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Mikel Arteta said Arsenal’s 4-0 demolition of Leeds proved the Premier League leaders can cope with the pressure of the title race. HT Image Arteta’s side ended a three-game winless run in the league with a ruthless display at Elland Road on Saturday. The Gunners led at the break through Martin Zubimendi’s header and an own goal from Leeds keeper Karl Darlow. Second half strikes from Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus wrapped up a much-needed victory for Arsenal, who had been labelled chokers after allowing their title lead to dwindle in recent weeks. Goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest were compounded by last week’s home defeat to Manchester United. Arsenal fans were becoming increasingly anxious as memories of blown leads in previous title races in the Arteta era began to flood back. But Arteta had insisted his players remained upbeat in the face of mounting criticism and they delivered a dynamic performance that repaid their manager’s faith. “We’re very happy, obviously. A very impressive performance, a very impressive result, especially in the context that …
Behind his steel at the heart of Arsenal’s backline, with the bravado to punch the intruders who tried to steal his cars to pulp, was once a homesick boy who returned home a week after joining his first club. Gabriel, the good old hatchback to the SUV that is William Saliba, is the stone-cold face of Gunners’ defence, but once he was a shy boy from the working-class district of Pirituba in São Paulo. All he did was play football in the parched and crowded parks of his neighbourhood. He was quick, intense and possessed good control, forged of fire than flair that his country fetishes. His father did not have the means to enrol at an academy, but he somehow knew his son’s football was the route out of poverty. But hurdles abound. He failed the trials in the storied clubs of the city. He was weak and skinny, feeble to strong challenges. “I had a weak header and often lost the ball,” he would tell O’Globo, Brazil’s leading media house. The only club …
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said that his squad’s enthusiasm for the title race might eventually lead to them breaking their jinx of not being able to win the Premier League title on earlier occasions when they were on top of the table on Christmas. In the past, Arsenal have always come up short in the second half of the Premier League season after finishing the Christmas window on top. This year, the Gunners sit four points clear of Manchester City at the season’s halfway point, buoyed by confidence after ending 2025 with a crushing 4-1 victory over third-placed Aston Villa to halt their winning run. “Let’s break it (the hoodoo). That’s what they transmit every single day, you can see the desire and energy. How much they want it. Still five months to go, enjoy it day by day, and enjoy the process we’re in. We’re really happy with the position we are. It can always be better, there are things to improve. The only thing we look at is Bournemouth, the next game. We …
Amidst his grand and emotional Roland-Garros farewell ceremony on Sunday, 14-time champion Rafael Nadal had the time to have a lively reunion with the other illustrious members of the Big Four – his long-time on-court rivals – Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. While the moment brought together the four greats of men’s tennis this century, Nadal revealed an incident highlighting the snarky competitiveness that could get between them when it comes to other sports. Nadal revealed how Murray recently reconnected with him through messaging after the UEFA Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Real Madrid. The 5-1 result across two legs would have elated the Arsenal supporter in Murray, who recently completed his six-month time as Djokovic’s coach. Story continues below this ad A true-blue Madridista, Nadal revealed how Murray attempted a cheeky dig after the Gunners’ triumph. It wasn’t a dream ✨#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/6trGJB4eEA — Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 26, 2025 “My good friend Andy, we were not in touch for a while,” Nadal told reporters after his emotional French Open farewell ceremony at …
Arsenal forward Stina Blackstenius struck a late winner as the London team shocked holders Barcelona 1-0 on Saturday to claim their second Uefa Women’s Champions League title and first in 18 years to the delight of their 5,000 travelling fans. Arsenal beat Real Madrid, Lyon, and finally, Barcelona on their way to a second UWCL title. Between them, Lyon and Barcelona had won the last nine editions of UWCL and Arsenal ended that streak. Already the only English side to become European champions back in 2007, Arsenal extended that tally in 2025. Remarkably, Arsenal recovered from a poor start to the season that led to the departure of former manager Jonas Eidevall and the appointment of Renee Slegers. The knockout stage wins were thrilling comebacks as Arsenal overturned a 2-0 first leg loss to then dismantle Real Madrid 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, it was an away comeback as they beat powerhouses Lyon 4-1 at their home to advance 5-3 on aggregate. We can’t stop watching 🥹 pic.twitter.com/Cw9OnLopB3 — …
Arsenal hosted Paris Saint-Germain in the first game of the UEFA Champions Legaue semifinals on Wednesday. Coming on the back of a 5-1 thumping of Real Madrid across both legs in the quarter-final, momentum was on Arsenal’s side. PSG, on the other hand, had narrowly scraped past a resolute Aston Villa to make it to the next round. Despite the head-to-head record favoring Arteta’s side and a 2-0 win over their opponents in the earlier part of the UCL season in the league stage, the Gunners were second best in front of their own fans. Former Barcelona man and PSG winger Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring for the visitors in the 4th minute, giving PSG the upper hand. If Arsenal were the defensive maestros against Madrid, it was now PSG’s turn to frustrate their hosts. Arsenal’s attack, comprising Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, all failed to find the net despite a combined 4 attempts on target. PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was lauded for his sublime display in between the sticks on a night …
The shadows of Declan Rice would haunt the Real Madrid crew in their nightmares for months to come. In both ties that he bent to his will with his balance, vision, charisma and leadership, he was the dead end Madrid repeatedly ran into. One minute, he was the unbudging defensive screen, blocking, muscling and thwarting their progression in nascence; the next second he was the midfield conduit, dictating the rhyme and rhythm, the man with a compass in his head to thread the most precise pass to break Madrid’s midfield lines. As though he had deployed an army of lookalikes assembled from Wilko, he is bouncing near the byline, slipping a cute pass into the path of false nine Mikel Merino. Or slithering to snatch the ball off the forward’s feet in the opposite box. Wherever they gazed, they could only see the muscular frame of Rice, his unsoiled shirt despite the work-rate and his hair slick and tidy. His tour de force in both legs would be etched in Champions League folklore, comparable to …
File photo of Kai Havertz© AFP Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he would bet on Kai Havertz returning before the end of the season as his recovery from a hamstring injury is ahead of schedule. The German international had initially been ruled out for the campaign after having surgery on the injury suffered during a Dubai warm-weather training camp in February. Arsenal have survived the loss of both Havertz and Gabriel Jesus to make the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with a famous 5-1 aggregate victory over Real Madrid. Arteta cooled speculation Havertz could return in time to face Paris Saint-Germain in the last four. But he is on track to be available should Arsenal get the final in Munich on May 31. “For the semi-finals? I think that is too close,” said Arteta. “But if I have to bet on him (being available) earlier than expected I would say: ‘Yes’. “The way he works, every day he is in the gym, pushing everybody, and I don’t think you …
Ahead of a crucial second leg against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, Arsenal’s goalscorer from the first game, Mikel Merino has sounded out a warning to his team about the tie, even though they lead 3-0 on aggregate. Real Madrid will be closing the roof of the capacity crowd at the Bernabeu in a bid to amplify the atmosphere. While most clubs would look at a 3-0 lead as unassailable, Merino said that Arsenal know what’s at stake and what their opponents are capable off. “I haven’t talked about that issue with my teammates. They know what has happened in the past. On a personal level, I’ve had good and bad experiences at the Bernabeu. I, as one of the veterans of the team, will try to contribute what I can on an emotional level, but they are all quite calm and confident that it will be a tough game,” said Merino to Spanish media house COPE. Story continues below this ad Merino scored the third goal for the Gunners against Madrid. The first two …
