Focus of anger moves from Arsène Wenger to club’s American owner after downgrade to Europa League that followed final-day defeat of EvertonThe sun burned, Champions League hopes evaporated and all of a sudden the lightning rod for Arsenal supporters’ disillusionment moved away from the man in the dugout and out towards the Atlantic. The chant started in the North Bank and suddenly spread, growing in urgency as it coursed round the stadium: “Stan Kroenke – get out of our club.”The news that broke last week about Alisher Usmanov’s $1.3bn bid for the majority shareholding held by Arsenal’s American investor has broadened the conversation about the club’s status and ambitions. While the disaffected have generally pointed their fingers at Arsène Wenger...
The idea that participation in Europe’s top club competition is less important to England’s top flight because of TV money dissolves on analysisThere is an emerging school of thought that qualification for the European Champions League is no longer quite the financial and commercial boost that it used to be, given the galactic increase in Premier League TV money showering fortunes on all 20 clubs from 2016-19.It is true the increase in the English top flight’s broadcasting deals, from £5.1bn in 2013-16 to £8.4bn in the present three-year cycle, is a dramatic windfall – inflated at home by BT’s serious designs on BSkyB’s 25-year subscriber stranglehold and internationally by increased coverage of the Premier League on channels all over the...
John Terry will say goodbye to Chelsea with the title, José Mourinho will pick his weakest team yet and Manchester City should tread carefully at WatfordThe best team in the league face the worst team in the league in a match that will be played in a carefree atmosphere by everyone except John Terry, whose 717th and final Chelsea appearance will end with him – together with Gary Cahill – lifting the Premier League trophy, followed by a teary-eyed farewell speech to the fans. Sunday is the end of an era for Terry, his club and their opponents Sunderland, relegated at last after 10 successive top-flight seasons. Terry’s beer-glass-emptying, disabled-bay-filling, rival-abusing, full-kit-wearing past means he gets little love from rival...
Chelsea and Spurs face challenges of a differing kind despite their success, Paul Clement justified his appointment and Marco Silva is likely to leave HullThe Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos Related: Rainbows and tears on Tottenham's last day at White Hart Lane | David Hytner Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos Continue reading...
It was a first win for Arsenal at Southampton since the Invincibles era, but conflict looms between the manager and chief executive Ivan GazidisAfter 15 minutes of tepid football, Arsène Wenger rose from the bench for the first time and went for a wander around his technical area, presumably just for a change of pace. A few seconds later, despite not having done much in the way of experimental arm waving or bellowing in a bid to raise his team’s level, he meandered back to his seat next to Steve Bould. Like everyone else inside St Mary’s, Wenger had clearly decided that there was not much worth saying yet.The Arsenal manager’s many critics might respond to that by pointing out...