Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos believes the Gunners are still in the running for the top four despite their average run of form. The north London side have failed to win any of the previous four league games and that has dropped them eight points behind Manchester City, who are currently occupying the final Champions League qualification spot.
Speaking to Arsenal TV, Sokratis said that the team are currently lacking confidence but they can easily rejuvenate themselves with a couple of league wins on the bounce, he told: “The team needs confidence and calm to show the quality we have. This will give confidence also. I think we can get [into the top four] because if we find one or two games where we can play very good and have a good result, after the team will take confidence and after that we have the quality.”

Former Premier League star Robin van Persie has said that Manchester United are boring to watch as there is no intensity to their play in the forward department. The Red Devils have already made their worst start to a Premier League campaign and they are presently lying in the bottom half of the standings with just nine points from eight matches.

Former Arsenal star Robin van Persie believes manager Unai Emery should stick to the strengths of his team rather than adjusting things based on the opponent. The Gunners made a sublime start to the season with back-to-back league wins but they have since stumbled with just two points from the next three Premier League matches.

Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie believes the Gunners can reach the level of Liverpool and Manchester City, should manager Unai Emery find the cohesion within the first-team squad. The north London side impressed at different stages of the 2018/19 campaign under Unai Emery but ultimately, they fell short of the Champions League places for the third season on the bounce.

Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that midfielder Donny van de Beek is set to make the move to Real Madrid this summer. The Netherlands international was one of the many standout performers for the Eredivisie outfit last term where they were able to secure a domestic double as well as reach the Champions League final.

Speaking in a press conference, Ten Hag acknowledged that Van de Beek has been a crucial player in the club’s ranks but they could not convince him to stay after the interest from Real Madrid, he said: “He [Van de Beek] was very important for us last season and he started with the same enthusiasm, freshness and a lot of energy this time around as well. His departure is a loss, but we knew it could happen. We didn't want to lose him and we did everything we could to keep him at Ajax, but when a club of this calibre enters the picture, it's difficult.”

Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie believes the Gunners can reach the level of Liverpool and Manchester City, should manager Unai Emery find the cohesion within the first-team squad. The north London side impressed at different stages of the 2018/19 campaign under Unai Emery but ultimately, they fell short of the Champions League places for the third season on the bounce.

Speaking to BT Sport, Van Persie feels the Gunners can close the gap to the Reds and Citizens in the long-term, but for that, Emery needs a group of players, who can showcase consistency over an extended period of time, he said: "They have to connect – really connect – as a team. That is Unai Emery’s job but also the players.

PSV Eindhoven winger Steven Bergwijn is understood to be eyeing a potential move to Bayern Munich this summer, his agent has revealed. The 21-year-old had a fantastic 2018/19 season with PSV where he contributed 14 goals and 12 assists in the Eredivisie, but that was not sufficient to hand his team with the title, considering the dominant season from Ajax.

Since then, he has been regularly linked with a move to Bayern with the club said to hold an interest in signing him and agent Fulco van Kooperen has acknowledged that the attacker is prepared to remain patient over the same, he told ESPN: “We have never, never said we are losing patience. Bayern are a great and huge club and it's great they like Steven. They can take all the time they need."

Times journalist Duncan Castles has urged Manchester United to opt against a potential move for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire. The England international has been strongly linked with the Red Devils since the previous summer transfer window and reports have emerged that they could break their transfer record to pursue the central defender.

Speaking on The Transfer Window Podcast, Castles said that Maguire has been performing above expectations over the past few years but he does not possess the qualities for the price tag mentioned. He added that the centre-back may be good with the defending and set-piece threat but he is not gifted with much pace.

Dutch footballer Robin van Persie has said that the unity within the Manchester United squad during the 2012/2013 season contributed to the Premier League success. The Red Devils won the English top-flight title with a comfortable 11-point gap over Manchester City and Van Persie was the main architect upfront with 26 goals to his name.

Speaking to Manchester United’s official website, Van Persie indicated that the team during that campaign was united and the achievement was a great team effort. He added that every player within the squad played their part and gave the example of Chicharito Hernandez, who got a crucial winning goal at Chelsea.

Dutch footballer Robin van Persie has indicated the ambition of stepping into coaching, once he steps down from his playing career at the end of the season. The 35-year-old is currently in the ranks of boyhood club Feyenoord where he has impressed with 17 goals across all competitions for the club.

Speaking to Belgian outlet Sport/Foot, Van Persie indicated that he learned plenty during his initial years at Arsenal and he is hoping to share the same knowledge with upcoming talents in the future, he said: “Whether it was Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, I learned from them by asking questions, but also watching them. At first, it was just analysis: how does Pires make his decisions? What’s Ljungberg doing? How does Henry choose his position? I would watch Bergkamp move constantly between the lines and thought: Wow! That’s what I wanted to achieve. I learned so much in those first few years at Arsenal that I want to give all that back.”