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      Arsenal vs Man City combined XI based on transfer fees shows major difference between the two title contenders

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      A COMBINED team of Manchester City and Arsenal based on which players cost more to sign shows a chasm between the title contenders.The two Premier League toppers face off at the Emirates on Wednesday evening in a game that could be massive in terms of the title race.
      Only Oleksandr Zinchenko and Thomas Partey would make it in from ArsenalCredit: Getty
      £100m Jack Grealish is the most expensive player in the teamCredit: Getty
      Both sides are likely to make minimal changes to their starting XIs after the weekend’s matches.
      Pep Guardiola will be happy with his team following the 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
      The boss will also be boosted as Erling Haaland returned to training ahead of the match against Arsenal after he picked up a knock against the Villans.
      Mikel Arteta could swap out the struggling Gabriel Martinelli for Leandro Trossard after he netted his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw against Brentford.
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      If a combined team were to be assembled with only the most expensive player in each position, the side would cost £611.3million.
      The most expensive player on the pitch is likely to be Jack Grealish who set the Citizens back £100m when they signed him from Villa.
      In fact, in a side made up of both sides based on transfer fees, there would only be two Arsenal players involved.
      Oleksandr Zincenko would take up the left-back spot after he joined the Gunners from City last summer for £32m.
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      A team made up from Arsenal and Man City’s most expensive players would cost £611.3million
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      And Thomas Partey would partner City’s Rodri in holding midfielder as Arsenal paid £45m for him.
      The rest of the team would be made up of players from the Etihad Stadium outfit.
      Ederson at £34.9m was slightly more expensive than Arsenal star Aaron Ramsdale who cost £30m when he joined from Sheffield United.
      The defence would see Aymeric Laporte (£57m), Ruben Dias (£64.5m) and Kyle Walker (£50m) join Zinchenko.
      Ben White could have had a spot in the team as he cost £50m, but Walker was chosen as his transfer happened first.
      The attack is made up entirely of players from City with Riyad Mahrez (£60m), Kevin De Bruyne (£54m), Jack Grealish (£100m) and Erling Haaland (£51.4m) all more expensive than Arsenal’s options.
      Arsenal star boy Bukayo Saka is not under consideration as the club did not pay a fee for their academy player.
      The combined team shows a major difference between the two club’s philosophies as City have spent much more to assemble their title-contending team – whereas Arsenal – while spending big – have also brought through some kids and uncovered cheaper gems. More

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      Arsenal in pole position for Martin Zubimendi transfer as Real Sociedad midfielder’s release clause is revealed

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      ARSENAL are in pole position to sign Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi in the summer, according to reports.The Gunners looked at the 24-year-old in January when they were keen to add another midfielder to their ranks.
      Arsenal are keen on Martin ZubimendiCredit: Getty
      But Arsenal opted for a low cost signing in Chelsea’s Jorginho to help sustain their push to win the Premier League with Mikel Arteta’s men sat top.
      Zubimendi was said to not be keen on a mid-season move away from Spain either.
      However, according to Sport, a summer transfer cannot be ruled out, with the player betting on Arsenal if they activate his £52.9million release clause.
      Barcelona have also registered an interest in the player.
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      The Nou Camp club are keen to find legend Sergio Busquets’ long-term replacement, with the Spaniard fitting the bill.
      Summer signing Franck Kessie has failed to impress thus far after joining for FREE from AC Milan.
      However, Arsenal are in “pole position” ahead of Barca to sign the midfield maestro.
      Spanish journalist Eugenio Mateo Serrano told Calciomercato.it: “I do not think so. Xavi needs another player instead of Busquets.
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      “The number one pick is Martin Zubimendi, from Real Sociedad.
      “But it’s also difficult because Zubimendi wants to play in the Premier League, and for me Arsenal are in pole position.” More

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      OnlyFans star and boxer Astrid Wett sends cheeky message to Jorginho after he quits Chelsea for Arsenal

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      ONLYFANS star Astrid Wett aimed a cheeky dig towards Arsenal after failing to win either of their last two matches. The Gunners have picked up a loss and a draw in their two most recent matches, a run which has coincidentally come after ex-Chelsea star Jorginho joined the club.
      Arsenal have not picked up a win since Jorginho’s arrivalCredit: Getty
      A fact Onlyfans star Astrid Wett jabbed at onlineCredit: Instagram / @wettastrid
      Astrid is an avid Chelsea fanCredit: Instagram / @wettastrid
      The OnlyFans star has over 340,000 followers on her main Twitter pageCredit: Instagram / @wettastrid
      She previously had a spat with fellow OnlyFans star turned boxer Elle BrookeCredit: Instagram / @wettastrid
      And Astrid, who is a Chelsea fan, trolled Arsenal over transfer.
      Taking to her Twitter, she shared an image of her sipping a glass of wine and captioned her post: “1 draw and 1 loss for Arsenal since agent Jorginho joined that club, just saying….”
      However, given that Arsenal sit top of the league and Chelsea are languishing down in ninth place, Gunners fan decided not to take the jab lying down.
      One fan replied: “[£]600mil spent and can’t win a game?”
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      A second said: “You lot are currently sat ninth and dropping points for fun. No where near Arsenal 😭😭🤣🤣.”
      A third commented: “Warra (what a) Europa league qualification for Chelsea that is😭😭.”
      A fourth remarked: “Didn’t you draw to bottom table west ham after spending [£]320 mil?”
      “Taunting first positioned Arsenal is what I never expected from this ninth [placed] club,” added a fifth.
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      Astrid shared the jibe on her secondary Twitter account, though her main has 342,000 followers.
      She was previously was on the end of embarrassment as she was snubbed for a kiss by YouTuber-turned-boxer and Prime drink founder KSI during a boxing match weigh-in.
      Astrid also tried her hand at boxingCredit: Getty
      She was snubbed by KSI at the weigh-in for the fight against Keeley ColranCredit: Twitter @misfitsboxing
      And came out on top as she forced Keeley to quit inside two roundsCredit: Getty More

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      ‘That was not understanding your job’ – Arteta blasts ‘unacceptable’ VAR after blunder in Arsenal draw with Brentford

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      MIKEL ARTETA fumed after Arsenal were issued an apology following VAR controversy against Brentford. Official Lee Mason came under fire when he failed to spot an offside in the build up to Brentford’s leveller at the Emirates on Saturday.
      Mikel Arteta fumed after Arsenal were issued an apology following VAR controversyCredit: Getty
      Mason supposedly forgot to draw the lines to determine if Christian Norgaard was offside as he was looking at another incident in the build-up to Brentford’s leveller in the 1-1 draw.
      It left Ivan Toney to score what could be a killer equaliser to Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes come the end of the season.
      The refereeing body, the PGMOL, wrote to Arsenal to apologise citing human error, and Howard Webb called an emergency meeting with all officials.
      But a seething Arteta said: “We ended the game with a huge anger and disappointment because that wasn’t a human error, that was not understanding your job and that is not acceptable.
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      “That cost Arsenal two points and that’s not going to be restored.”
      Mason currently only works on VAR after retiring as an on-pitch official, but he has been stood down from his duties this weekend.
      The 51-year-old was not included in the Premier League’s list of appointments for the upcoming round of fixtures.
      Arsenal dropped points for the second game in a row after defeat to Everton the week before.
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      And despite having a game in hand over champions and second-placed Manchester City, the gap is now narrowed to only three points.
      After the match, Arteta raged: “I just looked back and it is offside. Have they explained why it wasn’t allowed? No.
      “It is frustrating but they will probably give an explanation later in the week. Today we haven’t got one.
      “You have to apply certain principles in defending and you do that by sticking to the rules.
      “Suddenly you change the rules and then you have to change your principles. So tell us before so then you don’t hold the line that high.
      “Because you’re always going to have an advantage if you get blocked. You cannot block if you are offside.”
      VAR missed Brentford’s offside More

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      Most prolific loan goalscorers ever as Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun outshines Mbappe… but he’s not No1

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      ARSENAL academy graduate Folarin Balogun has emerged as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe this season.The 21-year-old is currently enjoying a successful loan spell in France with Reims.
      Folarin Balogun is the top goalscorer in Ligue 1Credit: Getty
      And his red-hot form has seen him rack up an impressive total of 15 goals in 22 league games, making him the top scorer in Ligue 1.
      He has outscored the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Alexandre Lacazette and Wissam Ben Yedder so far this season, leaving many Arsenal fans excited for his return to north London.
      Balogun has already established himself among the highest-scoring on-loan strikers of all-time.
      Those who have achieved similar success include the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Emmanuel Adebayor and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
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      SunSport has looked back on some of those memorable loan spells from the past decade to see how Balogun compares.
      Duvan Zapata – 23 goals (2018/19)
      Duvan Zapata scored 23 goals for Atalanta during his loan spellCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      In July 2018, Sampdoria agreed to loan Zapata to Serie A rivals Atalanta for two seasons.
      The Colombia international scored 23 goals in 37 league appearances during his first season in Bergamo – only Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella netted more.
      Atalanta finished third in the table that season, 16 points above Sampdoria in ninth.
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      Following his two-year loan, Zapata signed a permanent contract with the Black and Blues and has been with the club ever since.
      Bafetimbi Gomis – 20 goals (2016/17)
      Bafetimbi Gomis scored 20 goals for MarseilleCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gomis was loaned out by then-Premier League club Swansea to Marseille in 2016.
      By the end of his season-long loan at the Stade Velodrome he had netted 20 goals in 31 Ligue 1 games, making him one of the league’s top scorers.
      He is now playing for Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray.
      Paco Alcacer – 18 goals (2018/19)
      Paco Alcacer joined Dortmund permanently after his successful loan spellCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Alcacer joined Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan in August 2018 after falling out of favour at Barcelona.
      By the end of the 2018/19 campaign he had scored 18 goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances – only Robert Lewandowski scored more.
      Dortmund chiefs were so impressed by his form that they decided to sign him on a permanent deal midway through the campaign, so in February 2019 the German giants signed him for around £20million.
      Alcacer now plays for Sharjah in the UAE Pro League.
      Emmanuel Adebayor – 17 goals (2011/12)
      Emmanuel Adebayor joined Tottenham on loan after leaving ArsenalCredit: Graham Hughes – The Times
      In 2011, then-Manchester City star Adebayor was loaned to Tottenham – just two years after leaving Arsenal.
      The striker scored 17 times for Spurs to help them to a fourth-place finish, but his parent club went on to win the Premier League.
      He eventually signed a permanent deal with the Lilywhites before moving across London to Crystal Palace in 2016.
      Adebayor now plays for Togolese club AC Semassi.
      Romelu Lukaku – 17 goals (2012/13)
      Romelu Lukaku spent a season on loan at West Brom from ChelseaCredit: Getty
      Lukaku joined West Brom on loan from Chelsea in August 2012, one year after signing for the west London club from Anderlecht.
      He scored 17 goals in 35 games for the Baggies, but despite his impressive form he was loaned out again the following season.
      On the final day of the 2013 summer transfer window, Lukaku joined Everton on another season-long loan.
      During his time at Goodison Park he scored 15 goals in 33 appearances.
      As a result, the Toffees signed him for a club-record fee of £28m the following summer.
      Following his time at Everton, Lukaku enjoyed spells with Manchester United and Inter Milan respectively before returning to Chelsea for a club record fee of £97.5million in 2021.
      But after falling out of favour he returned to Inter Milan on a season-long loan last summer.
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 16 goals (2011/12)
      Aubameyang scored 16 goals in less than six months for St EtienneCredit: AFP – Getty
      In January 2011, Aubameyang joined St Etienne on a six-month loan from AC Milan.
      He scored 16 goals for the French side during that short space of time and his loan was subsequently extended for the following season as a result before he signed on a permanent basis.
      The striker then shot to stardom at Borussia Dortmund before joining Arsenal in January 2018.
      But, three years later his contract with the Gunners was terminated following a series of disciplinary breaches.
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      In February 2022, he joined Barcelona on a free transfer but returned to London to join Chelsea just seven months later.
      He has since fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge and is expected to leave during the summer transfer window. More

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      Dream Team gaffers would be wise to consider ditching Gabriel Martinelli in current form – so would Mikel Arteta!

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      MIKEL ARTETA’S consistent team selections have been a key feature of Arsenal’s title challenge this season.The Spaniard has remained fiercely loyal to his first-choice XI to date and understandably so, given the Gunners are currently top the table with 51 points.
      However, he now has a decision to make in regards to the left wing – one shared by a considerable chunk of Dream Team gaffers.
      Gabriel Martinelli’s (£3.2m) flying start to the campaign was a key factor in Arsenal establishing themselves as genuine title contenders this term, something few would have predicted in the summer.
      The 21-year-old scored three goals in his first five games as Arteta’s troops burst out of the blocks with five consecutive wins.
      And the Brazilian commenced the post-World Cup restart in similar fashion with two goals in his first two outings having returned from Qatar.
      Martinelli has seven goals and three assists this seasonCredit: GETTY
      However, his form has tailed off slightly in recent weeks, as evidenced by his Dream Team returns – two points from five games represents a significant drop-off from an asset who averaged almost five points-per-game throughout the first quarter of the season.
      Martinelli’s dip in form has coincided with Leandro Trossard’s (£3.7m) arrival at the Emirates and the Belgium international has looked lively in a red shirt so far.
      The 28-year-old scored Arsenal’s goal against Brentford on Saturday four minutes after replacing Martinelli and plenty of fans are calling for the January signing to start ahead of his younger team-mate for Wednesday night’s massive fixture against Manchester City at the Emirates.
      It’s a big call for Arteta because his consistent team selections have largely been justified but with the Gunners having now failed to win in three games he will surely be tempted to make adjustments.
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      A few 25-minute cameos may even do Martinelli some good.
      He made his name as an impact substitute and so reverting to that role for a few weeks may help him rediscover the form he exhibited at the start of the season.
      Many Arsenal fans want Trossard to start ahead of Martinelli on Wednesday
      Arsenal have a game in hand on Pep Guardiola’s side but defeat in midweek would put the two sides level on points – there’s no denying the significance of the fixture.
      Arteta has more reasons to remain loyal to Martinelli than Dream Team managers, who don’t have to worry about things such a team cohesion or player morale.
      The youngster is now the 12th-best asset in his position having previously peaked at fourth among forwards.
      Gaffers will be hard pressed to find a like-for-like replacement at the same value but with the top-bracket forwards providing so many points – Harry Kane (£8.2m), Marcus Rashford (£6.1m), etc – a restructure seems wise.
      Martinelli may well be a smart option again later in the season but his returns in recent weeks have simply been way below par. More

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      Ex-Arsenal star Francis Coquelin stretchered off in tears after horror knee injury leaves him writhing in pain

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      EX-ARSENAL midfielder Francis Coquelin was carried off in tears after collapsing with a horror injury in Villarreal’s 1-0 home defeat against Barcelona.The Frenchman, 31, twisted his knee as he fell awkwardly in Sunday night’s LaLiga clash.

      Francis Coquelin knew straight away he was in serious troubleCredit: .
      Francis Coquelin was carried off after twisting badly as he fellCredit: Getty
      Players from both teams looked shocked as the former Under-21 international writhed in obvious pain.
      He need two minutes of treatment but it was obvious he could not continue.
      And Coquelin was clapped off as he departed on a stretcher with his hands holding his head.
      Villarreal replaced him with Samuel Chukwueze ten minutes before the interval.
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      LaLiga leaders Barca led through Pedri’s brilliant 17th minute opener.
      And they held on comfortably enough to move 11 points clear of Real Madrid.
      Barcelona had started with ex-Arsenal target Franck Kessie and Manchester United’s dream option Frenkie de Jong in midfield, due to an injury for legend Sergio Busquets.
      Ex-Leeds winger Raphinha, who was linked to Old Trafford in the January transfer window, partnered Robert Lewandowski up front.
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      But it was Spain midfielder Pedri who hit the only goal a brilliant team effort.
      Jules Kounde, De Jong and Raphinha helped feed Pedri, who swapped instant passes with Lewandowski before smashing home.
      The extent of Coquelin’s injury remained clear after the final whistle.
      He was with the Gunners from 2008-2018 before joining Villarreal from Valencia three years ago. More

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      Arsenal ‘open transfer talks’ with teenage Brazil striker Vitor Roque in bid to beat Chelsea, Barcelona and PSG

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      ARSENAL have reportedly “opened talks” with Athletico Paranaense over a deal for Brazilian teenager Vitor Roque.The young striker, 17, is currently representing his country at U20 level at the South American age group championships.
      Vitor Roque has scored six goals at the South American U20 ChampionshipsCredit: AFP
      And he has been one of the star players to come out of the tournament, scoring six goals on the road to the final – which takes place between Brazil and Uruguay on Sunday night.
      Roque turns 18 later this month, meaning he will be eligible to move to Europe in the summer transfer window.
      And he has been linked with a host of huge clubs including Barcelona, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle.
      According to Goal, Barcelona are leading the way in the race to secure his signature.
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      They believe he is a suitable replacement for Memphis Depay.
      But the same report states that Arsenal’s sporting director Edu has approached the player’s agent about a potential deal.
      However, the Gunners will be forced to pay a substantial fee if they are to bring the talented forward to the Emirates.
      Athletico Paranaense are said to be holding out for his release clause of £53million.
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      Known as “Tigrinho” in Brazil, Roque has already been likened to legendary striker Ronaldo and Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez.
      He has made 36 appearances for Paranaense, contributing seven goals and three assists.
      On top of his club form, he has bagged six goals in nine appearances for Brazil’s U20s. More