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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta Signs New 3-year Contract to 2027

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta Signs New 3-year Contract to 2027

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta signed a new contract to 2027 on Thursday.

“I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together,” Arteta said.

The 42-year-old Spanish coach has been at Arsenal since December 2019 and transformed the team into Manchester City's main English Premier League title rival by finishing runner-up in the last two seasons.

His previous deal was expiring at the end of this season and speculation mentioned him as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola at City.

“We are really happy that Mikel has signed a new long-term contract. It’s a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club," Arsenal sporting director Edu said, The AP reported.

“Mikel has shown his qualities since the very first day he joined us, not only as a football manager, but as a person with wonderful values. We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.”

Arteta was Guardiola's assistant at City before succeeding Unai Emery at Arsenal and going on to win the FA Cup in his first season in charge.

Two seasons ago, Arsenal spent 248 days at the top of the league but was beaten to the title by City. No other team had spent so long in first place without being crowned league champion.

Last season, Arsenal pushed City even closer when taking the title race down to the last day, and eventually finished two points behind Guardiola's team.

“Mikel is a dynamic and passionate manager, who is relentless in the pursuit of excellence,” Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke said. “He has a deep understanding of Arsenal’s values, and since joining us as head coach in December 2019, he has taken the team to another level in an Arsenal way.”

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Sports

Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai Win Australian Open Women's Doubles Title

Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
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Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai Win Australian Open Women's Doubles Title

Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Elise Mertens of Belgium and Zhang Shuai, left, of China pose with their trophy after defeating Anna Danilina, right, of Kazakhstan and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia in the women's doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Elise Mertens marked her return to the No. 1 ranking in women's doubles by combining with China's Zhang Shuai to win the Australian Open title on Saturday.

Back together after four years apart as a team, Mertens and Zhang trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the first set but rallied to beat Anna Danilina of Kazakhstan and Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4. Mertens and Zhang led the final set 5-0 before withstanding a comeback attempt when Danilina and Krunic won four straight games.

Currently ranked No. 6 in doubles, Mertens, who won the Wimbledon doubles title last year with Veronika Kudermetova, will return to the No. 1 ranking after the Australian Open.

That will mark the Belgian player's 40th cumulative week as No. 1 in doubles and was guaranteed regardless of the outcome of the Melbourne Park final Saturday.

The win Saturday was Mertens' sixth Grand Slam doubles title, including 2021 and 2024 at Melbourne Park. Zhang now has three, including the 2019 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open.

It was their first Grand Slam trophy as a team, having lost the 2022 Wimbledon final in their last appearance together.

“This is like cherry on the cake,” The Associated Press quoted Mertens as saying. “We paired up as a team very last-minute . . . this was our first tournament back together. In the second round we saved three match points, so that kind of took us to another level. An unbelievable two weeks."

Mertens reached the fourth round of women’s singles at Melbourne Park this year before being beaten by eventual finalist Elena Rybakina.
Zhang says she and Mertens adapt well.

“We know how to play finals, we know how to win finals,” Zhang said. “We are both very calm. If something doesn't work . . . we always adjust.”
 

Sports

Fulham Sign Man City Winger Oscar Bobb

Norway winger Oscar Bobb (Reuters)
Norway winger Oscar Bobb (Reuters)
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Fulham Sign Man City Winger Oscar Bobb

Norway winger Oscar Bobb (Reuters)
Norway winger Oscar Bobb (Reuters)

Fulham signed Norway winger Oscar Bobb from Manchester City for a reported fee of £27 million ($37 million) on Friday.

The 22-year-old has joined Marco Silva's side on a five-and-a-half-year deal, which reportedly includes a 20 percent sell-on clause.

A graduate of City's youth academy, Bobb had slipped down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium after the arrival of Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth earlier in January.

"It feels great to be here. I had a great day meeting everyone and I am very excited," Bobb told FFCtv.

"I have always known Fulham to be a good club, with good players and a great stadium."

Bobb sought insight from Norway teammate Sander Berge before the move to Craven Cottage.

"I spoke to Sander, my good friend, and I spoke to the manager and he explained what the system's like and how the lads are and how the club is. He (Silva) seemed lovely, so it was an easy decision basically," AFP quoted him as saying.

Fulham, who visit Manchester United on Sunday, are seventh in the Premier League.

Sports

Frank Insists Spurs Owners Are ‘Super Committed’

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur, in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur, in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
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Frank Insists Spurs Owners Are ‘Super Committed’

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur, in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank celebrates after winning the UEFA Champions League match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur, in Frankfurt Main, Germany, 28 January 2026. (EPA)

Thomas Frank said Tottenham's much-maligned owners are "super committed" to the club despite their struggle to make signings during the January transfer window.

Spurs will face one of the targets they missed out on this weekend when Manchester City arrive in north London with Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo in their ranks.

Frank revealed the former Bournemouth star had been one of Tottenham's top targets before he decided to join City in a £65 million ($89 million) deal this month.

With the window shutting on Monday, Tottenham's only major signing is England midfielder Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid, while last season's leading scorer Brennan Johnson has been sold to Crystal Palace.

Languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, they have also lost James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies and Lucas Bergvall to longer-term injuries.

But Frank rejected claims that majority owner ENIC, an investment group run by the Lewis family trust, is not committed enough to Tottenham.

"I can promise that the Lewis family is super committed to this project. They want to do everything and I would go against my rule, hopefully only once, that there's no doubt it's clear that the club wanted to sign Semenyo," he said.

"They did everything. I think that's a clear signal that the Lewis family is very committed."

Frank has been under intense pressure in his first season after arriving from Brentford, though he led Tottenham into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

Told that a protest against the owners is planned by fan group "Change for Tottenham" before and during the City game on Sunday, Frank said they should appreciate the difficulties of the transfer window.

Referring to the "Football Manager" video game, he said: "The fans just want the best for the club. Just like I want.

"The owners, the staff, the players, everyone wants the best for the club, but I also think it's fair to say that the transfer window is not Football Manager, unfortunately.

"It would be a lot easier, but also a little bit more boring. It is very difficult the transfer market. It's an art, it's craftsmanship."