European Super Football

 For the second year running, Bukayo Saka has been named England men's player of the year. The Arsenal winger, who turned 22 on Tuesday , retained the award he won first in 2021-22. Midfielder Jude Bellingham came second in the ballot, followed by England captain and all-time top scorer Harry Kane. Picture credit -  Premier League 2023/24, Matchday 4 - Arsenal 3:1 Mancheste… | Flickr In the past year, Saka has scored seven goals in 10 appearances for England, including a hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup , he scored three times for the Three Lions, twice against Iran in the opening group stage and once against Senegal in the last 16. He has 11 England goals in 28 caps. The Arsenal fan favourite is again among England boss Gareth Southgate's squad for Saturday's European Championship qualifier against Ukraine and Tuesday's friendly with Scotland.  Saka will once again be an important player for England in what could be a

Kai Havertz benefits from Mikel Arteta’s evolving Arsenal side The German forward us leading the line for the Gunners and is now working well with Bukayo Saka. Let's explore the impact that he's having at the moment. As long as Bukayo Saka maintains his remarkable consistency, he’ll remain the standout star at Arsenal. The academy-grown winger notched his sixth and seventh assists of the season during the Gunners’ comeback victory against relegation-threatened Southampton on Saturday afternoon, also netting his second league goal of the campaign. Saka ranks among the Premier League’s top 10 players for shots, key passes and dribbles this season, showcasing the full extent of his attacking prowess. As Arsenal chase their first league title in over two decades, Saka is undoubtedly the main man. However, it would be wrong to say Arsenal are a one-man team. At 23, Saka is clearly Mikel Arteta’s crown jewel, but he is surrounded by other equally brilliant talents. Premier League

Burnley 0 - 5 Arsenal Following Liverpool's win in the early game against Brentford, The Gunners knew they had to win this match and they duly obliged.  Following their 6-0 victory at West Ham last week , Arsenal were soon among the goals again, with captain Martin Odegaard opening the scoring after four minutes with a precise strike into the bottom corner following Gabriel Martinelli's pass. Bukayo Saka converted from the penalty spot to double the lead after Lorenz Assignon fouled Leandro Trossard in the box. Saka secured his second goal just after the restart as Arsenal maintained the pressure, seizing on a clever pass from Odegaard, cutting inside, and firing a shot into the roof of the net. Havertz's scuffed effort was blocked in the box, but Trossard was alert to curl in his third goal in as many league games. Jakub Kiwior's long throw down the line then found an unmarked Havertz, who slipped in behind the defence and drilled past home goalkeeper James Traffor

Arsenal 2 - 0 Wolves Arsenal began their Premier League campaign with a straightforward win against Wolves at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Gunners in the first half, heading in from Bukayo Saka’s cross from the right. After the break, Saka added a second with a powerful left-footed strike into the right corner, capitalising on a quickly taken free-kick that caught the visitors off guard. A closer look at the match Although Arsenal weren't at their best, they were always in control and fully deserved the victory against determined opposition. Wolves debutant Jorgen Strand Larsen had a good chance in the first half, but his header was well saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Substitute Matheus Cunha had an opportunity to equalise, but Raya comfortably dealt with his weak effort as Wolves pressed for a goal. Despite their efforts, Wolves manager Gary O’Neil will have few complaints about the result, as his team struggled to create clear chances

Arsenal 2 - 0 PSG Arsenal claimed their first victory in the revamped Champions League, defeating Paris St-Germain in North London. Mikel Arteta's men built on their initial draw with Atalanta by taking charge early, thanks to two first-half goals: Kai Havertz's well-timed header and a cleverly placed free-kick from Bukayo Saka that slipped past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Although PSG had their chances, most notably when Nuno Mendes and Joao Neves struck the woodwork either side of the break, Arsenal's dominance in the first half set the stage for their triumph. Havertz opened the scoring after 20 minutes, beating Donnarumma to Leandro Trossard’s inviting cross and nodding it home. Saka added a second, catching the PSG keeper off guard with a long-range free-kick that found its way into the net through a crowded penalty box. PSG, now in a period of transition without their former stars like Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Neymar, applied more pressure in the

 West Ham United 0 - 6 Arsenal It was a disastrous afternoon for West Ham as they suffered a heavy defeat at home to Arsenal. The match kicked off with Arsenal dictating the pace, applying high pressure and keeping the West Ham players pinned in their own half. Arteta's unexpected tactical changes paid off from the get-go. Although the game was evenly poised for the first thirty minutes, Arsenal dominated possession.  More Premier League news can be found here Transfer News: Rice signs for Arsenal  In the 32nd minute, Rice delivered a corner kick, finding Saliba in the box who leapt and headed the ball into the net, putting Arsenal ahead 1-0. In the 41st minute, Saka was fouled in the box by Areola while advancing towards goal. Initially flagged offside, VAR intervened, confirming Saka's perfectly timed run and awarding Arsenal a penalty. Saka confidently stepped up and slotted the ball into the left side of the net, making it 2-0. Just three minutes later, Arsenal earned a

England 1 - 1 Switzerland England win 5-3 on penalties Trent Alexander-Arnold fired home the winning penalty after Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Ivan Toney had all kept their composure.  Jordan Pickford had previously set the tone by saving Switzerland's first penalty from Akanji, securing a tense shoot-out victory. England, who will now face the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Wednesday, had been at risk of a premature exit from the tournament in normal time. Breel Embolo had put Switzerland ahead in the 75th minute, sneaking past Kyle Walker to tap in Dan Ndoye's deflected cross from close range. Saka equalised shortly afterwards with a superb curling finish in off the post from outside the box, marking England's first shot on target. Gareth Southgate's side struggled during extra-time, enduring nerve-wracking moments as Xherdan Shaqiri hit the woodwork directly from a corner and Zeki Amdouni's shot was parried. The Three Lions find a way ag

England 1 - 0 Serbia Jude Bellingham inspired England to the start they hoped for at Euro 2024, netting the winning goal and delivering a stellar performance in their victory over Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. Bellingham's dream season continued, after clinching the Champions League in his debut campaign with Real Madrid, he showcased why he’s seen as England's latest superstar. The 20-year-old rose magnificently to meet Bukayo Saka 's deflected cross with a powerful header after 13 minutes, earning Gareth Southgate's side an early lead. Despite starting strongly with Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield, England fell into familiar patterns after the break, sitting back and allowing Serbia to press. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a crucial late save from Dusan Vlahovic to maintain their lead. Harry Kane nearly doubled England’s tally when his header from Jarrod Bowen's cross was superbly tipped onto the bar by Serbia's keeper, Predrag Rajkovic. Wh

Fulham 2 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal missed an opportunity to claim the top spot in the Premier League on New Year's Day, experiencing a disappointing loss against Fulham. The Gunners took the lead early on, with Bukayo Saka scoring within the first five minutes. However, Raul Jimenez, returning from suspension, equalised, and Bobby Decordova-Reid secured the victory for Fulham in the 60th minute. Explore Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) More Fulham news can be found here (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) How the game unfolded from start to finish Arsenal's promising start saw them take the lead in the fifth minute through a swift break. Gabriel Martinelli's shot from the left was parried by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno, and Saka extended his right leg to loop the ball into the net from six yards . Despite Arsenal's early success, Fulham responded effectively and equalised in the 29th minute. Willian, another former Arsenal

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 - 3 Arsenal Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League table (potentially only for one day) after a convincing away victory over Brighton, keeping their hope for their first title in 20 years alive. The returning Bukayo Saka, absent for Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Luton with a minor injury, kept his composure under pressure to slam in a first-half penalty awarded for Tariq Lamptey's foul on Gabriel Jesus. David Raya jumped to save Julio Enciso's long-range shot, which was Brighton's first on-target attempt, securing Arsenal's lead before halftime. It was the in-form Kai Havertz who gave the Gunners breathing space, slotting in from Jorginho's cut-back to settle nerves among the travelling Arsenal support after the hour mark. Leandro Trossard initially failed to score against Bart Verbruggen, but later on, he calmly lifted the ball over the Seagulls goalkeeper to seal the victory after being played through by Havertz. Tro

Tottenham Hotspur 0 - 1 Arsenal Gabriel was Arsenal's North London derby day hero as he headed home the only goal to secure a third-straight victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Brazilian defender towered over the Spurs defence on 64 minutes to divert home a Bukayo Saka corner and settle a game of few chances. You'd have to say that Arsenal enjoyed the better of throughout the contest and ultimately deserved their hard-fought victory. The result ensured that Arsenal remains unbeaten in the Premier League this campaign, but more importantly for all Gooners, saw them claim a hat-trick of wins at the home of their neighbours for the first time since 1988 as their fantastic away record in 2024 continues. A closer look at what happened Arsenal's goalkeeper, David Raya, shone in the early moments, making crucial saves to deny Dejan Kulusevski and keeping Spurs at bay. At the other end, Guglielmo Vicario was equally impressive, pulling off a fine stop to keep out a Kai

Arsenal 2 - 2 Liverpool Mohamed Salah’s late equaliser salvaged a point for Liverpool in a lively clash against Premier League title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football Arsenal took the lead twice but were hampered by injuries to key defenders Gabriel and Jurrien Timber in the second half, already missing the suspended William Saliba. These setbacks opened the door for Liverpool to push back and claim a point, allowing Manchester City to remain at the top of the table, with Arsenal now trailing the relentless champions by five points. A closer look at what happened Arsenal’s strong start to this enthralling encounter paid off on the 9th minute when Bukayo Saka left Andy Robertson floundering, netting his 50th Premier League goal in the process. However, the lead was short-lived. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk drew them level in the 18th minute, heading in from close range after Luis Díaz flicked on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s near-pos

 Leeds United 0 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal held on to win at Leeds in a dramatic finish to a remarkable Premier League football match The match had been delayed by about 40 minutes because of a power outag at Elland Road There was additional drama in added time when the referee sent off Arsenal's Gabriel for kicking out at Leeds striker Patrick Bamford. The offivial awarded Leeds a penalty. However; both decisions were overturned after Kavanagh reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor. Earlier, the same official halted the match after only 23 seconds of play because of a power cut at Elland Road. This meant that he lost communication with the VAR officials. The game eventually got started and Saka was shining Bukayo Saka scored the winning goal in the first half by punishing Rodrigo's loose pass, exchanging passes with Martin Odegaard before scoring at the near post. Bamford was sent on at the start of the second half and the Englishman almost made an immediate impact but his cl

 Arsenal 2 - 1 Brentford Arsenal moved once again to the top of the Premier League. Kai Havertz’s fourth goal in successive league games sealed a hard-fought win over Brentford. Having scored 21 times in their previous four league matches, the Gunners were quickly on the look for number 22, and just two minutes in Ivan Toney had to nudge a wicked Rice corner off his line to avoid suffering a quick concession. All the latest Arsenal news and stories from European Super Football can be found here But given their razor-sharp form in front of goal, it always looked like they would soon find the net, and that proved to be the case after 18 minutes. Ben White found Bukayo Saka on the right flank, who returned it to the full-back. He had ample time to put a pinpoint delivery into the area where Rice had got in front of Mads Roerslev to glance a fine header past Mark Flekken and net his sixth goal of the campaign - the best return of his career. Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024

England 0 - 0 Slovenia England secured a spot in the Euro 2024 last 16 as the top team in Group C. Gareth Southgate's squad showed some improvement compared to their dismal performance against Denmark, yet it still fell short of justifying their status as pre-tournament favourites. Their play was laboured, with only occasional flashes of quality, notably in the first half when a smooth passing sequence led to Bukayo Saka's goal. This was disallowed for offside. Conor Gallagher's inclusion failed to make an impact, resulting in his replacement at half-time. The introduction of Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo brought more urgency after the break. England struggled with creativity in a group where no team scored more than one goal in any game, marking a first in the competition's history. Denmark's 0-0 draw with Serbia saw them finish second, while Slovenia qualified as one of the best third-placed teams. There was good news for England elsewhere, as resu

 Arsenal 2 - 2 Fulham Fulham earned a point at Arsenal thanks to Joao Palhinha. His first-time finish from a corner in the 87th minute earned the away side this draw.  The away side had Calvin Bassey sent off four minutes before that equaliser after he fouled Eddie Nketiah on the counter-attack. Before 3pm, the Emirates stadium was loud and boisterous before the match kicked off. However, that noise became an almost baffled silence.  Andreas Pereira got Fulham off to a flying start, scoring after just 57 seconds. He latched onto a loose ball from Bukayo Saka and fired in a curling shot with the Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale out of position. After Fabio Vieira was caught by Kenny Tete, Saka equalized from the penalty spot for the Gunners. Nketiah then scored Arsenal's second as they came from behind to take the lead , before Fulham had the final say.  As Fulham fans celebrated at the end of the match, Arsenal fans were perhaps slightly concerned that they are displaying the

England 6 - 2 Iran England's World Cup campaign opened in a thoroughly convincing fashion as they outclassed Iran during an incident-packed match in Doha. Brief match report Gareth Southgate's side strolled to victory, with Iran's hopeless plight made worse by the early loss of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to concussion after a clash of heads with team-mate Majid Hosseini. Jude Bellingham got England off the mark in this World Cup with a soaring header from Luke Shaw's cross 10 minutes before the break and the game was wrapped up before half-time thanks to Bukayo Saka's fine strike and Raheem Sterling's classy volley with the outside of his foot from Harry Kane's cross. A few weeks ago, we asked whether Jude Bellingham could shine for England? It's starting to look like he can. How far can he and England go in Qatar? World Cup preview: Could Jude Bellingham shine for England? (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Saka got his second before Iran's support

 Sunday 11th May was a pivotal day in the 2022/2023 title race Let's explore the two matches that have almost decided the destination of the Premier League trophy. Everton 0 - 3 Manchester City Ilkay Gundogan was the star of the show for Manchester City in this match. The German midfielder was involved in all three of City's goals with a sublime flicked finish before providing the cross for Erling Haaland's close-range header. The midfielder also curled in a glorious free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. In the end, this was a routine away for City. Click here to find more Premier League news:  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The loss for Everton leaves them looking nervously over their shoulders with two games remaining, hovering just one point above the relegation zone. Ryan, a Manchester City Season Ticket holder, told us: "This was an awesome result. We are well in the driving seat for the Premier League title now." You can watch th

Bodo/Glimt 0-1 Arsenal The Gunners  overcame testing conditions in the Arctic to claim a dogged 1-0 win and maintain their perfect record in this season's Europa League. Bukayo Saka’s first half goal proved enough to take the points, and although it was by no means a classic performance, Mikel Arteta will be happy with the points after making seven changes to the starting line-up. And to put the result into perspective, the Norwegian champions had won each of their last 14 home games in European competition prior to this, including a 6-1 win over Roma this time last year. It edges The Gunners closer to qualification from the group stage, with three matches left. Arsenal fans praised for making trip Despite the long and difficult trip, a number of Arsenal fans from the UK went to the match. One of them told us: "It was an expensive trip bit nothing beats following your team in Europe." Another added: "We have a great chance of winning this competition now. I really h

Can Italy retain their European Championship crown? Italy are not among the favourites in Germany.  The holders qualified after finishing second in Group C behind England, the key game being a goalless draw with Ukraine in Germany. At Euro 2024, Italy will play Albania, Spain and Croatia in one of the toughest groups of the tournament.  Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, the defensive duo that led Italy to glory in 2021 , will watch from home. Nicolò Barella and Gianluigi Donnarumma need to step up and become the key players for the team. They will have to cope without Destiny Udogie, Nicolò Zaniolo, Francesco Acerbi, and Giorgio Scalvini, who are all out injured. Iconic Euros moments: Throwback to England v Italy (2021) How did they reach Germany? They qualified for Euro 2024 after a goalless draw against Ukraine in Germany. This was a welcome relief for everyone within Italian football after they failed to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The qualifying campaign for this summe