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Arsenal fear Mikel Merino’s season is over, and have announced he will undergo surgery following an issue with his foot.

The Spanish midfielder missed Saturday’s win at Leeds United due to the injury.And Arsenal have now confirmed surgery is needed, with a statement reading: “Further to sustaining a foot injury towards the end of our game against Manchester United on January 25th, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed Mikel Merino has a bone injury in his right foot.

“Mikel will have surgery in the coming days and will then begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme.

“Mikel is expected to be out of action for an extended period, with the aim of returning to full training before the end of the season.

“Everyone is fully focused on supporting Mikel to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”

For the moment, there is no timeline set for Merino’s recovery. However, there are concerns that he could be sidelined for the remainder of this season.

Taking to Instagram, Merino wrote: “Time to stop now with a foot injury.

“Sometimes life throws this kind of challenge when it is less convenient. Just another opportunity to be strong, resilient and overcome it. We have the best medical team and together we will come back stronger.

“Thank you all, your support means everything to me and I can’t wait to be back on the pitch soon, helping my team and doing what I love.”

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9News Nigeria

Gabriel Jesus scored a brace as Arsenal defeated Inter Milan 3-1 on Tuesday, sealing qualification for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) last 16 with a dominant display at the San Siro.

The Brazilian struck twice from close range in the 10th and 31st minutes respectively, earning Arsenal a seventh straight league-phase victory and guaranteeing a top-eight finish ahead of the final round.

Jesus, starting ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, led Arsenal’s attack confidently and was a constant threat, underlining his growing sharpness after a long injury layoff.

The 28-year-old, who had started only twice this season, appears fully recovered from a cruciate ligament injury that sidelined him for nearly a year.

He was on cloud nine after two close-range finishes in the first half to help guarantee the Gunners a top eight finish.

“It’s a dream night,” said the 28-year-old.

“I always dreamed of being a footballer. I watched when I was a kid.

“I watched a lot of Serie A, so to be here in this stadium and score here is tears in my eyes because I always dreamed of being here,” Jesus said.

Inter briefly drew level through a superb Petar Sucic strike in the 18th minute, but defensive lapses proved costly as Arsenal capitalised with clinical efficiency.

Substitute Gyokeres sealed the win late on  in the 84th minute, allowing Arsenal fans to turn attention to Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United.

Arsenal now sit on 21 points and six clear at the top of the 2025/2026 UCL log , while Inter’s third straight European defeat leaves their top-eight hopes hanging.

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Arsenal centre back Gabriel Magalhaes faces weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a thigh injury while on international duty with Brazil, manager Mikel Arteta said ahead of Sunday’s North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.

The 27-year-old has been a cornerstone of Arsenal’s defence this season, forming a formidable partnership with Frenchman William Saliba.

Their pairing has seen the Gunners concede just five goals in 11 Premier League matches, a record that has propelled them to the top of the table, four points clear of second-placed Manchester City.

Gabriel’s absence is a setback, particularly given his aerial threat from set-pieces, but Arsenal have several options to cover, including close-season signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie.

“Gabi unfortunately picked up an injury with the national team. He will be out for weeks,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. “We need to have another scan next Wednesday. We will have the timeline much more clearly than we have at the moment.

“It’s clearly a blow. It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”

Defender Riccardo Calafiori has yet to train, having withdrawn from the Italy squad with a hip problem. Arteta remained tight-lipped about the 23-year-old’s availability for the clash at the Emirates.

“He missed the (Italy) games. He wasn’t available. He’s been carrying a few things. We had to bring him back. He hasn’t trained yet. We have another session tomorrow. Let’s see,” the Spaniard said.

Arteta did not say whether any other players who have been out injured – including Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus – would return against Spurs.

“We put a lot of energy in the international break with the medical staff to try to bring them back as quickly as possible … I’m hopeful we can make a step tomorrow. But certainly? I cannot tell you,” Arteta said.

“I think they’re going to be with us soon. But I don’t know if Sunday is too soon.”

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9News Nigeria

Premier League leaders Arsenal will end their partnership deal with Rwanda at the end of this season, the African country’s development board announced on Wednesday.

The Visit Rwanda partnership, signed eight seasons ago, had increasingly come under scrutiny due to spiralling violence in mineral-rich eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Rwanda.

The DRC accuses Rwanda of arming and supporting the M23 militia, which has seized swathes of DRC territory since taking up arms in 2021.

The conflict has killed thousands of people and triggered a humanitarian crisis, although the DRC and M23 have signed a ceasefire deal and peace framework in recent months.

Arsenal fans in April protested against the ongoing partnership, which involves the Visit Rwanda logo being carried on the sleeves of the players’ jerseys.

“Arsenal and the Rwanda Development Board have mutually agreed to conclude their partnership at the end of this season, bringing to a close an eight-season collaboration that included Visit Rwanda as Arsenal’s first Official Sleeve Partner,” the Rwanda Development Board said in a statement.

Rwanda still has other partnerships with European giants Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and with Atletico Madrid.

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9News Nigeria

Arsenal produced a dramatic late comeback to beat Newcastle 2-1 in a thrilling Premier League clash on Sunday.

The visitors looked set for victory after Woltemade’s first-half strike gave Newcastle a deserved lead heading into the break.

The Magpies defended resolutely for much of the second half, frustrating Mikel Arteta’s men and threatening to claim all three points at the Emirates.

But Arsenal found a way back into the game late on. Mikel Merino levelled the score in the 84th minute with a well-placed effort, sparking a frantic finale.

Deep into stoppage time, Gabriel rose highest from a corner to power home a header and seal a crucial win for the Gunners.

The victory lifts Arsenal up to second place in the table as they continue their push for the Premier League title.

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European champions Arsenal are the Women’s Club of the Year 🔴

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9News Nigeria

English Premier league side, Arsenal have announced the recruitment of Argentine Legend, Gabriel Heinze into their coaching staff.

The Argentine Defender played 72 times for the Argentina national team, including at two FIFA World Cup and two Copa América tournaments. In 2015, he began working as a manager, leading four teams in the Argentine Primera División.

Heinze signed at Argentinos Juniors in June 2016. In July of the following year, after achieving top-level promotion, he resigned.

On 11 December 2017, Heinze was appointed at Vélez Sarsfield. Having led the team to two consecutive Copa Sudamericana qualifications, he chose not to continue past the end of the 2019–20 season.

Gabriel Heinze will be part of Mikel Arteta’s coaching staff at the start of the English Premier League Season in August.

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Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon fired Newcastle to a second League Cup final in three years as the Magpies secured a thumping 4-0 aggregate win over Arsenal.

Murphy and Gordon struck either side of half-time to seal a 2-0 victory over the Gunners at St James’ Park on Wednesday.

The win moved Newcastle a step closer to ending their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy, with Newcastle wining by the same scoreline at the Emirates Stadium in January. Meanwhile, the convincing aggregate win, books a Wembley showdown with either Liverpool or Tottenham.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

If you’re thinking that it is going to be a smooth sail for your favourite team in the English Premier League this season, then you must wake up and smell the coffee in the room.

For what it’s worth, the tides are changing. The walls around the mighty are falling, the assumed ‘weaker’ ones are growing stronger, and the craving for the top is spreading fast across the room.

It may still be early days in the league to make any concrete predictions, but the silent tears and banters are already getting tense.

In the second week of the commencement of the league, a few shocking results were registered.
Manchester United fell to Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in an exciting game, while the expensive Chelsea team was beaten in typical fashion by 10-man Westham United, 3-1 in a London battle.

Manchester City ran away with a solitary 1-nil win over the rejuvenated Newcastle United, while last season’s runners-up, Arsenal continued their charge with a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace.

The other games saw Brighton wallop Wolverhampton Wanderers by 4 goals to 1, while Brentford went away to Fulham to get a convincing 3-0 victory.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa trashed Everton 4-0, and Liverpool were too strong against Bournemouth as they won 3-1 on the day.

The next round of matches in the EPL will see the newly promoted Luton visit Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Friday night.

On Saturday, 26th August, Bournemouth will host Tottenham Hotspur in the early kick-off of the day, then later, Arsenal will host Fulham by 3pm.

The other games for Saturday are:

Brentford vs Crystal Palace – 3pm
Everton vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers – 3pm
Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest – 3pm
Brighton & Hove Albion vs West Ham United – 5:30pm.

The Sunday big game will undoubtedly be Newcastle’s face-off against Liverpool by 4:30pm. We’ll wait to see how Newcastle will respond to their last defeat when they face the mighty Reds of Liverpool.

The early kick-offs for Sunday are:

Burnley vs Aston Villa – 2pm
Sheffield United vs Manchester City – 2pm.

The excitement continues as teams battle on the pitch for glory and honour.

Stay tuned with 9News Nigeria as we bring you an in-depth review and post-match analysis of the games involving your favourite teams.

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9News Nigeria

It is no longer news that Arsenal has shown the world their intent in going a step further than they did last season in their quest to end a 20-year drought for the English Premier League (EPL) trophy.

Their latest big-money acquisitions of Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber are potentially fired-up and ready to begin their full-season campaign for the Gunners.

This afternoon, they will kick off their season as they welcome Nottingham Forest to North London.

After putting up an impressive performance and eventually beating last season’s treble champions – Manchester City – in the Community Shield final a week ago, many football pundits have convincingly marked Arsenal as strong contenders for major trophies this season.

But this is not a time to hope and be merry on the football pitch, because the real business starts here.

Considering Man City’s effortless victory against Burnley last night, the message is clear now. If the Gunners are going to give any serious fight for the trophy this season, then they have to get on the race immediately.

No time to play catch-up.

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, are not easy push-overs as they have proven in the recent past against Arsenal when playing at home. In the second half of last season, they stood resilient and unshakable as they ran off 1-0 winners against the Gunner.

Interestingly, however, Nottingham Forest have not won at Arsenal’s home since March 1989, so it might take something special to break that jinx today as they square up at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.

Whatever happens, we are all here for it.

The EPL is back! What are your predictions for today’s game?

#football #epl #arsenalfc #soccer #writing

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

If you really want to know what it feels like to be one of the best two teams out of 92 professional football clubs in a country, then you should ask Manchester City or Arsenal.

In the previous 2022/2023 season, both teams undoubtedly shone brighter and stood top of the biggest and most competitive league in the world – The English Premier League (EPL).

Despite their unrivalled dominance, the previous season ultimately ended in disappointment for Arsenal who had high hopes of ending their 19-year drought of clinching the coveted EPL trophy. After leading the pack for about 8 months, the Gunners slipped disastrously and handed the league to Manchester City, a team with fire brimming out of their nostrils last season.

That silly, characteristic, inexperienced, last-minute act by Arsenal dented all the hard work of the team and would give naysayers more reasons to believe that the North London side is incapable of winning the EPL trophy.

But there is always another chance for redemption.

In about six days, a new season would kick off – the 2023/2024 season.
Would it be Arsenal’s year to dust themselves up and take the fight to the finish line? Or would the other 18 teams (let’s leave the ostentatious Manchester City out for now) put up a better fight in the race to the title?

Anyway, before we go neck-deep into that conversation, there is a prize to be won now. The FA Community Shield prize is up for grabs and it will be between the two best teams in the whole of England last season – Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Community Shield match is a curtain opener to the start of a new EPL campaign. It is usually contested between the winners of the Premier League and the FA Cup. However, since Manchester City clinched both trophies last season, it means they will lock horns with the second-placed team in the league in the Community Shield battle.

In preparation for this showdown, both teams have been engaged in preseason matches: experimenting with new players, adjusting to new styles, and plotting strategies to send opponents to the trenches. But, don’t be fooled, preseason matches may just be a smokescreen. The real deal starts now!

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s coach, has acquired new top talents into his squad. Expectedly, by those additions, the hype in the Arsenal team is louder now.

Football enthusiasts are waiting eagerly to see how new additions like Declan Rice (£100m), Kai Havertz (£65m), and Jurrien Timber (£35m) would perform in the team. While Manchester City continue to adorn themselves with their talented stars, albeit the departure of club captain IIker Gundogan to Barcelona, no one knows what the master tactician, Pep Guardiola has up his sleeves this time.

We will wait and see.

The prestigious Wembley Stadium is set and our football craving is finally here!

Who will lift the first crown for the 2023/2024 season? Manchester City or Arsenal?

Please drop your predictions.

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9News Nigeria

Arsenal will be the first Premier League club to welcome fans for a competitive fixture since March after confirming 2,000 spectators will be allowed in for their Europa League match against Rapid Vienna on December 3.

England will return to a regional tiered system when the national coronavirus lockdown ends on December 2, with those areas suffering the worst case rates entering the highest Tier 3.

Most of the country, including London, will enter into Tier 2, allowing 2,000 fans to attend sports events.

An Arsenal statement read: “While we appreciate that reduced-capacity matches will be far from being ‘back to normal’, we can’t wait to welcome our fans back home for what will be a historic moment for the club.”

West Ham’s match against Manchester United on December 5 is set to be the first Premier League game to open its doors to supporters.

Brighton, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Liverpool are the other teams in tier-two areas hosting games that weekend.

Brighton boss Graham Potter said: “The biggest relationship at the football club is the one between the supporters and the players. So to have them around, I think it is amazing for everybody and great for football.”

But Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa, whose side are based in a tier-three area where fans remain banned from venues, believes it is unfair to allow supporters to return on a partial basis.

“It shouldn’t be about the category or the consequences of being in a category, it should be about trying to maintain the competition as equal as possible with things that are controllable,” Bielsa said.

“The presence of fans has an effect on the results.”

Clubs in the English Football League have been desperate to get fans back into stadiums because they rely much more heavily on matchday revenue than Premier League sides backed by a lucrative television deal.

Leyton Orient chief executive Danny Macklin, whose League Two club is in a tier-two area, said: “Opening the gates will actually cost us money but it’s a price we are willing to pay to get fans in and this is step one.”

The EFL said in a statement that it would “continue to work with the government to ensure all clubs are able to welcome back fans, in larger numbers, as soon as it is can safely be achieved”.

The Rugby Football Union has announced it will be allowing 2,000 spectators into Twickenham for England’s final Autumn Nations Cup match on December 6.

The government staged a number of pilot events earlier this year, intending to allow a wider return of spectators from October 1.

However, it had to scrap those plans after a sharp rise in coronavirus infections.

Under the new system, up to 4,000 spectators are permitted to attend elite sports events in tier one but there are very few areas under that classification.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

After edging past Liverpool on penalties, Arsenal would face another tough test against Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. The Gunners had to dig deep to fight for their place and would be thankful to their goalkeeper, Bernd Leno, for some fantastic saves that saw them through against a resilient Liverpool side.

The draw for the quarter-final pairings was held immediately Arsenal’s victory was confirmed, and there are some mouth-watering encounters to look forward to.

The rejuvenated Everton side will hope to shatter the dreams of Manchester United as they have been paired to meet in the quarter finals. Carlo Ancelotti seems to have injected some winning inspiration to his Everton side and their encounter against the Red Devils should be something to look out for.

Arsenal, on the other hand, couldn’t have had a more difficult test with their pairing against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side wound probably be feeling like the wounded lion going into the match after Arsenal defeated them in last season’s FA Cup semi final, en route winning the trophy for a record 14 times. However, Mikel Arteta would want to prove a point once again to his ex-boss and perhaps earn himself another bragging rights in the committee of football tacticians. It’s all spiced up to be one delicious battle in the Carabao Cup quarter finals.

The other two pairings would see Championship side, Brentford, take on Newcastle United, while another Championship team, Stoke City, would be hoping for a good day against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur.

The quarter final matches will be played in the week of December 21st, 2020, while the final will be played at Wembley on February 28th, 2021.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

The last time Liverpool and Arsenal played a goalless draw at Anfield was in 1998, 22 years ago. Apart from the fluidity and excitement with which these two teams play, there’s always the expectation of goals whenever the Reds of Liverpool face-off against the Gunners of Arsenal, regardless of the competition they are playing in. However, the heroics of both goal-keepers in the 5th round encounter between these two powerhouses would prove to be the decider in a 0-0 stalemate.

Arsenal started the game very well and the first chance fell to Eddie Nketiah when he found himself one-on-one with Liverpool’s goal-keeper, Alisson, but the striker was unable to find the net. Arsenal pressed further and Bukayo Saka got his chance to open the scoring in the 22nd minute, but he was indecisive at the last minute.

Liverpool came out stronger in the second half but Arsenal’s shot stopper, Bernd Leno, pulled out a Man-of-the-match performance as he made sure Liverpool didn’t get a goal in 90 minutes.

The game went straight to penalties after a 0-0 draw and for the second consecutive time, Arsenal came ahead, winning 5-4.

With this win, Arsenal joins other EPL sides Manchester United, Manchester City, Everton, Newcastle, and Tottenham in the Quarter final of the Carabao Cup competition.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

Arsenal were a little too hot for Leicester City in their third round Carabao Cup clash at the King Power Stadium last night as the Gunners came out 2-0 winners. Leicester City’s Christian Fuchs gave the Gunners the lead with a second-half own goal in the 57^th minute and Eddie Nketiah forced a stoppage time winner to confirm the victory for Arsenal on the night. Despite the changes made by both sides for the game, Mikel Arteta’s side were able to maintain their 100% winning start to the season and secured a possible trip to Anfield to face Liverpool if the Premier League champions can beat Lincoln City in their game today.

In another game of the night, Everton also continued their strong start to the season as they walloped League One side, Fleetwood Town, 5-2. Alex Iwobi was on hand to secure his first goal of the season and also made an assist for a goal as his Everton side cruised on to set up a fourth round clash against West Ham in the competition.

Chelsea trashed Barnsley 6-0 at Stamford Bridge as new signing Kai Havertz scored his first hat-trick for the club, while another English Premier League club, Newcastle United, were also on fire last night as they walloped League Two side, Morecambe, 7-0.

In today’s Carabao Cup games, Liverpool will travel to play Lincoln City, while Manchester City will host Championship side, Bournemouth.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

A late goal from substitute Eddie Nketiah was enough to seal three points for the Gunners in a cagey encounter between Arsenal and West Ham at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal were the first to threaten for a goal and they duly got the reward for their pressure in the 25th minute when Alexander Lacazette latched onto a pin-point cross from Pierre Emerick Aubameyang to put the Gunners ahead with a delicious header.

West Ham looked more defensive in the game with their five-man defence wall but they were still able to threaten on the attack. And just before the half-time break, they found their equalizer with a brilliantly worked move from deep in their own half against the run of play. Tomas Soucek drove through the middle and sent a pass wide to Ryan Fredericks who squared it to Michail Antonio to score from close range. It was the 9th goal for the striker since the resumption of last season in June after the suspension due to the global pandemic, making him joint top scorer with Raheem Sterling.

After some missed chances by both sides in the 2nd half, Arsenal finally found the breakthrough again in the late minutes of the game from a scintillating team move. Eddie Nketiah came on in the 77th to replace Alex Lacazette, and it proved to be a super sub for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka played a lovely pass through to Dani Ceballos who squared it to Nketiah, and the substitute coolly rolled the ball into an empty net to make it 2-1 for Arsenal and game over! The Gunners now have two wins from two games in the new campaign.

In the other games played earlier in the day, Manchester United were stunned to a 1-3 defeat at home to Crystal Palace. One goal from Andy Townsend and a brace from Wilfred Zaha were enough to send United packing with their first loss of the season in their very first game. Donny Van de Beek’s goal for United in the 80th minute was a little too late as Crystal Palace made it two wins from two games so far.

Everton were also too hot for WestBrom as they walloped the Baggies 5-2, and Leeds United came out victorious in their 4-3 thriller against Fulham.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

After a disappointing 2019/2020 Premier League season, marked possibly as their worst league campaign in a generation, Arsenal FC have shown that they have more to offer and they are ready to make a strong statement as contenders for the league title this time around. Arsenal, buoyed by their FA Cup success last season as a possible consolation for a poor league campaign, have demonstrated a knack and craving for victory in their first game of the new season, typical of a team that is eager to win the coveted English Premier League title. And they have done so this afternoon with an emphatic 3-0 victory against newly-promoted Fulham.

In a demanding league where victory is mandatory, a winning start for the Gunners and a promising performance to a start of the new season is surely a welcome development for the aspirations of the Arsenal team and fans all over the world. With an all-important first away win, maybe Critics can now start rethinking about giving Arsenal a strong chance in their prediction books.

For Fulham, their first fixture to life back in the Premier League couldn’t have come any difficult as they faced a resurgent Arsenal side that looked more than hungry for success. And it took Arsenal just 10 minutes into the game to register the first goal of the new campaign after Alex Lacazette finished from close range inside the box to give Arsenal the lead. Arsenal’s new signing, Gabriel dos Santos Magalhãess – who was making his debut for the club – was impressive and dominant in defence, and in the 49^th minute, just after the half-time break, the big Brazilian was on hand to give Arsenal their second goal of the game with a thumping header from a Willian’s corner kick. It was a well-orchestrated Brazilian connection, perfect start to life at Arsenal for the two National team-mates.

And then, eight minutes later, it was 3 goals for Arsenal. A quick counter-attack that saw a series of deft passes culminated in a fantastic finish by Arsenal’s captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, to give Arsenal a comfortable 3-goal lead. The Gabonese International took the ball coolly on his chest from a superb pass from Willian, and struck home a devastating shot into the top corner of the Fulham post, giving the keeper no chance at all. Perfect beginning for Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team.

Unarguably, one major change in this resurgent Arsenal side is the way they press their opponents and defend whenever they lose the ball. Although one may object to the quality of their opponents today, but the improvement seen in the team after today’s victory is worth every commendation. And with more repeats of today’s performance in the coming games, it may not be too early for Arsenal fans around the world to start having sight at the league trophy, come May next year.

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9News Nigeria

By Emmanuel Ebimoh

The highly anticipated start of the 2020/2021 football season in Europe is finally here! At last, despite the temporary suspension and shortcomings due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, football fans can now enjoy the best of football from the top leagues in the world, albeit from the comfort of their homes or viewing centres. For fans of Arsenal, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, and many others, it’s another season to savour the sheer pleasure of top-class football spectacle as top players entertain us with devastating dribbles, defence-splitting passes, unbelievable saves, and of course, fantastic goals.

During the unprecedented conclusion of last season in all the major leagues in the world in June and July, the beautiful game of football took a slightly new shape in terms of some on-field rules and viewership. Some of the new changes noticed in this period were 5 substitutions per team in a game, drink/cooling breaks in each half of a game, and a tight fixture of matches for teams. However, even as restriction of fans into stadia to watch live games is still on, the football excitement that keeps us at the edge of our seats, biting our nails in suspense, and screaming at the top of our lungs cannot be altered. We are indeed ready for more!

Let’s take a look at some of the games to expect in the first week of the English Premier League 2020/2021 season.

Arsenal will be the first to kick-off the early starters as they travel to Craven Cottage to play newly-promoted Fulham in their first game of the season. After a ‘satisfying’ campaign last season that saw the Gunners lift the FA Cup trophy for an impressive 14th time, Arsenal will be hoping to secure all 3 points in the bag when they visit their London opponents, Fulham. Mikel Arteta, coach of Arsenal, is looking to fortify his squad for the daunting challenge ahead as he has made some good signings in the ongoing transfer window, including Willian from Chelsea. Fulham, on the other hand, would be tasting the intensity of the EPL again after being relegated to the Championship in 2018. The West London club were promoted to play in top-flight English football again and they would be facing a stern test when they welcome Arsenal in the first match of the season on Saturday, 12th September.

In another game in the EPL, reigning Champions Liverpool will host another newly-promoted side, Leeds United, in what promises to be another crunch encounter at Anfield. The Reds of Liverpool secured the league title last season after an outstanding run throughout the season. All eyes will be on them to see if that impressive dominance can be sustained in this new season. For Leeds United, it’s a start in the top league after 16 years and they have toiled for this opportunity to compete with the ‘big boys’ again. However, starting life again in the EPL against the reigning Champions may not have been the start they would have envisaged, but then, maybe, just maybe there’s a slice of surprise for us. We can’t wait!

On Sunday, there’ll be another savoury encounter as Tottenham welcome Everton to White Hart Lane in their opening game of the new season. Tottenham, coached by the ever controversial Jose Mourinho, will be hoping for an impeccable start, but it’ll definitely not be a slice of cake for them. Everton have been surprisingly busy in the transfer market and they have secured the talented James Rodriguez from Real Madrid on a two-year deal.

In another opening game, Chelsea will slug it out against Brighton on Monday, 14th September, in what is expected to be an exciting battle, and Chelsea fans around the world would be anxiously waiting to see what coach, Frank Lampard has in store this season.

It’s going to be an incredible opening weekend of club football from the major leagues in the world and for those who have remained faithful to the clubs they support, it’s another opportunity to fly the colours of their favourite clubs. For those who are just expecting to be entertained with some scintillating performances on the pitch, well, the game is about to begin. Grab your seat and get ready. Our favourite football league is back!

Emmanuel Ebimoh is a Content and Football writer. You can reach him on emmyebimoh@gmail.com

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