Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has responded to the recent criticism levied by Gary Neville by stating that he cannot influence the opinions of other people. The Switzerland international conceded a penalty through a reckless tackle during the recent north London derby and Neville had branded the challenge as disgraceful.

Spurs went 2-0 up following the penalty scored by Harry Kane but the Gunners managed to salvage a draw after a tremendous comeback thereafter. Speaking to reporters, Xhaka said that he can only make the difference on the playing field while acknowledging that he made a mistake contributing towards the spotkick.

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has said that Marcus Rashford should take more responsibility following the club’s 1-1 league draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the road. The Red Devils had the opportunity to take maximum points from the visit to west Midlands but they squandered the chance after Paul Pogba could not convert the penalty which he had won.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Giggs said that Rashford is a centre-forward with goalscoring pedigree and he should have taken the spot kick following the successful conversion last time around. He added that Paul Pogba does not have the best of penalty-taking records with four conversions missed over the past 12 months alone.

Former Lille boss Rene Girard has backed midfielder Idrissa Gueye to succeed with Paris Saint-Germain. The Senegal international has been in the ranks of Everton for the past three seasons but he is now expected to make the return to Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, who are set to pay around £28m to secure his signature.

Speaking to Le Parisien, Girard spoke about his association with Gueye at former club Lille while citing that the midfielder has the credentials to succeed with the French champions, he said: “Yes, because even if the team has scavengers, like Verratti, he does not have the same volume of play as Idrissa. I am sure that they will be complementary and that he will quickly find his place. His qualities allow him to play recuperator or runner, or even on one side. He will no doubt often be associated with Marco Verratti, but he can hold a sentry post without any problem. I had done it in Lille. A player like Kanté has raised his level of play as the competition has grown. Idrissa can do all that.”

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has said that the Blues are aiming to play with a high intensity and dominant games next season. The west London giants ended the previous campaign on a high with Europa League success and Azpilicueta is aiming to carry on the good traits for the new season where they will be managed by Frank Lampard.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: "I’m really looking forward to the new season," he told the club's official website. We’ve all had a good break, which was needed after a long season with the Europa League running until the end of May.It’s always a lot of hard work during pre-season but it’s the work you have to put in, to create a good base for our physical condition. We want to play with high intensity and we want to be dominant in games, the manager has explained how he wants us to play and we are all enjoying the camp so far."

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Darren Bent believes Gareth Bale has a good chance of heading to the Premier League with Spurs this summer. The Wales international has endured a torrid spell with Real Madrid in the past couple of seasons and his future remains uncertain with manager Zinedine Zidane returning to the helm.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Bent said that Bale should have do difficulty in returning to the Premier League with Spurs, considering the club are moving in the right direction after reaching the final of last season’s Champions League, he told: “I can see him coming back [to England] but where is the difficulty. You look at Spurs and he knows the club, they're going in the right direction, a new stadium, brilliant manager, young team. He'll go to where suits him best and he'll have a number of options. When you look at the teams in the Premier League, it comes down to Tottenham and Manchester United.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that he has no plans to leave the north London club and is motivated to take the team to the next level. The Argentine had recently presented doubts over his future by stating that he could leave Spurs after the Champions League final but he has now dismissed the prospect of doing so.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Pochettino revealed that Spurs have some of the best facilities in the world and he is keen on taking the club to the top of the ladder, he said: “Tottenham, for me, is the best club in the world. When we talk about facilities - this training ground, a stadium that is the best in the world - there is no better club. We need to make that step. Of course, we realise we can continue in this process, we can put Tottenham with the best teams in the world.”