Al Hilal crowned Saudi Pro League champions after Al Hazm hammering

Manchester City booked an EFL Cup semi-final spot and piled more pressure on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta with a resounding 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday. 

Arteta, who was Pep Guardiola s assistant at City before taking charge of the Gunners a year ago, has faced questions over his future after a dismal start to the season has left his side languishing in 15th in the Premier League. 

He did not find any respite against his former club, with City – who have won the competition in each of the last three seasons – easing through to the last four after second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte. 

Alexandre Lacazette had earlier given the hosts hope of ending a run of three straight home defeats to City when he cancelle…

The Principality Club are keen to bring back midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko from Chelsea, according to a report from .

The French international joined the Stamford Bridge outfit in 2017 but struggled to cement his place in the starting line-up and could be allowed to move back to his homeland once the current season comes to its end.

The 23-year-old has not started a single match for Chelsea since the Watford game in which he was shown a red card and is continually failing to convince Antonio Conte of his ability.

Brought as a direct replacement for departing Nemanja Matic who moved to Manchester United, Bakayoko failed to find his place in the Italian manager’s system.

Bakayoko was one of many players to leave AS Monaco following the season Principality …

Former United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann let his disappointment over missing the 2018 World Cup be known.

Klinsmann, who was sacked in November 2016 after a poor start to the final CONCACAF qualifying round, did not have a lot of kind words about the country s future in international football.

It s been set back by several years, Klinsmann said via German site Kicker.

That was a huge disappointment. The qualification really was never in doubt, but then the lads had a blackout versus Trinidad and Tobago. They only needed a point, were too sure of that and underestimated that final match.

After implementing a more international-based team during his time as USA coach, Klinsmann softened his stance on MLS.

Sure, there are a lot of things to c…

Arsenal full-back Nacho Monreal said he wants to remain at the club, despite reports linking the Spaniard with a move back to his homeland.

La Liga outfit Athletic Bilbao are reportedly interested in signing Monreal, who has a year remaining on his contract.

But Monreal is happy in London, with a contract extension on the agenda.

I have one more year on my contract and I would like to stay, said the 29-year-old, who arrived at the Emirates Stadium from Malaga in 2013.

I am very lucky to play for Arsenal, and am very happy to play for Arsenal. If the boss wants me to stay, I will and I d like to extend my contract.

Monreal and Gibbs battled for the left-back position in 2014-15, but the former started in Arsenal s 4-0 drubbing of Aston Villa in …

Melbourne Victory captain Carl Valeri is relishing the chance to reunite with Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri ahead of their International Champions Cup (ICC) clash on Saturday. 

Juventus touched down in Melbourne on Monday ahead of their two-game ICC campaign, where they will face A-League side Victory and Premier League outfit Tottenham.

Valeri, who returned home to Australia in 2014 following a 12-year stint in Italy, could not contain his excitement ahead of the fixture against Allegri and Co. at the famed MCG.

The 31-year-old was signed on loan by Allegri when the Italian was in charge of SPAL, before being purchased by the 48-year-old when he moved to Grosseto the following season. 

Allegri took charge of Juve in 2014 to replace Antonio Con…

Garry Monk hopes Jonjo Shelvey s call-up to the England squad will pave the way for more of his players to gain international recognition.

The midfielder was included in Roy Hodgson s party for the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia, which gives him the opportunity to add to his solitary cap earned in 2012, also against San Marino.

With the likes of Ki Sung-yueng, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wilfried Bony, Swansea s squad has a sprinkling of established internationals, and Monk hopes Shelvey s recall can install belief into other players that they can follow in the former Liverpool man s footsteps.

It s excellent news for the player and for the club, he said. It s a great example and a way of showing a pathway to international teams.

…

Brazilian defender Andre Santos has left Arsenal to join Flamengo on a permanent deal.

The left-back will return to his home country after two years at Arsenal in which he struggled for regular football.

Flamengo coach Mano Menezes, formerly in charge of Brazil, spoke earlier this week about his desire to sign Santos.

And his chase was confirmed as successful on Saturday, when Arsenal released a brief statement on their official website.

Arsenal Football Club can confirm that Brazilian left-back Andre Santos has joined Flamengo in a permanent deal, it read.

Everybody at Arsenal would like to thank Andre for his contribution to the club and wish him well for his future career.

The 30-year-old, who joined the Emirates Stadium outfit from Fenerbahce in …

Tottenham have completed the signingof Newcastle centre-back Sebastien Bassong after the 23-year-old defender passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp made an eight million pound bid for Bassong on Thursday after learning that centre-backs Michael Dawson, Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King were all likely to miss the start of the season.

I like him very much. He is young with a good future, Redknapp said Thursday.

The chairman (Daniel Levy) is talking. I don t get involved on that side of it. I identify a player and the chairman does everything else.

Bassong joined Newcastle from French club Metz in July 2008 and produced some impressive displays despite his club s relegation.

But he will miss the first two games of…

Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan is targeting more goals after being deployed in a more attacking role under new manager Mark Hughes.

The 29-year-old has not featured on the score sheet for the Premier League outfit since notching in a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in November 2011.

Having been played in a more defensive role under previous boss Tony Pulis, the former Sheffield Wednesday player is keen to have more of an attacking impetus this season.

A manager picks you to do a certain role and I went in there to do a job which I was asked to do, Whelan told The Sentinel.

If I can pitch in and score, which I would like to do and have done previously, then so be it.

The Republic of Ireland international believes the Stoke squad is adapting well to the c…

Per Mertesacker believes Arsenal s pre-season preparations have brought them closer and made them stronger ahead of the new campaign.

The 28-year-old was a member of Arsenal’s squad on their recent Asia tour, which brought four wins from as many games, two of which were by a margin of six or more goals.

Arsene Wenger may well be in confident mood after seeing his side beat Premier League rivals Manchester City 3-1 in Helsinki on Saturday.

It has been a first full pre-season for Mertesacker with the London club, having signed on deadline day in 2011 and spending much of last season’s preparations injured, and the Germany international is enthused by what he has seen so far.

We ve had a longer pre-season and more time to know each other better, to prepare ourse…