Tag: mikel arteta

Arteta: Balogun currently sidelined with foot injury

The 22-year-old has been unable to make a case that he should stay with the Gunners this season

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said a foot injury has kept Folarin Balogun out of his club’s past two preseason matches.

Balogun came on in the second half of last week’s MLS All-Star Game, but has now missed subsequent matches against Manchester United and Barcelona as the Gunners completed their preseason tour of the United States.

The U.S. national team forward excelled on loan at Reims last season and his future is very much in the air this summer with several clubs, including Inter and AC Milan, linked with interest in a permanent move.

After Arsenal defeated Barcelona 5-3 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Arteta was asked about Balogun in his post-game press conference.

“He was unavailable,” Arteta said. “He has a little foot injury and hasn’t been training with us.”

Asked if he saw Balogun staying with the Gunners this season, Arteta responded: “We will see. First of all, he needs to be fit and play minutes.”

With the U.S. portion of their preseason complete, Arsenal will next play on August 2 when they host Monaco in the Emirates Cup.

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Rooney on Premier League all-star game: I don’t think it would work

Rooney and Mikel Arteta agree: the all-star game idea is great for the United States, but not so much in England

Wayne Rooney has said he doesn’t think the concept of an all-star game would work in the Premier League.

D.C. United head coach Rooney is set to lead the MLS side in Wednesday night’s MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field, with Arsenal the opponent.

The concept of an all-star game is ingrained in American sports culture, but other parts of the world have mostly stayed away from incorporating the idea into their own leagues.

Some, including Chelsea owner Todd Boehly, have suggested that a Premier League version of the MLS All-Star Game would be a welcome spectacle for fans, but Rooney believes there would be too much pushback from coaches to make it a viable idea.

“I don’t think it would work,” he said at a press conference. “Everything over here (United States) is different, the culture is different. It’s a huge game here. But, I think in England, it’s just the rivalry between teams [is too strong].

“The coaches will complain about players playing too much and I just don’t think it will work in England. Over here, it’s part of this league, it’s great to be a part of, but I think in England it wouldn’t work.”

For his part, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta seemed to agree with Rooney’s point about fixture congestion.

“For me as an Arsenal coach, to play against the MLS, that’s great,” Arteta said. “I love the idea. I love the experience and I think it’s great. If you asked me the other way around, depending on where it was in the middle of the season, probably I [wouldn’t be] that happy to let our players go.

“But I think it’s great. I think it’s great for the players to gather together the most talented players in the same team. I think if I was a player, for sure I would want to experience that.”

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MLS to face Arsenal in 2023 All-Star Game at Audi Field

Wayne Rooney will coach the MLS All-Stars at his home stadium

The MLS All-Stars will face Arsenal in the 2023 MLS All-Star Game at Audi Field, the league announced on Tuesday.

D.C. United’s Wayne Rooney will coach his league’s team of stars at his home ground on July 19.

The night before, the top MLS stars will face off against their Arsenal counterparts in the 2023 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge.

“I’ve had a front row seat to watch the growth and development of Major League Soccer, first as a player and now as a manager,” Rooney said in a statement.

“The opportunity to lead the best our league has to offer against a top Premier League club like Arsenal will be a highlight for me personally and an unforgettable experience for our passionate fanbase here in D.C.”

The game will mark a return to the All-Star Game format seen between 2005 and 2019, when the MLS All-Stars faced a European club team in the midst of their preseason. Arsenal was the opponent in 2016, a 2-1 win for the Gunners in San Jose.

The past two years saw the MLS stars face a team of stars from Liga MX.

“It’s great that we’re playing against the MLS All-Stars in Washington D.C. in July,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “Our U.S. tour last summer was very good preparation for the season.

“The match against the MLS All-Stars will be a good test ahead of the 2023-24 season.”

For Rooney, the match will complete a notable hat trick: he played against the MLS stars with Manchester United in 2011, played for the MLS stars in 2019 and will now coach the MLS stars.

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Man City still owns Arsenal — and the Premier League

The champions now have 11 straight league wins against Arsenal

Manchester City struck a major blow in the title race on Wednesday, defeating Arsenal 3-1 in a top-of-the-table clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka equalized from the spot before halftime. But second-half goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland settled the match.

With the win, City has overtaken Arsenal atop the Premier League table, though the Gunners do still have a game in hand.

That won’t be much solace for Mikel Arteta’s men, however, who have now picked up just one point in their last three Premier League games.

If Arsenal is going to win the Premier League for the first time in 20 years it clearly will have to go through City, the back-to-back champions and winners of four of the last five league titles.

Going through City seems an especially daunting challenge for Arteta’s side, however, because the Gunners simply can’t seem to beat Pep Guardiola’s men in the Premier League.

“Psychologically there is a marathon still out there,” Arteta said after the game. “So psychologically [the title] is very far. I said it three months ago and I said it today, it’s about tomorrow. The most important thing is how we are tomorrow and focus on that because the rest of the things, we don’t know what is going to happen.”

Whether he realized it or not, Arteta’s mention of psychological issues was fitting. Even Man City seems to realize they are inside of the Gunners’ heads.

“It was a massive win for us,” City defender Manuel Akanji told Football Daily on Thursday. “Yeah, it also does something probably in the head of the Arsenal players. But in the end we can only focus on ourselves. That’s what we did yesterday, we showed a good performance. It wasn’t an easy game, but I’m really happy we got out with the win.”

There is a long road ahead still and Arsenal does have a slight advantage due to its game in hand. But it is clear the momentum in this title race is fully with the champions.

Arteta’s biggest task now won’t be related to tactics or lineup decisions. It will be convincing his players that they still have what it takes to actually overcome City.

“I have more belief [to win the league than before the game] because I see a team going head-to-head with them,” Arteta told Amazon Prime after the game. “You have to go to the next one and in three days we have another game. I have more belief in my players.”

Watch Grealish’s winner at Arsenal

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Matt Turner credits Arsenal affection to rounds of FIFA and Premier League pub mornings

Turner went from playing with Arsenal in FIFA to playing for Arsenal in real life

Matt Turner is just like so many American soccer fans, except for the part where he plays professionally.

Speaking with reporters ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League match against PSV, Turner said that he started following the Gunners well before the London club brought him to the Premier League. In fact, he followed one of the most traditional American fan routes for picking a team in Europe, with Arsenal being his preferred team in the FIFA video game series.

“After the World Cup in 2010 I bought my first game of FIFA, and when it says ‘What club do you want to support or select?’ obviously ‘A’ came up first and Arsenal was there,” said Turner, adding that it played into a different, more personal connection. “My sisters both played for a local club team that was called The Arsenal, and so I just made that connection right there and kind of stuck with it.”

Turner added that as he got older, he followed another American tradition, heading to pubs bright and early to catch Arsenal’s Premier League matches.

“The 12:30pm kickoff here was 7:30am (on the east coast), so anytime Arsenal were playing I was doing my best to watch,” said Turner. “As I got a bit older I got into the pub culture in New York City and I have been around the fans for those types of atmospheres as well.”

Turner, Arsenal prep for PSV

Turner is expected to get another start in European competition Thursday against PSV. A win at the Emirates Stadium would guarantee Arsenal a place in the knockout rounds, and put them into an ideal place to win group A, which comes with a bye straight into the tournament’s round of 16.

Still, Turner is focused on earning his appearances.

“Playing for this great club is such an honor and I do not take it for granted. As an American player, I did not think (playing for Arsenal) would be possible. To play meaningful minutes for Arsenal is something special,” explained Turner. “My goal is to take this as far as I possibly can, to the highest level possible.”

That includes a potentially busy day at the office. PSV may be two points behind Arsenal, but they’re by far the highest-scoring team in the group with 11 goals from three games. Mikel Arteta praised Turner after his performance in a 1-0 win at Bodø/Glimt, and the U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper will likely have to match or better that showing if Arsenal’s unblemished record is to continue.

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Marsch: Arteta is the most underrated manager in the Premier League

It’s not going to be easy for Leeds to snap a four-game winless streak on Sunday

Ahead of his side’s match against Arsenal on Sunday, Leeds manager Jesse Marsch has called his counterpart Mikel Arteta the most underrated manager in the Premier League.

Arteta has experienced plenty of highs and lows since taking over the Gunners in 2019. The Spaniard led the team to an FA Cup win in 2020 but has also been unable to finish in the top four and bring Arsenal back to the Champions League.

But the Gunners are off to a flying start this season, topping the Premier League table after eight wins and one loss in their first nine games.

“Mikel Arteta has done an amazing job, I think he’s the most underrated manager in the league,” Marsch said at his pre-game press conference. “With a young team he’s done an amazing job. It’s taken time, he took a lot of heat in the beginning.”

Marsch added his belief that Arsenal was a genuine title contender despite the incredible early-season form of Manchester City, which is just a point behind.

“You have to say yes, they’ve looked very strong and played against good opponents,” the American added. “I always do a thorough job of scouting, we know they’re a good team and they have quality. I also like when teams and coaches improve and grow together, I think that’s what’s happened with Arsenal. To be back at the top of the table shows they’ve been able to find a process and stuck with it.”

Though his Leeds side has gone four straight league games without a win, Marsch said he’s still confident in his team’s chances at home on Sunday.

“For us it can be a big boost to have a big result against an opponent like this,” he said. “We’re confident at Elland Road we can play the way we want. We want to challenge them in certain ways.”

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Mikel Arteta praises Matt Turner after Arsenal Europa League shutout win

The Arsenal boss liked what he saw as Turner kept a clean sheet

Matt Turner’s good run of form continued Thursday, as he helped Arsenal to a shutout victory in the Europa League.

Mikel Arteta gave the U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper a third start in continental competition, and Turner helped Arsenal to a 1-0 away win over Bodø/Glimt. That broke a 14-game home winning streak in European competition for the Norwegian club, and puts Arsenal on the brink of advancing from their group.

Turner only had to make one save in a game that was largely a tactical stalemate, but he did have to intercept numerous through balls and help organize a defense that was under pressure in the second half. Bodø/Glimt forced Arsenal to do plenty of defensive work and clock management — Turner himself was booked for time-wasting in stoppage time — but ultimately the Gunners navigated the challenge.

The victory keeps Arsenal’s superb start to the season rolling along. They’ve won 11 of their 12 competitive games this year, and a single point in any of their remaining three Europa League matches will seal a spot in the next round.

Arteta praises Turner

Following the match, Arteta told reporters that he’s seeing the improvement the club had hoped for after making a summer move to acquire him from the New England Revolution.

“He’s getting better, obviously we’re asking him different things from what other managers have asked him to do,” said Arteta. “He was much better in the first half than in the second half in my opinion we could have had some more control. But I think he was really good in the goal in situations especially when defending the area in behind the center halves and in the one against one situations, he was really good.”

Asked directly if he’d have enough confidence to start Turner in the Premier League, Arteta gave a clear, simple answer: “Yes.” Aaron Ramsdale remains first choice, though, and barring injury it seems likely that Turner’s next appearances will remain in the Europa League and cup competition.

Still, Turner will have an opening for a regular run of matches in the near future. Arsenal will host PSV next Thursday, October 20, before playing them in the Netherlands one week later. They then conclude their Group A schedule with FC Zürich coming to the Emirates on November 3, and six days later, they will host Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

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Manchester City vs. Burnley Live Stream, Premier League Lineups, TV Channel, Start Time, How to Watch

Manchester City will welcome Burnley on Monday to Etihad Stadium, you can stream all the Premier League action right here.

In Premier League action on Monday, we have fan-favorite Manchester City taking on Burnley at Etihad Stadium which could be their final match as Champions of England.

Man City is 23 points behind league-leading Liverpool and it might just be too much for the club to overcome this time around.

Manchester City vs. Burnley

  • When: Monday, June 22
  • Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN, NBC Universo
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Manchester City made a confident return to Premier League when they took on Arsenal last match out, winning 3-0 lead by Kevin De Bruyne. Pep Guardiola and his men came out strong and he has to be proud of that but Liverpool might just be too far ahead in the table for them.

Burnley will have a tough time with Manchester City as they normally do but there is no better time than now to put up a fight against the second-placed Man City.

Man City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden; Bernardo, Aguero, Sterling

Burnley possible starting lineup:
Pope; Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor; Hendrick, Westwood, Cork, McNeil; Vydra, Rodriguez

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Manchester City vs. Arsenal Live Stream, Premier League Lineups, TV Channel, Start Time, How to Watch

The Champions, Manchester City will welcome Arsenal to Etihad Stadium in a matchup fans have been waiting for, stream it right here.

After a little over three months, the Premier League makes its return to England with a headlining match that includes Champions Manchester City welcoming Arsenal to Etihad Stadium in Machester, England.

Fans have been waiting for this match as it has been rescheduled twice already this year. This was the first game to be postponed due to coronavirus, after Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta had tested positive for COVID-19. He’ll make his first return tonight to Etihad as the Arsenal boss.

Manchester City vs. Arsenal

  • When: Wednesday, June 17
  • Time: 3:15 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
  • TV Channel: NBCSN, NBC Universo
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Mikel Arteta will get his shot against Pep Guardiola for the first time since departing from Man City. There is nobody with more knowledge on how City plays more than Arteta and this should be fantastic to watch as it unfolds throughout the match.

Man City will look to continue the dominance it has over Arsenal, winning their last six meetings. Arteta and Arsenal will need to keep an eye on Kevin De Bruyne if they want a chance to upset the Champions!

Man City possible starting lineup: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Mahrez, Aguero, Sterling

Arsenal possible starting lineup: Leno; Bellerin, Mari, Luiz, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Pepe, Ozil, Aubameyang; Lacazette

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Arsenal manager reached out to Sean McVay about strategies during pandemic

Mikel Arteta initiated the communication with Sean McVay about how he’s keeping the Rams on track during this pandemic.

Sean McVay is viewed as one of the smartest young coaches in the NFL, helping turn around a Rams franchise that endured a decade of disappointment. He’s become well-known across the landscape of sports, even stretching outside the borders of the U.S.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recently reached out to McVay, picking his brain about training strategies and plans during the coronavirus pandemic, which has made team-building and working out difficult.

That bit of news was revealed by Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal’s head of football, during fan forum video call this week. McVay and Arteta have exchanged ideas about how to keep their teams on track during this unprecedented time.

The Rams are currently in their virtual offseason program, which mostly consists of video calls and classroom work. Rookies can’t participate yet, but the Rams have had perfect attendance to start the offseason program.

The connection between McVay and Arteta isn’t completely random, though. Stan Kroenke, who owns the Rams, also owns Arsenal through his Kroenke Sports & Entertainment company.