American-born defender Eric Lichaj had a deal with his wife: Score a hat trick and she will finally let him get a dog. The Nottingham Forest defender came oh so close to scoring a hat trick against Arsenal during the FA Cup on Sunday. After Lichaj asked Twitter to bombard his wife with dog memes, she caved. Eric Lichaj finally has a dog.
After scoring 226 goals in a sensational eighty-year stint with Arsenal from 1999 to 2007, Thierry Henry’s sale to Barcelona was seemingly the end of the Frenchman’s legendary time with the Gunners. Five years later, after a period with Barcelona and currently on the books with Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls, Henry romantically returned to his beloved club on a two-month loan deal.
Arsene Wenger was probably going to be fired after failing to qualify for the Champions League with Arsenal last season. However, Arsenal won the FA Cup, and Wenger held on to his job.
He is still holding on to it, but his position has become a little more precarious after Arsenal was bounced, 4-2, from Wenger's favorite competition (he has won seven times with Arsenal) by Nottingham Forest and in particular American defender Eric Lichaj.
Philippe Coutinho is finally a Barcelona player after months of speculation, two dubious injuries during transfer windows and several rejected bids from Barcelona. No secret was made of the Brazilian international's desire to move from Liverpool to Barcelona, but few could have foreseen Coutinho's desire being so desirous that he reportedly paid out of his own pocket to help finance the deal, one of the most lucrative in history.
Lukas Podolski, a World Cup winner with Germany and a former striker for Arsenal and Bayern Munich, has always been a fan favorite, wherever he goes. The man with a hammer for a left leg is finishing out his career in Japan with Vissel Kobe right now, but while back in Cologne rehabbing an injury he opened up a doner kebab shop over the weekend to plenty of fanfare.
Philippe Coutinho’s official presentation as a Barcelona player took place at the Camp Nou today with the world’s second-most expensive footballer of all-time going through the usual rigamarole, only with the price tag of $192.7 million attached to him.
With Manchester City holding an unassailable 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, the managerial mind games in the race for second place began in earnest on Thursday with Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho outlining how his work sets up future managers for success and how he refuses to “behave as a clown on the touchline,” both quips being viewed as digs at Chelsea coach Antonio Conte.
In the end, it’s all shock and horror for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal FC. Their 4-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday means it’s the first time since Wenger became Arsenal’s manager that they’ve failed to progress past the third round — a record of 21 straight seasons that’s now over. Forest are also the first team from a lower division to score four or more goals against Arsenal in the FA Cup since 1908.
Liverpool has finally sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona. Initial numbers suggest Coutinho will net the Reds in the neighborhood of $192.7 million, a decent chunk of change for Jurgen Klopp to spend on a replacement or six. So let’s go ahead and start the totally unfounded Christian Pulisic to Liverpool speculation.
After months of speculation, Philippe Coutinho is moving to Barcelona. According to reports, the midfield maestro and pocket cannon will leave Liverpool for a reported $192.7 million. The Coutinho transfer fee ranks second all-time on the list of most expensive transfers in world football.