Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta bid farewell to a “fantastic player and person” as Granit Xhaka left the club for Bayer Leverkusen.
The 30-year-old made the move to the Bundesliga side after a seven-year stint in north London that saw him win the FA Cup twice but also be stripped of the club captaincy.
Xhaka has signed a five-year deal with Leverkusen and the PA news agency understands the deal is worth €25million to the Gunners.
During a topsy-turvy Arsenal career, the Switzerland international was also stripped of the armband by Unai Emery after swearing at supporters as his substitution in a game against Crystal Palace was cheered.
He had decided to leave the club before Arteta was appointed but was convinced to stay and played all-but one Premier League game last season, scoring seven goals from midfield, including two on the final day of the campaign.
Speaking about Xhaka, Arteta enthused about the midfielder, saying: “We are saying goodbye to a fantastic player and person loved by all of us.
“It has been an incredible journey together for him and he has given absolutely everything for this club. The influence Granit has had on his team-mates on the pitch and colleagues at the club, will tell you just how popular he is.
“We cannot thank Granit enough for his service and contribution to this club over the years. We wish Granit and his family all the best in the next step of their lives.”
Xhaka himself is now ready for the start of the next leg of his career, returning to the Bundesliga where he represented Borussia Monchengladbach before joining Arsenal in 2016.
“I know the league inside out and I watched it when I was in London,” he told Leverkusen’s official website.
“Bayer 04 is a club with an impressive history and ambitious targets. Above all, I see it as a club with a great future. Discussions with the management have been incredibly motivating. Everybody here is ambitious and wants to achieve something – I’m very much looking forward to the next few years.”
While Xhaka leaves Arsenal after helping them to finish second in the Premier League last season, winger Reiss Nelson has committed his future to the club by signing a new deal.
The 23-year-old insisted he did not want to miss Arsenal going to the “next level” as he signed a four-year deal, with a one-year option.
Nelson came through ranks with the Gunners but his previous contract had expired having made eight substitute league appearances, scoring a memorable last-gasp goal that saw Arsenal come from two down to beat Bournemouth 3-2.
Arteta’s side ultimately fell short in their title bid as Manchester City pipped them to the crown, but Nelson saw enough to believe there is more to come.
“I’m kind of lost for words, if I’m honest,” Nelson told the club’s official website upon signing his deal.
“I’ve been here since I was eight, I’m 23 now. It’s been a hell of a journey, and I’m just so happy. I’ve been here the good years and bad years, and last year especially.
“I’ve seen the rise that Arsenal have taken. Taking them to new heights and I feel like I want to be part of the journey.
“I want to be part of us going to the next level, which I think the boss, Edu, the backroom staff and the new players and the current players are making.
“So it was a train I really didn’t want to miss and I want to be here for it, so I’m glad that I made the right decision.”
On a busy day for Arsenal, the club also announced Steve Round had left his position on the backroom staff.
Round was appointed as an assistant to Arteta when the Spaniard first took the reins in December 2019 having previously filled similar roles at Everton and Manchester United.
Technical director Edu informed staff on Thursday, with Round’s exit a mutual agreement with the club.
Arteta and Edu are currently plotting for Arsenal to go one better than last season, with movement in the transfer market well under way.
Kai Havertz has already joined from Chelsea while a club-record fee has been agreed with West Ham for Declan Rice, who will undergo a medical on Friday.
Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is the next who could come through the door as Arsenal prepare for a club-record transfer window outlay.
Pochettino says VAR 'damaging' English football as Chelsea denied Villa win
Mauricio Pochettino claimed VAR is "damaging" English football after Chelsea saw a potential winning goal chalked off at the end of their 2-2 Premier League draw with Aston Villa.
Despite a bright performance, Chelsea found themselves 2-0 down at half-time on Saturday with Marc Cucurella putting through his own net before Morgan Rogers added Villa's second.
Goals from Noni Madueke and Conor Gallagher dragged Chelsea level as they penned Villa back after the break, but the Blues were enraged in stoppage time when Axel Disasi saw a potential winner ruled out.
Disasi headed home in the fifth minute of stoppage time to spark wild celebrations among the visiting Chelsea fans, only for referee Craig Pawson to disallow the goal following a pitchside VAR review, ruling Benoit Badiashile pushed Diego Carlos in the build-up.
With that incident coming just one week after Chelsea were denied a penalty in their FA Cup semi-final loss to Manchester City despite Jack Grealish appearing to handle Cole Palmer's free-kick, Pochettino has had enough.
"Everyone that was watching the game will feel disappointed. The referee said it was a foul and disallowed the goal after going to the VAR to confirm," he told TNT Sports.
"The referee is unbelievable and it's ridiculous. It is difficult to accept these types of things. In the semi-final it was handball and it was no penalty, the referee didn't check it.
"It is painful as it has damaged English football and I think Villa players and their fans didn't understand why the goal was disallowed.
"They said it was a foul and if you see the challenge… if we go into every single challenge like this and it is going to be a foul, we wouldn't finish the game with 11 players.
"We can talk about the performance or the decision – it is damaging the game."
Pochettino had no complaints about Chelsea's performance, though, as they avoided defeat for just the fourth time in 51 Premier League games when trailing by two or more goals at half-time.
The Blues previously achieved that feat in a 3-3 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in 1992, a memorable 2-2 draw with Tottenham in 2016 and another 3-3 draw with West Brom in 2020.
Chelsea racked up 21 shots to Villa's nine and put up 1.57 expected goals (xG) to the hosts' 1.1, with Nicolas Jackson and Palmer spurning glorious chances in either half.
"The performance was very good," Pochettino said. "We played really well and it is true in the first half we conceded too easily.
"To play Villa, who are fighting for the top four, I am pleased with the team. Now, we have to move on and the headlines will be about the disallowed goal."
World Cup Girlz back in the fold? Gilbert hints at return of experienced players for Brazil friendlies
For the first time in almost nine months, it seems as if Jamaica’s interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert will have members of the World Cup squad at his disposal, when they visit Brazil for a two-match friendly international series in June.
The Girlz, who first locked horns with Brazil, and lost 0-3, at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, went one better at last year’s global showpiece in Australia, as they not only held the South American giants to a goalless stalemate, but also ensured their elimination at the group stage.
By all indications, that performance, and by extension, the fact that the Girlz made an historic appearance in the knockout stages of the World Cup, earned them even more respect from the number 10-ranked Brazilians, who are currently in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The games, scheduled for June 1 and 4, are expected to assist Brazil in their preparation, while the now 42nd-ranked Jamaicans will get a much-needed test to regain their appetite for international competition, having last sported the nationals colours against Canada last September.
Since that Olympic qualifying fixture in Canada, members of the World Cup squad withdrew their services from national representation, citing lack of payment and mistreatment from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), among their reasons.
While it is yet to be confirmed how many, if any, of the World Cup players will make the trip, Gilbert gave the clearest indication yet that there might be a few, as he welcomed the games, after not utilizing the last FIFA window.
“It is always important to secure games during the international window. It not only assists in exposing players, but it also ensures the team is active, which helps our rankings, and also our quality of play. Because as you know, the more we play together, especially against quality opponents, the better the team becomes, and we also get to work on different things both offensively and defensively,” Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.
“The expectation is for us to give a good account of ourselves, it has been a while since these players have played together, but the good thing is that they are actively engaged in their respective leagues in Europe and United States. So, it is not like they were inactive, and obviously, it is not the first time they will be playing together.
“So, we just have to keep things as simple or as close to what we did prior to, and during the World Cup, to make sure we are competitive. It is going to be a little bit different, but it’s not far-fetched that we can get another positive result against Brazil,” he added.
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Hosts close in on top-four finish
Atletico Madrid beat newly crowned Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at home in LaLiga on Saturday as Diego Simeone's side moved a step closer to a top-four finish.
Fourth-placed Atletico moved onto 64 points and have increased their advantage over Athletic, in fifth, to six points with five games to play.
Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul put Atletico in front in the 15th minute with a goal from outside the box. After controlling an attempted clearance from the visitors, his effort dipped just under the bar as his strike deflected off one of the Athletic defenders.
Athletic levelled just before half-time through Nico Williams after Antoine Griezmann lost the ball through a careless pass.
But Angel Correa restored the lead for Atletico in the 52nd minute and later came close to scoring again.
With 10 minutes to play, away goalkeeper Unai Simon inadvertently made it 3-1 with an own goal after Samuel Lino’s effort came back off the post, ending any Athletic hopes of a comeback.
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