Sports

Arsenal Player Who Only Joined For Money Was Forced Out By Arteta Comment

Published

2 months ago

May 24, 2026

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Mikel Arteta’s journey to making Arsenal Premier League champions hasn’t always been plain sailing. The Spaniard had to build his own squad over time, while having to move on members of the team that didn’t fit his vision.

When he joined in 2019, the likes of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were the leading figures in the dressing room, but the Spanish coach quickly moved them on.

They weren’t the only players to see Arteta’s ruthless side at the Emirates. World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez decided he had no choice but to leave the north London club after being given a reality check by the Arsenal boss.

Emi Martinez’s Reluctant Move to the Premier League

Martinez is now regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The Argentine has built a career since joining Aston Villa that nobody could have predicted when he arrived at Arsenal as an unknown teenager from Buenos Aires in 2012.

The move to Villa Park proved to be the catalyst for everything. Martinez broke into the Argentina squad shortly after his arrival at Villa and his career took off. He was central to Argentina’s Copa America triumphs in 2021 and 2024 and was one of the defining figures in their 2022 World Cup victory in Qatar.

At club level, Villa returned to the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years, and they’ll be back there again next season after winning the Europa League. What makes the story all the more remarkable is that he once admitted he never wanted to come to England in the first place.

Speaking in an interview with El Pais via The Mirror in 2021, Martinez was honest about the circumstances that brought him to Arsenal as a 17-year-old from his boyhood club Independiente. The move, he revealed, was driven far more by financial necessity and family pressure than any burning desire to test himself in English football.

“Arsenal came to look for me and [then-manager] Pepe Santoro told me that the train only passes once in a lifetime,” Martinez said. “My family and my agents thought the same. So, the decision was more for [family] than anything else. I didn’t want to go. I did not regret it, but I wanted to play in Independiente.”

“We lacked a little financially. I did it more for that than for sports.”

A Decade Of Patience At Arsenal

What followed at Arsenal was a decade of patience that would’ve tested the resolve of almost any footballer. Martinez made just 35 first-team appearances across eight years, spending large portions of that time out on loan, before finally getting his chance as first choice during the 2019/20 season.

He seized it, earning a more than respectable 37.5% clean sheet rate in 24 competitive matches. He’d also get his hands on the first major trophy of his professional career when he played in Arsenal’s 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2020.

But Arteta had other ideas. Martinez said to The Independent that Arteta had told him “there was a 95 per cent chance I would start against Fulham [on the first day of the following season].” It was at this point that Martinez knew he had to move on, given that they couldn’t 100% commit to playing him over then-goalkeeper Berndt Leno, whose injury allowed Martinez to finish the season as Arsenal’s number one.

“Everyone wanted me to stay, but that’s when I decided to go.”

Influenced by the realisation that his patience and success hadn’t been rewarded with a starting place, Martinez departed that same summer, joining Aston Villa for a fee of around £20 million. It’s a decision Arsenal may well have looked back on with considerable regret before David Raya joined three years later.

A teenager who arrived in England reluctantly, driven by financial necessity rather than ambition, ended up becoming a world champion after being thrown out on loan six times in seven years.

Sports

Donald Trump’s Petty Reaction to Losing Golf Tournament to 15-Year-Old

Published

1 hour ago

August 5, 2026

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Donald Trump has always claimed that he’s talented on the golf course, but the 2007 Westchester Men’s Club Championship may have proved otherwise.

The US President recently won the Senior and Super Senior Men’s Club Championship at his Bedminster golf course in New Jersey. He reportedly carded 70 on a Par-72 course to win his 43rd club championship title.

He was then criticised for bragging about his ‘talent’ and then taking a swipe at his opponents on the day. It’s not the first time Trump has caused controversy on the course, either.

Donald Trump Accused of ‘Cheating’ on Golf Course

Accusations of ‘cheating’ emerged following his most recent triumph, which only added to his total of wins on his course. It’s already over 40.

It’s not the first time such allegations have been made. Sportswriter Rick Reilly has regularly accused the President of cheating. “When it comes to cheating, he’s an 11 on a scale of one to 10,” Reilly wrote for The Guardian.

Ahead of the Bedminster championship in 2025, Reilly took to social media to taunt Trump, saying: “Hey Trump, tomorrow is the Senior Champ at Bedminster. Are you shameless enough to pretend you won it? Even after the whole planet saw you cheat in Scotland? Is your ego that sick?”

The 80-year-old wasn’t too delighted with these claims in the past, as he once rebutted: “I always thought he was a terrible writer. I absolutely killed him, and he wrote very inaccurately. I would say that he’s a very dishonest writer.”

Trump Once Lost to a 15-Year-Old

One of the more embarrassing moments he’s had on a golf course came at the 2007 Westchester Men’s Club Championship. Trump was four up with five holes remaining in the first round against 15-year-old Adam Levin.

The 60-year-old at the time called two rule violations on his opponent as he ended up being knocked out of the tournament. The first was for accidentally touching the grass inside a hazard, while the second was for fixing a small ball mark off the green.

When it looked certain Trump was heading for an easy victory, he was heard saying: “The kid put up a good fight, didn’t he?” All that did was hand his teenage opponent the motivation he needed to come back.

Levin tied the match on the 18th hole and eliminated Trump on the second playoff hole. But Trump showed he wasn’t a fan of losing, as Levin revealed: “He didn’t even say ‘Congratulations’ or ‘Good match’. He didn’t look me in the eye. He just shook my hand and walked off.”

It didn’t take him by surprise, as Levin added that the current US leader was behaving in a similar manner throughout the day. He recalled:

“He’d kind of been a d— the whole day. We were together for five or six hours, so there was plenty of time for conversation with me or my parents.

“But all he ever said was, ‘Isn’t this course fantastic?’ and ‘Aren’t these facilities the best?’ He’s a total a—– with no character.”

Sports

Brock Lesnar’s 5-Word Response to Boxing Jake Paul After WWE Retirement

Published

1 hour ago

August 5, 2026

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Brock Lesnar has announced his retirement from professional wrestling after 26 years in the ring, but he’s already been asked about what his future could hold in combat sports.

The multi-time WWE Champion appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, revealing his SummerSlam appearance on Saturday was the last of his career, closing the curtains with a defeat to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell.

“I’m here today to let the world know I’m retired,” he told the show. “Saturday was a very emotional day for me. When Obi Femi slammed me at WrestleMania, I was like, I can’t do this again. I think I’m done. I still had some fuel in the tank.”

Brock Lesnar’s Illustrious Career

Lesnar is regarded as one of the greatest and most complete combat athletes of all time. The farm boy from South Dakota, in his words, won the wrestling NCAA Division 1 National Championship in 2000 for the University of Minnesota.

After making his WWE debut in 2002, he quickly became “The Next Big Thing”, going on to win the King of the Ring. That year, using his famous F5 finishing move to beat Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he became the youngest WWE Champion at the age of 25.

In 2004, for a brief stint, Lesnar switched the ring for the field, joining the Minnesota Vikings, adding an NFL player to his accolades before being released. Later, he would demonstrate his dominance in the UFC, going on to win the heavyweight championship before eventually returning to the squared circle.

The Beast Incarnate has a unique career, being the only person to have championships in WWE, UFC, NJPW, IGF, and NCAA.

During his retirement announcement, Lesnar said: “I’m just so grateful to be 49 years old and have been able to do what I did in this lifetime. I thank God and everybody that supported me.”

Brock Lesnar Asked About Fighting Jake Paul

The two-time All-American Champion was asked if he would be interested in a celebrity boxing match against the likes of Jake Paul. However, he shut these rumours down, responding with: “I ain’t doing jack s***.”

Jake Paul rose to fame in 2013 with his brother Logan as social media personalities. Making short clips on the platform Vine before debuting on Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” alongside pop star Olivia Rodrigo.

In 2020, Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib. The 28-year-old began his career with six consecutive wins before losing to Tommy Fury. Most recently, he lost to Anthony Joshua in a sixth-round knockout, where he sustained a double jaw break. That fight attracted 33 million viewers globally.

In July, The Problem Child teased on ‘The Pat McAfee’ show a fight against former five-time world champion Terence Crawford, as well as a move to MMA.

He said: “If the paycheck is big enough, I’ll fight anybody.”

Sports

Chelsea Fans Praise Mykhailo Mudryk on Return From Ban vs Juventus

Published

2 hours ago

August 5, 2026

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As preparations continue ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season, Chelsea took on Juventus in their latest pre-season friendly. It was an interesting occasion as Mykhailo Mudryk returned to action for the first time in 615 days.

Having spent time in Australia, the Blues’ summer tour has since taken the club to Asia, where they took on Juventus in Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park. New boss Xabi Alonso has overseen a thrilling 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers and a drab 2-1 loss to 10-man rivals Tottenham so far this summer, and would have been hoping for signs of improvement against Juventus.

The first half wasn’t particularly engaging, but debutant winger Geovany Quenda caught the eye. After the break, things didn’t really pick up for the Blues as they went on to lose the game 1-0 with Edon Zhegrova scoring a brilliant winner.

A raft of substitutions can explain away the result, as Alonso got the chance to learn a little more about his squad. Mudryk’s introduction certainly was fascinating as he returned to action after his lengthy ban.

Mudryk Returns From Drug Ban

Mudryk had not played for Chelsea since November 2024. After an “adverse finding” for the banned substance meldonium, the Ukraine international was hit with a significant ban of four years by the FA, but lodged an appeal to CAS against the punishment.

In July, it was revealed that the ban had been lifted, with an FA statement reading: “The FA can confirm that the anti-doping disciplinary proceedings against Mykhailo Mudryk were resolved with the agreement of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 30 July 2026. In the context of that agreement, Mr Mudryk has accepted his commission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and accepted a period of ineligibility.”

While Mudryk only got on for eight minutes, he would have been delighted just to get back onto the pitch. Picking up a great ovation from the crowd and even his own teammates, he replaced Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute and was tidy as he completed 3/4 attempted passes.

The winger finished the game with a respectable 6.6 SofaScore rating, having had three carries and one unsuccessful dribble from his nine touches, losing the ball three times. He also won one tackle and one ground duel.

Fans Praise Mudryk Cameo And Question Chelsea Teammate

Despite not being on the pitch for long, Chelsea fans were encouraged by what they saw from the winger. One said: “Mudryk did well, no doubts at all.”

Another praised him for looking fit despite his long absence: “About Mudryk, he just got back and can play right away, meaning he kept up his fitness and training the whole time he was out.”

Others even suggested he should be above Jamie Gittens in the pecking order, having outshone his teammate in his brief cameo:

“Gittens isn’t flourishing. Mudryk did better than him in just 10 minutes.”

Others added: “Bro we cannot loan Mudryk. He has to stay, Gittens is horrible.” And: “Not even running a gimmick, Mudryk is still better than Gittens.”

One more wrote: “Mudryk is already clear of gittens I don’t wanna hear about being rusty.”

A final fan summed up the feeling, as they said: “Mudryk, after 2yrs out & roughly 15mins, looked more threatening than many LHS attackers we’ve had. He won’t suddenly become super productive (this season at least), but his mentality to just continue to attack and be positive helps so much. Good change of pace.”