“Emiliano Martinez’s right hand will never be the same again. The 34-year-old broke his ring finger while playing for Aston Villa in the Europa League final last May and opted against having it surgically repaired in order to be able to play for Argentina at the World Cup. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, he could not train properly — diving with one arm to avoid the excruciating pain that came from putting weight through his right hand. …”
NYT/ATH

Why Liverpool are in love with Ronald Araujo: Garra charrua, floor headers and Anfield difference
“When Ronald Araujo made his home debut against Nottingham Forest as a substitute right-back, he lumbered onto the pitch with the ease of a wardrobe appended to billiard-table legs. While he had mainly featured in the middle of Barcelona’s defence in recent years, he was brought to Anfield because of his versatility and experience. It might not have been obvious watching him emerge from the bench, but at Barcelona, he had sometimes been trusted to play at right-back against Real Madrid — and had dealt well with Vinicius Jr. On that squally Merseyside afternoon in August, everything felt very awkward indeed. …”
NYT/ATH

If Mikel Arteta’s dossier is part of a deliberate strategy, it is a dangerous one for Arsenal – Jonathan Wilson
“English football loves the word ‘dossier”’ It doesn’t love dossiers themselves, of course; they’re for nerds – unless, that is, they’re a ‘secret dossier’, which have a thrilling redolence of spy dramas, invisible ink and dead drops. Non-secret dossiers, though, are inherently risible: call something a ‘dossier’ in English football and you’re immediately signalling: this is absurd poindextering. Dossiers were preposterous when Don Revie was – imagine the pretension! – drawing up scouting reports on opposing players, and they are preposterous today as Mikel Arteta collates images of rival managers stepping outside their technical area. …”
Guardian