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      Arsenal ‘identify top midfield target and could sign Champions League star for LESS than cut price £51m transfer clause’

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      ARSENAL could attempt to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi this summer, according to reports.The Gunners are expected to dip into the transfer market when the window opens.Arsenal are interested in Martin ZubimendiCredit: GettyWhile signing a new striker is understood to be the main priority, they could also look to recruit a midfielder.And Caught Offside claim Zubimendi is a top target.The Gunners have held an interest in the Spaniard for over a year.While Zubimendi has remained committed to Real Sociedad since extending his contract 18 months ago, he could be tempted to move on this summer.Read More on ArsenalArsenal could decide to trigger his £51million release clause in order to complete a deal quickly.However, the starting point for negotiations is expected to be lower.Zubimendi has been with Real Sociedad for over 13 years.He joined the club’s academy at the age of 12 and progressed through the ranks before making his first team debut in April 2019.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSZubimendi has established himself as a crucial player for Real SociedadThe midfielder has since made 186 senior appearances for the club.Zubimendi has also been capped five times for the Spanish national team.Ashley Cole picks his all-time team-mates XI… but does it boast more Arsenal or Chelsea stars?Arsenal are also keeping tabs on Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.However, the midfielder is expected to stay at Villa Park if Unai Emery’s side qualify for the Champions League. More

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      Legendary Champions League stadium looks unrecognisable in throwback pics as it celebrates 50th anniversary

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      FEW stadiums rival Signal Iduna Park for size and atmosphere.So it’s fitting that Borussia Dortmund’s spectacular venue has so many special dates to recall on its 50th anniversary.This is how the Westfalenstadion looked at its onsetCredit: YouTubeThe venue looked far more humble half a century agoCredit: YouTubeThese flashback pics show how the ground was built on a tight budgetCredit: YouTubeNow the stadium is one of the greatest in EuropeCredit: GettyNow throwback pictures show how the stadium has grown from modest to magnificent in that half-century of fame. Apart from emerging as a glorious setting for Champions League matches, the home of the German giants has been full of historic occasions.Westfalenstadion – to give it the German name – hosted matches in the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, as well as Liverpool’s famous 2001 Uefa Cup final triumph.Yet the main reason it was even built in the first place now seems incredible.Dortmund were the first German team to win a European club title – the 1966 Cup Winners’ Cup.And the increasing number of fans attracted by such success meant the Stadion Rote Erde – Red Soil Stadium – became too small.But Dortmund couldn’t afford a suitable new stadium, while federal authorities were unwilling to help out.However, when the city of Cologne backed out of hosting 1974 World Cup games, cash set aside for that project was switched to Dortmund, albeit still with a tight budget.Most read in FootballJurgen Klopp famously managed at the Westfalenstadion from 2008-2015Credit: PAThe club officially moved in on April 2 1974.But having been relegated two years earlier, they were the only German second tier side to hold World Cup ties, before returning to the Bundesliga in 1976.Five things you didn’t know about Jadon SanchoAnd with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp being Dortmund’s most feted ex-manager, it’s fitting that the Reds took part in arguably Westfalenstadion’s greatest ever club match.Gerard Houllier’s team beat Alaves 5-4 via an extra-time GOLDEN GOAL in the Uefa Cup final 23 years ago.The stadium has of course gradually been improved over the decades.Already Germany’s largest football venue, its league capacity has soared to 81,365.The Westfalenstadion is also the seventh-biggest ground in Europe.And just two top-flight sides in the continent can boast a larger stadium – Barcelona and Real Madrid.Unsurprisingly, The Westfalenstadion also holds the record for average attendance over a season – 80,588 during 2011-12. More

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      Mikel Arteta tells his frustrated bench players to ‘change history’ as Arsenal eye stunning Double to end the season

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      MIKEL ARTETA has told his frustrated bench players: You can make Arsenal history.The Gunners have the chance to briefly leapfrog Liverpool back to the Premier League summit on Wednesday with a win over relegation-battling Luton at the Emirates.Mikel Arteta has urged his substitutes to influence their hunt for trophiesCredit: GettyArteta uses Reiss Nelson as an example after his injury time winner last seasonCredit: GettyBarring Dutch full-back Jurrien Timber, Arteta nearly has a fully fit squad to choose from for the season run-in, competing in the Prem and the Champions League.During Sunday’s goalless draw at the Etihad against Manchester City, Arteta had the luxury of bringing on Thomas Partey, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Takehiro Tomiyasu.Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Eddie Nketiah and Oleksandr Zinchenko were unused, having struggled recently for game time, while Reiss Nelson did not even make the squad.With nine Prem games remaining and potentially five more in Europe should they reach the Champions League final on June 1, Arteta will have to rotate to keep his starters fresh.READ MORE ARSENALAnd the Spaniard has urged his fringe stars to stay physically to be ready to influence the North London club’s hunt for silverware.Considering several changes against the Hatters, Arteta explained: “It’s always that balance, but their obligation and duty is to be prepared to play any minute in any moment.“Look at the example of Reiss. His best moment for Arsenal [scoring in injury time to beat Bournemouth last season], it’s a moment where he played a few minutes and made a huge impact and it’s one of the best days in his life as an Arsenal player.“Nobody remembers if he started or if it was off the bench. There are a lot of examples in world sport where players made the impact.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“Sometimes you just need a second to change the history of a football club. You don’t need 100 minutes to play football.“It’s easy to see that it’s a fact. It’s not something that I’m inventing.” Mikel Arteta on Manchester City 0-0 ArsenalDamning data means rustiness is likely: Nketiah and Vieira have no Prem starts and a combined total of 124 minutes on the pitch in 2024.Zinchenko has three starts and 236 minutes of Prem action since the turn of the year, while Smith Rowe has only one start and 112 minutes.Nelson has no starts and 80 Prem minutes under his belt this calendar year, while Smith Rowe, Vieira and Zinchenko have all had injury issues.In an ideal world, Arteta admits he would “love” to have 22 elite players who he can constantly rotate.His old City mentor Pep Guardiola has managed to achieve this in recent seasons, with at least two world class players in each position thanks to their financial power in the transfer market.Arteta said: “I would love that – to have 22 or 20 instead of 18, where we change and one is better than the other. The week after, the other is better than the other one.“That raises the level and for sure you would win more games.”Asked how many transfer windows it would take for Arsenal to do the same, Arteta added: “I don’t know. It depends on how much we have to spend and how good we are at evolving the players we have to get to that level. Obviously the academy is a key thing.”Bukayo Saka is expected to start against Luton despite hobbling off with a muscular injury at City, while Gabriel Martinelli should also feature having overcome a foot issue.READ MORE SUN STORIESTimber, who had ACL surgery back in August, is “not far off”, but Arteta has warned the Holland international will need time with the U23s to get match fit first.Arteta was also asked about his own future, with just 12 months left on his current deal, but he insisted: “A year is a long time in football. I am really happy. The players are happy, the club is happy, no issues.” More

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      Pep Guardiola’s genius half-time teamtalk that helped Man City win Champions League revealed in new Netflix doc

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      PEP GUARDIOLA’S half-time teamtalk in last season’s Champions League final has been revealed in a new Netflix docuseries.Entitled “Together: Treble Winners”, the programme seeks to take fans inside City’s huge success.Pep Guardiola guided Man City to Treble gloryCredit: PACity beat Inter Milan 1-0 in IstanbulCredit: PAThe six-episode in-house production features Guardiola’s impassioned half-time plea to his players, with City locked at 0-0 with Inter Milan in Istanbul.He told his men: “You’re exceptional players, playing the Champions League final.”What you feel is normal, yes. But we don’t give up. Go, go, go. That’s why we are here.”We adjust one or two things and we’ll be much more effective. Calm, guys, calm. Keep going, we’ll find momentum.”READ MORE IN FOOTBALLCity went on to find a 68th minute courtesy of Rodri.The triumph was the Sky Blues’ first in the Champions League, having previously fallen to Chelsea in the 2021 final.During the doc, Guardiola, 53, admitted to getting it wrong that day in Porto.He said: “Of course emotion is so important in the final.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKER”The big personalities, the characters. How you approach the moment in half-time, how you overcome, how well you overcome if it’s not a perfect first half, because it’s happened.”People are human beings, they have the desire to do well, to achieve it, win it, to lift it… I remember the final against Chelsea at half-time I was more aggressive with some players and it didn’t work…“In the finals, there is not one player who doesn’t want to win it and do it well.”And when that moment came by, okay guys, we have 45 minutes, maybe extra time, stick with what we have. I have to adjust something, we do it. Come on, let’s go.”I control my emotions much better than when I was younger as a manager.”Kyle Walker also gave a heartfelt rallying cry to his team-mates during the 2023 final.He added: “I love every single one of you.”Come and make my dream come true. Please, I beg you. Right, come on boys.”Kyle Walker helped to inspire his team-matesCredit: Getty More

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      Jude Bellingham breaks yet another LaLiga record in sensational debut season at Real Madrid

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      JUDE BELLINGHAM continues to shine on his debut season for Real Madrid.The 20-year-old joined Los Blancos in a £115million transfer from Borussia Dortmund last summer and has since broken record after record.Jude Bellingham reached another milestone at the weekendCredit: GettyThe midfielder impressed against Athletic BilbaoBellingham matched three records set by Cristiano Ronaldo within his first two months at the Santiago Bernabeu.And by November the midfielder had scored more goals than any other Real Madrid player in their first 15 games for the club.Bellingham hit another milestone at the weekend, becoming the first La Liga player to reach double figures in both goals and assists this season across all competitions.The England star provided an assist for Rodrygo as Real Madrid clinched a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThat means he now has 20 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.Bellingham is joint-top of the La Liga top scorers table alongside Osasuna star Ante Budimir and Girona’s Artem Dovbyk.Real Madrid currently have a commanding lead at the top of the La Liga table with 75 points.Barcelona sit in second, eight points adrift.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBellingham has been outstanding this seasonThe England star has been at the heart of Real Madrid’s midfieldSpeaking after the match against Athletic Bilbao, manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “We’re focused on the fact that we have an advantage in the league, on taking advantage of it and on trying to win every game that’s left. Starting with the next game against Mallorca.”We can’t do any calculations because the league is still open, but we have an advantage. We now have to play good football and try to win every game.”Touching moment as England star Bellingham gives his tracksuit top to mascot in wheelchair as it rains at WembleyDiscussing Bellingham’s form, he continued: “Everyone has to be at their best level to beat [Manchester] City. Bellingham has played very well for the national team and that work today will help him in the coming games.” More

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      PSG boss Enrique rages ‘it’s so boring’ on live TV after Kylian Mbappe rolls eyes and looks disgusted at being subbed

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN forward Kylian Mbappe was furious at being substituted on Sunday.But his raging manager Luis Enrique had little time for the matter when speaking after the match.Kylian Mbappe was left furious after being substitutedCredit: primeThe forward slowly walked across the pitch to the dugoutCredit: primeThe 25-year-old was hauled off in the 64th minute of PSG’s Ligue 1 match against Marseille.Mbappe was seen rolling his eyes and shaking his head after spotting his number on the board.And he made his feelings clear while walking towards the dugout – much to the frustration of manager Enrique.Fans took to social media to react to the incident, with one person writing: “Enrique is jokes. he’s reminding him who actually makes the decisions.”Read More on FootballAnother commented: “PSG doesn’t win anything, because they don’t control the players! Mbappe rules PSG, I’ve never seen that in any team, he’s a great player, but he needs to be more humble and accept being replaced!”A PSG supporter added: “I don’t get this from him. He played 180minutes in 3 days last week. PSG have a match on Wednesday another after that then Barca on the 10th.”If it wasn’t Le Classique he probably doesn’t even play today. The sub made sense. We have bigger ambitions than this match.”While a fourth wrote: “Enrique gotta stop subbing him off early.”Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERPSG went on to win 2-0 thanks to goals from Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos, who replaced Mbappe in the second half.After the match, Enrique was asked about the substitution and was clearly irked by the line of questioning. Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni filmed in heated debate ‘arguing over Haaland and Mbappe’The former Barcelona coach raged that he “doesn’t care” what anyone thinks of his decisions.He told Prime Video: “It’s the same music every single week, the same music… it’s so boring. I am the manager, I make the decisions every day, every week. “I am going to do the same until my last day in Paris. I always try to find the best solution for my team. Even if you don’t (understand the decision), I don’t care. I don’t care at all.”Mbappe is set to leave PSG on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.Real Madrid are currently the clear favourites to sign him. More

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      Shocking Man City stats emerge after drab goalless draw with Arsenal and it could cost them title

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      MANCHESTER CITY fans will have some cause for concern after a shocking stat emerged.It comes in the wake of their lifeless 0-0 draw with Arsenal.City are trailing Liverpool and Arsenal in the title raceCredit: AFPWhile on paper it’s not the worst result, given they remain just one point off the Gunners and three points off Liverpool, it speaks to a bigger pattern across the season.The club are yet to win in games against the top five teams in the league this season.They lost to Arsenal away, before drawing at home, drew twice with Liverpool, lost away to Aston Villa and drew at home to Spurs.And to make matters worse, today’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal marks the first time the club haven’t scored at the Etihad in 57 matches.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLIn their remaining games against the top five, City will host Aston Villa on Wednesday, and still have to travel to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium before the season is up.While they beat Spurs away in the FA Cup in January, but are yet to winthere in the league since Spurs began playing at their new home in 2019.And Haaland’s failure to score today means he’s scored just four goals in nine league games since he returned in January.While still impressive, he’s a long way off his scintillating form of last year, which saw him score 53 goals.Most read in FootballHaaland was an isolated figure against ArsenalCredit: The Sun CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAnd his performance today drew criticism from Roy Keane, who was not impressed with his hold up play.City’s draw with Arsenal leaves them three points off league leaders Liverpool.Man City star Kyle Walker names shock opponent who is toughest he has ever facedA tricky midweek fixture against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa will offer Guardiola the chance to bounce back as the title race continues to be split three ways.The club could still achieve a back to back treble, having reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, where they will play Real Madrid, and the semi-final of the Fa Cup, where they will play Chelsea. More

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      Thomas Tuchel makes bold Arsenal claim moments after conceding ‘title is over’ as fans fume ‘what a loser’

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      THOMAS TUCHEL admitted the Bundesliga title race is OVER – but still backs his Bayern Munich side to beat Arsenal in the Champions League. Bayern fell to a 2-0 home loss to Borussia Dortmund to leave Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen 13 points clear at the top of the table. Thomas Tuchel admitted the Bundesliga title race is overTuchel: ‘We are able to beat Arsenal even if today this is hard to believe. We have very different performances within a short period of time. Wouldn’t be the first time we bounce back with a crazy good performance’ [🎥 @archiert1, @ESPNFC]pic.twitter.com/qlVBRlzQSI— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 31, 2024

      With just seven games left, Tuchel conceded the title early following the crushing defeat. Asked if the race is now over, he said: “Obviously, yes. “After today’s game there is no more need to count points. How many is it now? Congratulations to Leverkusen.“We are very disappointed because we felt we did not bring the necessary passion to win the game. READ MORE IN football “It was too little from us when it came to the basics.” Tuchel’s comments angered fans as one said: “What a loser.”Another added: “What a loser mentality.” With hope lost in the league, Bayern will now turn their attention to their quarter-final clash with Arsenal next month.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSTuchel – who had several showdowns with the Gunners during his reign at Chelsea – is hopefully the Germans can turn their form around. He said: “That is not the first time that it happens to us and it’s not the first time we could bounce back with a crazy good performance. Xabi Alonso announces he will stay at Bayer Leverkusen after showdown talks with club”That is basically the hope. It’s a bit strange but that is actually it. If we are honest, we could not have to guarantee that if we perform today at highest level that we do this again at Heidenheim. “This is our point for many, many months. We struggle to find this consistency. So today we didn’t find and now we prepare for Heidenheim. “We are able to beat Arsenal even if today this is hard to believe. We have very different performances within a short period of time so this is not new to us.” More