Liverpool legend John Barnes claims Willian is struggling at Arsenal because Mikel Arteta’s team have been inconsistent this season.

The Gunners snapped up the Brazilian on a three-year deal after his contract at Chelsea expired back in the summer. Despite a solid performance on his debut against Fulham on the opening day of the season, Willian has largely struggled for form at the Emirates.

Arteta’s side sit in 11th place in the table after losing four of their opening eight Premier League games this season.

After beating Manchester United at Old Trafford in the league for the first time in 14 years earlier this month, the Gunners were subject to a 3-0 mauling at the hands of Aston Villa just a week later.

Barnes believes that Arsenal’s inconsistent performances are to blame for Willian’s early difficulties, while he claimed Arteta must try to get the best out of the experienced winger, reports the Metro.

“Willian has come to an inconsistent team, it’s not the player himself that is at fault but the team he is in,’ Barnes told BonusCodeBets.

“If Willian went to a consistent team that was performing well every week, he would be a fantastic player and a great addition to the squad. It is on Arsenal and Mikel Arteta to try and get the most out of him.

“Once Arsenal start to perform so will he and the whole club will be in a much better place.

“Willian was never going to be the main man at Arsenal, he needs to come to a team that is playing well and then he will add to that.”

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has admitted that he may have made a mistake in letting Thiago Silva go to Chelsea.

The Brazil centre back, 35, joined the Blues on a free transfer this summer.

“At one moment, we have to say ‘what are we going to do?’,” Leonardo said. “We spoke clearly with them.

“It was a moment where we could not give them exactly what they wanted. It was a financial and generational problem.

“It was the moment to count on Marquinhos and Kimpembe. The decisions were difficult to take. Aside from that, we could have made a mistake.”

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has confirmed that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen will be ‘out for a few weeks’ after dislocating his shoulder on international duty.

The forward landed awkwardly during a 4-4 draw with Sierra Leone on Friday, and although he seems to have avoided a fracture, it is still a relatively serious setback.

“It’s a shoulder luxation,” the coach told ESPN. “He will be out for a few weeks.”

Sky Sport Italia, as cited by Italia Football, also confirm that X-Rays ruled out any fractures to the shoulder, arm or wrist, so it is only heavy bruising.

Napoli have asked the Nigerian FA if Osimhen can leave the training camp early for a return to Italy, where he can undergo treatment.

Osimhen turns 22 next month and has so far this season scored two goals with one assist in eight competitive games for Napoli.

He now seems likely to miss the upcoming games against Milan, HNK Rijeka, Roma and AZ Alkmaar.

Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has taken his superb form in the Premier League and Champions League to the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying as he scored two goals and as assist for Morocco.

The 27-year-old started in a central attacking role for the Atlas Lions in Casablanca and it was in that position he found a pocket of space to help break the deadlock after just 10 minutes.

Picking up possession on the half-turn, he had time to assess his options and threaded a perfect pass forward that dissected the Central Africa defence.

Inter’s Achraf Hakimi was the beneficiary, tucking his finish inside the near post to give Morocco an early lead.

After conceding an equaliser, Ziyech came to the fore with two goals in as many minutes. His first came from the penalty spot, a powerful effort that the goalkeeper got hands to but couldn’t keep out.

Moments later, after exchanging passes from a short corner, the forward whipped in a fizzing low effort with that trusty left foot that flew all the way in from the right flank.

He was withdrawn for the final 18 minutes with the score 4-1, which is how it finished, leaving Morocco top of the qualification group at the halfway point.

Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish has open up on his rivalry with Mason Mount, saying “it’s a bit annoying actually because he probably gets a little bit of stick at times from it.”

There has been plenty of discussion regarding the supposed competition for a place in England’s midfield between Chelsea star Mason Mount and Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish.

But the Villa talisman doesn’t see it that way, and had nothing but praise and respect for Mount after starring alongside the Blues midfielder in the Three Lions’ 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland.

Grealish said: “I love Mason.

“It’s a bit annoying actually because he probably gets a little bit of stick at times from it, but I’ve always been close with Mason, I think he’s an absolutely terrific player.

“I don’t even think we’re really fighting for the same spot to be honest.

“Like I said, I think Mason’s underrated and he deserves all the credit he gets. I think people that know about football will understand just how good he is.”

Wolves striker Raul Jimenez has confirmed that Manchester United made him their top target last summer.

Boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eventually swooped for ex-Paris Saint Germain hitman Edinson Cavani – who had been available for THREE MONTHS.

In an interview with Mexican website TUDN, Jimenez confirmed United and Juve wanted him.

He said: “During vacations or a transfer window, a new team will come out every day. What I knew was about the news, rumours.

“One day I’d wake up and Juventus loved me, another it’d be Manchester United, and what I know is that there were approaches.

“But an agreement was never reached, nothing close, but I’m very good at Wolves.”

Arsenal legend Lee Dixon believes the club have to sign a player in the similar mould as Chelsea ace Mason Mount.

Addressing the Gunners’ lack of creativity, Dixon told the Handbrake Off Podcast that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can’t carry the burden of scoring alone

He said: “That is a huge, almost total reliance on one player to get you a goal.

“No goals from anywhere else, although Lacazette has three in six he seems to have gone off the boil.

“No goals from midfield at all. No breaking midfield player that forces teams back like a Mason Mount or somebody running through the middle like that and breaking into the box.

“So, already the way that you can play with that, and I haven’t even mentioned the back four or five, then you’re limited in what you can achieve.”

Chelsea defender Thiago Silva has compared the three leagues he has featured prominently in his football career: Ligue 1, Serie A and Premier League.

The Brazilian veteran joined the west London on free transfer from PSG during the summer despite being offered fresh contract at the Ligue 1 giants

Silva was asked how English football compares to Ligue 1 and Serie A, where he played for Milan.

The defender said: “They are three very different football schools.

“I have had a great learning experience in Italy, one of the best schools for the back line and defensive phase.

“I also had great companions in my early days like [Paolo] Maldini and [Alessandro] Nesta, with whom I played for two years, so I was able to learn a lot from them.

“The French championship is a little more physical, stronger and now PSG has a dominance over the opponents and we had to risk a little more.

“And now in the English championship, the last two games I ended up with a lot of headaches because there are aerial plays at all times and, with a very high pace of play, it is very different from the other two leagues.

“I have learned from all that and I put it into practice to help the younger players.”

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has once again spoke of his admiration for Chelsea legend Michael Essien.

He told the club’s website: “He’s a fantastic midfielder. He fights for every ball, he’s a great legend.

“For me, he’s one of the best midfielders that we’ve ever had in Africa.

“I think we’ve all seen what he has done at Chelsea, what he has done for the Black Stars and for me, he’s my idol.

“I grew up watching Michael Essien, [Sulley] Muntari, the Ayew brothers – they are the people I look up to and they made a lot of impact on Ghanaians. I think this is my moment and I have to make sure I take it.”

Chelsea left-back Emerson Palmieri has opened up on his future as he revealed he could leave the club in January.

As quoted by Calciomercato, the Italian defender said: “Here at the national team I play, I have fun and I’m fine.

“The coach told me that the best solution for me is to play, at Chelsea or in another team, let’s wait for the next two months and see what will happen.

“Unfortunately I’m not playing at Chelsea, but I’m calm, I think things can improve in London or in another place.

“There was some interest in me but not concrete things. I’d like to return to play in Italy but I can’t say if it will happen in January or in five years.”