Legit reasons why Arsenal can overcome Bayern Munich....via @sportsbywest3

Arsenal fans must have sulked to themselves and mustered  this words: "not again" when the round of 16 draws for  the UEFA Champions league was announced.

What can Arsenal do to avoid facing either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions league?

 For the past 6  seasons, Arsenal get knocked out of the Champions league in the Round of 16, and in the "odd seasons" they faced Monaco and A.c Milan in the round of 16, they still managed to fumble the opportunity to get past a relatively "easier"  team.


Arsenal finished first in the group stage this time around, and only then, Bayern Munich managed to finish 2nd on the rare occasion in their group, and boom, Arsenal must overcome them in a 2 legged affair to make it to the Quarter finals of the Champions league for the first time in some years.


 Cheer up Arsenal fans, here are legit  reasons why Arsenal can overcome this round of 16 hoodoo this time around:

(1)  A team pushed to the wall:  The North london side have been pushed to the wall this Seaosn, the Premier League is almost out of reach, as they are 10 points behind Leaders Chelsea at this stage, they are out of the EFL Cup, they may be in the FA cup, but surely, Arsenal fans and the players are tired, they want something new and big, and that is the UEFA Champions league, and since they keep on suffering the same fate in the Champions league, Wenger and co must have realised that to be the best, you must BEAT THE BEST, there is no running away this time around, Wenger and Arsenal must do well in the Champions league this Season or else this Seaosn would be seen as a total disaster, this would serve as a positive inspiration for the team to punch above their weight, and i am afraid, the first casualty of Arsenal players "punching above their weight would be Bayern Munich.

(2) Alexis-Ozil combination:  big players combination helps teams to do well, for example in Barcelona, they have the famous MSN, this season, for Arsenal in the Champions league, between Alexis and Ozil,  they have scored 6 goals and provided 6 assists in 6 Champions league matches. When a team has players that they can always rely on in that stead, they would inspire other players and function as a unit, with Ozil looking lethal in the UCL having scored 4 goals, and with Alexis the current top scorer in the Premier Legaue with 17 goals, who says Arsenal cannot overcome Bayern Munich?

(3) Mustafi-Koscienly defensive Stability: Bayern  Munich's attacking threat needs no New introduction, they have a certain red hot  Robert LewandowskI who has scored 5 goals in the 2016/2017 UCL campaign so far, and he is supported in the attack by other good players like Ribery, Robben, Douglas Costa and Thomos Muller, it takes good defenders to stop these attackers on their good day, step in MUSTAFI, the German centre back has brought defensive Stability to Arsenal since he joined Arsenal,   Mustafi beat Bacary Sagna's record unbeaten start of 17 games at the club in Arsenal's 3–3 draw against Bournemouth with his 18th game without defeat, he has settled in London properly, and    his partnership with Koscienly for Arsenal is the best they have had in recent years, and as long as they don't defend like they did against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and they defend as a unit alongside the full backs, Arsenal would concede few goals against The German opponents and would stand a good chance of overcoming Bayern Munich.

Arsenal have come close to making it to the Quarter finals of the UCL once again and this season looks like another good opportunity for them to make it to the Quarter Finals, take nothing away from a Caro Ancelotti Inspired Bayern Munich, but the 2016/2017 UCL season looks like Arsenal's best chance of making it to the Quarter Finals of the UCL, looking at the grit they exihibted in the group stage and how they were able to finish first in a group that has PSG, plus the totality of their performance in the Champions Legaue so far,  plus other factors mentioned above, Arsenal can overcome Bayern Munich in a 2 legged affair in the Round of 16 UEFA Champions league Fixture.

Lover's day champions league via @sportsbywest3

Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is an annual holiday celebrated on February 14. Is it really an holiday? That's a debate for another day

For football lovers, February14th is also about love, it's about the return of the most prestigious club football competition that they genuinely love, THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.



The competition started last year with 32 teams, Real Madrid are the Defending Champions, 31 other teams were looking to dethrone Real Madrid, out of the 32 teams, 16 are out of the competition and now the Champions league has reached the knock out stage, the battle is for the fierce, for the strong, for the teams that are mentally prepared.

The round of 16 Fixtures starts with Benfica vs Borussia Dortmund
And PSG vs Barcelona.


Stat alert:  Edinson Cavani has been outscoring Barça's feted MSN of late, scoring 14 in his last 12 outings.
Barcelona have lost just one of their last 22 matches in all competitions they will be formidable. Paris are doing okay as well, with ten wins, a draw and 34 goals in their last 11 outings.

It's a clash of the titans
Benfica vs Dortmund Stat alert:
This is the only one of this week's games featuring two former European champions
 in 20 previous home meetings with German opposition, Benfica have lost only twice
Dortmund broke the record for goals in a group stage with a free-scoring 21 as they topped a section including holders Real Madrid. That makes them favourites against a Benfica side that limped through with the fewest points (eight) of the 16 teams that survived the group phase.



My predictions: Benfica 1 Borussia Dortmund 2
PSG 1 Barcelona 2

UCL 2016/2017 KEY STATS:
TOP SCORERS:
LIONEL Messi- 10 goals
Edison Cavani- 6 goals
Robert Lewandowski- 5 goals

Most assists:
Neymar- 7
Ousmane Dembele- 4
Eduardo Salvio- 4
C.Ronaldo- 4


While a few   romantic couples  would be busy in the evening with their red attires and red wines and long walks, over 1 billion football lovers worldwide would be busy checking their teams starting line ups, stats that favours their teams, some would be glued to their television sets,  and thousands will throng the stadium to watch the matches, love is in the air,  football we love, Champions league we love, watching the UEFA Champions league is my Valentine.

LMC announces plans for 2016/2017 NPFL season....via@Sportsbywest3

The League Management Company(LMC) Says the 2016/2017 NPFL will commence on January 14, 2017.

The Opening Fixture would be Between Former Champions Kano Pillars And Federations Cup Champions Ifeanyi Ubah on January 14th 2017.


The LMC also Announced some incentives for the new season After its congress.

The LMC announced that:

“The AGM endorsed January 15 kickoff date and July conclusion date for the 2016/17 NPFL season with Kano Pillars versus FC Ifeanyi Ubah on January 14,”

LMC also announced that the AGM also endorsed incentives to NPFL clubs as proposed by the LMC board in the 2017 budget.

"NPFL Clubs stand to receive N500,000 for each away win, N200,000 for away draws as well as N250,000 for attracting over 5,000 fans at home games. 

The NPFL clubs will also be paid N200,000 monthly for stadium maintenance, N100,000 for dressing three U-18 youth players in a matchday and one playing 15 minutes, plus N200,000 for dressing three U-18 youth players in a matchday with one playing at least 45 minutes."

Transfer Rumours & Newspaper Talks.....via @Sportsbywest3

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The latest transfer Rumours involving players like James Rodriguez, Grienzmann and more....

• Manchester United have opened talks to sign £60m-rated Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann.
• West Ham have pulled the plug on contract talks with Slaven Bilic as fears mount he could be axed after their poor first half of the season.

• Real Madrid forward James Rodriguez has been spotted at the British Embassy in Colombia ahead of potential move to Chelsea or Manchester United.
• Manchester United's Ashley Young is wanted by six Premier League clubs - including his former side Watford.
• Hull are lining up Jefferson Montero to replace wantaway Robert Snodgrass.

SOURCE: The Sun 

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Swedish counterpart Victor Lindelof is ready to make the move from Benfica to join him at Manchester United.

• United also have their eye on right-back Nelson Semedo, a team-mate of Lindelof's in Lisbon.

• Arsene Wenger is targeting Valencia's highly-promising Jose Gaya as he looks to bolster the Arsenal squad.

• Hull are lining up Swansea winger Jefferson Montero if they need to replace Robert Snodgrass, who is a target for West Brom and Celtic in January.
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• Nottingham Forest risk losing stars such as skipper Henri Lansbury next month after owner Fawaz al-Hasawi put a block on new contracts until he sells up.

• New manager Gianfranco Zola will make Burnley reserve striker Lukas Jutkiewicz his first signing at Championship side Birmingham City when the transfer window opens in January.

• Sam Allardyce remains in Crystal Palace's sights as a potential replacement for Alan Pardew.

SOURCE: Daily Mirror 

• Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been spotted in Milan ahead of a possible move to Italy in the January transfer window.
• Premier League clubs are on red alert with James Rodriguez being offered to sides after Zinedine Zidane told the Real Madrid outcast he can leave.

SOURCE: DAILY MAIL 

Daily Star Newspaper Talks....via@Sportsbywest3

• Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez has revealed he has offers and could move once the window opens.

• Christian Atsu has hinted he could be willing to leave Chelsea and join loan club Newcastle on a permanent basis.

• AC Milan could sign Mario Pasalic from Chelsea on a permanent basis this summer.

• Liverpool have been linked with a move to sign Santos midfielder Thiago Maia.

• Manchester United will reportedly make a move to sign Feyenoord defender Rick Karsdorp in January.

NEWSPAPER TALKS across Europe....via @sportsbywest3

• Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is in talks with Marseille after being frozen out by Antonio Conte.

• Mathieu Flamini could also be on his way back to Marseille from Crystal Palace.

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic has said he is getting better with age and can play until he is 50.

• Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool won't collapse in the hostile atmosphere at Goodison Park, like Arsenal did last week.

• Everton boss Ronald Koeman has urged his players to show their vicious streak again in the Merseyside derby.

• Slaven Bilic has cancelled his Christmas party because of West Ham's struggles.

NEWSPAPER TALKS across Europe.....via@Sportsbywest3

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ready to extend his stay at Manchester United and snub a £120m offer from China.

• Real Madrid's Club World Cup final tormentor Gaku Shibasaki has set his sights on La Liga - after it emerged he will become a free agent in 13 days.

• Axel Witsel has reportedly rejected an SOS call from Chelsea boss Antonio Conte as he prepares to join Juventus.

• Bayern Munich have beaten Chelsea to the signing of £30m-rated Hoffenheim star Niklas Sule.

• Juventus are still 'dreaming' of signing Alexis Sanchez and will reportedly bid for the unsettled Arsenal forward next summer

SOURCE: THE SUN