The Gunners are chasing down continental glory once more, although their cause has not been helped by a couple of lengthy trips to Eastern Europe

Nacho Monreal claims Arsenal have landed “the worst teams” in their Europa League draw, but is still convinced that continental glory can be secured.

The Gunners, who reached the semi-final stage of the competition last season before coming unstuck against Atletico Madrid, are back in the hunt for major silverware.

A positive opening has been enjoyed to their European endeavours, with Vorskla Poltava swept aside 4-2 at Emirates Stadium in their first group stage outing.

Unai Emery’s side do, however, have a return date in Ukraine to come this term, while they are currently taking in a 5,000-mile round trip to Baku after also being paired with Qarabag.

Monreal said of the challenges facing Arsenal on the road: “These were the worst teams in the draw, we have two long trips to Azerbaijan and Ukraine.

“But it is not an excuse not to go there, play a good game, good football and get the three points.”

Having fallen agonisingly short in the 2017-18 Europa League, Monreal is determined to go a few steps further this year.

He sees no reason why Arsenal cannot get back on the trophy trail, while also chasing down a route into Champions League competition through their efforts in the Premier League.

The Spanish defender added: “We missed a really good opportunity to win the Europa League.

“We would have qualified automatically for the Champions League and that was our target.

“This season, we start from the beginning of the competition, so we are going to try to qualify again for the Champions League through the Premier League, but we know we have the option to win the Europa League and qualify there.

“It is a good competition. We want to play, we want to fight until the end. Why not win the Europa League?”

After returning from Azerbaijan, Arsenal will head into the next international break on the back of a domestic derby date with Fulham on Sunday.

The Chelsea boss praised the 24-year-old for his recent improvements and insisted that he should be considered for a return to England duty

Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri believes that Ross Barkley can make a return to the international stage, after his displays for the club at the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

The midfielder has featured in six of the Blues’ opening seven Premier League games this term, playing an important role in the team’s unbeaten start.

Barkley moved to Stamford Bridge from Everton back in January for £15m (€17m/$19m), but only managed to appear four times under then boss Antonio Conte, which saw him fall way down the pecking order at the club.

However, the Englishman is enjoying his football again under Sarri and seems to be improving his all-round game, as the Blues chief acknowledged in a press conference on Wednesday .

When asked if Barkley’s recent performances merited a place in the England squad, Sarri replied: “I think so because he is improving week by week.

“I think that he can improve more because he has the potential to improve more. And so I think he can return to the national team. 
 
“I think so. He has played more than the last season in two months.

The Italian continued by referring to Barkley’s serious hamstring injury at the beginning of last season, stating that he has bounced back strongly in the face of adversity.

“He had a big, very serious injury one year ago,” Sarri added.

“He can improve from the tactical point of view, he can improve from the physical point of view.

“He is very good from the technical point of view, so he can become a very good player, a great player.”

Another midfielder fighting for regular playing time at Chelsea is Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has yet to start a single league game under Sarri.

He is in line for a starting berth against Videoton in the Europa League on Thursday, which Sarri revealed to reporters ahead of the clash by saying: “He was unlucky in the last three weeks, after the national team. He had a problem. In the last five, six days, he has been better, so I think he is able to play tomorrow. 

“He needs to get used to the pressure. It’s normal for a player of a high level to have pressure from the club, from the newspapers, from the television, from the manager.”

The Nigerian looks reinvigorated under new head coach Unai Emery and will hope to build on his good form this season

Alex Iwobi knows all about pressure. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 18, was nominated among the top 50 youngsters in world football two years later while he made his international debut for Nigeria in 2015. His path to the top is still continuing and after a couple of underwhelming seasons which can be put down to a mixture of inconsistency and instability, the 22-year-old appears to be finally flourishing under new head coach Unai Emery.

Former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger set Iwobi a target of 10 goals and ‘5 or 6 assists’ last season after admitting that the forward needs to improve on his final ball and goalscoring statistics. Iwobi, whose most impressive games this season have come away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and in the recent 2-0 win over Watford, has lauded Emery’s intense training methods as the reason why he is starting to flourish as a player who can make the difference in the final third.

“I’m working every day in training. The main thing the boss stresses with me is to get into those positions to score,” he said.

“He’s happy with me getting into those positions and the next step is converting the chances. I’ve lost a bit of weight because of the intense training, and it’s made me a bit sharper.”

Laurent Koscielny recently said that Iwobi “needs to realise how good he can be” and confidence remains the key facet for a professional footballer alongside their technique. Without self belief in one’s own ability, the opportunity to showcase true talent on the pitch is limited – and it’s something Iwobi has been tasked to improve on since he broke into the Arsenal first team.

“The boss basically told me that if something doesn’t work, just to keep going and don’t dwell on it,” he added.

“He’s told me to stop being so critical and to just keep trying no matter what happens, no matter if things don’t go as I want them to.  

“That’s given me a lot more confidence to try a few more things, like beat a player, to shoot more. I’m always ready to get on the ball a bit more. I’m more positive and confident with the ball.”

Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are mainstays of the attack under Emery but there is a feeling that Iwobi could displace Henrikh Mkhitaryan from the team if he continues to impress on a consistent basis. He may not be a natural wide threat, but his unorthodox style and link up play with the other forward players could see him given more chances in the first team this season.

It’s certainly clear that the talent is there. At national team level Iwobi is not shy in front of goal and his place in the starting line-up is rarely questioned. If he can transform that form to club level, which he appears to be doing this season, then it won’t be long before he’s a regular for club and country.

Despite only scoring once in six games for Arsenal this season, Iwobi’s overall contribution to games is being recognised due to the unique qualities he brings up top. His ability to run directly at opponents while producing a burst of pace and change of direction give him the platform to score and create, although it is unclear which position Emery sees the Nigerian’s future in.

Iwobi has previously said that when you have a lot of self-belief you start to take risks and do things you know you’re capable of. At such a crucial stage in his career it is refreshing to see a player taking ownership of his own game and, while he hasn’t reached the level he would have wanted just yet, the signs so far are promising.

The current Tottenham manager revealed the Barcelona star almost joined him at Espanyol in 2005

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was “very close” to joining Espanyol in 2005, according to Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Messi, 31, was still in the early stages of his senior career at the time, but ended up staying at Camp Nou and developing into one of the best players of all-time.

Pochettino – then in the latter stages of his playing career at Espanyol – said Messi almost joined the club after impressing against Juventus in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

“I started to hear about him when I was at Espanyol – a small guy playing in the academy in Barcelona,” Pochettino said ahead of his team’s clash with Barca in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“He arrived when he was 13 years old, going from Argentina to Barcelona. Then I heard he was so close to signing for Espanyol – very close – in the season Barcelona played against Juventus under [Fabio] Capello in the Joan Gamper Cup.

“Because he was so fantastic in the Joan Gamper, Capello praised him afterwards and they changed the decision and kept Messi at Barcelona.

“So if you look back in history, maybe if he didn’t play in the Joan Gamper that summer, maybe today he could have been the biggest star in Espanyol and Espanyol could be Barcelona.

“We would have been team-mates, and maybe I would have still been in Espanyol managing him.”

Messi made his league debut for Barca in October 2004, facing Pochettino and Espanyol in a 1-0 win.

However, Pochettino said it was tough to remember that encounter, with Messi just another product of the Barca academy at the time.

“When Messi made his debut, it was like another youngster that had arrived to the Barcelona team from the academy – like it was Xavi or [Andres] Iniesta or Ivan de la Pena,” he said.

“Actually, no. When De la Pena started to play for Barcelona [in 1995], there was an explosion of excitement.

“I always remember Ronaldo saying he was the best player that he saw in his life and he played with.”

An inability to tie a key man at Emirates Stadium down to fresh terms has left a former striker fuming, with there no excuse for the ongoing issues

Aaron Ramsey’s contract saga at Arsenal should have been avoided, says Ian Wright, with former chief executive Ivan Gazidis having “a lot to answer for” after jumping ship to AC Milan.

The Gunners have seen expiring deals become an unwelcome distraction over recent years, with too many agreements with key men being allowed to dip below 12 months.

Mesut Ozil was eventually tied to fresh terms last season, but Alexis Sanchez and Jack Wilshere have departed the club and the likes of Ramsey and Danny Welbeck are now heading towards free agency.

Arsenal legend Wright is disappointed to see history repeating itself in north London, with there being no excuse for experienced campaigners behind the scenes to be taking so many risks with on-field talent.

He told Sky Sports: “That Ozil situation has had a massive effect on what’s going on right now because Aaron Ramsey is captain material.

“It should have been done ages ago. Ivan Gazidis has got a lot to answer for for this to happen because Ramsey should be a focal point in the team. 

“He’s somebody who is the heartbeat of the team and when it’s going poorly or badly, he still shows for the ball and tries to play how he wants to play, tries to get in the box and des things.

“He’s somebody that I’d like to see stay because I think he is that player who is never afraid. He scores goals. 

“I like him simply because when he gets in there he will finish and he’s somebody that, given a run of games, he will do something because he’s not afraid. 

“He doesn’t hide. He’s somebody that if they can get it going, I’m desperate for him to stay but I do understand that Arsenal cannot continue to let players dictate like they are now. 

“If it’s going to happen, take the contract off the table, take your chances with it.”

Arsenal manager Unai Emery has been unable to offer any assurances regarding Ramsey’s future, with the Spaniard in the dark when it comes to discussions with the Wales international midfielder.

Everything you need to know ahead of the Premier League clash at Old Trafford on Saturday

Life at Manchester United continues to be an existence full of conjecture and drama, and as Newcastle United arrive at Old Trafford for Saturday’s Premier League clash the Red Devils are in serious need of a morale-boosting victory ahead of the international break.

With Jose Mourinho’s job seemingly in jeopardy and further rumours as to the nature of relationships between him and the playing group rearing their ugly heads of late, the two-week gaps between the Magpies’ visit and the trip to Chelsea may well give the board of directors time to make huge changes if they again fail to pick up three points on Saturday.

United have gone four games without a win and have failed to take maximum points from the last four at Old Trafford too, the first time in Mourinho’s career that he has overseen a quarter of home fixtures without a victory.

There is little his old adversary Rafa Benitez would enjoy more than rubbing salt in those wounds by guiding Newcastle to a first league win of the season.

Besides long-term absentee Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard also missed the 0-0 draw with Valencia in midweek as a result of injuries, but Mourinho has confirmed Ashley Young could be back in contention.

Lingard has been carrying a slight groin issue since his participation in last summer’s World Cup, and he has been left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the forthcoming Nations League ties against Croatia and Spain as a result.

United return to a full complement of eligible players after Sergio Romero served his one-match ban for a red card against Wolves by missing the trip to West Ham.

With Marcus Rashford and Nemanja Matic having also returned from red-card suspensions lately, United have no other absentees.

Mourinho could go with a relatively similar lineup to the one which worked hard but ultimately came away with only a point against Valencia.

Having experimented with Scott McTominay in a back three and changing to a two-man attack for the trip to West Ham, United were back in a 4-3-3 shape on Tuesday and similar is likely on Saturday.

The manager may have to choose between the extra protection offered effectively by Marouane Fellaini of late and the more dynamic presence of Fred in the midfield three, while Alexis Sanchez will again be fighting for a starting berth following another unproductive outing against Valencia.

At the back, there could be a Premier League debut for Diogo Dalot as Mourinho looks to limit Antonio Valencia’s involvement at the age of 33 and with a lengthy injury history under his belt.

Newcastle continue to desperately search for their first victory of the season having picked up only two points from their first seven games.

They have had a tough early run, however, having already been pitted against Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. Following their visit to Old Trafford on Saturday, they will not come up against another club from last season’s top six until taking on Liverpool on Boxing Day, giving them an 11-week window during which they will be hoping for a much-improved run of results against more manageable opposition.

Rafa Benitez has so far failed to get the level of performances from his players which they were able to deliver in a positive 2017-18 season. Their 10th-placed finish had many expecting them to punch above their weight again this term, but aside from the odd flashes from the likes of Joselu and Matt Ritchie, there has been little to shout about on Tyneside. Indeed, Kenedy’s penalty miss in the draw with Cardiff City was the best chance they have had to secure a win at this point.

The match at Old Trafford kicks off at 17:30 BST on Saturday, with live coverage available in the UK on BT Sport 1 from 17:00. In the U.S. the game will be shown on NBCSN at 12:30am ET.

The Real midfielder appeared to handle the ball inside the penalty area during the Madrid derby and the Atleti manager was annoyed at a missed chance

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was left frustrated with VAR after Casemiro was not penalised for appearing to handle the ball in the penalty area during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Real Madrid.

Simeone’s side claimed a deserved point at the Santiago Bernabeu, but things could have been even better had they been given a first-half penalty for an apparent handball.

Filipe Luis picked out the run of Koke in the 31st minute and the Spain international’s subsequent cross was blocked by Casemiro, with the ball striking his arm.

Despite VAR being available in La Liga this season, the incident was not reviewed and Atletico were denied a great opportunity to take the lead, leaving Simeone irritated.

“What do you want me to say,” Simeone said in his post-match news conference.

“There are four of them [officials] for VAR up there, four [officials] down [on the ground]. They can make mistakes, as they were all wrong.

“I guess they did not stop the play because they saw it in a normal play, because it’s interpretable.

“Last year with [Samuel] Umtiti [against Barcelona] the same thing happened, they said it was involuntary, but what do you want me to say? The ball went towards the goal.”

Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Madrid and Atletico’s impressive transfer window has led many to suggest Simeone’s side now boast a more impressive squad than their neighbours.

But the coach is not trying to compare his team to Barcelona or Madrid.

“We do not compare ourselves to Madrid or Barcelona,” Simeone added. “We compare ourselves with the best Atletico teams in history, which this team can be.

“Because of what we did in the first half, I leave with a bitter taste. Considering the second half, I think the draw is fair.”

Lacazette missed two golden opportunities before helping the Gunners on their way to an impressive seventh consecutive win in all competitions

Just like London buses, you wait forever for one goal to arrive and then two come along at once! As has been the case with many of Arsenal’s Jekyll and Hyde performances in the Premier League this season, a late second half rally from the Gunners secured three points against an unlucky Watford side.

A 2-0 scoreline looks comprehensive on paper but Javi Gracia’s side showcased their ability to defend as well as attack by starting with two strikers upfront. Emery made a host of changes to the second string team that beat Brentford 3-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, although Bernd Leno made another appearance after Petr Cech was forced off injured towards the end of the first half.

Arsenal’s biggest issue so far this season has been their inability to impose themselves in the first half of games. It was s similar story against Watford who looked the better side in the opening exchanges. However, it was Leno’s save from Troy Deeney in the second half which proved to be the biggest moment of the match for Gracia’s side. Emery had urged his team earlier in the week to focus on honing their new tactical style, based on pressing and passing from the back.

“We want to find our goals in different ways, but also with our tactical style,” said Emery before the game.

“One option is to work in the second action because the opposing team maybe haven’t given us the chances [to pass out] because of their pressing. For this reason, we want to continue improving and creating our best performances with different ideas.”

Leadership is being shared across the Arsenal squad and the Gunners were captained by three different players against the Hornets. Cech started as skipper before Aaron Ramsey took the armband from him when he was replaced in the first half. Mesut Ozil then gained the captaincy duties from Arsenal’s soon-to-be out of contract midfielder.

Some have questioned whether it is right for Ramsey to captain a team who have just withdrawn a contract offer for him, and even as the club’s longest serving player it was strange to see him leading the midfield.                      

The Gunners have not lost a 3pm kick-off at Emirates Stadium since August 2013 and Lacazette’s excellent run which ended in a Craig Cathcart own goal certainly made up for his earlier missed opportunities, including a lobbed effort which went inches wide of Ben Foster’s post. Ozil’s finish to wrap the game up came from Lacazette’s cross and secured the three points – a victory which, on balance, Arsenal were made to work hard for.

Earlier in the afternoon, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side lost their second straight game this week against West Ham – following on from their League Cup defeat on Wednesday night to Derby. The Red Devils are in complete crisis right now, with a dressing room split and Mourinho picking fights with numerous figures – including star man Paul Pogba.

Arsenal’s win only added to Mourinho’s misery as Emery’s side climbed to joint-fourth in the table after their seventh straight win in all competitions. The Gunners are now five points ahead of Man Utd, who find themselves languishing in 10th position in what has been their worst start to a league season for almost 30 years.

The president of the Camp Nou giants has suggested that the Argentine superstar will be signing more contract extensions to keep him in Catalunya

Lionel Messi “doesn’t want to leave” Barcelona and shares the team’s desire for him to be a “one-club man”, says Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Speculation has surfaced down the years suggesting that a modern-day icon could be lured away from Camp Nou in order to take in a fresh experience before hanging up his boots.

The Argentine has, however, committed to a succession of contract extensions, with the most recent of those set to take him through to 2021.

Messi will be 34 by the time that agreement comes to a close, with it likely that further fresh terms will be put to him before an expiration date approaches.

Barca president Bartomeu has hinted at as much, with both club and player eager to ensure that a remarkable professional relationship continues for as long as possible.

He told The Times of Messi’s future: “He doesn’t want to leave.

“We always tell him he can be a one-club man. That is his project too.”

Messi has been on the books at Barcelona since he was 13 years old.

After graduating through the famed La Masia academy system, he made his senior debut in 2004.

He has enjoyed a stunning career since then, taking in 646 club appearances and netting 560 goals.

Those efforts have helped him to an enviable haul of honours, including nine La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns.

He has showed no sign of slowing down this season, with the target found eight times in nine outings to date.

Barca continue to look to him for inspiration and will be hoping that he can snap them out of an uncharacteristic dip which has seen them drop seven points across their last three La Liga fixtures.

Messi and Co will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to London to take in a Champions League clash with Tottenham, with a domestic trip to Valencia on Sunday set to carry them into the next international break.

The German giants will be optimistic with their chances to place first in Group E after being handed a relatively kind group stage draw

Bayern Munich are Group E favourites in the Champions League this year, in addition to being among the frontrunners to win the competition. 

The Bundesliga champions have been handed an ostensibly favourable draw, considering two of their group stage opponents – Ajax and AEK Athens – missed out on the tournament last season. Portugal’s Benfica are the other team in the group.

Bayern made it to the semi-finals of the tournament before crashing out against eventual winners Real Madrid and will be looking to claim their first Champions League trophy since their 2013 triumph over Borussia Dortmund.

Goal will take a look at the rundown of the Group E fixtures ahead of the group phase start, as well as what to expect from each team and more.

Bayern Munich will fancy their chances of making it far in the Champions League once again this season as they have been given a kinder draw than other high-profile teams.

Benfica crashed out of the Champions League last season with zero points, Ajax failed to win their play-off fixtures while AEK Athens also lost their qualification draws.

This leaves Bayern as a strong frontrunner to finish top of their group and progress through to the last 16.

It is a three-way tie for the likes of Ajax, AEK Athens and Benfica to claim the second qualifying spot in Group E.

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer, Sven Ulreich, Christian Fruchtl, Ron-Torben Hoffmann; Niklas Sule, Mats Hummels, Rafinha, Jerome Boateng, David Alaba, Maxime Awoudja, Lars Lukas Mai; Thiago Alcantara, Franck Ribery, Javi Martinez, Arjen Robben, James Rodriguez, Leon Goretzka, Wooyeong Jeong, Jonathan Meier, Corentin Tolisso, Paul Will, Joshua Kimmich, Renato Sanches, Meritan Shabani; Sandro Wagner, Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Kinglsey Coman, Oliver Batista Meier, Frank Evina, Maximilan Franzke

Benfica:  Mile Svilar, Bruno Varela, Odisseas Vlachodimos; German Conti, Alex Grimaldo, Ruben Dias, Sebastien Corchia, Yuri Ribeiro, Cristian Lema, Jardel, Andre Almeida; Ljubomir Fejsa, Gabriel Appelt Pires, Alfa Semedo, Eduardo Salvio, Filipr Krovinovic, Pizzi, Gedson Fernandes; Jonas, Franco Cervi, Haris Seferovic, Andrija Zivkovic, Facundo Ferreyra, Rafa Silva, Nicolas Castillo

Ajax: Andre Onana, Kostas Lamprou, Dominik Kotarski; Rasmus Kristensen, Joel Veltman, Maximilian Wober, Daley Blind, Perr Schuurs, Luis Orejuela, Nicolas Tagliafico; Daley Sinkgraven, Zakaria Labyad, Lasse Schone, Frenkie de Jong, Hakim Ziyech; David Neres, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Dusan Tadic, Hassane Bande, Kasper Dolberg, Dennis Johnsen

AEK Athens:  Vassilis Barks, Panagiotis Tsintotas; Michalis Bakakis, Helder Lopes, Marios Oikaonomou, Vasileios Lampropoulos, Rodrigo Galo, Uros Cosic, Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Niklas Hult; Andre Simoes, Yannis Gianniotas, Petros Mantalos, Kostas Galanopoulos, Erik Moran, Alef; Giorgos Giakoumakis, Marko Livaja, Tasos Bakasetas, Victor Klonaridis, Ezequiel Ponce, Lucas Boye

In the United States (US), Champions League games will be shown on Univision Deportes and streamed online through B/R Live .

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In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport and streamed through the BT Sport app .