From goals galore to amazing comeback: How Arsenal summer sales are faring at their new clubs
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The latest Arsenal win has done little to quieten the debate over the transfer business the club conducted over the summer.
Mikel Arteta’s side beat Nottingham Forest on Sunday to make it 10 wins from 11 matches across all competitions this season.
However, it was a forgettable encounter and Arsenal again looked short of ideas in attack. They failed to score in the first half for the sixth consecutive match in the Premier League and Champions League.
The activity in attack over the summer transfer window continues to fuel discussion. Christos Tzolis was the only signing in that area of the pitch, and yet Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard were all sold.
Here is how Arsenal’s summer departures are faring at their new clubs…
With Raphinha out injured, Jesus has started up front for Barcelona in their last two LaLiga matches.
The Brazilian scored in both of those, including over the weekend when he calmly fired in a volley against Real Betis.
Jesus now has four goals and an assist in seven appearances since joining Barcelona. He already has as many league goals this season as he managed in each of the last two campaigns.
“Playing with these players is very easy,” Jesus said last week.
“They all play very well and always have the ball. That makes it much easier for me, since I am a striker, to have scoring chances, and there I am ready to score goals.”
Top form: Gabriel Jesus has made a brilliant start to his Barcelona careerGettyEthan NwaneriThere was a major scare for Ethan Nwaneri in Borussia Dortmund’s match against Union Berlin on Saturday.
With just 18 seconds on the clock, Nwaneri launched himself into a sliding challenge on Tom Rothe.
The referee blew for a foul and brandished a red card, leaving Nwaneri in disbelief as he put his head in his hands.
However, the official had shown the red card by mistake and quickly corrected the error, instead booking Nwaneri.
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“The foul was right on the borderline,” Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel admitted after the match. “I don’t know whether you need to go into a challenge like that.”
Nwaneri has made seven appearances for Dortmund but he has not played more than 65 minutes in a match. He is also yet to score a goal or provide an assist.
Goals have also not been a problem for Martinelli.
He scored a hat-trick for Al-Hilal before the international break and has continued his form since club football returned.
Martinelli scored the opening goal against Al-Ittihad in his side’s last league match, finishing from close range after making a good run to get on the end of Ollie Watkins’ cross.
For the first time since arriving in Saudi Arabia, Martinelli started a match on the left wing last week, due to Crysencio Summerville being suspended.
That game aside, Martinelli has been used either on the right wing or in central positions alongside Watkins. He has four goals in as many Saudi Pro League appearances.
Picking up where he left off: Gabriel Martinelli has carried on scoring for Al-HilalGettyLeandro TrossardTrossard picked up a tendon injury before the international break, hampering the start to his Besiktas career.
He still joined up with Belgium, but he played in only two of their four matches and was on the pitch for a total of just 18 minutes.
The winger has now recovered and played the full 90 minutes against Kocaelispor and Hoffenheim since returning from international duty.
Trossard has been first-choice on the left wing for Besiktas, who sit fourth in the table before their trip to Trabzonspor on Monday night.
In nine appearances across all competitions, Trossard has a goal and an assist for the Turkish side.
There has been a dramatic turnaround in Hamburg’s form since Fabio Vieira came into the side.
The club have won all three of their Bundesliga matches that Vieira has started, having lost their opening three games of the season. Two of those defeats were by a 5-0 margin.
Vieira has not had any goal involvements since returning to Hamburg but he has impressed in a central role, playing just off the striker.
More than two months after signing, Christian Norgaard has finally made his debut for Everton.
His recovery from a groin injury has taken longer than expected and it was only this weekend that David Moyes had him available.
After such a long wait, it was a cameo to forget for Norgaard. He came on in the 85th minute of Everton’s 2-0 defeat by Chelsea and four minutes later was booked for dragging back Cole Palmer, having been unable to keep up with the counter-attack.
Reported by standard.co.uk.
Read Original Report at standard.co.uk ↗
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