Chris Sutton replies when asked if Arsenal can win the title

Chris Sutton has emphatically ruled out Arsenal winning the Premier League’s title this season.

The Gunners have surprised their critics with an impressive six-game winning run in the English top flight to hoist themselves up to fourth place in the table.

Arsenal made a disappointing start to the Premier League season following back-to-back losses in Unai Emery’s opening two games in charge.

The Gunners lost 2-0 to defending Premier League champions Manchester City at The Emirates on the opening day of the season.

While their loss to the Citizens wasn’t a huge surprise given their dominance in the Premier League in recent seasons, Arsenal were disappointing in a 3-2 defeat by Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge in their second outing.

However, Emery’s side have regrouped impressively following the two defeats after easing to victories over West Ham, Cardiff City and Newcastle United.

The Gunners continued to improve with successive 2-0 home victories over Watford and Everton before Arsenal secured their biggest win under Emery after a 5-1 rout at Fulham last weekend.

The north London side are two points behind leaders Manchester City, Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC, who occupy the top three in the Premier League.

However, former Chelsea FC striker Sutton doesn’t anticipate Arsenal challenging for the Premier League title in the current campaign.

“They are not going to win the title,” Sutton told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Liverpool and Man City are at a different level. That’s just the way it is.
“There is a glimmer Arsenal may be able to finish in fourth spot and push Tottenham.”

Arsenal will welcome Leicester City to The Emirates in their next Premier League game Monday 22 October in pursuit of a seventh successive top-flight victory.

The Gunners signed five players in the summer transfer window to improve Emery’s squad after the Spanish head coach replaced Arsene Wenger in the summer.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi in the summer transfer window.


Arsenal have missed out on a top four finish in the Premier League in the last two seasons under French head coach Wenger.

Arsenal target linked with several EPL giants

Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund youngster Jadon Sancho is at the centre of a £100m transfer tug-of-war, with five Premier League clubs including Arsenal reportedly interested according to reports.

The Die Borussen star has nine assists to his name already this campaign, despite appearing from the bench for the vast majority of his matches.

His form in Bundesliga has resulted in Gareth Southgate calling the 18-year-old ace up to the senior England squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.

However, Jadon could be set to play his club football in Premier League as well.

According to a British tabloid newspaper The Sun, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all thought to be keen on the ex-Manchester City teenager.

Although the Bundesliga club are bracing themselves for bids in the nine-figure region, they see Jadon as a long-term replacement for Barcelona player Ousmane Dembele – who left in 2017.


The U17 World Cup winner left City in the same summer in a bid to get regular playing time was instantly given the No.7 shirt at the Westfalenstadion.

Arsene Wenger reveals Arsenal can still agree terms with £110,000-a-week star

Arsene Wenger is someone who knows all about the contract situation at Arsenal. Having managed the Gunners for more than two decades, Arsene Wenger has an idea of all the hardships a manager will face.

Speaking to the media after the farewell match of Per Mertesacker, Wenger spoke about Ramsey and the situation that he is in.

As per Evening Standard, this is what the former Arsenal manager had to say:

“We tried that [agreeing a new deal] before and it still can happen,” Wenger told reporters.
“I don’t really know what is happening at Arsenal. Sure, Aaron Ramsey is in a strong position now and he will use this position.”

The contract situation of Ramsey is one of the only things that the Arsenal board have failed to take care of this season. Appointing a new manager such as Unai Emery has turned out to be a good move.

After a tough start, the Gunners have bounced back in great fashion and are now on a nine-match winning streak. And the £110,000-a-week star has played his part in this season and helped the team with his all-round skills.

Arsenal were in the same position with both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil last season. When they sold the former to Manchester United and got the latter signed to a new deal, it appeared that the club had learned its lessons. But, unfortunately, that has happened this season also.

Having been at the club for more than ten years and played a vital part in ending the trophy drought of the club, it is natural for the Welshman to ask for the wages that he’s said to be asking.

For some reason, the board decided that what was being asked was too much and they were not willing to give him those wages. It is better for all involved if this gets resolved at the earliest.

 As for Ramsey, he has promised to see out the season with the Gunners and that should work in their endeavor to get back into the Champions League.

Glazers view star as Man Utd’s ‘Messi’, ‘untouchable’, and won’t consider sale

Friday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo has picked up some attention after publishing a story about Paul Pogba which explains why Manchester United will not allow the Frenchman leave the club.

This was brought to our attention by Sport Witness, who provide a useful service translating reports from the foreign press.

The story claims Barcelona had contact with Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, and also asked United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward about the club’s star player.

It suggests that Pogba himself would be interested in leaving Old Trafford for Camp Nou as it’s his dream to play alongside Lionel Messi.

The biggest part of the story claims Pogba’s wage demands of Raiola’s agent fee had nothing to do with why the deal didn’t take shape this past summer. Instead, they suggest United’s owners, the Glazer family, refused to sanction the sale of their prized asset because they laughably believe Pogba is their ‘Messi’, who is ‘untouchable’ at Old Trafford.


As we all know, 13-years on from their controversial takeover, the Glazers know absolutely nothing about football. To make a comparison to Messi like that takes the biscuit though.

Man United news: Eric Cantona takes fresh swipe at Jose Mourinho and says Red Devils must play with more freedom

ERIC CANTONA has taken a swipe at Jose Mourinho and says Manchester United must play with freedom.

The Old Trafford legend, 52, blasted the Special One earlier this season for his team having ‘no fun, no creativity’.

And he has backed that up by outlining the key to United’s success under Alex Ferguson.
Cantona, writing on Players’ Tribune, said: “All the time, I get asked the same questions about my career.

“‘What was it like playing for those United teams? Why did you do so well?’
“People want some kind of complex answer. They want some kind of secret, I think. But the answer is very simple.

“Sir Alex Ferguson was the master of one thing: Whenever we took the pitch for a match, after hours and hours of work, we were allowed to be free.

“We felt total freedom to move where we wanted, to play how we wanted. I could tolerate football no other way. What is football if it is not about freedom?”

Cantona, who won four Premier League titles with United, has joined Juan Mata’s charity where players donate 1% of their wages.


The Manchester United legend has been appointed as a mentor for “Common Goal”, which has recruited the likes of Mats Hummels, Giorgio Chiellini and Kasper Schmeichel.

Jose Mourinho scouts Sergej Milinkovic-Savic during international duty

Mourinho scouts Milinkovic-Savic Leaving his troubles far behind him, Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was spotted in the crowd doing a bit of scouting as Serbia beat rivals Montenegro 2-0 in Podgorica on Thursday evening.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Mourinho was invited to the game by Predrag Mijatovic, with the pair knowing each other from Real Madrid.

And, according to The Sun, Mourinho made the trip to personally run the rule over Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, a player linked with United over the summer -- though negotiations never got beyond the €100m price quoted by his agents.

Sources said that Mijatovic told Mourinho to sign Croatia star Luka Modric when he was at Tottenham, but given his issues over signing an experienced defender, perhaps Mourinho is on the lookout for a younger option now the Real Madrid midfielder has reached 33.

Milinkovic-Savic, 23, put in an impressive performance and even laid on a goal as the home side coasted to a routine victory while the United boss watched on intently from up in the terraces with his cap pulled down over his face.

The midfield may not have been the only area on Mourinho's agenda though. With United's defensive woes still on his mind, special attention was also paid to 20-year-old Serbian defender Nikola Milenkovic, currently on the books at Fiorentina.

Zlatan returning to Old Trafford?

Rumours are circulating that Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be heading back to Manchester United on loan when the transfer market reopens in January.

The veteran Swedish striker is looking to secure a return to Europe during the MLS off-season and the Manchester Evening News claim that Old Trafford is being entertained as a potential destination.

Ibrahimovic spent two successful seasons at United before leaving for LA Galaxy, scoring 29 goals in 53 appearances and playing an intrinsic role in the club's Europa League triumph in 2016-17.

Manchester united Midfielder could miss Chelsea match

Manchester United central midfielder Nemanja Matic is being considered as a doubt to face his one-time side Chelsea after the international break.
A group of sports television channels Sky Sports report that the Serbian could miss the match at Stamford Bridge through injury.

The former Chelsea versatile midfielder has been a key figure for Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho since making the move to the Manchester-based outfit.
The two clubs meet in London in under two weeks time following the second international break of the campaign.

Matic’s injury is the latest blow for the Red Devils, who have endured a difficult start to the season, with concerns over Mourinho’s position at the club.

Jose Mourinho’s side head into the match off the back of a dramatic late victory against Newcastle United on Saturday night.

Mourinho’s men came from behind to victory 3-2, while Chelsea cruised past Southampton with a 3-0 win that took them to the top of the Premier League, level on points with both Manchester City and Liverpool.
This season, in all competitions, Serbia international star has made 8 appearances for Red Devils.

Real Madrid have decide to make Chelsea pay in their chase for Eden Hazard

The word out there is that Chelsea would make life very difficult for Real Madrid should the Spanish giants move in for star forward Eden Hazard next summer, but Real’s top officials have a plan of their own.
According to reports in Spain, via the TheSun, Los Blancos are ready to wait until next summer if their chase for the Belgium international falls through in January. If they still show up in the summer of 2019, it is likely, they will get a cut-price fee of about £65million for their target who currently has only two years remaining on his deal.
Hazard is yet to sign a new contract at Chelsea that will extend his deal beyond 2020 and also make him the club’s highest paid player of all time, with the £300-000 per week deal on the table.
If he does not sign the deal, by next summer, he will have only a year remaining on his deal, and like Real managed with Thibaut Courtois, paying only £35 million due to the number of months remaining on his deal, they Santiago Bernabeu chiefs are hoping to exploit similar advantage with Hazard as well.


All of this depends on Hazard, as his pen on the dotted lines inside Stamford Bridge will ward off Real or get them to pay more for his services.

World most expensive goal keeper reveals what life has really been like under Maurizio Sarri

Arrizabalaga become the most expensive goalkeeper in history when he switched Athletic Bilbao for Stamford Bridge over the summer in a mammoth £71m transfer.

His Blues career has got off to a fine start with Maurizio Sarri’s side still unbeaten in the Premier League and only conceding five goals in eight games.

The 24-year-old has taken to the English game well and looked impressive in the Chelsea net.
And while the young stopper says it hasn’t been easy, he’s enjoying life in west London.

Arrizabalaga said: “Leaving your environment, and the place where you have grown up, is always going to be difficult.
“But I felt moving to Chelsea was an important step in my career so that’s why I wanted to do it, but of course I will always be grateful to Athletic Bilbao for all the years I spent with them, and for all they’ve given me.
“The Premier League and La Liga are very different. The style of play is different, the person training me is different, everything is different and new.

“But all in all, so far I feel very happy.
“I think I’m adapting very well to being in the team, which is the most important thing, and I’m really looking forward to spending a long time in the Premier League with Chelsea.”

Arrizabalaga has enjoyed the opening weeks of Sarri’s Chelsea tenure as has team-mate Ross Barkley.

The England star is starting to show his very best again and has his sights set on silverware this season.

He said: “We are right in there. We have got the players who have achieved that success before, and we believe we are capable of doing that.

“We’re getting used to the way the manager wants us to play and we’ll continue to improve.
“We are taking each month as it comes, setting our targets, and hopefully at the end of the season we will get trophies.”

The 24-year-old, signed from Everton for £15m in January, added: “It was a fantastic result for us [at Southampton], and not only that, for me to get my first goal was fantastic.

“I feel like I have been at a high level for a couple of years, but it’s just about producing performances on game day.

“Last season I had a difficult time with injuries, but on the training pitch I have felt strong and confident and I have built on that.

“As the season goes on I am sure I’ll continue to improve and show people what I am capable of.”

Marcos Alonso confirm he will sign new Chelsea deal

Chelsea defender Marco Alonso appears to be having one of the best moments of his career at the Bridge under new boss Maurizio Sarri.
The Spaniard has been a strong terrifying figure against opponents this season, and still is a threat.
Amid rumours of a looming exit from the Chelsea, the Spanish international is set to sign a new contract at the club.

Alonso was a crux player in Conte’s 2016 debut winning season. Conte drove the team to Premier League success during his debut as manager in his first spell, and next season, to FA Cup triumph.
Alonso flourished under the former manager’s tactics and since Sarri took the helm, the left-back has hit a new level.

La Liga clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid were reported to have eyes on the player, however they will have to take their interest elsewhere.
Alonso remarked he is “calm” and “happy” at Chelsea and per Bleacher Report, the player is in advanced talks with Chelsea over a new contract deal.

The former Fiorentina man spoke about his future at the club, while away on international duty for Spain.

He revealed that talks to retain his services are in the pipeline and at the tag end of the month, he should be inking a new deal.

According to AS Sport, Alonso said, “The conversations are advanced, and, if everything goes well, I believe I’ll sign a new deal before the end of this month.”

Liverpool on the verge of sealing deal for Arsenal playmaker

Liverpool are reportedly ahead in the race for out-of-contract Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
The Welshman has been touted to leave the club at the end of next season, after talks to extend his stay at the Emirates stadium broke down.
Ramsey demanded a 200,000-pounds-per-week wages, a fee the Gunners executive reportedly turned down.

It is understood Arsenal do not want the Welshman to leave on a free next season. They’d  rather sell him off on a cheap.
Liverpool never resumed negotiations over French player Nebil Fekir. The Reds demanded a softer price for the Lyon star after discovering some glitches in his medical.
However, Lyon refused to let their star go on a cheap and closed the door on the transfer.
Ramsey showed how much pace and strength he still had under his belt in Arsenal’s 5-1 rout of Fulham.

His sublime effort in the 67th minute, made sure Arsenal steered clear at 3-1.
Ramsey’s third goal, just 39 seconds after coming on as a substitute, was the fastest Premier League goal by an Arsenal substitute, since 2007.
Jurgen Klopp is desperate to add spark in the middle of the park berth in his squad. It was evident in their last Premier League clash against leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

The Evening Standard says they can get the Wales midfielder for half the 53 million pounds price they wanted to splurge for Nebil Fekir.

Unai Emery eyed up two star for Aaron Ramsey's replacement

Ramsey is heading for the Emirates Stadium exit after a new contract offer was withdrawn.
The Arsenal ace’s deal is up at the end of the season, and he won’t be sticking around unless there is a late U-turn from the club.

Premier League rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United all interested in Ramsey, and the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus are also chasing him.

The midfielder can speak to foreign clubs in January about a pre-contract agreement but sides in England must wait until the end of the season.

In any case, Arsenal are keen to sell in the New Year to ensure they get a return on the player, rather than letting him leave for nothing in the summer.

The Evening Standard report Emery is busy preparing for life without Ramsey, by lining up two options to replace him.

It’s claimed Miguel Almiron, who plays for Atlanta United in the MLS and Porto captain Hector Herrera are on his wanted list.

Almiron is a full Paraguay international, who joined Atlanta in December 2016.

He’s quickly become of the best performers in the US league, and the 24-year-old will likely relish the chance to impress in the Premier League should Arsenal firm up their interest.

Herrera would provide more European experience should Emery opt for him.

The Mexican has played Champions League football regularly since moving to Portugal in 2013, and at 28, has the edge on Almiron in terms of experience.

However he would likely prove more expensive that the Atlanta man, which may determine which Arsenal opt to go for.

Arsenal went into the international break on the back of a positive run of results there is talk they could now finish back in the top four - if not challenge for the title - having missed out on Champions League football for the last two seasons.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette, however, wants to silence any chat of such an achievement and focus on doing the things which have enabled Emery to oversee such a streak.
"To talk about the top four is early I think," he said.

"We have to keep quiet and work like we did before and the season is going well. Just work as we did and we will see at the end of the season."

Alderweireld not closer too sign new contract offers hope to Man Utd

Toby Alderweireld, who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, admits he is no closer to penning fresh terms in north London

Toby Alderweireld admits he is no closer to signing a new contract at Tottenham, with that revelation likely to have Manchester United believing that they can still strike a deal.

The Belgium international is set to see his current agreement in north London expire at the end of the season.

Spurs have the option to take up a 12-month extension, but activating that clause will also trigger a £25 million ($33m) buyout option for the 29-year-old’s many suitors.

Tottenham had been hoping to avoid that situation by agreeing fresh terms with a man who was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford over the summer, but there has been no progress in talks.
Quizzed by Sky Sports on whether he can provide any update on discussions, Alderweireld said: "Not that I can say, no. I'm focused on Spurs and trying to help the team. That's all I can do."

Alderweireld claims to have had “tunnel vision” when seeing his future called into question on a regular basis over the summer.

The endless rounds of rumours could have been an unwelcome distraction, but the Belgian believes he has put the speculation behind him to find true happiness on and off the field.

He added: "I'm the old Toby again. I try to do my best and help the team.
"How happy am I on a scale of one to 10? When you have a daughter it's 10 out of 10. It doesn't matter what happens. The joy that I get from that, I try to give it to my football."

Alderweireld is currently putting club matters to one side during the international break.
Belgium have Nations League clashes with Switzerland and the Netherlands approaching, with a star-studded side looking to build on their third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

They will have many of their leading lights available for their next two outings, such as Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, but Jan Vertonghen will be unavailable after picking up a hamstring injury.
Alderweireld said of his Tottenham team-mate: "He is devastated he can't play but will try to come back as quickly as possible.


"If you're injured it's always mentally hard. He will get through this and become stronger."

Man United pay millions for Anthony Martial’s goal against Newcastle

Last time out in the Premier League, Man United beat Newcastle 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho’s men put in an excellent second half performance after Newcastle headed into the break 2-0 up.

Juan Mata started the Man United fightback with a terrific free-kick.

French forward Anthony Martial levelled the match for United, while Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to score a late header to win the game.

Anthony Martial’s goal cost Man United a lot of money

Martial’s goal against Newcastle was expensive for Man United.

The 22-year-old has now scored 25 goals since joining the Red Devils from Monaco.

That landmark has triggered a fresh expense for United. As confirmed in the Telegraph:

The France forward’s 76th minute equaliser at Old Trafford on Saturday was his 25th Premier League goal for the club and triggered a clause in his contract entitling his former club Monaco to a €10 million (£8.73 million) windfall.

United paid Monaco an initial £36 million when they signed Martial in September 2015 but the cost of the transfer has now risen to what is expected to be a final fee of £44.73 million.

For the record, 22-year-old Martial is under contract at Old Trafford until 2019.

Martial is one of 11 players currently on Man United’s books who could leave for free at the end of the season.

The other players include David De Gea, Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw, Juan Mata, Ashley Young, Ander Herrera, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Andreas Pereira and Matteo Darmian.