SIMEONE SLAPS AND SHOVES ARSENAL STAR IN TUNNEL BUST-UP AS ARTETA 'INCREDIBLY FUMING'

Diego Simeone gesticulates on the touchline for Atletico Madrid.

Diego Simeone slapped and shoved Ben White in a tunnel bust-up as Arsenal drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

Viktor Gyokeres gave Arsenal the lead from the spot after he was bundled over in the box by Dávid Hancko, before Julian Alvarez also converted a penalty to level the tie following a Ben White handball.

Arsenal will head into the second leg at the Emirates as strong favourites to prevail and reach the Champions League final, but can expect a nervy, tense affair in the return leg after the game at the Wanda Metropolitan threatened to boil over following an incident at half-time.

Tensions rose as White walked over Atletico’s badge and was taken to task by Giuliano Simeone for what was seen as a sign of disprespect.

Diego Simeone then pulled his son away before speaking to White, slapping him on the back multiple times and shoving the Arsenal defender.

White wasn’t happy with Atletico manager’s reaction and pushed back before a number of players and staff stepped in to separate the pair.

There was late controversy in the game when referee Danny Makkelie overturned his decision to award Arsenal another penalty for a Hancko foul on Eberechi Eze after being asked to consult his pitch-side monitor.

And Mikel Arteta revealed after the game why he was “absolutely fuming” with the incident.

“We were disappointed for the Atlético penalty,” Arteta said. “In the Premier League, it’s not a penalty but here I have to accept that with the rules and how consistent they’ve been, I accept that this is a handball.

“What I’m incredibly ­fuming with is how the hell the penalty on Ebs gets overturned in the ­manner that it happened when there is no clear and obvious error. This changes the course of the game. And at this level, I’m sorry but this cannot happen.

“A very clear explanation of the decision is what happens for a period of time [when] a referee has to watch it 13 times. What’s more clear than that? It’s impossible and we are all fuming about it. We need to apply the rules … [the way] they applied the rules on Ben White’s penalty.

“When you have fought so hard for nine months to be in this ­position … I mean, that’s another goal that changed completely the course of the tie. And it cannot happen. We put so much on it. So, so, so much on it. This cannot happen.

“There is clear contact. If you make that decision, you cannot overturn that decision. When you have to look at it 13 times … at this level it’s ­completely unacceptable.”

- Will Ford

REPORT: ARSENAL HOST NOTTINGHAM FOREST AS PREMIER LEAGUE ACTION RETURNS

Photo: IMAGO

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Premier League Preview at the Emirates

Arsenal return to Premier League action on Saturday lunchtime when they host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium. The 12.30pm kick-off comes straight after the international break, with both sides hoping to reset and build momentum in the new campaign.

This fixture carries additional intrigue as Ange Postecoglou steps back into English football management with Forest, months after leaving Tottenham. His Spurs connection will almost certainly provoke a frosty welcome from the Arsenal crowd.

Key details for Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

The clash takes place on Saturday 13 September, with live television coverage in the UK on TNT Sports. Build-up begins at 11am on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate, before the match kicks off at 12.30pm. Subscribers can also watch online via the Discovery+ platform.

Supporters without access can still follow the game through live blogs, while highlights will be available from 5.15pm on the Sky Sports app and YouTube channel. Match of the Day will feature extended coverage later that evening on BBC One at 10.50pm.

Photo: IMAGO

Arsenal team news and selection calls

Arsenal could hand a first start to £67.5m summer signing Eberechi Eze. The midfielder made an impact off the bench against Liverpool in the previous round and is pushing for inclusion from the start.

Ben White should be fit to return, while Christian Norgaard and Piero Hincapie are both in contention. However, Mikel Arteta faces a lengthy absentee list with William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus all set to miss out.

Forest will be without Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is ineligible to face his parent club following a late transfer window loan move. With Ola Aina also likely to be sidelined, Postecoglou faces a defensive reshuffle.

“Eberechi Eze is pushing to start for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest” read an update from the club as anticipation grows around the new signing’s full debut.

Tactical dynamics and prediction

Postecoglou’s arrival on the Forest bench changes the complexion of the contest. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Arsenal might have expected to face a deep defensive block. Instead, the new manager is known for encouraging aggressive pressing and a high defensive line, traits that characterised his Tottenham side.

That philosophy could leave spaces for Arsenal’s attacking talent. If they are sharp in the final third, the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eze and Noni Madueke should find opportunities. With the Gunners at home and boasting superior quality, the forecast points towards a comfortable victory.

The prediction is Arsenal to win 4-0.

- Ahmed Khan

MOST EXPENSIVE SIGNINGS IN ARSENAL HISTORY

 

MIKEL ARTETA REVEALS EXTENT OF ARSENAL CRISIS WITH WORRYING INJURY ADMISSION

Mikel Arteta has admitted Arsenal's injury crisis is the worst he's seen at the club (Image: PA

Arsenal have suffered a number of injury problems this season after recently losing Bukayo Saka for two months and Mikel Arteta has been left baffled by the ongoing fitness issues his side are facing.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted the team's injury crisis is the worst he has seen at the club - after Ethan Nwaneri became the latest star to suffer a set-back.

The Gunners have been battling with fitness issues across the board in this campaign, having already lost captain Martin Odegaard for a lengthy spell earlier on.

Ben White is currently sidelined after undergoing knee surgery in November while Bukayo Saka is out for two months after tearing his hamstring in a major blow.

Other affected players include defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and winger Raheem Sterling, who are also nursing knee problems, while Kai Havertz has been struggling with illness.

Arsenal were handed another setback on top of their injury crisis after Jurrien Timber was suspended for the 1-1 draw to Brighton, meaning Thomas Partey had to fill in at right-back.

Speaking ahead his side's Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Newcastle, Arteta was asked if he had faced an injury crisis like this. He replied: "Probably not. It’s a very good learning process, not only tactically but with preparation and training with very few players.

“Today we had seven, eight players with us and just [had] to fill the squad, which is unknown. But it is a way to learn as well, this is how I take it. I cannot change it, so let’s take the things that we can get out of them to be better. We discuss about the situation obviously and we have to use players in positions they have probably not played before.

“But we are learning a lot from that, and what I learn about the willingness of the team, anyone on the field and them. So that’s great as well to learn from the players."

Arsenal are six points behind league leaders Liverpool in the Premier League this season after struggling to keep pace with the Reds amid their injury woes, but they are still in the running to win the Carabao Cup. When asked if he has enjoyed this season, Arteta replied: "I love it. I mean, we are in all the competitions, we are where we want to be in most of them.

"Obviously in the league there’s been a lot of circumstances, we’re not where we want to be which is top and I understand that and we work every day to try to be better to improve, and don’t look for excuses.

"Because in anything you do you look for excuses you find them, these are challenges these are situations that we are facing and we are trying to overcome them and we are still a really good team."

ENGLAND BOSS LEE CARSLEY TELLS BEN WHITE: LION'S ROLE UP TO HIM

Getty 

Lee Carsley said he has no plans to contact Ben White over a possible England call-up and believes the responsibility lies with the Arsenal defender to make himself available.

Carsley's predecessor Gareth Southgate said in March that the Football Association's technical director John McDermott was told in a phone call from Arsenal sporting director Edu that White did not want to be considered for England.

It has been widely reported that White had a disagreement with Southgate's assistant Steve Holland while part of the squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

White was sent home from that tournament for "personal reasons" as both the FA and Southgate subsequently denied there was an issue within the camp.

After Carsley began his interim role as Southgate's successor with back-to-back 2-0 UEFA Nations League wins away at Republic of Ireland and home to Finland, the 50-year-old hinted he would look to make changes to the squad for next month's friendly matches.

"I'm thinking about the game tonight, but it wasn't long after coming off the pitch where I was thinking 'right, I need to start thinking about next one now'," said Carsley on Tuesday. "How that might look and what players are going to be coming into form, and how that's going to pan out. So, yeah, competition for places within this squad is very high.

"I think you will see some movement and I think it's important that we keep freshening it up, we keep moving the squad forward."

Asked about whether that could involve speaking to White about his potential availability, Carsley said: "I've not planned to [contact him], no. We spoke about this in the squad selection. Every player that's eligible to play for England is in with a chance.

"As far as I was aware, he was asked to be not contacted. So, if that changes, then that'll change."

Pushed on whether the onus was on White to change the situation, Carsley replied: "Yeah I think it is important that we've got real competition all over the pitch and the more players we've got available to pick from, the better it is."

White only has four England caps to his name, but is now established as one of the Premier League's top right-backs in an Arsenal side that challenged Manchester City for the title in the past two seasons.

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

ARSENAL KICK OFF PRESEASON EARLY AS MIKEL ARTETA TAKES SIX GUNNERS IN MARBELLA FITNESS CAMP

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

 Half a dozen Arsenal players have begun their pre-season with manager Mikel Arteta three weeks early in an early bid to boost their title challenge.

Ben White, Eddie Nketiah, Jurrien Timber, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira joined up with Arteta in Marbella on Monday to work on their fitness and form. Captain Martin Odegaard is due to join the group in the coming days as the squad look to jumpstart preparations for a season where they will be bidding to go one step up the Premier League table.

For Timber and Vieira the mini camp will offer a chance to build fitness after an injury-plagued 2023-24 season, particularly for the former, who suffered a major knee injury on his Premier League debut in August. Timber's versatility in defense was missed by Arteta last season and the Dutch international will be out to carve out a role for himself in the Arsenal XI. The left back berth that was something of a problem for the Gunners last season is there to be claimed in the weeks ahead even as sporting director Edu, who will also fly out to Marbella for the camp, scours the transfer market.

Meanwhile the Hale End triumvirate of Nelson, Smith Rowe and Nketiah have begun their preparations for 2024-25 at a time when their futures are in doubt. All three have been linked with moves away from the club in recent weeks.

Most Premier League clubs are due to reconvene in mid-July, squads trickling back together in a summer of Euros and Copa America football. The Gunners play Manchester United in Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium on July 28 before meeting Liverpool in Philadelphia three days later. Subsequently they will play Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon on home soil.

CBS Sports understands that Smith Rowe travelled out a week before the rest of the squad to get a head start on his fitness work. The 23-year-old struggled to break into Arteta's first team last season, appearing in just 19 games across all competitions. Nelson, meanwhile, favors a move away from the club, according to CBS Sports sources. Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brighton are long term admirers.

- James Benge

THE BOYS FROM BRIGHTON | ARSENAL 5-0 CHELSEA

Leandro Trossard and Ben White — two former Brighton players — celebrate goals against Chelsea for Arsenal.
 

HAVERTZ LEADS ARSENAL ROUT OF CHELSEA TO MAINTAIN TITLE CHALLENGE

Kai Havertz celebrates one of his two goals for Arsenal against former club Chelsea.

 Ruthless Arsenal threw down the gauntlet in the Premier League title race with a 5-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea to roar three points clear at the top of the table on Tuesday.

Any remaining doubts about Arsenal's staying power were answered emphatically as Leandro Trossard gave them an early lead before Ben White and Kai Havertz scored two each in a dazzling spell after the break to sweep aside a dazed Chelsea.

It was a powerful statement by Arsenal who have recovered impressively from a home defeat by Aston Villa and bowing out of the Champions League and with four games remaining they are piling the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City.

Arsenal have 77 points from 34 games with Liverpool, who face Everton on Wednesday, on 74 from 33. Reigning champions Manchester City have 73 points but have two games in hand starting with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.

It was the sixth time Arsenal have scored five or more in a Premier League game this season and in such a tight race they have a huge goal difference advantage which could prove crucial to the outcome.

"Very happy with the win, with the amount of chances and goals we scored," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, whose side face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, said. "And with the clean sheet as well it shows the consistency.

"We will enjoy it and rest and get ready for the next one."

For ninth-placed Chelsea it was their heaviest ever defeat by Arsenal and a hammer blow in their bid to creep into a European place just days after their narrow FA Cup semifinal defeat by Manchester City. 

"The team showed a lack of capacity to resist, that is what is the problem," Mauricio Pochettino, who gave a first Premier League start to young right back Alfie Gilchrist, said.

"Arsenal are a very good team. But I think we allowed them to play."

Arsenal were brimming with energy in the opening half, peppering Chelsea's goal with 13 attempts and would have led by more than one at the interval but for Chelsea's Serbia goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

Roared on by The Emirates crowd the hosts needed four minutes to settle any nerves as a marauding Declan Rice drove into the heart of the area and weighted his pass perfectly for Trossard to fire home.

Petrovic would have been disappointed to be beaten from a narrow angle but made amends with a flurry of saves in quick succession to deny Bukayo Saka and Trossard and then reacted incredibly to keep out a close-range deflection.

Despite being under siege, a Chelsea side without 20-goal Cole Palmer had their moments and Axel Disasi somehow failed to connect from in front of goal from a flicked on corner.

Nicolas Jackson hit the post and then inexplicably failed to head in a brilliant Conor Gallagher cross.

But Arsenal tuned up the heat in the second half and Chelsea could not cope.

White made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute after Rice's shot deflected to him and Havertz was then played through by an exquisite pass from captain Martin Ødegaard and finished in style.

Former Chelsea forward Havertz made it 4-0 with a low finish and White then nonchalantly side-footed a volley home from an angle.

"The second one was a bad touch and it went in," he joked.

It could have got far worse for Chelsea as Arsenal ran riot but the home fans left in euphoric mood as a first title in 20 years began to look within reach.

- Reuters 

"IT'S A PERFECT NIGHT! | TROSSARD & BEN WHITE | ARSENAL 5-0 CHELSEA

GARETH SOUTHGATE ON WHY BEN WHITE HASN’T BEEN SELECTED FOR THE LATEST ENGLAND SQUAD

BEN WHITE SIGNS NEW FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT AT ARSENAL

Ben White has emerged as an integral member of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side. Getty

 Ben White has said he believes Arsenal's best is yet to come under Mikel Arteta after signing a new four-year contract.

Sources have told ESPN that the 26-year-old's fresh deal runs to 2028 with an option to extend by a further 12 months, ending months of negotiations to follow Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka in committing his future to the club.

"I think if you do look at the ages [of the players], it's going to get better," White said. "When those sort of players are getting signed, it shows there is a real ambition about the club and it is something I am loving being a part of."

White has made 122 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Brighton for £50 million [$64m] in July 2021.

The centre-back has previously spent time on loan at Newport County, Peterborough and Leeds United before a breakthrough spell at Brighton led to his move to London.

"I have been on loan three times, I have been places for a year," he said. "I think this is the first time I've actually settled and known I am not going anywhere in the summer. Being here is unbelievable and I'd love to stay [for more years]."

Arteta, who has guided Arsenal to the top of the Premier League with 10 games to play and their first Champions League quarterfinal since 2010, added: "It's great news that Ben is committing his future to the club. Ben is a key player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality, and one of the guys who leads by example every day.

"Ben's ability, determination and positive attitude are so important, but he is also a great character and human being. We all look forward to continue working with Ben in the coming years."

- James Olley, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS: HOW BEN WHITE WOULD IMPROVE THE GUNNERS' BACK LINE | ESPN FC