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The Blaugrana secured their first league title since 2019 with a convincing win over their local rivals in the Catalan derby

Robert Lewandowski and Alejandro Balde ran riot as Barcelona clinched a thoroughly-deserved Liga title. This was the Blaugrana at their very best, with the numerous attacking options working seamlessly en route to a 4-2 win over their local rivals.

Balde was at the centre of Barcelona's opener. The left-back darted down the wing before setting up Lewandowski in stride, for the Poland striker's 20th league goal of the season. And after assisting the first, Balde scored the second, latching onto Pedri's chip to the far post with a tidy finish.

Lewandowski was back at it for the third, this time turning in a Raphinha cross to establish an unassailable lead at half-time. The second half, though, wasn't quite as comfortable, despite Jules Kounde adding a fourth for the visitors, and Espanyol enjoyed a period of sustained pressure as they grabbed a much-deserved late pair of goals.

Still, Barcelona have had La Liga wrapped up for some time now, relying on a series of tight games and defensive showings to grind out results. Here, though, it was free-flowing, eye-catching, and delightfully simple for long periods. And with a promising, ever-improving squad, this could be Xavi's football of the future.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the RCDE Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

  Rushed out to deny former team-mate Braithwaite at the end of the first half. Came up with another fine stop in the second. Will be frustrated not to have kept a clean sheet.

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  Got himself on the scoresheet, nodding home Barca's fourth with a glancing header. Didn't exactly impress when moved to centre-back.

  Ronald Araujo (7/10):

  A quieter night than usual, but did everything right, minus an overhit pass or two. The defensive wheels fell off when he was substituted.

  Andreas Christensen (7/10):

  Solid until he was removed with what appeared to be an injury with 15 minutes remaining.

  Alejandro Balde (8/10):

  Set up the first, scored the second. Played high up the pitch and was a nightmare for Espanyol. Solid when switched to right-back, too. Saved his best showing of the season for the game that clinched the title.

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  Midfield

  Pedri (7/10):

  Missed a sitter early, made up for it by assisting Barca's second. Looked tired by the end, but was truly wonderful to watch for long periods.

  Sergio Busquets (7/10):

  Tidy after announcing he will leave the club this week. Will mark the end of his Barca career in the best way possible.

  Frenkie de Jong (8/10):

  Tackled well, kept things ticking in the middle. Picked out Kounde with an outrageous pass for Barcelona's fourth.

  Gavi (7/10):

  Pressed high, moved the ball. Inevitably booked. Not always pretty but he's such an important part of this side.

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  Attack

  Raphinha (6/10):

  A mixed showing. Grabbed an assist but also made the wrong decision on one or two occasions. He will probably lose his spot when Dembele is fully fit.

  Robert Lewandowski (8/10):

  Opened the scoring with a simple tap-in. Added a second just before half-time. Clearly wanted a third, and tried to force things at times, but that's what the best goalscorers have the right to do. Now has 21 goals in La Liga.

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  Subs & Manager

  Jordi Alba (6/10):

  Given 30 minutes and looked off the pace.

  Ousmane Dembele (6/10):

  Perhaps unlucky not to start after being fully fit for three weeks. Some good moments, but he's lacking a bit of sharpness in the final third.

  Marcos Alonso (5/10):

  Centre-back cover for the injured Christensen. Made a poor decision or two.

  Ansu Fati (N/A):

  Hardly touched the ball.

  Franck Kessie (N/A):

  Didn't have time to make an impact.

  Xavi (9/10):

  Back to the preferred formation, but didn't hand the now-fit Dembele a start. Still, it worked out. Barca scored two in 20 minutes and ran out 4-2 winners. Even Kounde got on the scoresheet. There was a bit of a defensive wobble, but who cares? League champs, job done, with even more promise for the future.

The Barcelona star was stretchered off in Friday's win over Denmark, so how will Sarina Wiegman opt to fill her incredibly valuable boots?

When England star Keira Walsh awkwardly crumpled to the ground in Sydney on Friday, the concern on her face was instant. Clutching her knee with one hand, she immediately signalled to the bench that her night was over. As the physios ran on the pitch, her words to them were as clear as day: “I’ve done my knee.”

The midfielder had stretched to win the ball but seemed to get her foot stuck in the ground and the result was that she couldn’t walk off the pitch. The stretcher came on and carried off the Lionesses’ most influential player and the game against Denmark fell flat from there, petering out into a 1-0 win for the European champions despite the odd scare.

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England are now facing the possibility of trying to compete for the Women’s World Cup title without Walsh – one of the best footballers on the planet. How on earth do they go about replacing the one irreplaceable player in their squad?

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  England’s most important player

  It’s hard to put into words just how significant a blow this is to England. Already without captain Leah Williamson, Ballon d’Or runner-up Beth Mead and the always-creative Fran Kirby, Walsh’s absence is a huge, huge hit to their hopes of winning the World Cup.

  Ellen White, the Lionesses’ No.9 during last year’s triumphant Euros campaign, outlined as much on the ’s coverage of the match, explaining how “everything came through Keira” in that tournament.

  “There wasn't a Plan B,” she said. “I dreaded to think of the idea of us ever losing her because she was one of our best players. Beth Mead was scoring all the goals but all of our play came through Keira. She was the key cog, everything moved through her. I just don't know who England are going to have now in that No.6, or even potential double six, role.”

  When the quotes were put to Wiegman in her post-match press conference, her response was cagey, though that was understandable given the events that had just unfolded.

  “You’re talking about the Euros. We’re now in a World Cup,” she said, adding that everyone “saw the plan B” after Walsh had gone off in the game, with Georgia Stanway moving back into the deeper role and Laura Coombs coming off the bench to play box-to-box.

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  Weaker immediately

  The impact of losing Walsh was evident immediately on Friday. While England adapted to being without a player who has only missed a single match of Wiegman’s tenure, Denmark worked on exploiting her absence.

  “That could also be a reason why we came back into the game because she was not there,” head coach Lars Sondergaard pondered afterwards, with his team certainly threatening a lot more in the second half.

  “We changed our pressing a little bit immediately afterwards and changed to a 4-3-3 where we didn’t have the focus on the defensive midfielder. Then we decided at half-time we could play with two strikers that could have different roles and go on pressing on Georgia Stanway.

  “We were fortunate that England also got a bit insecure in their passing from behind. In the beginning they made us run a lot and we had to always close down spaces.”

  There was certainly emotion involved as well, with the shock of what happened understandably unsettling the team as they adjusted to new personnel, but it’s clear that England are weaker in midfield without Walsh – and their opponents know it.

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  The plan B

  So, are the in-game tweaks from Friday Wiegman’s official plan B? It’d make sense if they were, simply because the coach is not one to tinker too much and it’d limit the number of changes England would need to make for the third group game against China. She likes the rhythm that comes with a consistent line-up.

  Stanway is an entirely different profile of player to Walsh and the deeper position doesn’t maximise her strengths like the box-to-box role does, but she’s been deployed there a handful of times before and her ability on the ball makes her good at it.

  If Coombs does then pick up Stanway’s usual position, there are differences there, too. The Manchester City midfielder is good at making those late runs into the box and getting herself into scoring positions, but she’s not as creative as her former club-mate.

  There will certainly be more emphasis on Ella Toone to improve her performances in that No.10 role, then, in order to carve out chances for the forwards. The Manchester United star has been nowhere near her best in recent games and it’s really important for players to step up now that England have lost Walsh.

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  Alternatives

  But if Wiegman does opt for more changes, there might be better solutions.

  Man Utd captain Katie Zelem sits in the deeper role for her club every week, for example. She’s a very different player to Walsh but if the coach wanted to keep Stanway in a more advanced position where she can be more of an asset in the attack, Zelem could help.

  There’s also Jordan Nobbs. The Aston Villa star can play in any position in midfield and put in a particularly impressive performance in a holding role for former club Arsenal, against Leicester, towards the beginning of the season just gone.

  Nobbs is great on the ball, she’s confident in demanding it and she has a wonderful eye for a pass that is matched by her execution and range. She could be an option in Walsh’s position or elsewhere in midfield.

  Another thing to factor in is the fact that Stanway received a booking in England’s first game against Haiti. If she picks up another against China, she will miss the Lionesses’ round of 16 game. Had Walsh not picked up her injury, Wiegman might’ve opted to rest the Bayern Munich star for this match. It’s unlikely that will be the case now but it could still be in her thinking.

  "It's about the 23 players we have here and utilising every single one of us on and off the pitch,” winger Chloe Kelly said on Friday. “As we go through the tournament, it was always going to be really important we had the 23 players. It's important we are all ready to play. [If Walsh cannot play against China], it would be an opportunity for someone else.”

  The Man City winger hits the nail on that head with that assessment. The squad and how Wiegman uses it is going to be very significant from here.

Pep Guardiola says it is his “dream” to see Bernardo Silva and Kyle Walker commit to new contracts at Manchester City.

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• Blues have dominated the English game
• Eager to retain services of key men
• Positive extension talks being held

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Portugal and England internationals have been key figures for the Blues during a remarkable run of success at the Etihad Stadium that culminated in a historic treble triumph last season. City are now doing all they can to keep both men in Manchester.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Silva’s deal is due to run until 2025, but he has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, while Walker continues to spark talk of interest from Bayern Munich after entering the final 12 months of his current terms.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Guardiola is hoping to see two extensions thrashed out. When quizzed on reports suggesting that positive discussions have been held with Silva, the Catalan coach said: “It will be my dream, like Kyle Walker. Hopefully it happens. From the deep of my heart, from the bottom of my heart, I wish [it happens].”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Silva, who is now 29 years of age, has been with City since 2017 and has taken in 308 appearances for the club. Walker, who turned 33 at the end of last season, joined the Blues in the same summer as Silva and has figured in 257 games for the club – with both men playing their part in 15 trophy wins across six memorable years.

The Blues looked comfortable for the most part to secure their second league win of the season

Chelsea secured a much-needed and deserved 2-0 win against Fulham thanks to goals from Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja on Monday. Mauricio Pochettino's side netted twice in quick succession in the first half at Craven Cottage to give the home team a mountain to climb as the Blues secured their second Premier League win of the season.

Mudryk will be particularly delighted with his first ever goal for the London team as he chested down a Levi Colwill cross and finished it expertly, but there is some concern over the Ukraine star as he went off with an apparent injury at half-time. Just seconds after that opener, Broja looked comfortable in his first start since his return from injury and capitalised perfectly on Tim Ream's error to get his team's second goal.

Chelsea looked bright from the beginning with their high pressing and quick passing causing problems for Fulham and although the home team looked capable of getting back into the match in the second half, Pochettino's men saw the result out and will hope to build on such a positive performance.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Craven Cottage…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Robert Sanchez (6/10):

  Made an excellent save with his leg after 77 minutes and was in command of his penalty area.

  Marc Cucurella (7/10):

  Full of energy at right-back once again as he got rid of any danger that came his way.

  Axel Disasi (6/10):

  Saw a lot of the ball and did well with his distribution.

  Thiago Silva (7/10):

  Swept up at the back with some clearances and interceptions and reliable on the ball.

  Levi Colwill (8/10):

  Put in a gorgeous cross for Mudryk's opener and dug in with some tackles at the other end.

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  Midfield

  Conor Gallagher (8/10):

  Good passing and movement to help link up the midfield and attack.

  Moises Caicedo (6/10):

  Played a lovely ball to Colwill for the opener and was stable in possession.

  Enzo Fernandez (7/10):

  Dropped deep to receive the ball and build Chelsea attacks and fought hard for the ball.

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  Attack

  Cole Palmer (6/10):

  Pressed hard and sent the ball through for Broja's goal and played in some dangerous crosses.

  Armando Broja (8/10):

  Lucky that Ream kicked it off of him for the second but well placed to capitalise on the error and put in an excellent display.

  Mykhailo Mudryk (8/10):

  Chested down perfectly and put it through the goalkeeper's legs for his first goal. A shame he had to go off at half-time.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ian Maatsen (6/10):

  Looked comfortable after replacing Mudryk at half-time and hit the post at the other end but not as impressive as his display against Brighton last week.

  Raheem Sterling (5/10):

  On for the last 25 minutes and tried to get his chance with some bright runs off the ball.

  Lesley Ugochukwu (5/10):

  Did not get much of a chance to impact the game after coming on for the last 12 minutes.

  Alex Matos (N/A):

  On for his debut, but only saw the final few seconds.

  Noni Madueke (N/A):

  Took the injured Caicedo's place right at the end.

  Mauricio Pochettino (8/10):

  The Argentine had a lot of injuries and suspensions to deal with but fielded a team that looked up for the fight from the beginning and delivered on the promise. Seeing Mudryk and Broja get the goals will come as a huge boost and shows he has the players available to threaten.

Barcelona rising star Lamine Yamal will come up against Sergio Ramos on Friday seven years after he walked him out of the tunnel as a mascot.

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• Yamal was child mascot for 2016 Clasico
• Walked out of tunnel with Sergio Ramos
• Faces defender on field seven years later

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In 2016, the Barca youth academy star escorted the Spain legend onto the Camp Nou field as a mascot when Ramos' Real Madrid faced the Catalan giants in El Clasico.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On Friday, seven years after that chance encounter, Yamal was named in the Barcelona starting XI as they welcomed Sevilla to the Estadio Olimpico, with Ramos lining up in the heart of the visitors defence.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  At 16-years-old, Yamal has emerged as one of world football's most promising talents. He is the youngest player ever to play for the senior teams of Barcelona and Spain and seems to already have a strong hold on a starting spot at the Catalan giants.

  According to reports, he has already signed a new contract that ties him to the Blaugrana until 2026 and will be officially announced on Monday.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Barca hope to preserve their unbeaten start in La Liga as they take on a Sevilla side on a four-game unbeaten run.

David Beckham says there has been “no discussion” regarding a return to Manchester United for him as part of a protracted takeover saga.

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• Red Devils remain up for sale
• Qatari bid forms part of that process
• Club legend linked with return

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Glazer family have had the Premier League giants on the market for 11 months, with offers from interested parties being invited. Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Qatar’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani have led the bidding – with Beckham linked to the latter – but no deal has been done as yet.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Beckham, who is a product of the famed ‘Class of ‘92’ at Old Trafford, can appreciate why a retracing of steps to Manchester in an ambassadorial role is being speculated on. He is, however, already involved with the consortium that calls the shots at Salford City – alongside Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville – and is a co-owner at MLS side Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi now plays his club football.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  With so much on his plate at present, ex-England captain Beckham has told when quizzed on the rumours suggesting that he could soon be back at United: “At the moment there's been no discussion. I have had a long-standing relationship with Qatar because of my involvement with PSG, but there's been no discussion at the moment.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Beckham won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during his time as a player at Old Trafford, but severed ties with United in 2003 when leaving for Real Madrid. He hung up his boots on the books at Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2013.

Lionel Messi has admitted that he "missed" wearing his iconic No. 10 jersey during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, and Zinedine Zidane agreed.

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• Iconic shirt number is Messi's favourite
• Had to wear No. 30 during time at PSG
• Admits he missed wearing his famous shirt

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi became synonymous with the No. 10 shirt, following in the footsteps of Argentina hero Diego Maradona by starring in it for the national team and Barcelona.

  However, when he turned up at PSG, team-mate Neymar had already taken the jersey number, leaving Messi to pick another number.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi opted to take 30 as his shirt number throughout his two years in the French capital. The 36-year-old says he had a special bond to that number as it was the one he wore in his early years in the Barcelona first-team.

  However, former France and Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane admitted that everyone wants to see the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner don the 10 shirt.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  "I don't think today it is as important as it used to be some time ago, but obviously, the number 10 shirt is still special," Messi said in conversation with Zidane for Adidas. "When I was in Paris, I didn't wear the number 10 shirt. Well, I was used to always wearing the number 10 shirt from all those years in Barcelona, in the national team.

  "Although it wasn't a big deal, I kind of missed a little not having 'my number', right? Because I have worn it all my life, but it's ok, then I got used to it. And the number 30 was special for me too. I started playing with the number 30, my first game was with the number 30, so it has something special too."

  Zidane responded: "But it was special just for you. People only want to see Messi wearing the number 10. If I see Messi in the field, I want to see the number 10 on his back."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Messi is back wearing the No. 10 shirt once again since joining Inter Miami in July. He will be sporting it this weekend when the Florida club face New York City in a special match to commemorate the Argentine winning the Ballon d'Or for the eighth time.

Arsenal have been warned not to "obliterate" their salary structure for Kylian Mbappe as signing him wouldn’t win them the Premier League title.

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• Mbappe linked with Arsenal
• Forward could join the Gunners to emulate Thierry Henry's legacy
• Ally McCoist warns against signing the PSG star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mbappe has been the subject of intense transfer speculation as his contract at Paris Saint-Germain nears its expiration in the summer. Although Real Madrid are considered to be the frontrunners for his signature, a recent report has suggested that the 2018 World Cup winner is open to joining Arsenalto follow in the footsteps of Thierry Henry, Arsenal's legendary striker and all-time leading goalscorer.

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• WHAT ALLY MCCOIST SAID

  However, talkSPORT pundit McCoist has issued a cautionary warning against the potential move as his wage demands are rumoured to be close to £30 million per year.

  When asked if Arsenal should match Mbappe's exorbitant wage demands, he said: "No. No chance. Not only would you break it, you’d absolutely have to obliterate it and destroy it and once you do that, you know, it’s happening. There’s knocks on the door, ‘He’s on this, I’m only on a quarter of that, I’ve scored this many goals’, etc etc.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McCoist further dismissed the idea that Mbappe's arrival would instantly propel Arsenal to being Premier League title favourites, suggesting that Manchester City's superior quality would still make them the team to beat.

  “No, I wouldn’t [make Arsenal title favourites], I’d still make City,” he said.

  “Listen I love the guy, I think he’s a tremendous player. I’ll never forget watching that World Cup final hat-trick live, one of the highlights of my football [career]. And it’s one of these situations where I’d probably like to see him move.

  "He’s been there [at PSG] and I’m not sure I’m happy with the power that he’s got there either, remember that story about stakes in the club and he could have a say in this, have a say in that. I think that there’s only one club that he’s got an opportunity to go to, Madrid. I think that’s the only one.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mbappe's potential departure from PSG after six prolific seasons, during which he amassed an impressive tally of 242 goals in 289 appearances, would mark the end of an era for the French club. However, it is understood that Real Madrid's current offer falls short of Mbappe's expectations and the deal is far from being closed.

Inter Miami boss Tata Martino was apparently feeling hungry before training Friday as he told on-site chefs he would "steal some food."

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• Inter Miami starting Friday training session
• Herons boss smells bbq & confronts outdoor chefs
• Jokingly says he would "steal" some food

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following their 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake Wednesday evening, the Herons went back to training this week to prepare for their second match of the season this Sunday. On Friday, though, boss Tata Martino got a bit distracted by the smell of the Inter Miami chefs cooking some barbecue outside the training pitch!

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  The Herons boss commended the chefs for the food, saying "That smells good, I'm going to come and steal something," with the cooks laughing it off with the Argentine.

  Meanwhile, players walked out onto the training ground behind their manager with every single one taking a peek at their meal for the afternoon!

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  The Herons have game two of their MLS campaign Sunday evening, where they will take on the LA Galaxy. They'll look to make it six points through six matches to start the season.

Arsenal ace Martin Odegaard has revealed the tactical tweaks that led to the club's comfortable 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday.

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• Gunners won comfortably at Emirates
• Lost 1-0 to Porto in midweek but bounced back
• Skipper reveals tactical tweaks that inspired win

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After losing 1-0 to Porto in midweek, Odegaard has revealed that a small tactical shift led to the Gunners' thumping win over the beleaguered Magpies on Saturday. The Norway international was positioned in a more attacking position, pressing forward, with Declan Rice and Jorginho sweeping up behind him.

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• WHAT ODEGAARD SAID

  Odegaard told TNT Sports: "We tried to do a lot of the same things, they [Porto] defended well and it was not our best game offensively. Today we were so aggressive, Jorginho and Declan Rice were good at threading between the lines – that was the difference. We want to play in the final third and create things all the time. We have been playing a few different ways and I have been dropping a bit more and Jorginho and Declan have done that today – I played a little higher up."

  He added: "It gave us the extra motivation today [losing to Porto midweek] also what happened against Newcastle last time [1-0 loss at St. James Park] gave us that extra motivation. We just wanted to come here and make a good game and give the fans a good game."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Arsenal's win is a vital one as they attempt to keep pace with the Premier League leaders, Liverpool. The Gunners sit third, two points behind the Reds, who play Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  The Gunners are next in action against bottom club Sheffield United next Monday. They then play Brentford before the second leg of their Champions League clash with Porto.