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Arsenal 1-0 Brighton 48 mins:  There’s been a coming together here between Veltman and Rice and the home crowd are chanting for a dismissal. But it’s Rice who has been sent off! I need to see a replay here... 2 MINUTES AGO Arsenal 1-0 Brighton 47 mins:  A fast start to the second period from Arsenal, with a lovely back-heel from Timber after Trossard’s scooped ball to the byline hit by Rice and deflected over by Hinshelwood inside the six-yard box. The subsequent corner deflects off the head of Dunk before being sent wide by a leaping Gabriel. 4 MINUTES AGO Arsenal 1-0 Brighton Back underway at the Emirates! No changes from either manager at the break. Can Arsenal put this game to bed? Arsenal 1-0 Brighton Here is that fine lofted finish from Havertz that has given Arsenal the half-time lead. He just loves playing at the Emirates. Just what was Dunk doing there? 16 MINUTES AGO Arsenal 1-0 Brighton Standard Sport’s Simon Collings at the E...

Arsenal granted massive Raheem Sterling transfer green light as Chelsea outcast agrees move Arsenal are now pushing hard to get the signing of Raheem Sterling over the line before the transfer window closes for business at 11pm with the unwanted Chelsea winger making clear his thoughts on the move to Mikel Arteta and Edu. The 82-times capped England winger has been frozen out of the first-team picture at Stamford Bridge after a plethora of new arrivals left him on the sidelines. And when his agent criticised new boss Enzo Maresca for leaving Sterling out of his matchday squad for their Premeir League opener at home to Manchester City, the writing was on the wall at Chelsea. Efforts to move him on though have not been easy. Sterling is contracted to Stamford Bridge for another three years and earns huge £325,000 a week wages – a package that all of his suitors are seemingly struggling to match. However, that has not stopped interest in acquiring the winger from materialising wit...

Full truth emerges in shock Darwin Nunez to Arsenal claims, with Liverpool stance clear after Chiesa deal nears The truth behind stunning claims Arsenal could make a late move for Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has emerged. Arsenal  have explored signing a striker this summer, with moves for the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Victor Osimhen looked into.  Liverpool , meanwhile, don’t lack for top quality options in the final third. Indeed, new manager Arne Slot can call upon Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez. But despite boasting that embarrassment of riches, the Reds have decided to proceed with a move to bring Juventus forward Federico Chiesa on board too. The latest on that deal  can be found here . As such, Liverpool may soon have six established options competing for three positions. The inevitability is at least one of those players will feature far less than they expect. If Liverpool’s first two games under Slot ar...

Arsenal transfer OFF after U-turn on star’s sale, but second exit finalised on favourable terms Arsenal have decided to keep an exit-linked star despite interest from two clubs and concerns over his game-time, though a second exit on favourable terms is roaring towards completion. With Mikel Merino announced as Arsenal’s newest recruit on Tuesday, the remainder of the summer transfer window at the Emirates is likely to revolve around exits. Ar senal  do have an agreement in place with Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia. However, the 23-year-old will only arrive if Aaron Ramsdale is offloaded. Elsewhere, the future of  Jakub Kiwior  looked like it would lay away from north London following the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori. Calafiori effectively represents a direct upgrade on Kiwior, with both players left-footed defenders who can play left-back or left centre-back. Furthermore, the return to fitness of Jurrien Timber – who started at left-back in the 2-0 victory over A...

Eddie Howe speaks out on Liverpool interest in Anthony Gordon as late transfer swoop mooted Newcastle star Anthony Gordon is a confirmed target for Liverpool and Magpies boss Eddie Howe hasn’t ruled out a late move for the winger. The 23-year-old, who joined Newcastle from the Reds’ local rivals Everton, had the best campaign of his career last term and is a vital cog in Howe’s squad. Gordon notched an impressive 12 goals and 11 assists last season and was deservedly rewarded with a spot in England’s Euro 2024 squad by Gareth Southgate. The winger helped the Magpies clinch a point against Bournemouth on Sunday, scoring an equaliser in the 76th minute. Gordon’s performances have caught the attention of Liverpool, who are looking to bring in a long-term replacement for top talisman Mo Salah. Before the PSR deadline that forced Newcastle into selling players, Liverpool had agreed a deal that would’ve seen Gordon join them for £75m and Joe Gomez sign for the M...

Liverpool to hold transfer meeting today as Reds scramble to secure LaLiga star Liverpool are still eager to secure some big signings in the current transfer window despite the club so far failing to bring in any players thus far and time running out to get any deals done. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool remain confident of securing the signature of Valencia stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Reds have no reason to engage in any panic buying given the strong squad that Arne Slot has inherited from Jurgen Klopp but would like to add to their goalkeeper options to give Alisson genuine competition for the No 1 berth. Caomhin Kelleher has been on the bench for the opening two matches of the Premier League campaign but the Irishman wants to be a regular starter and could still move away from Anfield this season, although it would seem that such a deal would be contingent on the arrival of a new goalkeeper. Liverpool have called former Under-21 keepe...

GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Brentford | Luis Diaz 13' Brentford’s turn to see if they can threaten from a corner. Into the six-yard box, Wissa can’t make contact and now Liverpool are flying forward on the count. It’s Jota, through to Diaz... brilliant finish! That was ruthless. 3 MINUTES AGO Dom Smith at Anfield Slow, methodical start to the match by Liverpool, this. Mac Allister seeing a lot of the ball in the middle of the park but struggling to pass through Brentford, who are set up very compactly. The Bees look a threat on the break, though, with Wissa and Mbeumo hoping to prove as dangerous as they did in last weekend's 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. 3 MINUTES AGO Liverpool 0-0 Brentford 10 mins:  Salah loses the ball... Salah wins it back. All fairly controlled from Liverpool so far, nothing much to trouble Brentford yet. Not much pace. Corner for the hosts swung towards Jota, Wissa heads it away to safety and now he can lead the break. Liverpool get plenty of sh...

Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal | 84 mins The energy has been drained right out of Villa Park, away end aside. Jacob Ramsey is then played in to try and change that... a wonderful William Saliba tackle wrecks his chance. 5 MINUTES AGO Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal | 80 mins Jurrien Timber departs for Riccardo Calafiori’s Arsenal debut. Then it has to be three! Martin Odegaard blazes a huge chance over after Declan Rice’s cutback. 8 MINUTES AGO GGOOOAAALLL!! Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal | Partey, 77' THOMAS PARTEY FOR TWO! A hit from range beats Emi Martinez and the Gunners are heading for three big points.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal | 70 mins The key to that was Martin Odegaard’s overhit pass being narrowly kept in by Bukayo Saka. His cross bounced off Morgan Rogers’ poor touch and Leandro Trossard did the rest... Simon Collings at Villa Park: Arsenal starting to get a bit ragged and Villa on top. Arteta's side need to find a way to wrestle some control back. 5 MINUTES AGO GGGOOOAALLL!! Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal | Trossard, 67' HOW’S THAT FOR AN ENTRANCE!? Leandro Trossard finds the bottom corner after a cross reaches the Belgian unmarked. Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal | 66 mins Aston Villa again go close, Ezri Konsa flicking a header on at the near post... it evades his teammates and the post. 7 MINUTES AGO Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal | 65 mins Big chance for Arsenal now as Bukayo Saka gets in behind, he tries to round the keeper when he has to shoot first time. Emi Martinez mops up. Replays show he was offside anyway. Jhon Duran is on for Villa, Ollie Watkins off. He sh...

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal | 5 mins Amadou Onana looks fine but, as a head injury, the Villa medics take plenty of care with checking the big Belgian over. He’ll trot to the sideline before being allowed back on as play restarts. Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal | 3 mins Still some issues in the radio link between one of the linesmen and the referee, fortunately he has a big flag he can wave if something’s amiss. Amadou Onana requires treatment after a collision with Jurrien Timber. Looks like a stray shoulder caught him on the face. Simon Collings at Villa Park: Huge cheers from the Villa fans for Emi Martinez - who the Stadium Announcer describes as "the world's No1". He loves a game against his old club. Aston Villa vs Arsenal | Kick-off! Before we begin, applause for a number of former Villa players lost ahead of this, their first home game of the season. Five or so minutes late, the hosts get the ball rolling! 8 MINUTES AGO Kick-off delay Sk...

Liverpool, Newcastle shattered by Marc Guehi update but massive double Palace swoop keeps hopes alive Newcastle and Liverpool look increasingly likely to miss out on a deal for Marc Guehi after Crystal Palace accepted an offer to sell Joachim Anderson to Fulham – though confirmation from Fabrizio Romano that the Eagles have moved for two defensive targets of their own does keep their faint hopes of a deal for the England defender alive. Guehi was already regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest defenders before this summer’s European Championships, where the failure of Harry Maguire to make the squad allowed the Crystal Palace defender to take centre stage – an opportunity he did not let pass him by. Indeed, Guehi was the Three Lions’ most outstanding performer of the tournament as Gareth Southgate and Co fell one hurdle short once again, suffering a 2-1 loss to Spain in the final. Since those performances, demand for Guehi‘s services has been higher than ever, w...

Arsenal left in horror by new Mikel Merino transfer demands as Fabrizio Romano provides big update Fabrizio Romano insists all remains on course for Arsenal to finalise the signing of Mikel Merino in what could be one of two final deals the Gunners complete this summer and despite worrying new claims from Spain that Real Sociedad have significantly raised the stakes over the transfer. The Gunners began the new season in dominant fashion, picking up a relatively-comfortable 2-0 win over Wolves courtesy of goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka. The Germany star looks likely to be trusted with a more central striker’s role this season after a fine debut season for Arsenal, with his performances likely to see Mikel Arteta shelve his plans to acquire a new striker. Instead, much of the focus this summer has been on strengthening in three other areas; the first of those – the left side of the defence – ticked off by the £42m signing of Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna. ...

‘I would not rule out…’: Fabrizio Romano drops Liverpool transfer update 11 days before summer window closes Fabrizio Romano has refused to rule out Liverpool making some movements in the summer window before the market shuts on August 30. The Merseysiders came painfully close to agreeing a deal with Real Sociedad to bring Martin Zubimendi to Anfield. Unfortunately, La Real’s charm offensive proved the winning argument, with the Spaniard set to remain in San Sebastian for the foreseeable future. However, that won’t be enough to stop Richard Hughes and Co. from examining the options available elsewhere. “I think it’s still an open situation at Liverpool [for transfers]. I would not rule out Liverpool going in the market. They always keep repeating in public and private that they will only invest in players if they are 100% convinced,”  the  CaughtOffside  columnist spoke on the  Here We Go podcast . “Otherwise they believe they have a very good squ...

Liverpool done deal with Mamardashvili as Goncalo Inacio talks open in ideal August Liverpool’s available credit in the transfer market is quickly diminishing after failed attempts to land Leny Yoro, Anthony Gordon and, now, Martin Zubimendi. To give credit where credit is due to new sporting director Richard Hughes, he could hardly be blamed for the latter’s u-turn after having initially given his word to the club. However, with both prior aforementioned targets, the club has taken a hard line over transfer fees that could very well leave us short-handed ahead of the new campaign. The Merseysiders haven’t been inactive since that point; Valencia’s Giorgi Mamardashvili looks increasingly set to make a permanent move to Anfield. Albeit, via a potential loan spell to fellow Premier League outfit Bournemouth. What do Liverpool need to do in August? For starters, getting a deal over the line is an absolute imperative for Hughes and Co. Another change of mind, ...

Gary Neville reveals shock theory behind Zubimendi rejecting Liverpool as Carragher laments ‘worrying trend’ Martin Zubimendi is expected to officially confirm his decision to stay at Real Sociedad before the end of this week, with Gary Neville offering a shock new reason as to why Liverpool missed out and with Jamie Carragher also concerned by the transfer ‘optics’ over another failed midfielder deal. The Merseysiders will highly likely go into the new season without a single new player added to their squad – the only Premier League side so far this summer yet to welcome in a new signing. However, with Arne Slot inheriting a quality squad at Liverpool, optimism remains high at Anfield that they can enjoy a pretty successful season under their new boss after a hugely-promising pre-season. Indeed, high-profile friendly wins over Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sevilla have raised expectations that the expected drop-off post Jurgen Klopp will not be as sharply felt as initi...

Arsenal handed huge injury boost amid Jurrien Timber update but two absentees remain Arsenal's Dutch international full-back Jurrien Timber has made his return from a minor injury ahead of Arsenal's Premier League opener with Wolves Arsenal have been handed a massive boost ahead of the start of the Premier League season after Jurrien Timber returned to full training at London Colney. The Dutch international had been absent for Arsenal's final three pre-season fixtures against Liverpool, Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon with a minor foot problem. The issue is thought to be a relatively standard one, but as Timber ramps up his return from more or less an entire season out with an ACL injury, Arsenal were keen not to risk him in any way. Timber was given time away from full first team training as the Gunners returned from their pre-season tour of the United States. Speaking after their 2-0 win over Lyon in the Emirates Cup, Mikel Arteta revealed this had had a po...

Arsenal dealt Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres transfer blows after Mikel Arteta statement The Gunners are unlikely to sign either big money striker this summer after Mikel Arteta's transfer admission, despite links to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres There's just over two weeks left of the transfer window and it's shaping up to be a busy time for Arsenal. The Gunners have already got Riccardo Calafiori through the door, but want to do plenty more business. Mikel Merino remains a long-term target. The Gunners are in the process of conversations with the player's representatives, but as PaperTalk has previously reported, they are yet to make an official bid at time of writing. Beyond that a forward is on the agenda for Arsenal. This may seem strange given that Mikel Arteta's side broke their club record for Premier League goals last season, but there is a feeling among decision makers at the Emirates Stadium, that a killer...

Arsenal urged to break bank for England star who ‘fits like a glove’ as another signing thunders closer Arsenal are being urged to do all in their power to sign Ollie Watkins this summer, with a former Gunners star convinced the Aston Villa striker has the qualities to be a smash hit in Mikel Arteta’s side – and with the signing of another star edging closer towards the finishing line. The Gunners open their Premier League campaign on Saturday with a testing home date against Wolves and hopeful that the 2024/25 campaign can be their year after successive runners-up places to Manchester City in the Premier League title race. And while Arsenal go into the new season with an air of optimism having won the pre-season Emirates Cup on Sunday, Arteta and Co know they will need to step things up again when the real business starts this weekend. Arsenal go into the final week of preparations, though, with just two senior arrivals with David Raya having signed permanently from Brentf...

Chelsea and Arsenal transfer battle reignites as £110m-rated striker target demands summer move Chelsea’s hopes of signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen have just received a major boost as Antonio Conte looks to bring Romelu Lukaku to the Italian club. As previously revealed, Conte has made Lukaku his top target to replace Osimhen, who hasn’t been involved in Napoli’s recent pre-season matches. Sources have informed PaperTalk transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti that senior figures at Chelsea hope Napoli will sanction the sale of Osimhen to fund their move. Osimhen has a release clause of roughly £110m in his contract but they look likely to reduce their demands as the transfer window draws to a close. Chelsea and Arsenal, along with Paris Saint-Germain, have been heavily linked with a move for the Nigeria international and an exit from Napoli seems inevitable. Napoli’s director Giovanni Manna revealed in an interview on Saturday that the striker has formally asked to lea...

Arsenal 2-0 Lyon 31 mins:  Havertz with a great ball in behind, once again Martinelli has space to charge into. It’s only him and Mata in the Lyon half, as he drives towards the box. Doesn’t ever get the ball out of his feet and away from Mata, and his half-hearted penalty appeals are waved away as he goes over. Another big chance for Martinelli. 5 MINUTES AGO Arsenal 2-0 Lyon 29 mins:  Break in play after that goal, both sets of players over to the touchline for a drink and some instructions. Arteta is a hard man to please, but this has been really impressive from Arsenal so far. Lyon haven’t been able to cope with the intensity at all. 7 MINUTES AGO GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Lyon | Gabriel 27' Another corner, another goal! Lyon have no answer when these crosses are being swung in, from set-pieces or open play. It’s Gabriel at the back post this time, as Perri flaps at thin air. Centre-back nods into the empty net. Arsenal 1-0 Lyon 26 mins:  Martinelli in o...

Arsenal 1-0 Lyon 12 mins : White somehow keeps the ball under pressure, comes inside to Rice. He slides it through to Havertz, who launches himself to the floor in the area. Not getting a penalty for that, despite the boos from the stands. 2 MINUTES AGO Arsenal 1-0 Lyon 10 mins:  Gunners near enough in again straight from kick-off. Rice make the run, Martinelli just has to get the pass right... overhits it. Lyon not enjoying their trip to north London so far. 4 MINUTES AGO GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Lyon | William Saliba 9' New season... Arsenal still good at set-pieces! Simple as you like, Rice swings the corner in and Saliba is there to nod home from about six yards. That goal has been coming. Arsenal 0-0 Lyon 3 mins : And there’s the first chance. Martinelli in space on the left, stands up a cross to the back post. Saka wins the header, can’t get enough power on it though and Perri comfortably saves. Arsenal 0-0 Lyon 2 mins:  Real excitement every time the ball comes out to ...