Arsenal know what they have to do, the question is: Can they do it? On Wednesday, the Gunners will face Olympiakos aware that their Champions League fate rests on the outcome of one fixture.
They are 90 minutes away from progression to the last 16, or early elimination and the consolation prize of a Europa League berth. Not since 1998/99, their first dalliance with a rebranded competition for European football’s elite, have they crashed out at the first hurdle – with the experiment of playing home games at Wembley backfiring on them somewhat.
Following the hugely entertaining snooker shootout between West Ham United duo Andy Carroll and on loan gunner Carl Jenkinson, their attempts to emulate baize stars Judd Trump and reigning world champion Stuart Bingham have raised a few sporting eyebrows.
In the video from online bookmaker Betway, Jenkinson beats Carroll in a surprising high standard game with both players making some great pots. The loser had to clean the other players boots which is a relatively tame wager compared to some sporting stars but all the same Jenkinson will of have the bragging rights all week.
The video was produced to celebrate West Ham sponsors Betway launching their sponsorship of the UK Snooker Championships in York taking place at the moment.
Since the Hammers duo squared-off on the snooker table, it’s got many people thinking which other football face-offs would be most entertaining throughout various different sports, including boxing, golf and even darts! Gunner’s duo Walcott and Cazorla star in this run down of potential off the pitch face offs.
With many of today’s Premier League footballers possessing such an array of talents, even beyond the pitch, here are 10 sporting meetings that would be truly amusing between some of the current top-flight division stars.
Jamie Vardy v Theo Walcott: 100 metre sprint
Officially the two quickest players in the Premier League this season, both Vardy and Walcott have captivated the top tier with their incredible pace, but who wins over 100 metres?
Leicester City have rallied to an amazing top four position at this early stage of the campaign, thanks massively to Vardy’s goals and devastating speed in attack. Such is his swiftness going forward, England boss Roy Hodgson selected the Foxes speed-demon for his Three Lions squad.
Within that same international lies Arsenal’s Walcott, who has proved he is truly one of the fastest stars in top-flight history, and what a rapid rivalry this would be over 100 metres. Watch your back Usain Bolt.
Dimitri Payet v Michael Carrick: Golf
Fore! With their pinpoint accuracy on the pitch, both Hammers midfielder Payet and Manchester United maestro Carrick would make for an intriguing match-up on the golf course.
The latter Old Trafford playmaker is already known for his astute golfing ability away from football, having competed at many club events against teammates and coaching staff, but could he output Frenchman Payet?
West Ham’s star man has burst onto the top tier scene this season with his clinical passing range helping Slaven Bilic’s men, and his deadly skills should be easily transferable on to the green for a golfing showdown with Carrick.
Peter Crouch v Fraser Forster: Basketball
Both Crouch and Forster are undoubtedly two of the Premier League’s tallest stars, meaning a basketball one-on-one would prove quite entertaining.
Although, Southampton and England international stopper Forster possesses great handling abilities, which would surely leave Stoke City targetman Crouch defeated on the court floor.
There may be no need for emulating high-flying legend Michael Jordan’s jumping exploits here, with both capable of simply dunking for fun from a standing position!
Diego Costa v Lee Cattermole: MMA
It’s safe to say that neither of these two Premier League hard men would throw the towel in during a bout, with both players seemingly always up for a fight, and it’s an MMA meeting that would sell itself!
Imagine Chelsea’s ‘Dirty Diego’ contesting Sunderland’s ‘Bonecrusher’ Cattermole in the octagon, with the ferocious pair having dealt with their previous opponents with more than just their fists previously.
Costa, fighting from the blue corner, and Cattermole, emerging from the red corner, would make for an all-action match-up, with the latter known for his aggressive challenges, but he would need to be alert for those crafty, backhand tactics from his Brazilian-born opposition.
Although, if Costa was to face defeat at the hands of Wearside foe, his coach Jose Mourinho is always on hand to point the blame elsewhere!
Robin van Persie v Daley Blind: Darts
These two international teammates, and former Man Utd allies, have proved they can mix it with the big boys of darts before, with esteemed friends such as Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld.
Both have been seen practising their throw with these darting sensations, though it’s potentially Fenberbahce frontman Van Persie who would edge out his compatriot on the oche, with his prolific precision.
However, based on their recent Netherlands form and fortunes, there’s unlikely to be many roars of 180 in this Dutch darts duel!
Adnan Januzaj v Ashley Young: Diving
Next up are two players who would make Tom Daley proud! Both Old Trafford pair Young and Januzaj have been known to hit the ground quite often, despite a lack of contact.
The prancing pair could therefore put their skills to better use in the pool, perhaps enjoying a close diving encounter.
With Januzaj currently offloaded on loan to Borussia Dortmund, it’s Young who is currently providing the theatrics in England, and his elegant technique in the fall, coupled with a perfect sense of timing, would surely see him emerge victorious.
Jason Puncheon v Eden Hazard: Rugby namely conversions
During the course of this current campaign, there have been saved penalties and other spot-kicks that were narrowly missed; then there was Hazard and Puncheon’s efforts from 12 yards.
The pair forgot midway through their run-ups that they were in fact playing football, therefore needing to keep the ball below the crossbar. Nevertheless, their penalty attempts fitted in well during a time when the Rugby World Cup was in progress.
With their spot-kicks reaching new heights, in more than ways than one, both would endure a close rugby penalty shootout against each other, following their obvious labours to show off their other sporting talents this season.
Wayne Rooney v Phil Bardsley: Boxing
Let’s get ready to rumble, again! Last season, video footage emerged of Man Utd and England skipper Rooney being floored by a strong hook from Sunderland defender Bardsley at the former player’s home.
After such a vicious knockout, we all want to see a rematch between the pair of Premier League punchers. Could Wayne ‘Lights Out’ Rooney finally overcome previous conqueror Phil ‘Bulldozer’ Bardsley?
It’s a boxing meeting we would love to see, though Bardsley would enter the ring as an overwhelming favourite for another Rooney rumbling, with the Three Lions captain having showcased a lack of clinical instinct so far this current season.
Santi Cazorla v Juan Mata: Horse racing
To be a truly great jockey, you need a superb sense of balance, and a low centre of gravity always helps, which makes both Spain international playmakers Cazorla and Mata perfect for a match-up as jockeys.
The Grand National would be a much more exciting race with two of the smaller, more compact Premier League stars leading their horses towards victory.
Whether it’s on the flat course or fences, this Spanish duo could be involved in a thrilling ride, but which one of these top-flight craftsman would be the front-runner and who would be trailing behind the pack?
Wilfried Bony v Kurt Zouma: Weight lifting
Chelsea centre back Zouma and Manchester City targetman Bony are two of the strongest players in the top tier, possessing sublime strength which has seen them bulldoze their way past opponents in the past.
In a true contest of strength, which Premier League powerhouse would out-lift the other? Both are known for their unwavering ability to hold off opposing players, but in this goliath weight lifting battle, we may witness Bony prove his Hercules-like strength!
Olivier Giroud admits he needs to be mentally resilient and that he shouldn’t get demoralized with the fact that he has had to be a bench warmer for the Gunners for a little while.
Giroud has always been a frequent starter for Arsenal since the time he landed at Emirates, and even in the ongoing season, when it started, Giroud was the first choice for the Arsenal boss Wenger.
>Last Sunday’s 3-0 hammering of Manchester United may have surprised even the most optimistic of Arsenal fans, but regardless of that what it has done is leave us sitting nicely in second place in the Premier League, with Manchester City only two points ahead.
The international break may have come at a rather annoying time, as you can be sure the players and manager would have been revved up ready to go at Watford this weekend, using the momentum built on last Sunday’s win – instead the Gunners have to wait until Saturday, October 18th, to get their chance to take down Watford and potentially go top.
The supporters of the Arsenal Football Club have not enjoyed the way the club management has gone about transfer activities this summer. There has been no big player brought in which has taken the supporters by surprise and has angered them too.
The association of the supporters wrote to board of directors of the club yesterday emphasizing the point that such a policy should be reviewed.
The words of the association were, “We are pleased that Arsenal is one of the most financially stable clubs in Europe, but, we are a little bit disappointed as well with the fact that not enough investments were put in transfer market this time around to strengthen the squad.”
Arsenal made history on Saturday, winning the FA Cup for a record 12th time. They began their 2012/13 campaign one cup win behind rivals Manchester United, but after successful cup runs in two consecutive seasons, they now boast unmatched success in the competition.
This past week has revealed a darker side to football, with the events in Zurich dominating the media. Saturday’s cup final helped to reinstall faith in the beautiful game with an honest display of passion from the fans, players and managers. Just less than 90,000 supporters descended on Wembley Stadium to witness Arsenal completely outclass Aston Villa in what turned out to be one of the most one-sided cup finals in recent years.
I feel I should start this post by making it clear the current crop of players gracing the Emirates every other week possess a high level of talent and we should be thankful for such fortune. After all, it could be much, much worse – by some twisted turn of fate we could all be Spurs fans (and that doesn’t even bear thinking about).
Arsenal managed to keep their hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout stages alive after a 2-1 comeback victory over Belgian club Anderlecht. The Premier League outfit were trailing 1-0 going into the final 10 minutes of the match.
Anderlecht were not given much hope of beating Arsenal prior to the match, but a goal from Najar in the 71st minute change the whole complexion of the match. Suddenly, the underdogs were given something to hold on and it looked like they would get a highly unlikely victory, which would also boost their chances of reaching the next stage.
Arsene Wenger’s team had suffered defeats in the away match against Borussia Dortmund. The 4-1 win over Galatasaray in the previous round gave them hope of maintaining their distance away from the third placed team. Arsenal were indeed coming into the match on a poor run of form that had seen them drop four points in the league from the last two matches. Despite this, they showed incredible resilience in the final 10 minutes to get all three points. Defender Kieran Gibbs provided the unlikely equaliser just a minute before injury time, while forgotten man Lukas Podolski came up with the winner a few minutes later.
After the match, Wenger admitted that using six attacking players in the closing stages was a gamble that one that paid off. “I know by experience that the nerves play a part in the last five minutes in the Champions League. And that we had to get into those five minutes without conceding the second goal. If they had scored the second goal, it was game over. I had hope. It didn’t look likely but it happened. We took all the risks and, in the end, it paid off. It’s a little bit of a gambling situation that happens in this kind of game and it worked tonight,” said Wenger.
Arsenal are thought to be one of the clubs to have made an offer for the Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero, who impressed at the World Cup 2014. Even though Ecuador were knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages, they came close to qualifying for the last 16 stage. It was only because of the 0-0 draw with France that they failed to achieve this aim. Ecuador were one of the poorest teams from Latin America a decade ago, but this current generation of players have transformed them into one of the strongest.
A high-profile player with the Ecuadorian ranks is Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia. It looks as if Montero will join the list after the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham have reportedly made an offer for him. He confirmed after the 0-0 draw with France that he will certainly leave the Mexican league in this transfer window. After having played with Villarreal in Europe, Montero came back to Mexican football in the last two years. Now, he reckons that it is time to head back to Europe and play for the big clubs.
Even though he admitted that he is likely to seal the transfer the next few weeks, the destination still remains a mystery. Montero refused to reveal the identity of the club close to signing him. “It’s certain that I’ll leave the league, but let’s see where I’ll go. We expect to sort it out within the next few days. I already have an offer, the club are handling it. Let’s see where I’ll go but for now I have some days off. I can tell you that it won’t be Mexico. It will be Europe and thank God we are working on it, I hope it works out,” said the striker about joining the Premier League.
Napoli striker Lorenzo Insigne’s agent has claimed that his client is extremely happy and honoured to know that a club like Arsenal are interested in signing him. The 23-year-old has emerged as one of the key transfer targets for Arsenal in the summer. He will be taking part in the World Cup 2014 for the Italian national team. After making 36 appearances in the league last season, he scored just three goals. However, his overall contribution to the team helped them finished third in the league table. Moreover, Arsenal are looking at a striker who will be a backup to Giroud and not a first choice player.
It is believed that the 23-year-old fits exactly into those requirements and his price will also be much lower than top class centre forwards like Gonzalo Higuain and Mario Balotelli. Arsenal have also been linked with these players as well. Even though Lorenzo Insigne has a contract with Napoli for the next four years, he has been reportedly made aware of the interest from the Premier league outfit. His agent, Antonio Ottaiano, has stated that they have been aware of Arsene Wenger speaking in glowing terms of the striker.
This is likely to pave way for a bid after the World Cup 2014. “We take into account the praising reports that Wenger has given about the player. We are honoured that a club like Arsenal could have Lorenzo on their wish list. However, from here to take it to the next level, that is a possible transfer, there is a huge mountain in between named Napoli. The club consider him without a shadow of a doubt as one of their key players for their ambitious project,” said the player’s agent. Arsenal won the FA Cup title last season – their first major trophy nine years.
