The new English Premier League season kicks off in two weeks. Former Arsenal star Bacary Sagna tells CNN’s Senior Sports Analyst Darren Lewis how this Arsenal squad has a family-like atmosphere.

London

Former Arsenal player Bacary Sagna has expressed confidence in Arsenal's current direction, emphasizing the strong sense of unity and family within the club under manager Mikel Arteta. Sagna highlighted Arteta's deep understanding of Arsenal's identity and praised the positive environment fostered for both players and staff.

Sagna also commented on Chelsea, noting a loss of the club's previous identity due to changes in squad structure and contract strategies. He pointed to Aston Villa as a club with a solid structure and a promising model, citing their careful spending and successful youth development as reasons for their potential to surprise in the upcoming season.

Former Arsenal star Bacary Sagna previews new season

I still believe Arsenal is really strong as a team, as an entity also. I think they have a fantastic mind in Michael Arteta because he breathes football and he understood the club from the first minute he walked in. He was first a captain, he had the Arsenal identity and I believe he brought the right people around him to look like a family and I witnessed them training in Dubai in December during their training camp and at the end of the day they all sat in the middle of the pitch because they had a really strong second part of the season to play and it was not only the players or the coaches, it was also the staff, the people helping and it was a strong image for me because I really saw a family, a strong family and I had and I exchanged words with some of the staff also. What did you talk about in general terms? They had only praise for the club, for Michael, for giving them opportunities. I witnessed this and I can tell it's on the right way to be successful. You were part of an Arsenal side that was successful so you'll know all about the importance of the right environment and clearly from what you're saying that's what Michael Arteta has created at Arsenal. You have to understand being a player is 80% mental. You need to find yourself in the right place before you can perform and I think players are happy to go training every day because they know they will be loved first of all, they know they will find someone to support them and vice versa and I think it's the best way to enter and wear the shirt because when you have the support and when you understand the impact it can have on the game it's terrific and I wish the fans could understand the impact they're having whenever they support the team. Let's just spin through a couple of the other clubs who are in the mix to win things next season. What do they look like defensively for you, Chelsea? I'm thinking about the old Chelsea. I'm nostalgic. I miss the old Chelsea. Why? Because you had warriors on the pitch. I think Jose Mourinho didn't need to be on the pitch. He had enough warriors on the pitch in Drogba, John Terry, Lampard. They were like… Ivanovic. Yes, yes, yes. Galas. Ashley Cole. They could deal by themselves and they would have been fine actually without a coach. I had the feeling that Chelsea lost that identity of it because of the number of players they had. They had 40-plus players. They put players on an eight-year contract. Of course, I respect their strategy but do you really think a player will really work hard if he knows he has still six years on his contract, sitting on a contract? I don't think it's good for the human being, not especially for players. Do you think it takes away the hunger? Yes, of course. If you know that you start the game and you still have more than 80 months to be able to cope and to get back on track, what difference would it make if you miss a game, if you score? Because you know your life is set. But when you know you have to perform because at the end of the season you might be gone, some players might come and take your position, and you need to go and shine to find a new club, it's different. The mindset is different. Tell me whether there is another team outside of what we used to call the established top four who you think might surprise us next season. I like Aston Villa because of the structure of the club. It's a solid team. They never spend a lot but they spend right. They have young players that are hungry because it's first of all one of the best academies in the UK. But no wonder the first team is solid because if you race right, you're going to perform right. And they are doing this perfectly and I think they understand they want to go gradually and not too fast to the top. I think as a model, Aston Villa to me is a team that looks maybe the best.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Kyiv and Moscow will both have to cede land to end the war in Ukraine and talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week will instantly show whether the Kremlin leader is willing to make a deal.

Washington

Ukraine Invasion

Trump says both sides in Ukraine war will need to cede territory

A prominent Al Jazeera journalist, who had previously been threatened by Israel, was killed along with four colleagues and another journalist in an Israeli airstrike in an attack condemned by journalists and rights groups.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israeli strike kills Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza

At last one person is dead, dozens are injured and two people are unaccounted for after an explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton plant in Pennsylvania on Monday.

Clairton

At least 1 dead, dozens injured in U.S. Steel plant explosion

President Donald Trump has placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and announced he's activating the National Guard to combat crime in Washington, D.C.

Trump deploying National Guard to Washington, D.C.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thanking European leaders for backing his push to join this week's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, insisting an end to the war must be fair.

Alaska

Trump and Putin set to meet on Friday without Zelenskyy

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. Kyiv and its allies fear being sidelined and worry any deal could reward Moscow’s occupation of Ukrainian territory.

Kyiv

Ukraine fights for a seat at the table ahead of Trump-Putin summit

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is defending his decision to keep fighting in Gaza, despite protests at home and abroad. Debora Patta has the latest.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Netanyahu defends plan to expand war in Gaza

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thanking European leaders for backing his push to join this week's Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, insisting an end to the war must be fair. Willie James Inman has more from the White House.

Anchorage

Countdown begins to Trump-Putin meeting, without Zelenskyy

Violent weather hit several Midwest states over the weekend, with high winds being blamed for the death of at least one person in Nebraska and flash flooding prompting a state of emergency in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Milwaukee

Milwaukee inundated with floodwaters, one dead in Nebraska

Thirty-seven major wildfires are currently burning across nine states in the western United States. Firefighters have made significant progress on the Canyon Fire in California, achieving 62% containment and allowing over 4,000 residents to return home, with minimal property loss reported.

Major fires continue to burn across western U.S.

President Donald Trump's envoy met with the Qatari prime minister on Saturday in Spain to discuss possible deals to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, as Israel's military plans to expand into Gaza City. Meanwhile, families of Israeli hostages and Palestinians alike are pleading for peace.

Families of Israeli hostages, Palestinians plead for ceasefire

Renewed anti-government protests have taken place in Israel, where relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages held by Hamas demanded their release and an end to the brutal war Israel has been waging in Gaza.

Israeli anti-government protesters take to the streets in Tel Aviv

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv "values and fully supports" a joint statement by European leaders that welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to try to end the war, while emphasizing the need to pressure Russia and provide security guarantees for Kyiv.

Europe stresses need to protect Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin meet

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has firmly rejected Russia’s proposal requiring land concessions to end the war. Ukrainian and European officials have submitted a counterproposal to Washington.

Ukraine, Europe counter Russian ceasefire proposal ahead of US talks

There have been more protests, and counter protests, in several British towns and cities, outside of hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers. Some far-right protesters called for one of the hotels to stop housing migrants.

Bournemouth

UK: Anti-immigration & anti-racism protesters face off

A man who opened fire on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta, firing into the complex from a pharmacy and killing a police officer, blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him depressed and suicidal, according to reports.

Atlanta

Vaccine conspiracy could be behind Atlanta shooting

The Gifford Fire burning through the rugged backcountry of California's Central Coast is now the state's largest wildfire of the year. It has reached so-called "mega-fire" status and is one of 38 large fires burning across nine states.

San Luis Obispo

Largest California wildfire of 2025 reaches "mega fire" status

President Trump is preparing to take another swing at a deal with President Putin during a high-stakes summit next Friday in Anchorage, Alaska. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the country will never give up land, even if it means an end to the war.

Trump: Ukraine must cede land for ceasefire; Zelenskyy refuses

The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a rare Sunday meeting to discuss Israel's plan to intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking control of Gaza City. CBS News' Debora Patta reports on the conflict and the mounting humanitarian crisis.

Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza comes under fire

At least 200 protesters have been arrested at a rally showing solidarity for Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Parliament in London. Crowds are also demonstrating against a ban on the Palestine Action group, after it was designated as a terrorist organisation.

London:  Hundreds arrested during Palestine action protest

After almost four decades of a bloody conflict that until recently had no end in sight, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement in the presence of the US President Donald Trump. Notably absent in this historic moment is Russia, which no longer plays a central role in the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan and Armenia sign historic agreement

Montana's governor said that the dayslong manhunt for the suspect in a bar shooting has ended. 45-year-old Michael Brown was taken into custody on Friday.

Anaconda

Montana bar shooting suspect captured after weeklong manhunt

President Trump announced Friday that he will hold a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska. The summit comes as Russia has been pushing to keep all the Ukrainian territory it gained from its invasion. Nancy Cordes and Margaret Brennan have the latest.

Trump, Putin to hold meeting in Alaska next week

The U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas in its investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. CBS News' Jake Rosen reports.

New York

Trump's DOJ subpoenas New York AG Letitia James

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the coming days, the Kremlin said on Thursday (August 7), as the U.S. president seeks a breakthrough to end the Ukraine war after voicing mounting frustration with his Russian counterpart and threatening him with new sanctions.

Moscow

Kremlin says Trump, Putin to meet soon; Ukraine seeks role for Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump's rushed deadline for Russia to strike a ceasefire deal or face more sanctions has arrived without much movement from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump deadline for Russia to reach ceasefire arrives

Protesters in Israel are voicing their concerns about a plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet to take over Gaza City. CBS News' Debora Patta has more.

Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full military control of Gaza and push a new offensive, despite mounting international criticism over the war’s human toll and growing hunger crisis.

Breakdown