Premier League

‘Arsenal Have Made Worst Signing Of The Premier League Season So Far’

Arsenal will be eager to get back to winning ways once the international break comes to an end. The Gunners have failed to win in four Premier League games and are yet to triumph in a match this month.

ESPN pundit Steve Nicol has criticised one Gunners summer signing for having “done zero” since arriving at the Emirates Stadium.

Steve Nicol deems Arsenal’s Raheem Sterling the worst signing of the season so far
The player in question is Raheem Sterling, who joined Arsenal on loan from Chelsea in the last few minutes on deadline day last summer.

Sterling has made eight appearances for the Gunners since his move from Stamford Bridge, of which four have been starts, and he has registered one goal.

Nicol deemed Sterling the worst signing so far in the 2024/25 Premier League season, something which baffled some of his colleagues.

Dan Thomas said: “Sterling seems a weird one, Stevie, out of everyone…” To which Nicol replied: “What’s he done?”

Thomas responded: “But what did you expect him to do? He’s going to be playing bits and pieces…”

Nicol said: “Let’s be honest, what has he done? He’s done zero.

“I mean, at the very least, come on and give Martinelli and Saka on the other side a break and push the rest of the players to be better.

“I mean, just all the things, all the reasons that he was brought.

“You know, use your experience, push the other two to be better, giving them competition, and then when you do get a chance, make it count.

“I mean, he’s done nothing, absolutely zero. (I expected) more than zero, I expected more than nothing at all, absolutely.

“Okay call me crazy, but if you sign somebody and they do nothing, that’s not good.”

What Raheem Sterling’s Arsenal colleagues have said about him
Nicol’s choice for the worst signing of the season so far certainly raised eyebrows among at least one of his colleagues at ESPN FC.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has sung Sterling’s praises, calling him “exceptional” just a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Zinchenko says Sterling can be unstoppable once he gets going.

“He’s the guy who can always make the difference, the impact he can can have for any team around the world is amazing honestly,” Zinchenko has said.

“I know him well and the skills and the desire, when he wants to on his day, he’s unstoppable.”

Arsenal are next in action on Saturday when they host Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.

Click to comment

Premier League

Scholes suggests Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players at Man United

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes that current manager Ruben Amorim may need to offload up to 14 players as part of a major rebuild.

Scholes stated that Amorim faces a far bigger rebuilding job than Mikel Arteta did at Arsenal, citing the challenges Amorim has encountered since taking over at Old Trafford. The 40-year-old manager recently referred to the team as the worst in the club’s history.

Scholes highlighted Arteta’s transformation of Arsenal, which began when he inherited a team in disarray. Arteta’s success came through significant player changes, such as moving on Matteo Guendouzi, Mesut Ozil, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Amorim appears to be following a similar path. He has left Marcus Rashford out of his matchday squad for over a month and has also sidelined Casemiro.

“The trouble Amorim’s got is there’s not just three of them,” Scholes told The Overlap fan debate. “You could be talking about 13 or 14 of them he doesn’t want.”

Premier League

PGMOL stands by referee Michael Oliver amid controversial red card, assigns him to key fixtures

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has decided not to drop referee Michael Oliver for the upcoming Premier League fixtures despite recent controversy.

Oliver has faced criticism for his decision to send off Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly during Saturday’s match against Wolves. The 39-year-old referee issued a straight red card to Lewis-Skelly after he caught Wolves defender Matt Doherty’s calf and ankle with his studs. The decision was upheld by VAR, and Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory at Molineux.

There had been speculation that Oliver would be sidelined due to the backlash and online abuse. However, he is scheduled to referee Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Barcelona and Atalanta.

The Premier League has confirmed that Oliver will officiate Ipswich Town’s match against Southampton at Portman Road on Saturday.

Additionally, he has been assigned to handle next month’s rescheduled Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.

Premier League

Mac Allister’s father reveals Klopp’s influence on his decision to join Liverpool

Alexis Mac Allister’s father has revealed that former manager Jurgen Klopp played a key role in his son’s decision to join Liverpool.

The Argentine midfielder made the £35M move to the Reds from Brighton in 2023, following a release clause in his contract with the Seagulls. Klopp’s persuasion was instrumental in sealing the deal.

Speaking to RG, Mac Allister’s father shared that his son has no regrets about joining Liverpool.

“When he was about to play in Qatar, we sat down with Brighton and negotiated a good release clause,” Mac Allister Sr. recalled. “So that he could deliver a good performance in the World Cup and go to a bigger team, which he did.”

“We chose Liverpool because Klopp wanted him a lot, and they were going through a rebuild. Klopp fell in love with him and gave him a lot of opportunities, which he did not waste.”

Mac Allister has delivered impressive performances, highlighted by his standout displays in the World Cup and Copa America. His father emphasized his son’s all-around abilities: “He delivered a fantastic World Cup and a very good Copa America and has shown unique attributes. People mostly talk about Alexis’ offensive abilities, but he also has the seventh-most recoveries in the Premier League.”

“There are many footballers who attack well, many who defend well, but there aren’t many like Alexis who attack and defend well.”