“It was an outstanding team performance,” - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team had come close to perfection after watching them mark his 20th anniversary with a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday.

Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil scored in the first 40 minutes as Arsenal claimed their biggest win over Chelsea since April 1997.

It was Arsenal’s first win over Chelsea in the league since October 2011 and it saw them climb to third place in the Premier League table, while Antonio Conte’s beaten visitors slipped to eighth.

“It was an outstanding team performance,” Wenger told the BBC at the Emirates Stadium.

“We played with spirit and collective pace and movement. Always in a positive and committed team way.

“Ideally you want the perfect game and you never get it. We got nearly the perfect first half and that is not bad.

“Football doesn’t care for history and the anniversaries, just the result on the day. Today we had a good performance.”

The only negative for Wenger, who was appointed Arsenal manager in September 1996, was a first-half knee injury sustained by midfielder Francis Coquelin, which saw Granit Xhaka come on.

“We lost Coquelin and Xhaka came on and straight away he is at the level of the game,” Wenger told Sky Sports.

“It (Coquelin) is a knee problem — the same problem as last year. I hope he is not out as long as last year.”

For Chelsea manager Conte, it was a third successive league game without victory following a 2-2 draw at Swansea City and a 2-1 home defeat by Liverpool.

“I think that we didn’t have the right attitude from the first minute,” Conte said.

“After today we are thinking we must work a lot because we are a great team only on paper.

“It is always a team problem rather than individuals. When nothing works it is very hard for a player to play well.

“We have not got the balance and now is the moment to consider everything. It is incredible to concede three goals.

“We must have last season present in our mind (when Chelsea finished 10th) to not repeat the mistakes. We must reflect a lot to find very soon the right way.”

I am as good as Messi and Ronaldo – Alexis Sanchez

Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez believes he is good enough to be considered in the same bracket as superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sanchez was a team-mate of Messi’s at Barcelona, but departed Camp Nou for the Premier League ahead of the 2014-2015 season in search of regular starts.

The Chile forward has become a firm fan favourite at Emirates Stadium after scoring 30 goals in 68 league appearances for the Gunners.

Messi and Real Madrid rival Ronaldo are widely considered as the best two players on the planet and have held a monopoly over the Ballon d’Or award for the past eight years.

But Sanchez is confident that he can be considered on their level.

“I have reached a level where I can compete with great players,” he said.

“I do not feel inferior to anybody.

“I liken [my qualities] to Messi and Ronaldo. I have the same abilities as them.”

Alexis won LaLiga and Copa del Rey medals with Barca and also has an FA Cup triumph to his name with Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger’s side return to Premier League action following the international break against Southampton on Saturday.

Arsenal sign Lucas Perez

Arsenal completed a move for Spanish striker Lucas Perez on Tuesday as the clock ticked down towards Wednesday’s 2200 GMT deadline in the mid-year transfer window.

Premier League clubs have already surpassed their previous record of 870 million pounds ($1.1 billion, one billion euros) of spending in a single window, and that could soar above one billion pounds by the deadline.

British media reports said Arsenal had paid Depotivo La Coruna around 17 million pounds to sign 27-year-old Perez.

“He’s not only a goalscorer, he’s a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the club website.

“He’s got a good eye for goal and had an outstanding season last year.”

Perez scored 19 goals for Deportivo last season, including 17 in La Liga.

Arsenal are reported to have seen off competition from Premier League rivals Everton to secure his signature.

Perez follows Swiss international midfielder Granit Xhaka, Japanese forward Takuma Asano and young English centre-back Rob Holding in arriving at Arsenal during the transfer window.

The north London club are also believed to be close to signing Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia for around 35 million pounds.

Jack Wilshere, meanwhile, could be about to leave the Emirates Stadium, amid reports he will be allowed to join another club on loan.

The England midfielder, 24, made only three appearances due to injury last season and has slipped further down Wenger’s midfield pecking order following Xhaka’s arrival from Borussia Moenchengladbach.

– Manchester moneybags –

The English top flight’s other big clubs kept their powder dry on the transfer front on Tuesday.

England goalkeeper Joe Hart was poised to complete a season-long loan move to Italian side Torino after falling out of favour under new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Chelsea allowed two strikers to go out on loan, with France international Loic Remy moving to Crystal Palace and 22-year-old Englishman Patrick Bamford joining promoted Burnley’s effort to stay up.

Spending in the Premier League has rocketed after new television rights deals worth an estimated eight billion pounds took effect on the eve of the season.

Hull City became the latest club to break their transfer record when they signed English midfielder Ryan Mason from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee.

The spending has not been confined to the top flight, either. Aston Villa paid a Championship-record 15 million pounds to sign striker Jonathan Kodjia from second-tier rivals Bristol City.

The two Manchester clubs have been the major players during the transfer window, with Manchester United and Manchester City each reported to have spent close to 150 million pounds on new players.

United set a new world transfer record by spending a reported 89 million pounds to bring French midfielder Paul Pogba back to the club from Juventus.

Jose Mourinho’s side also spent big on Eric Bailly and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, as well as acquiring Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Guardiola has prioritised youth at City, putting his faith in burgeoning talents such as John Stones, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus.

Pep Guardiola will make an emotional Champions League return to Barcelona with Man City

It is the third time in four seasons City have faced the Caltalan Club in Europe and means an emotional return to the Nou Camp for Guardiola who led Barca to 14 trophies in his four years in charge, including two Champions League wins In 2009 and 2011.

Under previous boss Manuel Pellegrini, City were drawn with Barca in the last 16 in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. They lost all four games and had a player sent off in three of the clashes.

But Guardiola will draw on his inside knowledge of the Spanish giants when he seeks revenge for Bayern Munich’s semi-final defeat by Barcelona in 2015.

The draw also means an immediate return to Barca for City’s new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who yesterday completed his £13.75million move to the Etihad as a replacement for the unwanted Joe Hart.
City’s other Group C opponents will be Borussia Monchengladbach, who they beat twice in the group stage last season, and Scottish champions Celtic.
Sporting director Txiki Begiristain, a former Barcelona player and director, said: “For Bravo, Pep, me and Ferran [Soriano, City’s chief executive] it’s back home again – three times in four seasons! At least we know the way!

“It’s a tough draw but it’s better to face Barcelona in the group stage than in the round of 16 like before. We were in the semi-finals last season and we want to get there again.”
In contrast to City, the three other English clubs – Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham – were relatively happy with their draws.
The Foxes are in with Porto, Bruges and Copenhagen; the Gunners face Paris Saint-Germain, Basle and Ludogorets while Spurs are up against CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo closing in on Valencia move

Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is reportedly closing in on a move to Valencia.
The 26-year-old is expected to leave Old Trafford before the end of the transfer window next summer as Jose Mourinho looks to trim his squad.
The Argentine, who has not featured in any of United's matches so far this season, is deemed surplus to requirements by the manager.
Deporte Valenciano reports that Valencia have opened talks with United over a possible €12m (£10.3m) deal, with the Spanish club's owner Peter Lim enjoying a good relationship with the Red Devils.
That would see United make a loss on the figure they paid for Rojo just two years ago, but the club are understood to be willing to take a financial hit in order to get him off their books.
Any move for Rojo to Valencia could also see Shkodran Mustafi complete his switch to Arsenal.

Champions League draw: Premier League champions get Porto

Barcelona are the first team out. Teams from Pot 1 will be drawn first. Leicester out second and go into Group G. Real are the third team drawn. Bayern Munich go into Group D. Portuguese champions Benfica go into Group B. Russia's CSKA Moscow are put into Group E. Paris Saint-Germain go into Group A. Finally Juventus go into Group H.

Okay here is where it gets interesting. Here comes Pot 2. Thierry Henry replaces Clarence Seedorf to help Ian Rush draw the teams.

FC Porto are the first team out in Pot 2. They go into Group G alongside Leicester. Sevilla are next and they go into Group H along with Juventus. Third comes Borussia Dortmund and they are drawn with Real Madrid in Group F. Here comes Arsenal and they get put into Group A along with PSG. Next Napoli get put into Group B with Benfica. The sixth team out are Bayer Leverkusen and they go into Group E with CSKA. That means Atletico Madrid get Bayern Munich and Man City get Barcelona.

Two pots down, two to go. Ruud van Nistelrooy replaces Thierry Henry to assist Ian Rush with the draw for Pot 3. 

The first team out in Pot 3 are Lyon and they go into Pot H. Sporting Lisbon are out next and they go into Group F. Here come Spurs and they are put into Group E. Next Dynamo Kiev are put into Group B. PSV Eindhoven go into Group D. Club Brugge are drawn into Group G alongside Leicester. FC Basel go into Group A. Finally Borussia Monchengladbach go into Group C.

Roberto Carlos is Ian Rush's final helper of the evening to draw Pot 4. First team out are Ludogorets and they go into Group A. Second team out is FC Copenhagen and they go into Group G along with Leicester. Legia Warsaw are next and they go into Group F. Fourth come Monaco and they are drawn into Group E beside Spurs. Dinamo Zagreb go into Group H. FC Rostov are drawn in Group D. Besiktas go into Group B. Finally Celtic get put into Group C along with Man City and Barcelona.

Arsenal close to a new signing – Wenger

Perhaps some good news for Arsenal supporters. Following their goalless draw with Leicester City on Saturday, manager, Arsene Wenger, has revealed that they are close to bringing in a new player. The result leaves the Gunners without a win in their first two league fixtures, after they were beaten 4-3 by Liverpool at the Emirates last Sunday.

“Yes we are close,” he told BT Sport. “But I would say spending in itself is not a quality. Spending and buying the right players is a quality.
“I am a bit fed up to always respond to the same things. We look and analyse absolutely everything and we have to make the right decisions.”

Leicester and Arsenal off the mark with draw

Champions held to a goalless draw by Gunners as both teams earn first point of league season 

Leicester City 0-0 Arsenal

Leicester City and Arsenal are still both looking for their first wins of the season after the two sides shared a goalless draw at the King Power Stadium.

On route to the Premier League trophy last season Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester only failed to score in three matches but were held as both defences stood out, with the Arsenal back line strengthened by the return of Laurent Koscielny. Robert Huth also started for the first time for the defending champions.

Jamie Vardy raced into Arsenal’s penalty box within the first minute and forced a last-ditch clearance from the Arsenal back line. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided Arsenal’s first real opportunity, cutting in from the left and whipping a long range strike narrowly wide of the far post.

Petr Cech raced off his line to block Riyad Mahrez’s sublime through-ball and Leicester’s claims for a penalty when Danny Drinkwater fell under the challenge of Laurent Koscielny were waved away by referee Mark Clattenburg.

Leicester’s hopes were hit when new signing Nampalys Mendy was forced off during the first half after twisting an ankle.

As the match opened up in the second half, Mahrez curled a ferocious free-kick just over the bar before Vardy latched on to Marc Albrighton’s delivery but his shot cannoned well wide.

Arsene Wenger’s men responded with Theo Walcott firing straight at Schmeichel. Their play improved with the arrival as a substitute of Mesut Ozil, who sparked a new attacking intensity.

As the final whistle loomed the home side came closer to scoring. Ahmed Musa collided with Hector Bellerin in the box but his claims for a penalty were turned down.

Cech was called upon once again in the closing stages, smothering a close-range Mahrez effort from the right, as Arsenal, a week after conceding four goals to Liverpool, gained a vital point.

Arsene Wenger Surrenders, Says He's Ready to Spend

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger hit back Thursday at suggestions he is afraid to spend in the transfer market amid concerns the Gunners are losing ground to other leading Premier League clubs. 

The north London club, who were last crowned Premier League champions back in 2004, are estimated to have cash reserves in the region of £200 million ($263 million, 232 million euros).

But their only signing this summer has been that of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka for a reported £30 million from Borussia Moenchengladbach.

That is in stark contrast to the transfer activity elsewhere, including Manchester United’s world-record £89 million move to bring the French midfielder Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford from Juventus amid several signings.

With centre-backs Gabriel and Per Mertesacker injured, veteran French manager Wenger decided against recalling defender Laurent Koscielny, as well as Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil, for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool after they were all involved at Euro 2016.

– Buying not the only way –

As a result, the fledgling partnership of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding started in a 4-3 defeat — a result that raised fresh questions about the strength of Arsenal’s defence and the scope of their ambition amid accusations they’ve ‘settled’ for finishing in the top four and a place in the Champions League

But Wenger, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to champions Leicester City on Saturday, said: “You (the media) are absolutely convinced that I do not want to spend the money, but I reassure you we are ready to spend the money.

“Buying calms the fans, of course, but we have to make sure…it is important to spend money but we have to spend it the right way,” the 66-year-old, in charge of Arsenal since 1996, added.

“What I fight against is to think that the only way in football to deal, is to buy.

“It is right when you need the players and you identify the players and we are not scared to spend money, but to buy in itself is not a quality but to buy the good players is a quality, and I think this club has been built on that.

“We had great success in the last 20 years in improving our structures and the main thing is based on a transfer policy.”

Wenger did try to sign striker Jamie Vardy from Leicester, only for the England forward to decide to sign a new contract with the Midlands club.

“You have to respect the decisions of people and that’s part of it and I think on every transfer market you have one or two who have decisions to make and you have to respect them,” he said.

“I don’t think he has something special against us, I don’t see why he would.”

Arsenal beat Leicester home and away last season but still finished 10 points behind the shock champions.

Leicester started the defence of their Premier League crown with a surprise 2-1 loss away to Hull City last weekend and Wenger said: “The challenge for them is to do well again and to show that their last year was not a one-off.

“They need to be capable of challenging and will need to be to show if they can be considered as one of the top teams in England.”

After losing the opening game, Wenger says, ‘We’re not ready,’

Arsene Wenger

 

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said his team were not physically ready for the Premier League season after opening the campaign with a chaotic 4-3 defeat at home to Liverpool.

With Per Mertesacker and Gabriel injured and Laurent Koscielny short of match fitness, Wenger deployed Calum Chambers, 21, and 20-year-old debutant Rob Holding at centre-back in Saturday’s game.

Like Koscielny, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil are returning to fitness after Euro 2016 and to compound matters, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi were both forced off by injury in the second half.

“Physically we are not ready,” Wenger told reporters at the Emirates Stadium.

“You are in a Catch 22 situation with the Euros — do you give the players a rest and start the season without many of your players? Or do they play in this kind of game and get injured, like Ramsey today?

“We had many players that played very late in the Euros. Ramsey, Koscielny, Ozil, Giroud, they went to the semi-finals (at least). We had four players who went very late.”

Arsenal visit defending champions Leicester City on Saturday and Wenger is unsure whether Koscielny, Ozil and Giroud will be ready to return to action at the King Power Stadium.

“We will try, but when they have not enough preparation, they get injured,” he said.

“We have to be ready next week because we go to Leicester. But we’ll see first what we can do with the players who are preparing at the moment and how many players are injured today.

“Can they recover for next week? I don’t know. But we are not stupid. We prepared well the players we have in, but I think you have to consider we have been a bit unlucky as well.

“We have lost Mertesacker and Gabriel in preparation, and Koscielny is not fit. You have to sometimes accept that you cannot control absolutely everything, even if you try to be as intelligent as possible.”

Ramsey, who reached the semi-finals with Wales at Euro 2016, went off in the 61st minute after injuring his hamstring, two minutes after Nigeria forward Iwobi had succumbed to a thigh problem.

Both players will undergo tests on Monday.

– ‘Wonderful goals’ –

The afternoon had started brightly for Arsenal as Theo Walcott atoned for having allowed Simon Mignolet to save his penalty by drilling the hosts in front in the 31st minute.

But Philippe Coutinho equalised on the brink of half-time with a sumptuous 25-yard free-kick and Arsenal never regained their composure.

Liverpool added brilliantly taken goals by Adam Lallana, Coutinho again and debutant Sadio Mane in the second half.

Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Chambers replied for Arsenal, but Liverpool gathered themselves to close out the win.

Visiting manager Jurgen Klopp blamed himself for his team’s lapses in concentration, saying that his exuberant reaction to Mane’s goal in the 63rd minute had made his players feel the game was already won.

Klopp has been tipped to lead Liverpool into title contention this season, but he said it was far too early to start thinking about silverware.

“It’s a little bit like our behaviour after 4-1, or my behaviour,” said the German.

“If you celebrate too early, life gives you always a knock.”

While Klopp applauded the quality of his team’s attacking football, he warned that they will not achieve anything this season if they do not learn to defend more cohesively.

“The game was intense for all of us. We made our mistakes together and we scored wonderful goals,” he said.

“That’s really important. It gives us on one side confidence and the knowledge that we can score goals. On the other side, there’s no alternative to defend together.

“Only then you have a chance in the Premier League. 4-3 is obviously a spectacular result, but it’s not the result you want to have a lot of times in a season.

“When you’re good enough to score four goals, you need to avoid (conceding) three.”

Arsenal want Lewandowski & Griezmann

Arsenal are targeting ambitious moves for Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann.

Arsenal bid for Mahrez rejected

Arsenal have seen a bid of £30 million rejected by Leicester City for winger Riyad Mahrez, though the Gunners are set to improve their offer.

Wenger admits guilt over Arsenal’s failure to win EPL

Arsene Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed “regret and guilt” at his side’s failure to beat shock champions Leicester City to last season’s Premier League title.

Wenger’s side finished runners-up, 10 points adrift of Leicester, who were 5,000/1 outsiders for the title at one stage.

For many fans of Arsenal, it was yet another missed opportunity under Wenger, who last guided the north London side to the Premier League crown back in 2004.

Now the veteran French manager expects the new season, which gets underway this weekend, to be one of the most competitive ever, with English football’s top flight playing host to a “world championship of managers” in Jose Mourinho (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Antonio Conte (Chelsea) and Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool).

“Who expected Leicester to be champion last season? Nobody,” Wenger told Sky Sports on Wednesday.

“So you would say today to take into account seven or eight teams who can win it.

“There is always a surprising team, and then you have six or seven big clubs who have the ambition to win it,” added Wenger, in charge of Arsenal since 1996.

“All the big clubs experienced last season a regret and a feeling of guilt but that would take something away from Leicester, who had an exceptional season.

“When you lose only three games in a season in a difficult league like that, you are a fantastic champion.

“(There is) guilt because you would not have predicted Leicester win the league, so all the other teams would say ‘We should have come in front of Leicester’.

“You would understand you could lose against City, United, Liverpool or Tottenham — not Tottenham! (he joked in a reference to Arsenal’s arch local rivals) — the other big clubs, but you should beat Leicester.

“But they had an exceptional season and you have to congratulate them.”

Looking ahead, Wenger added: “It’s a very exciting season, there are so many ambitions out there. It’s a little bit of a world championship of managers.

“Let’s not be naive, the economic power of the Premier League attracts the best players and the best managers. If you want quality people, you have to pay the amount of money.

“Today the Premier League is the most powerful as well as the most attractive and maybe the most popular in the world.

“Every manager thinks today, ‘If I want to be recognised as a top manager, I have to go through the Premier League’.”