Sports
EPL: I was under pressure to play Nwaneri against West Ham – Arteta
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has claimed he was pressured to play Ethan Nwaneri in their 6-0 win over West Ham on Sunday.
Speaking after the game, Arteta revealed that his players forced him to bring on the 16-year-old.
Nwaneri made his first senior appearance of the season as a substitute in the 77th minute, replacing Gabriel Martinelli.
Arteta has admitted he wasn’t planning on bringing the teenager on.
He said: “There is something that you have to earn in your team and that is the trust of your team-mates. I had two things.
“One, the players on the bench whispering ‘Bring Ethan in!’, which is a great thing to hear.
“The other thing is for your teammates to give you the ball all the time. If they do that, it’s because they really trust you and you only have to see how many times he was involved in that. So it’s a great sign.”
Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League.
This follows the completion of the quarter-final second legs on Tuesday.
In the first game, PSG travelled to Liverpool with a 2-0 advantage from the first leg.
Although there were no goals in the first half, Ousmane Dembele netted twice after the break as the holders progressed into the final four.
At the Wanda Metropolitano, Atletico qualified for the semi-final despite losing 2-1.
Diego Simeone’s men had won 2-0 at the Nou Camp and at home, Ademola Lookman’s goal proved crucial after Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres levelled the tie on aggregate/
PSG will face the winner of Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid await the winner of Arsenal vs Sporting.
Midfielder Enzo Fernández is set to return to the Chelsea FC squad this week after resolving internal issues with the club.
According to manager Liam Rosenior, the Argentine international has held discussions with the coaching staff, the leadership group, and his teammates following a recent incident that led to his absence.
“Enzo has spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players, and so now we look forward to welcoming him back,” Rosenior said.
He added that Fernández personally requested the meetings as part of efforts to address the situation and move forward with the team.
“He wanted to have a conversation with the leadership group, and he wanted to speak to the players,” the manager explained.
Senior officials at Arsenal have reportedly identified Como head coach and former club captain, Cesc Fabregas, as the ideal candidate to replace Mikel Arteta, amid growing uncertainty over the Spaniard’s future at the Emirates.
According to reports by Mundo Deportivo, Arteta could be in his final days as Arsenal manager if the club’s season ends without major silverware.
The Gunners began 2026 on a great note and in the running for four trophies.
But Arsenal were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and lost to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final.
Arteta’s men had the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points on Saturday, but ended up losing 2-1 to Bournemouth at home.
The result saw a lot of supporters walk out of the stadium before the full-time whistle, as the fanbase becomes apprehensive of the team bottling the title again.
The poor run of form is also being discussed in the boardroom and the hierarchy believes there might be need to change the manager if the team fails to win any silverware.
Former Arsenal captain, Fabregas, who is leading Como’s charge to qualify for Europe, is a heavy favourite for the role if Arteta leaves.
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