Arsenal's out-of-favor playmaker Mesut Özil has been left out of their Europa League squad for the 2020-21 campaign, giving rise to media speculation that he might have played his last game for the Premier League side.
As major clubs watch their fan bases increase exponentially around the world, lower league clubs are often forgotten. Everybody is a Chelsea fan, a Manchester United devotee or a Real Madrid supporter. They would probably associate Fleetwood with the famous band and not the League One side.
But supporting a small European club from the other side of the pond has to be the most testing of fandoms. The matches are rarely televised (even in the age of ESPN+), highlights are difficult to find and most of the people in your life probably haven't even heard of the team.
Mesut Özil has fallen out of favor at Arsenal. There's no debating that. The last year or two have been brutal for the German. A year ago Arsenal shafted him for having the cajones to call out China on its concentration camp BS and now he mostly sits on the bench after falling off Mikel Arteta’s radar.
As the transfer window slammed shut on Monday, two former England internationals were left stuck outside in the cold.
Ex-Manchester United and Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck and former Gunner Jack Wilshere ended the trading period without clubs after their contracts were terminated.
Welbeck was released by Watford after their relegation from the Premier League left them looking to cut their wage bill. Media reports said the 29-year-old, who has suffered a series of injuries in his career, was earning $130,000 a week at the club.
Manchester United made four signings on transfer deadline day, including Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani while European champions Bayern Munich strengthened with two new arrivals. But the biggest single move of the final day of deal-making was midfielder Thomas Partey making a $58.46 million switch from Atletico Madrid to Arsenal.
United signed Cavani on a free transfer, Brazilian left back Alex Telles from Porto, Uruguayan 18-year-old winger Facundo Pellistri and reached an agreement to sign Atalanta's teenage winger Amad Diallo.
The English soccer season has not yet completed its first month, yet it has already produced the highest scoring weekend in the Premier League era.
10 games
44 goals
0 drawsOfficially the highest scoring Premier League weekend in the 20 team era pic.twitter.com/Rn8oQ0Uy3i— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 21, 2020
Chelsea stars Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell are in hot water along with Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho after video was released from a party held in London this past weekend.
Abraham, celebrating his 23rd birthday, came home to a large group of friends and family ready to surprise him. His Chelsea teammate Chilwell and Dortmund’s Sancho were among the group.
Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has said their embarrassing 7-2 thrashing at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday was unacceptable and vowed that the players will react positively after the international break.
Tottenham Hotspur's Jose Mourinho delivered a sharp riposte to critics of his "defensive" style on Sunday, saying after their 6-1 Premier League win over Manchester United that they would have scored 10 if only they had a more attacking coach.
Arsenal’s iconic mascot is no more. In August the club announced that it was going to layoff 55 employees because of monetary losses due to the pandemic. It has been revealed that Gunnersaurus — Arsenal’s loving sideline dinosaur since 1993 — has also been let go, per The Athletic.