Mirror Football

Arsenal set to lose Gallas as Wenger sticks to guns

John Cross — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:30:55 GMT

Gunners boss refuses to offer veteran defender a two-year deal

Arsenal seal £50,000-a-week Marouane Chamakh deal

John Cross — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:30:21 GMT

Bordeaux striker has snubbed Liverpool and will put pen to paper on Friday

Gerrard: Arsenal are 'wounded animals' and we can beat them to third place

David Maddock — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:58 GMT

Plus: Rafa Benitez quietly furious at failure to land Marouane Chamakh

Redknapp: Qualifying for Champions League would be my greatest achievement

Darren Lewis — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:49 GMT

Spurs boss sees no reason why his side can't finish third this term

Nani: Chelsea can't handle title race pressure

John Cross — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:17 GMT

Rejuvenated winger also talks up Manchester United's own title hopes

Wenger: We can't compete in 'artificial world'

Mike Walters — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:00:11 GMT

Arsenal boss keeps it real, but feels his side could still win the title

Why I'm backing Liverpool's red men to overcome Arsene's diddy men

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:08:32 GMT

I wasn't sure yesterday whether Everybody Hurts was the new song for Haiti or the injury news from Anfield after the Mersey derby.Someone asked me if the game was in 3D - it wasn't, but 3D was the hospital ward most of the players were ferried to.It wasn't so much a football match as all-out warfare and Liverpool ended up winners, picking up three points and half of Abyssinia.The game was so rough that when Liverpool's Soto Kyrgiakos made a two-footed challenge, one of the feet he used didn't...

Barcelona have deal in place to sign Fabregas in summer, claims radio station

John Cross — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:17:51 GMT

Spanish media refuse to let Cesc story go

3PM Extra: The best things we've found on the internet today - Tuesday, February 9

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:00:10 GMT

Almost hometime, and here we are again with another selection of good stuff we've found on the web...1) Pantywaist popsters Savage Garden were a disgrace to the barbies/tinnies/sports/Sheilas reputation of the Australian nation and none of their crimes against music were as egregious as Truly Madly Deeply - which happened to be named after the most appalling British film of the 1980s. But when you hear it like this, in a clever Valentines viral video from Puma... actually no, it's still horri...

Wenger: No deal for Chamakh

MirrorFootball — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:32:22 GMT

Arsenal boss insists Bordeaux striker has not agreed Gunners move

On your marks, get set, go... the race is on for the Premier League finish line - Martin Lipton's big lunchtime read

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:19:14 GMT

The run-in begins now, the fight to the finish, all or nothing at both ends.And while nobody would try to claim this has been a vintage Premier League season, the last third of the campaign could yet make it one of the most exciting ever - at both ends of the table.The weekend set of fixtures will not, of course, be decisive - how could they be in the second week of February?But up and down the country, from Fratton Park to Eastlands, the Emirates to Villa Park and Goodison, this is the oppor...

Wenger accuses media of Stamford Bridge spin

Pa Sports — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:11:01 GMT

Arsene Wenger has moved to put the record straight after Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack told the Arsenal manager to stop looking for excuses in the wake of defeat at Stamford Bridge.Following Sunday's 2-0 loss which left the Gunners some nine points off the Barclays Premier League leaders, Wenger congratulated Chelsea on their efficiency but also claimed "we didn't get a demonstration of football". Ballack responded by taunting Arsenal's inability to win big matches and to vary their tact...

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Tuesday's papers

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:56:30 GMT

From today's Daily MirrorArsenal loan star holds showdown talks after QPR axe - ExclusiveBaggies tie up West Ham star on loan dealHodgson to ask Al Fayed for funds to rebuild Fulham squadNewcastle star joins Brighton on loanWindass tipped to replace McCall at BradfordFrom today's other papersBayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has admitted he is tempted to link up with his France team-mate Thierry Henry at Barcelona. (The Guardian)Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Bordeaux striker Marou...

Ballack: 'Wenger is a bad loser'

John Cross — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:43 GMT

Chelsea star says Arsenal boss always has an excuse when his side is beaten

Clichy faces up to latest title blow

John Cross — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:31 GMT

Arsenal star admits the Gunners must question themselves after defeats by Chelsea and Manchester United

Arsenal loan star holds showdown talks after QPR axe - Exclusive

James Nursey — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:29 GMT

Striker Jay Simpson furious after being dropped to make way for new loan signings

Arsenal ready to go to war with Barcelona over Fabregas

John Cross — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:22 GMT

Gunners warns the Spaniards to end public campaign to try to sign midfield star

Arsenal's descent could lead to madness if Fabregas calls it a day

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:00:20 GMT

The descent has been steep and dramatic, a seemingly endless battle against gravity.But while Arsene Wenger insists silverware is just around the corner, the bitter looming reality of a fifth straight campaign without any return puts the spotlight even more on the man at the heart of the Frenchman’s masterplan.Cesc Fabregas had not kicked a Premier League ball for Arsenal when Wenger’s “Invincibles" rewrote the record books in 2004, a remarkable season in which the Gunners simply refused to b...

Walcott hoping for improvement

Pa Sports — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:51:05 GMT

Theo Walcott maintains when Arsenal get it right, they can "kill" any of their rivals for the Barclays Premier League title - but accepts the Gunners cannot afford any more off days. Arsene Wenger's young side once again came up short when it really mattered as Chelsea returned to the top of the table following a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge, with Didier Drogba scoring both goals. The Blues are now nine points ahead of the third-placed Gunners, who had been comprehensively beaten by Manchester ...

3PM Extra: The best things we've found on the internet today - Monday, February 8

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:50 GMT

Every start of the week is a Happy Monday at Mirror Football. That's because we're fatter than Shaun Ryder and more vacant than Bez. So without further melon-twisting ado, let's tuck into our daily choice of football videos we've found on the interweb.

How Wayne Bridge is smoothing things over for John Terry, Pienaar's Unchristian tackle and is Steven Gerrard made out of paper? Ten things we learned from the weekend's football

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:41:58 GMT

It was another action-packed Premier League weekend that served up almost as much intrigue on the pitch as off it.We’ve already picked the bones out of Chelsea's victory over Arsenal, but what did we learn from the other fixtures, asks Dan Silver?1) The skipper is dead, long live the skipperIt was a great weekend for Rio Ferdinand, what with him being handed the national captaincy and his club side winning 5-0. And how did the new squeaky clean England skipper celebrate? From the stands becau...

Gunners title dreams hang by thread

Pa Sports — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:11:03 GMT

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal's Barclays Premier League title dreams are once again hanging by a thread following defeat to leaders Chelsea, but is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.For the second match in succession, the Gunners - beaten 3-1 at home by Manchester United last weekend - failed to deliver when it mattered most as Didier Drogba's first-half double sent the Blues back to the top of the table. Arsenal are now nine points adrift with 13 matches left, and it would seem a first...

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Monday's papers

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:10:59 GMT

From today's Daily Mirror:Chamakh: 'I want to join Arsenal' Everton demand six-figure loan fee for striker Vaughan Nicky Bailey to quit Charlton if club fail to win promotionDerby to complete loan move for Millwall winger Avram Grant: I won't walk out and let Portsmouth dieFrom today's other papers:Liverpool will face a three-way battle with Juventus and AC Milan if they want to sign Standard Liege's MIlan Jovanovic (La Meuse)Gold Coast United are trying to prise Robbie Fowler away from North...

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Monday's papers

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:09:36 GMT

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal: The Daily Mirror match report

John Cross — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:43 GMT

Didier Drogba steals attention away from John Terry with devastating display

Undaunted Terry in fast lane on the road to redemption

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:00:57 GMT

John Terry hit the road back from the wasteland yesterday. He began his long journey not with hesitant steps but with giant strides.He played as well as he has ever played in a Chelsea shirt as his side swept back to the top of the Premier League with an emphatic victory over Arsenal.He was utterly commanding and relentlessly unyielding at the back and his magnificent leap to nod on an eighth minute corner set up the opening goal for Didier Drogba.He played through pain, as he so often does, ...

Carlo Ancelotti: John Terry is perfect captain for Chelsea

John Cross — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:00:37 GMT

Ancelotti hails under-fire defender after Blues reclaimed top spot with victory over Arsenal

Drogba double downs Gunners

Pa Sports — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:21:04 GMT

Didier Drogba's brace put Chelsea back on top of the Barclays Premier League as Arsenal's title hopes were all but ended following a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge. Ivory Coast international striker Drogba continued his fine record against the Gunners when he smashed home at the far post following a flick by captain John Terry before drilling in a second goal midway through the first half. Arsenal - beaten by Manchester United last weekend - played well in patches, yet once again came up short...

Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal: Drogba double takes Blues back to top spot

MirrorFootball — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:05:23 GMT

Toothless Arsenal out of the title race after Stamford Bridge defeat

John Terry's delighted with a clean sheet, plus nine other things we learned from watching Chelsea v Arsenal

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 18:00:13 GMT

1) Arsene Wenger is without doubt one of the best managers in Premier League history. But judging by his frontline at the Bridge - Walcott, Arshavin and Nasri (average height 5ft 9in) - he's been taking selection tips from Ken Dodd. Diddy not see last week's game against Man United?2) Radio 5 Live's summariser Graham Taylor described the opening 60 seconds by saying: "We've just had, in the first minute, end to end play." The ball, however, barely touched the floor. And who ever said Taylor's...

Wayne Rooney drums up a body double and Paul Merson deals with the tricky questions

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:26:25 GMT

Wayne Rooney was named as a founder member of the MirrorFootball band last week but, as befits a superstar of his ilk, his 'people' are taking no chances on his long-term fitness.

How else do you explain this remarkable body double...?

******

Paul Merson might want to rethink the way he opens speaking engagements.

At Watford's Badger pub last week, the former Arsenal midfielder invited guests to "ask me anything you like - no boundaries".

First question? "Who's your dealer?"

Arsenal kid's Facebook faux pas, fan mail for the Neviller and you can bet Etherington and his chairman are mates

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:21:15 GMT

Manchester United's demolition of Arsenal last week delighted their supporters. And no-one was more chuffed than the excitable youngster who posted on his Facebook page: "All you gassed up Arsenal fans who fought dey could bring it to United need to pipe down... Arsenal fans lemme know how we cut your defence open, Rooney fort it was Christmas!"So what? Well, the site is in the name of Zak Ansah - who just happens to be a rising star of Arsenal's Under-16s. "I support United and don't like th...

HT Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal: Drogba double keeps Blues on course for top spot

MirrorFootball — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:58:08 GMT

Toothless Arsenal no match for Carlo Ancelotti's men

Chamakh: 'I want to join Arsenal'

John Cross — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:59:16 GMT

Bordeaux striker will snub Liverpool to sign for the Gunners

Follow Sunday's Premier League action LIVE

MirrorFootball — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:49:35 GMT

Text commentary, pictures and stats from today'sbig games

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Sunday's papers

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:48:15 GMT

From today's Sunday Mirror:Arsenal set to offer Fabregas £30million contract to ward off Barcelona and RealSunderland line up £10million move for Celtic star McGeadyLiverpool, Everton and Spurs to battle it out for Hull starletBegovic snubbed Spurs after seeing rival goalkeeperFulham move for Beattie was scuppered by wage demandsChelsea eyeing summer swoop for Serbian starFrom today's other papers:Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants Everton star Jack Rodwell to come to Old Traff...

Revealed: The list of shame that proves Arsene is clueless with keepers

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:03:23 GMT

Anybody can sign a dud goalie – just ask Sir Alex Ferguson.Fergie splashed out £4.4million on Massimo Taibi. That worked out at £1.1m per game during the Italian’s hapless Manchester United career.But Fergie also recruited superstars like Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.Since becoming Arsenal boss in 1996 Arsene Wenger has signed around TEN goalies in his search of a replacement for David Seaman.Jens Lehmann was a relative success – if not in the same league as the England star.As...

Terry scandal will not affect Chelsea, says Martin Keown

Marc Isaacs — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:51 GMT

Gunners legend says under-fire Terry will be focused despite revelations about his private life

Arsenal's failure to land a striker could cost them silverware, says Stapleton

Derick Allsop — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:00:48 GMT

Former Gunners striker: “Arsenal do miss having a centre-forward and Van Persie is a big loss for them"

Arsenal set to offer Fabregas £30million contract to ward off Barcelona and Real

Steve Stammers Exclusive — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:00:50 GMT

Gunners board will sanction stunning £120,000-a-week deal to keep the Spaniard at the Emirates

Wenger CAN build a winning team around Cesc - but only if the next three months go to plan

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:00:27 GMT

Arsenal’s grand plan to secure the long-term future of Cesc Fabregas is dependent on their success in the last three months of the season.An ambitious scheme to ensure that the 22-year-old midfield star stays at the Emirates hinges on whether they can offer him the prospect of the top prizes in domestic and European football in the near future. Arsenal set to offer Fabregas £30million new contract to ward off Barcelona and Real Arsenal are still involved in the race for the Premier League ...

Wenger: Bad marking cost Arsenal against United

Steve Stammers — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:00:20 GMT

Gunners boss highlighted his team's failings in a series of meetings with his squad

Chelsea duo can end Arsenal title bid, says Carlo Ancelotti

Chris Hatherall — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 23:00:15 GMT

Stamford Bridge reckons Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can heap more misery on the Gunners

Fabregas: I'll return to Barca one day

Pa Sports — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:51:02 GMT

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has reiterated his desire to return to Spanish giants Barcelona later in his career.Fabregas has long been linked with a move back to the Catalan giants, where he spent six years as a youth-team player.He played down Spanish reports that he could move back in the summer, telling Catalunya Radio: "I have not been called by anyone. Neither me or my agent. But I can only speak from what I know and answer what I know. I have never hidden the fact that one day I will ...

Transfer news, gossip and rumours from Saturday's papers

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:54:21 GMT

From today's Daily Mirror:Fabregas: I will return to Barcelona one day Villa midfielder agrees QPR loan move Saha commits to Everton Billy Davies left furious as Forest transfer panel fail to land single player Boro new boys are shout of this world, says Strachan From today's other papers:Franck Ribery has refused to rule out a move to Manchester United or Chelsea (The Sun)Liverpool are confident of beating AC Milan and Valencia to the signature of Milan Jovanovic (Daily Mail) Milan Jovan...

We've learned lessons - Wenger

Pa Sports — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:31:05 GMT

Arsene Wenger has challenged his young Arsenal squad not to make the same mistakes as they did in a crushing defeat to Manchester United by failing to "turn up" at Stamford Bridge.Arsenal could blow the title race wide open with victory over Chelsea, which would move them within three points of Carlo Ancelotti's side. However, by the same token, suffer another loss and the Gunners' championship ambitions will look to be all but over once again.Wenger's team came up short in every department a...

Arsene must loosen the purse strings if Arsenal are to compete again, plus why Terry simply had to go

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:01:10 GMT

Arsenal should not be written off as title contenders - even if they lose at Chelsea.Arsene Wenger’s men had a thoroughly bad day against Manchester United but are still just THREE players away from being a truly outstanding team.They need a top class keeper. Another centre back to ease the pressure on William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen. Plus another centre forward.That would give Arsenal options, strength in depth and the ability to challenge for the title right until the end.Wenger must gi...

Redknapp: Spurs can still finish above Arsenal

Neil McLeman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:00:39 GMT

Tottenham chief: "Arsenal are favourites but it is not impossible for anyone to catch them"

Fergie so relaxed over title battle he didn't know Chelsea were playing

David Anderson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:00:20 GMT

United boss only discovered Chelsea had dropped two points against Hull after turning on the radio

Wenger: 'I would rather finish third than win FA Cup'

John Cross — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:00:14 GMT

Gunners chief insists Champions League qualification is a much greater achievement