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Arsenal fans have been reminiscing about former fan favourite Santi Cazorla as they feel his impact in the current squad is sorely missed.

Cazorla, 34, spent five seasons at the Emirates and was a major part in Arsene Wenger’s side after he made 180 appearances for the club. The Spaniard was eventually released after a series of injuries and left to rejoin Villareal on a free transfer.

Having won two FA Cups and two Community Shields with the club, one of the midfielder’s best moments was scoring a free-kick against Hull City at Wembley to guide the Gunners to win the FA Cup in 2014.

Cazorla was showered with praise by the Emirates faithful and they reminisced about the positive impact he had on the team.

One fan said that he was the “unsung hero” for the side as his contributions went largely unnoticed, while another supporter said that the 34-year-old is one of the only players that understand how Mesut Ozil plays.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Arsenal fans:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

We are still some time away from the winter transfer window but that doesn’t mean that the big clubs are hibernating and doing nothing.

In fact, if the latest reports coming out of Marca are to be believed, Real Madrid have identified their potential purchases come January already, and two names seem to be the priority at the moment: Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek.

And this is also not really anything particularly new.

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After all, Los Blancos have been linked with Eriksen before and despite the great Danish midfielder not signing a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur just yet, Zinedine Zidane didn’t pull the trigger during the summer.

But now, as the same source states, the deal should benefit both parties equally – Spurs can cash in on their player since they probably don’t want to lose him for free once his contract expires and Real Madrid can get their Galactico and a much-needed reinforcement in the middle of the park.

Still, for all his skill and pedigree, Eriksen has been struggling a bit as of late.

This season, the 27-year-old midfielder has only scored and assisted once in a total of ten games played across all competitions.

Things have also not been so rosy in the Premier League specifically. Spurs are struggling and currently sit sixth in the table with just 11 points from seven games played.

And while the individuals can hardly be blamed for the poor display of the team as a whole, Eriksen’s numbers have underwhelmed and when a highly influential player like himself is not at his best, the whole squad can suffer.

This season, he averaged 1.6 shots, 1.9 key passes and 83.3% passing accuracy so far as opposed to 2.4 shots and 2.1 key passes per game in the 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

Still, Real Madrid fans should definitely keep tabs on the great Dane this weekend as Spurs face Brighton in the Premier League.

With the reports about the Galacticos eyeing that transfer coming out, it would be good for them to get to know the player that just might be joining them soon.

And this is a good opportunity for Eriksen to show what he’s all about. Brighton play an expansive game under Graham Potter, averaging 53.8% possession this season but have only six points and ten conceded goals to show for it.

Eriksen, then, should get the space to cause some real problems this Saturday and demonstrate exactly what he can offer this Real Madrid team.

Liverpool will expect to grab three points when they welcome Red Bull Salzburg to Anfield on Wednesday night, so could we see a more attacking set-up from Jurgen Klopp?

With all due respect to Genk, Salzburg will get their first real test when they visit Merseyside on Wednesday.

The Austrian outfit score plenty of goals – 40 in nine league games this season to be exact – but they also rarely keep clean sheets, preserving the shutout just three times in those games, against what could fairly be called weak opposition.

For that reason, we believe Klopp may stray away from his usual workhorse midfield, looking to capitalise on a team who are not used to defending against the type of quality the European champions possess. The XI below has three changes from Saturday’s win.

The back four pretty much picks itself, but after Paul Joyce confirmed Joel Matip will miss out, we expect Joe Gomez to be the man to fill that gap.

In midfield, Fabinho has become practically un-droppable this season, starting all but one league fixture, as well as the match in Naples.

Things may change after that though, and tonight seems like the perfect time to throw Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain into the mix. The pair have both suffered with various injuries over the last 18 months, but if they aren’t able to fill in for skipper Jordan Henderson and the ever-reliable Georginio Wijnaldum against a side from the Austrian Bundesliga, then they never will be.

While they may not afford the Reds the type of defensive protection the likes of Henderson, Wijnaldum and James Milner would, they may just have a field day against a group of defenders used to playing sides like Hartberg and Swarovski Tirol, not the kings of Europe.

Given how Origi completely transformed the game at Bramall Lane from the left wing, Klopp could reward the Belgian here with a start. However, that cameo may also tempt the boss to see him simply as a super-sub, and stick with his usual front three.

Mohamed Salah will surely keep his place again with Xherdan Shaqiri still not fit enough to give the Egyptian a rest, while benching Sadio Mane against his former club would be criminal, as who doesn’t love a goal against their old team?

It was a busy summer for Arsenal in the transfer window.

No less than six new faces joined the Gunners. But, whilst five of them are still with the club and will play this season in England, one will spend it away from the Emirates Stadium.

William Saliba, an 18-year-old French centre-back, signed for the north London outfit in July for a fee in the region of £27m, but he was sent straight back out on loan to former club Saint-Etienne.

Unfortunately, he has been unable to play for the Ligue 1 outfit so far this season due to injury. Until Sunday, that is, when he made his first appearance of the campaign against Nimes, albeit from the bench. Although he can hardly take too much credit, playing just one minute, it did coincide with Les Verts’ first clean sheet of the season.

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Arsenal supporters have been keeping an eye on the defender, and they were quick to react to his taste of action of the term. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Dedryck Boyata left Celtic on a free transfer in the summer with the Belgian international moving to Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga and has put the record straight on the rumours that he went on strike to force a move in an interview with SportsBild via Sport Witness.

What has he said?

Boyata was a key player in Celtic’s dominance of Scottish football for four years and an integral part of the unprecedented “Treble Treble”. The Belgian won everything in his time in Scotland and was still a regular for the national side including appearances in the 2018 World Cup.

He was in the Scottish Premiership “Team of the Year” in his final season which shows his commitment to the Parkhead club despite his contract running out. So what did Boyata have to say on the matter when asked about downing tools:

“It’s not true, I was accused of strikes last summer so I could move. I also played through the season, was in the Scottish team of the year and played my part in the title.

“The truth is, I’ve won everything at Celtic in four years. But it was time to start something new. The Bundesliga is a good challenge for me.”

Was Boyata in the wrong?

As Boyata stated, he had given four good years service to Celtic and had even stayed a year longer after being promised a move in the summer of 2018 if the club could find a suitable replacement. Boyata’s agent had spoken about Celtic not being entirely honest about the situation claiming that they weren’t interested in engaging with interested parties.

Boyata played 32 times for Celtic last season and only missed games through injury. So despite not being allowed to leave the club he continued to play and perform to a high standard, far from going on strike.

He was entitled to speak to other clubs once he was in the last six months of his contract and eventually he agreed a deal with Hertha Berlin. Celtic decided that losing him for free was an acceptable loss after he’d played his part in securing another treble. Just because they were unable to find a suitable replacement wasn’t Boyata’s fault, but it is also understandable on Celtic’s part that they didn’t want to lose a key player without a replacement.

Boyata wasn’t helped by his agent in the whole matter but he remained professional and was entitled to move on given the level of service Celtic received from him. At the peak of his career he wanted to better himself and the Bundesliga is of significantly greater quality than the Scottish Premiership. He should’ve been thank for his time at the club and left with their best wishes. Football, as we all know, doesn’t always quite work out like that though.

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Some Everton fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they want Jose Mourinho to replace Marco Silva as manager, following a 2-0 loss to Sheffield United at Goodison Park.

The Toffees have now lost half of their six Premier League games this season, winning just two, and the frustration towards Silva from some supporters on Twitter is clearing mounting judging by the tweets below.

In regards to Mourinho’s availability, the Portuguese boss has been out of work for nearly a year now after being sacked by Manchester United in December 2018.

Before he took over at Old Trafford, he was also sacked by Chelsea with the Blues languishing in 16th place.

However, it remains to be seen how the former Inter and Real Madrid manager would do at a club of Everton’s stature – Mourinho has never managed a side outside of England’s top six.

Let’s take a look at what the Everton fans on Twitter have been saying…

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Newcastle produced a stunning comeback to upset the champions on Tuesday night, and Fabian Schar once again proved he is one of the best signings of the season.

Newcastle United’s transfer business is always the subject of much controversy and rightly so, as owner Mike Ashley has simply not injected enough cash into a squad bereft of any real pace or quality.

Rafael Benitez has managed to bring in some gems despite the shoestring budget though, and Schar looks to be an absolute steal from the former Real Madrid and Liverpool manager.

Which Man Utd star got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

The 27 year-old defender was highly regarded as one of the best young prospects in Europe when he broke though at FC Basel, but moves to Germany and Spain did not pay off before he eventually landed on Tyneside.

The club paid a measly £3m to secure his services, per BBC, and after a match-winning display against Cardiff he showed the gritty, hungry side to his game on Tuesday night.

Benitez’s side looked set to get absolutely trounced when Sergio Aguero opened the visitors’ tally just 24 seconds into the match, but the organisation, toughness and leadership of Schar, Jamaal Lascelles and Florian Lejeune was truly incredible to witness.

Schar in particular had a superb showing, throwing his body on the line whenever necessary with two aerial duels won and six clearances made.

He also read the game superbly, something he has done to a high level since arriving on Tyneside, making a whopping six tackles as well as three interceptions.

For just £3m the club has managed to sign a versatile, ball-playing centre back with the speed and physicality to thrive in the Premier League, and at 27 the Swiss international still has plenty of room to improve.

He may well be the bargain of the season.

The veteran striker was anonymous for most of the clash, but his ex-Manchester United team-mate was on hand to lift the Seleccao to victory

Portugal had to dig deep to claim a 2-0 win over Iceland on Sunday, in a game that was essentially attack versus defence.

Bruno Fernandes finally broke Iceland's stubborn resistance with a superb goal, as he drove an effort into the bottom corner from the top of the box after a clever flick from Bernardo Silva.

Ricardo Horta emerged from the bench to score the second, all but ending the game as a contest, as he tapped home after a Joao Felix shot was spilled. Cristiano Ronaldo attempted to fire the ball home initially, but only found the goalkeeper's face, and Horta tapped home the second rebound.

Iceland had a late rally, and hit the crossbar, but this was a comfortable evening's work for the hosts. The result ensures that Portugal finish their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with ten wins from ten, and they will surely be among the favourites at the tournament in Germany next summer.

GOAL rates Portugal's players from Estadio Jose Alvalade.

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Diogo Costa (6/10):

  Barely had anything to do all night until Iceland hit the bar in injury time.

  Joao Mario (6/10):

  Enjoyed a fair bit of the ball as he routinely drove forward. Wasn't quite able to impact the game in the final third but a strong showing nonetheless. Subbed for Guerreiro.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  A simple night. Dias is simply elite and Iceland had no way past him.

  Goncalo Inacio (6/10):

  Headed wide from six yards out in the first half but his defensive work could not be faulted.

  Joao Cancelo (7/10):

  Some superb dribbles down the left flank, switched to the right, and then had some superb dribbles down the right. A class act, who delivered some excellent crosses.

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  Midfield

  Otavio (6/10):

  A mishit cross looped onto the post early on. Dribbled well but couldn't really impact the play as much as he would have liked.

  Joao Palhinha (6/10):

  A composed operator in midfield, mopping up whenever needed. Not his most difficult night.

  Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

  Scored a stunning goal, driving a brilliant effort into the bottom corner from the top of the penalty area. Some exceptional passes, as he ran the show at times.

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  Attack

  Bernardo Silva (7/10):

  Assisted Fernandes' opener with an impudent backheel and was always available for a pass. Finds space so well and Iceland struggled immensely to pick him up before his substitution on 62 minutes.

  Cristiano Ronaldo (4/10):

  Headed an excellent chance over on the half-hour mark. Should have scored after a Felix shot was saved and dropped to him, but his rebound was saved and Horta tapped in instead. Mostly anonymous.

  Joao Felix (7/10):

  Such a clever footballer and continually found space in the tightest of areas on the left wing. Couldn't score himself but did everything but.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ricardo Horta (7/10):

  On for Silva and scored almost immediately, tapping home after a goalmouth scramble.

  Raphael Guerreiro (6/10):

  Replaced Joao Mario for the final stages and deflected an Iceland shot onto the crossbar.

  Bruma (N/A):

  On late on.

  Joao Neves (N/A):

  On as a late sub.

  Roberto Martinez 7/10):

  As comfortable as it gets for the Belgium manager. With a perfect record in qualifying, he will be confident of success in Germany next summer.

Gabriel Jesus has joined Brazil national team for World Cup qualifiers despite carrying a hamstring injury.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Jesus joins national team despite hamstring injury
• Got injured against Sevilla a few weeks ago
• Brazil to face Colombia and Argentina in qualifiers

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite being sidelined due to a hamstring injury in the last couple of weeks, Jesus travelled to Brazil for international duty, according to .

  The Brazilian star picked up a hamstring injuryduring Arsenal's away Champions League fixture against Sevilla on October 24. Later it was reported that the striker will take at least three to four weeks to completely recover before returning on the pitch.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 26-year-old will reportedly be assessed by the medical team of Brazil and they will take the final call on whether to play him in their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Before he picked up a hamstring injury last month, the striker was troubled with a knee problem at the beginning of the season that forced him to remain out of action for the first three matches of the ongoing season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL?

  The Selecao are scheduled to face Colombia first on November 17 before taking on world champions Argentina five days later.

Bukayo Saka continues to nurse an injury at Arsenal, but the England international could still come into contention to face Burnley on Saturday.

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• Forward picked up knock against Sevilla
• Yet to return to training
• Ghanaian midfielder nursing thigh problem

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gunners forward Saka was forced off towards the end of a Champions League clash with Sevilla on Wednesday. He has been named in the latest Three Lions squad, but questions are being asked of his fitness – having seen an untimely knock prevent him from featuring for his country during the last international break.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Saka’s ailment is not considered to be serious, but Mikel Arteta is yet to rule the 22-year-old in or out of his plans for a home date with Burnley. He told reporters when asked for an update on a talismanic figure at Emirates Stadium: “We want out players to play for their club and national team. B didn’t train yesterday. Let’s see if he can make it tomorrow.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  One man that definitely will not take part against the Clarets is Thomas Partey, with the midfielder ruled out with a thigh problem. There have been suggestions that he could be missing until 2024, but Arteta said when putting a potential timescale on the 30-year-old’s recovery: “He’s progressing really well. I said hopefully it will be weeks not months. He needs support and hopefully the injury will heal in the right way because he’s a big player for us.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Emile Smith Rowe is another being ruled out of Arsenal’s plans at present, with Arteta admitting that “a few more” are carrying knocks, but the Gunners are eager to get another Premier League title challenge back on track after losing their unbeaten record away at Newcastle last weekend.