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Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has issued an apology to the supporter he confronted during his team's 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford last month.

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Jackson involved in altercation with fanIncident happened as Chelsea lost to BrentfordStriker issued apology to supporterWHAT HAPPENED?

The Senegal international was involved in an altercation with a Chelsea fan who told him to 'wake up' as he spoke with coach Mauricio Pochettino during the game. Pochettino then discussed the situation with the supporter as Chelsea went on to lose 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JACKSON SAID

"To the fan, I have to say sorry. I never had this before. At Villarreal, you play without so much pressure because it’s a different team, but I know it comes from a good place," he told . “Normally, I don’t talk to fans or get distracted by what they say. I don’t know what came over me. It must have been frustration. It’s not a small thing, everybody at the game expecting you to do what they want you to. It’s because they love you, not because they hate you. They want you to make them happy. Now I know that. I was in Villarreal, but it was a different environment. You don’t have these kinds of things there. In Chelsea, it’s different."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Jackson was criticised by former England striker Alan Shearer after the game, who mentioned the 22-year-old's "complete lack of movement". Pochettino defended the attacker, and Jackson says he has no need to respond to critics, adding: "Cristiano [Ronaldo] would score 30 or 35 goals a season and people would criticise him. You’d never hear him talk about it, he’d just respond with a celebration. So it doesn’t affect me. I’m learning from him, I’d never answer back to criticism. I know what I can do, I believe in myself."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

The ex-Villarreal forward will likely be in action on Saturday when his team visit St James' Park to face Newcastle in the Premier League.

The race to succeed 2019 winner Megan Rapinoe is on, with the best players from around the world all vying for top spot on the podium

After the award was cancelled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the race for the Ballon d'Or Feminin is back on in 2021.

It will be just the third time that the prize is won, having only been introduced in 2018. Lyon star Ada Hegerberg won the inaugural edition, before U.S. women's national team winger Megan Rapinoe picked the award up in 2019.

After difficult years for the two iconic teams, it is unlikely that anyone from Lyon or the USWNT has their names called out this winter, with Barcelona's incredible treble-winning season putting their stars at the forefront of the discussion.

But how much weight will the summer Olympics have? With a few of Canada's gold medallists nominated, plus some big names that always garner interest, it's difficult to predict how the voting will go.

With all that in mind, GOAL looks at how things may pan out…

Getty/Goal20Ellen White (Manchester City)

Ellen White was something of a surprise nomination on this list, given that Manchester City fell short of silverware in 2021, England's woes continued and Great Britain bowed out in the quarter-finals of the Olympics.

However, none of that was down to a lack of goals from the 32-year-old, who has netted consistently all year. In fact, perhaps the moment that defines her 2021 the most was her hat-trick in that last eight clash in Tokyo, which still, somehow, ended with her on the losing side.

AdvertisementGetty/Goal19Sandra Panos (Barcelona)

Sandra Panos can often be overlooked as one of the best goalkeepers around, simply due to the nature of the incredibly strong defence that protects her at Barcelona – and with the Spain national team, too.

However, her place on this shortlist is well deserved, for the 28-year-old is an incredibly dependable shot-stopper who more than played her part in Barca's treble-win.

Getty/Goal18Stina Blackstenius (Hacken)

Stina Blackstenius is the type of player whose excellent form might have been overlooked were it not for the Olympics.

The 25-year-old has netted a superb 31 goals this calendar year, five of which came at the Games in Tokyo and two of them coming in that mauling of the U.S. women's national team.

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Getty/Goal17Sam Mewis (North Carolina Courage)

Sam Mewis' 2021 has been incredibly mixed. She shone with Manchester City in the first half of the year, though they would fall short in the Champions League and the Women's Super League title race.

She then had a less impactful Olympics with a struggling U.S. women's national team, though she did score a big goal in the quarter-finals and picked up a bronze medal.

But Mewis has not played since winning that in August, suffering an injury that continues to keep her out of action for the North Carolina Courage.

The 19-year-old is set to join Lyon this summer once she has shown the world just why she is regarded as one of the game's biggest talents

When GOAL first spoke to Melchie Dumornay, Haiti’s gifted teenager, she was still at home, soon to make the move to France to join talent factory Reims. As the interview came to a close, Dumornay, still only 17 years old at this point, outlined her ambitions for the future. Her first? To play for Lyon, the eight-time European champions, one day. Fast forward, two years and she’s set to tick that off her career bucket list, having joined the French giants this summer.

Her second aim was to win individual awards at the "next level", in order to "prove" herself. When the French league announced the winners of its annual awards in mid-May, as Dumornay's final season with Reims came to a close, the 19-year-old was named Best Young Player and also included in the Team of the Season, which featured just three names not representing Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain.

The final goal was quite different. “If God allows me to have a lot of success in the future, which translates into financial success, I want to be able to open a sort of academy back home in Haiti to provide opportunities to players in Haiti that I didn't have myself,” she explained, exuding maturity beyond her years.

“In Haiti, there are so many talents, not only in soccer, that just don't get a chance. I got that chance to be in an academy, but there are top players and top talents everywhere. It's important to try and put an eye on Haiti, to not miss out on so many talents. I hope that one day more people get the chance to get out of there.”

With her yet to celebrate her 20th birthday, it might take a little time for Dumornay to be able to box that one off. But she did something else to help Haiti this year – she scored the goal that sent her country to its first ever Women’s World Cup. It’s not an academy, but it’s a huge stage for many of her team-mates to make a name for themselves and prove, just as their talismanic teenager says, that there is a lot of talent in the Caribbean nation.

As Haiti prepare to make history at the tournament, pooled in Group D with England, Denmark and China, GOAL explains why Dumornay is so, so special…

GettyWhere it began

Dumornay started playing football from a young age in Haiti and would quickly make a name for herself in the national league, with AS Tigresses, and in the youth national teams.

For Haiti, she was often several years younger than the rest of her team-mates, playing at the CONCACAF Girls' Under-15 Championship aged 12 and the CONCACAF Women's U20 Championship aged 14.

At the latter, she played a key role in helping her country to finish third and qualify for the U20 Women's World Cup, becoming the first Caribbean nation to do so. She starred so much, even, that she was named to the tournament’s best XI.

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

It was at that U20 World Cup that Dumornay announced herself to a wider audience and, significantly, Reims manager Amandine Miquel. Still only 14 years old at the time, the youngster had to get special authorisation to play at the tournament, but she still managed to stand-out despite being so much younger than the majority of players on show.

It was against Germany, in Haiti’s final group game, that Dumornay caught the eye of Miquel and her staff. “She was way above the other players,” the coach told GOAL last year. “We knew we needed that player.”

It would be “hard” to get her to Reims because the club had to wait until she was 18 years old. Before she celebrated that milestone birthday, she’d had a trial at Lyon, too, who she impressed massively.

But Miquel stayed in regular contact with the teenager and she believes that is what “made the difference” in the end, as well as the development proposition the club could offer. “She knew she would be in a good championship but she would still be an important player and not just a substitute.”

It was the move that brought one of the world’s biggest and brightest young talents to a top European league.

GettyHow it’s going

Dumornay has now joined eight-time European champions Lyon after taking her game to the next level with Reims, scoring 18 goals and providing 11 assists in just 33 league matches with the club. That form won her the Best Young Player award at the end of the 2022-23 season and a place in the Team of the Season, giving her a great send off.

Her move to Lyon was announced back in January, to come in the summer when her contract at Reims expired. A month later, Dumornay fired her country to its first ever Women’s World Cup, scoring twice in the 2-1 win over Chile.

She’s now set to star in Australia and New Zealand this summer and has a chance to showcase herself on the biggest stage in the sport. It’s going quite well, then.

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GettyBiggest strengths

Where to start? Dumornay is a very intelligent footballer, which helps inform her decision-making, she’s technically outstanding, which makes her execution superb, and she has all the physical attributes to have been able to make a splash in the senior game at such a young age.

“She has all the required skills despite her age,” Reims team-mate Sonia Ouchene told GOAL last year. “I'm never surprised by players. There are really very, very few things that amaze me, and she is one of them, especially because of her age.

“Athletically, she is powerful and fast. In the game, she's very clever. Technically, she has everything you need, although of course she's going to improve in every aspect. She is a very complete player and she showed it very quickly on the field.”

Dumornay is also extremely versatile. She arrived at Reims as a midfielder capable of playing any role in the middle of the park, such is the wide variety of skills she has. But Miquel would also deploy her as a centre-forward at times, with her having the ability to out-muscle, out-run and out-think defenders. That she is great at bringing others into the game also proved a big asset in this position.

On top of it all, she’s a player her team-mates love to have around, one who makes jokes, has fun and brings positivity to any dressing room.

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be without Chris Gayle, who flown back to Jamaica to be with his partner for the birth of their first child. He is likely to miss the next two games

The Preview by Shashank Kishore19-Apr-2016Match factsWednesday, April 20, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big pictureChris Gayle won’t be returning to the Wankhede Stadium, where he slammed an unbeaten 100 off 48 balls against England during the World T20. He has flown back to Jamaica to be with his partner for the birth of their first child, and is likely to miss the next two games. That Royal Challengers have posted 227 and 191 this season despite Gayle contributing just one run in his two innings is a warning Mumbai, who have lost three of their four matches will take note of.In IPL 2014, Mumbai came from five games down to storm into the playoffs. In 2015, they lost five of their first six matches and won the title. The situation this time isn’t as dire, but there is still an air of uncertainty around the team.Injuries to Lendl Simmons and Lasith Malinga seem to have affected their combination. Rohit Sharma and Ambati Rayudu have moved up and down the order. Hardik Pandya’s elevation to No. 3 produced only 20 runs in three innings. Shreyas Gopal and J Suchith were left out after just one game each. Parthiv Patel’s inability to convert starts has put pressure on the middle order. Amidst a slew of ordinary performances, Krunal Pandya’s form lower down has been a massive boost.With only two matches left at their fortress before they shift base, most likely to Jaipur, Mumbai need to do all the running to avoid a late dash to the playoffs yet again.Just like Mumbai, Royal Challengers also have two points, but have played only two games so far. A superstar line-up minus Gayle will need firepower in the middle to build on starts. They were somewhat exposed by Delhi Daredevils, who conceded only 27 off the last four overs and carried that momentum into their chase. How Royal Challengers bounce back from a loss that Virat Kohli described as a “bitter pill to swallow” will, to some extent, depend on their young Indian players.In the spotlightAB de Villiers made 133 in his last outing against Mumbai at the Wankhede. In October, he made a match-winning 61-ball 119 in a series-deciding ODI at the same venue. With scores of 82 and 55 in his first two matches this season, de Villiers returns in red-hot form to a ground where he has a strong record.After being named captain of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, Martin Guptill, a surprise omission at the IPL auction, was brought in as a replacement for Simmons. On his IPL debut, Guptill was out in the first over to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His form could dictate who Mumbai persist with in their quest for a settled opening pair.Team newsGayle’s absence will force Royal Challengers into at least one change. Travis Head is in contention as a like-for-like replacement, or Shane Watson could open. Adam Milne, left out for S Aravind against Sunrisers Hyderabad, could enjoy the pace and bounce at the Wankhede, while Stuart Binny could come back to bolster the middle order.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable) 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Shane Watson, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Travis Head, 5 Sarfaraz Khan/Stuart Binny, 6 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 7 David Wiese, 8 Parvez Rasool, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Varun Aaron/S AravindWith Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan playing key roles with the ball, Mumbai could persist with the same overseas personnel. That could mean another game on the bench for Kieron Pollard. Mumbai Indians (probable) 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Rohit Sharma (capt), 5 Jos Buttler, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Jasprit BumrahPitch and conditionsThe might of two batting line-ups could take the surface out of the equation, even though the Wankhede has largely been flat in the recent past. Dew could be a factor in the second innings.Stats and trivia De Villiers and Kohli’s 215-run second-wicket stand at the Wankhede Stadium against Mumbai last year is the highest partnership in all T20s. Royal Challengers Bangalore enjoy a 3-2 head-to-head record over Mumbai at the Wankhede.Quotes”In his domestic career, Hardik has batted at the top of the order. But I guess it is fair to say that the experiment didn’t work for us. Rayudu played well in the last game and it is likely that he will remain at three.”

Erik ten Hag needs to fill the gap in his squad, but faces a difficult task in finding a defender who is unlikely to be a regular starter

Harry Maguire's days at Manchester United are numbered. After joining for a world-record transfer fee for a defender in 2019, Maguire had two up-and-down campaigns, one nightmare season and one year spent mostly sitting on the bench. He is now about to move to West Ham where he will hope to resurrect his club career and ensure he remains in Gareth Southgate's plans for England.

What should United do next, then? They had not initially prioritised bringing in a defender, but Maguire's imminent departure will leave them with only three natural centre-backs in the senior squad. The club have already spent more than £165 million ($209m) on three new arrivals this summer and could yet add another midfielder to their squad if they finalise a deal to sign Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.

They are already stretched financially and are unlikely to dedicate large funds to signing a player who is set to be behind Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and potentially Victor Lindelof in the pecking order.

On the other hand, their squad will be stretched over the course of the season as they aim to go deep in four competitions and return to the Champions League – remember Martinez and Varane picked up injuries in the same game last season – and centre-back is too important a position to be left to an inexperienced youngster.

GOAL, then, assesses United's options as they consider how to replace their former captain:

Getty ImagesBenjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)

France international Benjamin Pavard would not be a direct replacement for Maguire as he plays predominantly at right-back, although he has also featured on the right of a back three for Bayern Munich in recent seasons.

A World Cup and Champions League winner, Pavard has the experience and mentality to play for United. He would be a versatile option and would boost the squad overall, and as he has only one year left on his contract with Bayern, he will not command a huge fee, with reports suggesting he is worth around €30m (£26m/$33m).

However, he might be wary about giving up a regular place in Bayern's starting XI to leap into unknown territory at United. The Red Devils already have two solid right-backs in Diogo Dalot, who recently signed a long-term contract, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who last season produced some of the best performances of his United career to re-establish himself as the club's first-choice right-back.

AdvertisementGettyJean-Clair Todibo (Nice)

Jean-Clair Todibo left a trail of hype in his wake when he made his Ligue 1 debut for Toulouse, and after just 10 appearances he had been snapped up by Barcelona in January 2019. In hindsight, that move came far too early in his career as he rarely featured for the Catalans.

One year later, Todibo was loaned out to Schalke and then Benfica, although he never played a league game for the Lisbon giants, and he only started to settle again back in France with Nice, playing practically every Ligue 1 game since moving there in 2021.

Todibo, 23, would cost United around €30m (£26m/$33m) and the Red Devils have reportedly made enquiries about his availability.

GettyMarc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

Marc Guehi only missed one match all season for Crystal Palace and became the youngest captain in the Premier League after he was handed the armband at the age of 22. He has shown leadership qualities and maturity as well as bags of quality on the ball. In other words, he would be an excellent signing for United, who expressed their interest in him at the start of the summer.

The main obstacle to a potential move to Old Trafford is that Palace would likely ask for a minimum transfer fee of £50m, which would be too high for United for a squad player, especially after another expensive summer transfer window.

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GettyEdmond Tapsoba (Bayer Leverkusen)

Burkina Faso international Edmond Tapsoba has been one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in the last three seasons, and is renowned for his ball-playing abilities, which would see him fit right into Ten Hag's side.

The 24-year-old could be signed with the money United are set to receive for Maguire as he should be available for less than £30m (£38m), and he could develop into an eventual successor for Varane, who will turn 31 later this season and has a tendency to pick up small injuries.

Inter Miami could miss out on signing Argentine midfielder Federico Redondo as they are unwilling to match Argentinos Juniors' asking price.

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Inter Miami could miss out on signing RedondoUnwilling to pay $8m (£6m) transfer feeThe clubs are set to meet again on SaturdayWHAT HAPPENED?

According to earlier reports, the Major League Soccer club were close to signing Redondo from Argentinos Juniors for a record $8m (£6m) transfer fee. But now journalist reports that Lionel Messi's club are now unwilling to pay the amount as they will not be able to shell out that kind of money to comply with MLS's financial regulations.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The journalist further added that the deal is not off yet and the representatives of Argentinos Juniors and The Herons will meet once again on Saturday to negotiate the terms. The Argentine club are likely to give a day's deadline to Inter Miami to return to the earlier agreement or else they will not make the sale.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 21-year-old is the son of Real Madrid legend Fernando. He has represented the Argentine U23 side and is likely to feature for the national team at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

Messi and Co. played their final pre-season friendly match against Newell's Old Boys on Thursday where they were held to a 1-1 draw. They will kick off proceedings in the 2024 MLS season on February 22 against Real Salt Lake.

Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions, have recruited Azhar Mahmood and Johan Botha as replacements for the injured pair of James Neesham and Chris Lynn for this IPL season

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Mar-2015Kolkata Knight Riders, the defending champions, have recruited Azhar Mahmood and Johan Botha as replacements for the injured pair of James Neesham and Chris Lynn for this IPL season due to begin on April 8.Neesham, who failed to make New Zealand’s World Cup squad, has not regained match fitness after an unspecified injury. He had played four matches for Delhi Daredevils in 2014, was let go and later bought by Knight Riders for Rs 50 lakh during the auction in February.Lynn was ruled out for 10 weeks after a hamstring problem in the Sheffield Shield earlier this month. He equalled the record for the fastest fifty in the Big Bash League and finished ninth on the charts with 243 runs at a strike rate of 148.17. His first-class season had begun with a shoulder concern, but they were laid to rest during a double-century against Victoria in Brisbane. With form behind him, Lynn could have filled the vacancy left by Jacques Kallis, who retired from all forms of the game last year.Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders chief executive, admitted losing Lynn and Neesham was untimely, but was confident that Mahmood and Botha would excel.Mahmood’s vast experience – he has played 213 T20s – and knowledge of Indian conditions worked in his favour. He has played two seasons in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab – 2012 and 2013 – and made 382 runs at a strike-rate of 129.05. In 22 matches, he has also taken 29 wickets at an economy rate of 7.61.Botha, who played three seasons with Rajasthan Royals and then turned out for Daredevils in 2013, was picked by the coach Trevor Bayliss as cover for allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who will miss a part of the IPL due to national commitments since Bangladesh are scheduled to host Pakistan from April 15.Botha had an average BBL as a bowler, but as captain he led Adelaide Strikers into the semi-final. “He is the Shakib type of player,” Mysore said. “Whenever Shakib is unavailable Botha fits in in with similar skills.”Shakib is likely to play the first two matches at Eden Gardens – the tournament opener against Mumbai Indians on April 8 and three days later against Royal Challengers Bangalore. “He will play as many games as possible before and after the Pakistan tour,” Mysore said. “BCB has been most cooperative with us and keeping mind the Pakistan schedule he will be allowed to play to the extent possible.”

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain, even though the next World T20 is four years away

Firdose Moonda29-Mar-20163:53

‘SA stars will feel this missed opportunity’

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain even though the next World T20 is four years away. Du Plessis, who is 31, considers himself “on the right side of 30,” to keep playing international cricket in the foreseeable future.Du Plessis is one of four South African players to have reached 1,000 T20 runs – the others being JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – and has led them since February 2013. All four players play in all three formats and are among a group that also includes Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, who are expected to give up some formats of the game in the near future.”The wrong side of 30 would be over 35. I am 31. That’s the right side of 30 and see myself playing a big role,” du Plessis said. “I haven’t thought of stopping playing T20 cricket. I feel my performances speak for themselves.”Du Plessis fined for dissent

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after he was found guilty of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. It is his second such offence in 12 months – the first came against India in Chennai in October 2015 – and a third before October 2016 would lead to a suspension.
The incident had occurred during South Africa’s final World T20 match against Sri Lanka, when du Plessis was ruled lbw by umpire S Ravi in the 13th over. Replays later indicated that there was an inside edge before ball hit the pad. An ICC release said Du Plessis showed dissent “by occupying the crease for a period of time before leaving the field while looking at his bat and shaking his head.” After the match, du Plessis admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match referee Jeff Crowe.

After South Africa completed their World T20 campaign with a facile victory over Sri Lanka in Delhi, du Plessis suggested de Villiers was fully committed to all formats but told reporters they would have to ask Steyn himself if he wants to continue. Amla had earlier in the week claimed South Africa’s big names still had more to offer and du Plessis has put his name on the list of those who do.”I love captaining South Africa. I think some of the players, yes, won’t be there in four years,” he said. “But there won’t be a lot of T20 cricket in the next while. So we can look at it in terms of a few younger guys coming through and building for the future. It’s impossible to look four years ahead. It’s an incredibly long time but for now I am loving playing T20 cricket and loving captaining South Africa.”South Africa are not scheduled to play their next T20s until a home series against Sri Lanka in January 2017, which means du Plessis will not have to take on much of a leadership role before then while CSA will also undergo an extensive post-season review. Still, he hopes that the progress the T20 side had made in the last few months – which included series wins over Bangladesh India and England – will not be forgotten and they can use that as a springboard to develop their other formats.”The T20 side has been very successful of late. We didn’t produce at an ICC tournament. The T20 World Cup is a tough one. Your easy game is supposed to be Afghanistan and they are just as good in these conditions,” he said. “Our ODI side has also team has improved a lot. Two years ago we were in a bit of a hole and we rebuilt the side, now the Test side is there.”South Africa have come through one of their least successful periods with defeats in successive Test series and the bubble bursting on the fine limited-overs form they built up. Du Plessis believes the foundations for fixing things are there, they just need some fine-tuning.”In terms of ticking the boxes we had all areas covered. We had great variety in pace bowling. We had different combinations to play. We had great spin options, all round options. Everything was there,” he said. “It was just a case of how to you deliver on the day when the pressure is on and that’s the difference between winning a World Cup and getting knocked out.”

Victory over Southampton on Friday will see the Gunners back at the top table of European football for the first time since 2017

Arsenal are just one win away from guaranteeing themselves a return to the promised land. It’s been more than six years since the Gunners last graced the Champions League, but victory against Southampton on Friday will guarantee that Mikel Arteta's side will be back competing in Europe’s top club competition once again.

Clearly, there is far more at stake for Arsenal this season, with the Premier League title still on the line.

But guaranteeing Champions League qualification for 2023-24 will be another important milestone in the club’s route back to competing with the best Europe has to offer.

So what will a return to the Champions League mean to Arsenal going forward?

The end of a long journey 

Before we get into what the return of Champions League football will bring to Arsenal in terms of finances and squad building, the first thing that must be said is that it will bring to an end a long and difficult journey for the club.

It’s been six years since Arsenal were last in Europe’s most prestigious competition. For a club that had been used to dining out at the top table for so long, that has been incredibly hard to deal with.

Fans have had to endure some pretty miserable moments in the Europa League, including the mauling by Chelsea in Baku and the disappointment of Olympiacos, Sporting CP and Villarreal.

So to be able to put that period behind them and once again walk out at Emirates Stadium on a Champions League night will be absolutely huge for everyone connected to the club. It will also be a real symbol of just how far they have come in such a short space of time.

It wasn’t long ago that Arsenal were bottom of the Premier League after the worst start to the season in the club’s history. Now they can soon start preparing for a return to the biggest club competition in the game.

It will be a very special moment when that Champions League anthem is played at Emirates Stadium for the first time next season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA huge financial boost 

Clearly, this will be a huge thing for Arsenal and owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE)

They’ve had to operate without the riches of the Champions League since 2017, and even though they have still spent well during that period, the extra cash that it will bring will be most welcome.

The difference between what’s on offer in the Champions League and Europa League is vast. UEFA figures for the 2021-22 season show that in the Champions League just over £1.76 billion ($2.2bn) of revenue was shared between the clubs involved. That fell to £409m ($509m) in the Europa League.

When Arsenal reached the Europa League final in 2019 and were beaten by Chelsea, they received just £32m ($40m) in total revenue from that run through the competition. Chelsea, as winners, received £39m ($48.5m).

Compare that to last season in the Champions League, when Chelsea pocketed just over £80m ($99.5m) for reaching the quarter-finals, and it shows you just how big the difference can be.

Manchester United meanwhile, who topped their group, but then were knocked out by Atletico Madrid in the last 16, still received around £68.5m ($85m).

That is what will be on offer for Arsenal next season.

GettySpending big in the transfer market 

More money will bring more opportunities in the transfer market.

Arsenal have still spent well since 2017, but the extra cash that will be coming the club’s way will certainly help when it comes to continuing the squad rebuild that Arteta and Edu have been undertaking.

The focus this summer will be on adding real quality, with Arsenal looking to sign players they believe could make an immediate impact on the squad.

Declan Rice is a priority target, and the expectation is that Arsenal will push hard to see off real competition from Chelsea to land the West Ham captain.

Signing a player like Rice, given the potential price tag and the level of rival clubs also in the mix for the England international, would have felt almost impossible at Arsenal just a short time ago.

But the journey they have been on, and with Champions League football on the horizon, it is now a very distinct possibility. 

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GettyA more attractive proposition

To sign players of the stature of Rice, you have to be an attractive proposition. Arsenal have always been one of those, but being able to offer Champions League football just takes it up another level.

Every single top player wants to play in Europe’s elite competition. If you can’t offer that, especially if you are battling with rival clubs that can, then you are always at a disadvantage when it comes to negotiations.

So Arsenal having the lure of the Champions League once again will only make it easier to land their priority targets, something they have struggled to do at times in recent years.

Mauricio Pochettino is looking for his Chelsea squad to “grow up” after losing Malo Gusto and Nicolas Jackson to untimely suspensions.

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Argentine coach struggling to pick up resultsInjuries & suspensions doing cause few favoursSpark required from somewhere at Stamford BridgeWHAT HAPPENED?

The two big-money summer signings will be forced to sit out important fixtures over the coming weeks after their recent disciplinary misdemeanours. Gusto was shown a red card during Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, while Jackson picked up his fifth booking in just six games.

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Both will now serve bans, with Gusto seeing an initial yellow card against Villa upgraded to an instant dismissal following a VAR check on his studs-up challenge on Lucas Digne. Jackson, meanwhile, has added to Chelsea's striker woes as he prepares to head for the stands – with a team already lacking in firepower losing another attacking option.

WHAT THEY SAID

Pochettino, who is coming under mounting pressure after only inheriting the managerial reins at Stamford Bridge over the summer, has said when challenging his youthful squad to show greater maturity: “We need to grow up like a team. A player like Nico is so young and is feeling the Premier League and is learning. He made the mistake. We feel disappointed because we are paying for too many situations like this. It was a little bit unlucky [to lose] because of how many chances they created. We cannot say that the players gave up after 70 minutes. They were fighting until the end with one player less. First half we deserved a little bit more. I think we had control of the game. After the red card, the game changed. With 11 men and 10 men, it’s two different games.”

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Pochettino said of Gusto’s sending off: “Being honest, it was in front of me but I didn’t see. I cannot say it wasn’t a red card. We need to trust the referee and the VAR. Difficult to judge because I didn’t see. It’s the player’s responsibility. We cannot blame the referee. But we cannot blame Malo Gusto because sometimes things happen in football.”

Chelsea – with just five Premier League points to their name this season – will be back in action on Wednesday when facing Brighton in the third round of the Carabao Cup.