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Mixed week for French clubs in the Champions League

Lens earned a big win as they came from behind to beat Arsenal 2-1 in a memorable first home game of the season in the Champions League, while Newcastle saw off Paris Saint-Germain in some style thanks to a similarly lively atmosphere at St James’ Park.

So, mixed success for Ligue 1 teams, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the two teams that came out on top were the two teams who’ve been away from the Champions League, and indeed the European stage, for a long, long time. Both sides were playing in front of really electric atmospheres, which I think made a big difference.

Still, in Arsenal’s case it’s also important to note that the match changed for them with the injury to Bukayo Saka. I do think that could have an impact on Arsenal’s season, depending on how long he’s out for. With Newcastle, it was a fantastic performance and a fully deserved win, but equally if a couple of other chances had gone PSG’s way earlier in the game, it could’ve been a different story. On that first goal for Newcastle, you’d also expect much better from a player like Marquinhos in the PSG defence.

Overall, not the best nights for Arsenal or PSG, but with the important caveat that these were very special occasions for the home team on the night, and that can make for an intimidating atmosphere that also allowed Newcastle and Lens to play above and beyond themselves.

The stand-out performer for Lens on the night was matchwinner Elye Wahi – a player who was on the radar of a number of top clubs over the summer, most notably Chelsea, but I was also impressed by the response of Adrien Thomasson, who made a mistake for the opening goal by Gabriel Jesus but who then scored the equaliser.

I was impressed by Lens’ resolve, and the fact that they didn’t try to do anything too different, whereas in PSG’s case you have to question why Luis Enrique decided to only go for two central midfielders and four attackers when any minimal amount of match preparation would have shown that that was a suicidal approach. Lens, by contrast, didn’t change their approach for Arsenal and played in the way that’s got them to where they are – their strong understanding and intimacy within their set-up I think was key to getting themselves back into the game.

Wahi is the big name in this Lens side, but I thought there were a number of impressive performers really, particularly Nampalys Mendy, who has settled in really well despite only being at the club for around six weeks. Kevin Danso was also really solid in defence and Brice Samba, the captain, made some important saves. You couldn’t really argue that they didn’t deserve this win.

Hugo Ekitike heading for PSG exit

I can confirm that Hugo Ekitike is no longer wanted at PSG following transfer rumours about his situation and a possible move to the Premier League. The interest from Crystal Palace, which was also there towards the end of the summer transfer window, has been very problematic for PSG because he and his agent didn’t inform PSG that they were trying to negotiate a loan move to Crystal Palace. This was around the time PSG were negotiating a move for Randal Kolo Muani and Ekitike was of interest to Eintracht Frankfurt at that point.

Ekitike has now been dropped from the squad, he’s not on PSG’s list for the Champions League, so his future at the Parc des Princes looks very bleak. There have been links with Everton as well, but I think interest from Newcastle is in the past now. Still, I certainly expect Ekitike to be on the move this winter because there’s no future for him in Paris.

It’s going to be very difficult for PSG to get the kind of money back that they paid for him. PSG already knew they were over-paying for the player because the fee was agreed before his initial loan move, during which he lost massive value. They tried to get out of this deal but they were obliged to complete it.

Realistically, PSG would now be lucky to get a paid loan with a view to a permanent transfer for around €20m, if everything were to go well, but I think it’s clear they’re going to have to accept a significant hit on this transfer, unless he can go out on loan and really impress and build up some value.

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Moussa Dembele’s stinging attack on Lyon

Moussa Dembele laid into his former club Lyon in an interview with Foot Mercato, saying: “I left like Malo [Gusto], Castello [Lukeba] and Bradley [Barcola] did, and they did well to leave in order to improve, enjoy better momentum for their development and earn more money. Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes were also right to leave. Look at the fun they’re having! Bruno Cheyrou said the players were assets, what a lack of respect. Where did he think he was? A slave ship? In a cotton field? I’m not an asset, I’m a human being! If we’re assets, what are the fans? Consumers? This is such a dangerous and disrespectful take.”

There has undoubtedly been an institutional crisis going on at Lyon for a few years now, there have been serious question marks about how complacent the club has been, going back to the end of Jean-Michel Aulas’ reign.

Dembele was one of a number of players who, being totally honest, under-performed a bit, but, equally, there was a malaise that was allowed to set in around the club. Houssem Aouar is a good example of this – a hugely talented player who rose up through Lyon’s academy but whose form really dropped off a cliff once a move to Juventus was blocked.

I think a number of players will be feeling similarly, but now that Dembele’s moved on, he’s able to speak out about it. It’s certainly something that’s been brewing for a few years, and even this week there have been reports that one of John Textor’s investors already wants out of the project just a few months into his ownership. It’s a really unhappy place right now, so Dembele’s comments don’t really come as much of a surprise at all.

The post Exclusive Jonathan Johnson column: Reaction to Lens-Arsenal & Newcastle-PSG, plus potential forward transfer appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It was a game that Mikel Arteta’s side should really have been winning, and former Arsenal stalwart, Martin Keown, didn’t appear to be happy with aspects of the Gunners Champions League defeat against Lens.

If the result wasn’t bad enough, then the loss of Bukayo Saka to injury only added to his manager’s woes ahead of a Premier League epic next time out as Arsenal host table-topping Man City.

It isn’t clear exactly what the problem was or how long the England international will be out for, but on first impressions it didn’t look good.

Keown didn’t mince his words when talking about the match afterwards.

“Not a disaster but it couldn’t have gone much worse,” he said on TNT Sports, cited by the TNT Sports website.

Once Gabriel Jesus had given the north Londoners an early first-half lead, things looked set up nicely for Arsenal to ease through the gears in a match against a team that had already conceded 12 goals in their domestic season during 2023/24.

However, the expected caving in from the hosts never arrived and, indeed, their resolve and determination turned the tie on its head.

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First of all, Adrien Thomasson equalised in the 22nd minute, before Elye Wahi scored what proved to be the winner in the 69th minute.

The reverse means that Arsenal have arguably got it all to do in their next couple of UCL games if they want to make it to the knockout stages.

The post Martin Keown unhappy with aspects of Arsenal’s defeat to Lens appeared first on CaughtOffside.

RC Lens have turned their clash with Arsenal around after going 1-0 down to the Gunners in the first half. 

The Premier League side took the lead in the match after 14 minutes through an impressive finish from Gabriel Jesus, despite a positive start from the home side.

However, that lead did not last long as Wahi and Thomasson linked up to produce a very impressive goal to draw the match level at 1-1.

The former has now given Lens the lead with another wonderful finish to capitalise on the Ligue 1 side’s dominance in the game and it looks like it will be a hard task for Mikel Arteta’s side to turn it around from here.

?GOAL | Lens 2-1 Arsenal | Elye Wahi

Follow our partner page @ocontextsoccer pic.twitter.com/6CHb3kJS00

— VAR Tático (@vartatico) October 3, 2023

??| GOAL: Wahi scores for Lens and Arsenal go behind!

Lens 2-1 Arsenal

pic.twitter.com/vdboaDWLyB

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 3, 2023

ELYE WAHI SCORES HIS FIRST #UCL GOAL! ?

Lens with a shock lead over Arsenal. ? pic.twitter.com/13FwGk8TFR

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023

Footage courtesy of RMC Sport and CBS Sports

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The post Video: Arsenal fall behind in France as Wahi give Lens 2-1 lead appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have conceded an equaliser in their Champions League clash with Lens and the goal from the French side was very impressive. 

The Ligue 1 outfit have started the game the better of the two teams but the Premier League outfit fell behind after Gabriel Jesus produced a clinical finish to give the Gunners the lead.

That advantage lasted only 11 minutes as Wahi and Thomasson linked up to produce a very impressive goal to draw the match level at 1-1.

An UNREAL equaliser from Lens ???

Adrien Thomasson with a sublime finish ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/cSGX8wGIPW

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 3, 2023

NOT SO FAST! ADRIEN THOMASSON PUTS LENS RIGHT BACK IN IT. ??

And what a way to do it. ? pic.twitter.com/NhlRNoUsFc

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023

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The post Video: Beautiful assist leads to incredible finish as Lens draw level with Arsenal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal have taken the lead in their Champions League clash with RC Lens thanks to a wonderful finish from Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian loves this competition and has now added to his tally after scoring on the opening gameweek as well.

The French club started the better of the two teams in front of a noisy home crowd but a mistake allowed Arsenal to go through on goal before Jesus produced a clinical finish to make it 1-0 to Mikel Arteta’s side.

Gabriel Jesus with a clinical finish for Arsenal! ?

Fantastic from the Brazilian ? pic.twitter.com/oaZ7VrsOX6

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 3, 2023

Bukayo Saka ?? Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian punishes PSV for their mistake. ? pic.twitter.com/tjtin8eXts

— CBS Sports Golazo ?? (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 3, 2023

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The post Video: Gabriel Jesus at it again in the Champions League with clinical strike to give Arsenal the lead appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Arsenal will be hoping to follow up their 4-0 destruction of PSV with another win to keep them at the top of Champions League Group B after two rounds of matches.

Mikel Arteta has got the north Londoners already in the groove this season, and he’s named a strong XI to take on French side, RC Lens.

David Raya keeps his place in goal with Aaron Ramsdale again only making the bench.

? ???????? ?

?? Tomi at the back
?? Trossard on the wing
?? Jesus leads the line

Let’s do this – together! pic.twitter.com/vTVZ5HxfBL

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 3, 2023

William Saliba, Gabriel, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu make up an incredible mobile and strong back four, complemented by a midfield three of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz.

A front three of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus certainly have goals in them, and against a team that have already conceded 12 in the French league this season, they could find some easy pickings.

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Arteta is unlikely to be so complacent, hence why both the midfield and defence have enough physicality to bully the opposition off the ball when needed and break at pace to keep the hosts on the back foot.

It’s been shown both this and last season that Arsenal can still be got at, but if they want to be seen as genuine contenders for going deep into this competition, this is precisely the sort of match where the players need to leave everything on the pitch.

The post Arsenal team news: Trossard returns as Arteta names strong XI for Lens test appeared first on CaughtOffside.

French football expert Jonathan Johnson has had his say on the recent transfer rumours linking Chelsea with a potential move for highly rated young Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra.

The 19-year-old has impressed a great deal in Ligue 1 in recent times, and links with Chelsea make sense given the ownership structure of the two clubs.

Writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, Johnson suggested that Diarra’s wages are becoming an issue at Strasbourg, which have fuelled his desire to leave the club, though the owners are not keen to sell.

This is where Chelsea could become useful, as they would be able to take Diarra on and improve his contract, without the player leaving the current ownership, according to Johnson.

However, the journalist also stressed that Diarra probably isn’t quite ready to make the step up to playing for someone like Chelsea just yet, and that Lens have also been recent suitors for the French youth international.

“Chelsea have been linked with Strasbourg youngster Habib Diarra – he’s a very talented young midfielder, Senegalese-born but a French youth international, who’s wanted out of the club after impressing in the last year or so. He doesn’t necessarily see his long-term future at Strasbourg, but the ownership have been loathe to sell a player with such significant potential,” Johnson said.

“I think this is where the Chelsea link has come from, due to their Strasbourg connection, it’s a way to move the player within the club ownership model and to continue to allow him to develop.

“We haven’t for the moment seen too many players moving back and forth between Chelsea and Strasbourg, but Angelo has made a good start to life in Ligue 1 since joining on loan from Chelsea. A potential worst-case scenario could be that he moves to Chelsea and that’s one way to do a deal, though there was also significant interest in Diarra from Lens during the summer.

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“Diarra is on a pretty lengthy contract, until 2027, so that’s not a big concern for Strasbourg, but one concern is the value of that contract as he’s developed so much since signing that deal, so that needs to be re-valued and re-negotiated. That puts them in a tricky position as he now aspires to play regular European football, so Strasbourg might have to consider doing a deal with Chelsea to keep him in the group.

“Still, I wouldn’t say he’s ready for a big move like Chelsea just yet. I think his development would be better served by staying in Ligue 1, but we’ll see if this situation is resolved by January because at the moment it’s a bit of a concern for Strasbourg.”

The post Exclusive: Chelsea target has contract issue and links between clubs could facilitate transfer, says expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Sevilla take on Lens in the first game of Champions League Group B on Wednesday, 20th of September, at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, at 20:00 PM (BST).

These two sides have never faced, and will face for the first time on Wednesday in the Champions League Group stage.

Sevilla won their last game, beating Las Palmas 1-0 in La Liga at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. The only goal of the game was scored by Dodi Lukebakio in the 71st minute.

Lens lost their last outing, losing 1-0 to Metz in Ligue 1 at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The only goal of the game was scored by Joel Asoro in the 37th minute.

How to watch Arsenal vs PSV

• Date: Wednesday, September 20th, 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 PM (BST)
• TV Network: BT Sports
• Venue: Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium

Team News:

Sevilla remain without Marcao, Tanguy Nianzou and Alfonso Pastor. There are no new injuries for Sevilla and the rest of the squad is available.

Lens will be without Jimmy Cabot, Wuilker Farinez, Nampalys Mendy and David Costa. However Lens will be boosted with the return of Facundo Medina who was previously unavailable through suspension.

Predicted XI:

Sevilla: Dmitrovic, Pedrosa, Ramos, Bade, Navas, Rakitic, Sow, Ocampos, Oliver, Lukebakio, En-Nesyri.

Lens: Samba, Medina, Danso, Gradit, Machado, Thomasson, Abdul Samed, Frankowski, Fulgini, Sotoca, Wahi.

The post Sevilla vs Lens: Live stream, TV Channel, Start time and Team news appeared first on CaughtOffside.

After qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in six seasons, Arsenal would surely have hoped for an easier passage into the knockout stages of the competition.

Their last foray into Europe’s premier club competition ended in a 10-2 hammering on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.

The Gunners are in much better shape these days, and Mikel Arteta is likely to relish playing up against some of the top teams that the continent has to offer.

The #UCL draw in full ? pic.twitter.com/5aUSPOGY2e

— FUN88 (@fun88eng) August 31, 2023

Though Sevilla are believed to have problems off the field, they are the reigning Europa League holders for a reason, and at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in particular, they’ll present a tough test.

It’s also worth pondering on the fact that Lens came within a whisker of taking the Ligue Un title last season, finishing just a point behind a Paris Saint-Germain side that boasted a front three of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe for the most part.

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PSV Eindhoven weren’t quite as close to eventual Eredivisie winners, Feyernoord, last season, however, they too will be expected to provide a stern test.

If there’s one positive to take out of the draw, it’s that all three away ties are a short plane ride away, and that can’t be overlooked, particularly coming at such a hectic stage of the season.

The post Arsenal need to get past Europa League winners Sevilla in tough Champions League group appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In the grand old setting of the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday evening, the draw for the group stage of the 2023/24 Champions League took place.

Thirty-two teams were placed in four pots, and as always at this point, no team can play a side from their own association.

That ensured that some incredible groups have been put together, perhaps none more so than Group F which consisted of Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United.

With the final being held on June 1, 2024 at the iconic Wembley Stadium, the four English participants will be keen to go all the way.

Holders Manchester City were paired with RB Leipzig, Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) and Young Boys in Group G, with Man United and Arsenal also handed some tricky ties for the upcoming six match days.

GROUP A

Bayern Munich
Man United
FC Copenhagen
Galatasaray

GROUP B

Sevilla
Arsenal
PSV Eindhoven
Lens

GROUP C

Napoli
Real Madrid
Braga
Union Berlin

GROUP D

Benfica
Inter Milan
Salzburg
Real Sociedad

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GROUP E

Feyenoord
Atletico Madrid
Lazio
Celtic

GROUP F

Paris Saint-Germain
Borussia Dortmund
AC Milan
Newcastle United

GROUP G

Man City
RB Leipzig
Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)
Young Boys

GROUP H

FC Barcelona
Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk
Royal Antwerp

GAMES TO BE PLAYED AS FOLLOWS: 

Matchday 1: 19/20 September 2023
Matchday 2: 3/4 October 2023
Matchday 3: 24/25 October 2023
Matchday 4: 7/8 November 2023
Matchday 5: 28/29 November 2023
Matchday 6: 12/13 December 2023

The post Champions League draw: Newcastle’s group of death, Man United land epic Bayern Munich tie as holders Man City avoid big guns appeared first on CaughtOffside.