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Should Arsenal splash the cash on Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan?

After lifting the FA Cup and confirming that he’ll sign a new deal to stay at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger has a hugely important summer ahead of him.

The Frenchman will reportedly be handed a transfer kitty of up to £100million to strengthen his squad and ensure that his side don’t slip from top spot to fourth place as they did so spectacularly last season.

Wenger is keen to add to his attacking options after relying heavily on Olivier Giroud for goals over the last 10 months, but that’s not the only area he needs to improve upon.

With Bacary Sagna and Lukasz Fabianski almost certain to leave Arsenal on a free transfers at the end of their contracts, the 64-year-old will need also need to recruit a right-back and a goalkeeper before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Central midfield is arguably the Gunners’ strongest position but, with Mikel Arteta having recently turned 32 and Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere both suffering long-term injuries last season, signing another talented player for the heart of midfield may well be a wise move.

If recent stories are to be believed, Wenger is focused on bringing one of three defensively-minded midfielders to the club to compete with Mathieu Flamini. Ilkay Gundogan, Lars Bender and Morgan Schneiderlin are the reported names on Arsenal’s summer wishlist.

After signing a new contract with Borussia Dortmund in April, Gundogan would appear to be the least realistic of Wenger’s targets. He might also be the most natural fit at the Emirates.

The 23-year-old made just one Bundesliga appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side last season after suffering nerve damage in his back during Germany’s 3-3 draw with Paraguay in mid-August. Despite his lack of playing time over the past 12 months, the versatile midfielder has no shortage of suitors.

European giants Real Madrid and Manchester United have both been credited with an interest in Gundogan, which is unsurprising given his prominence in Dortmund’s impressive 2012/13 campaign.

The former Nuremberg star made 28 top-flight appearances for the Black and Yellows as they finished second in the table behind rivals Bayern Munich. He also played his part in Klopp’s side reaching the Champions League final at Wembley, where they again finished second best to Germany’s most decorated club.

Where Bender and Schneiderlin focus on breaking down opposition attacks while sat in front of their respective defences, Gundogan is a tough tackler who loves to pick a pass and play the ball quickly and precisely. He is more of a distributor than a traditional defensive midfielder, but still has the positional sense and physical attributes to protect his back-four.

Hull City v Manchester City

The Citizens have seen their stellar season take some bitter blows in recent weeks, having gone down 4-1 on aggregate against Barcelona in the Champions League while also losing their FA Cup quarter-final against Championship side Wigan.

Manuel Pellegrini's men did, however, manage to lift the Capital One Cup in that time following the 3-1 Wembley win over Sunderland at the beginning of March, and the manager will now be looking to make the most of their three games in hand over leaders Chelsea.

The Tigers, meanwhile, are enjoying a decent run of form, having lost just one of their last five matches in all competitions, while they most recently booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final thanks to a 3-0 win over the Black Cats.

Their league form, though, leaves much to be desired, with Steve Bruce's side having won just two of their last nine, leaving themselves only five points clear of the relegation zone but having played a game more than 18th.

On the team front, Hull will hand a late fitness test to Jake Livermore (thigh), although Robbie Brady, Joe Dudgeon and Paul McShane remain long-term absentees.

Shane Long and Nikica Jelavic, though, are expected to return to the squad, having been cup-tied against Sunderland.

For City, Sergio Aguero suffered another injury setback and misses the match with a hamstring strain, meaning Edin Dzeko and Alvaro Negredo are likely to lead the line up front.

Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis, meanwhile, are eligible to play as their respective bans are only in European competition.

Is Southampton’s season over

Is Southampton’s season over?

Written by @Will_Turner71

APATHY has been an incredibly rare emotion in my following of Southampton Football Club over the years however it has began to pop its head up as the current season has drawn on.

When Jay Rodriguez rolled home against Crystal Palace to give Saints the lead I cheered loudly and punched the air but for no more than the fact that my team were winning.

FA Cup

Nothing rode on the goal and the eventual win, I don’t hate Palace too much to enjoy turning them over and keeping in touch with Newcastle in the battle for 8th hardly gets the juices flowing.

But this is what our season has boiled down to after limping out of the FA Cup to Sunderland, a result that continues to frustrate when looking at the calibre of teams who have reached the semi finals.

Perhaps I should be more grateful, at the beginning of this campaign most Saints fans would have bitten your hand off for a solid mid table finish, myself included, but the ease in achieving this is making for a rather dull finish.

Early results were good

Early results and performances promised far more from this year as Saints ran out quickly to occupy a Champions League spot with the tightest defensive record in the league.

Victory at Anfield and a dramatic last minute equaliser at Old Trafford saw pundits lord the work being done at St Mary’s under the eye of Mauricio Pochettino.

Again, with the departure of Chairman Nicola Cortese thrown into the mix I might be encouraged to take stock and cherish safety rather than bemoan what could have been.

No cup competitions

With no cups to compete in and little to fight for in terms of league standing all that is really left to cheer and hope for is a strong finish from our international hopefuls to book their places on flights to Brazil this summer.

Escaping any injuries it would seem that Adam Lallana should have his passport ready but question marks still remain for Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw and Jay Rodriguez as to whether they will represent England.

Roll on next season

Lambert’s form has certainly tailed off while Shaw and Rodriguez have been consistently impressive and will provide Roy Hodgson with a severe headache should their form continue.

After racing out of the blocks and talk of European football, a missed opportunity in the FA Cup and a yawn jerking mid table finish left the footballing appetite wanting.

Roll on next season.

The former Manchester United stalwart believes the struggling Germany

Neville: Wenger should treat Ozil like Ferguson did Ronaldo

The former Manchester United stalwart believes the struggling Germany international would have benefited from the privileges the Portugal superstar enjoyed at Old Trafford

Gary Neville believes Arsene Wenger is responsible for Mesut Ozil’s recent struggles and should have afforded his record signing the sort of privileges Sir Alex Ferguson afford Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.

Ozil endured another disappointing night, substituted at half time with a hamstring injury following an anonymous display, as the Gunners exited the Champions League at the last 16 stage at the hands of Bayern Munich for the second season in succession.

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The Germany international appeared to have returned to his best form during the crushing 4-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup last weekend but cut a dejected and frustrated figure at the Allianz Arena and Neville feels he is paying the price for being overburdened by his manager.

“Ozil getting a hard time. He's obviously dipped this last couple of months and the first season in a new league (without a Christmas break) can take some getting used to even with the price tag,” tweeted the former Manchester United stalwart.

“At the moment looks like he's finding it difficult mentally. However Arsenal are better for having him and he will return stronger.

“On the lack of a Christmas break--- no excuse really for an experienced manager. He could have given him one first two weeks in January - Ronaldo used to get one!”

Paper News and Gossip: Man City 'Underestimated' Wigan, Jose Mourinho Blast

Arsenal are facing an unenviable task in overhauling a two-goal deficit against Bayern Munich, but manager Arsene Wenger is hoping for fair refereeing to give his team a chance, according to Tuesday's newspapers.

The Gunners are buoyant following the FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton on Saturday, but Wenger is concerned over the prospect of another red card for one of his players in the Champions League.

Bayern boss Pep Guardiola has a warning of his own for his players as they defend a 2-0 lead at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night.

But who else is making the headlines on Tuesday? Read on to find out more.

Labels:2-0,Arsenal,Bayern,FA Cup,News,spot

The Frenchman believes Arsenal's 4-1 victory over Everton in the FA Cup on Saturday will provide a timely morale boost ahead of the second leg against the German giants

Wenger confident ahead of Bayern challenge

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels his side's 4-1 FA Cup win over Everton will provide a mental boost ahead of the trip to Bayern Munich.

Wenger's men cruised into the last four of the Cup with a comfortable victory against Roberto Martinez's team, as a double from Olivier Giroud and goals from Mesut Ozil and Mikel Arteta secured progress.

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100/1 Arsenal are 100/1 with William Hill to win the Champions League

The London club travel to the Allianz Arena on Tuesday for the second leg of their Champions League last 16-tie with a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.

Arsenal face a difficult challenge to progress to the quarter-finals, although they did earn a 2-0 second leg success at holders Bayern at the same stage last season, only to suffer elimination on the away goals rule.

And Wenger believes can take confidence into the midweek clash following Saturday's performance.

"It was important of course for us to win today to put us on a psychological front in a good mind and we can be inspired by our focus, by our desire and go to Bayern with the same spirit," the Frenchman said.

"The statistics go against us at Bayern but let's make sure the performance goes for us, then we have a chance."

Arsenal have beaten Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton on their way to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, wins that Wenger insists reflect their appetite for winning the trophy.

"We have had a good draw in the fact that every game has been it at home but we played," Wenger added. "On the other hand, some difficult opponents - Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton.

"That shows you we have taken this competition seriously."

Arsenal reach FA Cup semis

London - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saluted Olivier Giroud after the French striker came off the bench and scored twice in Saturday's 4-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Giroud has been used sparingly in recent weeks - amid stories about his private life in the British tabloids - and started on the bench against Everton, with Yaya Sanogo given a chance to lead the line.

With Romelu Lukaku having cancelled out Mesut Ozil's seventh-minute opener at the Emirates Stadium, the score was 1-1 when Giroud entered the fray in the 61st minute.

His first major contribution was one to forget, as his encroachment into the penalty area forced Mikel Arteta to retake a penalty that he had scored to apparently put Arsenal ahead.

However, the Spanish midfielder made no mistake with his second attempt and Giroud fully atoned for his indiscretion by claiming a late brace.

The former Montpellier striker has now scored 18 goals in all competitions this term and Wenger hailed his contribution.

"It was important because he was on the end of things and shows that, when a player comes off the bench of that quality, it can make a difference," said Wenger, whose side are bidding to end a nine-year trophy drought.

"He was on the bench for what reason? He has played many games. For the rest, he has come on and showed he can score goals when he comes on."

Wenger, whose side will seek to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Bayern Munich next week, felt that the hosts were deserved victors.

"We had a quality performance from the first to the last minute against a good side," he said.

"Everton started the second half well and had a good moment in the game where they had the chance with (Ross) Barkley after, then we scored the second goal and then we controlled the game well."

Everton manager Roberto Martinez was left to rue a chance that Barkley fired over the bar shortly before Gareth Barry fouled Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the incident that led to the penalty.

"I felt the key moment of the game was going to be the second goal as we had made it a really uncomfortable game for Arsenal," he said.

"We had a great chance and, in nine out of 10 situations like that, Ross Barkley will hit the target.

"I can see why the referee gave the penalty, although I don't agree with the decision completely, because there is contact, but the ball is challenged (for) by both of the players.

"After that, we gambled a bit and the final scoreline does not reflect what happened in the game."

On Saturday, Arsenal unveiled the statue of their legend Dennis Bergkamp.

On Saturday, Arsenal unveiled the statue of their legend Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutchman's arrival at Arsenal was hailed as the beginning of their transformation into a champion club and Bergkamp will always be remembered for that. However, the Dutchman will also be remembered for another thing and it is something Arsenal's current star, Mesut Ozil, can relate to.

The two, who met at the unveiling of Bergkamp's statue, were pictured together and one wonders whether Ozil was asking Bergkamp for advice. The German has recently come under a lot of fire for his poor performance and that penalty miss in the early stages that could have put Arsenal ahead

Bergkamp missing a crucial penalty vs Man United

Bergkamp clearly knows what the former Real Madrid midfielder is experiencing as he had his own penalty nightmare in an FA Cup semi-final replay against Man United. It was a match that saw him miss an extra time penalty before the Gunners eventually lost due to a beautiful Ryan Giggs goal. The Arsenal legend never took a spot kick from that day onward. However, Arsene Wenger believes that his £42M summer signing can follow in Bergkamp's steps and take inspiration from him.

“I have seen this before with Bergkamp, missing in 1999 [in the FA Cup semi-final replay against Manchester United],” said the Frenchman “and refusing after to take any penalties. [But] he gets a statue today.”

A true romantic of the beautiful game, you would be hard pressed to find a more stylish manager than Everton’s Roberto Martinez.

A true romantic of the beautiful game, you would be hard pressed to find a more stylish manager than Everton’s Roberto Martinez.

The Spaniard has left a lasting mark on each club that he has managed, starting with Swansea’s now famed pass and move style to Wigan’s FA Cup triumph in arguably one of the most satisfying moments in British football’s history.

Question marks were raised over Everton’s decision to hire Roberto Martinez, with some claiming that his relegation with Wigan is often over-looked as a result of being a ‘media-darling’. Nobody is questioning the appointment now.

David Moyes had done a fabulous job at sustaining Everton and keeping them in the top half, but Roberto Martinez looks like he has the tools to take them to the next level.

Everton’s evolution under their new boss arguably started against David Moyes’ Manchester United, as the Toffees finally broke their barren run of failing to beat a fellow top four contender away from home.

The Toffees currently sit in sixth position in the table, eight points behind fourth spot but with a game in hand at Sunderland. With some key Premier League clashes at Goodison Park against Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United still to play, Everton are still within a shot of grabbing a Champions League spot come the end of the season.

But more importantly for the Everton boss is not just winning, but winning in style. Martinez believes that the Barcelona style where entertainment is a key aspect of the game should be embraced, whereas Chelsea’s win at all costs method is not something he wishes to emulate, despite it being a necessity for clubs with bigger budgets.

He said: “When you have clubs with bigger budgets, the only things that matters is winning, isn’t it?”

“You have to win. Your role is judged on winning. I’m a bit more of a romantic. The way we win dictates how far we can go - that’s our position.”

“But I’m in no position to dictate to other clubs. I understand that when you have all the money in the world you are judged on winning. It’s very different.”

“The manager has to just have success on the pitch. Every football club is different. I just think the way you win things is vital for our success.”

Is it possible for a club with restricted resources to achieve success by playing in an expansive way? Yes. Roberto Martinez’s Wigan Athletic fairy-tale proved that – and who is to say he won’t repeat his FA Cup triumph once again this season?

Have Everton improved under Roberto Martinez? Will they reach the top four this season?

Southampton assistant manager Jesus Perez defends decision to field much-changed side at Sunderland

Southampton assistant boss Jesus Perez has claimed Mauricio Pochettino picked the strongest team possible in this afternoon's 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Sunderland.

Craig Gardner scored the only goal of the game at the Stadium of Light to ensure the visitors fell at the fifth round stage.

Saints' boss Pochettino made six changes for the clash, with regulars Jose Fonte, Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin among those to miss out.

However, Perez has defended the selection. He told BT Sport: "We pick our strongest team where we can. We decided to play with the best 11 after the game at Hull during the week.

"Our team is strong and all the players are available to play. We picked the strongest team.

"There are players that needed a couple of days to recover and some players with illness or just a lack of freshness.

"We are a little bit sad to lose this opportunity to go forward in the FA Cup but nothing to say about our players."

Mohammedan Sporting beat Dhanmondi in penalties to win IFA Shield

Mohammedan Sporting came back from behind and overcame a spirited challenge from Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club to emerge winners in the penalty shootout and clinch the IFA Shield for the first time since 1971.

Playing in front of a frenzy 40,000-odd home support at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, both the teams were locked 1-1 at extra time.

Substitute goalkeeper Naseem Akhtar, who came in place of an injured Luis Barreto in the extra time in a fine move by Mohammedan Sporting coach Sanjoy Sen, thwarted Didarul Haque's spotkick for a 4-3 win in the shootout.

Down 0-1 in the 28th minute after Sony Norde's curling freekick, Mohammedan Sporting made a comeback at the stroke of halftime when Mehrajuddin Wadoo made it 1-1 in the 45+1st minute to spark a celebration.

Both the teams were reduced to 10 players in the 82nd minute when referee Santosh Kumar showed red cards to Luciano Sabrosa of Mohammedan Sporting and Norde of Dhanmondi who were engaged in a tussle.

Having lost Norde in the regulation, it was a big setback for Dhanmondi as Mohammedan Sporting slowly came back into the game.

Both the teams wasted opportunities in the extra time to take the match to the shootout where Khanthang Paite, Manish Maithani, Nirmal Chettri and Wadoo scored for Mohammedan while Joshimar hit the crosspiece.

For Dhanmondi, Wedson Anselme, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, Mohammad Yasin Khan converted their chances while Ali Amisu shot away.

Required to block the shot to emerge winners, Mohammedan's stand-in custodian Naseem did just that and denied Didarul a goal to shatter the hopes of the Bangladeshis who had come in large numbers to support the side.

Chasing history to become the first Bangladeshi club to win the 118-year-old title, Dhanmondi looked threatening with their striking trio of Emeka Darlington, Wedson Anselme and Sony Norde in fine form, while Mohammedan Sporting were let down by their disoriented attack.

Mohammedan Sporting had a chance when Manish Maithani led a solo run but his leftfooter went over the bar as it was Dhanmondi who looked more penetrating.

In a 27th minute attack, the referee showed a yellow card to Rakesh Masih outside the box for a bad tackle with Norde.

Norde utilised the freekick to perfection as his curled in freekick swung into the net through the first post to give the Bangladeshi side the upperhand.

Dhanmondi stormed into the final with a thumping 3-0 victory over 28-time champions East Bengal in the semis, while in the group stage they had ousted Mohun Bagan.

Mohammedan Sporting of Dhaka were the last and the only Bangladesh club to make the Shield final in 1995, which was won by East Bengal.

Labels:FA Cup,game,Lost,News,Sport,Sporting

Gus Poyet will shuffle his Sunderland pack in FA Cup competition despite seeing the weather ruin his midweek plans

Gus Poyet will shuffle his Sunderland pack in FA Cup competition despite seeing the weather ruin his midweek plans.

The Black Cats were due to meet Manchester City with Premier League points on the line on Wednesday, but saw that contest postponed due to the inclement conditions in the North West.

Poyet had been hoping to give his strongest side a run out at the Etihad Stadium, in an effort to move back out of the relegation zone, before then mixing things up in the cup.

He insists he will stick with that approach even though many of his first team stars will now go a fortnight between outings - with Arsenal next up in the league on 22nd February.

Poyet told the Sunderland Echo: "I was looking forward to giving a few players opportunities and that will not change.

"We have a few players who need to play and deserve to play but, for different reasons, they haven't been able to.

"I'm talking about players like (Emmanuele) Giaccherini and (Ignacio) Scocco. They both need minutes, so we're going to use that game for this.

"But it will all be first team players, we will not be taking the game lightly. I hope that we win it so we don't have to play a replay."

While he would have preferred to have been in action on Wednesday, Poyet has no complaints about the decision to pull the City game less than an hour before kick-off.

He added: "We came across on Tuesday and prepared as normal. We had a meeting yesterday morning and set off for the game as usual.

"Yes, it was very difficult to get to the ground. A journey that would normally take about 25 minutes took more than 40.

"It's true that we saw a few incidents outside, there were a few panels coming down towards our bus.

"Of course we were ready to play and we wanted to play, but we have nothing to complain about.

"You don't know what is going to happen, but we need to be honest. It was a strong decision by the police and we have to agree with that.

ticket 2014-01-26, England France Ligue 1 Italy Serie A Netherlands

England FA Cup
16:30 Chelsea-:-Stoke City
14:00 Sheffield United-:-Fulham
France Ligue 1
14:00 Lyon-:-Evian Thonon Gaillard 1 U 2:0
21:00 Monaco-:-Marseille 1 U 2:0
17:00 Bordeaux-:-Saint Etienne X2 U 0:1
Germany 1. Bundesliga
15:30 Werder Bremen-:-Braunschweig 1X O 2:1
17:30 Hamburger SV-:-Schalke 04 2 O 1:2
Italy Serie A
15:00 Livorno-:- Sassuolo X U 1:1
15:00 Inter-:-Catania 1 O 3:0
20:45 Fiorentina -:-Genoa 1 U 2:0
15:00 Parma-:-Udinese 1 O 3:0
15:00 Torino-:-Atalanta 1 U 2:0
15:00 Cagliari-:-AC Milan X O 2:2
12:30 Hellas Verona-:-Roma X2 O 1:2
15:00 Sampdoria-:-Bologna 1 O 3:0
Netherlands Eredivisie
12:30
Cambuur -:-SC Heerenveen X2 O 1:2
14:30 FC Groningen-:-FC Twente X2 O 1:2
12:30 Vitesse-:-NEC Nijmegen 1 O 3:0
14:30 Go Ahead Eagles-:-Ajax 2 O 0:3
Spain LIGA BBVA
21:00 Barcelona -:-Malaga 1 O 3:0
17:00 Osasuna-:-Athletic Bilbao 2 O 0:3
19:00 Rayo Vallecano-:-Atletico Madrid 2 O 1:4
12:00 Almeria-:-Getafe X U 1:1