Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has revealed that the intense protests and backlash over the summer signing of Noni Madueke from Chelsea sparked a fierce determination in the 23-year-old. Having only just returned from an extended injury layoff, Madueke is beginning to win over the Arsenal faithful, with Arteta admitting he made it his personal mission to support the winger through the challenging period.

Arsenal supporters disapproved Madueke's transfer from Chelsea

Arsenal had a blockbuster summer transfer window, signing the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapie. However, one particular signing received severe backlash from a large section of Arsenal fans online. 

In July, reports surfaced that Arsenal – who were also linked to Real Madrid star Rodrygo – were interested in signing Madueke from their London rivals Chelsea. The news didn't go down well with Gooners, who voiced their disapproval of the move. A fierce campaign was launched on X (formerly Twitter), with the hashtag "#NoToMadueke" quickly trending. In fact, a petition to protest against the signing of the ex-PSV Eindhoven winger was signed over 4,000 times, too.

Eventually, Madueke switched the Stamford Bridge for the Emirates Stadium in a £52 million (€60m/$70m) move. He made a good first impression in his first couple of appearances for Arsenal, but his momentum was halted after suffering a knee injury against Manchester City in September. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportArteta's determination to help Madueke

The cruel social media campaign against Madueke saw several former Premier League stars leap to the player's defence. Anders Limpar, a part of Arsenal's title-winning squad of 1990-91, posted a lengthy message on X in the aftermath of the backlash directed towards Madueke, claiming that it was "sad when fans are making a player's life difficult."

Rio Ferdinand, one of Premier League's all-time greats, echoed the sentiments of Limpar, labelling the section of the Arsenal fan base as an "utter disgrace" for their "vulgar behaviour" on social media.

On Friday, Arteta addressed the hate Madueke was subjected to ahead of his move and claimed that he used the reaction of the fans to fuel his own desire to win them over.

"If anything, it gave me more conviction and more will to help him and do everything we possibly could to make this relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way," he told reporters.

"I think that [campaign] lasted a short period of time and immediately we had the complete opposite reaction which I think he valued, respected and it was like fuel to him. It did not affect him."

Madueke not worried about criticism from Arsenal fans

Madueke spent nine weeks on the sidelines following his untimely injury against City two months ago. He marked his return to the pitch after coming on as a 78th minute substitute in the 4-1 win in the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. 

This week, he reflected on the strong wave of criticism that came his way ahead of his move to Arsenal. The 23-year-old explained that he doesn't pay attention to external noise, but admitted that he was buoyed by the reception he received from the Arsenal faithful inside the Emirates Stadium last weekend.

"You are in the public eye, people can say whatever they want about you," he said. "But being in the stadium, and how the fans have taken to me in the stadium, is unbelievable. I am not really worried about all of that. It is in the distant past. The last game versus Tottenham was incredible and that gives me such a boost. I play on the side of the pitch, I can feel [the fans], I can hear them. When they are that positive about me it gives me a massive boost. Honestly, I am made up about it."

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Getty Images SportMadueke in line for a start against ex-employers Chelsea

Arsenal will visit the Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon to take on Enzo Maresca's high-flying Chelsea team. The Blues are currently second on the Premier League table, six points adrift of Arteta's troops. It promises to be a mouth-watering encounter, given what's at stake. 

After scoring his first Arsenal goal in the 3-1 defeat of Bayern Munich earlier this week, Madueke could be in line for a start against his former side, with Arteta sweating over the fitness of Leandro Trossard after he limped off the field against Bayern. 

Asked if any love will be lost between him and the Chelsea fans when he returns to the Stamford Bridge, Madueke said: "It might be a little bit hostile, it might not be, but I am a professional footballer. I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don't know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task."

Manny Machado was not happy with Mike Estabrook and we have the video footage to prove it.

During Monday night's extra innings battle between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado was rung up on an awful call in a key spot. He turned to argue and, lucky for us, Estabrook was wearing a camera, so the whole thing was filmed.

The Dodgers led the Padres 8-6 in the bottom of the 10th inning. Luis Arraez was on second base as Machado led off the frame. He worked a 3-2 count on L.A. closer Tanner Scott, then took a slider that clearly missed the plate outside. As he began to walk toward first base, Estabrook called it a strike. Machado was incensed.

Video is below.

We need more of that camera angle.

Machado had a legitimate gripe, and Estabrook deserved to get chewed out. The fact that he didn't eject the Padres' third baseman leads me to believe he knew he made a bad call. Usually anyone arguing balls and strikes is immediately tossed, but Estabrook allowed Machado to have his say.

It turned out to be a big moment. Machado should have walked, which would have given San Diego runners on first and second with no one out. Jackson Merrill doubled in the next at-bat, scoring Arraez. It's possible Machado would have scored as well, or at least been at third base with no one out.

The Boston Red Sox hope Marcelo Mayer will be part of the team's future core for a long time and fans got their first glimpse of the young prospect at the big-league level over the last week. Mayer was called up after Alex Bregman hit the IL with a quad injury and made his debut on May 24. He has looked every bit the part of a 22-year-old call-up, with flashes of greatness mixed in during a clear adjustment period.

However, the Red Sox had not formally welcomed Mayer to the club in the way tradition demands. On Saturday, it was revealed manager Alex Cora had a classy reason for that.

Speaking to media after Boston beat the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, Cora told reporters the team was "finally" able to celebrate Mayer's call-up, which he had pushed back because he wanted it to come after a win. Unfortunately for Mayer, the Red Sox lost five straight games after his call-up, so it took a while.

As noted by MassLive's Chris Cotillo, the franchise celebrates MLB debuts with postgame speeches and a beer shower. Mayer didn't get to enjoy that until a full week after his call-up.

"Finally, we were able to celebrate him," Cora said, per Cotillo. "He was 0-and-5. We usually celebrate right away but he’s a big leaguer, he’s a big leaguer of what we’re trying to accomplish and we’re very happy that finally, he was able to celebrate today."

Cora also touched on why it was so important to have that sort of recognition.

"We let him know nobody can take this away from him," the manager explained. "He’s a big leaguer. Regardless of what happens. Obviously, we’re not gonna send him down tomorrow but if he got sent down tomorrow and he doesn’t play in the big leagues the rest of his career, he’s a big leaguer. We appreciate that and we take that very seriously."

Mayer is surely glad to help earn his first win in the majors and is now, officially, a member of the club.

Chelsea are in conversation with the representatives of a defender as midfielder Moises Caicedo offers his opinion on the potential transfer, according to a new report.

Chelsea play Bournemouth after Leeds United blow

Chelsea travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon desperately seeking a response to their shock midweek defeat at Leeds, with Enzo Maresca’s title credentials under scrutiny after a damaging loss that left them nine points adrift of Arsenal.

The Blues suffered a humiliating 3-1 loss at Elland Road on Wednesday, falling two goals behind by halftime before Pedro Neto’s second-half strike proved insufficient.

The defeat represented their second loss to newly-promoted opposition this season, raising fresh doubts about their ability to maintain consistency and challenge Mikel Arteta for the Premier League.

Bournemouth present a challenge despite their own recent struggles.

The Cherries have endured a miserable November without a single victory, collecting just one point from four games while conceding 12 goals.

Tuesday’s narrow 1-0 home defeat to Everton extended their winless streak to five matches and marked their first loss at the Vitality Stadium all campaign.

Andoni Iraola’s side have plummeted from second to 14th during this barren spell, though they remain only five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with significant room for optimism.

The hosts have collected 14 of their 19 Premier League points on home soil this season, establishing the Vitality as a fortress until Everton’s breakthrough.

Chelsea arrive as clear favourites based on superior stats and historical dominance, having won 15 of 23 meetings between the two clubs.

However, the visitors face selection headaches, with Caicedo still serving his suspension after picking up five yellow cards.

The Ecuadorian’s absence is a significant blow given his pivotal role protecting the defence, and Caicedo’s presence was sorely missed against Leeds.

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Chelsea boast the division’s best away attacking record with 15 goals in seven games, averaging over two goals per match. Yet, their vulnerability without Caicedo was exposed ruthlessly by Leeds, with the midfield lacking its usual protection.

While the £150,000-per-week star continues to sit out, he’s at least making himself useful in other ways.

Chelsea hold talks with Joel Ordonez as Moises Caicedo offers opinion

That is according to TEAMtalk and journalist Graeme Bailey, who report on Chelsea’s serious interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez.

Chelsea have renewed contact with Ordonez’s representatives in recent weeks as they intensify their pursuit of the 21-year-old, with Caicedo also offering behind-the-scenes ‘thoughts’ about his former Independiente del Valle teammate.

The west Londoners are said to have tracked him since before his 2023 move to Belgium, maintaining long-standing interest in the player.

Caicedo and Ordonez developed their friendship during their time together at Independiente’s famed South American academy, and have remained close through international duty.

The Chelsea midfielder now appears to be playing agent, giving his verdict on Ordonez to the club’s hierarchy.

Liverpool represent significant competition for Ordonez’s signature, though.

Arne Slot’s side have monitored him closely over the past year as they desperately seek solutions to their defensive crisis. The Reds initially prioritised Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but understand he will not depart Selhurst Park during January, forcing them to explore alternative options.

Crucially, both Club Brugge and Ordonez himself are open to a winter transfer, with England emerging as the most likely destination.

Fresh discussions between the player’s camp and Chelsea have taken place recently, building on months of established communication channels, but Man City and Tottenham are also keen.

City and Spurs have shown admiration for Ordonez, closely assessing him in recent weeks as they evaluate their own defensive requirements.

However, Chelsea and Liverpool currently lead the race after laying more groundwork, and perhaps Caicedo’s presence could prove key here in the race for Ordonez’s signature.

Everton are now reportedly keeping close tabs on a Premier League gem who’s been compared to Aston Villa’s Jadon Sancho.

Everton ready to pounce in Zirkzee race

Everton’s January transfer window may well centre around Premier League talent. The Toffees already enjoyed great success in the summer when they welcomed out-of-favour stars Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Now, The Friedkin Group could look to repeat that act of genius.

Despite the fact that Thierno Barry finally scored his first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest last time out, it seems as though those in Merseyside still intend to target an attacking reinforcement.

Reports have even gone as far as to claim that they’re ready to pounce in the race to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United in January. The forward has fallen down the pecking order since the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but could have his season saved by the Toffees.

Zirkzee may have struggled at Old Trafford, but Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall are living proof that a move to Merseyside can quickly revive a career.

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Even if Barry now kicks on, David Moyes could do with that extra attacking addition, given that Beto is yet to show signs that he’ll become a viable goalscoring option for Everton.

That’s not to say Zirkzee is their only target, however. Alongside the Man United forward, the Toffees have also reportedly set their sights on signing Chelsea’s young, versatile winger, Tyrique George.

Like Zirkzee, the youngster has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge and is now looking to leave Chelsea when the winter window swings open in less than a month.

Everton keeping close tabs on Tyrique George

According to TeamTalk, Everton are now eyeing a move to sign George and have joined Leeds United in the early race to secure the 19-year-old’s signature.

Compared to Sancho by Italian media, George wouldn’t be the first struggling Chelsea star to find life at Everton. His former teammate, Dewsbury-Hall has undeniably thrived since arriving in Merseyside.

Ultimately, fresh faces have forced George down the pecking order in West London, but Enzo Maresca was certainly impressed by the teenager last season.

The Chelsea boss told reporters after George’s display against Man United in May: “Very good. Very good. Brave. He was a threat in behind. Not easy for him because on the other side you have Maguire, you have Lindelof, you have Shaw.

“He was fighting against important defenders. But again, we tried to find a solution with a player from the academy. Overall I think also he had the penalty moment, so he works quite good.”

Whether it’s Everton or Leeds, both would benefit from George’s arrival in the January transfer window and the striker himself desperately needs senior minutes if he is to kick on.

Martin O’Neill’s time in charge of Celtic couldn’t have gone much better really.

The legendary manager saw his beat their Old Firm rivals, reach a cup final and draw level with Hearts at the top of the SPFL table.

It took the Hoops a while to find their new manager but they finally have their man in the form of Wilfried Nancy who arrives following a stint in MLS.

That said, for those at Parkhead, chiefly Liam Scales, he’s not had much time to think about what could be in store under the new boss.

Scales preparing for new era at Celtic

Republic of Ireland international Scales was asked after the 1-0 victory over Dundee on Wednesday evening whether he had been doing his research on the 48-year-old Nancy.

“No, I haven’t had time,” the defender said. “It’s been so busy. Obviously we know bits and pieces but we can’t get ahead of ourselves. We need to focus on the games that we have and now is the time where we’re going to have to really focus on the tactical changes and whatever he wants us to do.

“It’s hard to do homework on someone you’ve never met because you don’t want to create a false idea of them. It’s better just to wait and really learn from them in person.”

Nancy arrives ahead of a crucial run of games. Celtic will go top of the Premiership if they beat Hearts on Sunday before facing St Mirren in the League Cup final a week later.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than the week he has come in. It’s probably ideal. You want to come in and be part of massive games and he has a chance to win a trophy early on.

“If you come in and do well over the next three games, it’s the best way you can start a job. We’ll be doing our best to make that happen for him because we want to be successful as a team.”

Scales could be set for new role under Nancy

Scales was in excellent form under O’Neill, notably hailed as Celtic’s “player of the year” by some. Evidently, he thoroughly enjoyed his time with the interim manager in the dugout.

The defender said of O’Neill: “He’s been really good. It’s been a positive four weeks or five weeks. We’ve won a lot of games. We’ve obviously won a cup semi-final and won an away game in Europe as well. They were big wins. It’s just been really enjoyable and positive.

“In the game now, the defenders are on the ball a lot and you need to link play. But to go back to basics and just be told that you need to win your headers, you need to win your duels, I’ll keep that with me.”

Whether the centre-back continues his form remains to be seen. After all, Scales could be set for a modified role given Nancy’s preference for a back three. “I’ve played in back threes, I’ve played in back fives, I’ve played in back fours. I just want to be in the team. That’s all I care about.”

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Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has had his say on Tottenham and their managerial situation this week amid the pressure on Thomas Frank.

Tottenham urged to replace Frank after underwhelming start

Frank’s troubled tenure at Tottenham received a dramatic lifeline on Tuesday night as captain Cristian Romero’s shinned overhead kick in added time salvaged a 2-2 draw at Newcastle, ending a run of three consecutive defeats across all competitions.

The Argentine defender twice hauled Spurs back from behind at St James’ Park, first with a lovely diving header at the near post on 78 minutes before his bicycle kick rescued a point that looked unlikely when Anthony Gordon buried a controversial penalty just four minutes from full-time.

Despite the heroics, last night’s result does little to ease the mounting pressure on Frank, with certain sections of supporters still urging the board to make a change.

Tottenham remain 11th in the Premier League table with 19 points, having failed to win any of their last five matches across all competitions, and their performance in the North East wasn’t exactly convincing.

Their creativity problems persisted, with Spurs having just two shots on target that turned out to be both of Romero’s goals.

Reports suggest that the Lewis family, who recently pumped £100 million of capital into the club via ENIC shareholdings, are prepared to back Frank with new attackers in January to solve this glaring issue.

Tottenham are believed to be eyeing a move for Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, amid news of his £65 million release clause which will be active in the early stages of January.

Spurs are also ‘intent’ on trying to sign FC Porto sensation Samu Aghehowa, who’s scored 37 goals since the start of last season and has been compared to former Chelsea star Diego Costa.

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However, doubts around Frank’s suitability for the job are ever-present among critics, with ex-Spurs defender Ramon Vega recently claiming that the Dane doesn’t have what it takes to lead the north Londoners.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is believed to be a tactician of interest to Tottenham, but Carragher believes that another Premier League manager would fit in seamlessly.

Jamie Carragher says he's always imagined Marco Silva at Tottenham

Speaking on the latest edition of The Overlap podcast, Carragher suggests that Fulham’s Marco Silva is potentially a match made in heaven.

The Portuguese, who’s out of contract in 2026, has worked wonders on a shoe-string budget after guiding the west Londoners back to Premier League football in 2022.

Fulham even briefly contended for a Champions League place last season, with the Cottagers now six points clear of the drop zone despite spending less than any other English side bar Aston Villa in the summer.

Those who’ve worked with Silva have called him a ‘master’ tactician as well, so you can’t help but wonder if the 48-year-old would do a better job in Frank’s stead.

With little sign of a contract extension, and Silva consistently criticising Fulham’s transfer policy in recent seasons, the door could well open for Spurs here.