Latest news with #LatteFirm
BBC News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Your Arsenal player of the season
We asked you to select your Arsenal player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Declan Rice!Here's what Laura Kirk Francis from the Latte Firm podcast, external said about him:Rice's two free-kicks against Real Madrid were at the centre of a memorable night for Arsenal, but his performance in the return leg, and his consistency across the season has been Arsenal fans sing "we got him half price", in reference to his £105m transfer fee, they are absolutely the final poll breakdown
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'The vultures from La Liga and beyond are circling'
As Arsenal await their Tuesday showdown with Paris St-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals, we have entered 'what if' the one hand, getting past the French champions will see Arsenal in their first Champions League final since 2006. Win that, and everything that has gone wrong this season will be forgotten.I am, regrettably, a more pessimistic Arsenal fan. I have started catastrophising what will happen if Arsenal do finish this season without any silverware. Anxiety often gives us the false feeling of control, so here are a few of the worst case scenarios I have of the biggest differences between Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and the one he inherited, is that there are now bona fide superstars in the Saka, William Saliba and Declan Rice are all showing they belong in the upper echelons of something worth having is also worth losing. Real Madrid have long been linked with Saliba. On Monday, rumours were swirling that Arsenal have locked in Saka's contract extension, but they will be aware that hanging on to their superstars will become increasingly difficult if success does not follow on the pitch. The vultures from La Liga and beyond are worry is that incoming players, previously believed to be buying into the Arteta 'process', will have have been on an upward trajectory, but with three second-place finishes in a row, you might argue they have peaked - and a stagnation, or worse a backwards step, is necessary to progress. That is a much harder sell to potential signings than a promising but nascent work in this is not the week for Tuesday, Arsenal will be hoping to replicate what they did against Real Madrid as they face the French side. We will worry about next season after that because this one is not over more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external
BBC News
24-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
What is the best way to miss out on a title?
What is the best way to miss out on a title?This is a question I've been asking myself this morning after last night's 2-2 home draw to Crystal Palace, in which Arsenal twice surrendered the lead. A point on Sunday will see Liverpool win the Premier League at the cold light of day, this has been an unconvincing title challenge from Arsenal. Last night's draw was the ninth time Arsenal have drawn a match from a winning position. Injuries to key players have been brutal, but 13 draws is well below what I expected from Mikel Arteta's side this this is also a campaign that has had some incredible highs. A 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City and another double over North London rivals Tottenham to name just a couple. It is therefore even more frustrating that these big moments have failed to translate into any consistency or momentum. This has been a season of very high highs barely masking disappointing but not necessarily dramatic to the original question then. As a fan, there is something more satisfying about bowing out of a title race in a blaze of glory. Perhaps conceding a last minute goal that finally hands the league to a rival. This time around, Liverpool will be worthy title winners, but Arsenal have played their part. There has been no blaze of glory or spectacular failure, just a slow and inevitable slip into saving grace is that Arsenal still have a semi-final against Paris St. Germain in the Champions League to prepare for. But in the Premier League, the remaining silver lining is that it will likely be Tottenham who get the front row seat to Liverpool's celebrations. Slim pickings to cap-off an underwhelming more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Waiter, hand me a spoon - time to eat humble pie'
It felt somewhat bittersweet as the final whistle blew on Sunday, all but cementing Ipswich's relegation to the Championship, and further solidifying Arsenal's grip on second place. In a season plagued by injuries, this was the first time in months that Ben White, Bukayo Saka, and Martin Odegaard had all taken to the field together. The Gunners returned to their scintillating attacking form - a painful reminder of perhaps what could have been this season if key players had been able to stay there was another player at the heart of this attacking resurgence.A few weeks back, I wrote that Gabriel Martinelli had but a few weeks to prove his worth to Arsenal, lest he be sold in the summer. Waiter, hand me a spoon please, because it's time to eat some humble was Martinelli's brilliant breakaway goal on Wednesday against Real Madrid that sealed Arsenal's place in the Champions League semi-finals, and it was Martinelli on the end of a sumptuous Arsenal move to score the second against has looked like a man on a mission these past few games, and it will be an increasingly difficult conversation in the summer as to whether Arsenal will still need an resurgence is further proof of how unpredictable and inconsistent this season has been for Arsenal. Leandro Trossard's double at the weekend is also evidence that Mikel Arteta's side, even with their injuries, should have had enough to remain within touching distance of are many moments supporters will look back on this season and ask 'what if'. But the post-mortem can wait. We have a semi-final to look forward to, and Martinelli is back to his very more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external
BBC News
15-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Even at 3-0 up, it is going to be a very long 90 minutes'
Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday had the feeling of the second day of a wedding - still on a high from the night before, but perhaps failing to rally to the same heights again after such a small amount of will be time to dissect why Arsenal have drawn so many games this season in the Premier League, and why we dominate but do not always kill off this is not the time. Right now, it is about the Champions footage of Declan Rice's wonderful double last week has been slowly scarring itself into the retinas of Arsenal fans everywhere. But with every replay I have watched, and every time I have reminded myself that we actually did beat Real Madrid 3-0, the bad thoughts are starting to creep a week on and the catastrophising has begun. For reasons I cannot explain, my brain has been on a mission to remind me of every time Arsenal have thrown away a significant up it was against Newcastle in 2011, which saw Arsenal concede four second-half goals having been 4-0 up at half-time. Next on this reel of nightmares is the 3-3 against Anderlecht in 2014, followed swiftly by the consecutive games in 2023 where Arsenal gave up 2-0 leads against Liverpool and West Ham this is not the Arsenal of old. This team is different. Even with Gabriel sidelined, our backline is strong. Although Rice's exploits were rightly the centre of attention from the first leg, Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly had the Real Madrid frontline on lockdown for the majority of the second half. There is no reason to believe they cannot do that again, regardless of what intimidation tactics Real Madrid plan to use.I will be honest though, I will be watching Wednesday's second leg from behind a cushion and even behind my entire sofa. Even at 3-0 up, it is going to be a very long 90 more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external
