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A draw for the Gunners in Holland would be enough to guarantee top spot in Europa League Group A

Arsenal return to Europa League action on Thursday night when they visit PSV Eindhoven.

Four wins from four games has already seen the Gunners secure qualification through to the knockout stages of the competition, but they have yet to guarantee top spot in the group – something that would see them earn a bye through to the round of 16 early next year.

A point in Holland would be enough for Mikel Arteta’s side to achieve that with a game to spare.

So how are Arsenal shaping up ahead of their clash with PSV? Below, GOAL takes a look.

• Arsenal team news

  Arsenal could be without Marquinhos on Thursday night.

  The 19-year-old has appeared in three of Arsenal’s four Europa League games so far this season, scoring once and getting an assist.

  But he could miss the trip to PSV, after being forced to sit out training on Wednesday due to illness.

  Oleksandr Zinchenko is definitely still out with the calf problem that has seen him sidelined since the win against Tottenham on October 1.

  Long-term absentees Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remain sidelined and are not due back until after the World Cup.

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  Talking point

  Mikel Arteta’s potential team selection has generated lots of debate ahead of the game.

  With qualification through to the knockout stages already secured, the Arsenal manager could potentially rest lots of his star names with one eye on Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.

  But Arsenal still need a point at PSV to secure top spot in the group, which would see them given a bye into the round of 16 when the competition restarts in 2023.

  So Arteta could opt to name a strong starting XI, featuring the likes of Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka, in a bid to get the result needed to win the group with one game to spare.

  That would then allow the Spaniard to rest everyone in the final group stage game against FC Zurich next Thursday, knowing that the result would not matter.

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  Key man

  Matt Turner: Arsenal’s back-up keeper has enjoyed some good performances in the group stages so far, making some impressive stops on his way to three successive clean sheets.

  But you would expect that this will be his toughest test so far, with PSV a strong attacking outfit – especially at home.

  So Arsenal will need Turner to be at his best in what will no doubt be a hostile atmosphere in Holland.

  Given the Gunners only need a draw, Turner will know that another shut out will guarantee the Gunners passage through as group winners.

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  Arteta's view

  Asked whether he feels fatigue is now creeping into his squad, Arsenal’s manager said: “We have the same that we had a month ago, two days ago, and the same as what we’re going to have next week. 

  “I don’t like to have any excuses. 

  “I think the team looked really fresh at the start [against Southampton]. I put it [the second half performance] more down to the way we played. We should have played better.”

Celtic are in a disastrous position right now. 21 points behind their fierce rivals and out of Europe, Neil Lennon and the club’s hierarchy are in a perilous place with their jobs on the line.

Despite having watched their team win nine titles in a row, Hoops supporters are ruthless and will only ever settle for top spot.

With the transfer window now in full swing, signing a few players could certainly help with matters. That being said, making up such a large gap is now virtually impossible.

Though, one player who could perhaps lend more assistance heading into next season is Joel Randall.

The Exeter City winger was linked with a move to Parkhead last week and although he probably wouldn’t be what we’d call a marquee addition, there is a sense that he’d showcase plenty of talent in Scotland.

So far this season, the 21-year-old has scored eight goals and registered a further four assists in what has been a breakthrough campaign for the Grecians.

He currently plays in League Two, so there is understandable scepticism about whether he could make the jump to the SPFL but his performance in the FA Cup last weekend showcased the he can shine against a higher level of opposition.

Although Exeter lost to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, Randall stood out and he certainly didn’t shy out of a challenge, winning 75% of his duels. For context, no Exeter player won more ground duels for his side than Randall last Saturday.

He was also good going forward, however, succeeding with a joint team-high number of two dribbles. Randall did lose possession 20 times but that was just a marker of how regularly he either tried to deliver the ball into the box or how often he tried to beat a man.

The fact he was top of his team’s statistics just go to show the talent he possesses ass he put in a performance that was full of energy. That will come as no surprise to many, though.

Speaking about the youngster previously, his manager Matt Taylor once said: “His running stats are phenomenal but he’s added an extra dimension to his game in terms of the end product.”

Randall got up and down the left-hand channel like a whippet, putting in plenty of hard yards which no doubt would have pleased Celtic scouts. Unfortunately, his endeavour wasn’t enough to earn Exeter the win but Lennon, if he had any doubt about how the Exeter star would cope playing against better opposition, will now surely be convinced.

Six goals in League Two isn’t the most impressive achievement but standing out against Championship opposition is no mean feat. He’d be a solid pick up for the Hoops, especially with Mo Elyounoussi only on loan in Glasgow for the time being. A replacement, therefore, will need to be found from somewhere and Randall could well be that man.

AND in other news, “Huge disappointment” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to massive Celtic injury blow for Neil Lennon…

It has been a quarter of a century years since Gianluca Vialli hoisted the iconic trophy to the sky in Rome as Juventus last won the Champions League.

Since then, Juve have been cursed when it comes to Europe's premier club competition, and have started this season's competition with back to back 2-1 losses to PSG and Benfica. There has been near misses and group stage disasters, wonderful teams, brilliant players, but ultimately endless heartache.

Here is a rundown of the curse of the Old Lady on her travels.

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  1995-96: THE LAST TRIUMPH

  On May 22, 1996, Gianluca Vialli raised the Champions League trophy high above his head. 

  The second "Champions Cup" for Juventus, the first triumph since the trophy took on its current name and changed its formula. A triumph that Juventus has not been able to repeat.

  From the following year onwards, they experienced many disappointments, making it to the final five times and losing each time, unable to break what seems more and more like a curse.

  Rome, May 22, 1996

  AJAX 1-1 JUVENTUS (2-4 pens)

  SCORERS: 13' Ravanelli (J), 41' Litmanen (A)

  PENALTY KICK SEQUENCE: Davids (saved), Ferrara (goal), Litmanen (goal), Pessotto (goal), Scholten (goal), Padovano (goal), Silooy (saved), Jugovic (goal)

  JUVENTUS XI: Peruzzi, Torricelli, Ferrara, Vierchowod, Pessotto; Paulo Sousa (57' Di Livio), Deschamps, Conte (44' Jugovic), Del Piero, Vialli, Ravanelli (77' Padovano). 

  Bench: Rampulla, Porrini. 

  Coach: Marcello Lippi

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  1996-97: DEFEAT IN THE FINAL

  One year after that triumph, Juve had the chance to make it two Champions League successes in a row. 

  With the departure of Vialli, Fabrizio Ravanelli, Pietro Vierchowod and Paulo Sousa, Juve fielded a young team, dragged to the final by the talent of Zinedine Zidane, Nicola Amoruso and Christian Vieri.

  After overpowering Ajax in the semi-finals, the Bianconeri faced Borussia Dortmund as huge favourites. 

  In the final, however, something went wrong: former Lazio player Karl-Heinz Riedle scores a brace.

  Lippi, perhaps too late, sent Alessandro Del Piero on and the Italian star halved the deficit with a nice heel. It was all in vain though, because Lars Ricken stunned Angelo Peruzzi and all of Juventus with a lovely lob to finish the match

  Munich, 28 May 1997

  BORUSSIA DORTMUND 3-1 JUVENTUS
  Scorers: 29' Riedle (B), 34' Riedle (B), 65 'Del Piero (J), 71' Ricken (B)

  JUVENTUS: Peruzzi; Porrini (46 'Del Piero), Ferrara, Montero, Iuliano; Di Livio, Deschamps, Jugovic; Zidane; Vieri (71' Amoruso), Boksic (87' Tacchinardi). 

  Bench: Rampulla, Pessotto. 

  Coach: Lippi

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  1997-98: SECOND CONSECUTIVE MISERY

  A year after the disappointment of Monaco, Juve get to a third final in a row. 

  The Bianconeri win the Scudetto, dragged by an amazing Del Piero and a Zidane chasing the Ballon d'Or.

  The European campaign is also convincing: five goals against Dynamo Kiev in the quarter-finals, and six past Monaco in the next round. The conditions for the triumph are all there.

  This time, in Amsterdam, they take on Real Madrid: Predrag Mijatovic will prove to be the executioner of Lippi's team with a goal still never digested by the Juventus fans as they claim he was in an offside position.

  Amsterdam, 20 May 1998
  JUVENTUS 0-1 REAL MADRID
  SCORER: 67' Mijatovic (R)
  JUVENTUS (4-3-1-2): Peruzzi; Torricelli, Iuliano, Montero, Pessotto (70' Fonseca); Di Livio (46' Tacchinardi), Deschamps (77' Conte), Davids; Zidane; Del Piero, Inzaghi. 

  Bench: Rampulla, Birindelli, Dimas, Amoruso. 

  Coach: Lippi

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  1998-99: ELIMINATION IN THE SEMI-FINAL

  With Zidane fresh from his Ballon d'Or victory, the Bianconeri pass the group stage and the quarter-finals, where they get the better of Olympiakos. 

  It is the year of Del Piero's bad injury, but despite that upset, the Turin side secure a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the first leg semi-final.

  The return match immediately goes well thanks to a brace from Pippo Inzaghi, but then the imponderable happens and the team led by Carlo Ancelotti suffers the return of the Red Devils, who find two goals in the first half and definitively seal the deal with seven minutes left. 

  The star attackers Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole deprive Juve of a place in the final this time.

  Turin, 21 April 1999
  JUVENTUS 2-3 MANCHESTER UNITED
  SCORES: 6 'Inzaghi (I), 11' Inzaghi (I), 24 'Keane (M), 34'
  JUVENTUS (4-4-1-1): Peruzzi; Birindelli (46 'Amoruso), Ferrara, Iuliano (46' Montero), Pessotto; Conte, Deschamps, Davids, Di Livio (80' Fonseca); Zidane; Inzaghi. 

  Bench: Rampulla, Tudor, Tacchinardi, Esnaider. 

  Coach: Ancelotti

With the transfer window now open Victor Orta has plenty of pondering to do. Against sides in and around them, Leeds are superb. However, when they face the bigger teams in the Premier League on the road, they struggle.

Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely Leeds will be too active in the transfer market. That’s when you consider what happened with Jean-Kevin Augustin last January.

The Frenchman signed on loan from RB Leipzig but failed to flatter Marcelo Bielsa and thus, only played 48 first-team minutes.

Trying to adapt to Bielsa’s training methods are tough as it is, let alone when you’re coming in midway through the season.

Yet, one player who could be suited to the physical demands of the Argentine’s play style is Adama Traore. The Spaniard was linked with a move to Leeds late last year and a fee of £40m was quoted.

That’s a lot of money for a club who failed to cough up the sum required to land Rodrigo de Paul last summer.

Traore hasn’t scored in the top-flight for over a year now but he demonstrated on Saturday why Leeds need to sign him, and why he’s earned the tag “unplayable.”

The former Barcelona prodigy hasn’t been at the races this season but he was phenomenal against Brighton this weekend in Wolves’ 3-3 draw.

He was everywhere and proved to be a menace to the Seagulls’ backline, amassing as many as nine dribbles during his 90 minutes on the pitch. It got even better though. Traore won a mammoth 16 duels and was fouled on four occasions.

Although he failed to find the back of the net, this was about as complete a performance as you can provide without scoring. It was everything the Spain international is about – pace, power and sheer force.

The 24-year-old was a brute, doing his job offensively and defensively to near perfection. Traore won two tackles and one interception, tracking back well. Coincidentally, this all came in a week where club-record signing Rodrigo was poor, winning just two duels against Tottenham and being bullied by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

If any weekend summed up why Orta needs to move for one of his targets, this was it.

AND in other news, Ronaldo Vieira 2.0: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for £13m titan with “great physique”…

Fans may have been forced to wait an extra 12 months, but the tournament is finally here, with some of the world's top players ready to roll

It has been a long time coming, but Euro 2020 (in 2021!) is finally upon us.

And though it promises to be a competition unlike any fans have seen before, with games being spread across the continent and restrictions on the numbers of supporters at the majority of stadiums, the football should still be of the highest quality.

With that in mind, who will be the best players on show over the course of the next few weeks?

Goal has put together the 100 players you should be following ahead of Friday's tournament-opener between Italy and Turkey in Rome…

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  100. Kingsley Coman | France

  One of Bayern Munich's unsung heroes, Coman is coming off a Bundesliga campaign in which he laid on 12 assists, as well as scoring eight goals for the Bundesliga champions.

  His most famous goal, though, remains his headed winner in the 2020 Champions League final as he and Bayern took down his former club, Paris Saint-Germain.

  This summer he will form part of Didier Deschamps' feared forward line as the world champions aim to become European champions too.

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  99. Leonardo Bonucci | Italy

  Juventus stalwart Bonucci is a stereotypical old-fashioned centre-back. Not afraid to but his body on the line in aid of his team, the 34-year-old has spent nine of the last 10 years with Juve and has been a key foundation stone to their success over that time.

  The veteran knows every trick in the book and will make the lives of centre forwards a nightmare.

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  98. Teemu Pukki | Finland

  Pukki is a well-travelled striker who has played at the top level in Spain, Germany, Scotland and Denmark, as well as his homeland.

  Norwich, though, has been his home since 2018, and it was with the Canaries he shot to prominence thanks to a blistering run in the 2019-20 Premier League season.

  Although Daniel Farke's side were relegated, Pukki has fired them back to the big time with another prolific campaign ahead of his country's first appearance at a major tournament.

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  97. Goran Pandev | North Macedonia

  At nearly 38 years old, North Macedonia star Pandev is one of the oldest players on show at Euro 2020. Indeed, he made his professional debut with Belasica in 2000 before some of his rivals were even born!

  And yet the ex-Inter forward continues to operate at the top level of the game with Genoa after a decade and a half at the highest level, with his goal against Georgia in November having secured his country's place at their first-ever major tournament.

Wolves’ season hasn’t exactly been one to remember so far.

Sat 13th in the Premier League table, they have fallen some way short of expectation and will face a huge battle to regain European football. As a result, some extra investment in the transfer market could do a great deal of good.

What’s the word?

The priority for Wolves in the January window is a new striker. They have been linked with the likes of Divock Origi and Diego Costa but a new name has now emerged on their radar.

According to the Transfer Exchange Show, they’re eyeing a move for Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.

They state that the Old Gold are in talks over a move for the youngster with negotiations ongoing. It’s thought that Arsenal are wanting somewhere in the region of £15m-£20m for his services.

Nketiah is currently earning a salary of £45k-a-week at the Emirates so this could be a pricey deal for Fosun and co to complete.

A big mistake

Nketiah is undoubtedly one of the most promising young strikers in the Premier League. He is a talented poacher and more often than not, finds the back of the net when given a goal-scoring opportunity.

Described as “powerful” by Mikel Arteta, he possesses the ability to run in behind and get across his man with intelligent off the ball movement.

He has been lethal in youth football and has surpassed Alan Shearer’s record of goals in an England U21s shirt. Nketiah has 12 strikes in ten matches at that level so it’s no great surprise to see him labelled a “goal machine” by Michael Owen.

If anyone knows anything about beating the goalkeeper, it’s certainly him.

Yet, for all of his success at youth level, he hasn’t achieved a great deal on the senior stage. The striker has scored five times in 21 matches this season which isn’t disastrous given he’s just 21, but at the end of the day, they don’t need another young forward.

Wolves do like to develop for the future but they signed Fabio Silva for £35.6m in the summer. Signing Nketiah, therefore, would be an inexcusable waste of money.

Nuno Santo needs a senior striker to cover for Raul Jimenez this month, not a rising star – he already has that at his disposal.

AND in other news, Forget Podence: Shi must land Wolves upgrade in £16.9m gem with an “unbelievable shot”…

With 2020 approaching, Goal has decided to pick out the best players to have lined up for Los Blancos over the past 10 years

• GK: Iker Casillas

  A Real Madrid icon, Iker Casillas gave the club incredible consistency between the sticks for nearly two decades. 

  His final five years at Real at the beginning of the decade may have been interrupted by injury and a spat with Jose Mourinho, but the Spaniard's skill still managed to shine through. 

  Casillas was crowned La Liga's best goalkeeper in 2012 and is considered one of Los Blancos' greatest ever servants.

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  RB: Dani Carvajal

  A Real Madrid youth product, Dani Carvajal was allowed to leave in 2012 for Bayer Leverkusen.

  Less than a year later and he was back at the Bernabeu, with the Blancos exercising their buy-back option after realising he was too good to let go.

  Since returning, Carvajal has become a key part of the Madrid side and has been twice named in the Champions League team of the season.

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  CB: Sergio Ramos

  Over the past decade, if Real Madrid have ever needed rescuing, more often than not it's been Sergio Ramos that's stepped up.

  The veteran defender is not only ruthless at the back, but surprisingly clinical in attack.

  Ramos' ability in front of goal has regularly proven crucial for Los Blancos, with his injury-time equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final one of his most memorable strikes. 

  In defence, he has become infamous for poor discipline and is the most carded player in La Liga history, but those 'dark arts' have also often been decisive for his side.

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  CB: Raphael Varane

  Described as the best defender in the world by Jose Mourinho in 2014, Raphael Varane has become a rock at the back for Real Madrid.

  Showing maturity well beyond his years since signing for the club in 2011, the Frenchman boasts the speed and strength few centre-backs can match. 

  When fit, Varane is one of the first names on Real's team sheet and rarely puts in a bad performance. 

Newcastle United may lose up to six players in the January transfer window, including Dwight Gayle, according to The Chronicle.

As per the news outlet, Jacob Murphy, Christian Atsu, Henri Saivet, Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons could also be let out through the door at St. James’ Park in order to recoup some cash for some possible new arrivals.

Aarons may well be on his way to Huddersfield Town in the EFL Championship, while Rangers have apparently retained their willingness from the summer to strike a loan deal with Murphy, while Gayle only has a few months left on his current deal in the North East and he has not yet signed a new one.

Gayle and Murphy would be biggest losses to Newcastle

Given that both players have played their part for the Tyneside club so far in the 2020/21 term, both Gayle and Murphy could be the biggest losses to Steve Bruce’s team.

The latter has played in nine games in total in all competitions, scoring two goals and making a further two assists (‘magnificent’ by Toon legend Alan Shearer, he also praised the ‘great cross’ put in by Murphy.

It is clear that both of these aces would be a miss to NUFC should they be allowed to leave next month.

In other news, find out who was ‘out of his depth’ against WBA here!

The Germany goalkeeper will travel to the tournament without playing a competitive match this year, but he's not the first injured star to travel

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  Paolo Rossi – 1982

  Before going to the World Cup in 1982, Juventus forward Paolo Rossi had played just three games in two seasons thanks to a lengthy suspension for alleged match-fixing while at Perugia. He was a shock inclusion in the Italy squad, with major doubts over his fitness proven correct during the group stages where he made little impact. By the time the knockout stage arrived, he was much sharper, scoring three times against Brazil and the opening goal in the final to help the Azzurri to a shock win over West Germany.

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  Kevin Keegan – 1982

  England forward Kevin Keegan scored 21 times in 63 appearances for his country, but only played in one World Cup game. The Three Lions missed out in both 1974 and 1978, but when they qualified in 1982, their captain was suffering from a serious back injury. The problem kept him out of all their first-round games as well as their first two matches in the second round. He came on for the last half hour against Spain, but wasted his best scoring chance to see England knocked out of the tournament.

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  Bryan Robson – 1986

  Bryan Robson travelled to the 1986 World Cup with a shoulder problem, but started England's first two games before suffering a re-occurrence of the same injury which kept him out of the rest of the tournament and forced the Three Lions to change their formation in the absence of 'Captain Marvel'. Four years later, he was fit enough to start at the World Cup, but was injured early in the tournament after dropping a bed on his toe while having a weight-lifting competition with team-mate Paul Gascoigne.

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  Ronaldo – 2002

  Brazil superstar Ronaldo played in the 1998 World Cup final just hours after having a seizure and as a result played poorly as France took the trophy. Four years later, his appearance at the tournament looked to be in jeopardy having played just 16 times in two seasons due to a cruciate ligament injury. However, he made a remarkable return, guiding Brazil to a fifth world title with eight goals along the way.

According to The Athletic, Tottenham Hotspur defender Danny Rose could stay at the club until the January transfer window or even next summer.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed by Charlie Eccleshare in the transfer deadline day tracker that the 30-year-old is said to be “relaxed” about his future at the club.

Spurs are desperate to offload the veteran left-back but due to a lack of firm interest, he’s set to stay in north London, even despite not being offered a shirt number by his manager, Jose Mourinho.

He could yet leave before the domestic deadline on October 16th if an EFL club comes in for him but that remains unlikely.

Nightmare

This is quickly becoming a nightmare for Daniel Levy as it’s so clear that no one is willing to take onboard the former England international – just like in January when Rose was pushing for a move to AC Milan, one that never came, before settling for Newcastle United.

It’s awfully damning that Mourinho is willing to put him with the youth squad despite him raking in around £60k-per-week, per Spotrac.

The north London outfit are practically burning another player’s wages or even a potential target in allowing this to happen – might have they afforded Milan Skriniar with Rose departing the club?

That very much remains to be seen.

However, Rose is soon going to be the forgotten man at Spurs even despite his 13-year stint and being a much-maligned favourite of Mauricio Pochettino’s.

The 30-year-old has made a total of 214 appearances but hasn’t been seen since the 1-0 defeat to Liverpool back in January, though the writing was on the wall as it was his first start in 12 matches.

Rose is simply wasting away at Spurs and is starting to become the ultimate financial disaster that Levy just cannot shake off.

AND in other news, Spurs heading for unforgivable transfer blunder with Poch favourite…