Arsenal are in talks to sign Sporting’s prolific Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres.
As first revealed by BBC Sport on Thursday, Arsenal have had a clear focus on completing a deal for the 27-year-old in recent days and the club are now advancing in their pursuit of the forward.
Discussions over personal terms for Gyokeres and with the Lisbon club over a transfer fee are accelerating, with Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta leading negotiations.
A deal has not been finalised though, and there remains a degree of caution at Arsenal until agreements are reached.
Gyokeres has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after scoring 97 goals in 102 matches during two seasons in Portugal.
But the movement towards a deal for Gyokeres represents a significant development in Arsenal’s summer transfer business given a new striker was the club’s main priority.
It is expected that Gyokeres, who spent three years as a youngster at Brighton and whose career took off during two seasons at Coventry City, would cost about £70m.
“I want to win trophies on the biggest stages whilst being a person that’s always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.”
Lewis-Skelly was a central midfielder in Arsenal’s academy but has excelled at left-back, with licence to step into midfield, since making his Premier League debut as a substitute against Manchester City in September.
He was dribbled past only once in the Premier League, the best record of any player to have made at least 15 starts.
He also won the most duels (six) per 90 minutes and ranked third for fouls won (3.1).
Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this week.
The 30-year-old has a £5m release clause after adding an extra year to his contract last summer before a successful loan spell at Bournemouth.
The former Spain international will soon join Arsenal to compete with compatriot David Raya for the starting spot.
Arsenal needed a new number two goalkeeper after opting against signing Neto, who spent last season on loan at Emirates Stadium from Bournemouth, on a permanent basis.
Kepa remains the world’s most expensive goalkeeper since joining Chelsea in 2018 for £72m from boyhood club Athletic Bilbao.
He played 163 times for Chelsea, winning four major honours during a mixed seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
He also spent a season on loan at Real Madrid and won La Liga and the Champions League during the 2023-24 season.
Champions Liverpool will host Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season, with Manchester United playing Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Liverpool, who won the league in Arne Slot’s first season in charge, will begin their title defence at Anfield in the curtain-raiser on Friday, 15 August.
Newly promoted Sunderland, back in the top flight for the first time since 2016-17, start their campaign at home against West Ham the following day.
Championship winners Leeds welcome Everton to Elland Road for the Monday night game, while Burnley – promoted back to the top flight at the first time of asking – travel to Europa League holders Tottenham, who will be led by Thomas Frank in a league match for the first time.
ARSENAL are to host all of their women’s top-flight home games at the Emirates next season.
Today the club revealed 11 WSL fixtures will be played at the 60,704-capacity ground during their 2025-26 campaign.
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Arsenal had an average crowd attendance of 34,110 for women’s team’s games at the Emirates last seasonCredit: Getty
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Renee Slegers’ side are set to play 11 Women’s Super League matches at the stadium next termCredit: Getty
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The club also plan to introduce Emirates Stadium season tickets for their women’s team matches at the groundCredit: Getty
They say this follows a 20 per cent rise in crowd numbers last term compared to the previous season with more than 415,000 tickets sold.
However Arsenal also stated these plans will be “subject to scheduling with fixtures for both the Premier League and WSL 2025/26 seasons to be confirmed later this summer.
Last term their average crowd attendance at the stadium was 34,110.
And for the first time the club is set to introduce Emirates Stadium season tickets for women’s team home fixtures at the ground.
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Following their Champions League triumph last month the Emirates will serve as the venue for any knockout games their WSL side competes in should they reach this phase next term.
However Women’s FA Cup and League Cup fixtures will continue to be hosted at Meadow Park home they share with National League men’s side Boreham Wood FC.
And their Women’s Champions League phase games will also take place at the ground which has a 4,500 capacity.
Arsenal managing director Richard Garlick said: “Today’s announcement is another bold step forward.
“It’s an opportunity to create a special home for our team and allow more opportunities for our community, and a new generation of supporters to watch the European champions.
“It’s the start of another chapter in the story of our women’s team just two weeks on from us lifting the Champions League trophy with our community here in Islington.”
“We keep moving forward together, and we’ll continue to fuel and inspire each other.”
Gunners women’s boss Renee Slegers added: “I’m so proud of the journey we’ve been on with our supporters this season.
“From Boreham Wood to the Emirates, on the road to every WSL and European destination we visited, and of course all the way to Lisbon, they’ve shown up.
“We’ve fuelled each other to an historic season for our club.”
“For us, this is just the beginning, and bringing every WSL match to the Emirates is another step for more supporters to be part of this special journey.
“We’ll come back next season, with fire in our hearts, more determined, more ambitious, and more together than ever.”
Today’s announcement comes four months after the women’s team drew a crowd of 56,748 to their 5-0 North London WSL derby defeat of Tottenham at the Emirates.
However this figure is more than 3,300 less than the number that flocked to watch them beat Manchester United and Spurs in February and March last year.
Back then crowds of 60,160 and 60,050 watched the Gunners’ 3-1 and 1-0 defeats of their WSL rivals.
Arsenal’s announcement follows the team finishing as runners up in last term’s title race behind Chelsea who were crowned champions for the fifth time in a row in May.
Their triumph in this year’s decider in Lisbon saw Arsenal win the contest for the second time in the club’s history.
The Gunners remaining the only English side to date win the women’s tournament.
Arsenal women’s football director Claire Wheatley said: “We felt that winning connection all season.
“To share in a Champions League win with our supporters in north London after returning from Lisbon inspired us all to push on.
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Following their Women’s Champions League contest win Arsenal hope to attract bigger crowds to their games next seasonCredit: Alamy
Of the team’s WSL home games being played at the Emirates next term Wheatley added: “Our players and staff know what it means to walk out in front of a packed Emirates Stadium.
“It brings a sense of pride and belonging to all of us.
“It fuels a relentless drive to win and is a crucial part of how we create the best conditions for our women’s team to succeed.”
Arsenal are set to appoint Matteo Tognozzi in a senior recruitment role, according to reports.
Tognozzi has previously worked with Juventus and Granada.
He is set to assist new sporting director Andrea Berta and James Ellis as head of recruitment.
Red Devils flying – with Arsenal fourth
EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United may have had one of their worst seasons — but they topped the league for shirt sales at airports, writes RICHARD MORIARTY.
More fans bought Red Devils jerseys than those from the likes of Man City and Liverpool during the Prem season, figures show.
Arsenal have moved ahead of rivals Tottenham in the race for Leroy Sane, according to reports.
Bild state that the Gunners are in pole position to swoop should the German decide to leave Bayern Munich.
His current deal expires at the end of this month.
The ex-Manchester City man has hired a new agent – but signing a contract extension at the Allianz remains on the cards.
Kud be keen?
Arsenal have reportedly opened talks with West Ham over Mohammed Kudus.
The Ghana winger is expected to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer.
And Football Transfers claim the Gunners want to test the Hammers’ resolve.
Kudus reportedly has an £84m release clause.
Arsenal will not pay that much and instead hope to seal a deal for around £50m.
Bukayo blow
Bukayo Saka missed England’s dire 1-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying.
Saka only trained once with his Three Lions team-mates ahead of the clash in Barcelona amid fitness issues.
The winger picked up a knock on the final day of the season against Southampton and was not risked.
FINDERS KEPAS
Arsenal are on the verge of signing Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, reports claim.
And the Gunners will pay just a £5m release clause to their London rivals, who once made Kepa the world’s most expensive goalkeeper.
Arsenal had made Kepa their top target as they look to recruit a deputy to No 1 goalkeeper David Raya.
But the 30-year-old Spanish stopper, who just enjoyed a solid season as Bournemouth’s first-choice stopper, won’t settle for a No 2 spot under Mikel Arteta.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal are “close” to activating Kepa’s £5m release clause, after he kept nine clean sheets in 31 Prem appearances this term.
Kepa has just 12 months left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, having made 35 appearances at Bournemouth in all competitions.
The Spaniard joined Chelsea for a £71.6m fee from Athletic Club in 2018 and has featured 163 times for the West London side, winning four major honours.
Jor next move
Arsenal confirmed Jorginho’s release yesterday.
But the Italian was not out of work for long.
He has signed a three-year deal with Flamengo.
And the midfielder could face former employers Chelsea in the Club World Cup on June 20.
Credit: X @Flamengo
Tell me Mor
Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers has emerged as a summer transfer target for Arsenal.
According to The Times, the Gunners would have to offer a “significant fee” to prize Rogers away from Villa Park.
The playmaker only joined Villa in 2023 for £15million from Middlesbrough and extended his contract until 2030 last November.
But missing out on the Champions League could see players move away this summer as the Villans are at serious risk from PSR rules, according to research undertaken by The Athletic.
The club have lost £206.2m in the past two seasons, the highest deficit in the Premier League in that time.
Research from the outlet suggests project Villa can only lose £15m in 2024-25 and remain in line with Prem rules.
As a result, they may be forced to listen to offers for a number of stars this summer.
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has been left out of the England squad that will face Andorra in Saturday’s (17:00 BST) World Cup qualifier.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher and Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins have also been left out of the matchday squad, with Watkins returning home with a minor injury,
Speaking on Friday, head coach Thomas Tuchel revealed Saka had only completed one full training session during the week, with his omission from the squad to face Andorra likely to be linked to his fitness.
Saka, 23, is yet to play under Tuchel after missing the German’s first camp through injury.
It remains to be seen whether Saka will play a part in the friendly against Senegal on 10 June, to add to his 43 caps for the Three Lions.
The winger missed three months of action between December and April with a hamstring injury, though he returned for the final two months of the campaign.
It was confirmed on Friday that Watkins would be leaving the group to return to England as a precaution because of a minor injury.
It is unclear at this stage whether Gallagher’s omission is down to a fitness issue.
England are unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, winning both of their opening two matches against Latvia and Albania.
Arsenal defender Gabriel vowed that it’s time to win trophies after penning a new four-year contract.
The Brazilian said: “I arrived here as a young player and after almost five years I’m so happy and I’ve learned a lot.
“I’m so proud of myself, it’s an amazing journey, and I’m so happy to continue it. I hope I win some trophies with this club, because I love this club and my family loves the club, too.
“Arsenal is an amazing club and I’m so proud to sign a new contract. I love this club, I love the supporters, my team-mates, I love this stadium. I’m so proud and thank you for all the support. We continue together for the future.”
Arsenal chase Real star
Rodrygo has emerged as one of Arsenal’s top targets this summer.
The Gunners are aiming to bolster their attack, with the disgruntled Real Madrid ace fitting the bill.
Per Sky Sports, a deal could move forward following the international break.
Isak tipped for Arsenal
Jamie O’Hara has claimed that Arsenal should sign Newcastle star Aleksander Isak over Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko.
He toldGrosvenor Sport: “The obvious position to strengthen for Arsenal is a striker – they need to get one in.
“They need someone big and strong who can get them 20 goals a season. For me, Kai Havertz just isn’t the man for the job.
“Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko are the obvious choices in the striker department for them. However, the trouble with strikers who come over from other leagues is that they fail to hit the ground running – particularly players from the Bundesliga and Liga Portugal. There’s a massive difference between playing there and in the Premier League.
“I think clubs should be buying Premier League proven players who have been doing it week in, week out already. That’s why I think Manchester United have been quite clever by signing Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha – we all know they’re going to work for them.
“With that in mind, if I were Arsenal, I’d go and get Isak. I know it will be hard because Newcastle are in the Champions League, but Arsenal are a bigger club than Newcastle and could definitely tempt him.”
ARSENAL are considering a shock move to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, according to reports.
Kepa, 30, spent this season on loan with Bournemouth, where he kept eight clean sheets in 31 Premier League appearances.
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Arsenal are interested in signing Kepa ArrizabalagaCredit: Getty
The Spanish shot-stopper is surplus to requirements at Chelsea, who signed him for £72million in 2018 – a record fee for a goalkeeper.
But his time with The Blues didn’t go to plan and Kepa has since been on loan with Bournemouth and Real Madrid, last playing for Chelsea in 2023.
It now looks like a permanent exit is on the cards after Sky Sports revealed that Arsenal are interested in signing Kepa to provide backup for David Raya.
Kepa is thought to be available for just £5MILLION thanks to a release clause in his contract that was agreed prior to his loan move to the Cherries last summer.
Should the Gunners convince Kepa to jump ship to North London, they would be securing his services for over 14 TIMES less than Chelsea payed for him at first.
Kepa’s current contract with Chelsea expires in 2026.
Bournemouth keeper Neto spent last season on loan with Arsenal, making just one appearance across the entire campaign.
Arsenal had been linked with a move to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia this summer, but the La Liga gloveman now looks set for a move to Barcelona.
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Kepa spent last season on loan at Real MadridCredit: Getty
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David Raya has won consecutive Golden Glove awards since joining ArsenalCredit: Getty
Mikel Arteta and his team are hoping to add depth in between the sticks, but are thought to still see David Raya as the number one.
Raya has won consecutive Golden Glove awards since his arrival from Brentford, forming the base of the Premier League’s most formidable defence this season.
David Raya reveals Arsenal career changed overnight following two-hour meeting
For Arteta, the main focus will be on bringing in a centre-forward.
Reports have suggested that one of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko or Sporting bagsman Viktor Gyokeres will come through the door at the Emirates in the coming months.
However, both deals are likely to be expensive and neither player is without suitors from other top clubs around Europe too.
It had been recently reported that Arsenal had met Martin Zubimendi’s release clause of £50.5m, and a deal seemed all but confirmed, subject to a medical.
The midfielder revealed in a recent interview with Radio Nacional de Espana, that his future is still undecided.
Zubimendi said: “Of course there are options, but it’s true that it seems like it’s going to be a different, long summer, and I don’t know how it will end.
“I don’t think thinking about it right now is my priority. I’m here with the national team, which I think is already quite demanding, and if I have to say something, then I will.”
Credit: GETTY
Raya: ‘That’s where I hit rock bottom’
David Raya has opened up on the lowest point of his Arsenal career in an honest interview with former England goalkeeper Ben Foster.
Raya, 29, has been one of the Premier League’s top shot-stoppers since his move to North London, winning consecutive Golden Glove awards in between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium.
Even though Arsenal won the game 4-3, thanks to a late Declan Rice header, Raya was left feeling that his performance was the worst of his career – shipping three goals against the newly promoted outfit.
He told Fozcast: “It was a turning point against Luton. That game was one of the worst games I ever played and that’s where I hit rock bottom.
“From there, the only way was up with changing my habits and trying to change my mindset.
“From that game, I said, ‘Listen, this is not me.’ I think there’s been a massive change from there.”
Gyökeres withdraws from Sweden squad
Viktor Gyökeres has withdrawn from the Sweden squad due to a ‘minor injury’
He will therefore miss the friendly matches against Hungary and Algeria.
The rumour mill continues to swirl around Gyökeres, with Arsenal and Atlético Madrid circling.
Mikel Artetahas been warnedArsenalhave already made their first transfer mistake of the summer.
An ex-EFL striker has blasted the Gunners for missing out on Liam Delap, who is joining London rivals Chelsea for £30m.
Adebayo Akinfenwa told talkSPORT: “I don’t understand how Arsenal didn’t snap him up
“I don’t understand how, when you need a striker and you’re looking at the transfer market, £30m is chump change in today’s market.
“So when you’ve got somebody who, you’re talking about potential, they’re talking about being a Harry Kane replacement for England, about a proper No.9.
“As soon as Ipswich got relegated, they should have been in there. I think it’s a no-brainer.
“I think he’s going to do well. I really do. I remember speaking to him when he was on loan at Stoke from Man City, and even back then.
“His whole demeanour, his aura, he was self-assured, confident, good stature.”
NOTTINGHAM FOREST would have earned a Champions League spot at the expense of Newcastle if VAR did not exist.
And the Magpies’ escape from any consequences for their home defeat by Everton is put into even starker content as they would have missed out on European football altogether without the technology.
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Nottingham Forest would have earned a Champions League spot if VAR did not exist
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Newcastle would have missed out on Europe if VAR did not exist
SunSport have analysed all 380 Prem matches this term and worked out how the table would have looked if the original on-field decisions had not been overturned after intervention by the Stockley Park video booth.
Our number crunchers found that Eddie Howe’s men were by far the biggest beneficiaries of VAR changes.
Newcastle had a staggering 13 decisions changed in their favour, with just five reversals hurting them.
That brought a net figure of +8, with Aston Villa and West Ham next in the benefits column with each having four more interventions in their favour than against them.
Our analysis, which assumes every penalty that was initially awarded and then wiped was scored, suggests that without VAR Newcastle would have picked up four fewer points – dropping them to eighth in the table – and conceded seven more goals.
Forest, whose home defeat by Chelsea left them in the Conference League slot, would have finished fifth in our “No VAR” table.
And Bournemouth, ninth in the actual table, would have been preparing for a first continental campaign in the Europa League without the technology changes.
Andoni Iraola’s side had 11 VAR changes against them and just three in their favour, costing the Cherries EIGHT points and seven goals.
The study of the 111 changed decisions cannot determine definitively what would have happened in real life if the initial decisions had not been overturned.
But one of the most contentious calls saw Dango Ouattara’s last-gasp “winner” against Newcastle in August chalked off for a handball PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently conceded was wrongly overturned after the VAR intervention.
Taiwo Awoniyi seen for first time since horror injury as he receives hero’s welcome at Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea
Over the course of the season there were 12 goals and 25 penalties awarded through VAR intervention – with 21 of those spot-kicks converted – compared to 48 goals and 11 penalties disallowed.
Liverpool’s 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the pile would have been reduced to just two without VAR, as the Gunners lost eight points from the six overturns against them – including “winning” goals against Chelsea, Fulham and Aston Villa.
Chelsea and Manchester City swap places, with the Londoners up to third, with Villa down one to take the Conference League slot.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is awaiting sentence for importing cannabis into the UK
As a footballer, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas seemed destined for greatness. But a drug-smuggling conviction has left his career and reputation in tatters. How did things unravel so dramatically for a player once tipped for the top?
Hailed by legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as a footballer who could “play anywhere”, Emmanuel-Thomas was marked out early on as having elite potential.
Imposing, technically gifted and surprisingly agile, the striker appeared to have the world at his feet.
But a career that promised so much at Arsenal faltered and saw him spend years flitting between the second and third tiers of English football.
In 2020 he moved to play in Scotland and was still plying his trade north of the border when, on 18 September, he was arrested at his home in Gourock, near Glasgow.
Sixteen days earlier, Border Force officers had stopped two women at London Stansted Airport and found drugs in their cases.
It was not a minor haul; they were staring at cannabis with a street value of £600,000.
How did it get there? The evidence soon led detectives to Emmanuel-Thomas.
Getty Images
Emmanuel-Thomas (centre) captained Arsenal to FA Youth Cup victory, aged 16. His team-mates included future England star Jack Wilshere (left)
Wind back a decade and a half, and things were very different.
It is 26 May 2009, and Arsenal’s latest batch of academy talents can barely contain their excitement.
The young prospects, including Jack Wilshere and Francis Coquelin, have just won the FA Youth Cup.
One player in particular has stood out: their 16-year-old captain, Emmanuel-Thomas, who has scored in every round of the competition.
“These young men have a very bright future indeed,” remarked one commentator.
But despite going on to make five first-team appearances, it was not quite to be for Emmanuel-Thomas.
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Emmanuel-Thomas, pictured at the back with his tongue out, was caught after a “very thorough investigation” by the NCA
He was shipped out on several loans before leaving the north London club for Ipswich Town.
It was a move that excited supporters in Suffolk, who were keen to see what the former Arsenal starlet could produce.
However, 71 games and eight goals later, Emmanuel-Thomas had not quite made the mark fans hoped for, and he moved to Bristol City in a player exchange deal.
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Emmanuel-Thomas’s spell at Ipswich did not live up to fans’ hopes
Getty Images
The striker was a prolific scorer in his first season at Bristol City
Here, he helped the Robins secure promotion to the Championship and became something of a cult hero, scoring 21 goals in his first season.
A move to Queens Park Rangers followed, with subsequent loan spells at MK Dons and Gillingham.
Getty Images
A spell at MK Dons was another step in Emmanuel-Thomas’s career
But in 2019, Emmanuel-Thomas accepted a transfer to a Thai-based team that would alter the course of his life.
It is believed he was tempted into the country’s drugs underworld while playing for PTT Rayong, a club that folded in the same year.
Despite later moves to an Indian side and several Scottish outfits, including Aberdeen, Emmanuel-Thomas never shook off the criminal connections he made.
By the time he took a six-month contract at Greenock Morton, a 40-minute drive from Glasgow, the game was almost up.
NCA
The drugs were intercepted by Border Force officers at London Stansted Airport in Essex
The women arrested at Stansted were his 33-year-old girlfriend, Yasmin Piotrowska, and her friend Rosie Rowland, 28.
Emmanuel Thomas, by then 33, appeared in court charged with orchestrating the attempted importation of drugs, and was sacked by his club.
Detectives discovered he had duped Ms Piotrowska, from north-west London, and Ms Rowland, from Chelmsford, into travelling to Thailand with the promise of £2,500 in cash and an all-expenses-paid trip.
Their job? To bring home two suitcases each, filled with what they were assured was gold, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
‘I feel sorry for the girls’
They flew business class from Bangkok, landing in Essex via Dubai.
Unknown to them, they were smuggling in cannabis with a street value of £600,000, vacuum-packed inside the four cases.
The pair were stopped and arrested by Border Force officers, before being charged with drug importation offences.
With the pair in custody, and Emmanuel-Thomas later remanded, police probed how the drugs made it to the UK.
They soon found the player was the intermediary between suppliers in Thailand and dealers in the UK, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).
With the footballer’s encouragement, the women had also made a near-identical trip in July, having been made similar promises of cash and a lavish holiday.
On his way to custody, Emmanuel-Thomas even told NCA officers: “I just feel sorry for the girls.”
Elizabeth Cook/PA Media
Emmanuel-Thomas changed his plea to guilty
His first court hearing in September was told he carried out “extensive research” into flights and directions, including which airports the women had been going to.
David Philips, a senior NCA investigator, said “organised criminals like Emmanuel-Thomas” used persuasion and payment to get people to do their dirty work.
“But the risk of getting caught is very high and it simply isn’t worth it,” he added.
During several court appearances, Emmanuel-Thomas, of Cardwell Road, Gourock, strenuously denied attempting to import cannabis.
However, he changed his plea to guilty at the start of May and restrictions on reporting this were lifted on Wednesday.
Charges against both Ms Piotrowska and Ms Rowland were dropped after the prosecution revealed they had been tricked by Emmanuel-Thomas.
It followed what David Josse KC described as a “very thorough investigation”.
Emmanuel-Thomas appeared via video link from HMP Chelmsford at his latest court hearing.
When he returns to court for sentencing, on a date still to be confirmed, it will not be his first time in the spotlight.
But it will be for very different reasons to the day he lifted that trophy aloft in 2009.
Chloe Kelly said she considered taking a break from football before Arsenal “put the smile back on my face” and transformed her difficult season “from a real low to a real high”.
Kelly started Saturday’s Champions League final as the Gunners stunned holders Barcelona to win a first European title in 18 years.
The England international came through the Gunners’ youth ranks between 2010 and 2015 and was given a chance back at the club after struggling for game time with Manchester City, making just one start in the WSL before her deadline day loan move to north London.
She said she “wanted to be happy again” in a social media post and then-City boss Gareth Taylor said it was “really disappointing” how the bitter transfer saga between Kelly and the club came to an end.
“I said I was coming to this club to find happiness with football and I have a medal round my neck,” an emotional Kelly told BBC Sport’s Jo Currie. “Every day that I come into the club I’m smiling. They put the smile back on my face so I will forever be grateful for that.
“I took a step to try and make things better for myself and I’m grateful for the people around me that supported me to take that step. This one is for everyone that helped me do that.”
Kelly has made 13 appearances in all competitions since re-joining Arsenal, scoring twice.
She helped the Gunners secure a second-placed WSL finish and now has Saturday’s triumph in Lisbon to celebrate.
“Definitely up there,” Kelly, who scored England’s winning goal in the Euro 2022 final, added on where the victory ranks. “The journey it has taken to get here, it’s definitely been a battle.
“Now to celebrate this moment with the girls, with Arsenal Football Club but also my family that have been there through the dark days to now, I’m just really grateful.”
On whether taking a break from football was a real option before her January move, Kelly said: “It definitely was. I don’t think people understand at times the emotions that sometimes go through people’s minds.
“It’s hard to explain but we’re here now and we’re at the other side of it. It’s football, sometimes there’s high, there’s lows and there’s bits in between. From a real low to a real high, I am very grateful for Renee Slegers.
“The first thing I said to Renee when we beat Lyon in the semi-final was ‘thank you for this opportunity’.”
Kelly’s contract at City expires in June and her loan move was only until the end of the season.
On whether fans can expect to see her in an Arsenal shirt again next season, she added: “Who knows. I just know I have given my all for the club and the club has given their all for me, so I’m always grateful.”
Arsenal lift the UEFA Women’s Champions League with a 1-0 win that ended Barcelona’s hopes of a three-peat.
Arsenal upset defending champions Barcelona 1-0 to win the Women’s Champions League for a second time.
Stina Blackstenius scored in the 75th minute after being set up by fellow second-half substitute Beth Mead in the final at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Saturday.
Arsenal’s title came 18 years after it became the first, and still the only, English club to win the top club title in women’s football.
Arsenal’s players embraced on the final whistle and ran to celebrate in front of the red-and-white corner of the stands, which were otherwise mostly dressed in burgundy and blue.
“We believed from the moment our Champions League journey started,” Arsenal striker Alessia Russo told broadcaster TNT Sports. “We knew that we had the capabilities. We knew that we could be good enough. It was just about going and doing it. And we’ve done it!”
Arsenal’s Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius shoots and scores her team’s first goal [Carlos Costa/AFP]
Barcelona were considered the heavy favourite. They were aiming for a fourth title in five years and to become the only team other than Lyon to win three consecutive titles. The team led by two-time Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas won nine straight in the competition and blew out Wolfsburg and English champion Chelsea in the knockout rounds.
But Arsenal locked down in defence, except for early in the second half, and created the best chances. Only two superb saves by Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll to deny Frida Maanum and Blackstenius kept it scoreless, until Blackstenius finally beat her.
The victory marks an incredible finish to a rocky season for Arsenal, which included coach Jonas Eidevall resigning and being replaced by assistant Renee Seglers.
Since taking over, Seglers steered the team through a spectacular European campaign. Arsenal built its confidence from come-from-behind wins over Real Madrid and eight-time champion Lyon in the knockout rounds before laying low the almighty Barcelona.
The loss was a huge disappointment for the large group of Barcelona fans who filled the stadium that is home to Sporting Lisbon. Blue-and-burgundy shirts and flags outnumbered the red-and-white section, but their calls of “Yes we can!” in the final minutes were not enough to inspire a comeback by the Catalan club.
The closest Barcelona came to a goal was a shot by Claudia Pina that hit the crossbar just after halftime when the Spanish team had its best period. Otherwise, the game was to Arsenal’s liking.
“We are very sorry for all our fans who have come to support us,” Bonmati told Catalunya Radio in the field before the award ceremony. “We will try to do it again.”
Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati looks dejected after walking past the Champions League trophy [Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters]
Arsenal shook off some early jitters in defence and soon had Barcelona on the back foot. Arsenal’s pressure up the field stopped Barcelona from getting their possession game going, and Arsenal found spaces with long balls down the left flank.
England striker Russo was a rock for Arsenal, using her size to win balls and keep the attack going.
Arsenal thought it went ahead in the 22nd but a video review waived off an own goal by Barcelona’s Irene Paredes when the referee spotted an offside by Frida Maanum. Maanum then went close with a long shot in the 27th that Coll did well to stretch and push over her bar.
Bonmatí was the only Barcelona player who seemed to be in the flow before halftime. Her dribble moves through the middle created a few threats and kept Arsenal on guard in defence. Leah Williamson blocked her best shot deep in the box in the 12th.
Barcelona came out of the restart firing.
Pina hit the woodwork with her chipped shot from a sharp angle in the 49th. Bonmati forced goalie Daphne van Domselaar to get low to parry her shot, and Ona Batlle bombarded the area with three shots from long range.
But Blackstenius set the tone when she had a golden chance when she stole a ball with only Cata to beat, but the goalie got her leg out to block her effort in the 72nd. The Sweden forward would not be denied a second time.
STINA BLACKSTENIUS stunned Barcelona by firing Arsenal to Champions League glory wrecking the Catalan giants hopes of a European three-peat.
The Sweden ace, who has a knack for netting tournament-winning goals, bagged one that saw the Gunners win the contest for the first time in 18 years.
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Arsenal have won the Women’s Champions LeagueCredit: AP
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The Gunners stars posed with their medals after beating Barcelona 1-0Credit: AFP
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Stina Blackstenius scored the winning goal as Arsenal won the Women’s Champions LeagueCredit: AFP
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Arsenal returned to European glory for the first time in almost 20 yearsCredit: AP
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The Gunners were massive underdogs heading into the finalCredit: PA
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Emotional scenes at full-time showed how much it meant to the Arsenal fansCredit: AP
With Arsenal under the cosh the Sweden striker was called into action by boss Renee Slegers, along with Beth Mead in the 69th minute at the home of Sporting Lisbon in Portugal.
The duo did not disappoint with Blackstenius pouncing on Mead’s classy reverse pass to drill low a shot beyond keeper Cata Coll six minutes later.
The striker, who bagged Arsenal’s winner in the Women’s League Cup, was mobbed by her team-mates with Barca’s players looking stunned to go behind.
The Gunners also had a goal chalked off in a tense encounter which they were jeered by a largely partisan crowd of 38,356 onlookers.
Despite the jeers of Barca’s fans, with just 5,000 Gunners supporters present, Slegers capped Arsenal’s renaissance by guiding the team to football’s top club prize.
Respect and belief were the buzzwords around her camp as time drew near to the team’s biggest European game in 18 years.
It was almost two decades ago (2007) that Arsenal claimed a Champions League trophy for the first time.
Gunners legend Ian Wright, watching from the stands, had urged Slegers side to embrace the moment.
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Ian Wright watched on from the standsCredit: PA
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Arsenal chairman Josh Kroenke was seen chatting to Uefa president Aleksander CeferinCredit: PA
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Arsenal legend Alex Scott watched alongside partner Jess GlynnCredit: PA
For periods of the game they certainly did with some of Arsenal’s top brass watch from the stands including co-owner Josh Kroenke and managing director Richard Garlick.
The queens of Spain’s top-flight have pretty much demolished most of their Champions League rivals, lifting the trophy three times in the last four years.
Ever since their first triumph in 2021, with Chelsea thrashed 4-0, they have been a force to be reckoned with.
From the WSL this season, Manchester City were the only side able to lay a glove on Barcelona in Europe, with their tactically smart 2-0 win in the group stage.
WSL champions Chelsea tried and failed to get past them conceding eight times across their two-leg semis tie.
So the odds were very much against Arsenal at the home of Sporting where a large Barcelona contingent roared the holders on.
After some panicky defending in their box early on, Slegers players appeared to settle into the game restricting the holders to just ONE first half shot on target.
The Gunners thought they had taken the lead after Irene Paredes poked home an own-goal but a VAR check found Frida Maanum was offside.
After Claudia Pina had a 58th minute shot blocked and Barca fired some efforts narrowly over the bar.
Arsenal took the lead much to the Catalan giants dismay. And they held out to capture the trophy for the first time in almost 20 years.
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Blackstenius found the bottom corner from inside the area to score the only goalCredit: AFP
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Arsenal put on a defensive masterclass to stop Barcelona from scoringCredit: AFP
Who: Barcelona vs Arsenal What: UEFA Women’s Champions League final When: Saturday, May 24 (18:00 kickoff, 16:00 GMT) Where: Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal
Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream.
Barcelona are aiming to complete a three-peat of Women’s Champions League titles and win its fourth European crown in five years when it faces Arsenal in Lisbon on Saturday.
Al Jazeera Sport looks at a final that pits two of the biggest names in women’s football for the game’s biggest club prize.
What is the secret to Barcelona’s success?
Barcelona are out to reaffirm their status as the dominant force in European women’s football after they finally beat Lyon and successfully defended their title in last year’s final.
Their possession-hungry and high-scoring attack is led from the midfield by Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas and several other members of Spain’s World Cup-winning team that beat England in the 2023 final.
What is Barcelona’s Champions League record?
Barcelona will be playing in its sixth Champions League final in seven seasons and a record-equalling fifth in a row at Lisbon’s 50,000-capacity Estadio Jose Alvalade.
The Catalan club has the chance to become the only team other than Lyon to lift the European Cup in three consecutive years.
Bonmati, the Ballon d’Or winner in 2023 and 2024, said the experience gained from previous finals is invaluable.
“I’ve learned a lot of things. It is the path that has fallen to us. The first final in Budapest was an inexperienced team that was going to see what happened. Now, we are the team to beat,” she said.
“Knowing how to be, knowing how to suffer, is very important. And never giving up. We have had finals where we have come back. We have had games of all colours.”
Claudia Pina, left, and Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona during a training session before the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final 2025 against Arsenal [Maja Hitij/Getty Images]
What is Arsenal’s take on facing Barcelona?
Standing in Barcelona’s way is an Arsenal team that has excelled as a spoiler this campaign and hopes it can pull off another upset and win its second European title.
“They’re a fantastic team and they’ve obviously got the recent history to prove it,” Arsenal defender Leah Williamson said about Barcelona in the build-up to the final.
“We respect them a lot, but it’s a final, so everybody turns up and everybody gives their best.”
How do Barcelona and Arsenal match up?
First-year Barcelona coach Pere Romeu has a side that can hit from all angles with multiple scoring options.
They lead all the major team statistics in attack: most goals scored with 44, to Arsenal’s 25, the highest possession, best pass accuracy and most shot attempts.
Barcelona forward Claudia Pina leads the competition in scoring with 10 goals, ahead of Arsenal pair Mariona Caldentey, who joined from the Spanish club last year, and Alessia Russo with seven each. Bonmati and teammate Patri Guijarro lead the competition with five assists each.
Have Barcelona improved on last season?
Barcelona added to its winning squad in the offseason by signing Poland striker Ewa Pajor, who went on to lead the Spanish league with 23 goals.
Pajor, 28, is seeking her first European title after losing four finals with former club Wolfsburg, including the 2023 final to Barcelona after leading 2-0.
“The final is played in the details, and we can prepare the details before the game,” Pajor said. “What I have also learned, because I’ve played in four finals, you have to be there in the first minute until the end.”
How has Barcelona’s season progressed?
Barcelona has rolled to a sixth consecutive Liga F title and has reached another Copa de la Reina final, but at the same time, it has proven beatable.
Barcelona’s home unbeaten run in Liga F came to an end after a record 64 games this season, and it lost to Real Madrid for the first time in 19 Clasicos since its top rival founded a women’s team.
They also started the Champions League with a rare group stage loss to Manchester City.
“We lost a couple more games than we are used to, and we lost some games that hurt more than others,” Barcelona forward Caroline Graham said, adding about the City defeat: “A lot of people thought that our run to be good in the Champions League was a bit over. That was a motivation to show that we still are good and that we can still compete against the best.”
Players and staff of Arsenal pose for a photo before the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final 2025 against Barcelona [Florencia Tan Jun/UEFA via Getty Images]
How do Arsenal shape up?
Arsenal remain the only English team to win the biggest title in women’s club football after it won UEFA’s Women’s Cup in 2007 when it beat Umea, two years before the tournament was reformatted and renamed the Women’s Champions League.
Arsenal may be the underdog, but it is likely comfortable with that role given its recent run of comebacks.
Renee Slegers’s side rallied against Madrid in the quarterfinals, and then shocked eight-time winner Lyon in the semifinals when they rebounded from a 2-1 loss in London by winning 4-1 in France.
This is the English club’s only chance to win some silverware this campaign after finishing second to Chelsea in England’s Women’s Super League and failing to reach the finals of the FA Cup or League Cup.
“We’ve had to come back from a lot of difficult situations, from setbacks, but the persistence of the team and the [fact that we] keep on believing, that’s been key for us,” Slegers said. “We’ve done some magical things.”
Do Arsenal and Barcelona have history?
Arsenal were Barcelona’s first opponents in Europe’s top club competition in the 2012-13 season, when the English side crushed the Catalans 7-0 over two legs.
Barcelona were nowhere near as good as they are now, however. They overwhelmed Chelsea, who went unbeaten across the 22-game Women’s Super League season en route to winning the title, 8-2 on aggregate in the Champions League semifinals.
“Everything leads you to be what you are now,” Putellas said. “In that first match of this competition, it was unthinkable what would come next. It’s thanks to work. I feel privileged to have been able to live this whole journey.”
