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Inside Arsenal’s astonishing dressing room bust-up with Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Shkodran Mustafi all in firing line

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FURIOUS Arsenal stars are stabbing each other in the back over the club’s dreadful run of form.

The blame game in the Arsenal dressing room began after Brighton condemned them to a fourth successive defeat.

 The Arsenal dressing room is fractured with stars turning against themselves and the manager

DAVID KLEIN: The Arsenal dressing room is fractured with stars turning against themselves and the manager

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is desperately trying to restore team spirit after his angry stars turned on each other after the 2-1 defeat at the Amex.

Mesut Ozil, who recently signed the biggest contract in the history of the club, is in the firing line after another disappearing act.

January signing Henrik Mkhitaryan, struggling to find his feet at Arsenal, is under the spotlight for failing to track runners just as he came up short at Manchester United.

He and Ozil together are a soft under-belly which is being exploited by opponents.

 Mesut Ozil is in the firing line for yet another disappearing act

GETTY IMAGES – GETTY: Mesut Ozil is in the firing line for yet another disappearing act

 Henrikh Mkhitaryan is being criticised by stars in the dressing room for failing to track his runners

REUTERS: Henrikh Mkhitaryan is being criticised by stars in the dressing room for failing to track his runners

Defender Shkodran Mustafi has also been fingered because he always passes the blame on to other players when Arsenal concede goals.

Hector Bellerin is also furious with Wenger after being axed just two hours before kick-off at Brighton.

Bellerin expected to play after training at right back in the build up to the latest defeat, but was told he was dropped when Wenger announced his team to face the Seagulls.

Wenger is desperate to rebuild team morale, but they are at war with each other after four straight defeats.

 Hector Bellerin is furious at manager Arsene Wenger following his snub at Brighton

REX FEATURES: Hector Bellerin is furious at manager Arsene Wenger following his snub at Brighton

 Shkodran Mustafi is happy to blame everyone but himself for the shoddy goals Arsenal continue to concede

GETTY IMAGES – GETTY: Shkodran Mustafi is happy to blame everyone but himself for the shoddy goals Arsenal continue to concede

Arsenal have no hope of finishing in the top four of the Premier League and face a tough Europa League clash with Milan on Thursday.

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Wenger is under massive pressure at Arsenal, but remains hopeful he can still get back into the Champions League if they can go all the way in the Europa.

But without a leader in the side, it appears an uphill task.

Against Brighton they went into the game without an idea.

They had no proper plans to deal with the Seagull’s set pieces, no specific tactical instructions, no real insight from one of the game’s greatest managers.

Wenger wanted Arsenal’s players to work it out for themselves, to find solutions on the field after three hugely damaging defeats on the trot.

 Arsenal had no proper plan and no leaders in their side as Brighton exploited the team's many weaknesses

REUTERS/EDDIE KEOGH: Arsenal had no proper plan and no leaders in their side as Brighton exploited the team’s many weaknesses

Fine if you have Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry wearing the club’s famous colours.

Not so clever when you are relying on Mustafi, Ozil and Mkhitaryan to get you out of bother.

Wenger’s voice, full of authority and conviction when the Gunners were one of English football’s leading clubs, is losing its impact.

Nobody is listening anymore, nobody is really taking any notice.

The only murmur of discontent when Wenger named his side to start at Brighton was from full-back Bellerin.

The defender had trained for two days at right-back in the build-up to their trip to the seaside, but only found out he was out of the team when Wenger named the 11.

 Locals in plush Totteridge are worried about Wenger who is often spotted dining alone

REUTERS/EDDIE KEOGH: Locals in plush Totteridge are worried about Wenger who has often spotted dining alone

Calum Chambers, who played in the previous Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, was suddenly pressed into action.

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Bellerin, battered by Arsenal Fan TV for wearing slippers around London, believed he was being made the scapegoat for their dreadful run of form.

In the event, it did not matter what team Wenger put out at the Amex on Sunday lunchtime.

They were destined to lose anyway, beaten for the fourth game in a row after goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray set Brighton on the way to a 2-1 win.

When they came in at the final whistle Wenger barely said a word, leaving the players to sit and stare vacantly at each other again.

Chris Hughton’s side had done some extra training on set pieces ahead of Arsenal’s visit, identifying some of the vulnerabilities in this shoddy defence.

 Wenger appears to have given up having started to doubt his own ability to turnaround their fortunes

REUTERS
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Wenger appears to have given up having started to doubt his own ability to turnaround their fortunes

Wenger used to have all the answers, passing on tips that turned the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Bobby Pires, Vieira and Henry into world beaters.

When Henry struggled for goals in his first few months in English football, Wenger pulled him to one side and told him to spend more time in the penalty area.

Those little touches, those chats with Wenger on the training ground, made all the difference.

More than two decades into the job, Wenger is starting to doubt his ability to rebuild this troubled club.

He does not review games, ­seldom showing Arsenal’s players where they went wrong, or telling them what to work on to get back into his team.

It is every man for himself now. The team spirit has been eroded, shredded after their morale-sapping 3-0 defeats by City in Cup and Premier League and the humiliation at home to Swedish minnows Ostersunds in the Europa League.

Arsenal, once a secretive, covert operation, is a leaky bucket now.

 Mikel Arteta, linked to replace Wenger as boss, is not a popular figure in the dressing room

GETTY IMAGES – GETTY: Mikel Arteta, linked to replace Wenger as boss, is not a popular figure in the dressing room

Wenger, 68, is all alone. The locals in Wenger’s neighbourhood of Totteridge, the upscale North London suburb that the Frenchman calls home, worry about him.

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He often dines on his own, walking into some of the local restaurants instead of spending another night home alone.

Everybody at Arsenal — directors, players, supporters — are turning their backs on him.

He occasionally pops up to the boardroom before matches, spending a few minutes talking to some of the guests on the table reserved in the manager’s name.

Relations with the directors in London — chief executive Ivan Gazidis, Sir Chips Keswick and Lord Harris of Peckham — are not so good.

Wenger’s position is being reviewed on a game-by-game basis, with the names of various potential replacements being bandied freely around the club.

Unlikely as it is, the good work of Sean Dyche has been praised as Burnley close in on a top ten finish in the Premier League.

There are more and more names being thrown into the pot.

Henry, even though he has indicated he would be prepared to take it on, is not under consideration.

There will be surprise at boardroom level about the dressing-room view on their former midfielder Arteta, too.

Arteta, 35, is not popular at the Emirates. The Spaniard, now on Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City, is remembered for being far too happy with himself.

Arsenal’s board is terrified of making this appointment, fearful of the process as they prepare to replace the most successful manager in the club’s history.

They will have to come up with a name soon, identifying the right man to succeed Wenger as manager of this great institution.

Someone will need to come up with a bright idea.

 

 

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Osimhen Crowned 2023 CAF Footballer of the Year

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Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.

Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.

The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.

During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.

“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.

Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.

The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”

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Lionel Messi Secures Historic 8th Ballon d’Or Triumph

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Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.

In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.

Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.

His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.

Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.

While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

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His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.

Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.

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“B Sample Reveals Presence of Testosterone in Pogba’s Test Results”

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Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.

The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.

The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.

On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.

The player’s entourage declined to comment.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.

The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.

Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.

Testosterone promotes muscle development.

Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.

Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.

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In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.

Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.

The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.

Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.

Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.

His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.

After the first sample tested positive on September 11,  Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.

“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.

 

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