Premier League
Arsene Wenger considers possible Arsenal return
Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has remarked that his return to the struggling English Premiership side should not be ruled out.
The Frenchman left Arsenal in 2018 after being in charge for 22 years. Although currently employed by FIFA as Chief of Global Football Development, Wenger has admitted missing being a manager.
Mirror in the UK reported that the Frenchman missed getting a job in Switzerland two months ago, Wenger, now 71, has hinted that he would be open to being a boss once again and has not officially retired.
Wenger’s comments have continuously ensured that clubs are aware he is at least somewhat open to a return, with football fans unable to rule him out of taking over their club as a result.
Back in 2019, he said: “My future is unknown – even for me.
“I enjoy daily life now and I have been travelling a lot recently all over the world,” the Frenchman stated. “I am enjoying a little bit less pressure, and more freedom as well. But I miss the competition.”
A year later, he claimed the conditions for a return would have to be “optimal” in order for him to get back on the training ground.
“Every day I want to train, I’ve been doing this all my life,” Wenger told Europe 1. “I’m 70 years old, I gave a lot. Should I play Russian roulette a bit, even when it comes to my health? I can’t do things by halves, so I ask myself this question.”
“It will be in conditions that I consider optimal,” he revealed. “Otherwise, I will not do it.”
Despite his role having great importance, notably leading the campaign for a biannual World Cup, Wenger admitted his current role is not as stimulating as coaching.
“I smelled the grass every morning, and today I am more in muffled, administrative environments, and in offices. So, obviously, I feel a bit of an intruder in there.
“[But] I want to create the most efficient analysis centre in the world at Fifa. I know it is very ambitious, but you will see that at the World Cup in 2022 we will produce match analyses that will be extremely efficient.”
He continued: “I’m in the process of hiring a lot of people at this level right now, and I think there is still a lot of progress to be made in the way we see football.”
Current gaffer Mikel Arteta is enduring a difficult time at the Emirates and their struggles have prompted Wenger to discuss a potential return to north London on BILD Live.
“I’m 71. I’ve given this club the best years of my life,” he said, seemingly with the aim on keeping speculation to a minimum.
“Today the club is in good shape. They had two tough games, the team has potential and I hope they can come back.
Wenger added: “At the moment I’m just a fan.”
Supporters were generally dissatisfied with Arsenal’s plummeting direction under their legendary boss in his final years, but things have hardly improved.
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The Gunners are enduring a season without European football for the first time in 26 years and have lost their opening three top-flight-matches, failing to score in each of them.
Certainly a romantic suggestion, it would be hard to argue that the conditions are “optimal” for a return at the Emirates, although his love for the club could act as a compromise amid their troubles.
Arteta is adamant he can turn things around after being backed with over £150million worth of signings in the summer transfer window and, unlike Wenger did in 2018, will seemingly not voluntarily be stepping aside any time soon.
England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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Premier League
Manchester United climb to third in Premier League table with come-from-behind win over Palace
Manchester United produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 at Old Trafford on Sunday, with captain Bruno Fernandes inspiring the turnaround that lifted the hosts into third place in the Premier League standings.
Trailing inside four minutes after a dominant start by Palace, United responded through a Fernandes penalty before his pinpoint free-kick was headed home by Benjamin Sesko to seal victory against the 10-man visitors.
The win extended interim manager Michael Carrick’s unbeaten run to seven matches since taking charge in mid-January. United now have 51 points from 28 games and are unbeaten since the January 5 dismissal of Ruben Amorim, climbing into third for the first time since May 2023. Palace remain 14th on 35 points.
“It feels like a big result, we were behind and had to show some character,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of games to go still, and it is important that we don’t feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.”
Palace, under Oliver Glasner, were electric in the opening half hour, capitalising on sluggish United play. Defender Maxence Lacroix powered home a header from a corner after muscling past Leny Yoro, scoring the earliest goal United have conceded this season.
The visitors nearly doubled their advantage when Daniel Munoz latched onto an Ismaila Sarr through ball, but goalkeeper Senne Lammens produced a crucial save.
United gradually found their rhythm before the break. Sesko forced Dean Henderson into action with a header from a Fernandes cross, and the Palace keeper also tipped a Fernandes free kick over the bar.
The turning point arrived in the 57th minute when Fernandes converted from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was dragged down by Lacroix. Following a lengthy VAR review, Lacroix was shown a red card, reducing Palace to 10 men.
Eight minutes later, Fernandes’ delivery again proved decisive as Sesko rose highest to nod home the winning goal.
United pushed for a third, with Casemiro’s volley drawing a diving save from Henderson and substitute Amad Diallo testing the keeper from distance in stoppage time. Joshua Zirkzee saw efforts blocked, while Kobbie Mainoo’s fierce strike drifted narrowly wide.
Carrick praised his team’s resilience. “The biggest thing for us to take from the game is really the first time that we have been in that situation going in at halftime,” he said. “Being in that position and how we react and showing that personality and belief… to then come back as we did in the second half is the biggest thing for me today.”
Palace pressed late but could not find an equaliser. Glasner admitted his side had let the game slip. “It feels like there was more possible today. A great first 30 minutes, but the red card changed it completely. The second goal just happened too quickly.”
For United, the victory reinforces growing belief under Carrick that a top-four finish—and a return to Europe’s elite competition—is firmly within reach.
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