Arsenal and Real Madrid are both expressing interest in British talent Noel Buck, who is making a name for himself in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution.

The 18-year-old is generating considerable attention in the American soccer scene and has been selected to represent the England U19 national team, owing to his British lineage.

Buck is just beginning to break into the first team at the Revolution, but Arsenal has already shown interest in securing his signature. According to a report from Defensa Central, the Gunners are in competition with Real Madrid for the young player.

Both clubs view Buck as a highly promising talent and are expected to vie for his services. Arsenal is well-regarded for its commitment to youth development, but Real Madrid has also demonstrated its ability to nurture young talent, which could make the decision more challenging for Buck.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has extended a message to Arsenal supporters, urging them to let go of the anger associated with his celebration against the Gunners during his time as a Manchester City player.

Adebayor was among the players who made the switch from Arsenal to City when the wealthy owners of the Manchester club initiated their ambitious project. His transfer was met with controversy and some Arsenal fans felt betrayed by the Togo international.

In his first match against Arsenal as a City player, he was subject to abuse from Arsenal supporters. Adebayor further fueled the animosity when he scored and celebrated in front of the Arsenal fans. His actions intensified the hostility from the already incensed Arsenal supporters.

Despite the incident, Adebayor has moved on from that period and encourages Arsenal’s fans to do the same.

Metro Sport quotes him saying: ‘Today I will make it clear, I don’t think any human being would accept it if people were singing about and insulting your family, especially your mother and father.

Yayoi Kusama recently addressed her racist descriptions of Black people in several written works, including her 2003 autobiography Infinity Net, just before the opening of her latest exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art (SFMOMA).

“I deeply regret using hurtful and offensive language in my book,” the Japanese artist said in an exclusive statement to the San Francisco Chronicle supplied by the museum on Friday. “My message has always been one of love, hope, compassion, and respect for all people. My lifelong intention has been to lift up humanity through my art. I apologize for the pain I have caused.”

The museum’s choice to feature Kusama was criticized by Chronicle columnist Soleil Ho earlier this week. In an email statement to Ho, museum Director Christopher Bedford said that “SFMOMA stands firmly against these and all anti-Black sentiments.”

Bedford also told the Chronicle in a phone interview, “We can use this moment as a catalyst for a broader interrogation of what it means to present artists in our galleries.”

“I think it is a tremendous leadership opportunity for SFMOMA,” Bedford told the Chronicle, citing a series of public programs slated for early next year aimed at addressing the work of artists with “problematic histories.”

As hundreds of thousands of Gazans have fled their homes in response to Israel’s warnings of a massive ground invasion, the United Nations is warning of an escalating humanitarian crisis.

Many are struggling to find shelter and food; Gaza has no electricity and is running out of clean drinking water. “It has become a matter of life and death,” said Phillippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency, the agency that provides support and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, in a statement Saturday. “It is a must: Fuel needs to be delivered now into Gaza to make water available for two million people.” 

On Saturday, Francesca Albanese, a UN expert on Palestinian human rights, warned, “In the name of self-defense, Israel is seeking to justify what would amount to ethnic cleansing.”

Nearly half of Gaza’s population has been displaced over the week following a massive attack on Israel by Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, last Saturday. The sequestered region has not received humanitarian aid since a complete blockade began on Friday. More than 1,300 Israelis and 1,900 Palestinians are estimated to have died in a war that erupted after the surprise attack a week ago. With the ground invasion set to begin soon, residents are fleeing but have few places to go. 

Meanwhile, a number of American lawmakers and other officials have attempted to demonstrate their support for Israel. Last week, President Joe Biden said, “So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack.”

Folarin Balogun has reflected on the players who inspired him during his time in the Arsenal academy. Balogun is one of the most expensive players Arsenal has sold, as he departed for AS Monaco in the most recent transfer window.

Before earning opportunities with the senior team, Balogun was in impressive form for Arsenal’s youth teams and consistently delivered strong performances. His performances earned him a promotion to the first team, and he made a significant impact on loan at Reims last season.

When discussing his time in the academy, Balogun revealed the players who served as sources of inspiration for him.

He tells ESPN:

“Before you mention them because I went there when I was about 10 so the kind of older boys for me were Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi.

The Louvre Museum was evacuated on Saturday morning after receiving bomb threats. Alarms sounded throughout the museum as well as the underground shopping center beneath its iconic glass signature designed by architect I.M. Pei.

The Paris institution told the Associated Press that no one was hurt, no incident was reported, and police officers had searched the museum.

The museum’s website had a red banner which stated “For security reasons, the Musée du Louvre is closing its doors today, Saturday, October 14. Those who have booked a visit during the day will be reimbursed. Thank you for your understanding.” The same message was posted on the museum’s social media pages.

Earlier this year, the Louvre announced it would be limiting the number of daily visitors to 30,000 “in order to facilitate a comfortable visit and ensure optimal working conditions for museum staff”.

Prior to the pandemic, the Louvre could welcome up to 45,000 visitors each day, according to the Art Newspaper.

Cesc Fabregas has shared his thoughts on Mikel Arteta’s system at Arsenal and emphasised the significance of William Saliba within the team.

Saliba has become a pivotal player at Arsenal, enhancing the team’s defensive stability since his introduction to the first team last season. His impressive performances have earned him recognition as one of the top centre-backs in Europe, attracting the interest of elite clubs across the continent.

Fabregas acknowledges that Arteta’s team plays an attractive brand of football in the Premier League, and he discussed Arsenal’s style of play while mentioning the best team to watch in England.

He named the Gunners alongside Manchester City and Brighton, commenting, as quoted by the Daily Mail:

“Arsenal use that 3-1-3-3 formation – which is six players in front of the ball. It’s about the coach trusting their defenders to be quicker, faster and recover the ball. Then they can play a little bit more attacking football.

Arsenal is taking proactive steps to protect Thomas Partey, a midfielder who has had injury issues in the past, while he represents his national team.

Partey recently returned from injury just before the international break and was subsequently included in Ghana’s squad for their upcoming matches.

Although Arsenal cannot prevent him from participating in the international games, the club has taken a precautionary approach by sending physiotherapist Simon Murphy to monitor him during his international duties, reports the Mirror.

This measure is aimed at ensuring that the midfielder does not sustain any new injuries and is able to return to Arsenal in good physical condition. Given Partey’s history of injuries, this proactive approach is seen as a positive step by the club to safeguard their player’s fitness for the upcoming matches.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Shaka Hislop is the latest pundit to express scepticism about the decision to make David Raya Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Aaron Ramsdale. Hislop maintains that there isn’t a significant difference between the two goalkeepers.

Raya has been the first-choice goalkeeper at the Emirates Stadium in recent weeks after manager Mikel Arteta made the surprising decision to replace Ramsdale.

While it initially seemed that Arteta might rotate between the two goalkeepers, Raya has maintained his position as the starting goalkeeper since his inclusion.

However, many fans and pundits alike remain unconvinced that Raya is a substantial upgrade over Ramsdale, who has now taken on the role of the backup goalkeeper.

Hislop has added his voice to the debate regarding the better goalkeeper, emphasising that there have been too many uncertain moments with Raya in goal.

On Friday, a Trump-appointed federal judge struck down an electoral map in Galveston, Texas, saying it violates the Voting Rights Act and amounts to “egregious” discrimination against Black and Latino voters.

“This is not a typical redistricting case,” wrote Judge Jeffrey Brown in a 157-page ruling. “What happened here was stark and jarring…the enacted plan denies Black and Latino voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect a candidate of their choice.”

The trial, which began in August, focused on how Galveston’s Republican commissioners redrew voting maps in 2021, breaking up the only precinct where Black and Latino voters made up the majority of the electorate. Their map would have effectively erased representation of people of color at the highest levels of local government in a county that is 45 percent non-white.

As my colleague Ari Berman wrote in 2021, the redistricting in Galveston “brought to mind the disenfranchisement of Black voters in the Jim Crow South,” with implications that extended beyond this single district. 

What’s happening in Galveston isn’t an aberration, but part of a troubling trend that is playing out throughout Texas—and across the South—in which Republicans at all levels of state government are going to increasingly extreme lengths to preserve white GOP power by diluting the votes of communities of color in new maps drawn for the US House, state legislative seats, and local offices like county commission and city council districts.