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      Arsenal vs Villarreal referee Slavko Vincic was witness in drug and prostitution sting after being arrested at party

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      ARSENAL’S European destiny will be overseen by controversial referee Slavko Vincic.The Slovenian official has been placed in charge of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg against Villarreal at the Emirates.
      Slavko Vincic was questioned as a witness after 35 people were detained at a partyCredit: The Sun
      Arsenal defender David Luiz could be out for weeks with a hamstring injury, including missing Thursday’s semi-final with VillarrealCredit: AP
      Vincic, 41, was arrested last year by cops investigating a drugs and prostitution ring in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
      He was nicked as police raided a party in Bijeljina when a total of 26 men and nine women were detained and guns, cash and cocaine were seized.
      Vincic, a full Fifa referee since 2010, was later released after being questioned as a witness.
      He has been a full Fifa referee since 2010 and has taken charge of matches involving Liverpool, Manchester City and new Scottish champions Rangers.
      Arsenal are 2-1 down from the first leg against the Spanish side but are desperate to go on and win the competition.
      They are ninth in the Premier League and 12 points off the top four with no hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League via domestic football.
      The winners of the Europa League are awarded a place in the money-spinning competition, hence Arsenal’s huge incentive to do well.
      Meanwhile, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta admits defender David Luiz could be out for the rest of the season after injuring his leg in Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League win at Newcastle.
      Arteta said: “We don’t know. He felt something in his hamstring so it’s not good news.
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      “He’s put such a shift to be back with the team for the last few weeks after the knee surgery and it’s a real shame.”
      Striker Alexandre Lacazette and brilliant left-back Kieran Tierney are also unlikely to be ready for Villareal.
      Meanwhile, Manchester United are 6-2 up on Italians Roma in the other semi-final with the final set for May 26 in the Polish city of Gdansk.
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      Santi Cazorla admits Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are ‘inconsistent’ but insists old pal is best man for manager’s job

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      SANTI CAZORLA has backed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the “right man” to lead his former club forward despite this year’s “inconsistent” campaign.Cazorla spent six years at the Emirates following his arrival from Malaga in 2012 and became close friends with Arteta while they both played under legendary manager Arsene Wenger.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla played together under Arsene WengerCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      The Al Sadd ace admits that the Gunners have had a rocky season, which has seen them drop to ninth place in the Premier League table.
      But the 36-year-old is adamant that his good pal has what it takes to turn things around and lead the north Londoners to more silverware amid the club’s Europa League bid.
      The Europa League poses as Arsenal’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League competition and Cazorla is pleased with Arteta’s work in the competition as well as last season’s FA Cup triumph.
      Cazorla told uefa.com: “I think he’s the right man to take the club forward.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is close friends with Santi CazorlaCredit: EPA
      “It’s difficult to follow a period like Wenger’s – the club has to adapt to another kind of football, another philosophy, another vision of football.
      “He’s got a clear idea of how he wants his team to play, they’re in the semi-finals and they did well in the FA Cup [last season].
      “They have been pretty inconsistent but you’ve got to give him time and I think they’re convinced that Mikel can get a lot out of the squad and achieve big things.
      “I’m great friends with him and whatever good happens to him and the club I’d be happy for them because I’m a ‘Gunner’.”
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      Cazorla also spent a total of nine years, across three different spells, at Villarreal, who beat Arsenal 2-1 in Spain last Thursday in the Europa League semi-finals.
      Arteta’s men got the away goal but his predecessor Unai Emery has cast doubt over the Gunners’ chances of making it to the final.
      Cazorla advised his friend to keep an eye on the “best forward in Spain” Gerard Moreno, who has amassed a total of 26 goals and nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions this season.

      He added: “He is the best forward in Spain right now. I’m not saying that just because of the goals he scores.
      “You shouldn’t just look at what he does in the box and the goals he scores for Villarreal, but also what he does outside the box.
      “He’s a player who makes a difference, doesn’t need a lot of chances to score goals, and he’s at a point of his career where he’s full of confidence and at his peak, which is ideal in terms of the team being able to achieve its objectives.
      “He’s a chilled-out guy, he works hard and he brings a lot to the dressing room as well.”
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      How Liverpool and Leicester could finish fourth in Prem and still NOT get Champions League football next season

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      LEICESTER or Liverpool could miss out on Champions League football by finishing fourth – and here is how.The race is on to qualify for next season’s competition with a host of teams scuffling over the few remaining places.
      Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp may find that fourth place is not enoughCredit: Getty
      Manchester City are already in the hat with Manchester United soon to secure their spot, leaving potentially three more spaces in the competition.
      Typically, the top-four of the Premier League all reach the group stage with Leicester and Chelsea well set as things stand.
      The Blues hold a six-point advantage over fifth-placed West Ham and Liverpool are a point further back, with both clubs yet to play this weekend.
      Tottenham and Everton are also in the picture although the Toffees’ defeat to Aston Villa left them nine points behind with only five games to go.
      But, as these clubs fight over fourth place, there is still a possibility that it still will not be enough.
      Uefa rules stipulate that a maximum of five clubs can qualify for the Champions League from a single country.
      This is to allow space for any winners of the previous year’s tournament and/or the Europa League, as a prize for their achievement.
      At the halfway mark of the semi-finals in both competitions, there are still four English clubs who could lift a trophy and claim their place.
      As mentioned, Manchester United and City are already there via the top four but Chelsea could yet drop out and Arsenal are way back in 11th.
      Chelsea hold two potential routes to the 2021-22 Champions LeagueCredit: Guardian
      Arsenal are also still in the picture despite a defeat to VillarrealCredit: Getty
      Should BOTH the capital clubs lift European silverware, fourth place may not qualify for the Champions League.
      If Chelsea finish third then fourth will join them in the competition no matter what.
      But if both are outside the top four and both win their competition, then whoever does finish fourth will find themselves relegated to the Europa League for 2021-22.
      Chelsea are level at 1-1 with Real Madrid in their semi-final tie with Arsenal 2-1 down to Villarreal as both games head to London for the second legs.
      It would be a cruel blow to Leicester, who have sat inside the qualification places for much of the last two years and missed out on the final day of last season.
      While Liverpool are desperate to keep some momentum from their recent European and domestic titles by breaking back into the top four.
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      For Tottenham, it would be a severe case of deja vu as they were dumped into the Europa thanks to Chelsea’s Champions League win in 2012.
      Back then, only four sides were allowed to qualify – a rule that was changed in 2015.
      And there is another factor to consider as sides wrestle over a spot in Europe next season.
      The advent of the Europa Conference League, a third competition in the Uefa setup, means the Prem’s seventh-placed team will venture into that unknown next season.
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      Arsenal legend Martin Keown slams Mikel Arteta for ‘exposing’ Granit Xhaka at left-back against Villarreal More

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      Eight things Arteta got horribly wrong in Arsenal’s loss at Villarreal including bizarre lineup and inexplicable subs

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      I THINK before I launch into some forthright opinions on last night’s debacle, I should reiterate that this is a ‘Fan’s Column’.As such, it is hard to be an Arsenal fan emotionally invested in the manager, because I hugely admired Mikel Arteta as a player and feel he too, feels the same attachment to our club.
      Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure on the sidelineCredit: Getty
      As such I have wanted him to succeed and perhaps given him more latitude personally than I gave his predecessor and opposite number last night.
      Despite all that, I was, after 60 minutes, at the point I had reached with Unai Emery, after a cold night watching a 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Sheffield United in 2019.
      Nicolas Pepe’s calm penalty and Etienne Capoue’s rashness, to equal that of Dani Ceballos, may have bought our manager a last drink at the Europa League saloon, but in truth he got so much wrong last night.
      STRANGE SELECTION
      Starting a new formation, deploying a false nine and asking two players to rotate that duty who had probably never played the role before, in the biggest game of Arsenal’s season – BIZARRE.
      MISSING MARTINELLI
      Doing so when he had Gabriel Martinelli, fit and available to start made the decision even stranger and it was obvious the Brazilian added what the team had missed as soon as he entered the fray.
      Before he came on, Arsenal offered no real threat or pace, behind theVillarreal back line, barring the occasional run from the valiant Pepe.
      Gabriel Martinelli was introduced in the 85th minuteCredit: Rex

      CALLING A CEB
      To start Ceballos, after indifferent form and his comments this week about preferring the Spanish league, was misjudged but to leave him on at half time, when on a booking and having already been exposed for is lack of pace on so many occasions was criminal.
      It nearly cost Arsenal the tie and Arteta his job in my view.
      NO MO
      Elneny is not every supporter’s cup of tea, but he would have been a better option in a big away leg. The decision, however flawed, was made to persevere with Granit Xhaka at left-back.
      The Egyptian would have kept it simple, moved the ball swiftly and allowed Thomas Partey more licence.
      Mohamed Elneny was left on the bench until late onCredit: Getty
      Granit Xhaka was once again deployed at left-backCredit: Reuters
      XHAK AT THE BACK
      The decision to play Xhaka at left-back was also the wrong one for me,and also so unnecessary.
      He could have played a wrong-footed specialist fullback such as Cedric Soares, or a left footed mobile centre-back in Gabriel, but I have wanted Bukayo Saka there since Kieran Tierney’s injury.
      Those who suggest playing our best creative player at left-back is a waste,cannot have been watching the flying Scot all season, where his heat map frequently shows him as consistently our main attacking threat.
      MIDDLE OF THE PARK
      This decision to field Saka at left-back, had Arteta made it, would have allowed Xhaka back in alongside Partey, giving us more discipline and still allowing the Swiss star to cover the attacking left-back, as he has for Tierney this season and indeed did for Saka last season.
      PACE UPFRONT
      This correct selection would have seen Odegaard far more comfortable in his natural No10 role, behind a pacey striker in Martinelli, with Pepe and Emile Smith Rowe able to rotate either side of him.
      This, I should add, was the three behind the striker for the win over Leeds, arguably our best attacking display in a while.
      Bukayo Saka has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this seasonCredit: AP
      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made his return with five minutes remainingCredit: Rex
      SILLY SUBS
      Finally, again last night Arteta’s substitutions were debatable if I am being kind.
      If Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was fit enough to make the bench, surely, he could have been introduced earlier.
      Pepe’s strike had us back in the match on 73 and on top, Villarreal were down to 10 men on 80 minutes and Aubameyang was not brought on until the 85th minute.
      To add insult Arteta made two inexplicable substitutions, one you would normally associate with time wasting – when we had a set piece in injury time.
      The Arsenal manager was handed a get out of jail card last night, which his tactics, selections and decisions did not merit.
      There have been occasions in this inconsistent season when he has been let down by his players, but last night it was profoundly the other way around.
      I hope with Tierney, Aubameyang and perhaps Alex Lacazette available for the home leg, he makes best use of his undeserved reprieve.
      You can follow Dave on twitter @GoonerDave66
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      Arsenal legend Martin Keown slams Mikel Arteta for ‘exposing’ Granit Xhaka at left-back against Villarreal More

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      Arsenal legend Martin Keown slams Mikel Arteta for ‘exposing’ Granit Xhaka at left-back against Villarreal

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      ARSENAL icon Martin Keown blasted Mikel Arteta for hanging Granit Xhaka out to dry by exposing him at left-back against Villarreal. The Gunners were 2-0 down inside 30 minutes in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final with both goals coming from the Arsenal left.
      “You have to have a specialist left-back at this level… at any level!”Martin Keown breaks down the issue of Arsenal using Granit Xhaka as a full-back in Kieran Tierney’s absence 😬 pic.twitter.com/d5eDXgBgLk— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 29, 2021

      Martin Keown fumed at Mikel Arteta’s use of Granit XhakaCredit: BT Sport
      Arteta played Xhaka as a makeshift left-back against VillarrealCredit: Getty
      Nicolas Pepe’s second-half penalty gave Arteta’s ten men a lifeline in the tie with a crucial away goal after Dani Ceballos had been sent off after picking up his second booking.
      With Scot Kieran Tierney out injured for the rest of the season, midfielder Xhaka continued to deputise at left-back as he had done in the defeat to Everton in the Prem.
      Pundit Keown fumed on BT Sport: “Keep it simple, you have to have a specialist left-back at this level.
      “And that was always going to be a problem as it was against Everton.
      “It’s the actions of a player that is not comfortable in that position and it’s the manager that has put him there.
      “It’s about the decisions of the manager. It’s not Xhaka’s fault by the way. I do believe he’s the most improved player we have.
      “He’s still had a difficult time but to play him at left-back leaves him exposed for me.”
      The former no-nonsense centre-back claimed Bukayo Saka – whose moment of magic won the vital spot-kick – would be a better option on the left side of defence.
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      Keown added: “It’s about the manager creating the strongest fist he can as a team with what’s available.
      “Saka was picked to play for England in the November World Cup qualifiers as a left-back.
      “We know know he’s in the squad as a forward player but that’s how versatile he is so play him at left-back.
      “Then [Gabriel] Martinelli can play, Pepe can play. There’s still plenty of talent but it’s a better XI.”
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      Man Utd star Paul Pogba admits ‘I don’t know how to tackle’ after giving away penalty before scoring in 6-2 Roma rout

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      PAUL POGBA has admitted he ‘can’t tackle’ after giving away a penalty in Manchester United’s resounding Europa League semi-final win over Roma on Thursday night.The Red Devils midfielder slid in to try and block a cross from Roma defender Rick Karsdorp, but instead gave a spot kick away when the ball struck his arm.
      Pogba was penalised after the ball struck his arm while he was sliding along the floorCredit: PA
      “I just don’t know how to tackle! Why should I tackle? “That’s my problem, I try to tackle and be the English guy. I need to practice more!” 🤣Mission accomplished for Manchester United and Paul Pogba, even if there was one *minor* blip 😉🎙 @ReshminTV #UEL pic.twitter.com/RsxlIIWQb2— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 29, 2021

      Pogba later scored for Man Utd as they ran riot against RomaCredit: Getty
      And Pogba, who later netted Man Utd’s fifth goal in a thumping 6-2 first leg victory, hilariously owned up to his mistake after the match.
      Speaking to BT Sport, he said: “Just don’t tackle. I don’t know how to tackle – why should I tackle? That’s my problem! I try to tackle and be the English guy.
      “I need to practise more. I need to practise to tackle without arms. It’s unlucky. I’ve been unlucky a lot this season with penalties.”
      Man Utd were 2-1 down at half-time but came roaring back with five second half goals to take a comprehensive lead into the return leg in Italy next week.
      Elaborating on the team’s performance, Pogba added: “In the first half we had two mistakes and conceded two goals. We were a bit all over the place after the second goal.
      “At half-time we said let’s do the right things, let’s do the right things, simple things.
      “The manager spoke. We were all motivated to go and score as many goals as possible.
      “The result is positive but it’s not finished. We will have to stay focused and play a nice game with the same mentality.”
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      Former referee Mark Halsey says Pogba handball WAS a penaltyPAUL POGBA can have no complaints after his first-half handball gifted Roma a penalty at Old Trafford.

      The Manchester United midfielder’s arm was in an unnatural position when he blocked Rick Karsdorp’s cross.
      Yes, Pogba was sliding in to stop the cross but the Frenchman made himself bigger with his arm in the air and Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande correctly pointed to the spot.
      VAR would have checked Pogba’s handball but it was not a clear and obvious error by the match official so the decision stood.
      It was unnecessary for Pogba to slide into the challenge with his arm that high and his action allowed Roma back into the tie, making it 1-1.
      Pogba’s handball would have been given in any competition in the world and had it happened in the Roma box then United would have been screaming for a penalty.  

      Man Utd are bidding to reach a second Europa League final in four years after they lifted the trophy for the first time in their history in 2017.
      If they do reach the final, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will face either Villarreal or Premier League rivals Arsenal.
      The Gunners were beaten 2-1 in Spain after both teams were reduced to 10-men in an eventful night at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
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      Mikel Arteta claims Bernd Leno ‘saved’ Arsenal’s season after second-half fightback against Villarreal in Europa League

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      ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta praised keeper Bernd Leno for ‘saving’ their season after a pair of superb stops inspired a fightback in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Villarreal.The Gunners were on the ropes at 2-0 down in Spain and it could have gotten worse for the North London side had their German shot-stopper not brilliantly denied Gerard Moreno on two occasions in the second half.
      Leno kept Arsenal in the tie on a couple of occasions with the score at 2-0Credit: Getty
      And those saves were rewarded when Bukayo Saka won a penalty for the visitors and Nicolas Pepe converted to grab Arsenal a vital away goal.
      Arteta singled out Leno after the game for keeping them in the tie, with the Europa League the only competition left for the Gunners to compete for this season.
      As reported by the BBC, the Arsenal manager said: “We didn’t want to come here and lose but after the way the game developed, you have to take the result. If you have to lose it is probably the best result we could have.
      “Two different halves. We started to be us, in the first half there were so many moments we weren’t.
      “We started to chase and were not precise with the ball, didn’t have enough control. We didn’t have enough threat or desire to attack the box, in the second half it was completely different.
      “Bernd Leno was very good, at 2-0, the chance with Gerard Moreno, he saved us.
      “We had a big chance with Auba to draw the game. I am confident we have a chance to win.”
      Arsenal return to the Emirates for the second leg next Thursday knowing they need to score just one goal to take them through to the final.
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      But they will have to do so without midfield maestro Dani Ceballos after he was sent off for a second yellow card in the 57th minute.
      Unai Emery’s Villarreal also had a player dismissed ten minutes from time when ex-Spurs man Etienne Capoue was giving his marching orders.
      In the other Europa League semi-final, Manchester United put one foot in the final after a thumping 6-2 victory over Roma at Old Trafford.
      If Man Utd and Arsenal reach the final, it will be the second time in three years that the Europa League is decided between two English teams after the Gunners finished runners-up to Chelsea in 2019.
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