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Everything you need to know about the new Liverpool kits for the 2023-24 season

Liverpool and Nike are the first to kick off the 2023-24 season of Premier League kit releases. Launching the all-new Liverpool 2023-24 home kit in the first week of May, Nike has made sure they landed with a kit worthy of being first. 

For this season’s home kit, the club reimagined an iconic design and brought it into the 21st century. Revisiting the cup-winning kit of the 1974 squad, the Liverpool 2023-24 home kit pays homage to the legendary Bill Shankly's last season in charge of the Reds 50 years ago.

An improvement from last season’s ‘dizzying’ away kit, the all-new Liverpool 2023-24 away kit landed on June 30, inspired by the classic strip of the 1995-96 season.

So, what new kits will the Liverpool squad wear in 2023-24? GOAL takes a look at the jerseys that will be worn by Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, and co., including rumours and leaks, plus how to buy them online.

Liverpool 2023-24 kits

Liverpool's new home kit for 2023-24 was unveiled by both Nike and the club on May 5, kicking off the kit launch season. The club are set to debut the all-new home jersey in the last home match of the season against Aston Villa on May 20.

For the 2023-24 season, Liverpool and Nike looked back to the iconic cup-winning kit of the 1974 squad. The classic design comes in a bright Liverpool red with a white contrast collar and cuffs inspired by the '74 FA Cup winners.

On the reverse of the jersey, the 97 emblem encased by the eternal flames sits proudly at the nape of the neck in memory of those killed as a result of the Hillsborough disaster.

The Liverpool 2023-24 home kit is available to buy right now from Nike and the official Liverpool F.C. store. 

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The Liverpool 2023-24 away kit is a modern take on the 1995-96 away shirt, when Ian Rush was club captain and the supremely talented Robbie Fowler was top goalscorer.

The jersey features the green and white quarter pattern with black collar and cuff, updated with a digital effect treatment layering tonal greens – green spark, poison green and pine green – for a modern twist.

The kit is finished with black shorts, black name and number, and white socks with a black and green trim.

The official Liverpool 2023-24 away kit is available to buy now from Nike, with pre-orders also open at the official Liverpool FC store. The price of the kit matches the pricing of the home kit, a replica shirt retailing at £79.95 on Nike.

Images of the rumoured Liverpool 2023-24 third kit have leaked online, with the latest tweets claiming to show the authentic kit for the next season. 

Rumours state the Reds will swap out their 2022-23 green third kit for a ‘Space Purple’. The design will follow a similar fashion to the recently released 2023 Women’s World Cup Nike kits, with a distorted print across the base of the mixed purple shirt. 

Has Nike dug into the archives and taken inspiration from the Warriors 2013-14 purple third kit for inspiration? 

The third kit is not yet confirmed, and no release date has been announced, but we can expect to see its release in the late summer.

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Liverpool and Nike released the 2023-24 pre-match jersey alongside the launch of the 2023-24 Liverpool home kit at the start of May.

The Liverpool 2023-24 pre-match jersey comes in the classic Liverpool red, with an all-over distorted graphic pattern – seen on both the front and back of the jersey. All the sponsor and club details stand out against the red in white. Overall a pretty clean pre-match jersey.

Available to pre-order now at the official Liverpool F.C. store for delivery after May 18.

Christian Pulisic has “loads to give” and should be looking to leave Chelsea after seeing more money spent in his position, Glen Johnson has told GOAL

The United States international has been at Stamford Bridge since the summer of 2019, with 143 appearances taken in for the Blues while becoming a Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup winner.

However, Pulisic has rarely been a guaranteed starter during his time in west London and has been included from the off in just eight Premier League games this season.

The USMNT star is now seeing a move elsewhere speculated on, as he approaches the final year of his contract, with Johnson casting an eye over his past, present and future.

Getty ImagesEnd of the road

Pressed on whether Pulisic has reached the end of the road at Chelsea, former Blues defender Johnson – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “I think he’s a very good footballer, will work his socks off, I think he just needs to play every week. That obviously hasn’t been happening, but I think he’s got loads to give. Whichever team he goes to, he is going to improve that team. I think he has got loads more in the tank, but it’s probably not at Chelsea. He needs to go to a team where he can be the number one name on the sheet every week. That will give him confidence and he can start enjoying his football again. If you’re not playing football, then you’re not enjoying yourself. If he can get back to that, then I think he has got a lot to offer.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWhy hasn’t it worked?

Pulisic appears to boast all of the attributes required to be a Premier League success story – pace, creativity, energy, finishing ability – with Johnson saying of why it has not worked out for him at Stamford Bridge: “I never played against him but when you watch him, he looks like a nightmare to play against – he’s quick, sharp, over 10 yards he’s rapid. It’s strange. It looks like he thinks about things too much. Sometimes you just need to get on with it and see what happens. You are going to make mistakes, of course you are, but it looks like if he plays a bad game then he will think about it for the next three days. You have got to put that stuff behind you and try to get on with believing in yourself.”

GettyCaptain America

Pulisic is a talismanic presence for his country, but has remained a bit-part figure at Chelsea. Asked if those contrasting standings may have impacted Pulisic, Johnson said: “He’s the big fish when he plays at international level. He’s the main man, then he goes to Chelsea and he’s not. All of a sudden you are with world-class players, you aren’t the big fish in the pond anymore and maybe he doesn’t enjoy it. Maybe he prefers to be a big fish in a smaller pond, I’m not sure. He’s got so much to offer. Everyone says about potential, but that’s only good enough if you deliver at some point. He has got a big 18 months in front of him. If he wants to stay in the Premier League, then he is going to have to deliver on that potential.”

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GettySpending big

Johnson is not convinced that Chelsea need to sell Pulisic this summer, despite having only 12 months remaining on his deal. He feels the Blues need to alter their approach when it comes to spending – with £89 million ($110m) having been wasted on Ukraine international Mykhailo Mudryk in the January window. Johnson added: “I think he has got more to give. I would much rather work out what is going wrong with him as opposed to signing somebody else for 80m. He is a good player. You are going to sell him now for what, £30m maybe? It’s not even touching the sides of what you have just bought somebody else for, so when you have got good assets you just need to spark them up. I would say that instead of signing Mudryk, for example, I would rather they worked with Pulisic, got him going and then all of a sudden you have got a 60m player.”

Jurgen Klopp refrained from criticising VAR for not recommending a red card for Brighton's Pascal Gross for his challenge on Dominik Szoboszlai.

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Gross foul conceded penaltyMidfielder avoided red cardKlopp refused to commentWHAT HAPPENED?

Gross conceded a penalty in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool when he brought down Szoboszlai, but the midfielder avoided a yellow card.

There were calls for Gross to be sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity, but VAR did not intervene to suggest he be dismissed.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The debatable call comes a week after Liverpool were the victims of an incredible VAR mix-up that saw a Luis Diaz goal incorrectly chalked off for offside. Refereeing body PGMOL subsequently released the audio recordings of the conversation that occurred surrounding that decision and the incident has sparked a change in protocol for how such decisions are made and confirmed.

Despite the incident against Brighton, Klopp refused to hit out at the system for the second week in a row.

WHAT THEY SAID

"I saw it was a penalty and didn't think about red, but I heard now it is about goalscoring opportunity," he said at a press conference. "If it is a goalscoring opportunity, we can ask the question here: what do you think, was it a goalscoring opportunity? Hands up. I didn't see it back… we have a few hands up, by the way! But what can I say about that? I am over it, I am too old for these kind of things. We will not change it anymore."

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Liverpool return to Premier League action on October 21 with a home match against Everton.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s constitution has been rewritten, changing the structure of the governing board and making the appointment of the chairman more democratic

Umar Farooq22-Jul-2014

Election of Chairman
A special meeting of the Board of Governors shall be convened to elect the Chairman from amongst the members of the Board of Governors, by a majority of the total voting membership of the Board of Governors:
Dissolution of the Board of Governors and removal of the Chairman
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Constitution, if the Patron, after such inquiry as he deems fit, is of the opinion that the Chairman
has committed or has failed to prevent the commission of grave financial irregularities detrimental to the interests of the Board; or
is unable or fails to perform functions efficiently, diligently or persistently; or
is unable to properly administer the Board’s affairs or meet its financial obligations; or
generally acts in a manner contrary to the interest of the Board; or
otherwise exceeds or abuses his powers

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s constitution has been rewritten, changing the structure of the governing board and making the appointment of the chairman more democratic. The caretaker set-up, due in seven days, will implement the new constitution and hold the election for the chairman. This is the fourth constitution since 1995 and the second in the past year.According to the 27-page constitution, the Prime Minister of the country shall be the chief patron of the board and may give the PCB “general policy directions”. Historically, the President of Pakistan has been the patron-in-chief and has been appointing the chairman directly. The post of chairman still holds significant value though the board of governors (BoG) will now elect one from among its ten members.Any member within the board can be eligible only if he holds a bachelor degree, is a citizen of Pakistan, has no conviction of any offence involving moral turpitude, and has never been adjudged insolvent by competent court of law. One can’t hold the office if one is incapable of discharging one’s functions for reasons of physical or mental incapability.The eligibility of the chairman had never been well defined in past constitutions. The new constitution has not only strengthened the BoG but also made it more accountable and more transparent. Though the chairman will be elected for tenure of three years the BoG can remove him with a no-confidence vote against him. Otherwise, the chairman shall be eligible for re-election for one further term of three years but will not be entitled for the third term.The PCB has been criticised in the past because its constitution allowed the chairman near-dictatorial powers. The amended constitution maintains that status quo as the elected chairman can control and oversee income and expenditure, constitute the selection committee, make appointments including the heads of such committees, the captains, vice-captains of the national cricket teams (men and women) and hold power for final approval and finalise cricket teams picked by the selection committees.The composition of the BoG was also restructured, reducing the members from 14 to 10. The body will include four regional representations (top four teams from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy), four representatives of services organizations (top four department teams) and two members to be nominated by the patron in his discretion. The federal secretary of the ministry of inter-provincial coordination or any other officer nominated by him shall be an ex officio, non-voting 11th member. The term of each member of the BoG is three years – equivalent to one term of the chairman in a bid to induce continuity in the set-up.The new constitution saw an increase of regional associations from 15 to 16, with full status to Azad Jammu and Kashmir.The constitution offered plans for grassroots cricket. Regional associations will be handed a model constitution and allowed to grow and build their capacity. The regional associations may receive annual funds from the board but the constitution encouraged them to generate money through their own efforts for their utilization and for onward transmission to the district/zonal and city associations.”The Regional Cricket Associations shall ensure proper and transparent application of the funds and shall provide audited accounts thereof to the Board otherwise the future grant for the said Region may be withheld,” the constitution said.

Calling MS Dhoni an “inspiration” on the day he retired from Test cricket, Rahul Dravid said he was a captain who led “more by example than by rhetoric or by words”

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2014Calling MS Dhoni an “inspiration” on the day he retired from Test cricket, Rahul Dravid said he was a captain who led “more by example than by rhetoric or by words”.”He was a captain I enjoyed playing under,” Dravid told ESPNcricinfo. “One of the things I liked about MS was, what you saw was what you got. Very uncomplicated, always led by example. One of the things I really liked about playing under MS was that he never asked you to do anything that he himself didn’t do.”Dhoni’s style of leadership was famously hands-off, but Dravid said he won the respect of his teammates with his deeds rather than his words.”The reality was he was having to transition a senior group of players and build a younger group who were coming through,” Dravid said. “In a sense he was not the most communicative of captains, but he tried to earn your respect by walking the talk. He never took a backward step, and led more by example than by rhetoric or by words. More by actions.”Dravid hailed the impact Dhoni had made on Indian cricket after emerging from one of its backwaters.”For someone to come from a small town like Ranchi, to go on and captain India and play 90 Test matches, to do it the way he has, I think he brought a lot of dignity to the job of captaincy,” Dravid said. “He might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he was his own cup of tea and he led with a lot of success and that can never be taken away from him.”And he’s been an inspiration. If there are kids in small towns today dreaming and aspiring for great things, not only in cricket but in various fields, then MS Dhoni has a lot to do with it.”Dravid was surprised by the timing of Dhoni’s decision to retire, with one Test still left in the series against Australia, but he said he had expected him to take stock of his future fairly soon.”I guess it was unexpected that he would do it in the middle of the series,” Dravid said. “I expected him to review it at the end of the series, without India playing Test cricket for the next seven or eight months.”Knowing MS, if the series was alive, I don’t think he would have taken the decision in the middle of the series, but having seen that the series was already gone, maybe he felt that if he was going to go, then maybe this was the time to do it, and to give Virat Kohli a Test match in Australia to captain, Wriddhiman Saha another opportunity in a Test match, and to start the process of taking India’s Test team forward.”Starting with the tour of England in 2011, Dhoni won only one Test match overseas. Dravid sympathised with Dhoni for perhaps not having the resources – particularly in the bowling department – to improve his away record.”If you look at it overall, there was no doubt he was India’s most successful Test captain. The numbers don’t lie,” Dravid said. “There’s no doubt that he didn’t have the best of times, especially over the last four years, in overseas conditions. Maybe it’s also a reflection of the fact that the team was in transition, it was changing times, especially in the bowling department. It’s not easy to captain a team when you don’t have the resources to be able to take 20 wickets.”Dhoni also attracted criticism for his defensive tactics as captain, and Dravid said those measures might have been forced on him by the resources at his disposal.Rahul Dravid: “MS never asked you to do anything that he himself didn’t do.”•Getty Images”He was never defensive when captaining in India,” Dravid said. “When he had spinners, he was always attacking, on turning tracks, he was willing to force the game. It’s just overseas, and over the last three or four years, that I just think he maybe felt he didn’t have the bowling resources to be able to take 20 wickets, and he found himself, at many stages, always behind the four-ball.”It’s hard to attack for the sake of attacking when your runs are leaking at four, four-and-a-half an over, when your batsmen – as it happened on the two tours I played at the end of my career in England and Australia – are struggling as well. We just didn’t put enough runs on the board for a captain to be aggressive and attacking enough.”Yes, he would be a bit disappointed that he could not maybe transition the team as well as he would have liked overseas over the last four years, and maybe he felt it was the right time for someone like Virat Kohli to take that forward and possibly he felt he’d taken Indian cricket as far as he possibly could as a Test captain.”Dhoni suffered from a perception that he didn’t take Test cricket as seriously as he did the shorter forms of the game, but Dravid dismissed the theory.”You cannot play 90 Test matches by not embracing Test cricket and not wanting to work hard at it and make a career out of it,” Dravid said. “It’s another matter that his one-day record and his T20 record are much better than his Test record, and his achievements in one-day cricket and T20 cricket are phenomenal.”That’s not to say he did not have a good record as a Test cricketer as well. Sure, if you judge him by the standards of an Adam Gilchrist, then yes, maybe his Test record wasn’t that good, but purely if you judge him by the standards of Indian wicketkeeper-batsmen and forget everything else – playing lower down the order, playing 90 Test matches, most dismissals for India, most runs as a wicketkeeper-batsman for India, most centuries – it’s a phenomenal record as a Test cricketer and something he can be very proud of.”Contending that technique wasn’t one of Dhoni’s strengths as a batsman, Dravid praised him for squeezing as much as he could out of his homespun methods, even in difficult conditions overseas.”I think he had incredible hand-eye coordination, incredible power, and an ability to absorb pressure. These are his great qualities. Technique wasn’t one of his great strengths, so if you consider that, to average 38 in Test cricket I think is terrific, because he really made it work.”The decision to give up Test cricket, according to Dravid, could help Dhoni prolong his career in the shorter formats.”I think it will actually revitalize him,” he said. “He’s still 33-34, so I think he could easily carry on. He’s playing well, he’s fantastic in that format, he’s one of the best finishers in the world. I don’t really see it being an issue in the next couple of years.”Dravid called Kohli a thinking cricketer and expected him to learn quickly on the job as India’s Test captain, but warned that he might have to ‘learn to relax’, and realise that not everything is within a captain’s control.”One of the good things about Virat, and you see that already in his short career so far, even as a batsman, is that he’s willing to learn, willing to grow,” Dravid said. “I think he’ll learn from his experiences. Not everything has gone right for him, and he’ll learn in time what is the right way that will help him succeed – not only help him succeed, but he’ll now have to think very carefully what will help everyone around him succeed.”One particular way might work for him, maybe an aggressive, in-your-face attitude might work for him, but I think he’ll quickly have to realise that there might be other people in the team who might find that difficult to match up to, and might actually want a different way to succeed. There’s no right or wrong way. It’s just different ways that people find success, and I think he will learn in time that he will have to create an environment that allows different people to succeed and allows them to express their personalities on the cricket field.”One thing I will say is Virat is willing to learn, he asks questions, he’s thinking all the time. He’s just got to learn to relax, and [understand] that he cannot control everything as captain. One of the things he’s got to be careful about is not take things too personally, take every result, win or loss, as something very personal. There’s only so much you can control as captain, and I think recognising that quickly is very important.”

Arsene Wenger takes charge of one last game at Old Trafford with the Gunners on Sunday, and there have been plenty of memorable ones in the past

Getty1March 1998 – Overmars’ scream-inducing Old Trafford winner

Going into the game, champions United led Arsenal by nine points but having played an extra three games. Arsene Wenger, in his first full season at Highbury, knew his side would be landing a significant blow were they to win on Manchester soil.

And with 10 minutes remaining Marc Overmars slid home a now iconic goal, producing scenes of raw emotion in the away end as Arsenal fans began to believe a first title in seven years was within their grasp.

“If they win their games in hand they will go ahead of us, but they’ll start dropping points towards the end of the season, there’s no question about that,” Sir Alex Ferguson claimed afterwards.

Ferguson was wrong. The win at Old Trafford was the second of 10 straight successes for the Gunners, who would wrap up a first title under Wenger with two games to spare.AdvertisementGetty2April 1999 – Giggs' wonder goal

It might be easier to list the things this iconic FA Cup semi-final replay didn't have! David Beckham scored first but the pendulum seemed to have swung to Arsenal when Dennis Bergkamp equalised and Roy Keane was then sent off for a foul on Overmars.

In the dying seconds, Phil Neville brought down Ray Parlour for a penalty, prompting some United fans to head for the exits. But Peter Schmeichel brilliantly saved Bergkamp’s spot-kick to send the game into extra time.

Then came THAT Ryan Giggs goal as the Welsh wizard beat Patrick Vieira, Lee Dixon, Martin Keown and Tony Adams on a wonderful run before striking high past David Seaman and whipping off his shirt in frenzied jubilation.Getty3August 1999 – Keane at the double at Highbury

Freddie Ljungberg’s opening goal was just a taster in this clash as the growing disregard between the two clubs reared its head.

Keane broke through a gap to equalise, but moments later was involved in a flashpoint with Vieira in which the United skipper kicked out after playing a pass and the Frenchman responded with a head-butt. Jaap Stam then grabbed Vieira by the throat as both sets of players flooded in.

After referee Graham Poll decided no cards were warranted, Keane pounced on a deflected Giggs shot to net the winner, but there would still be time for late controversy as Keown’s apparent injury-time equaliser was ruled out for an infringement on Raimond van der Gouw.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty4May 2002 – Wiltord wins the league in Manchester

Their Old Trafford victory in 1998 had felt like a league winner because of the momentum swing but four years on Arsenal would become champions for certain with another memorable 1-0 win.

In a game that was typically bad-tempered at times, with Phil Neville perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch after a particularly bad challenge on Sylvain Wiltord, it always felt like Arsene Wenger’s side were going to find the winner.

It came on 56 minutes, as Mikael Silvestre’s loose pass allowed Wiltord to break and play in Ljungberg. The Swede’s shot could only be parried by Fabien Barthez, and the French front man became the toast of north London by sliding home the rebound.

Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann has been in contact with Arsenal legend Lukas Podolski over a joint project run alongside Germany great Mats Hummels.

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Swiss star set to take part in new competitionInspired by Pique's 'Kings League' in SpainCelebrity coaches will charge of the teams involvedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old Switzerland international has confirmed that she will be taking part in the indoor football competition, known as the ‘Baller League’, that is due to take place in January 2024. Lehmann will be joined in said league by a number of former players, celebrities, musicians, streamers and influencers – although anybody is free to apply for participation.

The pair exchanged an interaction on their respective Instagram stories, in German, about Lehmann's confirmed inclusion in the tournament.

IG: alishalehmann7IG: lukaspodolskiAdvertisementGettyWHAT LEHMANN SAID

Lehmann has told of adding her name to the guest list: “I’m really looking forward to the Baller League. This is a great idea that combines a lot of things from today: pure football, entertainment and then making the whole thing accessible to fans via social media – for a generation that sees itself in all of these points. I think the Baller League is very attractive. I grew up with street football and always watched indoor football. During the winter break it was a real experience that I was looking forward to. The idea of offering this football a stage and bringing it back to the field with honest rules and lots and lots of fun – I wanted to be part of that. That’s also my style, my understanding of football and my DNA.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The ‘Baller League’ – which is being pieced together by World Cup winners Podolski and Hummels – is taking inspiration from Barcelona legend Gerard Pique’s ‘Kings League’ in Spain, where teams are managed by celebrity coaches and the likes of Sergio Aguero have taken to the field.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

The ‘Baller League’, which features 12 teams each managed by a well-known personality, will take place at Motorworld in Cologne from January 8, 2024 – with Lehmann able to get involved during the winter break that Villa be enjoying from WSL action.

The reasons for David Raya joining Arsenal on an initial loan, rather than a permanent transfer, have been explained by the goalkeeper’s agent.

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Keeper bid farewell to BrentfordWas wanted by heavyweight outfitsOpted to battle Ramsdale at the EmiratesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners moved to bolster their shot-stopping department during the summer window when putting a deal in place with Premier League rivals Brentford for Spain international Raya. The north London outfit were able to fend off interest from Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich in order to push an agreement for 2023-24 through.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Raya’s representative, Jaume Munell, has told of why a loan was put in place: "Arsenal showed interest for the first time three years ago in 2021. They tried to buy him but Brentford didn’t want to sell him at any price. After they bought [Aaron] Ramsdale that was an easier option but David has always been the priority. This summer, he had just one year left on his contract with Brentford and Arsenal was the club that showed the most concrete interest and have always been our priority.

"Tottenham also was interested and made an official bid but it was refused because was lower than the €40m [£35m] that Brentford wanted to sell him, also Bayern Munich was interested and had an amazing offer but with no buy option included and for this reason, we’ve not accepted it. Bayern Munich didn’t understand our refusal because they thought that Raya would have been the back-up keeper at Arsenal but as you can see it’s not like this. Also Manchester United and Chelsea made an inquiry but nothing concrete. The formula of the deal is a loan with the option to buy, Arsenal had some Financial Fair Play issues and this is the reason why they haven’t bought him with a permanent transfer."

WHAT THEY SAID

Raya is competing with Ramsdale for minutes at Arsenal, with both men having filled starting duties and bench roles this season, and Munell says his client is at Emirates Stadium due to the presence of Mikel Arteta and Gunners goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana. He added: “Arsenal is a team with a lot of quality and a lot of young players trained by a top coach Mikel Arteta, they have maximum ambition. Arsenal have a clear identity, and a clear style of play that really works, as you can see by the results. Last year they were close to winning the Premier League, I believe that this year they can win it and try to win the Champions League, it’s tough but they have the quality and the ambition to try to do it. Inaki and Arteta were key for the deal, they have been determined for the choice that we made to play for Arsenal, the club have a project and a philosophy that fit completely for David.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Raya has become Arsenal’s go-to option between the sticks in Premier League and Champions League competition, with England international Ramsdale having to make do with Carabao Cup outings since losing his place back in September.

Bukayo Saka may be ready to return for Arsenal in a derby date with Chelsea after being able to rest his hamstring during the international break.

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Winger nursing hamstring complaintDefender struggling with toe problemBoth could line up against the BluesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old forward was forced out of a Champions League clash with Lens on October 3 after picking up a muscle complaint and played no part in the Gunners’ 1-0 victory over Manchester City. He was then removed from the England squad for their matches with Australia and Italy.

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal will handle Saka with care – given his importance to the collective cause – but there is a chance that he will figure at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Mikel Arteta told reporters when asked about that subject: “I’m sure he wants to play. I don’t see any player there that doesn’t want to be in the starting XI. He has been working so hard to be fit for this game and let’s see where he is at today. He had a couple of days off that he needed as well, but the rest [of the international break] has not been rest for him because he needed to do the treatment and train, and get ready to be available against Chelsea.”

Arteta added when asked about the demands placed on Saka, with the talented winger having barely missed a game over the last four seasons: “I think we have to play him when we see he is in the right condition to play as well – mentally, and physically – and that he is performing. He needs to deserve to play and that’s another story. But so far, when he has played that amount of minutes or games, it is because we believed that he was ready to cope with that.”

GettyWHAT THEY SAID

William Saliba is another Arsenal star that has been carrying a knock of late, with the 22-year-old defender not linking up with France during the international break. He is said to be nursing a toe complaint, with Arteta saying when asked if that will hinder the classy centre-half for the season of the season: “Hopefully not. He’s been carrying that for weeks now. We had to use that time to settle and we believed it was the best moment to do that.”

Arsenal’s head coach added when asked if Saliba will figure against Chelsea: “Depending on how he trains today.”

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Gunners head into their meeting with Chelsea sat joint-top of the Premier League with north London rivals Tottenham – with both sides having picked up 20 points from their eight games in the 2023-24 campaign.

GOAL predicts how the Lions of Teranga could line up in the semi-final clash against the Stallions at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday

Senegal will come up against Burkina Faso in the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations at Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium on Wednesday.

The Lions of Teranga are seeking their first-ever Afcon title at the 33rd edition in Cameroon despite making 16 appearances. Below GOAL predicts how coach Aliou Cisse could line up his players.

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper – Edouard Mendy

Despite conceding against Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals, the Chelsea shot-stopper has been in great form since recovering from Covid-19 as he managed to keep clean sheets against Malawi in their final group phase fixture and against Cape Verde in the Round of 16.

He will likely keep his spot as the Lions of Teranga target to reach a second successive final.

AdvertisementBackpagepix.Defender – Bouna Sarr

The 30-year-old, who features for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich has been instrumental for the Lions of Teranga in the right position, where he also overlaps from the wing and he will definitely remain Aliou Cisse's preferred player in that position.

（C）Getty ImagesDefender – Saliou Ciss

Despite being booked in the quarter-final game against Nzalang Nacional, Ciss, who turns out for French Ligue 2 club Nancy, has played a key role for Senegal in the Afcon campaign and will likely keep his position against the Stallions.

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Getty Defender – Kalidou Koulibaly

The 30-year-old Napoli defender missed the first two group matches owing to Covid-19 but has kept his position since making a comeback in the game against Malawi.

Being the captain of the side, Koulibaly will be expected to lead by example and help Seegal reach the final.