Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/834699
24 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 31 MAY 2017 Sport FOOTBALL Arsenal set to confirm new two- year Arsene Wenger contract Arsenal are expected to announce on Wednesday afternoon that Arsene Wenger will continue as their manager for two more years WENGER'S future has been up in the air for much of the sea- son as both he and the club refused to publicly announce their intentions. The Frenchman has been at the helm for almost 21 years and, despite a section of sup- porters calling for him to de- part this summer when his contract expires, he is now ex- pected to further that stay af- ter holding talks with Arsenal's board on Tuesday. Having failed to qualify for a Champions League place for the first time since 1996, the pressure on Wenger's future undoubtedly increased with the Frenchman previously ad- mitting that the continuing uncertainty led to an "absolute- ly horrendous" environment at the club this season and con- tributed to their fifth place fin- ish in the Premier League. Wenger added: "Once the game starts and you are a fan, you stand behind the team, that is what I have not accepted this season and I will never ac- cept it. "Outside of the game I never had any word with any journal- ist in 20 years when they criti- cised my decisions and it is the same with the fans. "But when a game starts you support your team. We have played some games in a hostile environment and I never ac- cept that." Nine wins from their final 10 matches saw the Gunners turn what looked like a disappoint- ing season into a somewhat positive one with Saturday's FA Cup success moving Arsenal ahead of Manchester United as the most successful team in the competition's history. Following that victory at Wembley, Wenger was asked if he would be preparing a pres- entation ahead of the meeting and the Frenchman said: "The best presentation is to watch the game. "I've played until the end of my contract, which is today basically. I think I have shown you that I have exactly the same commitment. "For me, the contract does not have special meaning but, because of the debate, maybe I should have sorted that out earlier." The longstanding uncer- tainty over Wenger's future at the club led to planes carrying anti-Wenger slogans, boycotts of home games and signs and banners being displayed inside stadiums during away games. In the midst of those protests, the club endured a turbulent spell as Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League fol- lowing a 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in February and suffered crushing away de- feats against Liverpool, West Brom and Crystal Palace. Despite beating Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final, Arsenal's superiority over ri- vals Tottenham all but ended with a 2-0 defeat in the north London derby as Spurs went on to finish above their neigh- bours for the first time since 1995. However, Arsenal would reel off four consecutive league wins to push the fight for a top- four place until the final day and despite a 3-1 victory over Everton, the Gunners missed out by one point. Earlier on Tuesday, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright spoke of his fears Wenger could leave the Gunners "totally in the lurch" by walking away this week - fears that could soon be allayed. Arsenal's second highest goalscorer of all time says it has been "total incompetence" to have allowed this situation to have arisen. Writing in his column in The Sun, Wright said: "I've got a nasty feeling Arsene Wenger will walk away from the Arse- nal job today, leaving the club totally in the lurch. "And you would have to say it would serve them right, be- cause there has been absolutely no forward planning for the day when he finally left the Emirates. "The only way the board should have let him run down his contract is if they had pri- vate assurances he was staying. "Otherwise, it is total incom- petence to get to this stage." Man City chairman says Aguero will stay next season STRIKER Sergio Aguero is among the best players in the world and is staying at Man- chester City next season, the Premier League club's chair- man Khaldoon Al Mubarak said, dismissing transfer spec- ulation surrounding the Ar- gentine international. Aguero helped City finish third in the league, scoring 20 goals in 31 league appearanc- es, but his starting role came under intense scrutiny follow- ing the arrival of in-form Bra- zilian forward Gabriel Jesus in January. The Brazilian's impressive start at the club, including two goals and an assist in his first two league starts, helped him oust Aguero as the first- choice striker but the 20-year- old sustained a broken foot and the Argentine reclaimed his spot. "Absolutely. There has never been any doubt about that. I've read a lot about the specu- lation on this and it's ridicu- lous," Emirati Al Mubarak told the club website in his end of season address when asked if Aguero was staying. (www.mancity.com) "Aguero is one of the best players in the world. And we are a team that aspires to win in every competition we compete in... having Sergio Aguero as part of the squad is an absolute must. And it has never been in doubt." The 28-year-old Aguero, who joined City from Spain's Atletico Madrid in 2011, has a contract at the Manchester side until 2020. He has won two Premier League titles and two League Cups during his time at the Etihad.