Nacho Monreal celebrates helping Spain beat Albania 2-0 in World Cup qualifying on Sunday night.
Nacho Monreal looked to be in good spirits as he posed for a picture with David De Gea after helping Spain beat Albania in World Cup qualifying on Sunday night.
The Arsenal full back played the full 90 minutes as Diego Costa and Nolito both scored to fire La Roja to victory and take them a step closer towards qualification for the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Monreal has been in good form for Arsenal in recent months and has been rewarded for his solid form with a call-up to the national side.
And the defender looked to be in high spirits as he posed for a picture with his team-mates in the dressing room after Sunday’s game.
Monreal posted the photo above on his personal Instagram account and wrote: “A joy to play with the @sefutbol and happy for the 3 points!”
Monreal will now be turning his attentions back to Arsenal affairs and the north London club’s home clash against Swansea City in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester United, meanwhile, are gearing up for their crunch trip to Liverpool next Monday.
Get 6/1 enhanced odds on Chelsea to beat Leicester on Saturday. Sign up now by clicking here. T&Cs apply.
Nacho Monreal has arguably grown into not just one of the most consistent players at Arsenal but in the entire league since moving to the Gunners back in 2013.
Monreal was considered a strange buy from Spanish side Malaga back in the January transfer window of 2013 and although he had a relatively slow start to his Arsenal career, largely due to communication and adapting to a new style of play, Monreal has since grown into one of the most reliable players on the pitch.
Surely named as one of the first players on the teamsheet week in week out, Monreal is at the peak of his career right now and we have seen that on the pitch, especially in the past two seasons. Kieran Gibbs had maintained the left back position for a number of seasons without being challenged and I always thought he was a pretty decent left back. However now Gibbs can’t get a look in compared to the ability of Monreal, so much so that apparently Gibbs is considering moving away from Arsenal. Monreal shows strength, confidence and ability at both ends of the pitch because he recognises when it’s safe to join the attack rather just racing forward like some full backs do. Experience dictates what decisions he makes and we have seen that whilst his defensive duties are always on point, he can also whip a good cross in, as well as occasionally have a crack at goal.
In a recent interview Monreal was asked about how he feels now that he is settled in and fully integrated into the starting eleven. Monreal told Arsenal.com: “When you’re young you just have so much energy and you feel great. As soon as you finish one match you can’t wait to play the next because you recover really quickly. On the other hand you lack experience. With time you lose a bit of physical fitness but you gain huge experience. You understand far better where to place the ball, how to read the game and what the team needs. I feel I am at a point now where I am combining well those two elements.”
At 30 years old Monreal is truly at the peak of his career and his experience has already shown these past two years, as he rarely makes a wrong decision on the pitch. The sad thing is is that we shall only get a few more years out of Monreal at his highest ability, before age starts to play a part on his style of play, at which point Arsenal will have to consider whether Gibbs (if he’s still with us) is ready to retake his position, or if a new player is needed. Perhaps that’s why Ricardo Rodriguez is being linked with the Gunners, as they look for a replacement sooner rather than later.
Kieran Gibbs of Arsenal celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on November 8, 2015 in London, England.
Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs has emerged as a surprise new candidate to solve Liverpool's troublesome left-back spot.
The Reds have struggled in the position for many years now and the patience of many fans was tested to its limit with current incumbent Alberto Moreno after his Europa League final horror show against former club Sevilla with his side surrendering a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 in Basel.
According to Football Insider, the Gunners will listen to offers for 26-year-old Gibbs this summer after he lost his place to Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal.
Liverpool, who are also monitoring Leicester City's teenage left-back – who has made just three senior appearances for the Premier League champions – could turn to Gibbs instead as a more experienced alternative.
Born in Lambeth, Gibbs, who has been capped 10 times by England, has spent his entire career to date with the Gunners apart from a loan spell at Norwich City in 2007/08 when he turned out seven times for the Canaries.
He has played over 200 times for Arsenal and played in the 2014 FA Cup-winning side.
Liverpool face competition for Ajax's leggy winger Anwar El Ghazi says Gianluca Di Marzio.
The Italian transfer news hound reckons Crystal Palace and recently-relegated Aston Villa are also interested in the 21-year-old Dutch international.
Capped twice, El Ghazi has burst onto the scene over the past couple of seasons, reaching double figures in the goals columns in both campaigns.
At 6ft 2in he is tall for a wide man but is the kind of hard-runner that Jurgen Klopp so admires.
Jordi Alba of Barcelona and Anwar El Ghazi of Ajax battle for the ball (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Martin Skrtel is heading for the Anfield exit door and newly-promoted Middlesbrough could have a battle to convince the Slovakian to stay in the Premier League say the Metro as Besiktas and another unnamed Turkish club look to land the veteran centre-back who still has two years left to run on his Reds contract.
Arsenal have never really been associated with producing home grown, English talent.
Certainly not since Arsene Wenger arrived at the helm nearly two decades ago.
The Gunners famously fielded a Premier League XI of exclusively foreign players back in 2005 – much to the dismay of the English romantics.
But in fairness to the north Londoners, they’ve established quite a strong English contingent in recent years.
That all could be about to change though.
That’s because Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Kieran Gibbs will all be allowed to leave this summer after falling down the pecking order.
All three are in danger of missing out on England’s Euro 2016 squad too after being usurped by Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi and Nacho Monreal.
The Telegraph claim that Oxlade-Chamberlain is a target for both West Ham and former club Southampton this summer after his development stagnated at the Emirates.
Walcott and Gibbs have both struggled with injuries – and the Gunners are now willing to cut their losses.
The 18-year-old, who had scored twice on his debut against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday, also set up a goal for Ander Herrera as Louis van Gaal's side closed to within three points of the Champions League places.
Arsenal, who scored through Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil, were left five points below leaders Leicester City, while Tottenham Hotspur moved three points above them by coming from behind to beat Swansea City 2-1.
At Old Trafford, the extent of United's injury problems was laid bare by a starting XI that saw midfielder Michael Carrick line up at centre-back, while Manchester-born starlet Rashford led the line in the absence of injury victims Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial.
Arsenal, who made three changes from their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Barcelona, created the first chance, Ozil freeing Nacho Monreal for a shot that the fit-again David de Gea raced out to block, but it was the hosts who drew first blood in the 29th minute.
Gabriel, brought in for Per Mertesacker, failed to make proper contact as he attempted to clear Guillermo Varela's inviting right-wing cross and Rashford nervelessly placed the loose ball past Petr Cech.
The United faithful rose to acclaim their new hero and they were off their feet again less than three minutes later when Rashford met Jesse Lingard's cross with a well-directed downward header.
Rashford became the third-youngest player to score a Premier League goal for United, after Federico Macheda and Welbeck, and the latter returned to haunt his former club by reducing the arrears.
In a repeat of the formula that had yielded a last-gasp winner against Leicester two weeks ago, Ozil chipped a free-kick into the box and Welbeck stooped to head home. It was the German's 18th assist of the campaign.
Van Gaal tumble
United lost Marcos Rojo to an apparent ankle injury early in the first half, which saw 18-year-old Dutch defender Tim Fosu-Mensah come on for his club debut.
Wenger sent on Olivier Giroud for the ineffective Theo Walcott in the 63rd minute, but two minutes later United extended their lead.
Rashford rolled the ball into the path of Herrera, whose first-time curler from outside the box was deflected past Cech by the flying Laurent Koscielny.
Ozil gave Arsenal hope with 21 minutes left, following in to volley home after De Gea had parried from Welbeck.
LONDON: Teenage sensation Marcus Rashford took his tally to four goals in two games as Manchester United compromised Arsenal's Premier League title bid with a rousing 3-2 victory on Sunday.
But the hosts held firm and Van Gaal had the home fans roaring in their seats as he mimicked a dive to fourth official Mike Dean on the touchline in protest at what he felt was a piece of simulation by an Arsenal player.
United are now three points below fourth-place Manchester City, who were due to face Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley later in the day.
Tottenham, who began the day level on points with Arsenal, fell behind in the 19th minute at home to Swansea when Alberto Paloschi seized on Angel Rangel's deflected shot to score.
But Nacer Chadli turned in Kyle Walker's cross to equalise in the 70th minute and Danny Rose completed the comeback seven minutes later when he drilled home from distance following a corner.
Teenage forward Marcus Rashford's dream start to life at Manchester United continued on Sunday as he scored two goals in his team's 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford.
MANCHESTER: Teenage forward Marcus Rashford's dream start to life at Manchester United continued on Sunday (Feb 28) as he scored two goals in his team's 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The win represented Louis van Gaal's third victory, in three competitions, over the past six days, but more signficantly, damaged Arsene Wenger's hopes of winning Arsenal's first league title in 12 years.
The 18-year-old forward, who scored twice in the mid-week Europa League victory over FC Midtjylland, was on the mark again in an astonishing first half in which he beat Petr Cech on two occasions.
To make his impact all the more stunning, the goals came within three minutes of each other as United delivered a serious blow to Wenger's aim of narrowing the five-point advantage that leaders Leicester City held before kick-off.
After 29 minutes, Ander Herrera started a move with a telling tackle on Theo Walcott, sparking a counter-attack that ended with Guillermo Varela crossing from the right and Gabriel hacking a poor clearance directly to Rashford.
The teenager did the rest with a composed finish from a dozen yards, the first shot of his Premier League career resulting in his first goal.
Arsenal's poor defending was badly exposed in that attack and worse was to follow from the next serious foray into their territory with Varela again influential, making an important header that kept the ball in play.
Jesse Lingard received the ball and picked out Rashford, who had again slipped his marker Gabriel, and the youngster planted a perfect header past the diving Cech.
Wenger looked stunned on the Arsenal bench, a mood reflected by his players, although his side were able to pull an important goal back before the interval, predictably through the former United striker Danny Welbeck.
Mesut Ozil was the architect with an inch-perfect free-kick from midway inside the United half and Welbeck, who eluded his marker Marcos Rojo too easily, guided a header past David de Gea from 10 yards.
HERRERA ON TARGET
The goals were the highlight of a thrilling first half in which Nacho Monreal should have given the visitors the lead after just seven minutes when he chased Ozil's through-ball into the area and was denied well by De Gea.
Rashford won a free-kick inches outside the area after a trip by Gabriel, with Memphis Depay's low set-piece being well held by Cech, while Alexis Sanchez replied for Arsenal with a snapshot that flew narrowly wide.
The entertainment continued after the restart as United sought to continue a remarkable run of close to 250 Premier League home games in which they have led at half-time and not lost.
Morgan Schneiderlin saw a shot blocked from a home corner and Cech needed two attempts to keep out Depay's long-range shot as Arsenal toiled, prompting Wenger to bring on Olivier Giroud just after the hour in place of the ineffective Walcott.
But the next attack brought United a precious third goal, in the 65th minute, with Rashford again involved as he held up Juan Mata's through ball before laying it back to Herrera just outside the area.
The Spanish midfielder's crisp shot might have been saved by Cech, but a strong deflection off Laurent Koscielny gave the diving Arsenal goalkeeper no chance.
Again, Arsenal responded, from Sanchez's right-wing cross on 69 minutes, which found Welbeck on the six-yard line for a shot that was blocked by De Gea.
The rebound fell kindly for Ozil, who showed predictably superb technique in keeping a bouncing ball down and driving it past the diving De Gea from 15 yards.
Herrera and Aaron Ramsey were cautioned for a scuffle as tempers became frayed and Van Gaal argued with the fourth official, throwing himself to the ground theatrically to make a point. But apart from half-chances for Giroud and Kolscielny, both of whom missed with headers, there was little further goalmouth action.
Manager Arsene Wenger fears Alexis Sanchez is playing down a hamstring injury that he suffered in Arsenal's draw at Norwich City.
The Christmas period is one of the most hectic parts of the English season, and Arsenal have nine of their best players in the infirmary.
Meanwhile, Koscielny was still in obvious pain as the squad departed Carrow Road to head to the airport as Wenger, who also lost Kieran Gibbs to a calf problem before the game, gave a negative prognosis on Cazorla's knock. I am glad you (the media) are anxious for us.
"How bad it is I do not know, we will have to see in the morning".
Forward, Alexis Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny were forced off the game following an injury, with Santi Cazorla also taking a blow to his knee. He barely managed to get any rest after that, when he was thrown into the mix of the domestic season, playing nearly every game in the Premier League and in the Champions League.
"After the game Wenger said he had a slight issue with Olivier Giroud and Hector Bellerin but Sanchez is the most important player of the three and should have been brought off when the game was dead".
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry is among those to have questioned Wenger's choice to not reduce the workload placed upon arguably the club's most influential player, yet his fellow Frenchman insists that the media do not dictate team selection in such circumstances. Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck, Tomas Rosicky, Theo Walcott, Francis Coquelin and Mikel Arteta are now on the treatment table.
"We played against a Norwich side that was at the top level physically and focused".
"We have three injuries", Wenger told Sky Sports. He featured throughout Arsenal's win over Dinamo Zagreb in midweek, even though the Gunners were comfortably 3-0 in front with 20 minutes to go.
Norwich caused a few problems with some early set-pieces and Ozil should have opened the scoring for Arsenal when he was picked out in the box by Nacho Monreal.
"But I think you nearly don't have to ask him anything if you want to rest him".
The Spanish striker did not look a happy soul when, late on, he realised he was not going to be brought on as a substitute and, turning his back on the bench, tossed his warm-up bib behind him in disgust.
Arsenal have an unwelcome task this weekend. Awaiting them at the King Power Stadium for their Premier League fixture against Leicester City is a man who is the joint top scorer in the league with five goals and shares the lead in assists with three. Riyad Mahrez might just be the most in-form player in England right now.
But the man designated to subdue the winger, for whom the cliched adjective 'flying' actually seems appropriate, will give Arsenal reassurance. This was not always the case with full-back Nacho Monreal.
Monreal has quietly become one of Arsenal's most dependable performers. It is quite a rise for a player who was parachuted into the squad on transfer deadline day in January 2013, when it finally became apparent to Arsene Wenger, as it had been to everyone else for quite some time, that Andre Santos had degenerated into the kind of liability Arsenal could not afford to have.
Initially vying with Kieran Gibbs for a starting role, for long periods unsuccessfully, Monreal has established his supremacy over the youth team product this season. Gibbs has played only seven minutes in the Premier League all season -- and that was when he was introduced as an additional safeguard when Arsenal were protecting a 2-1 lead against Crystal Palace.
Once touted as a possible first choice for England, Gibbs has been reduced to the role of a backup club player, fit for Champions League matches against Dinamo Zagreb and a Carling Cup outing against Tottenham but not the more serious business of Premier League matches. His persistent injury problems take some responsibility for this demotion, but so too does the ultra-consistent form of his rival.
Monreal's steady and unspectacular brand of full-back play is unlikely to quicken the heartbeat. If you are looking for positions to upgrade, you'd settle on his fairly quickly, but his reliability has nevertheless been a feature of Arsenal's season to date.
Nacho Monreal has made 61 league appearances for Arsenal and has won two FA Cups with the side.
The Spaniard is never going to give the attacking thrust of Ashley Cole, whose link-up play with Thierry Henry and Robert Pires gave Arsenal the most intuitive and dangerous of left flanks, or even the lung-busting runs of Gael Clichy.
Claudio Ranieri, Saturday's opposing manager, has firsthand knowledge of a time when Arsenal possessed the Premier League's best left-back options, as the Italian is the only manager currently operating in the top flight to have been presented with the challenge of facing Arsenal's Invincibles in 2003-04. This week he spoke of the quality of that famous team that he faced while with Chelsea, notably the defence, in which both Cole and Clichy played a part, the two left-backs both making enough appearances to earn winner's medals.
"When I was at Chelsea, they were the Invincibles," Ranieri said. "That was an unbelievable achievement, so it is surprising they have not won the league since.
"I don't know why Arsenal have had to wait so long, because Arsene Wenger is a good manager, and he brings in good players, but maybe it is not so easy to replace players such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Fredrik Ljungberg and all the defenders."
Monreal does not have the same star quality and most likely never will. He is a solid 7 out of 10 rating in his matches, but that is no bad thing in a team that vacillates between the sublime and ridiculous, often multiple times in the same match. There is something to be said for reliability. He is Arsenal's Volvo. And you can't go far wrong with a Volvo.
It took two years to get to the point at which he was regarded as the first choice. As he explained recently, English football took some getting used to.
"The fans like seeing box-to-box play and lots of direct runs, so I think on a physical level I've improved because you have to get used to English football,"he said. "I've certainly got better in that regard."
His progress over the past year is undeniable, and now there is talk that Arsenal are keen to secure Monreal's future with an extended deal at the same time they go about tying down the £42 million, club-record signing Mesut Ozil. It is recognition of Monreal's new elevated status in the squad and a move designed to quell reports linking him with Athletic Bilbao.
If he can do what many Premier League left-backs have tried and failed to so far this season and keep Mahrez quiet on Saturday, it will only further establish his very quiet ascent to essentiality at Arsenal.
Following his blazing start to the season, Chilean International Alexis Sanchez is in line to become Arsenal’s highest paid player.
This comes on the heels of reports that the London club are preparing talks with the forward over a new deal.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Sanchez arrived at the Emirates just last year, signing a four-year deal worth a reported £130,000-a-week and plans are currently on-going to ensure an increase on those terms.
READ ALSO:FT: Man Utd 3 – 0 Sunderland, Leicester 2 – 5 Arsenal
If concluded, German International Mesut Ozil – who’s on £140,000-a-week – currently will lose his status as the club’s top earner.
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
The German World Cup winner is, however, also in line for a pay rise, while left-back Nacho Monreal is believed to have already agreed a new three-year deal.
Sanchez, 26, has scored six goals and assisted three so far this term and Arsenal are looking to reward his form with a new and improved deal.
He was signed in July 2014 for a fee reported to be around £35 million, making him the second-most expensive signing in the club’s history after Ozil.
ARSENAL are set to offer new contracts to Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Nacho Monreal.
The Gunners are preparing to make Sanchez their highest-paid player after a scintillating first 15 months at the Emirates Stadium, according to the Daily Mail.
The Chilean currently earns in the region of £130,000-a-week but his new terms are expected to see him surpass Mesut Ozil's wage packet of £140,000-a-week.
Sanchez scored 25 goals in all competitions last season following his arrival from Barcelona while he has scored six goals in his last three games for the club.
** STARSPORT LOOKS AT ARSENAL'S TOP 20 SIGNINGS OF ALL TIME **
BIG MONEY OFFER: Alexis Sanchez could become Arsenal's best paid player
END SPECULATION: Ozil will also be offered a new deal amid interest from Fenerbahce
World Cup winner Ozil is also in line for a contract extension which could see his terms improved.
The German has been linked with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahce at the end of the season but Arsene Wenger is determined to hold on to the midfielder.
Both Sanchez and Ozil's contracts expire in 2018 and Arsenal do not want them entering the final two years of their deals.
DEAL AGREED: Monreal is reported to have already agreed a new three-year contract
Meanwhile the Mail also claim that left-back Monreal has already agreed a new three-year deal to extend his stay in North London.
The Spain international joined the club in 2013 from Malaga but had been linked with a return to his homeland with Athletic Bilbao interested in signing him.
Monreal has established himself as Wenger's first choice left-back ahead of Kieran Gibbs and he now appears to have ended speculation over his future with the new deal.
Arsenal currently lie second in the Premier League after beating Manchester United 3-0 before the international break and face Watford on Saturday.
Nacho Monreal has lavished praise on Arsenal teammate Alexis Sanchez as his resurgence continued in Sunday's 3-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates.
Two goals from the Chilean, either side of Mesut Ozil's second, saw them romp into a healthy lead inside 20 minutes yesterday in a win that put them second in the Premier League table.
Sanchez brought his total for the season to six, with the previous four coming in the last eight days following a sluggish start from the Gunners' Player of the Year last term.
"Last year he showed what an important player he is for the team," the Spanish left-back told the club's official website. "He scored 25 goals in all competitions and this season he has started really well.
"In the first games, he couldn't score goals but now he's scoring goals. We need Alexis to score more goals and we are happy for him because he's a really important player for us.
"When he's fit, the level of the team is higher, so we are really happy."
Arsene Wenger's men sit two points behind Manchester City heading into the second international break
NACHO MONREAL has reportedly agreed a new three-year contract with Arsenal.
It emerged last month that Gunners chiefs were in talks with the 29-year-old and the Daily Mailclaim a deal has been struck.
Spanish side Athletic Bilbao were linked with left-back Monreal in the summer but a move failed to materialise.
Bilbao made their interest in the Spaniard known but Arsene Wenger refused to sell.
Monreal joined Arsenal from Malaga in 2013 for £8.5m.
He initially struggled for first-team action with Kieran Gibbs being the preferred option but has gradually established himself at the Emirates and has not missed a minute in the league this season.
His current contract expires in 2017 so the new deal will keep him in north London for a further season.
Mikel Arteta's future is less clear with his deal expiring at the end of the campaign.
A decision on whether to offer him fresh terms will be made later in the season.
