Pato confirms departure from Tianjin Tianhai

Mikel Arteta remains fully focused on guiding Arsenal to Premier League glory this season amid rumours he is wanted by Real Madrid to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

Arsenal are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the English top flight in pursuit of their first title since the 2003-04 campaign.

Arteta has been widely praised for his work at Emirates Stadium in his third full season in charge, with a report from Spain on Wednesday suggesting Madrid could make a move.

Ancelotti is said to be under pressure as Madrid head coach, despite guiding the club to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.

However, when asked about the speculation ahead of Arsenal s Europa League last-16 first-leg tie with Sporting CP, Arteta said he is giving it lit…

Stuttgart have confirmed the departure of head coach Hannes Wolf after their 2-0 home defeat to Schalke on Saturday.

Although Stuttgart beat Hertha Berlin 1-0 in their first match following the Bundesliga s mid-season break, Wolf s men subsequently suffered back-to-back losses.

And following talks in the aftermath of the Schalke loss, which left the club 15th in the table, Stuttgart announced the end of Wolf s tenure on Sunday.

Sporting director Michael Reschke said: We firmly believe that the danger that the current situation cannot be turned around is too great and that we need a new impulse to get back onto a more successful track.

None of us wanted to be in this situation and we would very much liked to have continued working with Hannes, because h…

Crystal Palace signed Norway striker Alexander Sorloth from Midtjylland for a reported £9million on deadline day.

Sorloth, 22, joins the Premier League club on a four-and-a-half year deal after an impressive campaign in Denmark, where he scored 15 goals and set up nine others in 26 games.

The 12-time Norway international is a handy addition to a Palace side in a relegation scrap after netting just 23 times in 25 league outings.

It s a big club with ambition, a good club who takes good care of its players, Sorloth told Palace TV.

It feels amazing, it s a dream come true to play in the Premier League. I ve dreamt about this since I was six years old.

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC)

Sorloth has scored one international goal …

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has reportedly urged the club to make another move for Bayern Munich star Bastian Schweinsteiger.

According to Sportyou.es, the Portuguese coach requested that Real sign the Germany international just after his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2010, and again last off-season.

The La Liga giants failed to land the player on both occasions and it was their interest in Schweinsteiger which allegedly prompted Munich to offer the midfielder a new contract two years ago. He ultimately ended up committing himself to the Bavarians until 2016.

But Mourinho, who is covering Euro 2012 as a television pundit, remains enamoured with the player who laid on two goals for Mario Gomez in Germany s 2-1 victory over Netherlands on Wednesday.

…

Germany manager Joachim Loew has revealed Bastian Schweinsteiger will be fit to face Greece in their Euro 2012 quarter-final clash on Friday.

There had been doubts over the midfielder s fitness with an ankle injury hampering the Bayern Munich man in recent days.

Bastian Schweinsteiger will play tomorrow, there s no question about it, Loew said at a press conference.

Yesterday and the day before he didn t train as long because he had a slight problem with his ankle. Today he could train quite normally.

Schweinsteiger s availability means he will probably line up alongside Sami Khedira in the heart of midfield and Loew hailed their partnership.

The two central midfielders, Khedira and Schweinsteiger, have played very well. They re very good at…

Ronald Koeman admits he is worried about Barcelona as the cash-strapped, out-of-form, ill-at-ease Camp Nou giants approach the end of a dismal year.

With an interim president in place after Josep Maria Bartomeu walked, the club s finances dealt a shattering blow by the pandemic, and the upcoming January elections perhaps the defining moment that will shape captain Lionel Messi s future, Barca are in a state of dizzying flux.

Koeman could be battling for his job before long too.

Results on the pitch have been far from what Barcelona expected this season, with Koeman s team losing four of their opening 10 LaLiga games.

As the presidential candidates scramble for popularity, retaining the status quo on the playing side of the club might not be the bigges…

Chelsea have announced Fikayo Tomori has signed a new long-term contract, with the young defender committing his future to the club through to 2024.

Tomori is one of the players to have earned the trust of Frank Lampard this season, having shone for the Chelsea boss when on loan at Derby County last season.

The 21-year-old centre-back has started 11 Premier League games and made his England debut in a Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo last month.

Though Chelsea are reportedly set to spend in January having had their transfer ban reduced on appeal, Tomori has been rewarded for his fine form with a new deal.

It s obviously a very proud moment for myself and my family. I ve been at the club since I was seven years old so I don t really know much else othe…

AC Milan full-back Mattia De Sciglio is reportedly a target for Spanish giants Barcelona, according to Sport.

With Douglas Pereira failing to prove his worth and Martin Montoya eager to leave, the Catalans desperately need to sign a long-term successor to Daniel Alves.

Catalan daily newspaper Sport has learned that AC Milan hotshot Mattia De Sciglio is one of the first names on their hit-list.

New Barcelona official Ariedo Braida is well aware of the defender s qualities having spent last few years at San Siro, but it remains to be seen whether the Rossoneri will be interested in selling one of their star players.

De Sciglio, 22, has so far amassed a total of 59 Serie A appearances for the club, with numerous injuries halting his progress.

He has…

Franz Beckenbauer says being away from the problems in Manchester has helped Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The midfielder came on in the second half of Germany s 2-0 friendly win over Hungary on Saturday, his first appearance since Manchester United s 1-0 win away to Manchester City in the Premier League in March.

The 31-year-old has struggled with a knee ligament injury for much of the year, casting doubt over his ability to participate meaningfully at Euro 2016.

But his hopes of being involved were boosted at Veltins-Arena, as Joachim Low s side seek to add the European Championship to their 2014 World Cup triumph.

And Germany great Beckenbauer has welcomed the return to action of the national team captain, while aiming a thinly veiled jibe at…

I handed over the prediction duties to my nineteen year old son last week after a spell of only getting one or two right each week. He stepped in and got three right. A bit better, but hardly staking a claim to take over from me though!

It’s back to me this week and I have a feeling I might just get them all right this time!

Saturday 6th December 2008

Arsenal v Wigan

The hardest team to predict. They play great football. They have great players. They beat Manchester United and Chelsea. They lose to Stoke and Hull. How can anyone truly say they know how Arsenal are going to perform?

Wigan are sitting in mid-table following a couple of home wins. They are a decent outfit and they will try to make things hard for Arsenal by getting lots of…