#Héctor Bellerín one shot

[greenorangevioletgrass]

fever pitch (b.b) - prologue

soundtrack: mastermind - taylor swift pairing: footballer!bradley x popstar!reader synopsis: Bradley shoots his shot in public, but will he fumble when he meets you in person? warnings: language, drinking, meet cute notes: my first series in a while! this is shamelessly based on the epic Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce saga currently happening rn, and combine that with my innate love of football (the kicking kind, not the NFL kind) and... voila! I hope you enjoy this. Let me know what you think in the comments, reblogs, and asks. Happy reading! <3 ✨I do not have a taglist. Please follow @ficsbygreenorangevioletgrass and turn on the notification to get the latest update on my fics✨

Soccer Sensation Bradley Bradshaw Fails To Shoot His Shoot With Y/N At Her Concert?

Arsenal captain Bradley Bradshaw may be among his club’s top scorers this season, but even he misses a chance in romance like the rest of us.

The 29-year-old athlete spoke about his missed opportunity with the multi-platinum songstress Y/N while speaking to his former teammate Héctor Bellerín on the latter’s podcast, “More Than A Footballer”, earlier this week.

When asked about any fun stuff he did last weekend, Bradshaw replied,

“I went to the Y/N concert at Wembley [Stadium]... it was awesome. It was pouring rain, but it was amazing. I don’t remember Wembley ever being that electric aside from, like, cup finals. She was sensational.”

Bellerín nods in agreement, having heard great things about the famed singer-songwriter’s live concerts.

Unprompted, the American midfielder then continued,

“If you’ve heard about the tour, there’s this tradition of trading friendship bracelets. And I actually made one with my number on it, hoping I could give it to her after the show…”

The Cockney-raised Spaniard cackled in surprise and teased him, “But she didn’t wanna see you, bruv? [That is] legend!”

“No hard feelings!” Bradshaw raised his hands in defense over the Zoom call. “She needed to dry off and get warm. Gotta make sure she stays healthy, protect those vocal cords. But yeah, I was a bit bummed out about it.”

Bellerín laughed and jokingly addressed the camera, “Y/N, if you’re watching, give my boy a chance, will you?”

Mononymous pop sensation Y/N is hot off of her Kaleidoscope North American Tour, which wrapped in September. Her six-show run at Wembley Stadium this November officially kicks off the European leg of her sold-out tour. 

Will they be the next pop royalty and conquer the stadiums with their own crafts, or will this fizzle out as this week’s viral anecdote? The ball is in your court, Y/N.

Y/N’s representatives have not responded for comment.

***

Your Miu Miu heels click and clack against the ground. The pavement gleams after the rain and glistens under the streetlights. Everywhere you look, your eyes hurt. Down, and you worry about slipping into a puddle and falling on your ass. Forward, and a million camera flashes are ready to give you an aneurysm.

All in the name of reporting your night off of work, performing live in front of 90,000 people in a stadium.

In other words, all in a day’s work.

There’s a moment of reprieve, when the silvery white blitzes disappear into the dim tangerine lighting of the lobby. The flight down the stairs is so dark, you’re seeing green. It takes your eyes a moment to adjust, but as soon as they do, the thumping bass line of some dance music hits your ears. Clashing perfumes doused on the dancing, dressed-up bodies that you have to weave through.

You are seriously regretting your girl friends’ invite to a night out. You could’ve just had them over to your hotel, open a bunch of red wine, and you would’ve still had a blast. But no. You had to say yes to going to the Cuckoo Club with Lacey, Amara, and Jo.

And this evening is making you feel quite cuckoo.

There’s champagne at your booth and you’re much too eager to take a glass and start a toast. “Cheers, bitches!” you yell over the music, clinking your glass against theirs before downing the whole thing in one go.

It’s nowhere near enough.

There’s not enough buzz to dull the assault to your senses—not even after the three glasses of wine at dinner earlier. Everything is still too loud, too bright, too crowded, too… much.

“Hey!” you nudge Amara, who is sitting right next to you. “Let’s do shots!”

She turns to you, eyes widening at the slightest. “I thought you wanted to take it easy tonight!” 

“Changed my mind,” you shrug, as you get up to the bar.

While you make your way through the crowd on the dance floor, Bradley Bradshaw looks up from his booth and does a double-take at the girl who just walked by. Even in a high-end club full of the well-dressed and well-heeled, people still get starstruck. And why wouldn’t they? You’re about as famous as an iPhone. 

His eyes widen and immediately whips out his phone to shoot a text to his oldest and most trusted friend Natasha Trace.

‘Dude, I’m in the club and Y/N just walked in. What do I do??’

Natasha thankfully texts back almost immediately. Then again, maybe being a Communications Director for a major company requires her to be a good texter. ‘Wdym what do you do? Just go talk to her.’

‘You were supposed to introduce us!’ Bradley replies, eyes darting between his phone and you at the bar, conflicted.

Natasha is a mutual friend of yours, too, and when the Bracelet-gate clip went viral, she laughed in his face for a full 5 minutes before deciding to set the two of you up. But the schedule never really aligned, so he hasn’t got a chance to see you. Not even after he went to your concert with a friendship bracelet and a dream.

And now, seeing you here in the same room at the same time as him…

‘What do you want me to do, get down there and do it for you?’

‘...Can you?’

He senses the judgment even as the three dots appear on his screen. 

‘Stop being a pussy, Bradshaw. Let me Netflix and chill with my gf in peace.’

Bradley scoffs, half-annoyed and half-fond. ‘Asshole. Have fun.’

The dance floor clears up, just enough to see that you’re right there. Leaning against the bar in your dress like a dirty daydream, talking to the bartender, and he couldn’t just let you go without a word. He thought about it, and he simply couldn’t.

“Oi, where are you off to?” His teammate Martin hollers, while the others watch him make his way to the bar in determined strides.

He squeezes past patrons across this jungle of a club, hoping to God that somebody hasn’t beaten him to talk to you yet, or you haven’t ducked out completely. Oh fuck. You’re still there, though. Good. You’re still at the bar, still glimmering under the mirrorball. Just a tap on the shoulder away. You can do it, Bradshaw…

“Excuse me, I—”

You feel the hand on your shoulder just as you turn and stand up, and in a flurry of miscoordination, looks up just as the other person moves in.

In a stroke of dumb luck, Bradley feels the top of your head slamming up against his nose and he groans in pain. “Ohh!”

“Shit! Oh my God…” you gasp, reaching out to the man in front of you. He’s tall, very tall, and you can’t quite see his face with his massive hand clutching his nose. “I’m so sorry…”

“No, it’s okay. My bad…” It really doesn’t seem like it, so he lets go of his nose and smiles sheepishly. Gosh, he must’ve looked stupid right now.

But you see it differently. What you see is a dashing man in a sleek tieless navy suit and a well-groomed mustache, straight out of a Cinemascope flick, ever so handsome despite his reddened nose from the way you just accidentally headbutted him. “No, that was totally mine. Are you okay?”

Your eyes are crystal clear even in the dim light, the concern is palpable in your gaze—and rightly so. It’s just that he’d take the headbutt any day, if it means he can look at your beautiful face. “I’m… I’m swell. Y/N, right?”

There’s a shift in your gaze. First, alert—you’re assessing how much of a potential threat this person is, whether they’re gonna be weird about you— and then it relaxes. Not a threat. Then a slightest hint of mischief, like she wants to know what kind of dynamics they would have. “Have we met?”

And boy, can he.

“We haven’t, actually. But I went to your show at Wembley earlier this week. You were amazing.” He offers a handshake. “Bradley Bradshaw.”

You didn’t quite catch his name over the blaring music, although you shake his hand anyway. “Sorry?” 

He leans into your ear, “I’m Bradley Bradshaw.”

You don’t know which one makes your heart skip, the sudden close proximity, the warmth of his timbre, or the whiff of his perfume.

“Right. Nice to meet you, Bradley Bradshaw.” You accept his handshake, hoping he doesn’t see how flustered you are in the strobing purple light.

“Likewise.” He nods with a smile. “And may I just say… you look stunning.”

“What, this old thing?” You brush down the art nouveau-inspired Balmain dress on your body. You’re just being modest, of course; you know you’re dressed to the nines. You have never been much into facial hair, but somehow that mustache suits him very well. “You don’t look so bad yourself. You remind me of a… young Robert Mitchum. Or Paul Newman— or one of those Golden Age leading men.”

His face lights up. It’s hardly the first time he received that kind of compliment, but when it came from you, it feels… different. It feels special. It makes him just a little bolder. “Yeah? Maybe after a few drinks, I’ll be quoting lines from Butch Cassidy. Or would you prefer Cat On A Hot Tin Roof?”

This piques your interest. A man of culture, it seems. But of course, you can’t be too sure. “I’m more of a Paris Blues kinda gal, I’m afraid.”

Gosh, you don’t swoon so easily and he likes you so much for that. “Makes sense.”

“How so?”

“It’s a good underrated musical movie, for the musically gifted… And Sidney Poitier was just fantastic in that.”

“Huh.” You raise your eyebrows. You honestly thought he was just spouting the famous titles. But the fact that he has likely seen this hidden gem might just mean he’s really into it. “Aren’t you full of surprises.”

He leans in to speak in your ear yet again. “If you stick with me for a bit, I might show you another surprise or two.”

The music drowns out your racing heart just barely, and the bartender places a whole set of tequila shots on the bar top, and it snaps you out of your reverie for a moment. 

“Wanna get some air?”

He seems surprised, but of course he wasn’t gonna throw away this shot. “Sure. Why not?”

You instruct the bartender to send the shots to your booth, not even spending ten seconds to ponder staying in this deafening hell hole. Not when this man looks like peace. Perhaps an undercurrent of mystery underneath, but his whole demeanor is as calm and comforting as those old-school movies you put on to fall asleep. At the same time, something about this person pulls you in, it’s almost magnetic, and you can’t help wanting to see this through.

[emwritesfootball]

Threesomes 3 | 8 with Héctor Bellerín and Another Girl

“There’s a surprise upstairs for you.” “You bought me lingerie?”

Warnings: massage with a happy ending, nipple play, fingering, multiple orgasms, girl-on-girl, etc

- - -

You’d been thinking about Héctor’s text all day, your mind racing at all the possibilities the moment your phone pinged with the message telling you there would be a surprise waiting for you when you got home.

At first, you thought it could be something classy like champagne. You’d recently gotten a promotion within your department, but you and Héctor had celebrated that two weeks ago, so you quickly ruled that out. Then, your mind turned to potential surprises Héctor had - it was the transfer window, and you couldn’t help wondering if he was transferring clubs. You dismissed that idea, too, though, knowing he would’ve talked to you about it long before now, and he wouldn’t have framed it as a surprise.

Everything else that crossed your mind was less of a surprise and more of a present, but you figured that presents could also be surprises.

“Héc?” You called out when you got home, slipping off your shoes and hanging up your jacket and putting your keys where they belonged. You were about to call out his name again when you noticed a note card in his handwriting.

There’s a surprise upstairs for you

“Héctor?” You made your way upstairs, opening the door to the bedroom you shared. “Did you buy me lingerie?”

“Something like that,” came a woman’s sultry reply, and your gaze met hers. She was sitting in the centre of the bed wearing nothing but a silk robe and what you assumed was matching lingerie. “Héctor said you’d had a hard week and that you were in need of a massage.” She got off the bed and sauntered towards you. “Preferably one with a happy ending.”

Your stomach dipped in anticipation. “That sounds amazing,” you whispered, swallowing hard. The two of you had talked about bringing a third into the bedroom for a long time, but you didn’t think it would come about like this.

“Get undressed for me.”

You did as she ordered, stripping down to just your bra and panties.

“Those, too - if you’d like.” She gestured to your undergarments.

Your eyes were on hers as you unclasped your bra and wiggled out of your panties, sucking in a breath as your nipples puckered and your pussy dripped in the cool air.

“Come. Lay facedown on the bed.”

You let out a sigh as your body sank down into the mattress. Moments later, you felt her hands on you, slick with massage oil. “Please let me know if I’m pressing too hard or too light. This massage is supposed to help relax you as well as turn you on, so don’t hesitate to tell me what you want.”

“Will you be, uhm, massaging my boobs and my, uh, pussy, too?” You asked hesitantly.

“If that’s something you’d like, I can definitely get those areas. I think you’ll also find that there are plenty of erogenous zones on your body that aren’t linked to those spots.” She pressed her thumbs down on your spine, sliding down and you let out a moan.

“Oh, fuck, that feels amazing.”

“I’m glad, mi amor,” came Héctor’s voice from somewhere far away. You hadn’t realized he’d entered the room, but right now you didn’t care. “You deserve a relaxing massage.”

“Is she going to work on you next?” You asked, your voice muffled from being buried in the mattress.

“In a sense, yes.”

Her soft hands were eventually replaced with Héctor’s as she taught him her technique. You thought you would pass out from pleasure when her hands returned to join Héctor’s, doubling all the sensations as Héctor’s hands wandered between your legs and hers reached for your boobs.

“Can we make you cum, mi amor?” Héctor asked, pressing kisses to your lower back.

“Please!” You begged, letting them do whatever they wanted to you so long as you got an orgasm out of it.

Héctor’s fingers expertly massaged your clit while the masseuse worked over your nipples, giving you a powerful orgasm you’d never experienced before. “Good girl,” she praised in your ear, trailing kisses down your neck and shoulder. “That’s the first of many we’ll be giving you tonight.”

“Do I get to return the favour?” You asked once you caught your breath and the brain fog lifted slightly.

“That depends on whether or not you like eating pussy,” she replied, playing with your nipples again, “because if you do, I might let you have a taste while your boyfriend watches.”

Your pussy clenched around Héctor’s fingers in response to that, earning a chuckle from him. “I think she likes the sound of that,” he told the masseuse, his other hand massaging your ass cheeks.

By the time the masseuse was done with you, you were sleepy and sated. She’d knelt over you and rode your face while Héctor watched; every part of your body had been massaged until you weren’t sure you had any bones left you were so relaxed.

“Were you surprised?” Héctor asked as he helped rinse the massage oil and other fluids off your body later that night.

“I was,” you confirmed, a sated smile on your lips. “It was everything I needed and more. Don’t ever surprise me with lingerie ever again.”

[charlottemount]

📩 = request CLOSE

📮= request CLOSED

If you want to request y/n with others player please send me your request 😊

ig files only!

( MASTERLIST )

Who i write for?

football player

• Mason Mount

• Ben Chilwell

• Jesse Lingard

• Hakim Ziyach

• Christian Pulisic

• Ben Pavard

• Leon Goretzka

• Rúben Dias

• Son Heung Min

• Ruben Loftus Cheek

• Kylian Mbappé

• Héctor Bellerín

• Dusan Vlahovic

• Trent Alexander-Arnold

• Jadon Sancho

• Reiss Nelson

( more )

RULES: must read!

- IG files only

- i don’t write one-shot

- mostly write dad!player!

REQUEST: ARE CLOSE!

[penguintransporter]

imagines:

Imagine // Leon Goretzka

Just an imagine, I guess...

Green // Marco Rose  🎄

Green just wasn’t her colour. 

Just a Stranger // Leon Goretzka 🎄

Getting stuck in an elevator with a stranger isn't so bad, after all.

Last Christmas // Héctor Bellerín 🎄

What's got Wham! to do with it?

A Second Chance // Kasper Schmeichel  🎄

A Christmas prank gone wrong. Or maybe not?

To Kiss a Stranger // Benjamin Pavard 🎄

A silly bet is all it takes.

What Do You Think? // Serge Gnabry

How does one smoothly go from lust to love?

Let's Go Home // Marco Rose

There's only one way to apologize. (warning: it gets physical)

Say Something // John Stones

Some things can leave one speechless.

Wrong // Dominic Calvert-Lewin

Sometimes the one thing that's very wrong, feels just right.

After Hours // Reece James

In which she bites the bullet and asks him out. 

Yours // Benjamin Pavard

Benjamin doesn’t want to be her wingman, but her man. 

To Be Real // Tyrone Mings

Sometimes faking it pays off. Or does it?

Tiny Clouds // Serge Gnabry

It's tiny clouds, not sheep. Okay?

For Reals? //  Héctor Bellerín

In which she learns that being Perrie Edwards is not the best thing in the world.

Is that...my shirt? // Harry Winks (hnrfc' writing challenge)

Harry finds out that Sofie has one of his shirts. And he doesn’t mind.

Notes on Gardening // Eric Dier

Eric Dier spends too much money on gardening books. Not that Vee minds. For @avenirdelight

A Sunflower // Leon Goretzka

Sometimes, all it takes is a sunflower.

A Familiar Face // Alisson Becker

Alisson Becker is many things, but is not a catfish.

Letting Go // James Rodriguez

In which Clara and James learn that the hardest thing to do is to let go.

When in Porto // Iker Casillas

Iker likes food. He also likes the woman that makes it

Art of Being Honest // Niklas Stark

Niklas has no clue about art, but he knows a lot about how he feels towards Mia. For @quack-and-yellow

It’s a Date // Virgil Van Dijk

Lou is really bad at giving signals, but Virgil is even worse at catching them.

two-shots:

Please Say Something // Leon Goretzka (hnrfc' writing challenge + sequel)

In which she ask for a second chance. Inspired by the song Love You Twice by Lilla Vargen.

Part I

Part II

Hope is a Heartache // Leon Goretzka

Always ‘almost’, but never ‘quite’ something.

Part I

Part II 

Fade Into You // Leon Goretzka

In the end, he did listen to her; and his heart.

Part I

Part II

8 (eight) // Anyone You’d Like 

Eight months it's all it takes.

Part I

Part II

[colorsofmyseason]

Fanfic Masterlist

So, some of you probably have known that I write fics (mostly Arsenal and Germany NT), and therefore I’m just going to use this space to shamelessly promote my own fanfic. New ones will be added accordingly.

So, enjoy! (or not)

--

Series of Oneshots

passing the limits of your senses. germany nt. supernatural au. 

tastes like sunshine. steno. marc-andré thirsts for bernd’s blood.

promises you whisper between your teeth. philipp lahm/per mertesacker. what happened behind closed doors.

just plain vanilla. neuller. manuel’s blood is tasteless but thomas loves it anyway.

when being normal is underrated. schweinski. bastian wishes to have a superpower and lukas wishes to be normal.

the grand sorcerer and the apprentice. miroslav klose & manuel neuer. manuel can’t deceive miro to save his life.

firsts. germany nt (gen), minor steno, hömmels and götzeus. the players tell the stories about the first time they manifested their powers.

red lights. arsenal fc. supernatural au.

the distance between you and me. onesided!bernd leno/lucas torreira, minor steno. lucas falls in love with a tall, blonde, glove-wearing german in his new club.

running to neverland. onesided!mikel arteta/robin van persie. mikel and robin talks about the latter’s transfer to man united.

a peculiar introduction. lucas torreira & shkodran mustafi. lucas learns how musti utilizes his power.

the dark side of defeat. bernd leno, héctor bellerín, pierre-emerick aubameyang, and mikel arteta. the aftermath of man city vs arsenal game.

into your bloody trap. gabriel martinelli/bukayo saka. bukayo figured out about gabi's ability.

not as easy as magic. lucas torreira & héctor bellerín. the tale behind lucas’ insta-story.

war and peace. mesut ozil/arsenal, minor samisut. mesut might not be allowed to play, but that doesn't mean he couldn't help his team in his own way.

not just a phase. héctor bellerín & kieran tierney. kieran calls héctor in the middle of the night.

the wolf of colney street. héctor bellerín/dani ceballos, onesided!héctor bellerín/kieran tierney. kieran finds a wolf in arsenal’s dressing room.

divine intervention. arsenal fc/gen. lucas' obsession with magic gets a little too much and bernd stages an intervention.

rebel just for you. robcal. an unfair decision from the ref and rob's rage kinda throw calum off-balance.

(im)probable coincidence. arsenal fc/gen, bernd leno-centered. there are disadvantages of being a super.

chasing starlights. fc bayern münchen. supernatural au. 

end of a day. manuel neuer-centered. a background story behind bayern's win against psg in the ucl final.

we found love right where we are. arsenal fc. valentine's day fluff. what the couples in arsenal do during valentine's day.

Multi-chapter/Multi-part fics

the sweetest temptation. hömmels. supernatural au. mats is a seducer and benni is somewhere between misunderstanding and denial.

even if my body goes up in flames (i’ll save you anyway). bravertz. supernatural au. kai havertz can see the details of someone’s death.

in weakness and in strength. steno. supernatural au. three things bernd learns after he starts dating a vampire.

in this white frozen world. steno. future au. bernd leno goes on loan to real madrid.

spellbound. neuller. supernatural au. throughout all the frenzies that are football, transfers, blood and magic spells, they fall in love.

countless reasons. steno. supernatural au, future au. marc transfers to chelsea and moves in with bernd.

One-shot

two points. héctor bellerín & bernd leno, minor steno. supernatural au. héctor reflects about being a wizard, supernatural life, and bernd leno.

cold as ice. jerome boateng/robert lewandowski. supernatural au. jerome takes too long in the bathroom so robert pranks/punishes him.

you're my fortress, shield, savior, armor. alexander nübel/niklas süle. supernatural au. niklas defends on and off the pitch, and alex enjoys it.

love at second sight. hector bellerin/multiple. supernatural au. five times hector got into some "complications" and one time he found his true choice.

love scenario. kieran tierney/martin odegaard. supernatural au. kieran wishes to stay away from love. his plans fall apart when he meets martin.

-

And oh, if you guys are interested in reading my old fics in livejournal and asianfanfics, feel free to do so I guess, though I have to warn you they’re shitty af.

Happy reading! :)

[365footballorg-blog]

Arsenal thrash Fulham for ninth straight win

Aaron Ramsey scored an early goal of the season contender as Arsenal thrashed Fulham to record a ninth straight win for the first time since April 2015.

Alexandre Lacazette scored two impressive goals before substitute Ramsey finished off a classic team move and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted twice.

Frenchman Lacazette claimed the opening goal of the London derby at Craven Cottage when he spun on Nacho Monreal’s cutback before drilling the ball past Marcus Bettinelli.

But Fulham drew level before the break as Luciano Vietto pounced on a loose pass by Monreal to thread the ball through to Andre Schurrle, who chipped over Gunners keeper Bernd Leno.

Arsenal were a different side after the interval and Bettinelli – called up by England this week – produced the save of the game to keep out a fierce strike from Bellerin, moments before Lacazette added his second – an early strike from long range which seemed to catch the Fulham keeper by surprise as it nestled in the bottom corner.

Ramsey was introduced in the 67th minute – and the Welshman added a third just 39 seconds later as Arsenal moved from left to right with one-touch passing and neat headers.

The ball made its way to fellow substitute Aubameyang, who swept the ball across the face of the Fulham goal for Ramsey to flick past Bettinelli.

Aubameyang added a fourth as he swivelled on low cross from Hector Bellerin before side-footing the ball into the far corner.

And the Gabon striker rounded off the scoring after a neat low finish to cap a thoroughly entertaining victory in the derby.

Fulham had their opportunities to respond. Aboubakar Kamara had the pick of their chances but shouldered Cyrus Christie’s cross instead of meeting it with his head.

A sixth consecutive Premier League victory for Arsenal moved Unai Emery’s men up to third in the table, a point behind Manchester City and Liverpool, who meet at Anfield later on Sunday.

Fulham remain just above the relegation zone in 17th.

Attack isn’t always the best form of defence

Before Sunday’s game, Fulham striker Aleksander Mitrovic said his side “needed to be smarter at the back” but would continue to play the same way and try to score goals.

Fulham are the only Premier League side not to have kept a clean sheet this season, and the Cottagers have also conceded 21 goals – the most in the division.

But that does not seem to have deterred Slavisa Jokanovic’s men from playing attacking football.

The hosts produced 12 shots on goal in the first half, albeit five of those were blocked and four were off target – but their attacking intent shows no signs of wavering.

The game could have been different as early as three minutes in when Luciano Vietto capitalised on a misplaced pass from Bellerin, but his fierce effort was well saved by Leno, via a Rob Holding deflection.

But as the match developed, the visitors’ quality began to tell and Fulham’s attempt to go toe-to-toe with the Gunners was ruthlessly exploited.

Defeat by the likes of Arsenal will not determine the Cottagers’ season, but Jokanovic may have to tweak his approach against top-quality opposition.

Despite conceding five, there were some positives, as Maxime le Marchand made three crucial interceptions inside his own area.

And in Denis Odoi, Fulham have a calming influence who could help steer the club to safety between now and May.

More to follow.

Line-ups

Match Stats

Live Text

Line-ups

Fulham

1Bettinelli

4Odoi

13ReamSubstituted forKamaraat 54'minutes

20Le Marchand

22Christie

29Zambo AnguissaSubstituted forMcDonaldat 62'minutes

24Seri

3R Sessegnon

19ViettoBooked at 57minsSubstituted forJohansenat 83'minutes

9Mitrovic

14SchürrleBooked at 70mins

Substitutes

6McDonald

8Johansen

11Ayité

25Rico

26Mawson

43S Sessegnon

47Kamara

Arsenal

19Leno

2Bellerín

20Mustafi

16Holding

18Monreal

11Torreira

34Xhaka

7Mkhitaryan

23WelbeckSubstituted forAubameyangat 62'minutes

17IwobiSubstituted forRamseyat 67'minutes

9LacazetteSubstituted forGuendouziat 80'minutes

Substitutes

5Papastathopoulos

8Ramsey

12Lichtsteiner

14Aubameyang

26Martínez

29Guendouzi

31Kolasinac

Referee:

Paul Tierney

Attendance:

25,401

Match Stats

Home TeamFulhamAway TeamArsenal

Possession

Home49%

Away51%

Shots

Home21

Away9

Shots on Target

Home4

Away7

Corners

Home4

Away2

Fouls

Home11

Away12

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Fulham 1, Arsenal 5.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Fulham 1, Arsenal 5.

Goal!

Posted at 90'+1'

Goal! Fulham 1, Arsenal 5. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey with a through ball.

Posted at 89'

Attempt missed. André Schürrle (Fulham) right footed shot from long range on the right is too high. Assisted by Jean Michael Seri.

Posted at 85'

Offside, Fulham. Denis Odoi tries a through ball, but André Schürrle is caught offside.

Posted at 83'

Foul by Jean Michael Seri (Fulham).

Posted at 83'

Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 83'

Substitution, Fulham. Stefan Johansen replaces Luciano Vietto.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Arsenal. Matteo Guendouzi replaces Alexandre Lacazette.

Goal!

Posted at 79'

Goal! Fulham 1, Arsenal 4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Héctor Bellerín with a cross.

Posted at 78'

Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).

Posted at 78'

Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 75'

Attempt missed. Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Cyrus Christie.

Posted at 74'

Offside, Fulham. Ryan Sessegnon tries a through ball, but Aleksandar Mitrovic is caught offside.

Posted at 73'

Luciano Vietto (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Lucas Torreira (Arsenal).

Posted at 73'

Attempt saved. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Cyrus Christie with a headed pass.

Posted at 73'

Attempt blocked. Cyrus Christie (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Denis Odoi.

Posted at 73'

Luciano Vietto (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal).

Posted at 71'

Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Rob Holding.

Booking

Posted at 70'

André Schürrle (Fulham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 70'

Foul by André Schürrle (Fulham).

Posted at 70'

Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 69'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Maxime Le Marchand.

Goal!

Posted at 67'

Goal! Fulham 1, Arsenal 3. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Substitution

Posted at 67'

Substitution, Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey replaces Alex Iwobi.

Posted at 66'

Jean Michael Seri (Fulham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 66'

Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).

Posted at 64'

Luciano Vietto (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Rob Holding (Arsenal).

Posted at 64'

Offside, Fulham. Maxime Le Marchand tries a through ball, but Ryan Sessegnon is caught offside.

Substitution

Posted at 62'

Substitution, Arsenal. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang replaces Danny Welbeck.

Substitution

Posted at 62'

Substitution, Fulham. Kevin McDonald replaces André-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

Posted at 61'

Attempt blocked. André Schürrle (Fulham) right footed shot from long range on the left is blocked. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Posted at 61'

Attempt missed. Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) with an attempt from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Cyrus Christie with a cross.

Posted at 59'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 57'

Delay in match Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) because of an injury.

Booking

Posted at 57'

Luciano Vietto (Fulham) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 56'

Foul by Luciano Vietto (Fulham).

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BBC Sport – Football

Arsenal thrash Fulham for ninth straight win was originally published on 365 Football

[drubblernews-blog]

New Post has been published on http://drubbler.com/2017/02/22/why-convinces-juanfran-to-barca/

Why convinces Juanfran to Barca

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yes Robert was seeing live Héctor Bellerín in Bayern-Arsenal of Champions last week, also did the same with the other side, Juanfran Moreno (28 años), during the Deportivo-alaves last Saturday. FC Barcelona Technical Secretary was in the stage of Riazor to take note of the evolutions of the Catalan side of Depor, chosen by technicians to mitigate the decline in Aleix Vidal after his serious ankle injury.

Robert traveled to see Juanfran play because before undertaking any operation you want to see in action directly and personally to the footballer in question. He relies on his staff, but you always prefer to see live the followed player to get an impression of his game.

during his espionage on-site to Juanfran, Robert corroborated what had already told you his assistants. On the one hand, that the side of the Depor is a footballer of level means that never would be a standout, but that almost always ends his parties providing one performance more than correct. That is not a large guarantee if it were a signing of the summer market, but now, a special supplement to an injured joint, it is enough.

play in favor of Juanfran who was formed in the quarry of a big club, Real Madrid. There played much in subsidiary both in Segunda B as in second a. even became captain of the second white team and Pellegrini made her debut with the ‘big’. That gives you a sediment of experience when it comes to withstand pressure since you know what is a world-class club. In addition, the fact of having excelled in the second white team speaks of having an acceptable level of technical both defensive and offensive level.

qualities

in this sense, Barça on Juanfran reports highlight that it is joined with intelligence to attack by his band and usually culminate their offensive forays with good centers, precise so if they are looking for head shots as if you opt for the pass of death. Another aspect highlighted by Robert helpers on the Spaniard is that, being right and having a good foot for the pass and the Center, also puts very well the ball with the left leg which handles with solvency. In defensive terms stands its balance, intensity, and tactical intelligence. That is to say, choose either when it goes up and is always alert to recover on defense and correct its position.

in summary, which is about a footballer, not outstanding but with good level to not clash, especially in the defensive aspect, which is what you want to promote problem-solving in that facet of Sergi Roberto .

Juanfran is a player who already knew the Catalan technical but that has never been at the top of candidates to strengthen the boat. However, the current situation has made him climb given that only it can sign a player of first or second or be unemployed. In the lists of candidates published in the press just has appeared until last week As quoted him in them along with Rosales (Malaga) and MD uncovered was the ‘capping’ culé technical secretariat to cover the decline in Aleix Vidal.

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[madpicks]

New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports/soccer/3-things-learned-bayern-munichs-5-1-thrashing-arsenal/

3 things we learned from Bayern Munich’s 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal

The Bavarians brushed Arsenal aside at the Allianz.

Bayern Munich are all but through into the Champions League quarterfinals after demolishing Arsenal 5-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 tie at the Allianz Arena. Arjen Robben opened the scoring in the first half, only for Alexis Sánchez to equalise shortly before halftime. Unfortunately for the visitors, their hard work was undone in a disastrous second period, in which a brace from Thiago Alcântara and goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller ensured a humiliating defeat.

It took only 11 minutes for Bayern to break the deadlock, though Arsenal had reason to feel aggrieved at the circumstances. While the Bavarians had dominated possession in the first few minutes, the Gunners defence was initially surprisingly sturdy. They paid the price for just a momentary lapse, as Robben skipped away from Francis Coquelin and onto his left foot, before curling a trademark effort inside David Ospina’s far post. The best players punish the smallest mistakes, and Robben is certainly still one of those.

Arsenal struggled to find a foothold after going behind, with Bayern continuing to patiently probe. However, when Lewandowski fouled Laurent Koscielny in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot just past the half hour, the complexion of the game changed completely. Sánchez’s spot-kick was saved by Manuel Neuer and then scuffed the rebound, only to frantically convert at the third time of asking. Arsenal were not only level, but in the ascendancy.

They created two further chances before the interval: a low cross by Sánchez was smashed straight at Neuer by the onrushing Granit Xhaka; anywhere else and the ball would’ve rocketed into the back of the net. A few minutes later a quiet Mesut Özil should’ve converted after being presented with a great chance from close range, though he, too, shot straight at the Bayern goalkeeper. By halftime the game had changed completely, and Arsenal would’ve been frustrated to only be level.

Alas, their momentum was broken by the interval, and Bayern were swiftly able to establish control once more. This time, they ensured there would be no way back for their opponents. What followed was 20 minutes of brutal football in which they netted three goals, though admittedly as much a result of some atrocious Arsenal defending as their own attacking flair.

The first was the result of some simple build-up play down the right, with Philipp Lahm running beyond Robben before delivering a good cross for Lewandowski. The Polish striker got the jump on Shkodran Mustafi, and his header proved beyond the reach of Ospina. The second was of rather more merit, largely thanks to some flashy play from Lewandowski. This time the scorer turned provider, flicking an all-too-simple Xabi Alonso pass in behind the Arsenal defence. The backheel was excellently read by the onrushing Thiago, who was left with the simple task of firing beyond Ospina and sending Bayern two goals to the good.

Arsenal were completely crumbling, and a succession of clear-cut chances followed within quick succession before Thiago completed his brace just past the hour. A corner popped out to the Spanish international on the edge of his area, with his low drive taking a kindly deflection off Xhaka before rolling past the wrong-footed Ospina. The Bavarians were three up, and absolutely cruising.

They completed the rout with a fifth with just two minutes of normal time left, as substitute Müller got himself in on the act. An anonymous Oxlade-Chamberlain was dispossessed by Joshua Kimmich; his square pass was gleefully received by Müller, who skipped to his right before rifling beyond Ospina. The humiliation was thereby complete, and the home fans would’ve been wondering who they’ll be facing in the quarterfinals.

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer; David Alaba, Mats Hummels, Javi Martínez, Philipp Lahm; Arturo Vidal, Xabi Alonso; Douglas Costa (Joshua Kimmich 84’), Thiago Alcântara, Arjen Robben; Robert Lewandowski (Thomas Müller 86’).

Goals: Robben (11’), Lewandowski (53’), Thiago (56’, 63’), Müller (88’).

Arsenal: David Ospina; Kieran Gibbs, Laurent Koscielny (Gabriel 49’), Shkodran Mustafi, Héctor Bellerín; Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin (Olivier Giroud 77’); Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Özil, Alex Iwobi (Theo Walcott 66’); Alexis Sánchez.

Goals: Sánchez (30’).

3 Things

1. Arsenal lost this game as much as Bayern won it

Considering Bayern’s eventual margin of victory, one of the most astonishing things about this match was how even it was through first half. Arsenal didn’t see much possession but did defend well; Bayern were restricted to largely innocuous wing-play, and their only goal was a moment of individual brilliance from Arjen Robben. By halftime, Arsenal were the better of the two teams, and their counter-attacking was causing Bayern real problems. That made their second half capitulation all the more disappointing; what had been a well-coordinated defensive display became a total embarrassment, a caricature of the Gunners at their worst under Arsène Wenger. He’ll know to expect pressure after this performance, and he can’t say it’s unwarranted.

2. Robert Lewandowski redeemed himself with an excellent second half display

Lewandowski had a poor start to this match, missing a couple of good chances and giving away the penalty that allowed Arsenal to equalise. However, he certainly redeemed himself in the second half, turning in a textbook center-forward’s performance. From his excellent header to smart backheel assist, the Polish striker was a nightmare for Arsenal’s defence. Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny will be dreading going up against him again in the second leg.

3. Mesut Özil was nowhere once again

By now, it’s obvious that Mesut Özil is having a poor season. Before this match, Wenger spoke of how great players always justify their own selection, effectively paraphrasing the old adage that though form is temporary, class is permanent. But after another nothing performance from the German, Arsenal supporters will be wondering what good is class if it isn’t ever in evidence? In this game, Özil was defensively lazy and offensively inefficient; with wingers Alex Iwobi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain often so deep in defensive formation, Alexis Sánchez needed greater support on the counter from the playmaker. As it was, the Chilean was too often left alone in attack, and Bayern too easily able to regain possession. Gunners supporters won’t be happy, and it’s little wonder.

[junker-town]

3 things we learned from Bayern Munich’s 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal

The Bavarians brushed Arsenal aside at the Allianz.

Bayern Munich are all but through into the Champions League quarterfinals after demolishing Arsenal 5-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 tie with Arsenal at the Allianz Arena. Arjen Robben opened the scoring in the first half, only for Alexis Sánchez to equalise shortly before halftime. Unfortunately for the visitors, their hard work was undone in a disastrous second period, in which a brace from Thiago Alcântara and goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller ensured a humiliating defeat.

It took only 11 minutes for Bayern to break the deadlock, though Arsenal had reason to feel aggrieved at the circumstances. Though the Bavarians had dominated possession in the first few minutes, the Gunners defence was initially surprisingly sturdy. They paid the price for just a momentary lapse, as Robben skipped away from Francis Coquelin and onto his left foot, before curling a trademark arcing effort inside David Ospina’s far post. The best players punish the smallest mistakes, and Robben is certainly still one of those.

Arsenal struggled to find a foothold after going behind, with Bayern continuing to patiently probe. However, when Lewandowski fouled Laurent Koscielny in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot just past the half hour, the complexion of the game changed completely. Sánchez’s spot-kick was saved by Manuel Neuer and the rebound was scuffed, only for the Chilean to frantically convert at the third time of asking. Arsenal were level, and in the ascendancy.

They created two further chances before the interval: a low cross by Sánchez was smashed straight at Neuer by the onrushing Granit Xhaka; anywhere else and the ball would’ve rocketed into the back of the net. A few minutes later a quiet Mesut Özil should’ve converted after being presented with a great chance from close range, though he too shot straight at the Bayern goalkeeper. By halftime the game had changed completely, and Arsenal would’ve been frustrated to only be level.

Alas, their momentum was broken by the interval, and Bayern were swiftly able to establish control once more. This time, they ensured there would be no way back for their opponents. What followed was 20 minutes of brutal football in which they netted three goals, though admittedly as much a result of some atrocious Arsenal defending as their own attacking flair.

The first was the result of some simple build-up play down the right, with Philipp Lahm running beyond Robben before delivering a good cross for Lewandowski. The Polish striker got the jump on Shkodran Mustafi, and his header proved beyond the reach of Ospina.

The second was of rather more merit, largely thanks to some flashy play from Lewandowski. This time the scorer turned provider, flicking an all-too-simple Xabi Alonso pass in behind the Arsenal defence. The backheel was excellently read by the onrushing Thiago, who was left with the simple task of firing beyond Ospina and sending Bayern two goals to the good.

Arsenal were completely crumbling, and a succession of clear-cut chances followed within quick succession before Thiago completed his brace just past the hour. A corner popped out to the Spanish international on the edge of his area, with his low drive taking a kindly deflection off Xhaka before rolling past the wrong-footed Ospina. The Bavarians were three up, and absolutely cruising.

They completed the rout with a fifth with just two minutes of normal time left, as substitute Müller got himself in on the act. An anonymous Oxlade-Chamberlain was dispossessed by Joshua Kimmich; his square pass was gleefully received by Müller, who skipped to his right before rifling beyond Ospina. The humiliation was thereby complete, and the home fans would’ve been wondering who they’ll be facing in the quarterfinals.

Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer; David Alaba, Mats Hummels, Javi Martínez, Philipp Lahm; Arturo Vidal, Xabi Alonso; Douglas Costa (Joshua Kimmich 84’), Thiago Alcântara, Arjen Robben; Robert Lewandowski (Thomas Müller 86’).

Goals: Robben (11’), Lewandowski (53’), Thiago (56’, 63’), Müller (88’).

Arsenal: David Ospina; Kieran Gibbs, Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi, Héctor Bellerín; Granit Xhaka, Francis Coquelin; Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Özil, Alex Iwobi; Alexis Sánchez.

Goals: Sánchez (30’).

3 Things

1. Arsenal lost this game as much as Bayern won it

Considering Bayern’s eventual margin of victory, one of the most astonishing things about this match was how even it was through first half. Arsenal didn’t see much possession but did defend well; Bayern were restricted to largely innocuous wing-play, and their only goal was a moment of individual brilliance from Arjen Robben. By halftime, Arsenal were the better of the two teams, and their counter-attacking was causing Bayern real problems. That made their second half capitulation all the more disappointing; what had been a well-coordinated defensive display became a total embarrassment, a caricature of the Gunners at their worst under Arsène Wenger. He’ll know to expect pressure after this performance, and he can’t say it’s unwarranted.

2. Robert Lewandowski redeemed himself with an excellent second half display

Lewandowski had a poor start to this match, missing a couple of good chances and giving away the penalty that allowed Arsenal to equalise. However, he certainly redeemed himself in the second half, turning in a textbook centre-forward’s performance. From his excellent header to smart backheel assist, the Polish striker was a nightmare for Arsenal’s defence. Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny will be dreading going up against him again in the second leg.

3. Mesut Özil was nowhere once again

By now, it’s obvious that Mesut Özil is having a poor season. Before this match, Wenger spoke of how great players always justify their own selection, effectively paraphrasing the old adage that though form is temporary, class is permanent. But after another nothing performance from the German, Arsenal supporters will be wondering what good is class if it isn’t ever in evidence? In this game, Özil was defensively lazy and offensively inefficient; with wingers Alex Iwobi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain often so deep, Alexis Sánchez needed greater support from the playmaker. As it was, the Chilean was too often left alone in attack, and Bayern too easily able to regain possession. Gunners supporters won’t be happy, and it’s little wonder.

[penguintransporter]

Hiiii, I wanted to ask if you have any recommendations about Leon goretzka and hector bellerin one shots that I should read. 🙏🏼

I've written couple of them, but I guess you've read them already 🥰 (if not you can find them in my masterlist, both imagines and whole stories). Other than that, I can give you two of my favourites.

Quick - Héctor Bellerín

5 am Alarm - whoever you want it to be

I have other ones, but I'm at work so if you send me an ask later again, I can write you down more ❤️

[penguintransporter]

Winning The Game Called Love (Hector Bellerin) PART II

This is part II of my mini Héctor Bellerín story. I hope you like it, and I am thankful for all of the five or six people who read and liked the first part. You are the best… If you like this one, don’t be shy to write what you think about it.

Part I

_____ 

“You look like someone has killed your unicorn.”

Aida looked up from where she had been sitting - a single chair in the corner of the room, as an urge to take a ridiculous and cartoon-inspired double-take at the handsome footballer in front of her overwhelmed her. 

Héctor stood mere feet away from her, hands in his pockets, looking devilishly handsome in his official suit. Despite not being the tallest or the most muscular man on the squad, to Aida, he did have something that she was attracted to - character and the confidence that he toyed with tactfully. Even now, as he was staring down at her, with his eyebrows raised ever so slightly, it made Aida’s stomach do an one-eighty. 

Realisation dawned on her - he was obviously waiting for an answer, but Aida wasn’t sure what he asked her in the first place. Her brain was folding in itself from being struck by his presence to the point that she was unable to form any kind of vocal response. Like a fish, she stared back at him, trying to buy some more time. 

Why did he have to look so good in that suit?

Héctor lightly cleared his throat and Aida blinked, feeling her brain unfold before she remembered that he actually said something and that she was supposed to reply, but the “unicorn” bit had her confused. 

Was that supposed to be a joke? Should I laugh? 

Do something because he is about to leave.

“Pardon?” she asked quickly - voice slightly squeaky. “Unicorn? I didn’t get it…” she trailed off, her voice reaching her usual melody.

Héctor didn’t smile, but rather tilted his head in curiosity for what seemed an eternity, and Aida let out a breath that was a mix of defeat and disappointment. Yes, there was a huge amount of excitement bubbling up inside of her, but she was also aware that this wouldn’t be the first time that he was ignoring her. He always did, so why did she, deep down, expect some kind of conversation. 

Maybe because he spoke to you first, you idiot?

To her surprise, Héctor turned around for a second, grabbing the nearest empty chair before putting it in front of her and sitting down, gently pulling at his trousers as he did so. 

“What’s up?” he asked her nonchalantly and with a small smile, making Aida’s brain fold itself once again - her thoughts running wild like gazelles in a savanna.

Can you find gazelles in savanna in the first place?

Shit, there is no time for this right now, Aida!

If it was any other situation, Aida would be more than glad to jump on a train of bad and self-deprecating jokes, elaborate something funny, but with Héctor sitting in front of her it felt as if her tongue was completely cut off. She wanted so badly to slap herself and come to her senses because this was, to her sudden realisation, probably the first and last time she would get to speak to him properly and in person.

Finally, she gave him a shrug, deciding in panic to stick with the lamest thing her brain could come up with as she looked down at her lap. “Just enjoying the party. It’s lovely, innit?”

Oh, well done, Aida. Well done.

She was aware that anyone with the normal or even a prescription-enhanced sight and a common knowledge of body language would know that she was not telling the truth or at least that she was trying to cover her real feelings. 

Héctor wasn’t a stupid lad - Aida knew that much.

His eyebrow shot up again, this time higher before he leaned back in the chair, watching her amusedly. “I have a hard time believing that you are having fun, but yeah, let’s put it your way - the party is lit. A bit boring at the moment, with all these investors and rich men talking shit about things they don’t know anything about. The music is a downer too.”

Aida looked away, feeling like squirming under his gaze and the weight of the words he spoke, crossing her legs as ladylike as possible. 

Her throat felt like she swallowed a handful of dust - itchy and dry. It wasn’t as if she was stupid or socially awkward; she just wasn’t sure what else she could ask him. 

Deciding that she should say something before he just gets up and leaves her, she tucked a strand of her hair. “So…” she stopped for a second, mulling over her words, figuring how to formulate her thoughts “Are you happy with the season so far?” 

Héctor nodded, looking at the other side of the lobby where his teammates were standing, but Aida, instead of doing the same, focused on his tied hair, the curve of his neck, and his choice of jewelry - an hoop earring with a small cross hanging— 

“Hmmm,” he hummed looking back at her and Aida quickly dropped the staring game. “Considering the previous one, I shouldn’t be complaining.” He shrugged once again, and Aida smiled a little while crying on the inside on how pathetic she was. “Look Aida—” Héctor suddenly spoke again, a bit quieter this time as he leaned closer to her. For a split of a second his scent tickled her nose, “—that’s your name, right?” When Aida nodded in agreement, he continued, “if you want me to, I can go back to my mates, if y’know what I mean? I am not being rude here. In fact, I am trying to be friendly, but you are clearly…”

He was already getting up as he spoke, and Aida’s panic alarm kicked in - she didn’t want to remember this party like this. She didn’t want to have the memory of Héctor walking out on her because she couldn’t form cohesive sentences or be her chatty self as usual. 

“Please, sit down…” she half-asked, half-pleaded, last words coming out as a whisper. “Pardon me,” she added, “I just have a lot on my plate at the moment.”

Héctor nodded, sitting back in the chair. “No need to apologise for not feeling well,” he answered politely, “and a blind man could figure out you were not yourself tonight.” He stopped for a moment, a cheeky glint surfacing in his eyes, as he continued, “but if you were able to smile your arse off this entire time at work, you can do it tonight as well, no?”

This time it didn’t take her that long to catch up on his words, and it finally caught her what he meant with the whole “unicorn” thing. Reflexively, she straightened in her chair and folded her arms in defense. Aida was never the one to pick a fight or start a confrontation, but she was a fighter when it came to defending herself.

“I beg your pardon? Care to elaborate what you mean by that?” she asked, moving her head to one side, refusing to look at him. “You say you are not being rude, yet you seem to be mocking me even though you don’t know what’s going on in my life.”

Aida looked back at Héctor who was grinning at her, but she only knitted her eyebrows in annoyance, lifting her folded arms ever so slightly on her chest. He kept smiling, and if she had been able to, she would have raised an eyebrow at him.

“If someone should be playing defensive here, it should be me, no?” he asked, leaning closer again, smirking at her. “See what I did there? Defense, defender…” he trailed off, pointing at his chest with his thumb as he wiggled his eyebrows. 

Aida wanted to stay annoyed; wanted to make it clear that he couldn’t mock her, but as soon as the joke left his mouth, she couldn’t help herself - a burst of laughter left her throat. 

Héctor was both infuriating and cute at the same time. 

“Okay, okay,” she shook her head lightly, her hands falling back to her lap while her stomach burst into thousands of butterflies doing backflips and whatnot. “That was a good one, I admit. Still, I want an explanation.”

Héctor shifted in his seat, suddenly looking slightly uncomfortable. “It was a joke, Aida.” Aida nodded, waiting for him to elaborate but he didn’t. Instead, they settled into a silence - both of them watching people around them, until Héctor decided to cross his legs, lacing his hands around his knee. Suddenly, he spoke again. “Seriously, what’s up?” he asked as Aida felt her heart wanting to burst out of her ribcage. 

Once again, he had that playful smile painted on his face, so to avoid staring at him like a lovestruck teenager, she looked at his tattooed fingers, allowing herself time to think about her answer.

She contemplated whether she should tell him the truth or not. Was he genuinely interested in knowing what was up in her life? Or was he just being polite? Just for a second, Aida considered lying, but if she was bad at hiding her real feelings, she was even worse when it came to telling lies. Every time she tried to do so, it ended up in a disaster, no matter what was the reason or desired outcome.

Aida gazed down at her shoes and the very same speck of rain residue on her shoe before sucking in a quick breath, releasing it with a small shudder.

“I got laid off from work last month? This coming Wednesday I will no longer be working at the training centre,” she responded - the words leaving a sour and disappointed taste in her month - despite it being almost a month since she found out about it.

Aida looked up, watching Héctor’s face change from that of a silly boy to a serious one before he sat up properly, changing his posture - his elbows resting on his thighs as he leaned closer to her. Aida surprised with his sudden movement, blushed. The same scent she felt before, reached her nose again, and this time, she wanted so badly to inhale it properly. 

“Oi, that’s bad!” he replied and Aida, not knowing what to say, shrugged - there was nothing else she could do about it. “Want me to speak to someone? Maybe I can talk to the manager?” Héctor urged. 

All the fluttering from her stomach went straight to her heart.

“Thank you, but I don’t think you or anyone else can help it. The decision had been made and I already tried to talk to the department. I will be fine, I mean,” she rambled, looking up at him as she tried to give him her best fake optimistic smile. “I will find another job eventually, and anyway, there are worse things than being laid off. Imagine if I ended up on the streets or in a car accident—” Aida was fully aware that she was talking too much and too fast, but she couldn’t hold it back. The feelings she had been harbouring inside needed only one push to be released and Héctor happened to be the one to do so. “I apologise once again if I came across as asocial or something, but I.. you know.” She took a deep breath before giving him a dorky smile. “I should have stayed at home because I don’t know why I am at this party in the first place, and they don’t serve hot cocoa here, and that is exactly what I need now.”

Héctor was looking at her for what seemed an eternity when in reality it was only a few seconds, and Aida wondered if she said too much. Did she cross the border? Is he going to walk out on her thinking that she has some serious issues? 

Suddenly, he got up, straightening his trousers and then his tie before doing a wave with his hand, motioning to Aida to do the same. She kept sitting for a second, but when Héctor smiled, repeating the wave, she slowly got up. 

Is he going to ask me for a dance?

No one else is dancing? 

“Come on, let’s go.” Héctor spoke casually. 

“Pardon?”

“You should really stop saying pardon. You sound like my literature teacher and I have no fond memories of her.” 

Aida tucked her hair behind her ears bashfully. “You are giving me no choice, Héctor,” she muttered, the sound of his name coming out of her mouth feeling different than any previous time she did so. “What do you  mean by let’s go. Where?”

Héctor looked around, tucking his both hands into his trousers pockets before looking back at her with a boyish smile. “To find hot cocoa,” he finally answered, matter-of-factly.

Maybe it was her emotions or rather whirlwind of it?

Maybe it was his charming smile?

Or maybe it was a promise of hot cocoa?

Aida couldn’t help herself.

She smiled.

Part III

[colorsofmyseason]

A collection of drabbles and one-shots regarding various couples in Arsenal FC and what they do during Valentine's Day.

Chapter 1: Héctor Bellerín/Dani Ceballos

So I tried my hand on writing some short, Valentine-themed fluffs about my beloved clowns 🤣🤣🤣 guess they don't turn out that well but still hoping you enjoy them!

[365footballorg-blog]

Ozil scores as Arsenal beat winless Newcastle

Granit Xhaka’s excellent free-kick set Arsenal on their way to a third consecutive victory under Unai Emery as Newcastle remain without a Premier League win.

Despite being frustrated in the first half, Xhaka opened the scoring for the Gunners with a long-range free-kick that flew past Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

As the visitors grew in confidence, Mesut Ozil met the rebound of Alexandre Lacazette’s blocked effort to double his side’s advantage and ensure Arsenal won consecutive away league games for the first time since May 2017.

Ciaran Clark responded in stoppage time for the hosts, but Newcastle remain 18th in the table with just one win in their past 10 league games.

Saturday’s Premier League action as it happened[1]

How the action unfolded at St James’ Park[2]

The home side remain on one point, equalling their worst return after five Premier League games – although they had much the better of the first-half chances as they pressed an Arsenal defence determined to build from the back.

The early pressure forced errors, as keeper Petr Cech passed the ball out for a corner and defender Shkodran Mustafi’s stumble was indicative of an Arsenal back-line still trying to get comfortable with a new style of play under Emery.

But Arsenal returned the stronger side after the interval and scored twice in 10 minutes to secure the points despite a late Newcastle rally.

More to follow.

Line-ups[3]

Match Stats[4]

Live Text[5]

Line-ups

Newcastle

12Dubravka

22Yedlin

6LascellesSubstituted forClarkat 45'minutes

18Fernandez

3Dummett

11RitchieSubstituted forMutoat 79'minutes

14Hayden

10Diam��

7MurphySubstituted forKenedyat 69'minutes

17Pérez

21Joselu

Substitutes

2Clark

8Shelvey

9Rondón

13Muto

15Kenedy

19Manquillo

26Darlow

Arsenal

1Cech

2Bellerín

20Mustafi

5Papastathopoulos

18Monreal

29GuendouziSubstituted forTorreiraat 45'minutes

34Xhaka

10Özil

8RamseySubstituted forWelbeckat 80'minutes

14AubameyangSubstituted forMkhitaryanat 69'minutes

9Lacazette

Substitutes

4Elneny

7Mkhitaryan

11Torreira

12Lichtsteiner

16Holding

19Leno

23Welbeck

Referee:

Lee Probert

Attendance:

52,165

Match Stats

Home TeamNewcastleAway TeamArsenal

Possession

Home36%

Away64%

Shots

Home4

Away12

Shots on Target

Home2

Away2

Corners

Home10

Away4

Fouls

Home13

Away11

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Newcastle United 1, Arsenal 2.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Newcastle United 1, Arsenal 2.

Posted at 90'+4'

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'+4'

Foul by Kenedy (Newcastle United).

Posted at 90'+3'

Foul by Danny Welbeck (Arsenal).

Posted at 90'+3'

DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Posted at 90'+1'

Goal! Newcastle United 1, Arsenal 2. Ciaran Clark (Newcastle United) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Federico Fernández with a cross.

Posted at 90'

Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Héctor Bellerín.

Posted at 89'

Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Alexandre Lacazette with a through ball following a fast break.

Posted at 88'

Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Petr Cech.

Posted at 88'

Attempt saved. Joselu (Newcastle United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Ayoze Pérez with a cross.

Posted at 87'

Offside, Newcastle United. Isaac Hayden tries a through ball, but Joselu is caught offside.

Posted at 87'

Offside, Arsenal. Shkodran Mustafi tries a through ball, but Alexandre Lacazette is caught offside.

Posted at 85'

Attempt blocked. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.

Posted at 83'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Isaac Hayden.

Posted at 83'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Ciaran Clark.

Posted at 80'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Arsenal. Danny Welbeck replaces Aaron Ramsey because of an injury.

Posted at 80'

Delay in match Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) because of an injury.

Substitution

Posted at 79'

Substitution, Newcastle United. Yoshinori Muto replaces Matt Ritchie.

Posted at 79'

Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 79'

Foul by Mohamed Diamé (Newcastle United).

Posted at 78'

Foul by Lucas Torreira (Arsenal).

Posted at 78'

Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 77'

Sokratis (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 77'

Foul by Kenedy (Newcastle United).

Posted at 75'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 73'

Delay in match DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United) because of an injury.

Posted at 73'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Paul Dummett.

Posted at 73'

Attempt blocked. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey with a cross.

Posted at 72'

Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Sokratis.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal).

Posted at 71'

Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 71'

Attempt missed. Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Mesut Özil.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Newcastle United. Kenedy replaces Jacob Murphy.

Substitution

Posted at 69'

Substitution, Arsenal. Henrikh Mkhitaryan replaces Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Posted at 66'

Foul by Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal).

Posted at 66'

Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Mesut Özil (Arsenal).

Posted at 64'

Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Show more updates

goal

References

^ Saturday’s Premier League action as it happened (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ How the action unfolded at St James’ Park (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Line-ups (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Match Stats (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Live Text (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Ozil scores as Arsenal beat winless Newcastle was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Arsenal v West Ham United

Line-ups[1]

Match Stats[2]

Live Text[3]

Line-ups

Arsenal

1Cech

2Bellerín

20Mustafi

5Papastathopoulos

18Monreal

29GuendouziSubstituted forTorreiraat 56'minutes

34Xhaka

7Mkhitaryan

8Ramsey

17IwobiSubstituted forLacazetteat 45'minutes

14Aubameyang

Substitutes

4Elneny

9Lacazette

11Torreira

12Lichtsteiner

16Holding

19Leno

23Welbeck

West Ham

1Fabianski

24Fredericks

4Balbuena

23DiopBooked at 41mins

26Masuaku

11Snodgrass

15C Sánchez

19Wilshere

30AntonioSubstituted forPérezat 63'minutes

8Felipe Anderson

7ArnautovicSubstituted forHernándezat 59'minutes

Substitutes

5Zabaleta

13Adrián

14Obiang

17Hernández

20Yarmolenko

27Pérez

41Rice

Referee:

Graham Scott

Match Stats

Home TeamArsenalAway TeamWest Ham

Possession

Home63%

Away37%

Shots

Home12

Away11

Shots on Target

Home6

Away5

Corners

Home4

Away2

Fouls

Home11

Away10

Live Text

Goal!

Posted at 70'

Own Goal by Issa Diop, West Ham United. Arsenal 2, West Ham United 1.

Posted at 68'

Attempt saved. Felipe Anderson (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Carlos Sánchez.

Posted at 68'

Corner, West Ham United. Conceded by Lucas Torreira.

Posted at 67'

Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Jack Wilshere (West Ham United).

Posted at 67'

Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Issa Diop (West Ham United).

Posted at 66'

Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).

Posted at 66'

Robert Snodgrass (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, West Ham United. Lucas Pérez replaces Michail Antonio.

Posted at 62'

Lucas Torreira (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 62'

Foul by Felipe Anderson (West Ham United).

Posted at 62'

Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 62'

Foul by Carlos Sánchez (West Ham United).

Posted at 61'

Offside, West Ham United. Felipe Anderson tries a through ball, but Robert Snodgrass is caught offside.

Posted at 60'

Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).

Posted at 60'

Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 59'

Substitution, West Ham United. Chicharito replaces Marko Arnautovic because of an injury.

Posted at 59'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 58'

Delay in match Marko Arnautovic (West Ham United) because of an injury.

Posted at 57'

Attempt saved. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Lucas Torreira.

Posted at 57'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Substitution

Posted at 56'

Substitution, Arsenal. Lucas Torreira replaces Matteo Guendouzi.

Posted at 56'

Delay in match Marko Arnautovic (West Ham United) because of an injury.

Posted at 54'

Attempt saved. Marko Arnautovic (West Ham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Felipe Anderson.

Posted at 53'

Attempt saved. Granit Xhaka (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Matteo Guendouzi.

Posted at 53'

Attempt saved. Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Posted at 51'

Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).

Posted at 51'

Felipe Anderson (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 50'

Attempt missed. Marko Arnautovic (West Ham United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Robert Snodgrass with a cross following a set piece situation.

Posted at 50'

Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).

Posted at 50'

Michail Antonio (West Ham United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 49'

Attempt blocked. Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Alexandre Lacazette.

Posted at 48'

Matteo Guendouzi (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 48'

Foul by Felipe Anderson (West Ham United).

Posted at 48'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Lukasz Fabianski.

Posted at 48'

Attempt saved. Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a cross.

Posted at 47'

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Arthur Masuaku.

Substitution

Posted at 45'

Substitution, Arsenal. Alexandre Lacazette replaces Alex Iwobi.

Second Half

Posted at

Second Half begins Arsenal 1, West Ham United 1.

Show more updates

goal

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has said he has no new injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s game against West Ham.

Carl Jenkinson, Sead Kolasinac, Laurent Koscielny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are long-term absentees.

West Ham captain Mark Noble has been unable to train this week because of a back injury and is expected to miss this match.

Striker Andy Carroll, midfielder Manuel Lanzini and defender Winston Reid are all still out.

Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan: ‘I don’t know why people are criticising so much’[4]

West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini urges fans not to leave games early[5]

MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES

Jonathan Pearce: No permanent Arsenal manager has ever lost his opening three games. It’s 54 years since the club lost its opening three. Unai Emery has to get a victory in this.

Lucas Torreira must start, surely. An Alexandre Lacazette-Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang strike partnership could wreak havoc with the shaky new Hammers defence.

There are too many fitness and form concerns for me over a number of West Ham’s summer signings. They will come good. But not here.

Arsenal have lost just once in 22 meetings with West Ham and there shouldn’t be a repeat of that shock back in August 2015. [6]

Manuel Pellegrini is facing three defeats in three – which would be the worst managerial start by a Hammers boss since Avram Grant lost his opening four league games of the 2010-11 season.

VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery: “After the first two matches, we have two defeats and we need to win this match against West Ham.

“I think it’s very important to show a better performance than in the two first matches. We are preparing well, I am feeling well when I look at the players in training every day.”

West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini on Unai Emery taking over at Arsenal: “You can see what happened at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson finished. There have been a lot of different players, no titles, a lot of criticism.

“They were so used to winning with that manager, but when you make a change it is not easy. I think that Arsenal are going through the same thing.

“It’s not normal they start the season losing the first two games. But the pressure, at least for me, is always on winning or losing in every game – it is the same every game.”

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

I am almost thinking that for this season – as Unai Emery gets his feet under the table and imposes his style – Arsenal should not put pressure on themselves to finish in the top four.

West Ham seriously worry me. They were hopeless defensively in defeat by both Liverpool and Bournemouth. You can sign as many players as you want, but ultimately if you can’t defend in the Premier League, you are going to be in trouble.

Prediction: 2-0

Lawro’s full predictions v actors Idris Elba & Aml Ameen[7]

<!–

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Arsenal have lost just one of their last 22 matches against West Ham in all competitions (W17, D4).

The Hammers have lost 28 Premier League games to Arsenal, more than against any other team.

However, West Ham’s tally of five Premier League away wins at Arsenal is surpassed only by Manchester United (eight) and Liverpool (seven).

This is the first time Arsenal and West Ham have both started the same top-flight season with consecutive losses.

Arsenal

Arsenal could lose their first three league matches of the season for the first time since 1954-55, and for only the fifth time in their history.

The Gunners are unbeaten in their past nine London derbies at home in the Premier League.

Only Manchester City won more points at home than Arsenal in the top flight last season.

Mesut Ozil has scored three goals and contributed two assists in his last four league appearances against West Ham.

West Ham United

The Hammers have conceded 74 Premier League goals since the start of last season, more than any other team.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini has won just one of his 11 matches against Arsenal in all competitions, a 6-3 victory as Manchester City boss in December 2013.

West Ham have lost their first three league games of the season twice already this decade, having done it just five times between 1920 and 2010.

Marko Arnautovic has been involved in eight of West Ham’s last 12 goals, scoring five and providing three assists.

References

^ Line-ups (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Match Stats (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Live Text (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan: ‘I don’t know why people are criticising so much’ (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini urges fans not to leave games early (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ shock back in August 2015. (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Lawro’s full predictions v actors Idris Elba & Aml Ameen (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Arsenal v West Ham United was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Wenger wins final home game as Arsenal hammer Burnley

Arsenal turned on the style to thrash Burnley in Arsene Wenger’s final home game as manager.

The 68-year-old, who has won 10 major trophies during a near 22-year reign, oversaw a dominant, free-flowing display in his 1,233rd game, with slick first-half goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.

Another after the break was started and finished explosively by Alex Iwobi, one of 83 academy graduates to come through the ranks under Wenger, after Sead Kolasinac had scored with a powerful low drive.

Aubameyang got his second from close range to complete the rout.

Listless Burnley, who had their Europa League qualification confirmed on Saturday, lost striker Ashley Barnes to a 22nd-minute suspected dislocated shoulder, but will nevertheless finish an impressive campaign in seventh.

Wenger was given a guard of honour by both teams before kick-off and urged supporters, some of whom have long called for his exit, to “no matter what, keep the faith” in quotes tweeted by the club.

Fans of both sides frequently chanted “There’s only one Arsene Wenger”, and Arsenal’s supporters also sang the name of former midfielder Patrick Vieira, who has been among the names tipped to take over at the Emirates next season.

More to follow

Line-ups

Match Stats

Live Text

Line-ups

Arsenal

33Cech

24Bellerín

21ChambersSubstituted forMertesackerat 77′minutes

27Mavropanos

31Kolasinac

17Iwobi

29Xhaka

10WilshereSubstituted forRamseyat 72′minutes

7Mkhitaryan

9LacazetteSubstituted forWelbeckat 72′minutes

14Aubameyang

Substitutes

4Mertesacker

8Ramsey

13Ospina

18Monreal

20Mustafi

23Welbeck

30Maitland-Niles

Burnley

29Pope

2Lowton

28Long

5TarkowskiBooked at 44mins

23Ward

25LennonSubstituted forNkoudouat 71′minutes

4Cork

18Westwood

17Berg GudmundssonSubstituted forWellsat 89′minutes

13Hendrick

10BarnesSubstituted forVokesat 22′minutes

Substitutes

1Heaton

3Taylor

7Nkoudou

8Marney

9Vokes

21Wells

26Bardsley

Referee:

Andre Marriner

Attendance:

59,540

Match Stats

Home TeamArsenalAway TeamBurnley

Possession

Home64%

Away36%

Shots

Home16

Away6

Shots on Target

Home8

Away2

Corners

Home4

Away5

Fouls

Home6

Away7

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Arsenal 5, Burnley 0.

Full Time

Posted at90’+1′

Second Half ends, Arsenal 5, Burnley 0.

Posted at90′

Attempt saved. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan with a through ball.

Substitution

Posted at89′

Substitution, Burnley. Nahki Wells replaces Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Posted at88′

Attempt blocked. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Posted at86′

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Matthew Lowton.

Posted at82′

Konstantinos Mavropanos (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at82′

Foul by Matthew Lowton (Burnley).

Posted at81′

Attempt missed. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.

Substitution

Posted at77′

Substitution, Arsenal. Per Mertesacker replaces Calum Chambers.

Goal!

Posted at75′

Goal! Arsenal 5, Burnley 0. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Héctor Bellerín.

Posted at74′

Attempt saved. Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at73′

Attempt missed. Jeff Hendrick (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

Posted at73′

Foul by Calum Chambers (Arsenal).

Posted at73′

Sam Vokes (Burnley) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Substitution

Posted at72′

Substitution, Arsenal. Danny Welbeck replaces Alexandre Lacazette.

Substitution

Posted at72′

Substitution, Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey replaces Jack Wilshere.

Substitution

Posted at71′

Substitution, Burnley. Georges-Kévin Nkoudou replaces Aaron Lennon.

Posted at69′

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Granit Xhaka.

Posted at69′

Foul by Granit Xhaka (Arsenal).

Posted at69′

Jeff Hendrick (Burnley) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at67′

Attempt blocked. Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alexandre Lacazette.

Posted at66′

Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at66′

Foul by Ashley Westwood (Burnley).

Goal!

Posted at64′

Goal! Arsenal 4, Burnley 0. Alex Iwobi (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Posted at63′

Attempt blocked. Kevin Long (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson with a cross.

Posted at63′

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Granit Xhaka.

Posted at62′

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Calum Chambers.

Posted at61′

Attempt missed. Kevin Long (Burnley) header from the left side of the six yard box misses to the right. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson with a cross following a corner.

Posted at60′

Corner, Burnley. Conceded by Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Posted at60′

Attempt blocked. Jeff Hendrick (Burnley) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

Posted at57′

Foul by Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal).

Posted at57′

Johann Berg Gudmundsson (Burnley) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at56′

Foul by Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal).

Posted at56′

Aaron Lennon (Burnley) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at55′

Attempt missed. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Iwobi.

Goal!

Posted at54′

Goal! Arsenal 3, Burnley 0. Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jack Wilshere.

Posted at49′

Attempt saved. Sam Vokes (Burnley) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jeff Hendrick with a cross.

Posted at48′

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Aaron Lennon.

Posted at46′

Attempt missed. Jack Wilshere (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Show more updates

goal

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BBC Sport – Football

Wenger wins final home game as Arsenal hammer Burnley was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Arsenal ease to first-leg Europa League win at Ostersunds FK

Arsenal as good as guaranteed their place in the last 16 of the Europa League with a comfortable away win over Swedish side Ostersunds FK.

Gunners left-back Nacho Monreal scored from close range when Ostersund goalkeeper Aly Keita fumbled Alex Iwobi’s strike.

Then the home side’s centre-back Sotirios Papagiannopoulos diverted Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross into his own net after the Armenian seized on a loose pass.

Ostersund improved after the break but any revival was ended by Mesut Ozil, who made a well-timed run into the area and squeezed his shot past Keita for the third, before the hosts had a late penalty saved.

The Swedish club’s English manager Graham Potter, who has led them to three promotions since 2010, could at least reflect on a bright performance from striker Saman Ghoddos.

The Iran international forced Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina into a couple of saves and led the line with pace and determination.

Arsenal host the second leg of the last-32 tie at Emirates Stadium next Thursday (20:05 GMT).

Welbeck’s wasted opportunity

Freezing temperatures, an artificial pitch and a surprise package of an opponent – for Arsenal, this could have been the dreaded banana skin.

But it quickly became apparent, as the startled hosts passed their way into trouble, that it would be an opportunity for the Gunners instead – a chance, in fact, for some of their fringe men to stake their claims for more playing time, Danny Welbeck chief among them.

The 27-year-old has only made 12 starts this season, after the club signed France striker Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon for £46.5m in the summer.

Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang followed from Borussia Dortmund for a club record £56m in January, seeming to diminish Welbeck’s prospects further.

But with Lacazette out for up to six weeks after knee surgery, this was a chance for Welbeck, who has scored five goals this term, to remind everyone of his ability.

He skewed an early header badly wide and at other times passed when he should have shot, frequently striking the ball without conviction.

A clue to his diffident performance came in his post-match interview when Welbeck, who has suffered badly from knee injuries, spoke of his concerns over the plastic surface.

“I’ve had injuries in the past and it was a 3G pitch,” he said after being replaced near the end by Eddie Nketiah. “You hear stories about playing on those pitches with an injury. It was a little bit hard.”

Mitigation, perhaps, for a subdued display. Maybe he can compensate back on the Emirates’ lush turf next week.

Stage-fright crippling for hosts

Ostersunds FK chairman Daniel Kindberg dreams of one day guiding his incredible success story of a club[1] to new heights in the Champions League.

So he and manager Graham Potter were never going to be happy simply to go along for the ride – even if this was arguably the biggest game of their history.

A club formed on 31 October 1996, 30 days after Arsene Wenger took charge of Arsenal, have come a long way, battling their way up through the divisions at home, before beating Galatasaray in the preliminary rounds to qualify for this season’s Europa League.

But in front of 9,165 fans at the Ostersund Arena they stalled in a disastrous first half.

Potter’s side favour a passing, possession-based game but they constantly lived on the edge in playing from the back. Mkhitaryan punished a sloppy pass by defender Tom Pettersson for Arsenal’s second goal but even that did not deter the Swedes from their preferred approach.

Some of the slackness in their passing could be blamed on a lack of competitive match sharpness: the Swedish domestic season ended in early November and will not start again until the beginning of April.

There were positive signs during an improved second half, and they were unfortunate not to have a penalty sooner than they did after Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi shoved the livewire Ghoddos in the area.

Potter and his colleagues will rue Pettersson’s weak attempt when the hosts did get a spot-kick, and hope for perhaps the least likely chapter yet in their fairytale when they travel to north London next week.

‘We took advantage of their nerves’ – what they said

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger speaking to BT Sport: “We did the job well, controlled the ball against a good side. They beat Hertha Berlin here, 2-2 against Athletic Bilbao, so they are a quality team. But once we scored the first goal we were in control.

“Overall we played a serious game, so job done. They looked very nervous and we took advantage of it.

“I think the young players in the team played well in the group stages, so they will be kept in the squad and I’ll continue to try and give them minutes when I can.”

Man of the match – Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal)

What’s next?

With the Swedish domestic season over and Arsenal out of the FA Cup, neither side plays again until the return leg on Thursday 22 February (20:05 GMT).

Line-ups[2]

Match Stats[3]

Live Text[4]

Line-ups

Östersunds FK

1Keita

24Mukiibi

4Papagiannopoulos

2Pettersson

23Mensah

17Edwards

22NouriSubstituted forTekieat 45′minutes

12Sema

19WidgrenSubstituted forBergqvistat 73′minutes

93Ghoddos

9Abdullahi GeroSubstituted forHopcuttat 45′minutes

Substitutes

3Tekie

6Bergqvist

8Hopcutt

10Aiesh

18Andersson

77Sonko Sundberg

99Islamovic

Arsenal

13Ospina

24Bellerín

21Chambers

20Mustafi

18MonrealSubstituted forKolasinacat 73′minutes

35El Neny

30Maitland-Niles

77MkhitaryanSubstituted forNelsonat 84′minutes

11Özil

17Iwobi

23WelbeckSubstituted forNketiahat 83′minutes

Substitutes

16Holding

29Xhaka

31Kolasinac

54Macey

61Nelson

62Nketiah

69Willock

Referee:

David José Fernández Borbalán

Match Stats

Home TeamÖstersunds FKAway TeamArsenal

Possession

Home39%

Away61%

Shots

Home10

Away17

Shots on Target

Home5

Away6

Corners

Home3

Away2

Fouls

Home9

Away5

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Östersunds FK 0, Arsenal 3.

Full Time

Posted at90’+3′

Second Half ends, Östersunds FK 0, Arsenal 3.

Posted at90’+1′

Penalty saved! Tom Pettersson (Östersunds FK) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, left footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.

Posted at90’+1′

Penalty conceded by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) after a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at90’+1′

Penalty Östersunds FK. Tesfaldet Tekie draws a foul in the penalty area.

Posted at90′

Offside, Östersunds FK. Tom Pettersson tries a through ball, but Curtis Edwards is caught offside.

Posted at88′

Attempt missed. Jamie Hopcutt (Östersunds FK) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Curtis Edwards.

Posted at87′

Foul by Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal).

Posted at87′

Douglas Bergqvist (Östersunds FK) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at85′

Alex Iwobi (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at85′

Foul by Douglas Bergqvist (Östersunds FK).

Substitution

Posted at84′

Substitution, Arsenal. Reiss Nelson replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Posted at83′

Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Ken Sema.

Substitution

Posted at83′

Substitution, Arsenal. Eddie Nketiah replaces Danny Welbeck.

Posted at81′

Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Posted at75′

Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).

Posted at75′

Saman Ghoddos (Östersunds FK) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at73′

Substitution, Östersunds FK. Douglas Bergqvist replaces Dennis Widgren.

Substitution

Posted at73′

Substitution, Arsenal. Sead Kolasinac replaces Nacho Monreal.

Posted at71′

Attempt blocked. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.

Posted at67′

Mesut Özil (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at67′

Foul by Sotiris Papagiannopoulos (Östersunds FK).

Posted at65′

Attempt missed. Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Posted at62′

Foul by Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal).

Posted at62′

Tom Pettersson (Östersunds FK) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Posted at58′

Goal! Östersunds FK 0, Arsenal 3. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Posted at54′

Corner, Östersunds FK. Conceded by Mohamed Elneny.

Posted at54′

Attempt blocked. Jamie Hopcutt (Östersunds FK) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Saman Ghoddos.

Posted at52′

Corner, Östersunds FK. Conceded by Alex Iwobi.

Posted at52′

Attempt blocked. Ronald Mukiibi (Östersunds FK) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tesfaldet Tekie.

Posted at46′

Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at46′

Foul by Jamie Hopcutt (Östersunds FK).

Second Half

Posted at

Second Half begins Östersunds FK 0, Arsenal 2.

Substitution

Posted at45′

Substitution, Östersunds FK. Jamie Hopcutt replaces Alhaji Gero.

Substitution

Posted at45′

Substitution, Östersunds FK. Tesfaldet Tekie replaces Brwa Nouri.

Half Time

Posted at45’+2′

First Half ends, Östersunds FK 0, Arsenal 2.

Posted at45’+1′

Attempt missed. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.

Posted at44′

Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at44′

Foul by Brwa Nouri (Östersunds FK).

Posted at42′

Attempt missed. Saman Ghoddos (Östersunds FK) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

Show more updates

goal

References

^ incredible success story of a club (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Line-ups (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Match Stats (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Live Text (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Arsenal ease to first-leg Europa League win at Ostersunds FK was originally published on 365 Football