INFORMATION STATION
ARTETA SAYS STRIKER IS A GUNNERS GREAT
MIKEL ARTETA insists Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang does not need silverware to be a Premier League great.
Manchester United legend and pundit Gary Neville says the Gabon striker, 30, is up with the very best this country has seen – and his manager agrees.
Arsenal boss Arteta said: “Harry Kane has scored 30 goals and never won the Premier League.
“There are a lot of good examples of players that do phenomenally, but unfortunately there are a lot of top teams in this country and only one wins the league. So you can’t have everything in life.”
Speaking ahead of tonight’s second leg against Olympiakos, where the Gunners defend a 1-0 lead, Arteta added: “If he had been top scorer in the league and won the league, then he would have been voted the best player in the league for sure. You need both.
“You need individual performance and you need the collective side of your team as well to support that.
“That is where we have to make a step forward, to try to convince these top players to want to stay at our club and be successful and be happy.”
Arsenal want to avoid putting the hitman up for sale in the summer, despite him having just a year left on his contract. However, should they fail to reach an agreement, they are likely to sell rather than allow his contract to run down.
Arteta insisted talks are ongoing, saying: “The club has a good idea of how he wants to develop things. They are in constant communication with players’ agents and they know the plan better than I do. I completely trust them on that.”
Aubameyang’s fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette has hailed teammate Bukayo Saka, 18, as the best young player in the Premier League.
The full-back provided the assist for the Frenchman to score the Gunners’ only goal in the first leg and followed it up with the cross for Eddie Nketiah’s strike against Everton on Sunday.
Lacazette said: “He’s really good. I think he’s maybe the best young player in the league.
“He needs to improve in a few things but you can see the quality he has and he’s humble.
“The best thing for him is to be involved. He wants to work, he accepts criticism because he wants to improve.”
ESPANYOL boss Abelardo Fernandez has warned Wolves to beware a shock KO tonight.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men take an emphatic lead into the second leg after dishing out a thumping at Molineux last week.
But Abelardo won’t be throwing in the towel, saying: “I know England is crazy about boxing right now because of Tyson Fury.
“I love boxing and I saw the Tyson fight on TV. If this tie was a boxing match, then obviously Wolves are 90 per cent favourites to go through.
“But I remember when Mike Tyson fought a complete underdog in Buster Douglas and got knocked out. Maybe we can be Buster Douglas and pull off a complete shock!”
Espanyol are bottom of La Liga and face a desperate fight to get clear of relegation.
Abelardo (right) made nine changes for the first leg because he sees (ITALY) avoiding relegation as the absolute priority.
He reverted to his strongest line-up for Sunday’s crucial clash with relegation rivals Real Valladolid and still saw his side lose 2-1.
And with Atletico Madrid visiting this weekend, he will ring the changes again tonight, possibly even fielding what will effectively be a reserve side. Abelardo added: “It’s almost impossible, we know that. But we will be looking to put up a good fight.
“It’s tough. But you never know. If we could get to half-time 2-0 up, then maybe we will give ourselves a chance.
“We need to be brave and daring – what the fans expect – and then who knows?”
Wolves ace Ruben Neves insisted their wounded opponents still need finishing off.
Neves said: “We can’t even think about the first leg. If we do that we could be in big trouble.”
HOW MUCH DOES A GRECIAN URN? Aubameyang and Pepe share a joke in training yesterday (ITALY)
FOOTBALL UEFA Champions League 1st KO round, 1st leg
UEFA Europa League 1st KO round, 2nd leg
Sky Bet Championship
Fulham (0) .............. 1
Middlesbrough (0).0
Millwall (0) .............. 0
Sheff Wed (0) ......... 1
Swansea (0) .............. 0
Birmingham (0) ........ 0
Charlton (0) .............. 0