FA considering 800M bid on Wembley Stadium

The FA have confirmed that Shahid Khan has offered an 800m bid to buy Wembley Stadium. The FA are considering this enormous bid from the billionaire who owns Fulham and Jacksonville Jaguars. He plans to strengthen the Jaguar’s presence in the capital of England. London has started attracting interest from other NFL teams as Tottenham Hotspur signed a 10-year deal with the NFL that will see the White Hart Lane host some of the games at their 61 000-seater when it is completed. It is also believed that not many changes will be seen from the stadium as the FA are expected to keep their headquarters at the stadium free of rent while Fulham will remain at Craven Cottage. This money can be reinvested by the Football Association and finance the building of 1,500 new full-size pitches across England.

One Wembley source was quoted as having said, “If we are ever to have the chance to change the face of football in this country, this offer could make that happen.”

The terms of the deal are not quite clear at the moment but the England national team will be expected to maintain the stadium as their home. An issue could be the potential clashes between the international games and the NFL games which commence in September. The UK is really eager to grow the NFL and are excited by the potential purchase of the stadium.  

Arsenal fail to capitalize on disadvantaged Atletico as they draw 1-1 at home

The Emirates Stadium looked packed for the first time in a while ahead of the clash between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid in the semifinals of the UEFA Europa League. The night marked Arsene Wenger’s last home match in Europe and he was looking to end it on a climax. The fans were pumped up and ready to give their all as the ready whistled kick off. The referee wanted to let the players know that he was the one in command he did not waste time before flashing a yellow card to Vrsaljiko for a late challenge on Jack Wilshere. The player was standing in for Juanfran at right-back since the Spaniard is injured. Vrsaljiko was silly to make a challenge on Lacazette and the referee showed him a second yellow in the 10th minute and Atletico Madrid were down to 10 men with more than 80 minutes to go. Hector Bellerin was involved in a clash with Koke shortly after and Diego Simeone reacted outrageously which saw the referee sending him off to the stands. The Gooners could not have a better advantage to put it a great performance against the wounded Madrid side. Wenger’s men, however, failed to produce a goal before the referee called for halftime. Atletico Madrid reshaped pretty well and showed discipline.

The Spanish club never really looked like they were a man down as they also created chances to match what Arsenal were doing. Both teams wasted a couple of opportunities before Jack Wilshere’s cross was headed past Jan Oblak by Lacazette. 1-0 and Arsenal looked like they were going to score more. Atletico Madrid went back into their shell and defended with their lives while waiting for counterattacks. As you might have guessed, it only took one counter-attack and Griezmann was through on goal with only Koscielny as a threat. The French defender failed to clear the ball and Griezmann got past the on-rushing Ospina. Mustafi had the chance to block Griezmann’s shot from going in but he slipped and saw the want-away striker score Atletico Madrid’s equalizer in the 82nd minute. That was it as Arsenal failed to capitalize on their advantage. The return leg would be a steeper mountain to climb with Diego Costa expected to be fit and will start from the beginning of the match. Will Arsenal have enough to win in Spain after struggling in their away form this season?

There is hope for Santi Cazorla

The 33-year old Spaniard was seen running on the pitch today ahead of Arsenal’s match with Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Europa League. Santi Cazorla has been injured since 2016 with an Achilles that has been operated 10 times to date. The player was told by the doctors that he would not be returning to the pitch anytime soon and might not be able to walk if he is not careful after the injury had a terrible infection. The player has since been on the recovery even though his return date still remains a mystery.

Wenger has confirmed that Arsenal will assess the player’s fitness at the end of the season before offering him a new contract. The player has been missed in the heart of midfield because of his ability to dribble past any tight situations and whisker a pass with any foot to turn defense into attack. We hope that his light session in the warm-up is an early sign that the player is ready to finally make a return and challenge for a place in Arsenal who will have a new manager in the summer after Wenger leaves.

Police arrest 2 suspects for attempted murder on a Liverpool fan

Violence has no place in football! The game between Liverpool and Manchester City created a hostile environment which saw the Manchester City bus attacked by Liverpool fans. UEFA responded to that incident and issued a penalty towards Liverpool because of the behavior of their fans. Because of that, some Roma fans thought that they could copy this unlawful behavior as they attacked a Liverpool fan near the stadium. The man who was attacked goes by the name Sean Cox who is a father of three. The 53-year old was attacked near the Kop Stand where the fans were gathering before the semifinal game between AS Roma and Liverpool started. The incident took place around 7.35pm and some witnesses have come forward to say that the victim was hit with a belt before going to ground. He was treated by the paramedics at the scene before being carried to Walton Neurological Centre by an ambulance where he is in a critical condition. He is being treated for a head injury and the police are appealing to anyone who has any information or evidence that can help their case. In the interim, two suspects have been apprehended believed to be between the ages 20 and 29 on suspicion of attempted murder.

Liverpool issued a statement after the incident saying, “Liverpool Football Club will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities to establish an understanding of the facts, following a serious and disturbing incident at Anfield last night which has left a 53-year-old supporter in a critical condition in hospital.”

This is such a shame that some fans would go all the way to fight over the beautiful game that we all love. UEFA also denounced these actions and we are waiting to see how this matter will be handled. Merseyside police have also arrested 7 other men on suspicions of affray, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon, among others. Our thoughts are with the victim. Let us end violence in the game.

Real Madrid win 2-1 against Bayern Munich in the semifinals first leg

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane shocked the audience as he omitted Gareth Bale, Asensio and Benzema from his starting XI to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. It is not the first time that he has made these kind of changes but it had become quite predictable that he usually picked a pair of Vazquez and Asensio or Benzema with Bale but today he shacked things up a bit. Luka Modric retained his place even after a poor show in the quarterfinals against Juventus and he wanted to prove himself again.

The match kicked off and Bayern were unfortunate to lose Arjen Robben to injury in just the 5th minute of the match. He was replaced by Thiago and Bayern started to dominate Madrid in possession. It was not long before Jerome Boateng pulled a hamstring when he tried to reach for a ball that was also being contested by Marcelo. He left the pitch which disheartened the Bayern Munich fans before being replaced by Sule. It was sad to lose another first team player after the absence of Alaba, Coman, Neuer, and Robben who could not finish the game. However, this did not stop them from giving their best and they managed to score the opener in the 28th minute. Marcelo had gone on the attack which failed to produce the goal and Bayern Munich capitalized on his absence. The ball found its way to James Rodriguez who is on-loan from Real Madrid and he slid a defense-splitting pass to Joshua Kimmich. The youngster pushed the ball and looked like he was going to cross for either Lewandowski or Ribery on the far corner before taking a vicious shot that flew past Navas. The Real Madrid goalkeeper should have done better after being beaten on the near post and his weak attempt saw him touch the ball before going into the net.

The game was really end to end before Vazquez crossed the ball into the box for Ronaldo. The striker looked like he was going to repeat that overhead strike against Juventus but he probably saw that the ball was far behind him so he instead left the ball for his teammate Marcelo who connect the ball on the half-volley and it went straight to the bottom right corner. 1-1 at the Allianz Arena on the 44th minute was not what they were expecting and Bayern started to push on. They saw a couple of chances missed by Lewandowski and Muller before the referee blew for half-time. Asensio came on in the second half and he combined well with Vazquez on the break before being released to chip the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper. Asensio made it 2-1 to Real Madrid and the Los Blancos go into the second leg at home with an away goal advantage.

Oxlade-Chamberlain to miss FIFA World Cup

What a sad day it has been for new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after finding out that his dreams of playing in a major international tournament will not come true once more. The midfielder joined Liverpool from Arsenal last summer and slowly found his rhythm before claiming a place in the starting XI for Liverpool. He dispatched the indispensable Dutchman, Wijnaldum, who had been the heart of the Liverpool side since joining from Newcastle. Chamberlain had proved his worth in some of the biggest matches that Liverpool played e.g. the UEFA Champions League clashes against Manchester City where the club was victorious on both occasions. Tuesday night was like any other working day for Chamberlain and little did he know that it was going to be the last time he would kick the ball this season. The player picked up an injury in an attempted challenge on the 18th minute and he went down in tears. He left the pitch on a stretcher and the club had to replace him Wjinaldum.

Chamberlain has been disappointed by this injury and had this to say, “Absolutely devastated to have picked up that injury at such a crucial time in the season. Gutted I won't be able to play any further part now in our Champions League run for Liverpool, and also the World Cup with England.”

This was after finding out the results of an assessment made by the club doctors at Melwood who confirmed that he will be ruled out for the rest of the season. An expected return date was not even set to show how bad his injury really is. Now he will have to sit on the sidelines and watch his teammates push for the UEFA Champions League. Will he join his teammate Lallana in rehab in Africa? We hear they have some of the best facilities in the world in Cape Town.

John Terry still has the hunger to play on next season

Former Chelsea captain John Terry left Stamford Bridge at the end of last season after having fallen down the packing order. The defender felt that he still had a lot to contribute so he decided to look for greener pastures. The thought of playing against his old club were unbearable to him so he decided to turn down offers from some of the clubs in England to go and play for Aston Villa who were in the Championship. Steve Bruce welcomed the veteran defender and it took little time before his partnership with James Chester became rock solid and they collectively helped the team to secure a championship play-off spot which can see them back in the English Premier League if they win. Now, John Terry’s worst fears will come true of having to face the club of his heart after playing for them during his teenage years till last year.

Terry said, “I still have the appetite and hunger for sure,” when he was interviewed by talkSPORT and he was eager to get the season behind him.

The defender feels that he is ready to continue to play football at the highest level but is still yet to decide on his future. If he is hell-bent on not facing Chelsea ever again then that might mean retirement for him or leave for another Championship side. However, the prospect of coming back to the English Premier League with a team that he fought for this season is an enticing prospect for the 37-year old. The player thanked the Villa fans for welcoming him and their support throughout this campaign. Joining Villa in the summer is a decision that he does not regret as he has enjoyed his time at Villa Park.

Carlo Ancelotti offered Italy job

The Italy national team did not want to waste their time in offering the experienced Carlo Ancelotti to become the head coach. This decision came from a meeting that helped between Ancelotti and the representatives of the Italian Football Association in a meeting that is believed to have lasted for an hour-and-a-half. The manager has been out of a job since being sacked by Bayern Munich in September last year and was replaced by Jupp Heynckes. The manager has since been on the radar of Arsenal who are looking for a perfect replacement for the outgoing Arsene Wenger.

Ancelotti is still yet to accept the offer for the Italy national team job which fuels speculation as to why he has not. Rumors are circulating that the 58-year old is interested in the soon-to-be-vacant job in the English Premier League with a club that has been well run over the years. He recently refused to rule himself out of the job and some fans have since expressed their admiration of a manager who is great at bringing out the best in players as well as playing an attractive form of football that has since become the identity of Arsenal since 1996. We are to believe that Ancelotti will use this offer to push Arsenal into reacting if they are seriously considering the experienced Italian boss who has managed the biggest clubs in Europe. He has managed to win 3 UEFA Champions League trophies and that is definitely something that Ivan Gazidis should be looking at considering that Arsenal are still yet to win one European competition. Will Ancelotti accept the offer or will he risk it and wait for Arsenal who might not even be considering him?

Mo Salah on target as Liverpool win 5-2 at home

The Egyptian King showed no mercy on his return. We are almost running out of words of describing Mo Salah’s debut season in England. The Liverpool forward has been on fire this season and has already scored 31 league goals. Liverpool were wounded by losing Coutinho in January but Salah has made that loss almost look like it is not a big deal. Roma also lost Palmieri who left for Chelsea, Salah who left for Liverpool as well as their legend Totti who went into retirement. The two teams are almost in the same predicament but they have believed in their abilities this season which has seen them go places.

Liverpool faced Roma tonight in the first leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and this feature was unthinkable at the start of the season. The most obvious names of PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Manchester United are already out but yet these two teams remain. Liverpool kicked off the match with a fierce attacking play that saw them create chances that were missed by Mane and Firmino in succession. It took a while before the man of the moment found the back of the net from a nicely curled effort at the edge of the box. Salah could not celebrate out of respect for his former club but what a beautiful strike it was. With his abilities, Messi has not been missed at this stage of the competition. Dejan Lovren almost made it 2-0 to Liverpool when his header hit the crossbar. Liverpool were eager to score more and Firmino found Salah on the break and the forward chipped the ball over the keeper to score his second of the night in the 45th minute. This was his 43rd goal of the season and he is now 3 shy of the all-time record at Liverpool held by Ian Rush who was in the stands to watch the African player shine against Roma.

Sadio Mane came from the break to score on the 56th minute to make it 3-0 to Liverpool. It looked all Liverpool in this match before the man of the match, Roberto Firmino scored a brace between the 61st and the 68th minutes. 5-0! Surely, Roma were out. But the team continued to fight until they scored two; the first from Dzeko and a penalty from Perotti in the 85th minute. Roma reduced the defeat to 3 goals and are planning to pull off another come back like they did against Barcelona. Will they make Liverpool regret conceding two goals in this 5-2 win at home?

World Cup Rush: Iheanacho next in line for Leicester’s No.10 role

Nigerian international, Kelechi Iheanacho who plies his trade with English top flight side, Leicester City; is tipped to end the season on a high as he sets his eyes on being part of Gernot Rohr’s final 23 man squad for the FIFA World Cup Finals in Russia. Kelechi has struggled to get some consistent game time since moving from Manchester City in a £25 million deal in the summer. He has scored five times in 23 appearances inclusive of only ten starts in all competitions since moving to the King Power Stadium. This lack of game time at his club might have somehow influenced the extent of his role in the Super Eagles squad as Rohr used him mostly as a substitute in Nigeria’s world cup qualification campaign.

There is new hope for the Nigerian to make a statement before the season comes to a close as Leicester City boss, Claude Puel hinted at trying him out on the No.10 role as opposed to his familiar No.9. It’s a position that Puel has not been satisfied with even after deploying Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray in it. Could the 21-year-old ace it ahead of Okazaki and build some momentum to be considered for a crucial role in Nigeria’s squad for Russia 2018? Nigeria could actually benefit from having more attacking options since they have not been very good going forward.

“I think until the end of the season it will be an opportunity for different players to play and take some habits, perhaps to give a good solution. We know all the hard work from Okazaki, for example, and, in the last game, Kele had good intensity and quality. Yes, Kele is a young player he can have game time, he can improve and give a good option for the future. We will see. We have different options and it is interesting to try.” - Claude Puel, Leicester City Manager

Leicester City will play Crystal Palace on the 28th of April where Kelechi could start for the foxes in the No.10 position.

UCL Road To Kiev Final: Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid

These two European giants seem to meet in the knock out stages quite often. With this being their 25th meeting, it is now the most played tie in Champions League history. Last season, it was Madrid that emerged victorious over the two-legged quarterfinal affair, and they will again rely on the sensational form of Cristiano Ronaldo to provide the decisive edge for them. Bayern, however, have been consistently good since the arrival of Jupp Heynckes this season. He knows how to get the best from his best players and Muller and James, in particular, have performed better under his management. With the Bundesliga already wrapped up for Bayern, they have had the luxury of rotating their better players. Madrid have also engaged in such rotations, albeit because the deficit is so large between them and Barcelona in first place in La Liga. Real Madrid are one knockout tie away from a third final in 3 years. Zidane deserves massive credit for managing what has always been a demanding Madrid job to deliver Champions League success twice in two seasons. Having been to a record eight straight semi-final ties, Madrid will feel that the final in Kiev is theirs to arrive at.

Bayern have lost their last three semi-final ties, however, they had won the previous four. Madrid have won their last two semi-final ties, however, they lost 5 of the previous 6.

Jupp Heynckes may prove to be Bayern’s luck charm having always won the competition whenever he previously coached in it. Two previous victories; one when he previously coached Real Madrid in 1997-98 and the other one during his last season as Bayern coach.

Lewandowski has been subject to increasingly consistent rumors that a move to Madrid will be on the horizon in the summer. Cristiano has been the in-form player of this Champions League campaign with a number of decisive goals and an unprecedented streak of scoring in every single CL game. Which player will prove to be more influential during this tie?

James will be playing against his former teammates after being loaned out to Bayern this season. Having lost favor with Zidane, James has found a new lease on life in Munich and will certainly be extra motivated.

UCL Road To Kiev Final: Liverpool vs Roma

Key Stats

• Sixth European meeting between Liverpool and Roma and the first since March 2002. Liverpool (W2, D2, L2) & Roma (W1, D2, L2)

• Liverpool's 10th appearance in the semi-final of the European Cup/Champions League. They've progressed to the final seven times in nine trials, losing only in 1964-65 against Inter Milan and in 2007-08 against Chelsea.

• Roma are appearing in their first European semi-final for 27 years when they faced Brondby in the Uefa Cup in 1990-91. The last match was against Dundee United in 1983-84 whom they beat to set up a Liverpool final

• Roma have won just one of their past 14 away Champions League games (D5 L8), a 2-1 win at Qarabag earlier this season.

• Liverpool have not won the first leg of a European semi-final in any of their past seven attempts (D3 L4), since a 4-0 win over Panathinaikos in the European Cup in 1984-85.

The first of the final stop before the UEFA Champions League final will be a tantalizing encounter between Liverpool and Roma. Both teams are full of belief after they kicked out Barcelona and Manchester City who have dominated their respective leagues and are inevitable winners of the double domestic trophies. Mohamed Salah is expected to be the center of attention because of his outstanding season and more so as he welcomes his former teammates to Anfield. The coaches believe that it is more than the tactics or star players that will see them through.

Liverpool boss has urged the Merseyside fans to come in full voice and try to create a special atmosphere around the Anfield, specifically to try and beat the outstanding support they gave in the quarter-finals against Manchester City. In as much as Klopp once the 12th player behind them, he does not want to witness a repeat episode of the violent bus incident instigated by the Liverpool fans against Manchester City. He has urged the fans to respect Roma. Roma’s Eusebio Di Francesco has admitted that English clubs create memorable atmospheres when they get behind their teams but has since affirmed that their fans are also behind them. Liverpool is expected to field stick to the line-up which beat the English Champions, Manchester City, with Oxlade Chamberlain, Trent Alexander Arnold, Firmino, Lovren, and Robertson expected to return after being rested over the weekend. Roma’s Diego Perotti could return after being sidelined for three weeks while Rick Karsdrop and Gregoire Defrel are set to miss out with an injury. Aleksander Kolarov, Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Florenzi who sat out in Roma’s 3-0 win over the weekend are also expected to be in for the Giallorossi.

Managers’ Remarks

"Against Barcelona, we played as a team, we did not focus on Lionel Messi, and by playing in this way we can achieve great things. It is not about stopping one player. Liverpool are not only Salah, they have a number of good players." - Eusebio Di Francesco

"They have a full squad available. They have different options offensively, a strong defense, the wingers or wing-backs are strong, it all looks settled, fit and experienced.

"It's a semi-final which is a big thing for them like us. You will see two excited teams and that's good for football." - Jurgen Klopp

Who will gain the advantage in the first leg?

Arsenal Ladies in shock goalless draw with Yeovil Town

The Arsenal Ladies team crumbled when it mattered the most. Just like their male counterparts, Arsenal have had difficulties to perform whenever the pressure is on them. The Arsenal Ladies who currently sit in 4th on the table had the opportunity to close the gap between them and Manchester City Women who are four points ahead. Instead, they drew their match against a Yeovil Town side that has been struggling and had lost all their last four matches in the league. The club were looking to get one over the 10th placed team who had enough wind in their sails had to stop Arsenal. This does not mean that they did not try though as they dominated the match with 55%. Their shots on goal were astonishingly high (34) compared to Yeovil’s 3 shots, but they still could not score. Arsenal Ladies are finalists in the Women’s FA Cup and should trade carefully if they want to qualify for next season’s champions league.

Mourinho reveals summer transfer plans

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho finally learns how it feels to be edged by competitors on the transfer market. The Portuguese coach enjoyed torturing Arsene Wenger for failing to win the Premier League in over 13 years and now the manager is on his way out. Mourinho joined cash rich Chelsea and managed to win a couple of trophies before leaving for Madrid. He later came back to the club and won the Premier League one more time before being announced as the new boss at Old Trafford. His local rivals invested a lot more than United and Mourinho now feels the impact. He acknowledges defeat in the league this season and claims that his side does not have enough players. Manchester City are spending a lot more than United while Mourinho is just going to have to be replacing players.

Michael Carrick recently announced that he will be retiring from football at the end of the season and Marouane Fellaini could also possibly leave the red-half of Manchester this summer. This means that the club will be looking for midfield replacements first before attempting to look for reinforcements in other positions. The team lacks a commanding defender who can bring out the best in Eric Bailly who looks like a different player from the one that was leading the defense before getting injured in December last year. Manchester United will have to spend big bucks if they are to push for the title next season but the chances of that happening are very slim. Will the Glazers come around and provide Mourinho with a war chest in the summer?

Mohamed Salah wins PFA Player of the Year Award

There were only two contenders for this season’s PFA Player of the Year award. The newly crowned champions’ Kevin De Bruyne and the current top goal scorer and record breaking Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah. The two players have been outstanding for the greatest parts of this season. De Bruyne received praise from the likes of Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, and Jamie Redknapp for his brilliant passing ability and work rate. The pundits have since drawn comparison of him to the greatest midfielders to have ever played in the Premier League. They call him a hybrid of Paul Scholes and David Beckham in one player who has been crucial to Manchester City’s success this season as they won the Premier League and the League Cup. The Citizens were rooting for him to win the award of the best player this season but they were disappointed to hear that their midfield general could not walk away with the award. Mo Salah, of Liverpool arguably deserved it more after coming into a different league and hitting everyone by surprise with 31 league goals already, equalling the record set Suarez, Shearer and Henry in a 38 game season. The Egyptian player has enjoyed a dream start to his life in England also helping his club reach the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

Leroy Sane also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for his outstanding contribution this season. It was quite a shock not to see him in the team of the year for this season because he was arguably the best creator on the wings in the 2017/18 season. Guardiola really has a talent in the 22-year-old German and will hope to build on this season to push for more titles.

Barcelona win 5-0 in the Copa del Rey final

Sevilla, who have been a strong team this season, succumbed to a 5-0 defeat against Barcelona when it mattered the most. Sevilla had enjoyed a great campaign that saw them defeat Manchester United in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by Bayern Munich by one away goal. The club also made their way into this year’s Copa del Rey final which is equivalent to the FA Cup in England or the Nedbank Cup in South Africa.

Barcelona looked like they were playing with a different team as they went into the break with a 3-0 advantage. New signing Philippe Coutinho made a sprint into the box on the counter from a brilliant pass by Ter Stegen and drew the keeper to his feet before chipping a pass to his former Liverpool teammate, Luis Suarez to score on the 13th minute. Iniesta then played a delightful one-two with Jordi Alba before he made a brilliant back-heel pass to Messi who shot into the roof of the net for the second goal of the game. Suarez again made it on the score sheet after playing another one-two with Messi but this time from outside the box before sprinting for a short distance before meeting Messi’s pass which he calmly converted into the net. The second half was not disappointing either. Barcelona was out to prove that they are the best and they can beat Sevilla effortlessly. It is like they agreed that all the goals of the night have to come through their tiki-taka passes as this time Iniesta played with Messi before making a fake shot that got everyone on their feet. Iniesta then smashed the ball into the empty net having already dealt with the keeper with his trickery. The Spaniard played a crucial role in this match which some are saying it could be his last final before leaving Barcelona. Philippe Coutinho was handed the penalty to score on the 69th minute which completed the scores for the match. Barcelona ran out 5-0 victors and lifted the Copa del Rey for the 30th time.

Giroud and Morata goals send Chelsea to the final of the FA Cup

Antonio Conte’s men are on a mission to salvage their season after failing to defend the English Premier League title which they won comfortably last season. They were looking to get one over the Saints and book a place in the final with Manchester United. Southampton also went into the game with an added motivation to defeat Chelsea who defeated them 2-3 at home on the 14th of April. The wounds were still fresh after letting a 2-0 advantage turn into a loss.

Willian set him himself up and fired a shot on the crossbar while Hazard had a couple of chances blocked before Olivier Giroud, who was preferred to Morata in the lineup, missed a couple of volleys in the first half. However, this did not stop him from turning up with a fantastic goal just a minute into the second half. Those that know Giroud from his days at Arsenal are aware of the fact that the forward might not be a 30 goal-a-season striker but he has a neck for memorable goals. Giroud received a pass from Eden Hazard before going for a Messi-like dribble as he wiggled past four defenders and beat the goalkeeper before finishing with his weak foot into the net. Surprised? Well, you shouldn’t. There is a reason why the striker is always called up to the French national team even when he is not in the best of form because he delivers when everyone least expects him to.

Southampton created a couple of chances themselves, and Shane Long found himself in acres of space with only the goalkeeper to beat but could not finish past the keeper. He tried to round the keeper who had read his thoughts and ended up over kicking the ball out for a goal kick. Southampton we denied a penalty on the 67th minute when Austin headed the ball onto Giroud’s hand, but the referee waved play on. Redmond had a rocket shot from outside the box miraculously saved by Caballero. Morata came from the bench to score the second of the night from an Azpilicueta cross. That was it, and Southampton were knocked out of the semifinals. Chelsea will then be facing Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the final of the FA Cup. Who do you think will win?

Aubameyang makes Arsenal good as they win 4-1 against West Ham

The game against West Ham saw Wenger make changes to his team ahead of the semifinal clash against Atletico Madrid in the coming week. Ozil, Wilshere and Cech were not in the team while Aubameyang was dropped to the bench despite his red-hot form since joining Arsenal in the winter transfer window. Wenger planned to boost the confidence of Lacazette who will be the striker in the UEFA Europa League since Aubameyang is cup-tied. The match had nothing to appease the many Arsenal fans who returned to their seats in the stadium after having protested against the performances in recent games.

On this day, the fans were there and backed their manager who is set to leave in the summer. They did not stop cheering their team even when they went into the break without a goal. Nacho Monreal who has arguably been Arsenal’s best player this season opened the scoring from Xhaka’s corner on the 51st minute with a half-volley. His finish was something that even strikers can look back to and learn a few things. West Ham boss, David Moyes responded by introducing Lanzini and Javier Hernandez to support the striker Arnautovic. It was not long before these changes paid dividends as Arnautovic control the ball with his left leg and fired a shot across goal and into the net after Arsenal had failed to clear the ball out. 1-1 was the scoreline when Aubameyang was called onto the pitch.

The team started to believe with their star man on the pitch as they began to create spaces for forwards to capitalise on. It was not long before Aubameyang caused confusion in West Ham’s box just by his presence as Aaron Ramsey’s cross flew straight into the net. The Gabon international then turned provider to Lacazette’s goal in the 85th minute after some slick passes by Arsenal. Lacazette scored his second of the night 4 minutes after from a pass by Ramsey, and he celebrated with his strike partner Aubameyang. The pair already calls themselves The Bad Boys which draws a comparison to the relationship between Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in their classic movies from the 1990s and early 2000s. Will this relationship help bring Arsenal more success after Wenger leaves?