^ ^ Wesley Sneijder blasts £50m Arsenal star after reaching Champions League final

Wesley Sneijder claims Ben White is not fit to lace Jurrien Timber’s boots (Ziggo Sport)

Wesley Sneijder took aim at Ben White as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League final on Tuesday night.

Mikel Arteta’s side are in the Champions League final for the first time since 2006 as Bukayo Saka’s goal on the stroke of half-time sealed a 1-0 win against Atletico at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal will meet either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich, who play the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday evening.

Sneijder, meanwhile, highlighted the absence of Jurrien Timber, who has missed Arsenal’s last 11 games due to a groin injury, and claims Arteta will struggle to win the Champions League due to a lack of squad depth.

‘You have Timber in your squad, and you think, ‘that’s a good full-back, he’s going to help me’. Then he drops out for a long time and then you have to fit in White… Timber wouldn’t even let him tie his shoelaces,’ Sneijder told Ziggo Sport.

Ben White has deputised at right-back with Jurrien Timber out with a groin injury (MB Media/Getty)

‘Arteta cannot field two squads, other teams can. So I don’t think that is justified.’

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‘For years, you have had Liverpool and City in England that you have to compete against. They have much better players. And in Europe, there are many even better players. He [Arteta] is simply doing an impressive job with his team.’

Speaking at half-time, Sneijder was less than impressed with what he saw in the opening 45 minutes at the Emirates.

‘I said after 35 minutes that UEFA needs to intervene,’ Sneijder said during the break.

Wesley Sneijder believes Mikel Arteta ‘deserves a statue’ for his impact at Arsenal (Getty)

‘They need to call London, ‘just get off the pitch, both of you, and the final will be played tomorrow’. We knew this was going to happen. Atletico in a block, dropping back, and Arsenal having a lot of possession.’

But following Arsenal’s victory, Sneijder heaped praise on Arteta for guiding Arsenal to the final in Budapest on May 30.

‘I can’t say it often enough, people, but he really deserves a statue already,’ Sneijder said.

‘With this team, it is so impressive to reach the final. Leaving all the other world-class teams behind you. I think that is very impressive.’

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^ ^ Vincent Kompany responds to Mikel Arteta ‘different worlds’ comment

Bayern boss Vincent Kompany prepares to take on PSG again (Picture: Getty Images)

Vincent Kompany is sympathetic to Mikel Arteta’s ‘different worlds’ comment on the quality produced by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, due to the intense schedule in England.

The Arsenal manager said the first leg of PSG vs Bayern in the Champions League semi-finals is ‘probably the best game’ he has ever seen.

The defending champions won the game 5-4, with the second leg to come in Munich on Wednesday night.

It was a thrilling spectacle, not just because of the goals, but because of the incredible quality on show from both teams.

Arsenal have now booked their place in the final to face either PSG or Bayern, with Arteta saying he is not surprised by the standard the teams produced, given the relatively light pressure on their players domestically compared to in England.

‘Bayern v PSG is probably the best game I have ever witnessed on the quality of two teams, and especially the individual quality that the players deliver,’ Arteta said last week.

‘I’ve never seen something like this. But when I look at the amount of minutes and the freshness of those players, then I’m not surprised. To deliver those moments of quality, you have to be very fresh and the difference in the leagues and the way they compete is night and day, and you just have to see a lot of stats that have been recently around it.

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The first leg of PSG vs Bayern was sensational viewing (Picture: Getty Images)

‘We are competing in two different worlds, so you cannot compare one part of that without giving any context to that. I don’t think it’s fair.’

Bayern boss Kompany had no intention of causing a row, understanding where Arteta was coming from with his point.

The Belgian spent 11 years at Manchester City and knows very well the demands placed on the players in England and the unsympathetic nature of pundits and fans.

‘I don’t want to comment too much, but obviously having been in the Premier League for many years, if I read between the lines, it’s basically a calendar discussion,’ Kompany said.

Mikel Arteta celebrated a first Champions League final as Arsenal boss (Picture: Getty Images)

‘I don’t think it’s a criticism on PSG or Bayern Munich or anything like this. It’s that fact that you have 38 games to play, plus the League Cup, plus the FA Cup, you don’t really have a winter break.

‘Then every time someone has a bad game, you go, “well how come they have a bad game?” I think that’s the conversation these guys are having.

‘It’s not for me to jump in, but it’s legitimate. Obviously Jurgen Klopp, being German, how many times has he spoken about this? At that time I was in the league so I understand it. But it’s not my problem to solve at the moment.’

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The moment Arsenal reached the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 🤩🔴 pic.twitter.com/jxYGeQ47Zp

— Prime Video Sport UK (@primevideosport) May 5, 2026

Arsenal secured their spot in the Budapest final with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday night, completing a 2-1 aggregate victory.

‘An incredible night,’ said Arteta. ‘We made history again together and I cannot be more proud for everyone. The way that we were welcomed outside the stadium was special and unique. The atmosphere, our support has created the energy, the way they managed every ball with us, they made it special and unique, I never felt that in the stadium.

‘We knew how much it meant to everybody. The boys did an incredible job and after 20 years and a second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final.’

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^ ^ Bukayo Saka knows ‘deep down’ who Arsenal want to play in Champions League final

Bukayo Saka scored the goal that took Arsenal to the Champions League final (Picture: Getty)

Bukayo Saka confessed he knows ‘deep down’ who Arsenal want to play out of PSG and Bayern Munich after he scored the goal that fired his boyhood club to the Champions League final.

The Gunners advanced to the Budapest showpiece after a narrow 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid at a raucous Emirates Stadium.

A draining, physical contest was ultimately decided by Saka’s predatory finish on the stroke of half-time when he reacted to first to a loose ball after Jan Oblak had made a save to deny Leandro Trossard.

Mikel Arteta’s side spent the majority of the second period keeping their opponents at bay and relied on their defensive solidity to protect the clean sheet that guaranteed their place in the Budapest showpiece.

Arsenal will now wait to find out which European heavyweight they will face in just over three week’s time.

Holders PSG, who knocked Arsenal out in the semi finals last year, or Bayern, spearheaded by Harry Kane, represent daunting opposition and Saka kept his cards close to his chest when asked who he would prefer to face.

‘You can’t ask me that!’ said Saka after CBS pundit Micah Richard’s asked who is preference would be.

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Bukayo Saka pounced to scored Arsenal’s goal in their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid (Picture: Getty)

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Arteta embraced at full-time (Picture: Getty)

‘You know I’ll have to give a media trained answer! You know deep down who we want to face, that’s all I’ll say.’

‘That moment after the game, only myself and a few other people that are close to me will understand what I’ve been through in my career and the journey that I’ve been on to reach this stage,’ Saka added following praise from Clint Dempsey, who remarked on the mature way he handled the fallout of his penalty miss in the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

‘I just wanted to say thank you to God in that moment, because God is what gets me through all of these things. Some players will not recover from certain situations I’ve endured, but he’s been my strength through it.

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Arsenal fans created an incredible atmosphere at Emirates Stadium (Picture: Getty)

‘I’m just happy to be here and proud of myself that I can stand here today and still be playing at the highest level and have the opportunity to play in the Champions League final.’

Saka also praised the atmosphere generated by Arsenal fans who have, themselves, faced criticism in recent weeks and been accused of adding to their air of anxiety ahead of must-win Premier League games.

‘We felt it,’ said Saka. ‘Since we were on the coach, I’ve never seen the Emirates like this in my whole career, I’ve played so many games here. It was so special. They pushed us, from the start to the end.”

‘This is probably the biggest game the Emirates has ever hosted I’d say and it was a successful one.

‘All the fans that were here will go home and remember this night forever.

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^ ^ Petr Cech tells young Man Utd star to consider Premier League transfer

Cech is a huge fan of the United starlet (Picture: Getty Images)

Chelsea legend Petr Cech has urged Manchester United starlet Radek Vitek to ‘continue playing’ next season even if it means leaving the club this summer.

Senne Lammens arrived at Old Trafford from Royal Antwerp last summer with the Belgian enjoying a terrific first season in the Premier League after the calamitous reigns of Andre Onana and Altay Baynindir in goal.

While he was at fault during the 3-2 win over Liverpool on Sunday, he looks set to be a long-term option in goal at Old Trafford.

But United do have another very promising option between the sticks. After spells at Accrington Stanley and Austrian outfit BW Linz, Vitek joined Bristol City last summer, enjoying a fantastic campaign on loan with the Championship side where has scooped the Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Vitek signed a new long-term contract with United before leaving on loan but it is not yet clear what their plans are for him next season. With Onana and Bayindir expected to leave, there will be room for a second goalkeeper to provide cover and competition for Lammens.

But with the Belgian making the no1 spot his own, he will face a fight for minutes.

Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Cech has been very impressed with his young compatriot and believes there will be interest from other Premier League teams this summer, urging him to make a first-team role his top priority next season.

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Vitek has been in spectacular form at Bristol City (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It’s important to play,’ Cech told BBC Sport.

‘Of course, there are situations where sometimes you know that you have a big chance to come back and fight for your position. That’s a different thing.

‘But as it stands at United, Lammens has done really well. I’m sure he [Vitek] will want to go somewhere and continue playing.’

Lammens is United’s new no1 (Picture: Getty)

Cech continued: ‘It’s great to see him progress because playing for the Under-21s with United is one thing, but then he played men’s football in Austria, which went really well for him, then he came back to England with Bristol City and did well there.

‘That obviously gives him an opportunity to attract even attention from teams in the Premier League.

‘I met him a couple of years ago, when we had a training session and talked about things. I could see he’s got the hunger and the willingness to get better.’

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