On Sunday, Arsenal retained their title as the only team in England’s top four divisions not to win a point away from home in 2018, suffering a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

But this actually marked a rare outing on the road in which the Gunners started the game well – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang whipping a first-time cross into the path of Alexandre Lacazette, who applied a clinical finish from close range.

And the Gabon international’s ability to impact out wide felt significant, especially as Arsene Wenger needs to find a way of getting him and Lacazette – the second-biggest signing in Arsenal’s history – into the same starting XI, while Danny Welbeck’s recent form has only further complicated the situation.

In short, Arsenal have three talented forwards, all of who can play wide left or centrally, enjoying decent form and expecting something close to a permanent spot in Wenger’s starting XI going forward.

While Aubameyang was no doubt purchased in January to become the goalscoring focal point of the Arsenal team, the performance on Sunday proved Wenger at the very least has options in attack through the former Dortmund star’s versatility – and in a league where big personalities have become the irritation of many, Aubameyang appeared surprisingly content with being the support act for the first time in his short Arsenal career. All of his previous appearances for the north Londoners have come as a centre-forward.

Indeed, the assist to Lacazette was one of two chances Aubameyang created against Newcastle and he also ranked second throughout the Gunners’ starting XI for completed dribbles. Defensively too, the 56-cap attacker put in a shift – his three interceptions were only bettered on the day by Newcastle’s midfield pairing of Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame.

Of course, Aubameyang is cup-tied for the Europa League, the last competition Arsenal have left to play for this season. But his impact out wide does create an interesting dilemma for their next Premier League clash against West Ham on Sunday – should Aubameyang return to the tip of the attack, or stay out wide to afford Lacazette room in the same starting XI?

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Hamburg recruitment chief Johannes Spors has insisted that outgoing Rangers defender David Bates isn’t moving to Germany simply for monetary reasons.

What’s the story?

It was reported by The Daily Record last week that the reason the Light Blues let Bates leave the club was because they refused to bow to his wage demands of £7,500-a-week.

However, The Daily Mail report that this wasn’t the case with sources close to the player disputing that. The paper also say that the Ibrox side only offered him a paltry £250 pay rise on his current deal.

In addition to that Hamburg’s Johannes Spors, responsible for tying down Bates to a four-year-deal at the German club, has revealed the defender could have in fact earned more money at another unknown side.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, Spors said:

In the situation Hamburg is in, we are always interested in getting good deals done.

It’s not a big risk for us financially. I know that David had a chance to earn far more money somewhere else. I know that for a fact.

But this is a good chance for him to come to Hamburg and a new country and he has shown me he can handle the situation we have in Hamburg every week.

It’s a low-risk signing for us.

Spors also revealed that the reason Hamburg moved for Bates was his impressive performance against Moussa Dembele in December, which isn’t the best thing for Rangers fans to hear in the wake of the Frenchman’s dominating performance against them on Sunday, with Bates watching on in the stands.

How badly will they miss him?

It seemed that Bates was only just settling into the Rangers first team before signing a pre-contract at Hamburg and losing him is definitely something of a blow to the club.

A no nonsense, no frills defender, he has played better than the likes of Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso this season and dealt with the threat of Moussa Dembele well in the 0-0 derby draw in December, far better than Ross McCrorie managed to recently at Hampden.

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Still just 21, he has good potential and time will tell what calibre of player he turns out to be.

At the very least though, Rangers should have made him feel more wanted and allowed him to develop at Ibrox, rather than offer him token pay rises. It seems his portrayal as a money grabber is well wide of the mark and letting him leave on the cheap is something they could come to regret massively.

As reported by The Daily Mail, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has discussed the ongoing speculation around the permanent manger’s job at Rangers, believing it’s all rather disrespectful to Graeme Murty.

What’s the story?

Murty was given the interim role until the end of the season in the wake of the Pedro Caixinha disaster at Ibrox and speculation has been ramping up in recent weeks about his potential replacement.

Reports this week suggest that Steven Gerrard is the frontrunner and prior to the last derby between Rangers and Celtic, chairman Dave King commented on the fact immediate success must be brought to the club by any new boss.

On Sunday, Rodgers will be opposite Murty in the dugouts at Celtic Park and believes all the speculation could undermine what the interim boss is trying to achieve.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, the former Liverpool man said:

I think it’s hugely disrespectful to the guy who’s been put in to help manage Rangers over the last seven or eight months, or however long it’s been.

You have a guy in the role who is doing his very, very best in what has been probably a very difficult situation for him and you always have to respect that.

I have empathy for him, of course. It’s interesting, the timing of it all.

I feel for him as a coach and as a manager. It can’t be easy when all of that is happening around him.

Has Murty been mistreated?

Becoming interim manager at Ibrox hasn’t exactly been a joyful time for the former U20s coach. He’s had to take on the challenge of competing with Celtic for trophies, with little sympathy given for his lack of experience or knowledge of football management.

At times it’s felt he’s been the fall guy for many of their problems this season, most notably after the recent semi-final defeat to the Hoops when his first team squad revolted against him publicly and in the dressing room.

Constant speculation about his potential replacement can’t have been helpful and it’s clear at this point he doesn’t have the backing of many people at Ibrox.

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The club should have waited until the end of the season to consider his position and decide on the path forward, instead of jeopardising his bid to help the Light Blues win the Scottish Cup and finish second in the Scottish Premiership.

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In an interview with Sky Sports News, ex-invincible Robert Pires, has backed his former captain – Patrick Vieira –  to take over the manager’s role at Arsenal but only if the club “want to start a new project.”

Arsene Wenger is set to conclude his 22 year reign at the club on Sunday’s game at Huddersfield and his french counterpart, Pires, thinks a lot of high profile candidates will be interested in the job.

“We talk about Allegri, Ancelotti, Luis Enrique… My two friends Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta too. I don’t know who the next manager is for Arsenal but they need to find the right philosophy. They can’t have the same philosophy as Arsene Wenger.”

When Pires was asked whether he had a preference, he replied:

“My choice? If the board want a manager with a lot of experience, it’s maybe someone like Luis Enrique or Ancelotti. But if they want to start with a new project, it’s Vieira or Arteta. Comparing them, Patrick has a small advantage because he is doing very well with New York this season.

“Patrick has a very good profile to replace Arsene Wenger. He spent nine seasons at Arsenal so he knows the club and the fans. I know some fans want to see him on the bench too.”

There’s no doubt Vieira would be a left-field appointment with little managerial experience. Even so, the same formula has worked in the past. Remember the former Barcelona captain and B team coach who was given the Barca job over Mourinho?

It was a chap by the name of Pep Guardiola and he’s done alright since.

Arsenal supporters have been busy reacting to the news with fans divided. Some took to Twitter embracing the idea of a romantic return for Vieira while others are desperately pleading for a more experienced hire.

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Here’s a selection of what’s been said on social media…

The future of Emre Can at Liverpool remains uncertain, but plenty of fans are prepared for a summer departure.

The midfielder will come to the end of his current contract this summer, and is yet to put pen to paper on a new one.

In truth, Can has not been hugely missed in the middle of the park as the likes of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner have coped during the German’s injury absence.

The 24-year-old has not played since mid-March due to a back injury, and there are rumblings that he may not don the red shirt again.

According to a recent report in The Sun, Can has been in talks with Juventus for months regarding a free transfer and it has now emerged that Liverpool have spoken to the Italian outfit regarding a deal for Sami Khedira.

Juve are believed to be open to offloading the former Real Madrid player, who has won two Serie A titles and three Coppa Italia’s during his three years in Turin.

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The 31-year-old – valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt – has made 39 appearances, scoring nine goals and creating five assists.

Amid the speculation, we asked you whether the Reds should swoop for the experienced midfielder, and the majority were keen on the idea.

As reported by The Sun, Liverpool are hoping to sign legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon this summer after he played his last game for Juventus this weekend.

The Italian shot-stopper is one of the most recognisable figures in world football and after a career spanning over 900 games for club and county, he is set to embark on a new adventure after leaving Juve.

At 40 years of age, he’s not exactly a signing with a long-term upside, but that isn’t stopping supporters hoping they’ll see him at Anfield next season.

Many believe he could be the perfect teacher to Loris Karius, who is still on a road of development towards becoming an elite goalkeeper.

It’s certainly a move that would steal the headlines this summer and be box-office for the Reds.

Should they make their move and bring him to English football for the first time?

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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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The sky is blue and water is wet. In other news, Christian Eriksen has been included in Denmark’s 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup.

It would have been some story if Eriksen, who has recently been linked with Paris Saint-Germain, was left out of his nation’s squad for this summer’s tournament in Russia.

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That said, Manchester City’s outstanding attacker Leroy Sane has been left out of the Germany squad for the competition, and therefore nothing can be taken for granted.

Eriksen will enter the World Cup off the back of scoring 14 times and registering 13 assists in 47 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur during the 2017-18 campaign.

The 26-year-old, meanwhile, has 21 goals in 77 appearances for Denmark, which is some record considering his age.

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Denmark will fancy their chances of making the knockout round of this summer’s tournament when considering that they are in the same group as Peru and Australia, although much-fancied France complete the section.

The Tottenham fans have been reacting to Eriksen’s involvement, and not many have been left surprised. A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

As reported by The Daily Mirror, Rangers’ hopes of bringing Liverpool youngster Harry Wilson to Ibrox have suffered a blow with two Premier League sides joining the chase for his signature.

What’s the story?

The Scottish Sun reported last month that new Light Blues boss Steven Gerrard was keen on bringing the Reds prospect north to Glasgow on loan next season after an impressive spell on loan at Hull City in the English Championship.

However, it appears that two cash rich clubs in the Premier League are eager to offer the player something more substantial next season.

The Mirror report that Huddersfield Town and newly promoted Fulham are both interested in a £7m deal for the 21-year-old, despite Liverpool’s preference that he heads out on loan.

That could scupper Rangers’ hopes of signing one of their big summer targets, leaving them searching elsewhere for alternatives.

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Is he worth the fuss?

Wilson may not yet have made the breakthrough into Jurgen Klopp’s first team at Anfield, but given the kind of talent they have available to them, there’s little shame in that.

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The attacker has long been a stand-out for the club’s U23s side and demonstrated in the second half of last season that he is ready for step up to first team football at a decent level. He scored seven goals and created another four assists in 13 appearances on loan at Hull, emerging as one of the most exciting players in the Championship.

Working under Gerrard could have been a great learning experience for the youngster, but it appears that Rangers are now up against it to convince him his short-term future lies in the Scottish Premiership.

The agent of Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has revealed that his client wants to leave Old Trafford this summer, which has handed Tottenham Hotspur a huge boost in their pursuit of the Frenchman.

What’s the story?

Martial’s agent Philippe Lamboley has told RMC Sport:

“After considering all possibilities and options, Anthony wants to leave Manchester United. There are many reasons, for now it is too early to discuss it. Anthony will talk soon to go through that.”

Martial scored 11 times and registered nine assists in 45 appearances for United last season, but he struggled for starts in the second half of the campaign following Alexis Sanchez’s arrival from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

Tottenham have been strongly linked with a move for Martial since the end of the 2017-18 campaign, and Lamboley’s quotes have handed the London club real hope of completing a deal.

The 22-year-old’s current contract at United will expire next summer, although the Red Devils have the option to extend it for a further year, and will certainly not sell the attacker on the cheap this summer.

How will this one end?

It does appear increasingly likely that Martial, who is valued at £58.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, will leave United this summer.

The Frenchman has scored 36 goals and registered 26 assists in his 136 appearances for the 20-time English champions since a move from Monaco in 2015.

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Tottenham boss Daniel Levy is a master negotiator, but United will not be forced into a sale this summer despite the latest developments.

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Spurs are in need of fresh blood as they look to launch a title challenge next season, however, and it would be some signing for the club if they pulled it off.

Indeed, the thought of Harry Kane, who recently signed a new long-term contract at Tottenham, operating alongside Martial in the final third would surely be mouth-watering for the club’s supporters.

Martial would also be fired-up to prove a point after falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho, and he would certainly have the stage he needs at Tottenham.

Liverpool fans are eager to sign Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson after his phenomenal display against Argentina at the World Cup on Saturday.

Making six saves, including a penalty from Barcelona legend Lionel Messi, Halldorsson was arguably Iceland’s best player across the 90 minutes of the group match, earning his side a crucial point in their bid to make the knockout stages.

Liverpool are thought to be on the hunt for a goalkeeper this summer after a difficult rollercoaster season for recognised number one Loris Karius, which culminated in costly errors in the UEFA Champions League final.

Now many Reds fans believe that Halldorsson could be an excellent alternative to their shot-stopper at Anfield. The unlikely Iceland hero currently plays for Randers in Denmark and is 34 years of age.

Is he the kind of player that Jurgen Klopp should be targeting this summer, or is the World Cup a tournament that club scouts should avoid?

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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