Here are your Arsenal evening headlines for Tuesday, October 20.
Arsenal deal on Pepe
Arsenal broke their club record transfer fee to sign Lille forward Nicolas Pepe a year ago - but it has now been revealed how the Gunners actually under-paid for the player.
Lille owner Gerard Lopez has explained how other clubs offered more money than Arsenal for the player but a close working relationship and the demands of the player were key in securing a £72million deal.
“No, Arsenal did one hell of a deal,” he told talkSPORT host Jim White, as per football.london .
“They got a player that other people wanted and they got a player whom one club were offering more money for.
“It was Pepe’s management team that asked us to go to Arsenal and so we accepted slightly less money than we would have got somewhere else.
“Some people know that, I know publicly some agents have said that but something that needs to go on record – we didn’t sell him to the highest bidder.”
Bendtner praise for Ozil
Former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner has spoken of his sadness at “phenomenal player” Mesut Ozil currently not playing for the club.
The Dane played alongside Ozil during his time at the Gunners and has now spoken about how important he was at the club.
Bendtner told talkSPORT, as per HITC.com : “Mesut was amazing. I think he is a phenomenal player. When I was there, at my time, he was a key factor in creating great results.
“Obviously it saddens me to see such a good player not playing football. What’s going on there I can’t quite comment about because I have no idea, but to see a talent like his not being used is very difficult.”
Carragher on how City beat Arsenal
Arsenal’s defeat at Manchester City on Saturday was a fascinating tactical clash between Pep Guardiola and his former assistant Mikel Arteta.
The line-ups were unconventional and saw many players switching from their accustomed positions, with Jamie Carragher attempting to explain the match on Skysports.
"I thought it was fascinating watching," said Carragher on Monday Night Football, in quotes carried by football.london .
"I don't think it was a great game in terms of chances and goals like we have seen in other games, but only Pep Guardiola knows how his team was set up and what he was trying to do.
"But what I would say is that he was up against Mikel Arteta, who knows him inside out, Arteta obviously won the FA Cup semi-final, and we obviously know Pep doesn't do the conventional.
"I was fascinated and didn't really know what was going on in terms of positions.
"I looked at the game again this morning and tried to work it out, and City actually played different formation based on whether had the ball, if they were without the ball or based on where they were on the pitch."
