For our final Guide To… of the summer, we could only end on football’s headline act making hay in Hollywood. Nope, it’s not Lionel Messi moving to Inter Miami - it’s David Beckham’s move to LA Galaxy back in 2007!

From his box office debut - when he was properly injured - through to controversial loan moves back to Europe and eventual success, it remains one of world football’s most culturally significant transfers. But who did it actually benefit? The Galaxy? The League? Brand Becks?

Marcus, Luke and Jim are on hand to roll back the years - join us!

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Is Ethan Nwaneri Ready to Join Arsenal’s First Team? by Jack

At just 16 years old, Ethan Nwaneri has already etched his name into Arsenal’s history books by becoming the youngest-ever player to don the Gunners’ jersey. His debut against Brentford in September 2022 was a significant moment, and his journey since has been nothing short of remarkable. With last night’s stellar performance catching the eye of manager Mikel Arteta, the question arises: Is Ethan Nwaneri ready to make the leap to Arsenal’s first team?

Nwaneri’s meteoric rise reached another peak when he put on a dazzling display in front of Arteta against Leicester U21s yesterday, against players much older and more experienced than him. Despite Arsenal’s abundance of options in both the midfield and the frontline, Nwaneri’s standout performance sent a resounding message to the first-team boss. The 16-year-old’s agility, skill, and tactical awareness make him a valuable asset that could inject new energy into the squad.

Arsenal’s U21 side showcased their prowess with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Leicester City, fueled by a hat-trick from the talented teenager and a goal from James Sweet. Nwaneri’s inclusion in the U21 lineup signifies his undeniable ability to thrive in high-pressure scenarios, even at such a tender age.

IT'S A HATTRICK FOR NWANERI!!

West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Konstantinos Mavropanos from VFB Stuttgart, a player only recently sold by Arsenal.

The Greek international initially moved to the Premier League from PAS Giannina at the age of 20 years-old, and after a number of injuries, he was thrust into the first-team to make his debut against Manchester United, where he was a surprise impressive performer on the big stage, and he was touted to have a bright future ahead. He continued to play up until the end of that campaign, but minutes were scarce after the summer, and any hopes of him breaking back into the fold were ended in October 2018 by injury, the first of many injury absences which blighted his hopes of earning the manager’s trust.

After some bright loan spells away from the club, with Nurnburg and Stuttgart respectively, there was some calls for the club to recall Dino for another chance to make a career in north London, but instead we allowed him to return to Stuttgart with an obligation to buy, which was triggered in 2022.

He now looks set to return to the Premier League where his he had previously endured such injury woes, and a return to the same city in which he suffered with West Ham set to give him his chance, although there is a positive in the fact that we are set to receive 10% of the fee.

Kostantinos Mavropanos, not called up for Stuttgart game as he’s on the verge of joining West Ham #WHUFC

Mikel Arteta has been the Arsenal boss for a while now; he’s been calling the shots at the Emirates for about 4 years now. Interestingly, he has revealed that things keep getting better season after season.

Bukayo Saka, according to the Spaniard, has been getting better year after year as well. In his press conference for the Villa game, Arteta admitted about Saka: “I think it keeps growing year by year, and you set him new targets, and he sets himself new targets and new demands, and he seems to complete those.”

The 21-year-old is undoubtedly one of Arsenal’s game-changers, and this must stem from the fact that he’s willing to learn and hungry to impress. Despite his young age, he has shown great composure and decision-making abilities, making him a valuable asset for Arsenal’s impressive performances against top teams.

“He’s extremely hungry and willing to learn and improve,” Arteta stated. “He wants to become the player that decides the game every three days.”

Under Arteta’s guidance, there’s no doubt he will continue to grow stronger in the game if he continues doing what he’s been doing. Arteta adds, “I’m very happy, so he needs to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Fulham will be without key defender Tim Ream against Arsenal next weekend after he was sent off during their dismal defeat at the hands of Brentford today.

The Cottagers had little to celebrate about their performance against their west London rivals today, eventually succumbing by a disappointing 3-0 score line, and they will now have to try and pick themselves up for their next outing on Saturday.

Fulham will make the short trip north to take on the Gunners at the Emirates for the 3PM kick-off next weekend, and not only will they have to pick themselves up from their defeat before taking on superior opposition, but they will have to try and do so without one of their key men in Ream, Football London confirms.

The American was personally praised by Pep Guardiola for his performance against the Premier League champions last term, as confirmed by the player himself in an interview with CBS, and he will be a huge loss to Marco Silva’s side when they attempt to deal with the firepower of our young and flourishing squad.

Ream helped to keep the exceptional Erling Haaland fairly quiet back in November, and Eddie Nketiah could well have had his hands full, but our young striker may well have a easier task than anticipated.

As per Ian Wright, Kai Havert has everything in him to be a hit at the Emirates.

In the summer, Mikel Arteta sanctioned a £65 million move for the 24-year-old. The Arsenal boss must have done that, believing that he would get the best out of the German international and thus have his team better off in the title charge.

So far, Havertz hasn’t been as remarkable as many hoped he would be. His performances versus Man City (in the community shield) and then Forest (in the PL opener) have been criticised.

Even so, Ian Wright is banking on the ex-Blue to shine and make Arsenal dangerous this season, as he feels he could have trouble drifting from midfield to the opposition’s box. On the Kelly and Wrighty show he said, “Obviously, we don’t need him as a number nine, but I know that he’s somebody that if he can crash the box, I believe that he’s going to cause a lot of problems for teams and for us.”

Other than Wright Merson, who in his Sportskeeda column said about the £65 million man, “I also don’t see Kai Havertz as a midfielder; however, I have faith in him, and he is the kind of player you want when games open up. It will be interesting to see how Mikel Arteta goes about using these players over the course of the new campaign.”

Lionesses “We know how to win finals” as they face Spain in Women’s World Cup Final by Michelle

What a time to be a gunner! Arsenal Women’s Lotte Wubben-Moy and Alessia Russo are alongside their Lionesses teammates, set to play in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Final this coming Sunday.

After a brilliant run of results these past few weeks, England will play Spain in this year’s World Cup Final. There’s a belief that under Sarina Wiegman’s guidance, England could leave “down under” as World Champions.

Right-back Lucy Bronze believes the experience they gained after winning the Euros last year will come into play this Sunday. After the 3-1 win over Australia in the semi-final, she admitted, “We’re going up against a team I personally know very well.

“We know how to win finals. That’s something Spain doesn’t have that we have. That’s an experience not only I have but many of these England players have.

Mikel Arteta feels he has a solid defensive midfield at Arsenal, with Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, and Jorginho fighting for the holding midfielder role, and he believes that increased competition for starting places can only makes the Gunners even better.

There’s been a revolution in Arsenal’s midfield. A few weeks ago, Arsenal convinced West Ham to sell them their midfielder Declan Rice, submitting a £105 million offer that the Hammers found too hard to reject.

With Rice joining, there were speculations of Thomas Partey leaving, moving to Saudi Arabia, or joining Juventus; however, nothing came out of those rumours, and he is almost certain to stay. Jorginho was also not long ago linked with an exit from the Emirates; months after joining, Turkish giants Fenerbahce linked with his signature; however, he is also set to stay.

Arteta now has three options for his defensive midfield, which he is satisfied with. Hinting that signing another central midfielder isn’t in his plans, he said (in his press conference for the Crystal Palace game): “To have two excellent goalkeepers is great. Nothing is wrong. We have two great left-wingers, two great strikers, and three great holding midfielders with Jorginho, Thomas, and Declan. That is not a problem, and it should not be a problem.

“We want to be better, and to be better the environment has to change. We tend to always be at a certain level because it is in our nature. When you change the environment to one that you have to be 100% percent every day, the level is going to increase. I have seen that up close with my own eyes, with the players we have now and what we had two years ago. But we have to create that environment.”

Arsenal’s 2022–23 Premier League campaign was off to a bright start. Although there were questions about their performance on match day 1, they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1, but didn’t win convincingly.

Next for Arteta and the boys is a clash against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday, August 21st. In the last eight encounters between the two sides, Arsenal have won three times, lost once, and drawn four. Last season, Arsenal had a perfect record over them; they beat them 2-0 at Selhurst Park and 4-1 at the Emirates.

Paul Merson predicts Arsenal will beat Palace 2-0; he claims Arteta and the boys will be pressured to fulfil their fans’ expectations after raising their bar last season. Even so, he says that the game won’t be easy. Roy Hodgson will try to make it hard for the Gunners, which could cause problems for them, but he says his former club have it in them to deal with the Eagles.

In defence of his prediction, Merson claimed on Sportskeeda, “Arsenal started the game against Nottingham Forest looking nervy. That’s the problem that the Gunners are going to encounter this season. They have to play with the weight of expectations this term.

“The Gunners have earned the respect of teams thanks to their performances last season. So they’re going to come up against teams that sit back and defend deep against them.

A Gooners view on why football deterrents work when used and a reason why they are fooishly not used nearly enough

Part One, about cheating players. by Jon Fox

My fellow Gooners, I have been following top level football and especially our club, way back since 1958 and in that long time have seen a moral sea change in football, losing respect for   honesty and encouraging win-at-all-costs attitudes and general CHEATING.

Cheating by almost everyone involved within the game, from players, coaches and managers, owners, football bodies such as FIFA and UEFA.

I will exclude, for now, refs and VAR officials, as my views on both are well known on here and I intend to write separate articles on both, shortly.

Alessia Russo “This is the last one to go, and we’re really locked in” ahead of Women’s World Cup Final by Michelle

The FIFA Women’s World Cup Final is one thing everyone is eager to watch this weekend. England and Spain battled through every obstacle to book a World Cup final. For the girls playing in that game this Sunday, it is the epitome of their careers, and Arsenal forward Alessia Russo has said as much, as per The Independent.

“Obviously, this is the biggest game, the one you dream about and means the most,” said Russo, reacting to her and her teammates managing to make it to the World Cup Final, where she hopes they will do everything to pick up a big win over Spain, who it troubled them to beat in the Euros 2022 Semi-Final last summer.

“I think it will hit when we’re in the tunnel and ready to walk out It’s an incredible occasion; it’s been an unbelievable tournament, and this is it. This is the moment we want to be in. We can’t wait.

“Right now, all I want to do is go out, put on a performance to be proud of, and obviously to win We started this tournament wanting to win seven games, and this is the message.

A new season, and more unanswered questions than ever! Will Harry Kane escape his safehouse and make it to Bayern Munich? Will Marcus go to see ANOTHER Bon Jovi gig? And will Pep Guardiola be successful in getting Nathan Redmond into a thong?

Marcus, Luke, Pete and Vish are here to start your Premier League season with a bang! Plus, Speller vs Moore has FINALLY been decided.

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We’re back with a Patreon teaser! Every Wednesday, subscribers to the Football Ramble Patreon get a special extended version of the show that is ONLY available on our Patreon feed. There’ll be listener emails, bonus Donaldson anecdotes and much, much more - you might even find a few of the outtakes that don’t make it onto the main show!

This week on Ramble Uncut, Marcus, Andy and Pete got stuck into their experiences of airport lounges, train carriages with football fans, and Marcus' hatred of tomatoes.To subscribe for just $5 a month, head to patreon.com/footballramble!

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Julen Lopetegui’s stint at Wolves is officially over, but thankfully his return ticket to the continent is probably still valid. Today Marcus, Andy and Pete are here to discuss whether Gary O’Neil is the Gaviscon that Wolves now need.

Andy then tries to win the West Ham fans over by explaining that their new signing is “tough as old boots”, before we explain why Kevin de Bruyne is the Eeyore of the Premier League.

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The new season is upon us! And where else to start but Pete’s potential incompetence as a fishmonger.

Pete, Luke, Vish and Andy discuss the Community Shield, whether Hugh Jackman is a weird bloke after his visit to Wrexham, and we pay our respects to the teams that go thrashed on the opening day of the EFL season. Come join us and catch our next episode on Wednesday!

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Vish is back and football is on its way back! The EFL returns and - Meg White drum roll please - there’s the Community Shield! The hottest Premier League-adjacent game of the summer.

Pete and Luke give Vish a summer’s-worth of ribbing and then get down to (some) football chat. Plus, why Ed Sheeran’s Iron Maiden covers have ruined Chelsea’s season and we ask the crucial question: are you Carlton Palmer?

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We know the history. Now, what about Luton Town’s future? 

In this episode, Kate Mason speaks to EFL experts, Luton’s CEO and manager, and fans to find out if Luton are ready for the next stage of their journey. Or has it come too soon?

Not listened to Episode 1 yet? Find it directly below this one in your podcast app!

Special thanks to the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust, the Oh When The Town Podcast, and everyone connected to Luton Town Football Club who helped us make this episode.

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Luton Town will be a Premier League club this season. But they’ll be a Premier League club like no other. Over the next two days on the Ramble feed, we’re going to tell the story of Luton’s extraordinary rise, fall and rise through the divisions.

Join Kate Mason as she speaks to fans, residents, and the people at the very heart of the club. 

Episode 2 is out tomorrow, right here on the Football Ramble feed!

Special thanks to the Luton Town Supporters’ Trust, the Oh When The Town Podcast, and everyone connected to Luton Town Football Club who helped us make this episode.

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Watch out! Mind you don’t get infected with Pete Donaldson-lookalike syndrome…

Pete, Luke and Jim round-up the latest as another Viking joins the Premier League, Harry Kane keeps looking for less spicy food, and John Terry sings at Ashley Cole’s wedding. It’s as bad as it sounds. Come join us!

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Miguel Delaney and Nicky Bandini join Dotun for the final OTC transfer special of the summer, as Man United finalise a deal for one of Europe’s most exciting young strikers in Rasmus Højlund. But will the gamble be worth it? And what will he bring to Old Trafford? We’ve got all you need to know.

Plus, the Kylian Mbappé saga rolls on as Liverpool and Chelsea throw their respective hats in the ring. We also get to plenty of your questions, as we highlight some of our favourite under the radar moves across Europe. 

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