The Europa League is full of fun. Half of that fun comes from spectacular goals scored by talented professionals, bringing us joy.
The other half, well, check out Aleksandr Kokorin's goal for Zenit St. Petersburg against Real Sociedad on Thursday.
That's just good clean fun. Of course, it wasn't the only goalkeeper blunder of the day.
The Wenger Watch is delighting in Theo Walcott's promising campaign to become the best Europa League player of all time. Theo got himself a first-half brace, followed by goals by Olivier Giroud (his 100th for Arsenal) and Rob Holding to hold off BATE Borisov, 4-2.
So, the Wenger-O-Meter continues its inexorable march toward Wenger "IN". We're getting close!
USMNT and Borussia Dortmund attacker Christian Pulisic has been named to the shortlist for the 2017 Golden Boy, the award handed to the top under 21 talent playing in Europe. Previous winners of the award include Paul Pogba (2013), Sergio Aguero (2007) and Lionel Messi (2005). This is Pulisic’s first appearance on the shortlist after enjoying a season of more prominent and consistent performances for both club and country.
David Ospina is a goalkeeping legend. Arsenal’s No. 2 spends his time in the shadows because of Petr Cech, but when he emerges, hell hath no fury like like a designated cup ‘keeper. When he’s not too busy lifting the FA Cup trophy, he’s usually making wonderfully memorable additions to the goalkeeping handbook.
The Wenger Watch took the weekend off because we care deeply about work-life balance, but we're back to chart Arsene Wenger's career prospects as he and Arsenal venture into the Europa League group stage.
After much deliberation we have decided to put the Wenger-O-Meter in the MIDDLE. We are AMBIVALENT at this time. It could go EITHER WAY.
FC Cologne hasn’t won the Bundesliga since 1978. They are currently ranked 122nd in the UEFA club rankings, and they’re the mighty Arsenal’s opponent in the Europa League tonight, something Gooner supporters have been mocked endlessly about by people who started supporting Manchester City or Chelsea in 2010.
August was a kind month for Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba. United currently sit atop the Premier League table after trouncing West Ham, Swansea and Leicester by a combined scoreline of 10-0, with Pogba scoring two goals and registering an assist in three dominating individual displays.
He was duly awarded the club’s Player of the Month award, and with Nemanja Matic now anchoring the midfield alongside him, the Frenchman used August as a showcase of things to come.
So yeah, the linesman has his flag up for offside, negating the reality of Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda’s actions here, but the attacker for NK Domzale doesn’t know that. He’s going full bore, which really makes this combination Cruyff Turn/Rolled Nutmeg bloody murder.
The 32-year-old French international set the tone with this skill check. Is it any surprise, with the Stade Velodrome suddenly set to lit level 10, that Marseille scored the opener only 12 minutes later?
Everton held a narrow 2-0 advantage heading into their second leg Europa League qualifying playoff against Hajduk Split in Croatia. After Josip Radosevic narrowed the advantage to 2-1 with a 30-yard rocket in the 43rd minute, Everton came out for the second half knowing that their Europa League participation was well and truly in the balance.
But less than a minute after the restart, the 35,000 packed into the Stadion Poljud in Split were silenced by what could be the best goal in the competition all season.
On Tuesday, Swiss club Young Boys scored an excruciating last-minute own goal to lose 1-0 to CSKA Moscow in a Champions League playoff. On Thursday, Turkish club Fenerbahce showed the Europa League's standard of own goal is just as high as the Champions League's.