AFTV News

Transfer Target Profile: Darwin Núñez By Ben Willcocks Promising 22-year-old striker Darwin Núñez has enjoyed a breakthrough year at Benfica this season, riveting the gaze of several European giants ahead of the summer transfer window. Núñez fired Benfica into the Champions League quarter-finals last week with a match-winning header against Ajax, taking his tally to four goals in eight games in the competition. His domestic record is even more impressive: 20 goals in 22 league matches has taken Núñez to the summit of the Primeira Liga scoring charts. And with Mikel Arteta in the market for a new striker this summer following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s departure to Barcelona in January, Núñez could well prove a shrewd move, as Arsenal continue to recruit and develop young rising stars. Here is everything you need to know about the Uruguayan. Background After progressing through Peñarol’s youth ranks, Núñez made his senior debut for the Uruguayan side in a 2-1 defeat to River Plate ...

A look at Arsenal’s new signing Nuno Tavares By Jack Lacey With just over one month to go until the new season, Arsenal are closing in their first summer signing of 2021 – Nuno Tavares. The 21 year-old has been on Edu and Mikel Arteta’s radar for some time now, with the club moving swiftly once they became aware Southampton and Napoli were also interested. The deal for the Benfica defender is expected to take up to £8.5million out of the transfer kitty. But who is he?   His career so far Tavares, a left-back by trade, has made 25 senior appearances for the Lisbon club over the past two years. Although born in the Portuguese capital, he is actually of Cape Verdean descent, and has already been capped by Portugal’s youth teams, making two appearances for the under-21s and 14 for the under-19 side. He fits the remit of signing younger players to develop as an understudy, rather than perform for the first XI from the first instance. Tavares is composed in possession, ...

Arsenal must grasp Europa League opportunity with both hands following Slavia Prague draw By Jacob Newbury A place in Europe’s elite is still on offer for Mikel Arteta’s men. With aspirations of reaching the top four in the Premier League all but over, the UEFA Europa League still provides Arsenal with a realistic shot at returning to the crème de la crème of club competition. A quarter-final match-up against Slavia Prague is an enticing prospect, not least because the winners will face Dinamo Zagreb or Villarreal - not the strongest sides left in the draw. But avoiding Manchester United, Ajax and Roma in the quarter-finals and potentially the last four is fortunate - and Arsenal must capitalise. Of course, Slavia Prague should not be taken lightly. The Czech side have left Leicester City and Rangers in their tracks. But for Arsenal, the draw signals a real opportunity to reach a second UEFA Europa League final in three years. Arsenal faced Slavia Prague twice in the 2007/08 UEFA Champ...

Welcome back Willian! The turnaround of the Brazilian star By Peter White In the midst of what has been a largely underwhelming season from an Arsenal perspective, it’s fair to say that the last week or so has been much more like it.   Following a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, the Gunners sealed their place in the Europa League last 16 with victory over Benfica last Thursday, subsequently keeping their hopes of a continental adventure next year alive.   Skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second goal three minutes from time in the second leg sealed a 3-2 win over the Portuguese giants in Athens, to set up a mouth-watering clash against old foes Olympiakos in which a quarter-final place will be at stake.   Then, back on domestic duty at the weekend, a much-changed Arsenal outfit came from behind to topple third-placed Leicester City on their own turf, with David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe goals e...

Olympiakos again! Can Arsenal get past the Greek giants this time? By Peter White So, there we have it. Arsenal remain in the hunt for 2020/21 Europa League glory, but they will have to get the better of last year’s foes Olympiakos if they are to progress to the quarter-finals, following Friday’s draw.  Having exited the competition at the hands of the Greek giants last season, the Gunners ensured they progressed at least one stage further this time around by getting the better of Portugal’s Benfica in the last 32, albeit in dramatic style.  Following a 1-1 first-leg draw in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico, skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the Gunners on course for victory in the ‘home’ fixture, with a 21st-minute opener in the Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens.  Diogo Goncalves’ free-kick levelled terms once again and Rafa Silva put Benfica ahead with a crucial second away goal, leaving Mikel Arteta’s charges needing to find the net twice with less than half-an-hour remaining....

Stick or twist? How do Arsenal approach Thursday's Europa League clash? By Peter White We may only be in February but in and around the Arsenal camp, this week's crunch Europa League last-32 second-leg clash against Benfica is surely being looked at as the pivotal moment of the 2020/21 season.   Sunday’s 1-0 shortcoming against runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City marked the Gunners’ third defeat in four games and left them tenth, while Leeds United’s mid-week win over Southampton has since moved them into the bottom half of the standings.   Crucially, Mikel Arteta’s charges sit six points adrift of the top-six and a further five behind fourth-placed West Ham, with only 13 games of the current Premier League campaign remaining.   Any hopes of a route into next season’s European competition surely rest on success in this year’s Europa League, then, with Thursday’s hotly-anticipated encounter with the Portuguese giants representing something of a wa...

Give me a Europa League win over Benfica than a Premier League one over Manchester City any day By Bradley West  The next week in Arsenal’s season could be pivotal, but not with regards to the two Premier League fixtures ahead.  Huge contests at home to Manchester City and Leicester City await which present opportunities to climb closer to the all-important top four.  But, it is clear that the most likely route back into the Champions League is through winning the Europa League, and the last 32 second leg against Benfica is therefore of upmost importance.  A clash with the ‘best team in Europe’  Before then, the Gunners take on runaway league leaders Manchester City – a side described by Mikel Arteta as “the best team in Europe at the moment.”  Arteta, of course, knows the side well having served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant and would love to get one over on his old employers.  City are ten points clear at the top of the table, and 22 ahead of Arsenal,...

                                            The Europa League is Arsenal's shot at redemption this season By Adam Le Roux Arsenal return to Thursday night action this week, as they resume their Europa League campaign with a last 32 clash against Benfica in Rome. The 37-time Portuguese champions will be a stern test for Mikel Arteta’s side, who were unlucky to be drawn against one of the toughest opponents in the first knockout stage. Regulars in the Champions League group stages, Jorge Jesus’ team will be fired up for the challenge facing them at the Stadio Olimpico, despite having won just one of their last six matches in the Primeira Liga. It will be an unprecedented situation for both sides this week, with the clash taking place in the Italian capital to due to Covid-19 protocols, before the return leg takes place in Athens a week later, with home advantage effectively elimin...

                                                 Aubameyang is back among the goals for Arsenal, and not a second too soon By Adam Le Roux What’s that old saying? Form is temporary class is permanent? Well Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang certainly proved that to be true with an awesome display against Leeds United on Sunday afternoon. The Gabonese star was back to his best against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, as he helped himself to a first Premier League hat-trick in the 4-2 victory at the Emirates. A well-taken first wrong-footed Illan Meslier in the visitors’ goal to give Arsenal the lead, before he added another from the spot after the Leeds shot-stopper brought down Bukayo Saka in the penalty area. Hector Bellerin belted in a third before the break, before Aubameyang capped off a marvellous individual and team performance by heading in Emile Smith Rowe’s centre two minut...