Mikel Arteta faces a significant selection dilemma involving Eberechi Eze as Arsenal prepare to visit rivals Tottenham in the Premier League this Sunday.
The £67.5m summer signing has found himself on the periphery of the squad in recent months.
Eze marked his arrival on the big stage with a hat-trick against Spurs in the reverse fixture last November.
However, the England international has struggled to replicate that form since the turn of the year.
Struggle for minutes
The former Crystal Palace playmaker has started only one of Arsenal’s last 11 Premier League matches.
His most recent start came in the 1-1 draw with Brentford, where he was substituted at half-time following an ineffective display.
Arteta has recently favoured defensive solidity over flair, leaving the creative midfielder largely among the substitutes.
This caution was evident against Wolves, where Bukayo Saka was deployed in a central number 10 role at Eze’s expense.
“If I was Eze, I’d be thinking, ‘Am I going to play for Arsenal too many more times this season?'”
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson
The search for balance
The Arsenal manager is currently finding it difficult to strike a balance between control and creativity.
While Eze showcased his ability with a dynamic performance in the FA Cup win over Wigan, consistency in the league remains elusive.
The Gunners have lacked a cutting edge in the final third during their recent stuttering run.
Reintegrating the 27-year-old could provide the spark required to reignite their season.
A favoured opponent
Sunday’s North London Derby could offer the perfect platform for Eze’s redemption.
The midfielder counts Tottenham as one of his favourite opponents.
He has scored six goals in eight total appearances against the Lilywhites.
With Arsenal needing a result to stay in contention at the top of the table, Arteta must decide if he trusts his marquee signing to deliver once again.
Everton have identified Chelsea striker Liam Delap as their primary summer transfer target as manager David Moyes looks to bolster his attacking options in a potential £30m deal.
The Toffees have enjoyed a strong debut campaign at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium and currently sit eighth in the Premier League table.
They remain just three points behind Brentford as the club continues to chase a European spot for next season.
However, Moyes is determined to strengthen his squad to maintain these standards and has pinpointed the centre-forward position as a priority area for improvement.
Moyes seeks striking solution
A new number nine is considered essential on Merseyside following the struggles of the current attacking options.
Beto and Thierno Barry have failed to make the position their own, scoring a combined total of just eight Premier League goals between them this term.
Moyes has reportedly made it clear that he wants Delap to lead his line, just 12 months after the player rejected a move to Everton in favour of Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old had joined the Blues following a successful stint with Ipswich Town after the west London club triggered his £30m release clause.
Chelsea open to recouping fee
The former Manchester City academy graduate has endured a difficult maiden season in the capital.
Delap has managed only one Premier League goal during a campaign disrupted by injuries and inconsistent performances.
Chelsea are now understood to be considering his long-term future, with Emmanuel Emegha set to join and Nicolas Jackson due to return from a loan spell.
Stamford Bridge officials are reportedly willing to sanction a departure if they can recoup the £30m fee originally paid for the forward.
Adding physical presence
Despite his recent struggles, the England youth international is viewed as an ideal fit for the tactical system deployed at Goodison Park.
Described as an “exceptional” talent, the striker offers the physical profile and work rate that Moyes typically demands from his forwards.
His ability to offer a direct goal threat and use his pace to run the channels would provide a different dimension to Everton’s transition play.
The Merseyside club believe a deal for the powerful attacker would represent a significant coup given his age and potential ceiling.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has criticised Jose Mourinho for his reaction to Vinicius Jr’s claims of racial abuse during Real Madrid’s Champions League win at Benfica.
Kompany defends Real Madrid star
The former Manchester City captain drew on his own experiences of discrimination to label Mourinho’s comments a "huge mistake".
The dispute stems from Wednesday’s play-off tie, where Real forward Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a "monkey".
Speaking ahead of Bayern’s Bundesliga fixture, Kompany offered a staunch defence of the 24-year-old winger.
"When you watch the action itself and how Vini reacted, that reaction cannot be faked," Kompany said.
"You can see it was an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders."
Mourinho’s controversial stance
Following the match, Benfica boss Mourinho suggested the Brazilian incited the hostility by not celebrating respectfully.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager also argued the Portuguese club could not be racist due to the legacy of club legend Eusebio.
"I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back," Mourinho stated regarding a post-match conversation with Vinicius.
"There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens. Always."
Kompany took particular issue with his counterpart focusing on the player’s character rather than the severity of the alleged abuse.
Uefa launches investigation
Referee Francois Letexier paused the game for 11 minutes mid-week to activate Fifa’s anti-racism protocols.
Prestianni, who denies the allegations, is now facing an investigation by European governing body Uefa.
Real teammate Kylian Mbappe backed Vinicius’s version of events, stating he also heard the abuse from the 20-year-old Argentine international.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has encouraged Anthony Gordon to maintain his “selfish” streak following the forward’s four-goal display in the Champions League.
The England international scored four times during the Magpies’ emphatic 6-1 play-off first-leg victory over Qarabag in Baku on Wednesday.
Gordon’s haul took his tally in this season’s competition to 10 goals as he thrived in a central striking role.
However, the 24-year-old waved away captain Kieran Trippier’s request to hand penalty duties to team-mate Nick Woltemade for his fourth goal.
Howe praises striker’s resolve
The incident echoed Alan Shearer’s refusal to let Paul Robinson take a penalty during an 8-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 1999.
When asked about Gordon’s refusal to pass the ball, Howe insisted the moment highlighted the player’s elite mentality.
“There were really big positives to take from that incident,” said Howe. “Moments like that get blown out of all proportion, it was a very minor issue.”
The Newcastle boss believes that hunger is essential for a top-level forward.
“It was great from Anthony that he’s got that strong enough resolve that he wants to score in every moment – and you’d want that from any player – so I’ve got no issue with him.”
Howe also defended Trippier’s intervention, describing the full-back as an “aspiring leader” looking out for the squad.
Woltemade’s tactical switch
Trippier had hoped to boost the confidence of club-record £69m signing Woltemade.
The German striker recently broke a 14-game goal drought in the FA Cup but has been deployed in a deeper midfield role in recent outings.
He appears to be adapting well to the transition, similar to Brazilian team-mate Joelinton.
“Tactically, he’s a very, very intelligent player,” Howe added. “He’s obviously been well-educated in his former clubs, so he took to it really quickly.”
Woltemade’s ability to play in midfield could be tested again when the Magpies travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Newcastle face Manchester City seeking their first league win at the venue since September 2000.
Jamie Carragher has warned Tottenham that suffering relegation this season would be the "most embarrassing" in Premier League history as the club fights for survival.
The former Liverpool defender claims the north London side are "not too big or too good" to drop into the Championship following a turbulent 18 months.
Spurs currently sit just five points above the relegation zone, having narrowly avoided the drop by finishing 17th in the previous campaign.
‘Catastrophic’ decline
Writing in his column for the Telegraph, Carragher compared the club’s current plight to Manchester United’s historic demotion in 1974.
The Sky Sports pundit suggests the expensively assembled squad is showing signs of a team "on the verge of catastrophe".
"If they drop into the Championship it would be the most shocking descent of the Premier League era, and the most embarrassing for a club of such wealth and stature since Denis Law’s back-heel for Manchester City sent Manchester United into the old Second Division in 1974."
Jamie Carragher
He noted that third-bottom West Ham United recently secured a victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, highlighting the precarious nature of their position.
Carragher insists that while survival is usually assumed for clubs of this stature, the "dreaded R word" is now inescapable.
Tudor faces derby test
Igor Tudor was appointed as head coach earlier this month following the dismissal of Thomas Frank.
Frank had arrived in the summer but paid the price for the team’s poor form, leaving the Croatian successor with a remit to keep the club in the division.
Carragher acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing the new boss, pointing to a "prolonged dip" under previous managers.
"Analysing the quality of the squad Igor Tudor leads for the first time in this weekend’s North London Derby, the scale of the challenge is obvious."
While agreeing with the decision to part ways with Frank, Carragher remains concerned about how quickly the decline can be reversed.
Tottenham face local rivals Arsenal this weekend in a fixture that could prove pivotal to their top-flight status.
Alan Shearer believes the pressure of the Premier League title race is taking its toll on Arsenal after their lead at the top was cut to five points.
The former Newcastle United striker claims the Gunners’ recent wobble was to be expected as the season reaches its climax.
Mikel Arteta’s side saw their advantage over Manchester City shrink following a disappointing collapse against Wolves on Wednesday.
That gap could narrow to just two points before Arsenal kick off against Tottenham on Sunday if City defeat Newcastle.
Pressure mounting on league leaders
Shearer suggests the psychological burden of leading the pack is affecting the north London club.
The Premier League Hall of Fame inductee noted that surrendering a two-goal lead against bottom-of-the-table opposition is a significant warning sign.
“Cracks are starting to show now for Arsenal,” Shearer told Betfair.
“Being 2-0 up and then being pegged back as they were by the team bottom of the Premier League in Wolves it doesn’t look good. I pretty much expected this.”
The pundit believes the “noise” surrounding the club’s temperament will only increase following the result.
“Whether they like it or not, Arsenal probably haven’t liked people going on about them bottling it, them chucking it away and the pressure being on them,” he added.
“Well, they won’t like what’ll happen in the next few days now, because the noise will get a lot louder.”
Derby day offers chance to respond
Despite a run of poor form, the league leaders remain masters of their own destiny.
The Gunners have won just two of their last seven matches, allowing Manchester City to close the gap significantly.
However, Shearer insists there is no reason to panic just yet with a pivotal trip to the Etihad Stadium still to come in April.
“The Premier League title is also still in Arsenal’s hands because if they win every game, they win the league,” said Shearer.
“Technically it’s in both of their hands and everyone was always going to look to that game, at the Etihad in April.”
The former England captain believes the upcoming North London Derby is the perfect fixture to galvanise the squad.
“I’d be looking to the next game and I would actually love it to be a huge one and that’s what they have with it being a north London derby,” he concluded.
“That’s exactly what it is at Tottenham, with them also having a new manager, and you put all that together, then it becomes huge.”
Manchester United have decided to allow winger Jadon Sancho to leave the club on a free transfer when his contract expires in June.
The Old Trafford hierarchy has reportedly chosen not to trigger a 12-month extension clause in the player’s deal.
This decision means the club will avoid paying the 25-year-old’s reported £200,000-a-week wages for another season.
Struggles on loan at Aston Villa
Sancho is currently spending the campaign on loan at Aston Villa.
The England international has struggled for consistency in the West Midlands, making only six Premier League starts and registering one assist.
Villa appear unlikely to exercise their option to buy the forward permanently.
Consequently, the former Manchester City academy graduate is expected to search for a new club as a free agent this summer.
A difficult spell at Old Trafford
Sancho has not played a league match for his parent club in more than two years.
His career in Manchester stalled significantly following a fallout with former manager Erik ten Hag during the 2023-24 campaign.
Following that dispute, the winger returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan, helping them reach the Champions League final.
Subsequent loan spells at Chelsea and Aston Villa have failed to reignite his best form.
Since the start of last season, he has scored just three Premier League goals.
In total, Sancho has made 83 appearances for the Red Devils, contributing 12 goals and six assists.
Summer overhaul pending
Sancho is not the only high-profile name expected to depart Old Trafford.
The club have already confirmed that midfielder Casemiro will leave at the end of the season.
Decisions also loom regarding defenders Harry Maguire and Tyrell Malacia.
While reports suggest United are keen to extend Maguire’s stay, Malacia appears likely to follow Sancho out the door after struggling for playing time.
Turkish authorities have detained 32 individuals, including several club executives, as part of an escalating investigation into alleged match-fixing and illegal betting across the nation’s professional leagues.
The Istanbul prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrests on Friday following a coordinated police operation.
Those apprehended are suspected of placing wagers on matches involving their own clubs, with some allegations involving bets on opposing teams.
Security forces conducted raids across 10 provinces to locate the suspects, while efforts continue to find one individual still at large.
Widespread corruption crackdown
Authorities have not yet disclosed specific details regarding the identities of those detained or their club affiliations.
This latest operation represents a significant expansion of the crackdown on corruption within the country’s football pyramid, reaching as high as the Super Lig.
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has already taken strict action, previously suspending 149 referees and assistants for betting-related offences.
Numerous figures, including club chairmen and commentators, have faced questioning as prosecutors cast a wide net over the sport.
International players implicated
The scale of the scandal became apparent in November when the governing body suspended more than 1,000 players.
Galatasaray defender Eren Elmali, a Champions League regular earlier this campaign, was among the high-profile names disciplined.
The 25-year-old released a statement explaining his involvement after being withdrawn from the national squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Bulgaria.
Elmali admitted via social media to placing a bet approximately five years ago on a fixture that did not involve his team at the time.
Lower leagues paused
Metehan Baltaci, a teammate of the full-back at the Istanbul giants, was also included on the list of 1,024 players referred to a disciplinary commission.
While the top two divisions have continued scheduled play, the severity of the allegations forced a two-week shutdown of the third and fourth tiers.