Mikel Arteta praised the influence of Granit Xhaka in helping Arsenal carve out their surprise title challenge this season but would not be drawn on whether the midfielder will still be at the club next season. Xhaka has been a key figure alongside Thomas Partey in Arteta’s midfield this campaign, becoming a respected leadership presence and redeeming himself in the eyes of supporters after a public spat in 2019 threatened his place in the squad. Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen have been heavily linked with a move for the 30-year-old, whose contract is due to expire at the end of next season. He spent four years in Germany with Borussia Monchengladbach before Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal in 2016 for around £30million, but he endured a strained relationship with fans culminating in a confrontation as he was substituted during a game against Crystal Palace at the Emirates four years ago. Then manager Unai Emery subsequently stripped him of the captaincy and his time at the club looked to be over. But this season has seen a full rehabilitation for the Switzerland international as Arsenal ran Manchester City to the final weeks of the season for the title and returned to the Champions League after a six-year absence. “For me (he’s been) crucial – really, really important at every level, and I think for the team and the club as well,” said Arteta, who said he would not comment on the futures of any of his side until after Sunday’s Premier League finale against Wolves. “In the great moments like this season he has had, and in the difficult ones, because I think we have become a better club and better people and we have understood certain situations much better than just judging them. “I think the club and a lot of people have done really good to dig in there to understand what happened emotionally and why those reactions were happening. “Having the courage to say, ‘OK, turn around to the situation, face it’. There’s going to be a moment of doubt but if you believe in what you’re doing and you go face-to-face and you say what you feel, normally things work out pretty well. “When you look how he behaved. We have some others who are absolutely a joy for those boys, the way they treat them. And he has an honest and unique willingness to help them. It’s not an act, it’s genuine. “It makes the difference. We have four or five in that dressing room who have been critical for these players to grow, to have the right support, to inspire them and in the right moment to challenge them when it’s necessary to get them in the right direction when they are tempted to go somewhere else. You need that in that dressing room.” Arteta said he would take the time to recharge himself after a draining campaign in which Arsenal led the table for 248 days before slipping away, a record for any side that has failed to win the title. The team were eight points clear as recently as early April before a string of draws against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton weakened their advantage, allowing Manchester City to finally overtake them with a thumping 4-1 win at the Etihad. The manager predicted the challenge will be even tougher if Arsenal aim to prevent City from winning a record fourth-straight crown, but planned to switch off from football for a period over the close season. He has an honest and unique willingness to help them. It’s not an act, it’s genuine Mikel Arteta on Granit Xhaka “I have the necessary energy to go into the last game and really feel again that connection, play well, win the game and finish the season in the right way,” he said. “Then I have another kind of energy without that being so physical and so demanding and being there every single day but to have the time to think as well; to plan what we want to do, to try execute it, but to recharge my batteries as well next to my family, next to my friends, on a beautiful beach just not thinking about football. “It’s very important (to be able to switch off). Me personally I have to get better at that but I think I have some good help around.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jurgen Klopp has ‘no worries’ over Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool Michael O’Neill to put faith in youth as injuries pile up for Northern Ireland Tottenham is a big club – Ryan Mason sure Spurs job still attractive proposition

By Nate Raymond BOSTON A former correctional counselor at a federal prison in Massachusetts pleaded guilty on Wednesday

Russia’s Central Election Commission says the country’s ruling party won the most votes in elections held in occupied Ukrainian regions

Donald Trump was back at it again on Truth Social over the weekend. The ex-president is working to secure his victory in the Republican nominating contest before it even officially begins, swiping at any rival that dares to pull into competitive territory. At present, that largely means gratuitous attacks aimed at Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, who is the only other Republican consistently pulling double-digit poll numbers. On Saturday, Mr Trump claimed that the Florida governor was now seeking to depart the presidential race after Mr DeSantis’s poll numbers dropped somewhat in the wake of the ex-president being indicted on state and federal charges. “Ron DeSanctimonious is desperately trying to get out of the Presidential race, while at the same time saving face for 2028, where he has been greatly damaged,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. He went on to suggest that money transferred over from the governor’s 2022 reelection bid to his presidential campaign may have been done so illegally — though the governor hasn’t been accused of committing any crimes by any credible authority. It was the kind of attack that Mr Trump has been lobbing at the governor for months – to little response. Mr DeSantis has largely refrained from attacking his rival in the 2024 contest, apparently fearful of alienating the Republican base in a way that Mr Trump does not worry about. The Florida governor’s campaign for the 2024 nomination is also complicated by the entrance of a number of Republican rivals such as Nikki Haley, Sen Tim Scott and others, all of whom are thought to be splitting the vote share of Republicans who have grown tired of the former president. Mr Trump, meanwhile, has seen his own poll numbers grow amid his two criminal indictments, with many Republicans seemingly taking his word that he is innocent of the crimes for which he is charged and agreeing that he is the subject of a “witch hunt”. Read More Trump’s encounter with Guy Fieri at UFC fight sparks mixed reactions DeSantis nervously laughs when asked about campaign ‘failure to launch’ in Fox News interview Trump lawyer Alina Habba leaves his defence team in New York fraud case

WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 27, 2023--

Guatemalans will elect a new president Sunday after a tumultuous campaign, hoping that the country’s next leader will provide relief from rising prices and get a handle on crime and corruption

'I mean, my dad is a stallion. He's a man's man, I like to think, and I look up to him a lot,' Joseph Baena said about Arnold Schwarzenegger

Shannon Sharpe let Aaron Rodgers have it on Undisputed when criticizing the Green Bay Packers last week.Shannon Sharpe may be leaving Undisputed soon, but his criticism of former Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is irrefutable.While they will be teammates for life in the Pro ...

The leaders of South America’s Amazon nations will gather in Brazil this week as President Luiz Inacio Lula

Goalkeeper Ben Foster has retired from football for a second time. The ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Forster walked away from the game last September but was convinced to end his retirement and sign for Wrexham in March. He has now called time on his career following a difficult start to the new campaign. Foster said: “I feel sometimes you’ve just got to be honest with yourself and admit that you can’t do what you used to be able to do.” Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds said on Twitter: “He built memories I’ll never let go of for as long as I live.” Read More Moment Spanish FA president kisses Jenni Hermoso on the lips after world cup win Lionesses ‘won the hearts’ of fans despite World Cup defeat Injured Lioness Beth Mead says World Cup has been ‘tough to watch’ from home

China has built the world's largest naval fleet, more than 340 warships, and until recently it has been regarded as a green-water navy, operating mostly near the country's shores.

JAKARTA (Reuters) -Short video app TikTok said it will halt transactions on its platform in Indonesia from Wednesday following the