Page 7 - Arsenal

By Karl Matchett.

Just a few weeks after English football in European competition was looked upon as being in turmoil, three of the four clubs in the Champions League have managed to safely navigate the group stage through

to the knock-outs, with Arsenal being the team to perform the most impressive turnaround of all.

Of course, that they needed a turnaround at all in what was a very straight-forward group is testament to nothing beyond their own mistakes and inconsistencies in the early part of the six-game encounter, but a memorable victory against Bayern Munich before back-to-back 3-0 successes over Zagreb and Olympiacos were impressive scorelines nonetheless.

It puts the Gunners into the last 16 of Europe once again and, also sitting second in the Premier League, they'll

On transfer deadline day in 2013, Arsenal made a huge move, signing German midfielder Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid for a club-record fee of £42.4 million. The next year, manager Arsene Wenger authorized another big payment-£35 million to Barcelona for Alexis Sanchez. Both of those high-profile signings have proven to be good for Arsenal, with both players putting up solid numbers in terms of both goals and assists.

"Not in a Hurry"

Recently, rumors have circulated that Arsenal is working on newer and more valuable contracts for both players, to fend off interest from other clubs and keep them at Emirates Stadium for the long term. British newspapers have focused heavily on the two players and their possible "bumper contracts" in recent weeks, with some writers speculating that a bump for Sanchez could make him the highest earner at Arsenal-a title currently held by Ozil.

Arsene Wenger, though, says that the papers

An eventful weekend in the English Premier League 2015 - 2016 week 14 saw Leicester City's Jamie Vardy shattering a 12-year-old record and Manchester City reclaiming the peak position on the standings table, among other things.

Order Official EPL Shirts

11 Games in a Row

Vardy was deservedly the story of the week, much like he has been the top story in English football for the majority of the season. In the midst of a 1-1 draw between Leicester City and Manchester United, the 28-year-old striker scored his team's lone goal. It was the 11^th league match in a row that saw Vardy finding the back of the net, an accomplishment that no

Week five of the UEFA Champions League 2015/16 began to bring the next phase of the competition into clear focus, as 10 of the round of 16 slots are now confirmed. Week six of the group stage, which the UEFA has scheduled for December 8^th and 9^th, will see several on-the-fringe clubs battling for last-minute advancement. For the most part, though, the big title contenders have already secured their round of 16 spots.

Buy UCL Football Shirts

The First Qualifiers

When we last checked in with the Champions League, following week four of competition in early November, three teams-Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Zenit St. Petersburg-had already guaranteed themselves advancement into the next round. Zenit St. Petersburg continues to carry the

It feels like it was just yesterday that each of Europe's football leagues was were playing their first games of the 2015 2016 season. However, we're nearing the end of November, which means that we are just about a month away from the mid-season transfer window. Such football clubs (ahemÂ…Chelsea) need all the help they can get with this winter signing period while at least one other (Barcelona) will be getting back into the market for new players after this past summer's transfer ban. Needless to say, January should make for an exciting month in the soccer world. And so far, Paris Saint Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi looks like he will be at the center of it all.

Football Shirts Store

An Imminent Departure?

Lavezzi is 30 years old and has always been dependably solid as a forward and winger at PSG. Since coming

Manchester City and Arsenal-the football clubs that were sitting at the top of the Premier League table headed into this weekend-week 13 of 201516 EPL season proved to be thoroughly unlucky. Both teams lost, with Manchester City falling 1-4 against Liverpool and Arsenal stumbling to a 0-1 loss in an away game at West Bromwich Albion. The Sky Blues and the Gunners now occupy the third and fourth place spots on the table, respectively. It's the lowest Manchester City have dipped all season.

Order EPL Kit

Lucky Leicester

For many of the other most notable soccer clubs in the Premier League, though, week 13 proved to be surprisingly full of luck. Topping the list of fortunate teams are Leicester City, who beat Newcastle United 3-0 to scoot into first

Manchester City and Arsenal may be the football clubs at the top following week 12 of 2015/16 Premier League play, and Chelsea may be grabbing more headlines than just about any English team, thanks to their disastrous season so far. However, arguably no soccer club in the league has enjoyed more of a renaissance this season than Leicester City.

Indeed, the Foxes are sitting third in the Premier League after 12 weeks of competition, just one point behind both Manchester City and Arsenal. They've won seven of their games and have only lost one, making them the least beaten club in the league right now, alongside Tottenham Hotspur. Add the fact that Leicester currently have the top two scorers in the EPL, and the Foxes are beginning to look like legitimate title contenders.

New Premier League Kits

The Rise of Leicester

There were numerous interesting narratives to consider on Sunday, as North London's two top-flight football clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, faced off against one another for the North London Derby 2015. On one hand, a victory would have allowed the Gunners to push into first place on the Premier League table. Manchester City had settled for a surprising draw against the bottom-ranked Aston Villa just a few hours earlier, leaving the top slot there for Arsenal's taking.

On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur have finally seemed to find their footing in recent weeks. A win in this North London Derby could have been a fitting affirmation of that fact. The Spurs spent the first month of the 2015 2016 Premier League toiling in the bottom half of the table, largely due to mediocre performances on the part of Harry Kane.

Order Premier League Jerseys

Up until now, the 2015 2016 Football League Cup has been largely predictable. Sure, Tottenham Hotspur, last season's tournament runner-up, bowed out in the round of 32. So did West Ham United, who have been surprisingly solid in the Premier League this fall. For the most part, though, the big teams made it to the League Cup's fourth round-including heavyweights like Chelsea, Arsenal, the two Manchester Clubs, and Liverpool.

As if sensing that the League Cup was getting a bit stagnant, fate stirred up some real drama in the League Cup 2015 round of 16. A few major upsets in the round, which took place on October 27^th and 28^th, could drastically shift the landscape for the tournament. But who were the major winners and losers, and which football clubs should you expect to see contending for the title, come the tail end of February? Read on to find out!

Buy

Are West Ham United the best football club in London? In past years, the Irons have run a distant third, behind Chelsea FC and Arsenal. This fall, though, West Ham are hovering near the top of the 2015 2016 Premier League and have enjoyed victories against both of their London-based league rivals, meaning West Ham United take London bragging rights. Could we feasibly see the Irons contending for their first-ever top-flight soccer title come spring 2016?

Buy Premier League Shirts

The London Wins

West Ham's strong 2015 2016 season got started off on the perfect foot, with a 2-0 away win at Arsenal on August 8^th. The Gunners had been strongly favored to win the match, given their recent successes. Indeed, in the 2014 2015 Premier League, Arsenal ran a slow and steady race to finish third-ahead of a