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The Blues rather surprisingly took the decision to part with a two-time Premier League title winner in 2017, with Antonio Conte opting to freeze the Spain international out of his plans. In the wake of his return to Atletico Madrid, those at Stamford Bridge have struggled to build on their past successes – with Alvaro Morata struggling to fill some big boots. Arsenal, meanwhile, have also regressed and will be charged with the task of trying to contain former domestic foe Costa in a Europa League semi-final second leg clash on Thursday....

Cody Gakpo is currently having a stellar season in the Netherlands. The forward has scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 42 appearances for PSV across all competitions. Gakpo recently scored in the KNVB Cup final against Ajax as PSV won the game 2-1. According to the aforementioned source, his form in Eredivisie has caught the eye of Arsenal. The Gunners are expected to be in the market for a new attacking option due to having limited forward options....

The visitors appeared on course to make it five wins in a row in all competitions thanks to Per Mertesacker’s first-half goal - only to concede twice in a dramatic final 20 minutes at Vicarage Road. Newcastle 7/2 to beat Southampton Deeney equalised from the spot after Hector Bellerin was adjudged to have fouled Richarlison inside the area, a decision Arsene Wenger branded “scandalous” in his post-match interview ....

Nicholas, who played for both clubs in his playing career, thinks the former Liverpool boss has boosted his reputation since taking the Celtic job ahead of the 2016-17 season. Wenger is facing an uncertain future at Emirates Stadium, with his contract due to expire at the end of the campaign. The Frenchman says he has made his decision on his future, but is yet to announce it publicly. Whether or not Wenger ultimately goes this season or in the future, Nicholas thinks Rodgers should be in the conversation to replace him when the time comes....

By defeating Real, Atléti might also defeat the idea that reckless spending paves a path to glory. Sadly, however, shorn of Costa and exhausted in the waning minutes, Atléti couldn’t hold out against Real’s relentless assault as goals from Ramos, Bale, Marcelo, and Ronaldo sealed a 10th Champions League title. However, there’s still something in this saga for us to study. Being an Arsenal fan, I only watch other clubs’ matches to see what I can glean from them as far as tactics to prepare for and players to pursue....

Wenger stunned the footballing world on Friday when he announced he will leave the Premier League club at the end of the season after nearly 22 years in charge. Podolski - who spent two-and-a-half years working under the Frenchman at the Emirates Stadium - is intrigued to see what direction his former employers go in as they begin their search for a new manager. The World Cup winner believes Carlo Ancelotti is an ideal candidate if Arsenal, who appointed German Sven Mislintat as head of recruitment last November, want someone with experience - but could see them instead looking for a younger option to take charge....

However, this usually comes at a cost. The Surface Pro X has used a custom version of the original Snapdragon 8cx across two generations, but the cheapest you’ll find it is £929/US$999.99 via the Microsoft Store. This is fairly typical of the Windows on Snapdragon market as a whole – you’ll be hard-pressed to find an affordable device that can compete with similarly-priced devices powered Intel or AMD chips. While performance and app compatibility have improved significantly in recent years, they still fall short of regular PCs in most cases....

The Human Rights Association in Turkey filed the complaint against the independent lawmaker Ümit Özdağ, who engaged in a Twitter spat with Garo Paylan, a Turkish politician of Armenian descent. On April 24, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Biden said: “Each year on this day, we remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide.” The government in Yerevan celebrated the president’s comments, but they sparked a rebuke from Ankara....

After initially debuting as Michael McGillicutty, the 40-year-old returned in 2013 as the repackaged Curtis Axel. His first name came from his father, Curt, and his surname was created to pay homage to his grandfather, Larry “The Axe” Hennig. WWE referenced Axel’s father, Mr. Perfect, on multiple occasions after he was repackaged, most notably when he won the Intercontinental Championship at the Payback 2013 pay-per-view on Father’s Day. However, as the years went on, the recently released Superstar portrayed various comedy characters, including a Hulk Hogan impersonator and an over-the-top member of The Social Outcasts and The B-Team....

For a long time a new year visit to Manchester City on January 3 had the makings of a title decider, but Liverpool now have margin for error with a six-point lead at the top of the table. Tottenham are Liverpool’s closest challengers with City slipping down to third and seven points adrift after three defeats in their last four league games. That is more than the six points Liverpool have dropped all season so far as Jurgen Klopp’s men remain unbeaten....

The early signs seemed to suggest that history would repeat itself, as Arsenal displayed much more attacking intent in the early exchanges. Their efforts were rewarded in the 21st minute as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired them into lead, tucking away Bukayo Saka’s inviting cross. Leicester showed some quality in their passing play and posed the occasional threat, but failed to trouble the Arsenal back line in the first half, with the absence of regular fullbacks Ricardo Pereira and Ben Chilwell proving to be a big miss for the away side....

He turned in a rather pedestrian 80% pass accuracy, so I’m sure that the Piers Morgans of the world will point out that they don’t understand what people see in him. Everyone’s entitled to having their opinions, of course, but not every opinion is entitled to being had. However, tempting as it is to gush yet again over Ramsey’s form, let’s not neglect the man of the hour, Serge Gnabry, player of 271 minutes of competitive football in the last seven days, and, more importantly, scorer of his first Premier League goal....

Neil Swarbrick will instead referee the fixture as second-placed Spurs, who are chasing a first league title since 1961, look to close the seven point gap on leaders Leicester City. “I am surprised and disappointed. It questions the integrity of the referee and sets a dangerous precedent,” Wenger told reporters on Friday. “The solution is you don’t look where they come from and who they support, you just pick the best referees....

In case you didn’t know… The 22-year-old joined the club in a move that cost Arsenal £26 million over the summer and has been phenomenal for the Gunners, having established himself as a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield. The Uruguayan midfielder scored his debut goal for the club in Arsenal’s thumping derby win over neighbours Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. Torreira then added another goal to his tally during the Gunners’ victory over Huddersfield on Saturday....

The Gunners are not willing to pay the French club’s asking price of £44 million, though they remain confident that they can sign the 20-year-old in the summer. Tottenham have also been linked with the exciting forward. Read the full story on Goal! Dortmund adamant no Auba deal done Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may be being strongly linked with Arsenal, but Borussia Dortmund consider the rumours to be “rubbish”. The Gabon international has emerged as a top target for the Gunners during the January transfer window, with Arsene Wenger eager to find another proven threat in the final third as Alexis Sanchez edges towards the exits....

Some Gunners supporters protested against the Frenchman, who is out of contract at the end of the season, prior to Tuesday’s humiliating 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich at Emirates Stadium, which sealed a 10-2 aggregate demise in the Champions League’s round of 16. Fans should target Kroenke not Wenger Chairman Chips Keswick released a statement on Thursday acknowledging the grievances of supporters, while Wenger himself has confirmed the clamour for him to go may influence his thinking when he decides whether or not to consider a contract extension....

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka provided the something blue at his own big day, marrying partner Leonita Lekaj in an eye-catching blue tuxedo, slip-on shoes and no socks! ‘Arsenal give Lacazette more credibility’ Both the Switzerland international and his partner are of Kosovar Albanian background, and lived together in Germany during Xhaka’s time at Borussia Monchengladbach before he sealed a £30 million switch to the Premier League. After an initial slow start at the Emirates Xhaka became a key part of Arsene Wenger’s side and played 32 league games last season, scoring twice....

The Gunners lost both legs of the last-16 tie by a 5-1 scoreline. The German champions essentially put the tie away in the first leg at the Allianz Arena on Feb. 15 before furthering Arsenal’s misery at the Emirates on Tuesday. Walcott surpasses Ronaldo and Zidane Bayern Munich hold the record for the largest margin of victory in the Champions League knockout phase by virtue of a 12-1 aggregate win over Sporting Lisbon in the 2009 round of 16....

The Gunners’ official media channels have listed the lineup in a 3-4-3 formation, with Alex Iwobi featuring in central midfield and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at wing-back. Arsenal -1 13/8 with dabblebet It is possible, however, that Arsenal will revert to 4-2-3-1 with Hector Bellerin dropping into right-back and Maitland-Niles and Mohamed Elneny screening the defence. Either way, Alexis will play off Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott is also among Arsene Wenger’s attacking weapons....

MORE: Bradley blasts refs | Chambers agrees to Arsenal move For some of the American fans in attendance, the real draw was the Arsenal teenager Gedion Zelalem, who could one day suit up for the U.S. national team, if he chooses the USA over Germany. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gave U.S. fans their first good glimpse of the 17-year-old midfielder, handing him a start in Saturday’s friendly. Zelalem didn’t really dazzle, but he was active playing as a right-sided midfielder....