The Premier League Hall of Fame has officially honoured Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as its inaugural managers.

The duo won 16 Premier League titles between them across respective long-term spells with Manchester United and Arsenal.

Ferguson is the most accomplished manager in the competition’s history with 13 of their championships. He is the first manager to have achieved the Premier League’s Triple Title on two separate occasions.

Ferguson said: “I’m truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It’s an honour when you receive recognition like this. However, it’s not just about me as a person. It’s about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I’m also proud for the club, the staff and my players.

“My job was to send the fans home happy. United’s history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them.

“I feel Arsene is a very worthy inductee as he transformed Arsenal Football Club fantastically. They became a tough team to compete with and we both wanted to win, which motivated us further. Through the years since retirement, we’d go for dinner together in a little restaurant he knows well in Switzerland. He is a really interesting man and I enjoy his company, but it is still my job to pick the wine!”

👑 The greatest.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been inducted in the @PremierLeague Hall of Fame 👏#MUFC || #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 29, 2023

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Wenger arrived in England as one of the Premier League’s first foreign coaches in 1996, swiftly proving sceptics wrong by converting Arsenal into title winners and influencing the culture of English football with his scouting and culinary skills.

At Arsenal, he won three Premier League titles, including an unbeaten ‘Invincibles season in 2003/04.

Wenger said: “I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame. We always wanted to give something special to the fans and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.

“I’d like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger.

“To share this with Sir Alex is a great honour for me. It’s like two boxers, you fight like mad and go the distance together. At the end of the day, you have respect and it will be a great opportunity to meet with him, share a good bottle of wine and memories of our old battles.”

🥁 Our latest inductee to the Premier League Hall of Fame…

It’s a special entry, Gooners 🙌

🏆 One gold trophy
❤️ One Arsene Wenger pic.twitter.com/iNsBbe1A9t

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 29, 2023

In addition to Ferguson and Wenger, there are 16 other inductees in the Premier League Hall of Fame.

When the Hall of Fame was established in 2021, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry were the first two individuals to be inducted. During that year, they were followed by David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Dennis Bergkamp, and Steven Gerrard.

Inductees for 2022 were Ian Wright, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, Didier Drogba, Vincent Kompany, Patrick Vieira, and Sergio Aguero.

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Roy Hodgson has been re-appointed as Crystal Palace manager till the end of the season.

The 75-year-old returns to Selhurst Park just under two years after he first left the club and succeeds Patrick Vieira, who was fired on Friday.

In the period from September 2017 to May 2021, Hodgson spent almost four years at Palace, his childhood team.

Before leaving at the end of his contract to be replaced by Vieira, he led the Eagles to finishes of 11th, 12th, 14th, and 14.

The former Arsenal midfielder led Palace to 12th last year and the FA Cup semi-finals but was sacked last week after a 12-match winless run that has seen them drawn into relegation trouble.

Hodgson will be joined by his long-time assistant Ray Lewington who returns as first-team coach, while interim boss Paddy McCarthy takes on the role of assistant manager.

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Meanwhile, the long-serving Dean Kiely will retain his role as the club’s goalkeeping coach.

Upon his re-appointment, Palace chairman Steve Parish said: ‘I would like to welcome Roy and Ray back to the club. 

‘We are obviously in a very challenging period but we believe that Roy’s and Ray’s experience, knowledge of the club and players, alongside Paddy can help fulfil the immediate requirement of keeping us in the league.’

Hodgson added: ‘It is a privilege to be asked to return to the club, which has always meant so much to me, and to be given the important task of turning the team’s fortunes around. 

‘Our sole objective now is to start winning matches, and to get the points necessary to ensure our Premier League status.

‘Crystal Palace is known for its fighting spirit, and I have no doubt that all our supporters will fight with us, beginning with the visit of Leicester City a week Saturday.’

Roy Hodgson has been appointed Crystal Palace manager until the end of the season.

Paddy McCarthy will take the role as his assistant manager, and Ray Lewington returns as first-team coach.

Dean Kiely remains in his position as goalkeeping coach.

Welcome back, Roy.#CPFC

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) March 21, 2023

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After 20 months in charge, Crystal Palace has sacked Patrick Vieira.

The Eagles are currently 12th in the Premier League standings, only three points above the relegation zone as the Arsenal legend departs Selhurst Park. The replacement for Vieira or take charge for Sunday’s Premier League match at the Emirates have not yet been announced by Palace.

The early frontrunners for the position are former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and ex-Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, although a permanent replacement is unlikely to be in place before the Arsenal game. Vieira’s sacking was announced on Friday, March 17 – which, ironically, is St Patrick’s Day.

Vieira’s backroom staff – Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun – have also left Selhurst Park. Dean Kiely will remain as goalkeeping coach. Palace chairman Steve Parish admitted, “It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made.

“Ultimately, results in recent months have placed us in a precarious league position and we felt a change is necessary to give us the best chance of retaining Premier League status. That said, Patrick’s impact since joining us in the summer of 2021 has been significant, and he is held in the highest regard by myself, and all of his colleagues.

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“He led the team to a Wembley FA Cup semi-final and respectable 12th placed finish last season playing some exciting football, which was a challenging and crucial campaign for the club given the changes we made to the squad prior to his arrival.

“Patrick has given his all to the club, and we all thank him and his team for their service. We also wish Patrick, Osian, Kristian and Saïd the very best for their futures.”

In July 2021, Vieira was appointed by Palace to succeed Roy Hodgson, the former manager of England. He led the Eagles to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League and the FA Cup semifinal, where they lost to Chelsea. His first season at Selhurst Park was a success.

With a 2-1 triumph against London rivals West Ham, Palace won five of their first 13 Premier League games this season. Yet, since the World Cup in Qatar, they have only won one game. Vieira’s last 11 league games in charge did not result in a victory.

As a result, Palace is now in a relegation fight. The lowest nine clubs all have a chance of advancing, and the Londoners are only three points above the danger zone. There are just five points between Southampton in 20th and Palace.

The 1-0 loss to rival Brighton on Wednesday was the last straw for Vieira. The failure of Palace to score was his doom. Only Wolves, Everton, and Southampton have poorer records in the league than they have with only 21 goals scored this season (all scored 20 goals).

“Of course when you create chances but don’t take them you worry about that,” said Vieira after the defeat to Brighton. “Our front players have to change their mindset. We have to be more aggressive going forward.”

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The loan transfer of Albert Sambi Lokonga from Arsenal to Crystal Palace has been officially announced.

In the first half of the 2022–23 season, Lokonga was spotty for Arsenal, making just two Premier League starts as the Gunners launched an unexpected title bid.

Lokonga has played only 196 minutes in the Premier League, while the 23-year-old struggled to take his chance when starting all six of Arsenal’s Europa League group-stage games.

In the FA Cup match against Manchester City, he made his final appearance of the season for the Gunners by coming on in place of an injured Thomas Partey.

Arsenal decided to allow Lokonga to go out on loan despite their worries about Partey and the possibility that Mohamed Elneny may be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an injury.

Looking good, Sambi 💧#CPFC pic.twitter.com/EDHkRRBhcJ

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 31, 2023

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They will be expecting that the Belgian’s development will be considerably aided by working for Patrick Vieira.

To play more frequently going forward, the midfielder has now been loaned to Palace for the remainder of the season.

Jorginho, an Italian midfielder who previously played for Chelsea, has taken over in the midfield position at Arsenal, replacing the outgoing player.

Speaking to the club’s official website after making the move, Lokonga said: “I’m really excited – I can’t wait to get started. I’m really happy to join Crystal Palace. I want to go as far as possible with the team. I will try to push for me and the team to do the maximum to reach the top.”

Palace chairman Steve Parish was quick to praise Lokonga too, saying: “I would like to welcome Sambi to south London, and am pleased he has chosen to join Patrick’s squad for the rest of the season, after making an impressive start to life in English football.

“He has been on our radar for several years since his emergence at Anderlecht, and we very much look forward to his contribution as we push to climb the table”.

Another one joins 😍#CPFC

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) January 31, 2023

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According to reports, Arsenal are in talks with Crystal Palace over a loan move for Albert Sambi Lokonga.

After missing out on their top target Moises Caicedo from Brighton, the Gunners have reached a £12 million agreement with Chelsea to sign Jorginho on the final day of the transfer window.

With Arsenal out of both domestic cups, this means that Lokonga, who hasn’t featured in a Premier League match since October, will likely see his game time cut even further.

After a trying few months at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal is anxious to make sure the Belgian international can play regularly to regain his form. Lokonga will work with Patrick Vieira, a former Gunners legend, at Palace, which is eager to sign him.

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Lokonga has fallen increasingly further down the pecking order in north London and has garnered little sympathy from Mikel Arteta.

“We’ll see more, and he has to prove that what he’s asking for he can produce on the pitch,” the Spaniard said in reaction to an interview in which Lokonga stated his frustration at a lack of minutes. “We’re looking for every single player to raise their level and get the right competition in the team, and when you play and perform in a way that we win and play well enough to win games.”

Arsenal’s pursuit of Declan Rice is not considered to be impacted by Lokonga’s transfer. Mikel Arteta’s top summer transfer target is the England international, and the Gunners are eager to sign him away from West Ham.

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