Arsenal’s talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang worked his Wembley magic once again as they came from behind to beat Chelsea and win the FA Cup for a record 14th time. Chelsea took the lead in the Heads Up FA Cup final inside five minutes through Christian Pulisic’s smart finish but then fell victim to the brilliance of Aubameyang, who was also Arsenal’s hero when he scored twice in the semi-final win over Manchester City.
Japhet Tanganga has signed a new long-term contract with Tottenham, extending his stay at the club until 2025. The 21-year-old defender, who came through the academy system at Tottenham, made his senior debut at centre-back in the penalty shootout defeat to Colchester United in the EFL Cup third round last year.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says winning today’s Heads Up FA Cup final to secure European football next season may persuade captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to stay at the club. Gabon striker Aubameyang, 31, has one year left on his contract. “I don’t have that feeling,” said Arteta when asked if the game against Chelsea would be Aubameyang’s last.
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil will not feature in Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea after travelling to Turkey. Ozil was left out of Arsenal’s squad for the match and his future looks increasingly uncertain after he was given permission by the club to leave the UK.
Rangers got the Scottish Premiership season under way with a surprisingly comfortable 1-0 win over Aberdeen thanks to Ryan Kent’s strike at Pittodrie. There was little evidence of the much-discussed intense rivalry between the sides until home defender Andrew Considine was sent off late on. The hosts looked particularly subdued by the requirement for empty stands.
Arsenal are demanding at least £8m for Brentford target Folarin Balogun. The Gunners’ price is considered high for a 19-year-old striker who has never played a first-team game and can leave for free next summer.
Swansea City boss Steve Cooper is to discuss the future with Andre Ayew after admitting the forward is too good for the Championship. Ayew, 30, starred for Swansea City in 2019-20 after returning to Wales following a loan spell at Fenerbahce. Ayew has a year to run on his sizeable contract, but may move on after Swansea missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Sheffield Wednesday have been deducted 12 points by an independent disciplinary panel for the 2020-21 season for breaking spending rules. They breached rules by including the sale of their Hillsborough Stadium home in their 2017-18 accounts despite the ground being sold a year later. But they were cleared of “breaching its duty of utmost good faith to the EFL by deliberately concealing information”.
Paris St-Germain beat Lyon on penalties in the French League Cup final to seal a fourth domestic treble in six years. It was the final French League Cup final, with the decision made last September to cancel the tournament after this season, and ended 0-0.
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