Arsenal news and transfers: Gunners closing in on Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa?

PLUS: Francis Coquelin is delighted with his current role at the Emirates, and Arsene Wenger could move for axed Inter youngster Patrick Olsen

London calling: Ochoa could be on his way to the Emirates

Coquelin provides balancing act

Francis Coquelin is happy to remain an unlikely vital cog in Arsene Wenger's lineup.

Arsenal recalled Coquelin from his loan at Charlton earlier this season, and the Frenchman hasn't looked back, playing the role of the defensive midfield enforcer that the Gunners had been crying out for.

With the vast array of attacking talent for the Emirates outfit, Coquelin acknowledges that his role is an important one.

"With every player we have got going forward, you need a man with a defensive mind as well.

"If I can give the team a good balance - because we have got quite a few players going forward - hopefully we can get back to keeping clean sheets soon."

Karanka: Boro have lost surprise element

Aitor Karanka has admitted Boro won't be able to surprise Arsenal in Sunday's FA Cup clash.

Richard Sellers

Up for the Cup: But Karanka knows he won't surprise Arsenal

The Spaniard has led his side to a win at champions Manchester City and a draw after extra time at Liverpool, before losing 14-13 in a marathon penalty shoot-out, this season.

Those two results mean top of the Championship Boro have shown they can match anyone in the FA Cup fifth round - even Arsene Wenger's Gunners at their Emirates HQ in north London.

Boro boss Karanka said: "I think Liverpool could have been a surprise, Man City was a surprise, but now everybody knows Middlesbrough.

"We played very well against City - very defensive, but very good - we are top of the table now so for them it is not going to be a surprise. It is going to be difficult, very difficult."

Big-hearted Wilshere

Arsenal star Jack Wilshere made a child's dreams come true when he waited for him to come home from school and surprised him on his doorstep.

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign

Jack the lad: Wilshere with Archie and his brother Leyton

Nine-year-old Archie Hill, who suffers from life-limiting muscle wasting diseaseDuchenne muscular dystrophy, was spotted by the Gunners star during a television interview the Hill family did last month.

Wilshere, 23, was impressed with how Archie had written to Prime Minister David Cameron asking for some help in his fight against the debilitating illness.

Archie's mum, Louisa, said: "We were absolutely staggered when the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign called us to say Jack had been in touch about meeting Archie. We have had to keep the secret for weeks!

“Meeting Jack was absolutely amazing. He spent hours with the boys, in the garden, on the computer and chatting away.

Wojciech Szczesny named Brentford's keeper of the decade... despite playing just 28 games!

Arsenal shot-stopper gets the nod from the Bees faithful after an impressive spell on loan in League One that paved the way to the Gunners first team

Boost: Wojciech Szczesny has been named Brentford's keeper of the decade

has been given a welcome boost after being named Brentford’s keeper of the past decade.

The Pole has been relegated to the Arsenal bench after a string of high-profile errors, while he incurred the wrath of Arsene Wenger after lighting up in the showers following the defeat at Southampton on January 1.

However, the 24-year-old was given a pick-me-up this week after receiving the gong from the Championship Bees, despite playing just 28 games!

Szczesny was handed his league debut by Brentford against Walsall back in November 2009 and his form for the west Londoners paved the way to the Gunners first team.

READ MORE Arsenal transfer news here

Getty

Spot on: Szczesny saves a penalty against Wycombe back in 2009

His exploits haven't been forgotten by the Griffin Park faithful either after he topped a week-long Twitter poll to mark 10 years of the Football League Awards.

Each club selects up to four players to go be put forward to the judges, which will be whittled down to find a ‘Team of the Decade’.

Szczesny hasn't featured for Arsenal since the 3-2 FA Cup win against Brighton last month, but he could be recalled to the side for Sunday's fifth round clash against Middlesbrough.

Getty

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers spotted in Rome as Miralem Pjanic speculation intensifies

The Roma midfielder has been linked with a move to Anfield, and the Reds manager was snapped in the Vatican after a swift departure following the Spurs game

Target: Could Pjanic be on his way to Anfield?

Liverpool FC manager Brendan Rodgers swift exit after the 3-2 win over Tottenham on Tuesday appears to have been to visit Rome.

The Ulsterman did not attend the post-match Press conference, handing over media duties to assistant Colin Pascoe.

When the Reds number two was asked about his boss’ whereabouts he said: “He had to shoot off after the game sharpish as he had a meeting in Europe, report the Liverpool Echo.

“It’s a club matter and it’s none of your business.”

However, a photograph has now emerged online of Rodgers, wearing dark sunglasses, posing with a fan outside the Vatican with speculation suggesting that he might have been in the Italian capital to do some groundwork on trying to signRoma midfielder Miralem Pjanic.

The Bosnian international has 56 caps and turns 25 in April.

Pjanic was raised in Luxembourg after his family moved there when he was an infant ahead of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and he represented them at Under-17s and Under-19s level before reverting to his country of birth.

He started his career in France, joining Metz’s youth academy aged 14 and moved to Lyon when he was 18.

Pjanic spent three seasons at the Stade de Gerland before joining Roma in an 11 million euros deal in 2011.

Described as an ‘old-fashioned playmaker’ with huge technical qualities, he is known for his passing, dribbling, creativity, vision, and free-kick ability.

Friday 13th: Sometimes footballers have the weirdest superstitions

Today, it seems, we're all cursed. It's Friday 13th, so something is supposed to go wrong. But some footballers feel like that all the time and try there best to stop it

We don't particularly believe in all this nonsense, but there are certain footballers who are so superstitious they will be scared to get out of bed this morning.

Whether it's crossing their heart when entering the pitch, coming out of the tunnel last or even getting your hair cut before every game, some footballers can be absolutely obsessive.

A common theme throughout professional sport are the strange, wonderful and weird rituals that NEED to be carried out in order to win.

Jonny Wilkinson's pre-kick stance is a classic example, but here's 10 footballers that follow suit in their own special way:

David James

Goalkeepers are a strange bunch sometimes. Former England number one James has always been very vocal about his pre-match routine, it included things like waiting for urinals to be empty, not speaking to anybody and sometimes even spitting on the wall.

Lovely.

Action Images

Spitting David, seriously?

Adrian Mutu

Remember him? That Romanian striker who left Chelsea under a cloud a few years ago?

Every time Mutu took to the field he forced himself to wear his underpants inside out, once saying “curses cannot touch me because I wear my underwear inside out.”

Getty

Laurent Blanc

Some people go just go bald, some people shave their head out of personal preference. Either way, it will never stop people touching it... or even kissing it.

During the 1998 World Cup, former Manchester United defender Laurent Blanckissed the head of Fabien Barthez before every game for good luck.

Turns out it worked quite well, France went on to win the competition.

Getty

Bobby Moore

While we're on the subject of World Cups, rumour has it that England's World Cup winning skipper Bobby Moore had an interesting superstition of his own.

Moore used to wait for his team-mates to finish changing so he could be the last person to put on his shorts before kick-off. Erm, OK.

Moore the magnificent, pictured in the twilight of his playing career with Fulham.

Chelsea striker Diego Costa defends his "strong but noble" style of play

The Spanish striker says that he has never seriously injured an opposition player, as he gets ready to return from his three-match ban

Fair play: Costa says he has never seriously injured an opponent

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has defended his robust style of play, saying he is a 'strong but noble' player.

The Spain striker has recently come under fire for his bulldozing style of play, recently landed a three-match ban for a stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can.

However, the 26-year-old insists he doesn't have a nasty streak to his style of play, and that English football dictates a more physical approach.

"My challenges on the ball are strong but noble at the same time," he told SportMagazine.

"If you check my records, you will find out that I’ve never caused a bad injury to any player. The bottom line is that sometimes the little things I do on the pitch provoke exaggerated reactions.

"But if you rewind a bit and go through what they did to me, you may have another point of view. I consider myself a player who fights and gives everything on the pitch. Those who know me and appreciate those values understand what I say.”

Sky Sports/Ruckas Pictures

Stamping his authority: Costa insists he doesn't have a nasty streak to his game

The 26-year-old also revealed how his Champions League heartbreak with Atletico Madrid has made his more determined to become a European champion at Stamford Bridge.

Costa was part of the Aleti side that conceded a last minute equaliser to Sergio Ramos and Real Madrid in the final last year, before going on to lose in stoppage time to their city rivals.

The Spanish international is determined to use the experience to help the Blueslaunch a bid to conquer Europe once again, starting with their upcoming last 16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I am going to be honest: I want to be a champion with Chelsea, either a Premier League champion or a Champions League winner.

"I presume that winning the Champions League must be an amazing experience. I reached the final of this beautiful tournament once, but I couldn’t win it.

Costa is likely to make his comeback from suspension in the French capital against PSG next Tuesday.

Harry Kane and Ronald Koeman win Premier League player and manager of the month awards for January

The Spurs striker hit five goals in the calendar month, while the Dutch boss oversaw a 100% record four Southampton to kick off 2015

Kane is able: The Spurs striker hit five goals in January

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been crowned Premier League player of the month for January, with Southampton boss Ronald Koeman winning the managerial prize.

Kane continued his impressive form from the start of the season with five more strikes in the first month of 2015, including a brace in Spurs' 5-3 win over Chelsea at White Hart Lane.

Southampton had a 100% league record in January, taking three points from Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle, consolidating their position in the Premier League's top four.

The Spurs hitman overcame Emre Can, Oscar, Santi Cazorla and Dwight Gayle to the gong, while Koeman beat off competition from Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and Mark Hughes.

On receiving the award, the Dutchman said: "It's a reward for the manager but it's for the rest of the team as well. We are doing this together.

Dutch courage: Koeman with his award

"The win against Arsenal gave the players . It was then an unbelievable feeling to win at Old Trafford.

"Then to keep the spirit to win against Newcastle as well was great. It was a tough week but the players were fantastic."

Kane's form has seen England boss Roy Hodgson confirm he will be given a first international call-up for the games against Lithuania and Italy next month.

Hodgson said: “Yes, he’s ready for England, in the sense that you have to qualify that by what you mean 'international'. Is he worth a place in the squad now? Of course he is.

“If the question's 'Is he worthy of a place like Wayne Rooney, Welbeck and Sturridge, whoever', well, that’s something he’ll have to prove. But unless I give him a chance in the squad he’ll never get a chance to prove that."

Mamadou this, do that! Liverpool defender Sakho does a Brendan Rodgers impression while volunteering

Mamadou Sakho couldn't help but entertain his fellow volunteers by impersonating manager Brendan Rodgers while helping a local Liverpool charity

If 

Mamadou Sakho's recent form in a red shirt isn't enough to win over the Liverpool fans, then volunteering at a small local charity should just about do the trick.

Having forged a mean unit in Brendan Rodgers' back line with Martin Skrtel and Emre Can, the man with the mohawk has taken to a different type of sweeping up this week. And it proves, once again, that footballers are often pretty decent human beings.

The French international turned up for an hour's hard graft with Liverpool charity An Hour for Others, doing a spot of DIY with locals. Sakho has always held charitable organisations close to his heart - his own charity, AMSAK, helps underprivileged kids in Africa, France and the UK.

Sakho told the Liverpool Echo: ”I came to support An Hour for Others because we share the same values, and they are doing a great job. On 27 February, AMSAK gave a shirt for the fundraisers, and we are happy to support this charity.”

Splash

While getting his hands dirty, one of his co-workers can be heard offering some advice to the imposing defender to which he replies "OK, coach."

Having established himself as one of the main characters in the Liverpool dressing room, Sakho then cheekily imitates Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, saying: “Mama - switch! Return the ball!”

Before completing his hour's work Sakho signs a shirt for the An Hour for Others team to auction off, with the message: 'Pour A.H.F.D, keep up the good work, Y.N.W.A, Sakho.'

Steven Gerrard on the road to recovery as Liverpool midfielder starts his rehab after hamstring injury

Reds skipper could be missing for up to three weeks after picking up the problem during Tuesday night's 3-2 win over top-four rivals Tottenham at Anfield

Road to recovery: Steven Gerrard receives treatment to his hamstring injury

faces up to three weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, but the Liverpool captain is already on the road to recovery.

The former England star limped off during Tuesday’s win over Tottenham and could be ruled out until the beginning of March.

Gerrard is almost certain to miss Saturday’s FA Cup trip to Crystal Palace, while he is a doubt for both legs of a last-32 Europa League tie with Turkey's Besiktas and key Prem clashes with fellow European-spot challengers Southampton and Manchester City.

However, Gerrard gave the thumbs up in a picture he posted on social media on Wednesday night before following it up with one of him receiving treatment less than 24 hours later.

Messi v Ronaldo – 2015 In Numbers

Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo - 2015 In Numbers

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have had two very different starts to 2015, but which one is currently leading?

The Portuguese star has had a disappointing start to the New Year, unlike his Barcelona rival, who seems to be close to regaining his best form.

Find Out Which Player Can Match Messi’s Goal Record

Ronaldo started the season scoring 23 goals in 17 games between August and November, but has failed to reproduce that same form since - scoring only an additional 13 in the last two months combined.

Messi on the other hand has been fantastic recently, but did have a slow start to the season. His spat with Luis Enrique cast doubts over his Camp Nou future, but that all seems to be behind him now.

So far, Messi has scored 23 goals in La Liga, 33 in all competitions, while Ronaldo has 28 goals in the league and 36 in all competitions.

Messi has made 22 league appearances this year, which is three more than Cristiano's tally of 19.

Since the start of 2015, the Argentine has scored 11 goals for his club, while the Portuguese has only managed to score four.

When we look at the assists column, Ronaldo has only one to his name since New Year, but Messi has seven - and that’s just less than half of his overall tally.

However, the Argentine has played in nine of Barcelona’s 10 matches, while his counterpart has only played 559 minutes in seven games for Real Madrid. 

If we take these stats into account, we can clearly see that Lionel Messi is currently the better form player between the two, and it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo will respond to his latest dip.

Hazard Pens New Chelsea Deal

Eden Hazard Signs New Contract With Chelsea

Chelsea star Eden Hazard has finally put pen to paper on a new deal, and reportedly becomes one of the highest paid players in the Premier League.

Read: Mourinho Threatens To Storm Out Of Press Con

The 24-year-old Belgian winger spoke of his happiness at the club and said how he appreciated the support he has received since joining the Blues – adding that his manager, Jose Mourinho, has made him a better player.

“I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea,” he told Chelsea’s official website.

“Since I came here in 2012 I have always felt good and the club has been very supportive to me.

“The manager has helped me improve a lot, the fans have been fantastic and I have an amazing understanding with my team-mates.”

Jose Mourinho also had kind words for Hazard after the contract was signed, saying that he believes his winger can become one of the best footballers in the world.

“I am very happy that Eden has signed a new contract. It shows he believes in the club’s coaching staff and players to help him become the best player in the world,” said the Portuguese coach.

“He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic. He is still very young and he can become the best.”

Eden Hazard was voted Player of the Year by the club’s supporters last season and he has been in sublime form for Chelsea this term, finding the net on 13 occasions and assisting 12 goals in all competitions.

Yaya Toure EPL’s Most Valuable Player?

Yaya Toure English Premier League’s Most Valuable Player?

Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure must be seen as the English Premier League’s most valuable player and here is why.

Read: Why Man City Desperately Need Yaya

The 31-year-old is close to returning to the starting XI after his successful AFCON campaign, and his side will dearly welcome him back.

Toure boosts his side’s winning chances by a huge margin, in fact, Wednesday’s 4-1 over Stoke was Manchester City’s first league win without him.

However, they failed to come out victorious in six previous attempts with Toure missing, which calculates to a winning ratio of just 14 percent.

Meanwhile, the defending champions have won an impressive 78 percent of their games with the African star on the pitch.

Other players which increase the winning ratios of their respective clubs are Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia and Tottenham’s Harry Kane.

While United only won 16 percent of their games without Valencia, the Ecuador international raises the winning ratio to 63 percent.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to win any of their league games without their young sensation Harry Kane this season, while with him they have won 62 percent of their matches.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Falcao

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Manchester United’s Radamel Falcao

Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao, has been experiencing a difficult season in England, has been selected as the next star in our Five Things feature.

Read: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Bale

Falcao joined the Red Devils on loan from Monaco, and is currently trying to secure a permanent move to Old Trafford, but here are five things which you may or may not have known about the 29-year-old:

1) Falcao started his professional career at Lanceros Boyaca, a club in the second division in Colombia. He made his debut on August 28, 1999, when he was only 13 years and 199 days old - becoming the youngest ever player to play in Colombia's professional leagues.

2) Falcao is the record scorer in a single Uefa Cup/Europa League campaign. Jurgen Klinsman scored 15 goals in the 1995-1996 season for Bayern Munich, but it was Falcao who broke that record by scoring 17 goals in Europa League in 2010-2011 season with Porto.

3) Falcao’s move to AS Monaco from Atletico Madrid was considered a surprise by many. However, he linked his move to Monaco with his idol, Thierry Henry, who had played for the club in his early career.

4) When Falcao got injured before the World Cup playing for Monaco, the defender who injured him was sent death threats by Colombian fans. But despite missing their second-best scorer in history, Colombia played their best ever World Cup.

5) Ahead of his move to Manchester United, Falcao was accused of age cheating by an English publication, which stated they have had proof that he was two years older than he said. However, his new club dismissed the speculation and signed him anyway.

"Ronaldo Better Than Messi By Far"

"Cristiano Ronaldo Better Than Lionel Messi By Far"

Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has insisted his client is much better than the second-best player in the world, Lionel Messi.

Read: Messi v Ronaldo – 2015 In Numbers

The 49-year-old was once again full of praise for Ronaldo, saying he has been the world’s best since he was 16-years old, and there is a huge gap between him and Lionel Messi.  

"He is the best player in history, the best sportsman in history. There has never been a player like him. For me there is a huge gap between him and the number two," he told ESPN.

“He was the best in the world for his age at 16. Those things you talk about in terms of quality, about things that no-one else can do, he was already doing them.”

Mendes, who represents the likes of Ronaldo, Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria and Jose Mourinho, is reported as having brokered deals with an overall worth of more than £1 billion.

However, when asked whether he has more power than FIFA president Sepp Blatter, Mendes responded, “No, I am an agent and a person like any other.”

He was also asked whether he would be keen to have Messi as his client, to which he responded, "He's very well represented by his father."