Arsenal made it four wins from four in the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats played a gritty, physical game, but the Gunners gave as good as they got, and battled to the win. With a massive ***** ist from David Raya saving a, uh, generously awarded penalty that would have made it 1-0 for the bad guys. Minutes later, Bruno Guimaraes put one top bins. Raya made another brilliant save later in the half. Deep in added time, Bruno put Bukayo Saka in on goal, earning a penalty and second yellow to Reinildo. Penalty converted. Game over.
The Sunderland crowd greeted Bruno with a chorus of boos when he replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly at halftime. They take their rivalry with Newcastle seriously. Unfortunately, it was very much a "keep booing, it only makes me stronger" moment. You could see from the little smile on Bruno's face that he was loving it and using it to fuel him. His "I can't hear you" celebration to the crowd after he'd put one on postage stamp was absolute perfection.
Great call from Mikel Arteta to pull Myles Lewis-Skelly at the break. Everything was off from him — poor touches, cheap fouls — it simply wasn't his night. The manager also had to swap Jurrien Timber for Ben White, who appeared to have tweaked his groin. Because when ***** nal get one right back healthy, the other gets injured. That's how it works. Timber was excellent, by the way.
The ***** nal subs that came on later in the second half, Eze, Merino, and Zubimendi, were mediocre to poor. The depth is tremendous but Mikel Arteta has his work cut out for him to keep everyone sharp so that when they are called into action they don't, say, give the ball away the only two times they get on it like Merino did today.
The Gunners could have and should have been ahead at halftime, but once again, they were profligate with scoring chances. Bukayo Saka was caught in two minds on a leaping volley and only managed glancing contact. Kai Havertz shot over the bar from in close. The German striker also forced a smart save with a brilliant control, turn, and volley move. Saka also flubbed two chances in the second half — he picked the wrong pass on a 4-on-2 break and he shot too close to the keeper. The side could do with a bit better finishing, but if you believe (as I generally do) that finishing ebbs and flows, as long as they keep generated the volume of chances, someone is in for a real hiding.

#second

Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Monday looking to continue a perfect start to the season, having won the Community Shield and beaten Coventry City 3-0 in their Premier League opener without conceding.
Mikel Arteta's side could become the first in the club's 140-year history to win five consecutive opening away fixtures of a Premier League season.
Jurrien Timber remains out with a groin issue, and William Saliba is a long-term absentee with a back problem. Bruno Guimaraes has a minor groin issue of his own but Arteta has not ruled him out of contention. New signing Ezri Konsa, who joined this summer from Villa, is available to face his former club but is expected to start on the bench given ******* nal's settled defensive pairing.
David Raya is set to continue in goal behind a back four of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard are expected to anchor midfield, with Martín Zubimendi the likely third member of the trio ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis, both of whom Arteta has used in wide areas that double as auxiliary full-back cover, are set to support Kai Havertz in attack, with both players having scored or contributed directly to goals in the win over Coventry.

#premier

Liverpool have made a bid to sign an African star.
Richard Hughes' time at Liverpool appears to be drawing to a close, with his expected move to Al Hilal bringing an end to a relatively short but eventful spell as sporting director.
Assessing his tenure is difficult because it has contained such contrasting periods. Liverpool have enjoyed significant success during his time at the club, but that has been accompanied by several transfer windows in which the recruitment process has appeared increasingly uncertain.
Hughes' first summer was defined by the failure to land Martin Zubimendi, while his third has followed a similar pattern after Yan Diomande opted for Real Madrid. His second window was considerably more productive, with Liverpool securing a number of their primary targets. However, the performances of several of those signings have yet to consistently match the level of investment involved.
That context has inevitably shaped the perception of Hughes as he approaches the end of his tenure.

#hilal

Arsenal have faced several enquiries about Martin Zubimendi this summer after just one season at the club, following the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes at the Emirates.
The Gunners were helped by Zubimendi on their way to winning the Premier League **** le this summer, as he was ever present in their team in league matches and other competitions. Zubimendi has been one of the top players in England since arriving and has rarely put a foot wrong.
However, his lack of minutes at the World Cup suggests he may not be as highly regarded as some believe. **** nal also went on to sign Guimaraes from Newcastle United, one of the best midfielders in England and a player who performed well for Brazil at the World Cup.
Although Zubimendi returned late from the competition, he is now set for a serious battle for playing time. This is why Real Madrid and Chelsea have considered making an approach for him this summer.
Both clubs believe the midfielder would perform well for their teams and would love to sign him. However, The Sun reports that Zubimendi is going nowhere this summer because **** nal have decided that he will not be sold.

#World

Juventus step up talks for Guglielmo Vicario and pull out of move for Emiliano Martinez, Manchester City face competition for Pedro Neto and Real Madrid want Martin Zubimendi.
Juventus have stepped up discussions with Tottenham over a loan with an option to buy 29-year-old Italian goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. (Sky Sports)
Aston Villa's Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 33, will not be joining Juventus this summer following talks between the clubs. (Athletic - subscription required)
Manchester City are keen to sign Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, from Chelsea but face competition from Al-Hilal. (Talksport)
New Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has approved a move for ***** nal's Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 27. (Teamtalk)

#juventus #pedro #neto

Juventus pull out of move for Emiliano Martinez, Manchester City face competition for Pedro Neto and Real Madrid want Martin Zubimendi.
Aston Villa's Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 33, will not be joining Juventus this summer following talks between the clubs. (Athletic - subscription required)
Manchester City are keen to sign Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, from Chelsea but face competition from Al-Hilal. (Talksport)
New Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has approved a move for ******* nal's Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 27. (Teamtalk)
Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea, with the 23-year-old English striker keen to stay in the Premier League. (Talksport)

#city

Jack Buchanan, Chief EFL Editor
Team news is in for this afternoon's FA Community Shield in Cardiff, with the headline news being that both Erling Haaland and Elliot Anderson are in the starting XI for Manchester City.
Arsenal also named a full-strength starting side, featuring Gabriel as well as Summer signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis.
Raya, White, Gabriel, Mosquera, Caliafori, Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Odegaard, Madueke, Tzolis, Madueke. Subsititues: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Merino, Rice, Eze, Dowman, Saka, Gyökeres.
Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Kovačic, Anderson, ****** yo, Foden, Doku, Haaland. Substitutes: Rulli, Guéhi, Marmoush, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Aït-Nouri, Nunes, Lewis.

#anderson

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Bukayo Saka will all be fit to feature against Manchester City in the Community Shield. The ***** nal manager also gave updates on William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, both of whom are working their way back from long-term injuries sustained during the FIFA World Cup.
None of the five players featured in any of the Gunners' preseason friendlies. Rice, Zubimendi, and Saka all progressed to the final weekend of the tournament with England and Spain, respectively, earning them extra rest time to prepare for what promises to be another demanding campaign at club level.
Saliba, however, went down with a back problem in the early stages of France's semi-final loss to Spain. Timber, meanwhile, suffered a serious groin injury just days before the Netherlands kicked off their tournament, as per The Mirror.
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#World #saliba #back #final

Despite signing no less than six players in the transfer market this summer, Real Madrid still have some work to do.
The club particularly need a new midfielder who can hold the fort in the middle of the park. But having missed out on Rodri, the club are running out of options.
Martin Zubimendi has been a long time target, who may yet leave **** nal still summer, especially after the signing of Bruno Guimaraes. But Real Madrid have one more option in the Premier League.
According to Miguel Serrano, Real Madrid consider Adam Wharton their favourite solution, as far as the midfield is concerned.
Real Madrid see Wharton quite favourably. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

#madrid #wharton #still #despite

Martin Zubimendi was a player that Real Madrid held an interest in last summer, but ended up moving to **** nal from Real Sociedad.
The Spanish midfielder became an important player for Mikel Arteta during his first year in London, playing a role part in their Premier League triumph.
However, he finished the season as a substitute and was even left out of the starting lineup for the Champions League final, perhaps because of physical fatigue.
This summer, **** nal have also strengthened their midfield by signing Bruno Guimarães for €87 million.
According to the English newspaper Mirror (h/t AS), **** nal are not closing the door on a departure for Zubimendi and are keeping an open mind regarding his future.

#sociedad #spanish

Chelsea have been presented with a surprise opening in the market, with ****** nal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly emerging as a possible summer departure after Bruno Guimaraes' arrival in north London. According to Football London, both Chelsea and Manchester United have been given the chance to explore a deal for the 19-year-old, in a development that would have felt unlikely only a short time ago.
From ****** nal's perspective, this is one to watch rather than one to rush. Lewis-Skelly remains highly regarded internally, and his profile as a Hale End graduate with senior experience gives him obvious value. He featured 36 times in all competitions last season, although only 19 of those appearances came as a starter, which tells its own story about where he currently sits in the pecking order.
Photo IMAGO
The timing of this situation matters. ****** nal's move for Bruno Guimaraes, completed for £75 million, has altered the midfield landscape. Lewis-Skelly has been used throughout pre-season as a defensive midfielder, largely because Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Guimaraes have all been absent. That exposure has offered useful evidence for decision-makers, and the feedback appears mixed.
There is no doubt, however, about his talent. He ended last season strongly in the left eight role and did enough to earn a start in the Champions League final. That versatility, central midfield with the capacity to fill in on the left side of defence, is part of why Chelsea have tracked him for some time.

#lewis #season #bruno

Arsenal have no intention of encouraging a Martin Zubimendi exit this summer, despite renewed interest from Real Madrid in the Spain international, according to Football London. The situation is understood to be clear at Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta wants the midfielder to remain part of his plans, and the club's preference is to keep a player they worked hard to sign.
That said, the reality at elite level is rarely absolute. ****** nal do not want to sell the 27-year-old, but as the original report outlines, "every player has a price." That line alone tells you there is firmness in north London, though not necessarily finality if extraordinary numbers were ever placed on the table.
Real Madrid's admiration is not new. They previously tried to intervene before Zubimendi's move to ****** nal was completed, but were too late. ****** nal had already done the groundwork, built relationships and moved decisively. The club paid a little over £51 million to take him from Real Sociedad, having tracked him for a considerable period and revisited the deal after earlier conditions in San Sebastian made progress difficult.
There is another layer to this story, one that may suit ****** nal. It is understood there is no complete internal alignment at the Santiago Bernabéu over whether to pursue Zubimendi aggressively. That matters. Interest is one thing, consensus is another, particularly when the player is under contract until June 2030 and his current club are under no pressure to negotiate.
For ****** nal, that long-term contract is significant protection. It places control with the Premier League champions and strengthens Arteta's hand after a season in which Zubimendi was heavily involved. He made 57 appearances in all competitions, scoring six goals and adding three ****** ists, while contributing to ****** nal's league ****** le and run to the Champions League final.

#league #club

Mikel Arteta has backed Bruno Guimaraes to "ignite something different" in Premier League champions ****** nal.
Brazil international Guimaraes was introduced to Gunners fans ahead of Sunday's 3-2 friendly defeat by Borussia Dortmund, after completing a move from top-flight rivals Newcastle reported to be worth £75 million ($101 million).
The 28-year-old has strengthened an already impressive midfield featuring featuring Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze.
"You can see the immediate reaction," Arteta told ****** nal's website after Guimaraes was given an enthusiastic reception.
"I think he describes himself as a warrior," the Spaniard added.

#guimaraes #featuring #bruno #league

Bruno Guimaraes is officially a Gunner! ******* nal announced the signing of the Brazilian midfielder on Saturday morning with the usual fanfare. The move makes the 28-year old the most expensive transfer for a midfielder over 26 (which is, admittedly, a little bit of a silly stat).
Bruno will wear the same number 39 kit that he did at Newcastle, which he wears because it was the number of his father's taxi in Brazil. It's a lovely nod to the hard work and sacrifices all parents do for their family. Despair all you kit number purists — ******* nal's midfield next season will be Zubimendi (36), Bruno (39), Rice (41), and Lewis-Skelly (49).
According to The Athletic, Edu and Tim Lewis had the outline of a deal in place for ******* nal to buy Bruno from Lyon in January 2022, but Mikel Arteta decided against the move, which gave Newcastle the chance to sign him instead. Nearly five years later, the Gunners will pay the Magpies £75M for their captain.
It's a solid deal for both clubs, which as Newcastle Sporting Director Ross Wilson emphasized, is what happens when you have two "sophisticated" parties negotiating. Newcastle say they didn't want to sell but that the combination of Bruno's desire to leave with the number ******* nal offered made it make sense. According to Wilson, ******* nal paid more than they wanted to for the Brazilian.
And ******* nal get their man. The success of the move from an ******* nal standpoint will be judged on the number of additions to the trophy cabinet over the next few seasons. It's a win-now move. That's fine. There are few transfer-available players in the world right now who unquestionably improve the Premier League Champions, and Bruno is one of them.

#arsenal #according #midfielder

Xabi Alonso has told Chelsea he wants the club to explore an ambitious deal to sign ****** nal midfielder Martin Zubimeni.
Alonso is a long-term admirer of Zubimendi, who came through the Real Sociedad academy. The Chelsea manager is also a graduate of the San Sebastien side's youth system and coached Zubimendi during his time as head coach of Real Sociedad B, between 2019 and 2022.
According to Simon Phillips, Alonso has asked Chelsea to enquire about a deal. Zubimendi signed for ****** nal from Sociedad for a fee of around £51m last summer, and made 57 appearances across all competitions, scoring six times.
Arsenal are unlikely to want to part with the 27-year-old, despite his fall from favour across the run-in. Zubimendi was left out of the side for the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with Myles Lewis-Skelly preferred.
The Gunners are also closing in on the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, to further reinforce their midfield group.

#zubimendi #martin

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League
Christian Norgaard's time at ***** nal has come to an end after Everton completed the signing of the experienced midfielder, bringing the curtain down on a brief spell in north London just one year after his arrival from Brentford.
When ***** nal signed Norgaard last summer, the move appeared to make plenty of sense. Brentford's captain arrived with extensive Premier League experience and looked an ideal option to provide depth and leadership in midfield.
It did not work out that way.
Mikel Arteta rarely turned to the 32-year-old when ***** nal's biggest matches arrived, preferring instead to rely heavily on Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi throughout the campaign.

#year #regan

Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes is leaving the Magpies for the Premier League champions after ****** nal agreed a reported $100 million deal for the Brazil star.
Guimaraes turns 29 in November and leaves Newcastle as perhaps their most important player since the departure of Alan Shearer. He had expressed interest in a move to ****** nal after the Magpies failed to seal a return to European football last season.
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His 31 goals and 32 ****** ists in 195 appearances hardly tell the story of a midfielder who can play anywhere from the 6 up to the 10 and held a talismanic stature in the club, captaining them to a League Cup win that ended decades of silverware frustration.
For ****** nal, it's a statement of intent after losing the midfield battle and then some in their Champions League Final loss to PSG, where Mikel Arteta's men were limited to 25% possession and lost in penalties. The Gunners can now deploy a midfield three of Guimaraes, Declan Rice, and Martin Odegaard, with Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, and Myles Lews-Skelly bringing absurd depth to the side.

#mikel #champions #midfield

Well folks, it's that time again. August is here and so begins ******* nal's slate of preseason matches. Today, the Gunners face Girona to cap off a week of training in Spain. They take on Real Betis (and Hector Bellerin) in Dublin on Wednesday, August 5th, Dortmund next Sunday in the Emirates Cup, and Como on August 12th before the Community Shield on August 16th. The Premier League season kicks off in less than three weeks — the 21st home to newly promoted Coventry.
Arsenal – Kepa, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz, Nwaneri, Dowman, Tzolis, Gyokeres
Everyone should be prepared to overreact wildly to a lineup several players off the first XI. Because that's what you do in the preseason, after all. None of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Ebere Eze, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, David Raya, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, nor William Saliba are in today's squad.
The Brazilians rejoined the team in the last day or two. Gabriel Martinelli got married a few days ago in Greece but is back with the squad. Martin Ødegaard is due back next week. The England players after that and the Spanish contingent last of all. William Saliba will miss a fair bit of time recovering from the back injury he played through at the end of the season and during the World Cup.
The Gunners are also expected to do a fair bit of business before the start of the season. A move for Bruno Guimaraes seems close. The rumors are swirling around a massive move for Vini Jr. The club intends to sign a CB to cover during Saliba's absence. They may also sign a right back — Jurrien Timber is still recovering from the groin problem that kept him out of the World Cup.

#gabriel #season #saliba

The preseason is officially underway with the Gunners facing Girona for their first official friendly on Saturday as the defending Premier League champions look to capitalize on last season's successes. Bolstering the side has been a main emphasis, with Christian Tzolis and Ilan Mellier already in the fold.
It looks like the midfield will get a major boost as reports from numerous outlets this morning confirmed that ******* nal are finalizing the transfer of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for approximately £80m. With everything seemingly agreed upon, there is little left beyond the medical, scheduled for Monday, and the official club announcement.
The path to his signing has been a tricky one. Despite early reports indicating that the player was easily sold on the move, Newcastle were adamant that they were not willing to sell their captain, especially after losing Sandro Tonali to Spurs as they looked to stave off a mass exodus of key players for the second year in a row. Manager Eddie Howe seemed convinced he'd stay, but also did not sound like he had much say in transfer matters during an interview last week. Whether the transfer of Bruno had any influence on it, Eddie Howe resigned from his position shortly after.
There's been a palpable bit of division over this transfer from ******* nal fans. He's a seasoned PL and Brazil national team veteran and undeniably talented, but his reputation as a hot head and a "dirty" player has given a few fans reservations, while others are more than willing to look past his previous transgressions (Jorginho's head is still ringing) if he helps the club win more trophies.
How he will fit into the midfield is the big question. Martin Zubimendi came into the side last season as the 6 with Declan Rice as the 8. By the run in, though, Zubimendi's form had dipped and Rice was deployed at the base of the midfield more often with Myles Lewis-Skelly. Guimaraes is a quality Rice ******* ogue and can play both the 6 and the 8 at a high level, which means that Arteta will have an excellent deputy to take minutes off of both he and Zubi. That he can slide into the starting lineup without a distinct drop in quality already makes him a smart acquisition.

#last #arsenal #bruno #eddie

After the win against Uruguay, Spain came away with mixed feelings. A victory is always a reason to celebrate, but there are two players who have not been very happy.
We’re talking about Zubimendi, who still hasn’t played, while Rodri has played every minute. It is said to be because he arrived very tired after a long season with ****** nal, but it is still striking.
At the same time, the other player who has created a bit of uncertainty was Gavi, who started against Cape Verde and then was on the bench again without seeing any minutes on the pitch.
Without a doubt, two striking decisions by De La Fuente...

Martin Zubimendi has spent one season at ******* nal, winning the league ******* le and reaching the Champions League final, but questions are already being asked about whether Sandro Tonali would represent an upgrade in midfield for the Gunners this summer.
Arsenal are interested in signing the Italian midfielder and face strong competition from Tottenham, who have already started making moves to secure his signature. Newcastle United are reluctant to allow him to leave, although interest in the player continues to grow ahead of the transfer window.
Tonali is believed to be open to a move to London, which has encouraged Tottenham’s pursuit, while ******* nal are also considering entering the race more seriously as they continue evaluating additions to their squad for next season.
The Gunners believe Tonali could fit well into their midfield system and may still attempt to hijack the transfer from Tottenham once they intensify their transfer activity. ******* nal remain keen to strengthen key areas of the squad despite their successful campaign last season.
Tottenham are currently pushing harder to secure the midfielder, but ******* nal may feel confident about their chances if they decide to pursue the deal aggressively. Tonali’s willingness to move to London could work in favour of either club depending on how negotiations develop.