Latest news with #NorthLondon
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Eberechi Eze Signing Would Be The Next Part Of Arsenal's Masterplan
Arsenal has been busy this summer. Indeed, the North London club has spent over $200m on the addition of six new players and it appears there could be more business completed before the end of the transfer window. Eberechi Eze is the latest target on the Gunners' radar with talks already under way over a potential $75m move. Having finished second in the Premier League table in each of the last three seasons, Arsenal needs difference makers that can push it into first place. Many supporters argued a new centre forward was required and so Viktor Gyokeres has been signed from Sporting CP after a 2024/25 season which saw the Swede scored 54 times for the Portuguese champions. Mikel Arteta wanted a new top-level midfield anchor and so Martin Zubimendi arrived from Real Sociedad. The Spanish international has been likened to Rodri and Arsenal is counting on him to provide more security and control in the centre of the pitch similar to Manchester City's Ballon d'Or winner. More depth was required in general and so Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Cristhian Mosquera were signed. Madueke in particular could be useful as a depth option behind Bukayo Saka to prevent the England winger from taking on too much of the creative and attacking burden. Eze's signing would be the next part of Arsenal's attacking masterplan to provide Arteta with as many options as possible in the final third. Last season, the Gunners were criticised for being too predictable in some matches. To address this, Arsenal has taken a wide-ranging approach to the summer transfer window. Some fans might have preferred Arsenal to target Alexander Isak, a player the North London club long viewed as the perfect centre forward for its lineup. However, with the Swedish striker seemingly on his way out of Newcastle United to Liverpool, Arsenal has focused on other targets like Gyokeres and Eze. Instead of spending a Premier League-record fee on Isak, Arsenal has added several players to its squad with Eze the sort of number 10 its currently lacks. The Palace attacker can also operate on the left side where the Gunners could afford to upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, both of whom haven't always been the most impactful in the biggest games. The true gauge of Arsenal's summer business will come in the final look of the Premier League table. The Gunners are in a position to win the title for the first time since the days of Arsene Wenger, but to achieve that objective their new additions must hit the ground running. Eze could be among them.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Viktor Gyokeres' underwhelming debut shows why Arsenal need him so much
A debut defeat and an outing that was underwhelming but left the sense he was underused may matter little. When it comes to competitive games, Viktor Gyokeres ' Arsenal bow will come at Old Trafford against Manchester United on 17 August. But as he donned their No 14 shirt for the first time in a game, Arsenal at least showed the need for Gyokeres, for a forward who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting CP. The first North London derby staged outside the United Kingdom yielded a 1-0 loss to Tottenham, with Arsenal registering a lone shot on target, which Kai Havertz directed at Guglielmo Vicario. Gyokeres was limited to the last 20 minutes, including stoppage time, as Arsenal were largely toothless. The argument that they needed a specialist goalscorer is scarcely new, but perhaps it was underlined when they spent an initial £55m to acquire one. Arsenal had been waiting for Gyokeres: for a year, some might say, given the desire of many fans to buy a professional predator last summer. For weeks, definitely, given the hope they would have sprung into action the instant the transfer window opened, rather than signing him on 26 July. They had to wait a further 77 minutes, Mikel Arteta waiting before bringing on the buy who – one way or another – is likely to define the summer spending spree. He got a rapturous reception from the Hong Kong public who may have envisaged seeing him sooner. 'It was a short one but at least that one is over now,' said Arteta. He had brought on Gyokeres along with a lower-profile recruit, in defender Cristhian Mosquera, and added: 'I'm really happy to have them here. I think they are going to add a lot of value. You see straight away the energy and the quality they are going to bring.' Arteta had started with Havertz, just as the German has represented Plan A for much of his two seasons at the Emirates Stadium. A sign that Havertz is the man in possession or simply that, with Gyokeres only linking up with his new teammates this week and only having one full training session, he is the fitter, the better prepared. But Arsenal drew a blank. They did too often last season. In his 20 minutes, the arrival from Sporting CP was a presence in the penalty box, albeit one Arsenal struggled to pick out. Gyokeres' best touch was to set up Martin Zubimendi for the second of his long-range shots; the first, landing on the roof of the net seconds after his arrival, was the more threatening. The Spaniard was not supposed to be the summer signing who delivered the goal threat. Arsenal may hope there is a role reversal in more meaningful matches, the defensive midfielder passing to the centre-forward. When Gyokeres joined, he got a welcoming letter from Martin Odegaard, offering to do anything he could to help the newcomer settle. Some assists would be appreciated, the Swede smiled. Odegaard was at least on the pitch during Gyokeres' cameo. He may not expect to spend his time on the pitch being flanked by Reiss Nelson and Max Dowman. The 15-year-old at least sparkled in his own substitute appearance. He looks a precocious talent whereas Gyokeres, at 27, was bought to be the finished article. He was given the ultimate Arsenal goalscorer's shirt, the 14 made special by Thierry Henry. Perhaps his first goal in it will come at the Emirates Stadium: Arsenal have further friendlies against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao on home soil. Arteta promised Gyokeres a longer outing then. He also said that Leandro Trossard came off after Spurs after tweaking a muscle but that Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes, who did not feature, should be fit for the start of the Premier League season. In their absence, Arsenal ended their Asian tour on a relative low. After beating AC Milan and Newcastle, they lost to Thomas Frank 's Tottenham. It amounted to an encouraging outing for the new manager. Even before Spurs scored, Pedro Porro and Wilson Odobert struck the same post, the full-back with a corner, the winger with a low shot. They won courtesy of a spectacular goal, Pape Matar Sarr lobbing David Raya from 50 yards after Myles Lewis-Skelly had lost the ball. The goalkeeper's presence nearer the half-way line than his own box was because of his role in the build-up, but it was not the only time Raya's positioning felt faulty. Arsenal will trust that, when the serious business starts, Gyokeres will be found in the right place at the right time and it leads to goals.
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Kate Garraway suffers another blow as she's forced to sell her flat amid devastating £800,000 debt battle
TV presenter Kate Garraway has been forced to sell off the flat she was saving as a nest egg for old age to pay off debts accrued when her late husband Derek Draper was ill. Although the pad in North London recently sold for £1.5m it was already heavily mortgaged and what's left over will barely touch the sides of the huge sum she still owes. Good Morning Britain host Kate, 58, wanted the property to be a long-term investment that she could turn to over the coming decade but had no choice but to sell it. An insider said: "Kate takes paying off the debts very seriously and she's always said she'd go to any lengths to achieve that. "This is just part of that commitment, even if it does mean she's had to lose the flat which she actually purchased years ago before meeting Derek and before they bought a family home together. "Like many people, she was keeping it as a financial safety net which she thought she wouldn't have to use so soon." Derek died last year - aged just 56 - after being crippled by an extreme case of long Covid after he caught the disease in March 2020. She says she already had debts of between £600,000 and £800,000 as a result of caring for Derek. Kate claimed that the £16,000 monthly cost of her late husband's care was more than her salary from ITV. Then in May a recent liquidator's report highlighted the significant tax liabilities still outstanding from Derek's defunct psychotherapeutic company, Astra Aspera. The latest claim demand from the taxman resulting from the business was just over £288,000. At the time a spokesman for Kate said: 'Caring for Derek and supporting her family when Derek could no longer run his own businesses has taken a huge financial toll on her but she's determined to put things right. "She is in constant contact with HMRC to make sure she honours what's required from Derek's now-defunct company.'
The Sun
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Arsenal ratings: Norgaard is pick of new signings up against his old boss but Martinelli struggles to get into the game
VIKTOR GYOKERES watched largely from the bench as Tottenham earned pre-season bragging rights over Arsenal. The North London rivals met in a Hong Kong friendly to add some spice to their Premier League preparations. 7 Pape Matar Sarr's strike on 45 minutes was enough to separate the sides - with new striker Gyokeres getting just 13 minutes to impress. Here is how Tom Barclay rated Mikel Arteta's players from the Kai Tak Sports Park stadium. David Raya: 5 Struggled with Tottenham's threat from set-pieces, particularly with Micky van de Ven standing in front of him at corners. Twice Spurs hit the far post in the first half when corners were fired in and Raya got nowhere near the deliveries, having been put off by nuisance Van de Ven. Could only watch as Pape Sarr's brilliant matchwinner from near the halfway line flew over his head and into the back of the net. Ben White: 6 Good battle with the lively Wilson Odobert down Spurs' left-hand side of their attack. One vital touch from White deflected an Odobert shot onto the post, while White had a flick from a Bukayo Saka corner that was cleared away 7 William Saliba: 6 Flicked on an early shot from Martin Odegaard just wide of the post. Was in the right place at the right time to clear Richarlison's follow-up after Pedro Porro's early corner struck the post Jakub Kiwior: 5 Looked a little hesitant in the air. Did make one vital block to deny a shot from the dangerous Mohammed Kudus. 7 Myles Lewis-Skelly: 5 Had to be on his toes against Kudus, who showed an impressive power when on the ball. Stepped into midfield when he could but then lost the ball just before half-time near the halfway line, leading to Pape Matar Sarr to fire home a wondergoal over the helpless Raya. Christian Norgaard: 6 Solid display in the heart of midfield from the new man, who was the core of Thomas Frank's team at Brentford for so many years. Did not take too kindly when Djed Spence refused to give the ball back initially, having taken out the Dane. 7 Declan Rice: 6 Had an early shot deflected wide by Porro. Was part of a midfield battle feistier than your average pre-season friendly - but then again, it was a North London derby. Martin Odegaard: 5 Average, given his sky-high standards. Showed some nice touches - of course he did, he's such a talent - but did not affect the game as much as he would have liked. 7 Bukayo Saka: 6 Fired in a number of dangerous corners which almost led to goals, but Spurs defended resolutely. Spence largely dealt with his fellow Englishman well, but Saka was also keen to take on his man at every occasion. Took a whack just before coming off for 15-year-old Max Dowman. Kai Havertz: 5 Looked physically bulked up in stature but also rusty in performance. His shots lacked power and some of his passing was sloppy, though he had one nice link-up with Lewis-Skelly after the break that led to Gabriel Martinelli shooting over 7 Gabriel Martinelli: 4 Struggled to get into the game. Had one shot on the stretch when teed up nicely by Havertz but fired it over. Porro seemed equal to most things Martinelli threw at him. SUBS 68 Martin Zubimendi for Norgaard: 6 Had a dipping volley within a minute of coming on that went narrowly over the bar. 68 Leandro Trossard for Martinelli: 6 Did not last long after picking up an injury, being replaced by Reiss Nelson (85, 6) 77 Max Dowman for Saka: 7 Had a shot blocked from a half-cleared corner for the 15-year-old everyone is raving about. His natural dribbling ability was evident, and he did it at pace too. 77 Viktor Gyokeres for Havertz: 6 Huge cheer for the Sweden striker when he takes to the pitch for his first appearance for Arsenal. Showed some nice control in the box before teeing up a shot for Zubimendi. 77 Cristhian Mosquera for Kiwior: 6 By the time he came on, Arsenal were largely pushing for a leveller, with Spurs looking to see it out, so did not get to see much of the action. 77 Mikel Merino for Rice: 6 Came on back in his natural midfield position, rather than the makeshift centre-forward role he had to play at the back end of last season. 77 Oleksandr Zinchenko for Lewis-Skelly: 5 Fired in a poor cross after coming on. 7
The Sun
20 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Ex-Arsenal man hired by Thomas Frank is key to solving one of Tottenham's biggest issues – and it's already working
THOMAS FRANK will have a chance today to see just how far his new Tottenham side have come on set-pieces when they take on the masters of the craft. No one scored more goals from dead-ball situations, excluding penalties, in the Premier League last season than Arsenal, who face North London rivals Spurs in Hong Kong this lunchtime. 6 6 The Gunners netted a whopping 17 times from those scenarios, inspired by their set-piece specialist coach Nicolas Jover. German-born Frenchman Jover, 43, fast became a household name among Gooners for the way he leaps into action, barking orders from Mikel Arteta's technical area whenever Arsenal get a free-kick or corner. Frank has his own grand plans to turn Spurs into set-piece experts - and has hired an ex-Gunners coach to help him do it. Andreas Georgson spent a year as Arteta 's set-piece coach between 2020 and 2021, having left Frank's Brentford to take up the position. The Swede, 43, was replaced by Jover before going on to hold similar roles at Southampton and Manchester United, as well as more senior roles back in Scandinavia. Georgson's latest gig is at Spurs, where he became part of Frank's new-look coaching staff that was announced earlier this month. He holds the title of first-team assistant coach, but his specific focus will be set-pieces. Frank excelled from the routines at Brentford, netting 14 league goals from them last term and conceding a Prem-best three. It is not just from corners and free-kicks that he looks to gain an advantage, either. Fans will remember how his Bees, remarkably, scored virtually from the kick-off in three successive games last September. Arsenal vs Tottenham fan debate battle | Stoppage Time The remarkable hat-trick saw them make Premier League history by becoming the first team to net within the first minute in a trio of back-to-back fixtures. Long throws are also something he is happy to employ, with footage from Destiny Udogie's Snapchat appearing to reveal Spurs have held 'long throw auditions' in pre-season training. Centre-back Micky van de Ven is hoping all the extra work on dead-ball situations will pay off this season. The Dutchman, 24, said on Tuesday: 'We have had a lot of training sessions already where we are working on set-pieces. I know you guys love talking about set-pieces and Tottenham. 6 6 'I hope we can change that this year and make it a strong point for us on the offensive and defensive side.' The "I know you guys love talking about set-pieces and Tottenham" remark related to the furore surrounding them under predecessor Ange Postecoglou. In truth, it was a mountain made out of a molehill by Postecoglou himself, and it came after a North London derby defeat to today's opponents. Spurs conceded twice from corners in their 3-2 home loss to Arsenal in April 2024, during Postecoglou's first campaign. At the time, it took the club's tally of goals conceded from set-pieces to nine, which was not terrible but not great either. It just required an acknowledgement that things could have been improved and a promise to work on them. Postecoglou instead appeared to dismiss set-pieces altogether after the game, then doubled down on that view again a few days later in his next press conference. After that, a narrative emerged that he did not care about them at all, which was brought up every time Spurs subsequently conceded from a dead-ball situation, not including spot-kicks. Frank has been very clear about how much he values them and spoke of his pride after his new team scored their first goals under him from set-pieces in his opening friendly, a 2-0 win at Reading, earlier this month. 6 6 Arsenal set the bar for success in this area - today Spurs can get an early idea of how they measure up at the Kai Tak Stadium today. They will do it, meanwhile, wearing kit with bespoke, jazzy-looking shirt numbers designed by local artists. 'ParentsParents', a collective of artists from diverse backgrounds in graffiti, illustration and geometry style character, designed the numbers, using themes, colours and symbols meaningful to Hong Kong. You can put your shirt on set-pieces playing a key role in today's friendly version of the North London derby on the far side of the world.
