Mikel Arteta hopes to be talking about football after Arsenal’s trip to Sevilla

Mikel Arteta is hoping he will be left talking about football after his Arsenal side take on Sevilla in Spain on Tuesday.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was allegedly racially abused during Saturday’s LaLiga clash at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Vinicius later took to social media to praise staff in the ground for ejecting a fan and reporting him to the authorities.

The Brazilian then said he had also seen footage of abuse being aimed at him from a child, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Congratulations to Sevilla for their quick positioning and punishment in yet another sad episode for Spanish football.

Parabéns ao Sevilla pelo rápido posicionamento e pela punição em mais um triste episódio para o futebol espanhol.

Infeli…

Albrighton signs new three-year deal with Leicester City

Marc Albrighton has signed a new three-year extension with Leicester City, the club announced on Friday.

Albrighton, 31, featured 42 times across all competitions last term as Brendan Rodgers men secured their first ever FA Cup win by defeating Chelsea in May.

The midfielder, who has racked up 253 appearances at the club, joined from Aston Villa in 2014 and played a key role in the Foxes unlikely Premier League title win under Claudio Ranieri in 2015-16.

Speaking to the club s media after extending his contract, Albrighton said: I m delighted. Obviously, it s a club that is progressing every single year. It s a fantastic club with the people here and the direction that they re going – it s great to be a part of.

I have always been the type of player …

Ibrahimovic has ´shifted the balance more´ in Italy than Ronaldo

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a greater impact on Italian football than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former Milan and Juventus head coach Alberto Zaccheroni. 

The 39-year-old has made a considerable impact since rejoining Milan in January, scoring 11 goals in 20 appearances in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign.

He has been in equally impressive form this season despite missing almost a month after contracting COVID-19, taking his tally to four goals in just two games with a double against Inter at the weekend. 

One of the best strikers of his generation, Ibrahimovic spent two years with Milan earlier in his distinguished career, a stint that included securing the Serie A title in 2011. 

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has been just as prolific since he join…

Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palace: What Were The Main Talking Points As Spurs Mount A Thrilling Comeback In North London?

Mounting what was a thrilling comeback on Saturday afternoon, Tottenham clinched a late 3-1 victory against Crystal Palace.

Left frustrated on either side of the half-time break and failing to find any kind of fluidity in the final third, fans in north London were left stunned as Eberechi Eze produced a sublime free-kick just before the hour mark.

However, while the Eagles might have been minutes away from securing a first away victory against Tottenham since February 2016, Ange Postecoglou’s men mounted a dramatic comeback on home soil.

With ex-Chelsea striker Timo Werner notching his first Spurs goal after tapping home from close range in the 77th minute, the floodgates quickly opened as Christian Romero and Heung-Min Son completed a late charge in the capit…

Prediction: Inter Milan vs Empoli

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker:

Simply looking to widen their buffer at the top of the Serie A standings, Inter Milan will welcome Empoli to the San Siro on Monday night.

Inter Milan

Starting with the hosts, while Inter Milan might have suffered Champions League heartbreak earlier in the month as they watched their European adventure come to an end at the hands of Atletico Madrid, the Nerrazzuri are in the midst of an iconic domestic romp. Heading into March’s international break holding a remarkable 14-point buffer at the top of the table, the Italian heavyweights will simply be looking to make another statement here. Continuing to receive a string of praise and breezing their way to a 20th Serie A crown in 2024. Suffering just a single defeat from any of their …

Pochettino: Don´t blame Mbappe for PSG´s loss to Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino insisted Kylian Mbappe s below-par display was not solely to blame for Sunday s 2-0 defeat against Monaco.

In-form Monaco upset Ligue 1 champions PSG in a blow to their title hopes as the Parisians slipped four points behind leaders Lille with 12 games remaining.

PSG have already lost six Ligue 1 games this season, their worst tally in a single campaign since the beginning of the Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) era in 2011/-2, and their worst since the 2010-11 campaign (eight).

Mbappe grabbed global headlines in midweek with his hat-trick against Barcelona in the Champions League but Monaco put extra work into minimising his impact in the French capital.

Pochettino, though, leapt to the defence of Mbappe …

Prediction: Ireland vs Netherlands

Best Odds: 8/13

Bookmaker:

Looking to make it three qualifying victories on the spin this weekend, the Netherlands will travel to Dublin on Sunday night when they meet Ireland.

Ireland

Starting with the hosts, while Ireland might have signed off June’s international break with a much-needed 3-0 romp against Gibraltar, it appears that might have just been a minor boost for Stephen Kenny’s squad. Although the Greens might have opened their European Championship qualifying adventure earlier in the year with their sights firmly set on clinching a top-two finish, it is no secret that Ireland are enduring a real Group B struggle this time around. Marking their return to action on Thursday night as they were eventually hit with a 2-0 loss at the hands of European …

Liverpool sign World Cup-winning Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool have begun the rebuild of their midfield with the signing of Brighton’s World Cup-winning Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister.

A fee has not been disclosed but it is understood the 24-year-old had a release clause – believed to be around £45million – in a contract he only signed in October.

The PA news agency understands the Argentinian has signed a five-year contract.

From Argentina to Anfield

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

Mac Allister has been on the club’s radar prior to his move to the Seagulls in 2019 but the club felt his development was still in its early stages, although his versatility to play in several positions was a key factor in their interest.

He was subsequently identified as a key target prior to th…

Harry Paton agrees new two-year contract with Motherwell

Harry Paton has signed a new two-year contract with Motherwell after initially joining on a short-term deal towards the end of last season.

The 25-year-old Canadian midfielder arrived in April, becoming Stuart Kettlewell’s first addition, and he made seven appearances as the Fir Park side finished the season strongly.

Paton, who previously played under the Well boss at Ross County, has now committed his future to the Steelmen until 2025.

“It’s great that I’ve been given this opportunity,” he told the Well website.

“I really enjoyed my short stint here last season and I’m now just focused on getting going again.”

Kettlewell is excited about what Paton can bring to Motherwell once he gets a full pre-season under his belt.

“…

Manchester City 4-0 Crystal Palace: Stones at the double as Guardiola´s men march into second

John Stones scored twice as Manchester City moved into second place in the Premier League by sweeping aside Crystal Palace 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

With league leaders Manchester United and defending champions Liverpool sharing the spoils in a goalless stalemate at Anfield, City took full advantage to move within two points of first place.

On top of another top-class defensive display alongside Ruben Dias, Stones broke the deadlock 26 minutes in with his first league goal for City – Kevin De Bruyne the creator with a sensational cross to bring up his 100th assist for the club.

Ilkay Gundogan doubled the lead early in the second half prior to Stones celebrating an unlikely second, and a classy finish from Raheem Sterling wrapped up a fifth successive league wi…