Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal’s Champions League history is irrelevant and challenged his side to prove they belong at the tournament’s business end as they prepare to face Porto in the last 16.
The Gunners are back in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in seven years but have failed to progress past this stage since 2010.
Arsenal will be firm favourites at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night as Arteta looks to go further in the Champions League than he ever managed as a player at the club.
Next stop: Porto
— Arsenal (@Arsenal)
“They (the players) know that we have not been in the competition for seven years,” the Spaniard said.
“Obviously some of them were here and they know the story and they know that…
Belgium s Eden Hazard was a standout performer in the Rode Duivels 4-0 win over Hungary to help book the side s place in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
Belgium forward Eden Hazard was outstanding as the Rode Duivels enjoyed a 4-0 win against Hungary in the last-16 of the European Championships on Sunday.
The Chelsea man scored and made an assist at the Stadium Municipal, and was running Hungary ragged throughout.
He was the best player on the park, and finally delivered a performance expected of him as Belgium look ahead to their quarter-final clash to come.
Hazard the driving force in each Belgium attack
The 25-year-old had the second-most touches (71) in the Belgium side in the comfortable win over Hungary, and looked in the mood to beat his man…
England could challenge for the 2022 World Cup, according to Germany great Lothar Matthaus.
Gareth Southgate s men have been drawn against Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G for the 2018 event in Russia, but they are not considered among the favourites.
Matthaus – who won the 1990 World Cup – feels England should be contenders in four years time.
The former Bayern Munich star pointed to the country s success at the Under-17 World Cup last year, but he believes Germany could go back-to-back by lifting the trophy in Russia.
England have a very good team, young team, he said.
Maybe the World Cup is coming four years too early but for the next World Cup I think they have very good players and have made good results with the youth team in the…
Bayern Munich midfielder Corentin Tolisso has vowed to come back stronger in 2019 after he suffered a serious knee injury against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday.
Having scored Bayern s first goal in the 3-1 victory, Tolisso had to be taken off during the first half at Allianz Arena after going down innocuously in the middle of the pitch.
Bayern confirmed after the game that the former Lyon man had torn his anterior cruciate knee ligament and would be set for several months on the sidelines.
Tolisso posted a tweet on Sunday to say he would be back stronger next year.
I ll be back stronger, see you soon in 2019, the World Cup winner wrote.
Je reviendrais plus fort , on se voit en 2019
I will be back stronger , see you soon in 2019
West Ham United want to sign Armando Broja from London and Premier League rivals Chelsea in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that a number of clubs are keen on Broja, adding that West Ham are leading the race for the striker.
Broja has been on the books of Chelsea since 2009 and is now part of the first team. The 22-year-old Albania international striker, though, is not guaranteed a place in the starting lineup. The youngster has made three starts and five substitute appearances in the Premier League for the Blues this season, scoring one goal in the process.
West Ham are ninth in the Premier League table at the moment with 24 points from 16 matches, nine points behind defending champions Manchester City. Meanwhile, Chelsea currently fi…
Wayne Rooney returned to fire England to the top of Group D and into the knockout stages of Euro 2012 after a 1-0 victory over Ukraine.
The co-hosts dominated much of the opening half and England were happy to go into the break level despite having the best chance through Rooney, however Roy Hodgson s side came out with a much more positive attitude in the second half and the Manchester United striker scored the 29th goal of his international career to keep England s unbeaten record in this competition intact.
England s goal continued to lead a charmed life throughout the second half though and they were indebted to John Terry for a fantastic goal line clearance in the 62nd minute following Joe Hart s save from Marko Devic.
After missing the first two group game…
Germany have shown they have the patience required to break down defensive-minded Greece in their Euro 2012 quarter-final on Friday.
But coach Joachim Loew may need to consider some changes on the flanks to get the win against a stubborn Greek side.
Germany have been criticised for abandoning the attacking football that impressed fans at the 2010 World Cup but Loew hit back in the lead-up to Friday s quarter-final by blaming the opposition.
Loew claimed the teams they have played have not allowed Germany the space to attack at Euro 2012 and argued three wins and five goals in Group B was an impressive result.
Look at these opponents, even the Dutch retreated against us, Loew said.
You can t always play as vertically as you want, it can be a con…
Ellen White has announced her retirement at the age of 33, finishing her career as England women s all-time leading goalscorer.
Manchester City forward White was in the first England women s team to lift a major trophy when she was part of the squad that won the Euro 2022 title at Wembley Stadium in July, beating Germany 2-1 in the final.
She came through the Arsenal academy before leaving to join Chelsea in 2005, where she spent three seasons before joining Leeds United.
During her time at Leeds, she scored on her England debut in a 3-0 win over Austria in March 2010.
White returned to Arsenal later in the year and stayed for three years, winning three league titles and two FA Cups in a successful spell.
She then spent time with Notts County…
Jimmy Greaves is among the finest players England has ever produced and remained one of the great entertainers long into retirement.
Tottenham, Chelsea and England icon Greaves died on September 19 at the age of 81.
A naturally clinical finisher with both feet, who terrorised defences throughout a record-breaking career, the inside forward is the leading goalscorer in the history of the English top flight.
The World Cup winner found the back of the net a staggering 357 times in 516 First Division games and ended six seasons as the highest scorer.
He is also Spurs record goalscorer, having notched an incredible 266 goals from 379 appearances, and is fourth on the list of England s leading scorers, with 44 from 57 matches – including a record six hat-…
No English team has lifted the Champions League trophy since Chelsea s 2012 triumph, but the Premier League s five participants in this season s competition appear in a good position to change that.
Wins for Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool on Wednesday moved the tournament s English teams on to 15 victories.
Spurs and City are already assured of a place in the last 16 while Chelsea, following their 3-0 defeat to Roma on Tuesday, are the only Premier League side that is not top of a group.
Here, with the help of Opta data, we look at the numbers behind what has so far been one of the best Champions League campaigns for Premier League teams for some time.
15 English clubs have already won more Champions League games this season (15) than in the e…