European Super Football

Arsenal 1 - 0 Atletico Madrid (Arsenal won 2-1 on aggregate) Arsenal reached their first Champions League final in two decades as Bukayo Saka’s decisive strike secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Atletico Madrid. Author |  DJ Stadium |  Emirates Stadium Mikel Arteta’s side fell at the semi-final stage to eventual winners Paris St-Germain last season, but there was no repeat this time. Saka’s intervention kept alive hopes of a Premier League and Champions League double. A fantastic Champions League night for Arteta and Arsenal With the tie poised at 1-1 following the first leg, a tense atmosphere settled over Emirates Stadium and clear chances were initially scarce. The breakthrough arrived just before the interval when Saka reacted quickest, turning in from close range after Jan Oblak had parried Leandro Trossard’s effort, with Viktor Gyokeres instrumental in the build-up. Atletico threatened sporadically. Declan Rice produced a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny Giuliano Sime...

Atletico Madrid 1 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal and Atletico Madrid scored a penalty each in a first-leg draw that leaves their Champions League semi-final in the balance Author | DJ Stadium | Metropolitano Viktor Gyokeres won and converted a spot-kick for the visitors a minute before the break after going down under a challenge from David Hancko. But Julian Alvarez levelled 11 minutes into the second half, scoring from the spot after a video assistant referee review. Substitute Eberechi Eze thought he had won Arsenal a second penalty late on when he appeared to beat Hancko to the ball inside the area, but the decision was overturned following another VAR check. Both sides looked quietly content at full-time with all still to play for next week.  The game began as a cagey affair Neither side was looking to concede an early advantage. It was very different to the previous night's match between PSG and Bayern.  PSG and Bayern play out an all-time classic eurosuperfootball.blogsp...

Arsenal 0 - 0 Sporting (Arsenal won 1-0 on aggregate) Arsenal secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals after a tense goalless draw with Sporting. Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, courtesy of Kai Havertz’s late strike in Portugal, Mikel Arteta’s side did enough to progress and book their spot in the last four. Watch | Pre match atmosphere Arsenal began on the front foot and saw plenty of the ball early on, but it was Sporting who created the clearer openings before the break. Francisco Trincao and Pedro Goncalves both threatened, while a misplaced pass from David Raya briefly invited danger. The closest moment arrived when Geny Catamo struck the post with a well-taken volley after being picked out by Maxi Araujo. There was an undercurrent of anxiety around the stadium as the contest wore on, with Arsenal protecting a narrow lead following their Premier League defeat by Bournemouth last weekend. Sporting continued to probe ...

Sporting 0 - 1 Arsenal  Kai Havertz struck in stoppage time to give Arsenal a slender advantage over Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final Author | DJ Stadium | Estádio José Alvalade Introduced after the interval, Havertz reacted quickest late on to guide the ball beyond Rui Silva and hand the Premier League leaders a narrow lead ahead of the return at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal arrived under scrutiny following successive defeats, their first such run of the season, and there were early signs of unease when Maxi Araújo rattled the crossbar after being released by an incisive pass from Ousmane Diomande. Watch | Highlights from Arsenal’s official YouTube account Despite controlling possession for long spells in the opening half, Arsenal struggled to fashion clear openings. Their best chance came in unusual fashion as Noni Madueke struck the bar directly from a corner. Sporting remained dangerous on the break They went close again when Araújo surged forward ...

Southampton 2 - 1 Arsenal  Arsenal’s hopes of a domestic double were ended by a late goal from Shea Charles Author | DJ Stadium | St. Mary's Stadium The defeat marked Arsenal’s first match since their EFL Cup final loss to Manchester City and followed an international break in which 11 of their players withdrew from national duty through injury. Despite that disruption, Mikel Arteta was able to name a strong side featuring Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes, with the visitors intent on regaining momentum. Yet for all Arsenal’s control of possession, it was Southampton who fashioned the clearer chances. Their direct approach, looking to play quickly in behind the defence, unsettled Arsenal throughout and extended a 14-match unbeaten run for the Championship promotion hopefuls. The breakthrough arrived in the 35th minute. White misjudged the flight of a delivery from James Bree, allowing Ross Stewart to bring the ball under control and dispatch a composed f...

Arsenal 0 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City brought an emphatic end to Arsenal’s pursuit of a historic quadruple with a deserved Carabao Cup final victory. Authors | Macca and DJ Stadium | Wembley Nico O’Reilly struck twice in the space of four second-half minutes as Pep Guardiola’s side asserted their authority over the Premier League leaders with a performance of real control and incision. It proved a bruising afternoon for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, whose decision to persist with Kepa Arrizabalaga in this competition, ahead of first-choice David Raya, unravelled at a crucial moment. Kepa presented City with the opening goal just past the hour, spilling what should have been a routine cross from Rayan Cherki and allowing O’Reilly to capitalise with a stooping header. Watch | View from the stands at Wembley. Video uploaded from Shorts LM O’Reilly added a second soon after, arriving unmarked at the far post to meet Matheus Nunes’ delivery with another firm header, prompting Guardiola...

Arsenal 1 - 0 Chelsea (Arsenal won 4-2 on aggregate) Arsenal moved to within one game of their first major trophy since 2020 Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Holding a 3-2 advantage from the first leg, Mikel Arteta’s side were made to wait until the seventh minute of added time to confirm their progress on a nervy night at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz, introduced from the bench, delivered the decisive moment, rounding Robert Sánchez before calmly rolling the ball into an empty net. Arsenal, who sit top of the Premier League and remain alive in three cup competitions, will meet either Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley next month. The sense of occasion was unmistakable, even if the contest itself was often tight and attritional. How Arsenal and Arteta booked a trip down Wembley Way The hosts began on the front foot but found space hard to come by against a Chelsea side set up in a back five, with clear chances at a premium before the interval. Liam Rosenior attempted t...

Club Brugge 0 - 3 Arsenal Noni Madueke struck twice as Arsenal swept past Club Brugge to preserve their perfect Champions League record. Author | DJ Stadium | Jan Breydelstadion Mikel Arteta made five changes after the defeat at Aston Villa and it was one of those introduced who made the early difference. Madueke drifted past a defender before unleashing a fierce effort from 20 yards that clipped the underside of the bar on its way in. Club Brugge threatened briefly before half-time as Christos Tzolis and Aleksandar Stankovic forced sharp stops from David Raya, but Arsenal reached the interval with their lead intact. Madueke added his second just after the restart, heading in Martin Zubimendi's precise delivery, before Gabriel Martinelli curled in a fine third midway through the half to seal a comfortable evening. There were further reasons for encouragement Gabriel Jesus returned after 342 days out with an ACL injury and 16-year-old Marli Salmon was handed a senior debut. Jesus ca...

Arsenal 3 - 1 Bayern Munich A fantastic week for Mikel Arteta and his platers continued as Arsenal beat Bayern Munich in what was a fascinating clash in North London Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium Arsenal asserted control from the outset and moved ahead in the 22nd minute, Jurrien Timber rising to meet Bukayo Saka's corner for the side's tenth goal from such a set piece this season, more than any other team across Europe's major leagues. Bayern settled after falling behind and levelled 10 minutes later, Joshua Kimmich sweeping a crossfield pass to Serge Gnabry, who squared the ball for 17-year-old Lennart Karl to finish from close range against his former club. It was the first goal Arsenal had conceded in the competition this season, though it did little to slow their progress as they marched to a fifth straight win. England winger Madueke restored the lead, guiding in substitute Riccardo Calafiori's fierce low cross, before the Gunners sealed the result. N...

Can Arsenal’s defence lead them to glory? Their formidable defensive run finally came to an end at the Stadium of Light after 812 minutes without conceding.  Author |  DJ The newly promoted side were the side to pierce their resistance, finding the net twice and showing the rest of the league what had seemed impossible over the past eight matches in all competitions. That  2-2 draw may have applied slight pressure to Arsenal’s title ambitions, yet their position at the top remains underpinned by a defence that has been close to flawless. Their eight successive clean sheets matched a club record set in 1903, a reminder of how rare such consistency is across generations. It also mirrored the achievements of Preston in 1889 and Liverpool in 1920, who each put together similar streaks of shutouts. As Mikel Arteta’s side prepare to welcome Tottenham on Sunday, confidence is growing that a first league title since the Invincibles season could be within reach. They have con...

Slavia Prague 0 - 3 Arsenal Mikel Merino struck twice as Arsenal eased past Slavia Prague, extending their winning streak to eight matches in all competitions. Author | DJ Stadium | Fortuna Arena This was also an eighth consecutive clean sheet, equalling a club record that has stood since 1903 and spanned two separate seasons. Closer analysis of what hardened Merino led the line in place of the injured Viktor Gyokeres and, much like when he filled in for Kai Havertz last season, showcased his adaptability by providing both a focal point and a decisive impact. Arsenal broke the deadlock on 32 minutes after VAR intervened to penalise Lukas Provod for handball when Gabriel flicked on a corner. Bukayo Saka made no mistake from the spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with a confident finish into the bottom corner. READ MORE  |   Champions League news and stories from this season Though Mikel Arteta’s side were far from fluent before the interval and survived an early sca...

Arsenal 4 - 0 Atlético Madrid Arsenal scored four times in a dazzling 14-minute spell to sweep aside Atletico Madrid  Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium The home side began with intent, as Eberechi Eze’s deflected shot clipped the crossbar, while Julian Alvarez almost punished David Raya from long range after the goalkeeper ventured out of position. For much of the first half, the contest was tight and tactical, with few clear chances at either end. Gabriel Magalhaes broke the deadlock on 57 minutes, rising to head in Declan Rice’s precise free-kick and spark a remarkable surge. Gabriel Martinelli added a second with a curling finish after a driving run from Myles Lewis-Skelly, before Viktor Gyokeres bundled home to end his seven-game goal drought. The Swedish striker struck again moments later, turning in Gabriel’s knockdown from another Arsenal corner. The result leaves Mikel Arteta’s team with three wins from three and still yet to concede in this season’s competition, a c...

Arsenal 2 - 0 Olympiacos Gabriel Martinelli struck early to set Arsenal on their way to a second successive Champions League victory as they overcame Olympiacos. Author | DJ Stadium | Emirates Stadium The Brazilian forward, who had a goal and an assist in the win over Athletic Club on matchday one, was again decisive. When Viktor Gyökeres bulldozed through the home defence only to see his shot pushed onto the post by Konstantinos Tzolakis, Martinelli reacted quickest to turn in the rebound. Bukayo Saka, introduced from the bench, added the second in stoppage time with a low effort that squirmed through the legs of the goalkeeper to confirm the result.  They are now well and track to qualify directly for the last-16 of the competition which will be a huge bonus for Arteta as they look to compete on multiple fronts this season. A closer look at what happened Pre match atmosphere Mikel Arteta, who made six changes from the side that edged Newcastle on Sunday, was able to rotate he...

Athletic Club 0 - 2 Arsenal Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard came off the bench to deliver the goals as Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign with victory over Athletic Club. Author | DJ Stadium | San Mames Martinelli needed just 36 seconds to make his mark, racing through to score after being set up by Trossard midway through the second half. The Brazilian then turned provider, beating his man before laying the ball back for Trossard to tuck in a second with four minutes to play. It was far from straightforward for Mikel Arteta’s side. Athletic, returning to the competition for the first time since 2014-15, flew out of the blocks backed by a raucous San Mamés crowd. Alejandro Berenguer was a persistent threat and the hosts had Arsenal penned in for long spells of the first half. The Gunners did create the clearest chance before the interval, Viktor Gyökeres heading wide from close range, but overall struggled to assert themselves. Gyökeres later finished the match...

A busy summer for Arsenal continues Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea in a deal worth an initial £48.5m Author | DJ The England international has agreed a five-year contract at the Emirates Stadium. The 23-year-old winger was part of Chelsea’s squad at the Club World Cup in the United States but left the camp before their 3–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final to complete his move to north London. Another chapter in an interesting career  Madueke joined Chelsea from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 for £30m and made 92 appearances for the club, scoring 20 goals. He played a key role in helping them win the Europa Conference League last season. The winger came through the youth systems at Crystal Palace and Tottenham before moving to the Netherlands, where he spent four and a half years and lifted the KNVB Cup with PSV. He made his senior England debut in August 2024 and assisted Harry Kane’s winner in a 1–0 World Cup qualifying win over And...

Arsenal 1 - 2 Bournemouth Arsenal’s bid to gather momentum ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain was dealt a serious blow Author -  DJ Stadium -  Emirates Stadium Bournemouth staged a superb second-half comeback to claim a famous win at the Emirates and bolster their own European aspirations. A closer look at more lost points for Arsenal Mikel Arteta opted against rotating his starting XI, naming a full-strength side despite the looming trip to Paris on Wednesday, where Arsenal must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit to reach their first Champions League final since 2006. But despite that show of intent, his side were left reeling after a spirited Bournemouth performance turned the afternoon on its head. It had all started according to plan for the hosts, with Declan Rice marking his 100th appearance for the club in style, rounding Kepa Arrizabalaga to give Arsenal a deserved lead midway through the first half. Yet Bournemo...

Arsenal 0 - 1 PSG Arsenal must come from behind if they are to reach the Champions League final, after Ousmane Dembele's early goal gave Paris Saint-Germain a first-leg advantage at the Emirates Stadium. Author -  DJ Stadium - Emirates Stadium Dembele struck just four minutes in, sweeping a low finish past David Raya after being picked out by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The goal capped a dominant opening spell from the visitors, who pressed high and carved out further chances, including a strong effort from teenager Desire Doue that Raya did well to stop. Once again, PSG were indebted to Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian goalkeeper, who produced key performances in earlier rounds against Liverpool and Aston Villa, was in commanding form, denying Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard with sharp saves either side of half-time. Arsenal grew into the contest and thought they had equalised when Mikel Merino headed in from a Declan Rice free-kick, but a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal...

Arsenal 3 - 0 Real Madrid Declan Rice lit up the Emirates with two superb free-kicks as Arsenal cruised to a 3–0 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Author - DJ Stadium - Emirates Stadium Rice had never scored from a free-kick in his career before this match, delivered two moments of brilliance in the second half to put Mikel Arteta’s side in firm control of the tie. Ahead of kick-off, Arteta had called on the home support to arrive early and generate a big-game atmosphere. The fans responded, and so did the players, as Arsenal made an energetic start and put Madrid under early pressure with a series of threatening crosses. It wasn’t until the 20th minute that the visitors created anything of note, with Vinícius Júnior curling a shot narrowly wide. After the break, Arsenal turned their dominance into goals. The breakthrough came in the 58th minute, when Rice bent a free-kick around the wall and beyond Thibaut Courtois to open the scori...

Arsenal v Real Madrid Preview Los Blancos will make their first-ever competitive appearance at the Emirates Stadium. Author - DJ While the 15-time winners have beaten 111 teams in the competition’s history, Arsenal are not one of them courtesy of their famous last-16 success in the only previous meaningful meetings between the teams back in 2006. While Arteta's looking to reach the final four for just a third time, Madrid’s love affair with the competition sees them looking to make that a reality for the fifth consecutive season.  Real Madrid head into the first leg knowing that no team has beaten Arsenal in North London in 10 Champions League games since their return to the competition last season. An extension of that run would put them in a superb place before a visit to the Spanish capital eight days later. Who remembers this match from 2006? Source | Arsenal YouTube A closer look at how Real Madrid are doing Not since the 2003-04 season have Real Madrid been knocked out ...

Arsenal 2 - 1 Fulham Bukayo Saka wasted no time making an impact on his return from injury, scoring just seven minutes after coming on to help Arsenal secure victory over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium. Author - DJ Stadium - Emirates Stadium The England winger had been sidelined for 101 days but came off the bench in the second half with Arsenal leading 1-0. He quickly reminded everyone what they’d been missing, heading in Gabriel Martinelli’s flick at the far post in the 73rd minute. Mikel Merino had earlier put the Gunners in front after 37 minutes, his shot taking a deflection and nestling into the corner following Ethan Nwaneri’s cut-back. Fulham did manage a late consolation, with Rodrigo Muniz’s shot deflecting off William Saliba and wrong-footing David Raya in stoppage time. However, Arsenal held on for a crucial win, moving them to within nine points of league leaders Liverpool. READ MORE:  Premier League: 2024/2025 season READ MORE:  Arsenal score seven against P...