that the 37-year-old Manchester City assistant coach has “agreed terms” to replace Unai Emery in the Emirates hot seat.

It’s reported that Arteta is poised to sign a three-and-a-half year contract after what the Mirror describes as “extensive negotiations in the past 48 hours”.

Club director Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan Kroenke, led the talks and he has now returned to the United States “with the process effectively done”.

Oxford and out

According to reports, Arteta will travel to Oxford today with the Man City squad to sit in the dugout alongside Pep Guardiola as the Sky Blues look to win their Carabao Cup quarter-final.

The official announcement will be made either tonight or tomorrow, allowing Arteta the time to take charge of Arsenal ahead of Saturday’s trip to Goodison Park.

Guardiola confirmed at a press conference on Tuesday that his No.2 has been in negotiations with the north London club.

“He’s talking with Arsenal so I don’t know what is going to happen,” said City boss Guardiola.

“I knew about the meeting. He was incredibly honest and transparent with me. He knows exactly what we want, what we’d like, but at the end it’s his decision.”

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Backroom raid

As to who Arteta might bring with him to the Emirates, the Daily Mail says that he is “keen” on another of Guardiola’s backroom staff, Spanish coach Rodolfo Borrell.

Furthermore, the Mail claims that the Gunners are also primed to poach talent-spotter Sam Fagbemi from the Etihad.

The loss of so many of their backroom staff “will be a worry for City”, says the Mail, and raise speculation that the sands of time may be running down on Guardiola’s own City career.

The 25-year-old Fagbemi is described by the Mail as a “highly-rated scout” and one that City don’t want to lose. In recent seasons he has been responsible for bringing a number of talented youngsters to the Etihad, including 16-year-old Josh Wilson-Eshbrand from West Ham and 17-year-old Ipswich star Ben Knight.

Arsenal have offered Fagbemi “a stronger grip on their youth recruitment approach in an effort to persuade him to leave City”, and their offer appears to have worked.

The Daily Express adds that the Gunners are also hoping to secure the services of another scout, Wolves’s Phil Antwi, although negotiations have yet to begin.

The end for Ozil?

One headache Arteta won’t have is how does he solve a problem like Mesut Ozil?

That’s because reports from Turkey claim that Fenerbahce are “in the closing stages of finalising a move for the German”.

It’s not the first time that the Turkish club have been linked to Ozil but the latest gossip appears to be watertight and explains that Fenerbahce, Arsenal and Ozil have reached a deal after lengthy negotiations.

It’s believed the 31-year-old will be loaned out first before a permanent move is completed next summer.

Today’s back pages

Klopp’s Liverpool are in it to win it at the Fifa Club World Cup

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Mikel Arteta is expected to be unveiled as Arsenal’s new manager this week, with The Sun reporting that the 37-year-old Spaniard will “hold final talks with Josh Kroenke” on Tuesday.

Kroenke, son of Arsenal owner Stan, is ready to offer Arteta a £5m-a-year deal after the Manchester City assistant held an initial round of talks on Sunday evening with Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham and chief contract negotiator Huss Fahmy.

According to the Sun the presence of the pair suggests that the Gunners are “already discussing transfer budgets and salary offers with their former midfielder”.

Not impressed

Arteta spent five seasons at the Emirates as a player before joining the City staff in 2016 when he hung up his boots.

Since then he has been learning the manager’s craft under Pep Guardiola, and while the City boss is said to be relaxed about his protegee leaving, Etihad officials are less enamoured.

The Times reports that newspaper photographs of Venkatesham and Fahmy leaving Arteta’s house in the early hours of Monday morning did not “impress” the champions.

Officials from the two clubs shared the same executive area of the Emirates Stadium on Sunday when City thrashed Arsenal 3-0 and the subject of Arteta’s future was not raised.

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Tough talking

The perceived deviousness of Arsenal’s approach could have consequences, warns the Times, which claims that City’s “annoyance at such secrecy may well lead them to adopt a tougher stance in negotiations over any compensation”.

The Guardian endorses the Times’s claim but says that City will nonetheless not stand in the way of Arteta should he wish to accept the Arsenal job.

They will ask for “at least £1m in compensation” and also make it clear to the Spaniard that the door will always be open should he wish to return to the Etihad.

Player mutiny

The Daily Mirror also believes that Arteta will be appointed manager this week, but says he may face hostility from some members of the squad who had hoped Carlo Ancelotti would get the job.

Italian Ancelotti now seems set to join Everton, but the issue, if true, could be the excuse Arsenal need for having a mass clearout of their squad next month.

The problems at the Emirates go far beyond who sits in the dugout and as recent performances have shown around half of the current squad are simply not up to scratch.

Today’s back pages

Carlo coup for Everton as Arsenal take the Mikel

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There’s big managerial changes about to happen in the Premier League with Everton, Arsenal and West Ham United all lining up new bosses.

The Daily Mirror and Daily Star both report that Carlo Ancelotti is closing in on the Everton job while Mikel Arteta is in line to take over at Arsenal.

It’s also reported by the Independent that David Moyes is a candidate to replace Manuel Pellegrini at West Ham.

Carlo coup

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is understood to have held “positive talks” with Ancelotti. The experienced Italian coach, who previously managed Chelsea, was sacked last week by Serie A giants Napoli.

The Daily Express calls it a “Carlo coup” for the Toffees and a deal could be in place in time for Ancelotti to take change of the team for Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Arsenal.

Arsenal take the Mikel

Gunners director Josh Kroenke is due to meet with Manchester City assistant Arteta, says The Times, to discuss the vacant position at the north London club.

Champions Man City are not happy with the way Arsenal have handled negotiations with Arteta. “Arsenal are taking the Mikel”, Metro reports.

The Guardian adds that while City are unhappy with Arsenal’s tactics they will not stand in the way of Arteta becoming the next boss at the Emirates.

Moyes set for West Ham return?

It’s not just Everton and Arsenal who are closing in on new bosses. According to the Independent Moyes is currently one of the leading candidates to replace Pellegrini at West Ham.

Moyes, who previously managed the Hammers for six months from November 2017 to May 2018, could return on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

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Today’s newspaper back pages

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Premier League Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3

The Guardian reports it could be decision time for Arsenal after the north London club suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City yesterday.

City’s comfortable victory at the Emirates leaves the Gunners ninth in the Premier League table, seven points behind Chelsea who currently hold the fourth Champions League qualification spot.

Freddie Ljungberg has been in interim charge of Arsenal since Unai Emery’s sacking at the end of November. And i Sport reports that Swedish coach Ljungberg has called on the Arsenal board to make a permanent appointment as soon as possible.

Speaking after the match, Ljungberg said: “I’ve said to them [the board] they need to make a decision. We are all here to help but [interim assistant manager] Per [Mertesacker] is doing another job [managing the Arsenal academy] at the same time and he’s doing great to help.

“I must say thank you to all the other staff for trying to chip in but a decision has to be made so we can have the same resources as other clubs.”

City took a three-goal half-time lead at the Emirates and the Daily Star says hundreds of Arsenal fans had “all gun home” as the reigning champions dominated.

Kevin De Bruyne was “simply De best”, says The Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail, with the Belgian putting on a two-goal masterclass. Raheem Sterling scored City’s other goal.

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Today’s newspaper back pages

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Bukayo Saka was the star for Arsenal as the Gunners drew 2-2 at Standard Liege to top group F of the Uefa Europa League.

Saka is enjoying his breakout season and last night the 18-year-old scaled new heights as he scored Arsenal’s second to seal a stirring comeback for the north London outfit.

Having all but secured qualification for the last 32 prior to their trip to Belgium, Arsenal would have been denied a passage to the knockout stage of the Europa League only if they’d lost by five goals or more.

That didn’t look likely in a first half that the visitors edged, but they were soon two goals down after the break as Liege benefited from a couple of cruel deflections.

Alexandre Lacazette pulled a goal back for the Gunners with a powerful header on 78 minutes and then Saka curled in an equaliser three minutes later.

The result, allied to Vitoria Guimaraes’s shock 3-2 win at Eintracht Frankfurt, meant Arsenal finished top of group F, two points clear of the German outfit.

Describing Saka’s performance as “amazing”, caretaker Arsenal manager Freddie Ljungberg added: “He’s a tremendous talent and you could see it here again. His final ball and the last bit is always effective and there’s always an end product to his work.”

Magic Mason

Manchester United also had a teenage sensation to thank for their progression into the last 32 with 18-year-old Mason Greenwood scoring twice in his side’s 4-0 thrashing of AZ Alkmaar.

United’s goals came in a crazy 11-minute period midway through the second half as they recorded their biggest win in Europe since 2016.

A goal from Ashley Young and a penalty from Juan Mata completed the rout, but it was Greenwood who had manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer purring.

“That’s what he does,” said the Norwegian. “He’ll do it in training - it is just natural for him and the closer he gets to goal the more dangerous he is. He is a nightmare for defenders.”

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Wolves, Rangers and Celtic also through

Wolves emulated Man Utd in putting four unanswered goals past Besiktas as they finished second in group K, and like the Red Devils all their goals came thick and fast after the break.

Hat-trick hero Diogo Jota scored his first goal on 57 minutes, his second came on 63 and his third on 68. Leander Dendoncker had made it 3-0 on 67 minutes as Wolves gave the Turkish side a second half mauling.

Rangers were held 1-1 at home to Young Boys, a result that nonetheless sees the Scottish club progress to the knockout phase, along with rivals Celtic, who lost at Cluj but had already topped group E.

Europa League last-32 draw details

Arsenal, Celtic and Man Utd go into Monday’s draw as seeded teams after winning their groups. The 32 clubs will be divided into two pots with the first comprising the 12 group winners plus the four best third-placed teams from the Champions League.

In the second pot - containing Wolves and Rangers - will be the Europa League group runners-up plus four more teams dropping down from the Champions League.

Rules stipulate that no club from the same country can face each other in the last 32 so Wolves need not worry about drawing United or Arsenal, while there won’t be an Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers.

The first legs of the last 32 will be on Thursday 20 February, with the second-leg matches on Thursday 27 February. The seeded teams play at home in the second legs.

Start time and TV coverage

The draw for the last 32 of the Europa League takes place on Monday 16 December at 12pm (GMT). It will be live on BT Sport 1 and live streamed on Uefa.com.

The draw features the 12 group winners and 12 runners-up, plus eight teams transferring from the Champions League after finishing third in their sections.

Also on Monday is the Champions League last-16 draw at 11am.

Who has qualified for the last 32?

Seeded teams

• Ajax (from Champions League)
• Arsenal
• Basel
• Benfica (from Champions League)
• Braga
• Celtic
• Espanyol
• Gent
• Internazionale Milano (from Champions League)
• İstanbul Başakşehir
• LASK
• Malmö
• Manchester United
• Porto
• RB Salzburg (from Champions League)
• Sevilla

Unseeded teams

• AZ Alkmaar
• Bayer Leverkusen (from Champions League)
• CFR Cluj
• Club Brugge (from Champions League)
• Copenhagen
• Eintracht Frankfurt
• Getafe
• Ludogorets
• Olympiacos (from Champions League)
• Rangers
• Roma
• Shakhtar Donetsk (from Champions League)
• Sporting CP
• Wolfsburg
• Wolves

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Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta is “desperate” to be the next manager of Arsenal but before he puts pen to paper the Spaniard wants “guarantees off the board”.

According to The Sun, Arteta would “love a return to the former club he captained” but only if he can thrash out the fine print of his contract on his terms, and in the process not upset Man City.

In particular Arteta wants assurances over the “long-term project in north London before talks begin”. It’s believed that includes the final say on which players are bought and sold.

Arteta became Pep Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad in 2016 when he hung up his boots at Arsenal, and he is ready to take the next step up the managerial leader.

The Sun says that the Sky Blues are “willing to let the 37-year-old move back to Arsenal, but would prefer he stays until the end of the season”.

That is apparently OK with Arteta, who “does not want to upset Man City”, but will it satisfy the Arsenal board?

Waiting game

Arsenal are said to have drawn up a list of 12 candidates to replace Unai Emery at the Emirates and although Arteta is one of the favourites, it may be that the hierarchy feel they have to appoint a new boss sooner rather than later given their mid-table position in the Premier League.

The two clubs clash in the league on Sunday when City visit the Emirates, and it is rumoured that Arsenal officials will sit down with their Sky Blues counterparts in the hope of reaching a deal.

“Mikel wants the job but wants to know what is on offer and guarantees from them,” an Etihad source told the Sun.

“He will then speak to the club. Nothing is going to happen before the end of this week from what we can tell.”

The Sun claims that the City owners have discussed Arteta as a possible future replacement for Pep Guardiola when he decides his time at the club is up.

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Ancelotti to Everton?

As for Carlo Ancelotti, recently sacked as Napoli manager, the odds of an approach from Arsenal appear to be slim and instead it’s Everton who are being linked with the veteran Italian coach.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the 60-year-old is “keen on a return to the Premier League and the Blues’ power-brokers are weighing up a move”.

Ancelotti remains a contender for the Arsenal job but the Daily Mirror reports that his representatives have flown to London for talks with Everton.

Today’s back pages

Man City boss Guardiola hails Jesus for his ‘goaly trinity’

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Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked by Napoli and speculation was swift to link him to Premier League clubs Everton and Arsenal.

Sky Sports, quoting its sister company in Italy, said that the Toffees “will begin contract talks” with Ancelotti this week but the Gunners are “also interested”.

It’s believed that former Everton boss David Moyes could return to Goodison Park in what Sky Sports describes as “an interim role”, while a new permanent manager is sourced.

That is contrary to rumours at the weekend that suggested Moyes would only accept a permanent position at the club he managed for 11 years until 2013.

Vitor Pereira, who was the favourite to replace Marco Silva at the Everton helm, ruled himself out of the job on Tuesday morning.

Fired after 4-0 win

Napoli fired Ancelotti an hour after he had guided the club to the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 4-0 home win against Genk.

It was the Italian outfit’s first win in ten matches but not one that prevented his dismissal.

“Napoli has decided to revoke the role of first-team coach from Mr Carlo Ancelotti,” said a club statement.

“The rapport of friendship, admiration and reciprocal respect between the club, its president [Aurelio De Laurentiis] and Carlo Ancelotti remain intact.”

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Respected by Lampard

Sky Sports claims that Arsenal are “considering Ancelotti” and the north London club will have taken note of the ringing endorsement he received from Chelsea boss Frank Lampard, who played under the Italian at Stamford Bridge.

“I’ve got huge respect for him,” said Lampard, who was speaking after Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

“He’s always handled himself brilliantly. I think he can manage anywhere in the world at the top level, of course.”

Too big for Arsenal

One person who thinks Ancelotti and Arsenal aren’t the right fit is pundit Graeme Souness.

“Would the big managers take Arsenal at the moment? I’m not so sure,” he told Virgin Sport Media.

“I think [Ancelotti] is a big manager and if you look at the jobs he’s had - Real Madrid, PSG, Chelsea - you know Arsenal are a fabulous club, but right now it’s a difficult job, whoever gets it… I don’t think the next man at Arsenal is going to be the one to turn the corner for them.

“I think there’s a lot of work to be done there, especially with those players.”

Today’s back pages

Salah stunner seals a ‘full English’ in Champions League last 16

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Premier League West Ham United 1 Arsenal 3

Was it a win that simply papered over the gaping cracks in the Gunners squad, or the start of an Arsenal renaissance?

The answer to that question will be revealed on Sunday when Manchester City travel to the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s 3-1 victory at the London Stadium on Monday night, their first in the Premier League for two months, sprang from an extraordinary nine minutes midway through the second half when they scored three goals.

It was the first time in eight years that Arsenal have won a Premier League match on the road from a losing position at half-time.

They could even have had a couple more in the final quarter as they overran the West Ham defence but in the end had to settle for the strikes from Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

They were all goals of quality, light years away from the dross served up by both sides in the opening 45 minutes. It was football that would have shamed the non-league, let alone the Premier League as two clubs stripped of confidence tip-toed cautiously across the pitch.

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Disruption

The boring deadlock was eventually broken by Angelo Ogbonna’s deflected header for the Hammers on 38 minutes, a suitably scrappy goal for such a poor game, and the boos at half time came from the travelling fans.

In fairness to Arsenal their plans had been disrupted before kick-off when Hector Bellerin tweaked a hamstring during the warm-up, and the nasty shoulder injury to Kieran Tierney on 29 minutes meant the Gunners had lost both full-backs before the break.

That was no excuse for the tired and insipid football of the first-half, all the more surprising given that caretaker manager Freddie Ljungberg had made five changes from the side that capitulated to Brighton last Thursday, including a first Premier League start for 18-year-old striker Martinelli.

Teenage sensation

The Brazilian has scored seven goals in his cup appearances this season and he made it eight on the hour mark with a crisply-struck shot.

Six minutes later Pepe - finally giving a glimpse of why Arsenal paid Lille £72m for him last summer - curled in a stunner and then Aubameyang crashed a volley into the net to leave the Hammers a point above the relegation zone.

So Arsenal - who move into ninth - ended a nine-game streak without a win and their fans travelled back across London in good voice.

Whether they’ll be singing on Sunday evening once Pep Guardiola’s Man City have visited the Emirates remains to be seen.

Reactions to Arsenal’s win

Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal caretaker manager

“To win is a great feeling and it’s a lot better to win than lose. This is a club I love. We have a lot to work on. The players have been under a lot of pressure but had the mental strength to win. We are not near to where I want us to be. There are a lot of things to fix.”

Alyson Rudd, The Times

“This was Arsenal’s first league win since 6 October but surely not a victory to start a clamour for the appointment of Freddie Ljungberg. The north London club are in disarray and their defending at the London Stadium was unimpressive, verging on the slapstick.”

Jacob Steinberg, The Guardian

“Arsenal will not face opponents as generous as West Ham every week. Manuel Pellegrini’s struggling side, a point above the bottom three, were atrocious after the break.”

Mark Irwin, The Sun

“Gloating Gooners should not read too much into this result. Because their team are still drifting aimlessly in mid-table between and miles off the top four. So if the Emirates executives actually have a plan, they really need to think about putting it into operation.”

Gary Lineker, football pundit

“Arsenal have suddenly, inexplicably, become Arsenal again.”

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A new rival has emerged for Arsenal in their courting of Mikel Arteta, claims the Daily Star, and it’s none other than Manchester City.

The former Gunners midfielder has been linked to the vacant manager’s position at the Emirates Stadium following the dismissal of Unai Emery last month.

But now there is speculation that City may look to promote their assistant boss in the event of Pep Guardiola departing in the future.

Touch of the blues

The Sky Blues are effectively out of the Premier League title race after losing at home to Manchester United on Saturday, and the body language of Guardiola in recent weeks hints at a man who may be running out of enthusiasm.

The Star says that City, who now trail leaders Liverpool by 14 points, are “keen” on the idea of promoting Arteta, despite the fact that the Gunners have the Spaniard “at the top of their wanted list”.

On Friday Guardiola was asked if he believed Artera - who was appointed City assistant coach in 2016 - was made of managerial stuff.

“I’m pretty sure, yes,” he replied. “He will have success, yes… sooner or later it’s going to happen.”

Premier League: Man City boss Guardiola gives up on the title race

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Farewell Freddie?

It could be sooner rather than later, according to the Daily Express, which reports that Arsenal caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg is “facing the axe as the team’s stars refuse to back him”.

Ljungberg stepped up to the plate after Emery was shown the door, but he’s had little effect in the last two games and defeat against West Ham on Monday night (8pm, live on Sky Sports) could be fatal for the Swede.

Arsenal are now in the bottom half of the table and with a daunting Christmas fixture list looming there is a growing fear in the Emirates’ boardroom that if things don’t improve quickly the club could slip inexorably into the relegation zone, which is only four points away.

Unimaginable just a few months ago, Arsenal’s record of being the only club never to have been relegated from the top flight since 1918 is now in jeopardy.

Apprentice-style interview

But according to the Daily Mirror, if Arteta does want the Arsenal job he will have to expose himself to an “Apprentice-style” interview.

The paper is one of several to claim that Arteta is the “preferred man to take charge at the Emirates” and he himself is attracted by the position.

But it will be no shoo-in, with the Mirror saying that he will be “subjected to a gruelling interview process with the club’s executives”, among whom will be head of football Raul Sanllehi, technical director Edu and director Josh Kroenke, who will report to his father, Stan, the club’s owner.

London derby

Monday’s Premier League London derby between West Ham United and Arsenal kicks off at 8pm (GMT) and is live on Sky Sports.

Today’s back pages

Leicester are in the hunt for the Premier League title

Premier League results and fixtures

Weekend results

• Everton 3 Chelsea 1
• AFC Bournemouth 0 Liverpool 3
• Tottenham Hotspur 5 Burnley 0
• Watford 0 Crystal Palace 0
• Manchester City 1 Manchester United 2
• Aston Villa 1 Leicester City 4
• Newcastle United 2 Southampton 1
• Norwich City 1 Sheffield United 2
• Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2

Monday’s fixture

• West Ham United vs. Arsenal (8pm, live on Sky Sports)

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Premier League Arsenal 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2

The last time Arsenal were in such a winless rut, Margaret Thatcher was still dreaming of becoming prime minister and the Bay City Rollers were the kings of pop.

It was 1977, the year Freddie Ljungberg was born, and the caretaker Arsenal boss probably wished last night that he hadn’t as the Emirates swayed to the sound of bitter disgust.

Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton - the first time the Seagulls have beaten the Gunners away - means that they are now without a win in their last nine matches in all competitions, and it’s exactly two months since they last tasted victory in the Premier League.

The boos that greeted the final whistle must have been an alien sound for Ljungberg, who as an Arsenal player more than a decade ago knew nothing but success.

There was also the unedifying sight of players arguing among themselves with Mesut Ozil also apparently involved in an altercation with assistant manager Per Mertesacker.

Clueless Arsenal

Ten points off a Champions League qualification spot, Arsenal are, in the words of The Times headline “clueless, spineless, rudderless”.

It is now inconceivable that Ljungberg will get the manager’s job on a full-time basis; the expected bounce that everyone expected when, seven days ago, he stepped into the breach vacated by Unai Emery, hasn’t materialised.

The players fit the Times’s description, suggesting that the malaise is deep and that the healing process will only begin by getting rid of the many players whose hearts don’t appear to be in the job.

If it means buying some players out of their lucrative contract, so be it, but the likes of Ozil, Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka and David Luiz must go and players with hunger arrive.

Soft centre

None of them appeared that keen to put in a good performance for the sake of Ljungberg, nor the fans, those that showed up.

There were once more an alarming number of empty seats at the Emirates, further evidence of the crisis that has enveloped this famous old club.

A team that once boasted never-say-die warriors such as Pat Rice, David O’Leary, Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira now has the softest of centres, and it was to no one’s great surprise when Adam Webster put Brighton ahead ten minutes before the break, the big defender taking advantage of sloppy marking at a corner to stab the ball into the net.

Have a crack

Ljungberg revealed that his half-time team talk consisted of telling the dressing room: “This is not Arsenal, we have to give it a crack.”

They did show a bit more purpose after the break with Alexandre Lacazette heading them level on 50 minutes, but it didn’t herald a major revival.

Instead Brighton worked themselves back into the game and ten minutes from time Neal Maupay headed their winner from Aaron Mooy’s cross.

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Reactions to Arsenal’s loss

Freddie Ljungberg, interim Arsenal boss

“It was tough. We didn’t show up in the first half, didn’t work hard and didn’t want to play. You can’t start like that.”

Will Griffee, Daily Mail

“There was a toxic atmosphere at full-time with boos from the home supporters reverberating in the ears of the Arsenal players. Freddie Ljungberg’s side were abject.”

Henry Winter, The Times

“The problems at Arsenal go far deeper than the identity of the man in the dugout. The club’s soft.”

Alex Richards, Daily Mirror

“It was deserved, after another dire no-show from a number of Arsenal’s big name stars.”

Charlie Watts, Goal

“Arsenal have conceded 82 shots in three games this season against Watford, Southampton and Brighton. In the same games they had just 31 shots themselves. That is truly staggering, especially when you consider two of the games were at home. What an inexplicable mess.”

Piers Morgan, TV presenter

“Arsenal’s performance last night was so awful, I genuinely fear we may slide into a relegation battle. If we were played off the pitch like that by Brighton [who were excellent], I can’t even imagine what humiliation is coming when we play Man City next Sunday [15 December]. Pray for us.”

Today’s back pages

Marco gets the ‘Silva bullet’ at Everton

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With Arsenal’s defence a national laughing stock, the Gunners are intent on bringing in some back four reinforcements next month and top of the list is Juventus stopper Merih Demiral.

According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal will “offer Hector Bellerin” as part of any deal with the Spanish right back now considered surplus to requirements at the Emirates.

Injury-plagued

Bellerin has been bedevilled by injuries in recent seasons and he hasn’t kicked on the way it was once hoped in north London.

The Mirror, citing Italian outlet Calciomercato, says that Bellerin believes it would be in everyone’s best interest if he sought out fresh pastures.

“He likes Italy, the interest of an Italian club has been there but I can’t reveal it,” said Bellerin’s agent, Albert Botines. “He has a long contract and it won’t be easy to take him away from Arsenal.”

Turkish delight

But it might be easier than imagined if Juventus agree to a deal involving Demiral. The 21-year-old Turkish international has slipped down the pecking order in Turin this season behind Leonardo Bonucci and new arrival Matthijs de Ligt.

Apparently he is desperate for regular game time ahead of the 2020 European Championships and the prospect of playing in the Premier League is an attractive one.

The Mirror says the Italian champions “would want around £34m for Demiral - but Arsenal will aim to ease the financial burden by offering right-back Bellerin”.

Rugani is Plan B

The Mirror also claims that if Juventus refuse to allow Demiral to leave next month then Arsenal could look to swap Bellerin for Daniel Rugani. Ex-gaffer Unai Emery was said to be keen on the 25-year-old last summer, but he was deterred by Juve’s £30m asking price.

However, according to Italian outlet Il Bianconero, Rugani is unsettled this season under new coach Maurizio Sarri and is weighing up his options with the Premier League one of them.

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Today’s back pages

Jesus beats Pope as Man City resurrect Premier League title bid

Premier League results and fixtures

Tuesday 3 December results

• Crystal Palace 1 AFC Bournemouth 0
• Burnley 1 Manchester City 4

Wednesday 4 December fixtures

• Chelsea vs. Aston Villa (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Leicester City vs. Watford (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Southampton vs. Norwich City (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. West Ham United (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Liverpool vs. Everton (8.15pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)

Thursday 5 December fixtures

• Sheffield United vs. Newcastle United (7.30pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)
• Arsenal vs. Brighton & Hove Albion (8.15pm, live on Amazon Prime Video)

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