ePL Dream

Wednesday 1 April 2015

Cazorla and Ozil help Arsenal and Puma launch world’s first left-footed ball

Arsenal, in conjunction with sportswear giant Puma, have launched the world’s first football especially crafted for left-footed players.
The Gunners high number of left-footed stars prompted the Premier League club to seek assistance from Puma who have designed the ‘EvoPOWER’ football to help the control and power of the left-sided stars.
Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin, predominantly right-footed, said the ball actually made a difference on his left.
“It’s a bit tricky to use on your right-foot but it instantly improved my left-foot,” he said.
Watch Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil, Nacho Monreal and Bellerin test the new ball.

Tuesday 31 March 2015

Spurs, Arsenal chasing Basel defender Schar

FC Basel defender Fabian Schar is attracting big Premier League interest.
The young Switzerland international is expected to leave Basel this summer.
The Sun says West Ham United, Tottenham and Arsenal are all chasing Schar ahead of the close-season transfer window.
Basel face the prospect of having to sell Schar this year, with his deal due to expire in 2016.
This season, the defender has played 29 games, including seven in the Champions League.

Monday 30 March 2015

Liverpool legend BLASTS Arsenal target Raheem Sterling over contract talks

RAHEEM STERLING'S stand off with Liverpool over a new contract has drawn heavy criticism from former Anfield hero Jason McAteer.

The 20-year-old is reportedly refusing to sign a new contract even if he is offered a staggering £180,000 a week.
Sterling has said he wants to concentrate on his football and will discuss a new deal in the summer however the latest reports will concern Liverpool fans.
To make matters worse for Liverpool, the Daily Mirror claim Arsenal are closely monitoring the situation and could make a bid following ongoing doubts over the future of Theo Walcott.
McAteer believes the England forward is being 'misguided' by his advisors and is 'doing Liverpool a disservice' by turning down their offer.
He told talkSPORT: “It’s stop-start on these contract negotiations. It’s a little bit messy. It looks like [Raheem Sterling] is holding out for something.
“You know how the football world works, someone will be in his ear telling him this and that. I think he’s just got to knuckle down and let his performances do the talking.

GETTYRaheem Sterling is stalling on a new contract with Liverpool

“Liverpool is the right place for him, certainly for the next two or three seasons where he’s going to develop and play every week in the first team. He’s under a good manager and it’s a good young team as well.
“There are rumours of him going to Barcelona or Real Madrid, but then it’s all about a culture change.
“I just think he’s being misguided somewhere along the line. The club and Brendan will be telling him all the right things.
“Brendan is a good young coach with great ideas who has worked with youngsters before. He’s a good man manager as well and Liverpool is a massive club.
"I think he’s doing them a disservice by saying he wants to leave because Liverpool are on the up.”

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin explains switch from Barcelona

Hector Bellerin has made the most of his chance this season.

Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin has said he is unsure if he would have made the grade if he had stayed at Barcelona and is pleased to have been given a chance by Arsene Wenger.
Bellerin, 20, has deputised for the injured Mathieu Debuchy this season and has looked comfortable despite having started the season without a Premier League appearance to his name.
The Spaniard went on loan to Watford in the English Championship in 2013-14 and has developed well since leaving the Camp Nou at the age of 16.

ARSENAL LATEST

- Mangan: Returns boost competition for places
- Wenger: Monaco coach lied about handshake
- Toe Poke: Sanchez plays piano to John Legend
- Ozil aiming to be future Ballon d'Or winner
- Honigstein: Ozil partying in Berlin looks bad
- Henry: Arsenal can end wait for Prem title soon

"It's great to play 'at home' and have everything where you've grown up," Bellerin told Marca. "But sometimes you've got to get out of your comfort zone and discover new challenges.
"Wherever you are, you have to work hard. But if I had stayed in Barcelona I don't know if I would have got to the top, the elite.
"We'll never know. I have worked as hard as I could and always with the mentality of going as far and as high as possible. Wherever I was I would have done the same."
Having impressed his manager this season, Bellerin has been offered a new contract at the Emirates and insisted that he now feels at home playing in England.
"The atmosphere here is incredible," he added. "At Watford, in the Championship, we played in front of 40,000 people at Leeds. Spanish players miss turning up at a ground and it being full.
"Many people in Spain watch the Premier League and know about what a spectacle it is. It would be crazy to say that it's not among the best leagues in the world.
"La Liga is at a great level with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico. In England we should have done better. It's our fault. It's not a question of which league is better or worse, they're all at a high level."

Wellington Silva

Wellington Silva: How the Arsenal hopeful suffered SHAMEFUL treatment by FA

You really hope Wellington Silva is given at least a year with Arsenal before Arsene Wenger passes judgment.
After four years on Arsenal's books, spending time on-loan with five clubs up and down Spain, Wellington now has his European passport and expects to return to London Colney this summer for his first preseason as an official Gunners player.
By his own admission, when leaving Fluminense back in 2011, Wellington never expected the journey he's been forced to experience.
"I had no idea when I first went (to Arsenal)," recalls the 22 year-old. "I was dreaming of playing there. Then after a month, they asked me into the office to talk and said that my visa had not been accepted and I would have to be loaned.
"I had to go through this process. It was not what I expected."
Wellington's relationship with Arsenal goes as far back as 2008. At 15 and identified by the club's Brazilian scouts, he was invited for a month's trial at the Arsenal academy, where he impressed all. A year later, the Gunners and Flu had settled on a £3.5 million fee for the 16 year-old, who would be making a goalscoring senior debut just a month later.
Wellington would spend the next two seasons with Flu, though jetting back and forth to London to work with the Arsenal squad. The Gunners also assigned the teen an English tutor in the expectation he'd be part of Wenger's senior squad when he turned 18.
In January 2010, Wellington was convinced he'd made it. He was training with the senior Arsenal squad, had scored three times in two friendlies and looked Premier League ready. But then in came the bumbling, fumbling FA, who, after awarding Wellington a 'Special Talent' visa, pulled the rug from under him and rejected the final application.
Over five years on, the attacker is now preparing to finally kickstart his Arsenal career out of neutral.
"I've tried to look at this in the best way possible. It was normal at the time that I felt hurt. I thought of going home, to be close to my family. But I kept reminding myself of my goals and dreams.
"I accepted the challenge to stay here to get the European passport. Today I can say that the experience was good for my growth, as I arrived in Europe at only 18 years of age."
Currently with Almeria in Spain's Primera Division, Wellington's form hasn't gone unnoticed back home, where he earned a first call-up to Brazil's Olympics squad this month.
"I was not expecting it, and I was very happy. I thank (coach Alexandre) Gallo for the opportunity. I want do my best and help the national team," says Wellington.
"With Almeria, I've had the chance to play a lot of games, more often than not for the full 90 minutes. I'm doing well and fortunately things are working out as I had planned."
Wellington admits having the chance to play against Barcelona this season was particularly special.
"To play against Barcelona is a special opportunity, mainly to play against a friend like Neymar. It is a partnership that began in 2009 in the Brazilian youth team, and hopefully it can be maintained and I can play alongside him in the Rio Olympics."
From Levante to Alcoyano, through Ponferradina to Murcia and now with Almeria, Arsenal have kept in stride with Wellington every step of the way.
"They've always followed my development. They have plenty of reports on me. They know me more than I know myself!"
Wellington's career on-loan has been well mapped out, building his game in the Segunda Division before realising his potential this season with an Almeria team that sit just above the dropzone.
"In the Segunda Division, the Liga is more balanced, they are all very strong games. The clubs do not have the structure of a Primera Division team, but have everything right. Over the years, I learned a lot, mainly to defend with the ball and without the ball.
"But in the Primera it is different. You play against the big clubs, it motivates you more."
Five years on from that heart-breaking decision, Wellington feels ready to claim what was his. Would those faceless suits inside the FA have it in them to tackle the same setback in such a determined way?
"I know I'm very calm. I'm not even sad about not having played for Arsenal yet. I know I needed this passport," adds Wellington. "God never fails. I'm working hard every day and know that things will happen for me."

Niguez back for Atletico

Atletico Madrid have received good news with Saul Niguez back in training after a month-long injury absence.
Saul Niguez: Close to a return after a kidney problem

The 20-year-old midfielder has not played for Atletico since a 1-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on February 25.
A blow to the kidney sustained in that game kept Niguez out of action for four weeks but he is close to returning to action after taking part in Monday's training session.
A statement from Atletico read: "Saul Niguez has been given the all clear after sustaining a trauma in his left kidney.
"The midfielder has been given the green light to return to team training."
Niguez has scored three goals and provided one assist in 14 La Liga appearances for Atletico.
Atletico return to La Liga action on Saturday at Cordoba before hosting Real Sociedad three days later at the Vicente Calderon stadium.
The Spanish defending champions are fourth in La Liga, nine points adrift of league leaders Barcelona with 10 games remaining.

Bebe bemoans lack of experience La Liga, Latest news update: 7 minutes ago Views: 1 Cordoba midfielder Bebe has admitted that his team lack experience as they try to stay in La Liga this season. Bebe bemoans lack of experience Cordoba are currently rock bottom of La Liga after a disappointing run of results following the winter break. Bebe's side are seven points from safety at the moment and they face a difficult task this weekend when they face champions Atletico Madrid on Saturday. Although Bebe insists his team are confident of survival, he admitted his team are lacking experience. He told Cordobadeporte.com: "We're not having much luck, nothing is on our side at the moment, including referees. But I think the most striking thing is, in my opinion, that we are too young. We should have more experienced players. "The dressing room is obviously down but we have to lift our heads and focus on the next game. I'm a believer in that nothing is impossible, and I think others concur."

Read more at: https://www.clubcall.com/la-liga/bebe-bemoans-lack-of-experience-1764158.html

'It' figures: quarter-finals by numbers

Published: Monday 30 March 2015, 12.35CET

The race for the UEFA Europa League title is down to the last eight clubs; UEFA.com picks out the figures that shed a light on the quarter-final first legs.

3: The UEFA Europa League quarter-finals feature three former winners (Sevilla FC 2006, 2007, 2014, FC Zenit 2008 and SSC Napoli 1989), and three coaches who have won the UEFA Europa League in its current incarnation: Unai Emery (Sevilla 2014), André Villas-Boas (FC Porto 2011) and Rafael Benítez (Chelsea FC 2013).