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It was only a few months ago that Arsenal appeared on the verge of capturing the talismanic Uruguayan. Now instead he is firing one Arsenal’s Premier League rivals to the very summit of the division.

Seemingly out of the door for much of the summer, did Arsenal miss a trick with their cautious approach to the whole saga?

Arsenal have been flying so far this season, playing a brand of attractive football synonymous with the North London club, it is perhaps a little difficult at this stage to pick holes in the Wenger master plan.

However, when you look at their squad compared to their close rivals, you do notice a worrying lack of depth, something that in my opinion will halt their charge to Premier League honours this season. The rigours of a congested winter fixture list with the potential for injury and fatigue will in my opinion expose the ‘gunners’ and prove how short they are on genuine strength in depth. The coming few weeks will be a test of their credentials, and I would be surprised to see them come out unscathed.

In midfield Arsenal are largely set, the concern though is their options up front. Aside from an on form Olivier Giroud, who do Arsenal really have? An unproven kid in Sanogo and a totally unconvincing Nicholas Bendtner, this isn’t the squad of title winners.

This is why I think Arsenal missed out through lack of ambition in the summer. Luis Suarez and his agent did their level best to manoeuvre themselves away from Anfield, and if it wasn’t for a lack of persistence on Arsenal’s part they may well have got their way. A bid of just over £40m was insufficient to prize the unsettled star from Liverpool, but surely Arsenal could have done more?

We have seen the way clubs and players wrangle in the market to get what they want, Arsenal though seem somewhat adverse to getting their hands dirty, something that may well haunt them come May.

Since returning from his ban Suarez has lit up the Premier League, 6 goals in 4 games have been testament to his sparkling partnership with Daniel Sturridge. Indeed if Liverpool are to return to former glories, their ability to hang on to the mercurial talents Luis Suarez must surely be a defining factor. Technically gifted and full of running, Suarez isn’t your typical front man. Comfortable playing off the striker or as one himself, he offers Liverpool versatility and more importantly unpredictability in the final third. It is for that exact reason that he is such a menace to opposition defences.

Arsenal’s criticisms have usually been about the lack of end product, often overplaying and overpassing much to the frustration of their fans. Suarez is able to do all that but also know exactly when to pull the trigger, the perfect link between the Arsenal midfield and Olivier Giroud you would have thought.

The inability to bring in shouldn’t surprise anyone though, and overtures towards a revival in interest I would imagine will be unfounded. Arsenal for all their hype continue to show a lack of ambition in the transfer market, and as soon as form slips I am sure many Arsenal fans will look back to their pursuit of Suarez as a potential turning point.

Until anything else happens the capture of Mesut Ozil is nothing more than an anomaly, bucking the trend of parsimony displayed by Wenger and Gazidis for a number of years. In the end money buys you trophies, the most successful clubs in European football have on the whole spent big and until Arsenal realise this I think they will continue to fall short of the mark.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but an Arsenal side with Luis Suarez in it not only a much stronger one, but in my opinion a title chasing one.

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Recent results may mask the need for investment, but when it comes down to it Arsenal will struggle to end their trophy drought this year and in the main this is down to a summer of cautious spending.

Passing up on the opportunity to sign one of the world’s best is criminal and something Arsenal will live to regret.

Should Arsenal have been more assertive with Suarez?

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has confessed that Demba Ba could well leave the club in January.

The Senegal international is said to be frustrated with a lack of opportunities for the Magpies, with the African forward being used from the bench by the Sports Direct Arena side of late.

With negative comments in the press by the player’s agent, Pardew has stated that a £7 million buyout clause in Ba’s contract could cause problems when the transfer window reopens.

“There is that clause in his contract and it makes us vulnerable. It’s still open in the next window,” Pardew told reporters, published on BBC Sport.

“‘I have spoken to Demba [about his agent] and told him I was disappointed with some of the comments around him. Sometimes it’s out of his control and out of my control.

“But we know each other well enough, and I’ve got no problems with him, because he is a team player who wants to do his best for the team. He has always been like that.

“I just think the agent stuff was people saying things they shouldn’t say, really. It doesn’t really affect myself and Demba, because we’ve got a very good relationship,” he concluded.

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Ba has been left out of the largely fringe 19-man squad that will travel to Portugal to take on Maritimo in the Europa League on Thursday.

By Gareth McKnight

Many would agree that football is a rollercoaster of emotions, and that has certainly rung true for Southampton over the last few weeks.

The coastal club have been embroiled in a relegation battle for the majority of the campaign, but they had a glimmer of hope less than two weeks ago when they overcame Bournemouth 2-1 at St Mary’s.

The result put the club one point adrift of safety with three games left to play, and on Saturday it looked as though they were going to climb out of the bottom three.

Just before the hour mark, Nathan Redmond nudged the coastal club ahead against Everton and they were on course to claim all three points when Maya Yoshida was sent off.

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As the clock ticked down, Mark Hughes’s side tried to hold on, but it was not meant to be as Tom Davies struck an equaliser six minutes into injury time.

The result means that the Saints are now level on 33 points with Swansea City, who they face in midweek before taking on champions Manchester City on the final day of the season.

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On Sunday, Pep Guardiola’s side were restricted to a goalless draw by Huddersfield, who in turn pulled three points away from the  drop.

Southampton fans posted their thoughts on the result via Reddit.

Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.Comment from discussion Huddersfield get a point against Man City.

According to Marca, via the Daily Express, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil is one of five January signings that Barcelona are intending to make when the transfer window reopens.

The German international’s contract expires at the end of the current season, and the 29-year-old is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club when the window opens on the 1st of January.

What’s the story?

It is being reported that Barcelona are preparing to make five signings in the new year at relatively cheap rates to bolster Ernesto Valverde’s squad.

Rather famously, Barca underwent a summer of vast spending – much of which was evoked by the departure of Neymar to PSG – accordingly they’re hoping to make financially shrewd deals in the upcoming window.

Is Ozil the right fit?

Since joining Arsenal from Barca’s arch rivals, Real Madrid, in the summer of 2013, Ozil has amassed 177 first-team appearances for the Gunners, scoring 36 goals. Last season was the German’s most prolific term from a goal-scoring perspective for the North London team, and he’s highly regarded for his tendency to create goals.

Real Madrid’s former playmaker, who is valued at £45m by transfermartk.com, has started this season in fine form having scored four goals and registered five assists in 16 league games for the FA Cup winners. There’s no denying that the German international provides an abundance of creativity, a quality that would augment Barcelona’s attack enormously.

Will Wenger let him go?

While the thought of losing one of their star players at a reduced fee may evoke concern among Arsenal supporters, the likelihood is that Wenger would rather see Ozil return to Spain in January – with Arsenal recouping some money – than see their number 11 join someone like Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer.

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It’s not often we get through a second round of the Capital One Cup without seeing a Football League minnow conquer a top-flight giant, but it appears normal service may have been resumed this year, with just newly promoted Crystal Palace being the only Premier League casualty of the round.

Ian Holloway’s Palace fell to League One Bristol City in a 2-1 loss at Ashton Gate to add more misery on their poor start to life back in the top flight. Goals from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Scott Wagstaff secured City’s place in the third round for the first time in 10 years.

There were convincing wins for Aston Villa, Stoke City, Southampton, Norwich City, Sunderland and West Brom as superiority appeared to get the better of their lower league opponents.

Liverpool, perhaps the only ‘dead-certs for a convincing victory’ of the round, eventually managed to see off Notts County at Anfield after they squandered a two goal lead, forcing them to rely on extra-time goals from Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson to prevent the tie from going to penalties.

Everton, Newcastle and Hull City all made hard work of their ties, though. The Toffees had to rely on Marouane Fellaini’s extra-time winner to edge past Stevenage 2-1 one, while a Robbie Brady goal in extra-time saw Hull victorious against League One side Leyton Orient. Newcastle endured a frustrating evening at Morecambe and, if it wasn’t for the Ameobi brothers popping up with a goal each in the final five minutes of normal time,  boss Alan Pardew may have been left embarrassed.

Peterborough put a show on at London Road, thrashing fellow Championship side Reading 6-0, much to the delight of talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham who felt it neccessary to tell his listeners that teams can learn fom Peterborough’s style of football. Typical Durham.

Millwall continued their torrid start to life under former West Ham captain Steve Lomas as manager, going down 2-1 at the City Ground in extra-time. It appears even wearing their own kit can’t help them at the moment.

Harry Redknapp’s QPR suffered another early round defeat, their fourth consecutive loss to lower league position in this competition, this time losing 2-0 to League One side Swindon. Owner Tony Fernandes may want to get the cheque book out again after that showing. Reluctantly.

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Elsewhere, there were victories for Cardiff City, Watford, Burnley, Leicester, Derby County, Leeds, Huddersfield and West Ham, while Fulham, Tranmere and Birmingham all relied on the dreaded penalty shoot-out to beat Burton Albion, Bolton and Yeovil respectively.

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Arsenal will receive a major boost next week when Jack Wilshere starts training with a football again. The England midfielder, 20, has not played for 13 months owing to ankle, foot and knee injuries. But he is close to completing a fitness regime designed to prepare him for full training and first-team football.

Wilshere is set to start another specially designed programme which will for the first time include extensive ball work, and Arsenal hope he will return to first-team action by the end of next month.  The news will be welcomed by manager Arsene Wenger, who has cited Wilshere’s pending return as one reason why he did not sign a central midfielder despite the loss of Alex Song to Barcelona.

Arsenal will be further lifted by the pending return of Bacary Sagna, 29, four months after he broke his leg against Norwich. The France right back is expected to resume full training by the end of the month.

Wenger made three major  signings this summer in Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud at an outlay of around £40million, but that expenditure has been offset by the key departures of Robin van Persie and Song, who between them have allowed the club to recoup £39m.

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It feels as if Massimiliano Allegri has taken Juventus almost as far as he can take them and it is reaching the stage of the Italian’s career where the money and scrutiny of the Premier League begins to look appealing.

London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal certainly hope so; both the Blues and the Gunners have been linked with a summer swoop for the 50-year-old Italian, who led Juve into the Champions League final last season.

With a stark choice to make – he could also stay at Juventus – between two teams within the same city but who run their operations in the polar opposite way, we’re asking you which way he should go.

Should Allegri plump for the riches but instability of Stamford Bridge or the task of taking over from a legend in Arsene Wenger with a squad that could use major surgery?

Let us know by voting in the poll below and keep your eyes peeled for the results…

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With the recent arrivals of Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is probably giving himself a huge pat on the back. And he deserves it, but now that he has made great signings for his defence and the midfield, the time has come to turn his attention to strengthening the front line.

And the answer lies in a Manchester United cast-off – Javier Hernandez.

On loan at Real Madrid last season, ‘Chicharito’ bagged nine goals and nine assists in 33 appearances for the club. That may not seem so impressive when compared to the output of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema, but consider this – Hernandez still fared better than any West Ham player in terms of creativity, and fell behind forward Diafra Sakho by just one goal.

Despite starting only seven times, the Mexico international averaged a stellar 124 minutes per goal in La Liga play, an improvement on his 214 minutes per goal season in the Premier League in 2013/14. The 27-year-old hasn’t hit the peak of his career yet, and fans at Boleyn Ground could be around to witness it if Bilic’s £9m bid is accepted.With his small build, Hernandez relies on speed, agility and movement, all skills that line up perfectly with the Hammers’ strengths. Nearly a quarter of his shots came from headers, and half of those were on target. Hernandez averaged 3.4 shots per game, again more than any West Ham player. The forward’s incredible speed is what gives him a competitive edge, as he has the potential to make dangerous runs both in open play and from indirect set pieces.Bilic favors formations that employ either one or two strikers. At Real Madrid, Hernandez was squeezed up top in a 4-3-3 – alone or with just one other forward. However, he would have more space to move around and make himself a passing target for his team-mates, or to make runs down the flanks and assist, under Bilic.Speaking of assisting, ‘Chicharito’s’ passing is exceptional compared to that of a typical striker. His pass success rate of 82.2% t was the best of all the Real Madrid forwards, and the majority of his key passes were short balls, highlighting his control and awareness. Hernandez was dispossessed just 0.7 times per league game, a better possession rate than any forward at either Real Madrid or West Ham.With another midtable season behind them, and just 44 goals scored, something’s got to give at Boleyn Ground. The Irons need an eager centre forward willing to take chances. Hernandez has demonstrated his ability to do so even in two years as a substitute, and will be even more motivated in a first-team role. Bilic has done well transfer-wise so far, so his policy on ‘Chicharito’ should be this: No risk, no reward.

In recent years, Arsenal have lost out on copious opportunities to progress their starting XI via the transfer market. Arsene Wenger spent two years closely pursuing Phil Jagielka, but the Everton defender failed to reciprocate the Gunners gaffer’s interest, whilst Juan Mata was deemed too much of a risk following the expiration of a minimum release clause in his contract set at £18million, only for the Spaniard to sign for Chelsea not long after for just £5million more, and has since become one of the Premier League’s most prominent attacking midfielders.

Even this summer, the Gunners have already let the chance to sign David Villa pass by, as Spain’s all-time leading goal-scorer opts for a move to Atletico Madrid despite heavy interest from both sides of North London for most of last season, and additionally, QPR’s Julio Cesar, touted as quick fix between the sticks for Arsenal at an impressively low cost, has his heart set on signing for Napoli.

But no missed opportunity could be so detrimental to Arsenal’s cause as the failed Gonzalo Higuain deal, which appears to be slipping out of Wenger’s grasp by the day. A few weeks ago, there were reports that the Argentine was on his way to London to discuss contractual arrangements, but since, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has claimed that he is yet to receive an official bid, and even more recently, the tabloids have linked the Gunners’ strike target with a move to Napoli, like some sort of recurring Italian nightmare.

In more ways than one, it really is ‘Higuain or bust’ for Arsenal this summer, to paraphrase the soundbite that emerged from Jose Mourinho’s press conference yesterday as he continually pursues Wayne Rooney.

Unlike the Blues however, the current transfer window represents a cross-roads for the North Londoners, and so far, Wenger has been looking back towards the way he came, rather than envisaging the potential of alternative paths. The first team are in need of desperate improvement after years of constant stagnation, and with the Arsenal boss doing what he can to alleviate fans’ concerns by announcing a £70million summer kitty for new players earlier in the season – a striker, a defensive midfielder and a goalkeeper being the most required – many, including myself, expected some movement by now.

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We may still be only a few weeks into the transfer window, but the Manchester City blueprint for next season is already emerging following the acquisitions of Fernandinho, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo (still yet to be officially confirmed), Chelsea have brought back their young cast of loanees, added to it with Andre Schurrle, and are now pursuing one of the Premier League’s most qualified forwards in Wayne Rooney, Manchester United have made bids for Leighton Baines and Cesc Fabregas, and even rivals Tottenham have spent £17million on Paulinho, a sum that betters Arsenal’s current transfer record by £1million.

The Gunners are seriously lagging behind their divisional counterparts, and the opportunity to catch up is rapidly passing them by. All of Europe’s leading strikers who are knowingly available have already jumped ship – Ramadel Falcao to Monaco, Edinson Cavani to PSG, Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich in a year’s time – and although all three always remained out Arsenal’s reach,  they now have to compete with other continental clubs who missed out on the classy trio, for forwards of lesser stature.

Stevan Jovetic is in Manchester City’s crosshairs, with rumours of a £28million bid in the pipeline, Wayne Rooney is being continually courted by Jose Mourinho, whilst the likes of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, Mario Gomez, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, David Villa and Wilfried Bony, who could all have seriously bolstered Arsenal’s strike force next season, have already been claimed by other clubs.

If the Higuain deal falls through, which it looks set to at this moment in time, there are few alternatives out there that don’t fall into the same category of quality as Olivier Giroud. Even Christian Benteke appears more likely to sign for Spurs than Arsenal due to his inflated price-tag, whilst even the most optimistic of Gunners fans will admit that the club’s pursuit of Luis Suarez is little more than a PR stunt to imply Arsenal are still capable of competing.

More than just a club in desperate need of a talented front man ahead of next season however and with few viable options on the horizon, the symbolic implications of Arsenal’s failure to sign Higuain are vast.

Despite having considerable finance available, in terms of transfer transactions and succeeding salaries, it will illustrate how Arsenal’s quick decline now makes a move to the Emirates a much less enticing prospect than it used to be. Ten years ago, the majority of players in Europe would have dreamed of a phone call from Arsene Wenger, but now the Gunners remain an option to consider rather than an offer too good to refuse, on par with the likes of Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Spurs.

It’s not necessarily about the club’s final league standings – although you can only attract a certain calibre of player at a certain point in their career if you can guarantee them Champions League football and little else – but more the fact Arsenal are a side moving backwards, or at best sideways, rather than forwards.

The integral question however, and why it’s simply ‘Higuain or bust’ this summer, is where do Arsenal go from here, should the Argentine opt for a switch elsewhere? Higuain has undoubted quality, being his country’s first choice striker despite heavy competition for places and also claiming a record of 122 goals and 46 assists in 266 appearances since moving to La Liga in January 2007, but he is still by description and reputation Real Madrid’s second string striker.

It shouldn’t be that difficult to lure him away from the Spanish sun upon the promise of a starring role at a Champions League club, and if the Gunners can’t manage to persuade Higuain with such a tempting carrot, it doesn’t suggest that other European standard players will come calling to the Emirates any time soon.

Similarly, the proposed £23million capture was meant to be a signal to the fans that the North London club was finally turning things around, and abandoning their fatally flawed transfer policy in the process. The Emirates faithful spent all season begging Arsene Wenger to make a marquee signing, and in trying and failing to do so, it’s difficult to suggest the next ten years of transactions in the transfer market will be any different from the decade previous, with the club continually rejecting top talent with big price tags for the sake of purchasing those deemed more cost-effective. The only difference now will be that Wenger’s approach of avoiding big names will be compulsory and forced, rather than voluntary or by design.

The Higuain deal really is boom or bust for the Gunners; it’s D-Day, it’s all or nothing, it’s the last throw of the dice with the family savings, the mortgage and the car bet on a double six.

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Bringing him to the Emirates not only suggests the North London outfit are finally moving in the right direction whilst also putting them in good stead to make up ground in the Premier League title race next season, but could also pave the way for signings of a similar calibre, with the Argentine as a beacon of progress and ambition for other continental stars to be attracted to.

But failing to do so spells a rather dim situation for the Gunners. Even with a £70million transfer fund, Europe’s elite remain uninterested, suggesting a negative stigmatism of stagnation and mediocrity attached to the club, rather than success. It’s hard to tell where Arsenal can go from here, should a Real Madrid rotation player, reportedly unhappy in the Spanish capital, turn them down, and it’s unlikely other footballers of European standard will opt to venture where Higuain would not. It could be the final nail in the coffin for Arsenal, condemning them to an eternal battle for fourth spot.

Is it a case of ‘Higuain or bust’ for Arsenal this summer?

Join the debate below!

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As Brendan Rodgers tucked himself into bed on Friday night, never in his worst nightmares could he have conjured up how his first Premier League match in charge of Liverpool would unfold.

It was supposed to be a routine victory at The Hawthrons, a ground Liverpool have relished playing at in the past. It was supposed to be a chance to build on the pre season optimism, to impress fans and pundits with a performance and to implement the new  ‘philosophy’ Rodgers has been preaching about ever since he walked through the famous Anfield gates.

Instead, mayhem followed. Three goals, two penalties and a red card later, Liverpool and Rodgers were walking back to the dressing room knowing they had suffered their heaviest opening day defeat since 1937.

If Rodgers was under any illusions as to how difficult a task it would be to awake this sleeping giant, he certainly wasn’t anymore. His post match comments certainly suggested he was more than aware of the enormous task in front of him.

“I knew the task was a big challenge, but obviously when you lose a game like we did on Saturday then it’s difficult to take,” said the Northern Irishman.

“I’ve known along the way it’s a big challenge and that’s something we need to make right.

“We are bitterly disappointed, but we’ll use that as a lever and learn from it, and go again.

“There are going to be more days of hurt as well, in terms of where we are trying to go.”

Rodgers added: “You never like to lose a game to have anything proven to the fans. Our supporters are very educated supporters, they know where we’re at.

“For 45 minutes we played some terrific stuff, and should have been in front.

“But we didn’t, and we lost the game. All managers want time but I understand the pressures of this game.”

Rodgers was backed up in his assessment of the game by his iconic captain Steven Gerrard, who insisted it was ‘no time for panic.’

Gerrard said:

” It’s only the first game and it was one bad day at the office.

“We’ve got to look at the bigger picture. There’s been so much hope around the place and rightly so.

“After a 3-0 defeat everyone is going to be concerned. It’s important that the likes of myself and the other experienced players take responsibility for a poor defeat.

“We have to put it behind us. We’ve got to dust ourselves down and bounce back against Hearts (in the Europa League) on Thursday night.

“We have to react in the right manner and look to put things right in the coming games.”

It had all been going so well for Rodgers and Liverpool up until this point, with optimism high amongst supporters following some good pre season results and performances.

Fabio Borini, Joe Allen and Oussama Assaidi had been added to the ranks, and talks of Nuri Sahin joining on loan from Real Madrid was the hot topic of conversation amongst fans, although now it seems the Turk is destined for the Emirates.

It seems Rodgers is going to have to bring in some more faces if his side are to mount any sort of challenge to to the top four, and prove that Saturday was a minor blip.

The main problem seems to lie in front of goal. Luis Suarez could have easily bagged himself a hat-trick on Saturday, but failed to even hit the target with three clear cut opportunities inside the box. Two were free headers, which makes you wonder what the story would have been had Andy Carroll been given the opportunity from the start.

With so much changing off the pitch for Liverpool, Saturday showed not much has changed on it as failure to finish countless chances again proved costly.

There is no doubting the ability of Luis Suarez, but in all honesty his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. He scored under 10% of his chances last season and bagged 11 Premier League goals.

It seems Liverpool are still a top class finisher short of realising their ambitions. Rodgers clearly doesn’t fancy Carroll, which is a shame considering the form he showed towards the back end of last season and during the Euro’s.

A poacher in the mould of Jermaine Defoe or Darren Bent would have put the game out of sight by half time on Saturday, and when you think of all those near misses last season and how costly they proved, it is remarkable a goal scoring striker has not been seen as a priority.

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Fabio Borini has been bought in but is operating on the left of a front three. With Downing not offering much at present, you feel a front three of Suarez Borini and Carroll could be the way forward for Rodgers. However, the fact Joe Cole was bought on ahead of the big number 9 with Liverpool 2-0 down and looking for a goal, suggests Carroll does not have a future at Anfield.

It is too early to draw conclusions, but perhaps the most worrying aspect following Saturday’s defeat was the tough run of fixtures Liverpool have to follow. Rodgers next four opportunities to get it right come against Manchester City, Arsenal, Sunderland and Manchester United.

It is not all doom and gloom for Liverpool. A positive result against Manchester City and everything changes. It is important the fans get behind Rodgers and the team, and do their best to make Anfield a fortress once again this season.

Rodgers has the spine of a fantastic team. A top goalkeeper in Reina, two fine centre backs in Skrtel and Agger, and the England full back in Johnson set the basis of a top defence.

The return to fitness of Lucas Leiva will prove crucial, whilst Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez need no introduction.

If Rodgers is smart in the remaining days of the transfer window, and a finisher is bought in, it could yet be a season to remember for Liverpool.

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