Juventus have got their points back - for now - but are they good enough on the pitch to make it count? Nicky’s not convinced but she does suggest Inter's Simone Inzaghi COULD be the next Carlo Ancelotti.

Today Dotun, Andy and Nicky look to Italy and the ongoing race for Europe, they hear from a listener that took Andy’s advice and saw Jose Mourinho’s Roma play in the flesh. We also ask: Can Dortmund beat Bayern in what is essentially now a 5 game season and why do things feel slightly underwhelming at Barcelona despite their huge lead at the top of La Liga?

Got a question for us? Tweet us @FootballRamble, @dotunadebayo and @andybrassell.

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Arsenal will soon have to make a crucial decision regarding William Saliba. There is a major concern over Saliba’s contract, which expires in 2024, following the latest update on a possible extension.

Edu, Arsenal’s technical director, has prioritised tying down the futures of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, and Saliba this season. While Martinelli’s extension has been confirmed, talks for Saka’s new contract are ongoing. However, there is currently no indication that negotiations for Saliba’s contract are taking place.

David Ornstein, for The Athletic, provided updates on Saliba’s situation regarding his return from injury and contract talks.

During a recent FIVE podcast, Ornstein stated,

“They have a key player who has a body to look after and to prepare for next season and get back in the right shape. He’s 22 years old, and I think they’ve got to be very cautious. There’s also a bigger picture to avoid potentially causing long-term damage by rushing him back or him rushing himself back. So it’s very bad news for Arsenal and Saliba.”

Hey Granit Xhaka fans! Spoiler alert! This article is not for you. by Darren

It is fairly obvious that Arsenal have plans to let go of some of their key stars this season as improved replacements are being tageted by Arteta and Edu. Granit Xhaka, who has made 32 league appearances in this campaign already, has been named as one star who could be on his way out.

After seven years at the Emirates, the club wants to cash in on him. Apparently, Mikel Arteta has decided it’s about time to move on from the Swiss international. Sometime back, many wouldn’t object to the 2016 Wenger signing leaving.

Before Arteta joined, many Gooners had issues with him. However, the Spaniard found a way to get the best out of him by switching him from defensive to attacking duties. Xhaka has been impressive in his performance as the No. 8 player; this season, he has five league goals and five assists. Even so, it now seems that at Arsenal, he has run his course.

Arteta wants someone fresh with younger legs in his position, and maybe someone who is more able to control their emetion.

Arsenal may fail to reach their biggest ambition of winning the Premier League this season. After failing to win their last four games, they threw away any leverage they had to lift the league.

Now their chances of winning the league depend on Manchester City dropping six points and them not dropping any. It is a tough ask, but we will have to see if things go their way.

Anyway, amidst the last few disappointing weeks, they have bagged their first success of the season as we have certainly secured our first objective for this season. The Gunners are back in Champions League football after Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Brighton guaranteed Arteta and his boys to finish in the top 4.

As per ex-Arsenal star Shokdran Mustafi, that’s a big win for Arsenal. Mustafi argues that it is important for Arsenal to return to playing in Europe’s top competition. He sees that as rewarding. More rewarding than Arsenal winning the PL and ending up being a one-hit wonder.

“I think Arsenal have already won a title insurance, and they will play in the Champions League again next year, because that’s where the club belongs,” the ex-Gunner told Sky Germany.

The Gunners most critiical pundit, Gary Neville, has identified four senior players at Arsenal who he believes are responsible for the team’s recent dip in form. The Gunners had a promising start to the Premier League season, but their momentum has significantly slowed down in recent weeks, allowing Manchester City to catch up in the title race.

The team surrendered a two-goal lead at Anfield and drew with relegation-threatened teams West Ham and Southampton, which only weakened their grip at the top of the league. Their defeat to Manchester City further paved the way for the Cityzens to be left in the driving seat to retain their title.

Neville spoke on The Overlap, saying that the Gunners that the team’s poor run of form at such a decisive point in the season is due to the failures of senior players and a lack of leadership.

He identified that senior talents are not stepping up and taking responsibility during games. He highlighted that Arsenal’s issues stem from a lack of leadership on and off the pitch, and that the team’s struggles are not solely the manager’s fault. Neville emphasized that for Arsenal to remain competitive in the Premier League, their senior players need to start performing at a higher level and take accountability for the team’s results.

‘I look at Martin Odegaard, fantastic professional. Oleksandr Zinchenko, great professional. But when you actually get to the highest pressurised moments in the biggest matches in the crux of the season, are they leaders then?

Wolfsburg captain Popp may not make UWCL semi-final against Arsenal by Michelle

Arsenal v Wolfsburg will be the biggest match in women’s football on May 1st Bank Holiday. There’s talk that Wolfsburg could be without their captain and star player Alexa Popp for the trip to the Emirates. Apparently she hasn’t been back training two days before the big game versus Arsenal. This is a significant setback to Wolfsburg’s hopes of defeating Arsenal and advancing to the Champions League Final against Barcelona in Eindhoven. But it’s a good thing for the Gunners because they won’t have to worry about man-marking the “busy” Wolfsburg forward.

So, why might Popp be a big miss for Wolfsburg in that game?

The semi-final match between Arsenal and Wolfsburg is square. The opening leg was a 2-2 draw. Because of the draw, the second leg is now an open game in which whoever wins advances to the final. Both sides need someone to step up and do something magical to carry them (whoever it will be) to the final.

While Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, captain Kim Little, and vice-captain Leah Williamson are players Arsenal fans could look to for something magical, if they weren’t injured, Popp is exactly that for Wolfsburg fans. Her versatility as a full-back-turned-forward-turned-midfielder-turned-playmaker makes her a valuable asset. When she’s on the pitch, she is a real captain to her teammates, and Wolfsburg will miss that.

Balogun: Staying or Leaving? It seems he’s on his way out by Daniel O

The Manchester City loss seems to have opened Arteta’s eyes. The Spaniard has decided to be ruthless with his decisions. At this point, you are wondering, Ruthless! How?

Well, as per reports, Arteta has finally made some key decisions about players whose futures were uncertain. Of these decisions, Folarin Balogun’s future seems to have been decided. Caught Offside claim the in-form Arsenal striker is up for sale in the summer. The decision not to keep Balogun will shock many. While on loan at Stade de Reims, the Gunner has been on another level. In 31 games, he has managed 18 goals and two assists.

Looking at his numbers, many would have thought he ought to be on the 2023–24 Arsenal team. But it seems Arteta has thought it wise to sanction his sale. Arsenal could get a boost in their summer transfer kitty from his sale. On the other hand, Balogun could go to a place with guaranteed game time rather than warm the benches at Arsenal.

Did anyone expect Balogun to be a starter at Arsenal next season? I doubt many did. However, with his potential departure, Arsenal should make sure they get a capable replacement. They ought to go out there and sign that physical striker they’ve been crying about.

Arsenal fight for Champions League Final but what’s happening in WSL title race? by Michelle

Manchester City defeated West Ham 6-2 last weekend, moving them to second place in the Barclays Women’s Super League standings, behind Man United, dropping Chelsea to 3rd and Arsenal to 4th, albeit with both teams having games in hand over the Manchester clubs.

Manchester United then defeated Aston Villa 3-2 yesterday in the last bloody minute, putting them on 47 points, 9 points ahead of our Gunners. And Man City play bottom-of-the-table Reading at Academy Stadium tomorrow, with an easy win expected for City, taking them to 44 points, 6 points above our Gunners. Arsenal are only 2 points behind Chelsea, but the Blues have a game in hand over our Gunners.. it’s all VERY CONFUSING!! This is the WSL table Top 4, as things currently stand before Man City v Reading on 30th April:

Man United still have 3 WSL games to play, as well as FA Women’s Cup Final 14th May:

7th May Man United v Tottenham – I predict +3 points for United

Mikel Arteta’s insistence on sticking to one playing style is hurting Arsenal. They say you can’t do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott (ex-Man City stars) wonder why Arteta insisted on employing the same failed tactics against Manchester City.

Arsenal have already met Manchester City three times this season. They have lost these games. The most recent defeat came on Wednesday night, when they lost 4-1. Arsenal’s game strategy failed again, as it had the previous two times. Arteta should have come up with a different plan for their meeting this week, but he did not. Guardiola was the one who made changes to his system.

“Pep talked about his philosophy; he had to change it from a winning philosophy,” the ex-City defender Joleon Lesccot told the Mirro. “He said we went to the Emirates and I wasn’t happy; they won, and he had to change something.

“Mikel Arteta’s faced Pep three times this season, and they’ve lost every time, and he hasn’t changed.”

Rio Ferdinand also had complaints about Arsenal’s tactics against Manchester City. He questioned why Arteta didn’t tweak things after seeing the Citizens dominate over his team. On Rio’s part, he doesn’t understand why Arteta stuck to his initial game plan even though it failed.

Gabriel Jesus hasn’t been himself in the last few weeks. He hasn’t been as influential as he was in his initial Arsenal days. This has left many questions about Arsenal’s strike. Many are starting to believe Jesus isn’t the long-term solution to Arsenal’s attack. There are speculations that Arsenal will be keen to recruit a top striker in the summer. Could Lois Openda be this?

According to the Mail, Arsenal have their eyes on him. The Lens striker is having a superb maiden season in Ligue 1. In 32 games, he’s managed 17 goals and three assists. His brilliant season has seen him attract a lot of interest in his services. He’s only been on the French side for a year, but it seems he isn’t going to stay there for long. However, Arsenal will have to buy him at a hefty price, as he still has four years until his current deal expires.

So why is Openda a striker Arsenal could break the bank for? He is young (23 years old), he is dominant, and almost every top club wants him. Other than that, at the start of April, his teammate, Adrien Thomasson, hinted at why after Len’s 2-1 win over Strasbourg.
“He’s so quick! It’s a real weapon for us,” he said via ligue1.com. “But even when he doesn’t have the ball, he keeps opponents busy and helps us move up the pitch; he’s very important to us.”

I am in favour of Arsenal signing another striker. Gabriel Jesus’ fans can crucify me in the comments section, but if Arteta sees fit to sign Openda, we can trust him. His signings have, at most times, been on point.

Darren N

Lia Walti: Arsenal are “mentally very strong” and “really hard to beat” by Michelle

Lia Walti looked back on Arsenal Women’s remarkable comeback in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, where our Gunners managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Wolfsburg on their home turf last week.

Despite conceding two goals in the first half-hour, Arsenal showed great resilience and fought back to turn the game around. This result puts Arsenal in a solid position for the second leg, which will take place at Emirates Stadium on May 1st. The capacity at Emirates is 60,704 and there are only 3,000 tickets left – so Arsenal Women will definitely set a new UK attendance record for a Champions League game, and they may even sell out Emirates for the first time ever!

Reflecting on Arsenal‘s 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg last week, Lia said:

“We came here to get as good a result as possible. After being 2-0 down, it was such an incredible shift from the team to come back from that. We did it today for all the girls who have to sit at home and watch us, who got injured in the last months.

Concerning news: Marcus’ Harry Maguire merch is rapidly decreasing in value. Marcus, Luke and Andy look back on a chaotic night in Spain, as Manchester United get pressed like some fresh Seville oranges.

We also wonder whether Sean Bean will be in the crowd at Wembley, whether Diego Costa will do the decent thing and sacrifice himself to some crocodiles, and just how more bad news Spurs fans can take.

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See you at the San Siro! Dotun and Andy are joined by Jonathan Johnson to wonder what’s in store in the last four of the Champions League. We discuss who will have the edge in Milan and which of the rivals is best-equipped to go all the way – plus, we explain why Pep Guardiola is slowly turning into Carlo Ancelotti.

Jonathan also gives the latest on the racism allegations facing PSG’s coach, Christophe Galtier. As ever in Paris, it’s complicated.

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In separate games, sadly. But damn it all Marcus, Jim and Andy are here and armed with all the best bits from last night’s action nonetheless – from Man City and Inter’s progression in the Champions League, to a lil bit of Championship spice!

Featuring goalscoring goalkeepers, a very stubborn football curse, and more outrageously outdated references. Plus, Jim offers his theory that Tuchel is just a top-tier Nathan Jones. Yikes.

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After Chelsea at last bowed out of the Champions League last night, Marcus, Andy and Luke are left scratching their heads over Frank Lampard’s lineup and… quite a lot of things really. 

Including: is the club in SUCH a bad way that an old Blockbuster cardboard cutout of Jean-Claude Van Damme would be pretty much as able a manager as a sentient Luis Enrique? Stay tuned.

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What’s that? The Grim Reaper in the front row of Goodison Park? That can only mean one thing…

This Saturday will mark 9 years since David Moyes was sacked – not just as Manchester United boss, but as Sir Alex Ferguson’s not-so-carefully anointed successor. Marcus, Jim, Andy and Vish look back on a truly sensational 9 months in charge!

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Peter’s here! And he’s actually meant to be! On the downside, he’s developed an addiction to shoplifting.

He joins Marcus, Vish and Jim to look back on a weekend of some brilliant performances and quite delicious capitulations. Have Arsenal blown the title? Is Christian Stellini just Conte, but sh***er? And what did Todd Boehly get up to for an hour with the Chelsea players on Saturday?

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This season, Manchester City’s project might be about to reach its final chapter: lifting the Champions League. Andy headed up to Manchester on Tuesday night for City's clash with Bayern Munich, where he discusses a night of contradictions and Bayern fans’ remarkable protest against City’s ownership during the game with Miguel Delaney.

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Last night’s Europa League debacle leaves us asking: can Harry Maguire be to blame for the size of his head?

Marcus, Luke, Andy and Jim have your weekend preview covered as they also reflect on who has the most beautiful eyes in football (you’ll be surprised), one of Nottingham Forest’s worst ideas yet for a replacement for Steve Cooper, and we figure out how much money we could make through OnlyFans. The pod all goes quite south after that…

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It’s first blood in the Champions League quarter-finals! Nicky Bandini joins Dotun and Andy from Milan with the sound of a packed San Siro still ringing in her ears!

We pull apart a fascinating all-Italian clash that left us wondering whether this all-action Napoli team are a little too dependent on one missing action man in particular. After a bruising night in Manchester (pun intended), we also ask whether Bayern Munich should already be regretting their spin on the Thomas Tuchel roulette wheel.

And Juventus! Remember them? They’ve got the Europa League in their sights…

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