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It looked like Arsenal’s quarter-final tie at Sheffield United was going to extra time following David McGoldrick’s 87th minute equaliser before Dani Ceballos’ last-minute winner sent the Gunners to the semi-finals.

Hopefully this goal which sets up a clash against Manchester City at Wembley will give him a much-needed confidence boost to provide more of an attacking threat for Arsenal.

He clearly enjoyed his moment as he posted a picture on

/CB_QBFVh7DO/”>Instagram of his celebration, supported with the caption “Let’s go Gunners! 💪💪This is Arsenal! 🙌🏻🙌🏻Next stop Wembley! Now we are going to give all we got to get the final! So excited by scoring the goal! I am dedicating this to all the supporters”.

Fans of the north London side will likely enjoy Ceballo’s Instagram post not only to remind them of the last-gasp winner but also the part of his caption in which he was ‘dedicating this to all the supporters’. It will be nice for them to see that players are eager to win for the fans, especially after a rather mixed season which sees them struggling for a European spot.

It was a great moment for the Spaniard, who is on loan from Real Madrid, as he has had a turbulent season at the Gunners. There was a lot of expectation on his soldiers, but including the goal yesterday, he has only managed four goals and four assists this season, per WhoScored. Hopefully that Bramall Lane winner can be the springboard towards a strong finish to the campaign for him and his team-mates.

Gunners fans, did you enjoy Ceballos’ Instagram post? Comment below with your views!

Key information about Vicarage Road

Vicarage Road was built in 1922 and is now the home of Watford FC. The ground is located in Watford in Hertfordshire and has been the Hornets’ safe haven ever since it was erected.

Its current capacity is 21,577 and it has a pitch that measures 105m by 68m. As with most Premier League outfits, the surface is covered with a hybrid turf with undersoil heating installed and no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 34,099 was set for Watford’s clash with Manchester United back in 1969.

A history of Vicarage Road

Before moving to Vicarage Road in 1922, Watford were playing their football over at Cassio Road. Once the construction was finalised, the stadium was then officially opened by Col. Charles Healey of Benskins Brewery in August that same year. The first game to be played at the new ground was the clash against Millwall on 30 August.

Interestingly enough, even though it is now exclusively connected to Watford, Vicarage Road hosted other tenants throughout its history. In the early years after the ground was constructed, Wealdstone F.C would call it home until 1994 and then, between 1997 and 2013, rugby union side Saracens were also housed there.

Back then, in the early years, Vicarage Road consisted only of two small covered stands and several terraces. Not only that but the Union Stand had been brought from the club’s former ground Cassio Road. The first improvements started about 10 years later when the Union Stand got replaced by the Shrodells Stand.

Later on, in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a development on the stadium that also included a 1969 extension of the Main Stand. The Shrodells Stand was replaced once again, this time by a new two-tiered Rous Stand that also introduced corporate facilities to the ground.

Just like every other stadium in the top two leagues, Vicarage Road had to be converted into an all-seater in the early 1990s and following the Taylor report, two new stands were built at both ends of the ground. About a decade later, the original part of the main stand was closed in 2004 and then completely demolished in 2010.

It wouldn’t be until 2014 when the new Sir Elton John Stand opened, a tribute to the famous musician who was a lifelong supporter of the club and even their chairman in 1976. After the Hornets were promoted into the top-flight, the stand got expanded with additional rows of seating as well.

There were further expansions in 2015, 2016 and 2017, with plans to boost the capacity of Vicarage Road to approximately 30,000 seats.

Tickets to watch Watford at Vicarage Road

All tickets to watch Watford play at Vicarage Road can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. The cost will vary depending on multiple factors but an average adult ticket costs around £40.

Watford also offer a season ticket scheme as well as memberships that can give you more favourable prices throughout the season.

Related links

https://www.watfordfc.com/ – Official website of Watford FC

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/watfordfc/ – Watford FC Ticket Office

Former Spurs striker Darren Bent has tipped Oliver Skipp to leave Tottenham Hotspur and join Southampton on loan this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-England international believes Skipp should replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg if the 33-cap Denmark international moves to north London.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho insists Hojbjerg is the signing he needs to rebuild the midfield before the start of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

The former Southampton captain looks likely to leave St Mary’s with only one year remaining on his current contract. He has told the Saints he will not sign a new deal.

Recent reports revealed Mourinho has reluctantly agreed to let Skipp leave on loan in the summer, amid interest from Premier League rivals Burnley, Fulham and Southampton, as well as Championship sides Reading and Nottingham Forest.

The academy graduate has signed a new four-year deal with Spurs but the Lilywhites will let him leave as he wants to play regular first-team football in the midfield and feels he has better chances of doing so at a Championship club than in the English top flight.

When asked where Skipp should go, Bent told assistant editor Russell Edge: “I really like what Southampton are doing so I’d probably say Southampton.

“It looks as though Hojbjerg is going to go to Spurs, I think he’s going to go so there’s a spot there. I really like Ralph Hasenhuttl, I think he’s been brilliant and I really like what they’re doing down there.

“They’ve got a nice young mix and blend of players so I’d probably say go down there. It’s a nice place to live, it’s beautiful down there, it’s not too far from London as well so I’m all for the Southampton move.”

It is hard to argue with Bent here, as Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has worked wonders with Spurs loanee Kyle Walker-Peters so far.

Walker-Peters has enjoyed a breakthrough spell since the Premier League restart, starring as Southampton beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 on the South Coast.

Making just his third start for the club, the former England U-21 international kept Raheem Sterling in his back pocket all game, as City struggled to score for the first time in five games. It is fair to say he hasn’t looked back since as the Saints enjoyed a 7-game unbeaten streak by the end of the season.

At first he found his chances limited before grabbing the opportunity to prove himself and becoming a vital part of Hasenhuttl’s side in the process.

Bouncing back from a humiliating 9-0 defeat by Leicester City at home, Southampton finished eleventh in the table on 52 points, a place above Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton.

Skipp, 19, played seven games in the Premier League this season, although the majority of his appearances came from the bench. In comparison, Walker-Peters featured in ten matches for the Saints.

If Hojbjerg leaves as expected, Hasenhuttl will be looking for a holding midfielder to fill the gap in the transfer window. Whether or not he will be willing to take a risk on a teenager who is still largely unproven at the top levels of the game is another matter entirely.

While there is no guarantee Skipp would get the same amount of game time as his teammate, it may turn out to be a shrewd move in the end, as he could pick up valuable experience on the South Coast, before returning to his parent club to challenge for a place in the starting lineup.

Tottenham fans, do you think Skipp should join Southampton this summer? Let us know down below!

It is no secret that Everton are desperate for midfield additions this summer and they could land themselves a box-to-box dream in Abdoulaye Doucoure.

What’s the word?

According to the Evening Standard, the Toffees have already failed with a bid for the relegated Watford star with the offer falling short of their £25m valuation.

It’s claimed that the Merseysiders have a long-standing interest in the French midfielder and they are expected to return with a new bid in due course.

Doucoure is even open to a move to Goodison Park so personal terms aren’t expected to be an issue.

Pogba-esque midfielder

Everton do appear to be closing in on Napoli enforcer Allan, but their spending shouldn’t stop there as Doucoure could be the perfect compliment in a 4-3-3 system.

The 27-year-old has been likened to Man Utd superstar Paul Pogba by Owen Hargreaves in the past, claiming that “He’s got goals, he’s got assists he’s so athletic. He’s got that frame of Paul Pogba, he’s got a good touch and he can finish.”

Despite being relegated with the Hornets this season, Doucoure was one of the few bright sparks. He provided four goals and two assists and displayed those box-to-box capabilities in averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.6 shots and 1.1 dribbles per appearance, via WhoScored.

These are characteristics that neither Andre Gomes, Gylfi Sigurdsson or Tom Davies possess in the Toffees squad.

In addition, Jamie Redknapp believes that Doucoure is one of the most “underrated” players in the Premier League, and it’s these sort of players that Ancelotti should be targeting.

With Allan sat at the base of a three-man midfield, the 6-foot Frenchman could be deployed next to Gomes in the same way that Pogba has played alongside Nemanja Matic and Fred at Old Trafford.

Whilst £25m is hardly a scratch above the surface in this day and age. Doucoure would be a steal so Marcel Brands must pull out all the stops to convince Farhad Moshiri to stump up the cash this summer.

AND in other news, Toffees could land some much-needed creativity with bargain swoop for World Cup STAR…

Brighton are hoping to hijack West Brom’s proposed £20m move for West Ham winger Grady Diangana.

That is according to a report from the Daily Mail, which claimed that Fulham and Aston Villa are also considering 11th-hour action to try and divert the 22-year-old away from joining the Baggies, who have been given permission by the Hammers to discuss personal terms with the player.

The report added that West Brom are hoping to complete the deal as quickly as possible so as to prevent the Seagulls and other clubs from a last-ditch swoop.

Diangana, who cites Ronaldinho as an influence and childhood idol, spent time on loan at West Brom last season and helped them to gain promotion back to the Premier League, scoring eight goals and setting up another seven in 30 Championship appearances (as per TransferMarkt).

Those figures would likely have been even higher were it not for an injury-enforced spell out of the team during the winter months.

The 22-year-old was primarily deployed on the left wing by Slaven Bilic at The Hawthorns but has plenty of experience on either flank during his career so far. Indeed, his ability to play on the right wing could be highly appreciated by Brighton manager Graham Potter.

That is because the Seagulls are somewhat lacking in right-sided options at present, with Alireza Jahanbakhsh their only natural winger on that flank. The Iranian has not exactly been a roaring success in his time at the Amex Stadium, with only two goals in 36 appearances for the club.

It still seems most likely that Diangana will rejoin West Brom, this time on a permanent basis, seeing as the proposed transfer is at the personal terms stage.

However, if reports of Brighton’s maintained interest are accurate, that still offers slight hope of the Seagulls being able to swipe him from under the Baggies’ noses; and given the 22-year-old’s effectiveness and ability to thrive in a role where Potter isn’t blessed with options, it could end up being quite a coup if the Sussex club can pull off a last-ditch raid.

Brighton fans, can you see your club striking an 11th-hour deal for Diangana? Comment below with your views!

Coventry City manager Mark Robins has revealed his delight at the loan signing of Arsenal defensive midfielder Ben Sheaf.

Robins has made some significant transfer movements this summer at Coventry, bringing in the likes of Gustavo Hamer and Callum O’Hare, and his latest summer signing in Sheaf could bring further excitement to the club’s fans.

Sheaf had been linked with the Sky Blues for a number of weeks,having spent last season on loan with Coventry’s former League One rivals Doncaster Rovers before returning to his parent club Arsenal earlier this summer.

The 22-year-old has developed well through the youth ranks at the Emirates Stadium after joining the north London side from West Ham United.

Confirmed as a new Coventry player on Thursday, Sheaf will now spend the 2020/21 campaign on loan with the Sky Blues.

Touching on the youngster’s arrival, Robins said: “He’s been heavily involved in the recruitment process but also we saw both him and Ben Whiteman play for Donny last season and thought they were both really, really good players.

“But Ben (Sheaf) has been the one that I wanted and who I have been pushing for for a while.

“I have not had to push too hard and the recruitment side of things has been brilliant. And again, it’s been a fantastic summer so far in terms of recruitment because we have improved significantly and hopefully that will be enough to make sure we have a really good season at the level.

“But it’s a tough level and we’re probably going to need a bit more time and improvement to get a real good feel and run for things, but I think we can cause teams problems.”

Sheaf could be a great signing for Robins as he continues to make some shrewd moves to bolster his squad ahead of the new season.

The upcoming Championship campaign looks promising for Coventry and the manager’s assertion that the youngster was the player he wanted the most should bode well for the Sky Blues and their supporters.

Do you think Sheaf will come in and make an instant impact at Coventry? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Tam McManus says that Glasgow Rangers need to sign John Lundstram.

The Gers have been linked with a move for the £7.2m-valued 26-year-old (as per Transfermarkt), who has just one year left on his contract at Sheffield United. It has been said that the midfielder wants to finish his deal at Bramall Lane, but that could mean the Ibrox outfit could approach him as soon as January to sign him on a free transfer.

Talking to the PLZ Soccer Show, McManus said that Lundstram is a player Steven Gerrard needs. He explained:

“He was a regular for a Sheffield United team that did superbly well last season. He was in there and playing every week in the middle of the park.

“Steven Davis obviously is coming to the end of his career. He has been a great servant, but I think Rangers will be looking to try and replace him, and get somebody in there besides the likes of Ryan Jack and Glen Kamara.

“So, I think he is what Rangers are needing. Whether they get him just now, who knows. Obviously he is out of contract in a year’s time, they can try and do something, maybe sign a pre-contract.”

When Steven Davis does depart – whether that is at the end of this current campaign or beyond that – Gerrard and co will likely be looking to add a new player in his position, and on a free, Lundstram would be an ideal candidate. He appeared 34 times in the Premier League last term as the Blades impressed, finishing in the top half in their first season back amongst the elite.

Convincing him to move to Scotland when he still has plenty of football ahead of him may be more difficult, but if the Gers were able to do so, they would be making a fantastic signing.

Let us know what you think below!

Celtic are running out of time if they are to secure a new left-back this summer and Nick Hammond simply cannot afford to miss out on another target…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, the Scottish champions are poised to make another bid for Charlton Athletic prodigy Alfie Doughty after already having two bids rejected.

They are also keen on Spurs starlet Ryan Sessegnon but the finances involved are proving too difficult to navigate.

Last month, The Sun claimed that the Bhoys were hopeful that an £800k bid would be enough to tempt the League One outfit into a sale, though it had gone quiet on the front until now.

Can’t be McGinn 2.0

For a club of Celtic’s size, they have missed out on some top players far too often in the past two years or so – most recently, Hearts sensation Aaron Hickey chose a move to Bologna instead whilst the hierarchy at Parkhead must still be kicking themselves over John McGinn.

Back in December 2018, the boyhood Hoops fan revealed that a move fell through before he opted for Aston Villa. Now he’s one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

He’s even been touted with a £50m switch to Manchester United.

£800k or slightly more could end up being a bargain for Doughty. He’s now playing a starring role for the Addicks this season (five starts) as Lee Bowyer’s first-choice left-midfielder.

Per WhoScored, the 20-year-old is averaging 3.7 tackles, 2.7 key passes, 2.3 dribbles and 1.3 shots per game, which are simply phenomenal numbers. No player in Neil Lennon’s squad is managing more tackles whilst only Ryan Christie can boast more key passes.

Doughty has been described as a “tremendous footballer” with a “big future” by former Kingstonian boss Leigh Dynan. The man to give him his first shot in the men’s game on loan. He also added: “There’s a diamond there to be polished. I can assure you that.”

Considering Lennon is desperate to add a new left-back to the squad before deadline day, less than seven-figures for a potential star of the future would be remarkable business.

Hammond must sanction this coup at all costs.

AND in other news, Neil Lennon must unleash “special talent” after recent Celtic masterclass…

It’s safe to say, Arsenal are enjoying life under former midfielder Mikel Arteta.

He’s beginning to turn things around from that tumultuous Unai Emery reign having already clinched two trophies in the form of the FA Cup and Community Shield.

There haven’t been many holes to pick at since he took the helm in December 2019.

However, the 38-year-old may have just walked into his first major mistake at the Emirates Stadium by excluding Mesut Ozil from his Europa League squad this week.

The German playmaker has rarely been seen this season and quite possibly has no future under his old teammate, but that shouldn’t mean his talents are completely worthless.

Arteta failed to land one of his key targets in Houssem Aouar during the summer transfer window, meaning there is still a creative void and a lack of a true number ten – outside of the outcasted Ozil.

It’s only really Dani Ceballos who can create such chances through the middle, though he’s not playing every game and if he were to pick up an injury or suspension, then that decision to omit the 31-year-old could look rather silly.

The Gunners’ misfit has not contributed to 12 or more goals since the 2017/18 Premier League season but his playing time in each campaign since has dramatically dropped along with his goals and assist numbers.

Long-time a favourite of legendary boss Arsene Wenger

Being on a whopping £350k-per-week has understandably increased the pressure and often puts him under scrutiny amongst the Emirates faithful, but he’s never averaged lower than 1.9 key passes per game throughout his Arsenal career with a high of 4.2 coming in the 2015/16 season, via WhoScored.

It’s on Arteta to bring that back out of him instead of simply giving up.

Once lauded as “phenomenal” by Jose Mourinho, the once £43m-rated maestro can’t become a forgotten man in north London, though it’s through no fault of his own.

Arteta may have just made his biggest blunder yet.

AND in other news, Arsenal can unearth their next Jack Wilshere with Hale End’s next “generational talent”…

Glasgow Rangers aren’t the first club and they certainly won’t be the last to miss out on signing some of the best players in the world. In fact, we’d argue that every club has had their fair share of regrets in the transfer market.

But there is one player in particular that Rangers may forever regret not signing, the kind of transfer that fans will think about every now and then and ask themselves how did the board fail to get a deal done?

Steven Gerrard had been pushing hard to land a playmaker before the summer transfer window slammed shut. It’s claimed that the Rangers boss considered bringing Preston North End midfielder Daniel Johnson to the Ibrox Stadium, but Alex Neil insisted he would stay at Deepdale, and he was forced to try his luck elsewhere.

Instead, the former England international ended up signing Bongani Zungu on a season-long loan from Amiens. Whilst we aren’t for one minute suggesting that signing Zungu is a mistake, it may very well have worked out very differently for the Gers if they had managed to get their hands on the one and only Lionel Messi instead!

That’s right folks, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – the Gers even enquired about a teenage Messi back in 2004 but to no avail.

According to The Daily Record, Alex McLeish allegedly tried to sign the Argentina international on a loan deal from Barcelona. But the former Rangers boss was told in no uncertain terms to find another replacement for Barry Ferguson, who had moved to Blackburn, and came close to signing Andres Iniesta instead.

He told Graham Hunter: “We asked about bringing Messi to Rangers on loan [in 2004] and were told flatly: ‘No chance. Absolutely, no chance’.”

Messi is often considered to be the best player in the world and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ll know exactly who he is, and that’s without even looking at his long list of achievements.

635 goals and 279 assists in 735 games for Barca, ten La Liga titles, six Ballon d’Or awards, four Champions League trophies, one Olympic gold medal – you get the idea.

Whilst we will probably never know how well he would have adapted to life in the Scottish Premiership, it’s safe to say he would’ve scored goals galore and created passes aplenty, but he might not have enjoyed his time at the Ibrox outfit.

The 33-year-old famously criticised the “anti-football” tactics the Gers used to their advantage during the goalless draw between the two sides in the Champions League three years later.

Messi was quoted by The Guardian’s Ewan Murray as saying: “It’s incredible. Rangers didn’t want to play football. Right from the start they went for anti-football and I’m left with a bitter taste in the mouth at not having been able to win the match because we had a decent number of chances. All we lacked was the finish.

“It’s a real pain playing against teams like that and it’s very hard too. It’ll be different at the Camp Nou.”

Steven Gerrard once claimed that Joe Cole was better than Messi. But it’s safe to say that the Rangers boss would have secretly relished the chance to work with the £90m-rated midfield maestro, who was called a “magician” by former Manchester City defender Micah Richards.

This is one of those transfers that every fan dreams about from time to time. Just imagine how much chaos he would have caused in the Old Firm derbies – it almost doesn’t bear to think about.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers’ Glen Kamara dominates midfield battle in Old Firm derby…