arsenal Archives - A Different League

Three Key Takeaways from the First Gameweek of the New Premier League Season

September 14, 2020 James Hill

The new Premier League season got underway over the weekend and despite we’re yet to see both Manchester clubs and Chelsea in action, there were several key takeaways from the opening fixtures. I highlight the three most notable ones separately and also share my thoughts on how they can affect the teams involved. Arsenal’s Debutants Impress The Gunners started their Premier League campaign with a tricky visit to Scott Parker’s Fulham side but romped to a convincing 3-0 victory. Fulham did look menacing in the opening stages, however, Mikel Arteta’s…

Who Will Make the Premier League Top Four Next Season?

September 8, 2020 James Hill

The Premier League is set to return this weekend and as always, one of the most discussed topics is the race to the top four. Securing the Champions League seems to be more important than ever for the top six clubs in the country and with the whirlwind season that awaits us, the race promises to be the most competitive one we’ve seen in a while. In this post, I lay out an early prediction on which four clubs have the best chance of clinching a spot in the Top…

The Latest Premier League Transfers and How The Players Will Fit In

September 2, 2020September 2, 2020 Domingo Rosa

After a relatively quiet Monday on the Premier League transfers front, yesterday brought about news regarding three deals that all look like major coups for the clubs involved. In this post, I review each of the signings separately and then share a brief player profile and how I think they will do at their new clubs. So, let’s get started with the Gunners’ latest capture and move on to two more transfer bombshells. Gabriel Magalhaes to Arsenal After signing Willian from Chelsea on a free, Arsenal has secured another Brazillian…

What Can We Expect from the 2020 Community Shield Match?

August 28, 2020 James Hill

Premier League champions Liverpool and FA Cup holders Arsenal will be going head-to-head this weekend at the traditional Community Shield matchup at Wembley Stadium. During the years, the match has gained the reputation of being a friendly game more than a competitive outing but it’s nevertheless a chance to pick up some silverware and go into the season on a high. Both clubs have won the Community Shield trophy 15 times but the Merseyside Reds haven’t laid their hands on it since 2006 while Arsenal added to their tally three…

Is Philippe Coutinho the Right Fit for Arteta’s Arsenal?

August 14, 2020August 14, 2020 James Hill

Philippe Coutinho and Mikel Arteta Arsenal

It was always going to be a busy summer for Arsenal and today they announced their first transfer after Chelsea winger Willian signed with the North London club. Gunners fans are quite split on the matter but there’s no denying that the Brazilian is a seasoned Premier League veteran with a hard-working attitude that could be an asset for any top team. Whether or not Willian will make it at Arsenal remains to be seen but there is another topic that is creating much more buzz around the Emirates. It’s…

What Could Winning the FA Cup Mean for Mikel Arteta’s Tenure as Arsenal Manager?

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 James Hill

Things were looking pretty gloomy at Emirates Stadium with Unai Emery at the helm and despite the initial excitement of appointing former player Mikel Arteta to take over his Spanish compatriot, there were still a lot question marks around the direction of the club. Arteta had been Pep Guardiola’s understudy for several years and his impeccable professionalism and a steady mentality as a player made him a great choice on paper. However, no one could say whether he will be able to withstand the pressure of managing at a top-level…

Should Arsenal Get Rid of Mesut Ozil?

July 31, 2020July 31, 2020 James Hill

Arsenal’s Premier League season is over but the Gunners still have an FA Cup final against Chelsea to look forward to tomorrow. And it looks like their highest earner Mesut Ozil will once again not feature. The German has been completely frozen by new manager Mikel Arteta, and although the coach has cited back problems as the reason, it is apparent that he doesn’t trust Ozil to be the driving force of his offense. The situation seems to have reached a boiling point and it is bound to explode soon…

2019/2020 Premier League Recap and a Look to Next Season

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020 James Hill

Yesterday saw the conclusion of the 2019/2020 Premier League campaign and what a year it was! The hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic was unprecedented and the big headline was Liverpool finally delivering the EPL trophy after a 30-year wait. However, there are quite a few other key aspects that marked the year and this is what I will concentrate on in this post. We now know which teams will be competing in the Champions League next season and who failed to retain their Premier League status. There is a…

Who Will Win the 2020 FA Cup Final?

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 James Hill

A few weeks back, the FA decided on staging the 2020 FA Cup Final on August 1st. In this unprecedented time, it was not always certain that the competition would be concluded, but luckily we are going to see yet another final of football’s oldest competition take place at Wembley Stadium. We’re in for another London derby as Arsenal and Chelsea proved to be a cut above the rest of the competitors and will be gearing up for their third FA Cup Final bout in the history of the two…

Is Aubameyang Truly a World-Class Striker?

July 8, 2020July 8, 2020 James Hill

Arsenal’s Ghabonese talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored his 20th Premier League goal of the campaign when he netted yesterday against Leicester City. This made him only the second Arsenal player to score 20 goals for the club in consecutive seasons which is a terrific achievement in and of itself. Aubameyang is adored by the Arsenal faithful and it is evident that Mikel Arteta relies a lot on the forward. Not only because of his goalscoring ability but because he is seemingly a very important figure in the dressing room. I definitely…

Why a Move to the Premier League Makes Sense for Thomas Partey

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020 James Hill

Rumours about an impending transfer of Thomas Partey to the Premier League are heating up this week and in this post, I take the time to highlight the player’s skill set and share my thoughts on whether the league will suit him. Arsenal is said to be the frontrunners to bag the Ghanian enforcer but there are other clubs in the running who could very much use his talents in their respective squads. Let’s start off with a brief overview of what Partey can bring to the EPL. What Type…

Was Arsenal Right to Hand David Luiz a New Contract?

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020 James Hill

Arsenal, David Luiz, Mikel Arteta, Raul Sanllehi, Edu Gaspar

Arsenal was one of the clubs I was looking forward to seeing play the most once the league restarted. Mikel Arteta’s appointment definitely had a positive effect on the players and the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium as a whole. It was evident that the Spaniard has a lot of work ahead of him to put the Gunners back among the top spots in the Premier League but there’s no doubt that the first signs since he took over have been quite positive. Unfortunately for Arsenal’s faithful, the team didn’t get…

What Should Teams in the Top 4 Race Do to Clinch a Champions League Spot?

May 26, 2020May 26, 2020 James Hill

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur Logos

Despite all the uncertainty that looms over the remainder of the Premier League season, we’re bound to get back to action sooner rather than later. And one of the first questions that come to mind is what is going to happen in the Top 4 race. The battle for the Champions League places has defined the recent years in the competition and this season promises to produce one of the most exciting conclusions of we’ve witnessed in modern history. We are yet to see what exactly will happen to Manchester…

Latest Champions League and Europa League Odds After the Draws

December 20, 2019December 20, 2019 James Hill

We now know the draw for the first round of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League eliminations. That means the online bookmakers have released updated odds on each team winning the respective competition. Let’s first take a look at the draws and then assess the odds for a few of the leading teams. UEFA Champions League Last 16 Draw Borussia Dortmund (GER) vs. Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) Real Madrid (ESP) vs. Manchester City (ENG) Atalanta (ITA) vs. Valencia (ESP) Atlético Madrid (ESP) vs. Liverpool (ENG) Chelsea (ENG) vs. Bayern Munich…

Arsenal close to two signings, bid confirmed

July 16, 2019July 16, 2019 Vyom Chaudhary

According to the latest reports, Arsenal are inching closer to two major signings in the transfer window. Reports emanating from Spain claims that the Gunners are set to complete a year-long loan deal for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos. The loan deal wouldn’t include any purchase option. The 22-year-old was also linked with a move to Tottenham, but major Spain publications AS and MARCA are reporting that the player prefers to work under Unai Emery at Arsenal. As per another report, the Gunners are close to wrap up the signing…

Arsenal struggle to sell unwanted players

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019 Vyom Chaudhary

It’s a very important summer for Arsenal manager Unai Emery as he attempts to fix his squad ahead of the next season. Following a rather disappointing end to the last season, the pressure is on the Spaniard and his dealings this summer could go a long way in deciding his future at the club. However, a meagre £45m transfer budget means that Emery must sell some of his players to facilitate recruitments. Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi are two names who feature prominently on the list. But it doesn’t look…

Arsenal target interested in a move to London & more

June 16, 2019June 16, 2019 Vyom Chaudhary

Lorient’s young forward Alexis Claude-Maurice is a player in demand this summer transfer window. According to the report from Sky Sports, a source close to the players has claimed that clubs like Borussia Monchengladbach, RB Leipzig, Lyon, Lille, Monaco, Marseille, Sevilla, Brighton, Newcastle United, and West Ham United have registered interest in the player. However, the same report also mentions that the France U20 international favours a move to Arsenal. The North London side are also one of the sides wanting to sign him, and reportedly, the Gunners have already…

Several Arsenal players facing exodus after the Europa League debacle

May 30, 2019 Vyom Chaudhary

Arsenal are still reeling following their embarrassing defeat to Chelsea in the final of Europa League. Gunners’ spectacular collapse in the second half has left a lot of questions hanging over the squad, and it is clear that a lot of Arsenal careers have come to an end. Manager Unai Emery also made this very clear following the game, when he said that some of his players would need to leave in the summer. “Our idea is to continue to carry on and improve with the young players that have…

Chelsea explain Sarri’s outburst

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 Vyom Chaudhary

Earlier today, Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri stormed out of his side’s training session ahead of their Europa League final with Arsenal on Wednesday. The incident took place during a training session open to media in Baku, and it quickly went viral all over the internet. At first, many football fans assumed that the Italian’s reaction was due to Gonzalo Higuain and David Luiz coming to blows in training just minutes before. However, a Chelsea spokesperson has dismissed this story and has claimed that Sarri’s reaction was not down to any…

Emery’s Arsenal gradually click into gear

December 5, 2018December 5, 2018 Adl Admin

Successive finishes in the English Premier League outside the top – four indicated that there was the need for change at Arsenal. Their supporters, because of too many inept performances, especially defensively, had lost belief, faith and trust in Arsene Wenger. To succeed him, there were many candidates listed in the betting at ladbrokes, including former players Mikel Arteta and Patrick Viera or Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. Instead of any of them, the challenge of replacing Wenger was assigned to Unai Emery. The scale of the job ahead of him, to make…

No top 4 finish for Arsenal according to the bookies

September 21, 2018 Adl Admin

Arsenal currently sit seventh in the Premier League table after a turbulent start to this season’s campaign. Despite the Gunners only being three points behind Watford in fourth place and having three straight wins, the bookies are already ruling out a top 4 finish. Sure, it kicked off quite badly, with losses to Man City and Chelsea in the two first games. But since then, Arsenal have beaten West Ham at home and claimed two strong away wins against the likes of Cardiff and Newcastle. Yet, the odds for Arsenal,…

Who will win the Premier League 2018/19?

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018 Vyom Chaudhary

The FIFA World Cup is over, and now it’s time for some good-old club football. The Premier League 2018-19 season kicks off with Leicester City’s trip to Manchester United on 11th August. Football fans are eagerly waiting for the real action to begin and to see their favourite clubs fight it out for the Premier League trophy. It makes for an interesting season, and we expect a very interesting battle for the league and for top four places. Here’s a glimpse at top contenders and their chances of winning the…

Arsenal fail with a late bid for Fabinho, but signs look positive for the transfer window

May 29, 2018 Vyom Chaudhary

Liverpool have made a huge statement in the transfer market by signing central midfielder Fabinho from Monaco for a transfer fee of £45m. Fabinho was linked with almost all major sides in Premier League over the course of last season, and his signing is a major coup for the Reds. However, there was a late twist in Fabinho’s move to Merseyside as Sky Sports has claimed that Arsenal made a last-minute attempt to hijack Liverpool’s move for the midfielder. The Gunners certainly missed out on a great opportunity to sign a…

Manchester City ahead of the competition in pursuit of Serie A midfielder

May 19, 2018 Vyom Chaudhary

Napoli midfielder Jorginho is attracting interests from multiple Premier League sides this summer, according to the latest report in the Daily Mirror. As per the report, Jorginho’s agent, Joao Santos, has confirmed on Radio station CRC in Brazil that the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in his client. The Mirror quotes him as saying: “I’m in Brazil, nobody called me from Naples, but English teams have called me, Liverpool, Manchester City, but also Arsenal and Chelsea.” However, the whole situation gets quite murky when you…

Chelsea battle with Arsenal in pursuit of midfielder

May 16, 2018 Vyom Chaudhary

Chelsea’s pursuit of Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri is under threat as London-rivals Arsenal have also joined the race for the 26-year-old. Sky Sports claims that the Gunners have already held discussions with the representatives of Seri regarding a summer move. Arsenal’s director of football, Raul Sanllehi, is reportedly leading the negotiations for the Ivory Coast international. Sanllehi rates Seri highly and nearly signed him for Barcelona last summer. Reports suggest that the former Barcelona man still enjoys a good working relationship with Seri’s camp. However, Arsenal still have a long…