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Prior to the Gunners’ most recent, exciting match against Manchester City on Sunday, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists there isn’t a rift with his former teammate Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola’s players accused Arsenal of using “dark arts” during a fractious 2-2 draw between the Premier League title rivals in September.

Following Leandro Trossard’s dismissal in a separate incident, City midfielder Rodri suffered a serious knee injury in the clash, while Arsenal played more than half the game with 10 men.

Erling Haaland celebrated by throwing the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes in stoppage-time in a heated finale.

Arteta, who worked as Guardiola’s assistant before taking charge of Arsenal in 2019, responded to City’s aggression by hinting the Premier League champions were no angels.

“I have been there before, I was there for four years. I have all the information. So I know. Believe me,” he said at the time.

Guardiola was believed to have been frustrated with Arteta, saying he should “be more clear” about what he was insinuating.

With second-placed Arsenal and fourth-placed City meeting in a crunch encounter in north London this weekend, there could be more strain on Arteta’s relationship with Guardiola.

However, Arteta insists that he and his fellow Spaniard are still friends.

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Nothing personal 

I have a four-year experience there, so I am aware of how competitive they are. They win and win again. That is what I meant,” he said Friday of the terse exchanges in September.

“If there was a problem, we wouldn’t have been talking on the phone and messaging each other. If not, it wouldn’t happen. ”

The rivalry’s intensity is heightened by City’s recent two seasons of winning the Premier League.

However, Guardiola had downplayed the possibility of a conflict between the pair just an hour before Arteta’s press conference on Friday, describing their relationship as “exceptional”.

Arteta echoed Guardiola’s desire to bury the hatchet, saying of the rivalry: “Normal. Two teams attempting to win.

Nothing that occurs on the pitch offends me, in my opinion. It’s been that way since I was a player. It is full of emotions. Simply put, we leave. ”

As they attempt to close the gap on leaders Liverpool, who are six points clear with a game in hand, Arsenal cannot afford to fall to City.

Despite not losing any of their six games overall, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka’s injuries have threatened to thwart their bid for the first title since 2004.

Before the transfer deadline on Monday, Arteta would not be drawn out of the reports that Arsenal had made a bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

He said, “I’m very confident in the work the club is doing and looking for every opportunity that might be able to help the team.”

“I don’t want to give any assurances. It doesn’t only depend on us, the possibilities are affected by three parties. ”

In the standout tie of the Europa League knockout phase play-offs, former champions Porto and Roma were drawn on Friday to face Claudio Ranieri’s side, and clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United both had potential opponents in the last 16.

Porto, who won the Europa League in 2011 as well as its predecessor, the UEFA Cup, in 2003, will be at home in the first leg on February 13 with the return in Italy a week later.

Anderlecht and Ajax will face close-knit Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium in other notable play-off round games.

The top eight teams from the league phase will join the eight winners in the play-off round and advance to the last 16.

Lazio finished on top of the standings, just ahead of Athletic Bilbao, with United and Spurs coming third and fourth respectively.

The two Premier League clubs are aware that they will face either the winners of the play-off tie between AZ Alkmaar and Galatasaray or Midtjylland of Denmark and Real Sociedad because the draw for the last 16 is based on a predetermined bracket.

In the league phase, Spurs defeated AZ and Galatasaray 1-0 at home and lost 3-2 to the Turkish giants in Istanbul.

Last year, United only managed one point from a possible six when they played Galatasaray in the Champions League group stage.

Real Sociedad and the Old Trafford club have a long history of familiar opponents, including Champions League group winners in 2013/14, Europa League last 32 in 2021, and Europa League group stage winners in 2022.

Rangers, the 2022 Europa League runners-up, scraped into eighth place in the league phase and can face FC Twente of the Netherlands, Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt, Fenerbahce or Anderlecht in the last 16.

The last 16 draw will take place on February 21 with matches being played in March’s first half.

This season’s Europa League final will be played in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21.

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Europa League Knockout Phase Play-Offs

Draw for the Europa League knockout phase play-offs, made on Friday:

Ferencvaros (HUN) v Viktoria Plzen (CZE)

FC Twente (NED) v Bodo/Glimt (NOR)

Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) v Ajax (NED)

AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Galatasaray (TUR)

FC Porto (POR) v Roma (ITA)

Fenerbahce (TUR) v Anderlecht (BEL)

PAOK (GRE) v FCSB (ROM)

Midtjylland (DEN) v Real Sociedad (ESP)

Draw will take place on February 21st, according to the predetermined bracket for the last 16 — draw.

Ferencvaros, Viktoria Plzen, Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, or ESP Athletic

Twente or Bodo/Glimt v Olympiakos (GRE) or Rangers (SCO)

Union Saint-Gilloise or Ajax v Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) or Lyon (FRA)

Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) or AZ Alkmaar (ENG) versus Manchester United (ENG) or Galatasaray (ENG)

Porto or Roma v Athletic Bilbao (ESP) or Lazio (ITA)

Fenerbahce, Anderlecht, Rangers, Rangers, or Olympiakos (GRE) vs.

PAOK or FCSB v Lyon (FRA) or Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)

Real Sociedad, Midtjylland, Tottenham Hotspur, or Manchester United, respectively (ENG)

Enzo Maresca says transfer speculation has “100 percent” contributed to Chelsea’s mid-season slump, predicting there will be comings and goings in the final days of the January window.

The Stamford Bridge club is now 13 points off the pace after just one win in their previous seven games, despite trailing Premier League leaders Liverpool by just two points in mid-December.

A number of Chelsea players have been linked with moves including Axel Disasi, Cesare Casadei, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku, while Renato Veiga has already left to join Juventus on loan.

Maresca’s sixth-placed team travels to London rivals West Ham on Monday, and he was asked about the rumors that had shaken his squad at his pre-game press conference on Friday.

“A hundred percent for me,” he said. “But not only us, all the teams, because in the end they (the players) are human beings.

“Even if they say, ‘No, I’m professional, I’m focused on this’, in the end if they are talking about you, about different clubs, probably the focus is not 100 percent. But it’s not just for us. ”

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The transfer window, which closes at 2300 GMT on Monday, is expected to be closed, according to the Chelsea manager.

Chelsea, who sit just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, have themselves been linked with moves for wingers in Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.

It’s like this at this time because you can anticipate players arriving and players can anticipate players leaving, Maresca said. I have no idea whether someone can arrive or depart. Anything can happen. ”

The 44-year-old Italian added that he had not yet decided who would start in goal against West Ham, which is currently led by Graham Potter, a former Chelsea manager.

Robert Sanchez, the number one goalkeeper, has committed a number of dignified errors this year, including the 3-1 defeat to Manchester City last weekend.

Sanchez was declared the first choice at the start of the season, according to Maresca.

But he added: “Because we have two good ‘keepers we can make some different decisions, for sure it can happen.

Robert is always going to play, even though that doesn’t mean he can make mistakes every game. No. But the number one choice was Robert, then we see during the season.

“Any decision I take I feel good because every time (deputy) Filip (Jorgensen) played since we started he has done well so Filip or Robert, we will see, but any decision will be OK. ”

After Arsenal reportedly made a bid for the England international this week, Unai Emery has revealed Ollie Watkins wants to stay at Aston Villa.

Villa are believed to have rejected Arsenal’s £60 million ($74 million) offer for Watkins on Wednesday, with reports suggesting the Gunners are ready to make another approach before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have both sustained long-term injuries, so Arsenal are looking for a new forward.

However, Emery, the manager of Villa, claimed on Friday that Watkins had assured him that he would continue to work for the club he left Brentford for in 2020.

Watkins, who has 11 goals in 32 games this season, celebrated scoring in Wednesday’s Champions League win over Celtic by tapping the badge on his shirt and Emery said: “Yes, he is happy to stay.

You can ask him, but we have always asked him how he feels each day. He has been a part of Aston Villa both with and without us every year.

He and I spoke, and we have a conversation about the message we have.

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Watkins might have pushed for a move to the Emirates Stadium because of the lure of joining title rivals Arsenal.

Emery claimed the 29-year-old wanted to repay Villa’s faith in him because they are in the Champions League last 16 and are chasing a place in the Premier League’s top four.

Ollie Watkins “has a huge commitment to us,” he said, “he appreciates a lot how Aston Villa was always supporting and helping him and how we (Emery) worked with him, always trying to get the best out of him.”

“Now we need him, like he needed Aston Villa. I usually speak with him a lot during our conversation.

“When some teams call us out about our interest in the players, it is obviously very good for both us and the players.”

“Some players prefer to leave, while others accept to remain here, stand by our side, and accept our challenge.” One of those is Ollie Watkins”.

When asked about the possibility of the Gunners making a bid for Watkins at his own press conference on Friday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was kept quiet.

With Jhon Duran set to join Al Nassr before Friday’s transfer deadline in Saudi Arabia, Villa are looking for attacking recruitments.

After Villa president of football operations Monchi revealed in an interview that Emery is a fan of the Portugal international, they have been linked with Chelsea’s Joao Felix.

“There are names, one of them being Joao”, Monchi told El Larguero. Emery likes him because, in the three transfer markets I’ve been in, and the fourth with this one, he’s mentioned frequently and has been Emery’s only personal favorite.