Podolski and Mertesacker square up in Samurai Warrior gear as Arsenal take Japan by storm

Arsenal have been busy banging in the goals on their pre-season tour to the Far East but it's not been all work and no play for Arsene Wenger's men.

The Gunners are now in Japan and defender Per Mertescaker and striker Lukas Podolski have been quick to soak up some local culture.

The German duo looked the part in full Samurai Warrior gear at the Urawa Royal Pines Hotel in Saitama while Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta and French defender Bacary Sagna were given a lesson in preparing sushi.

Arsenal, who have been making the headlines back home with their pursuit of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, thumped an Indonesian XI in Jakarta at the start of the tour and hammered Vietnam 7-1 in their national stadium last week.

Here are some pictures.

Suarez!!!!!!: Love rivals! Ibrahimovic shoves opposing player after being KISSED on the neck.

After all the furore of the Luis Suarez biting scandal, there was room in football for a public display of affection – rather than aggression. Nice defender Renato Civelli planted a kiss on Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic  after the pair tussled during the Ligue 1 match. The Argentinean, with his arms held aloft while approaching the big Swede, arched his neck and laid a wet one on Ibrahimovic.

But the Argentine’s attempts to rile the prolific 31-year-old failed drastically on the night. Ibrahimovic ran riot up front. Not only did he score PSG’s second from the spot, but he set up the league leaders’ third as they opened up a nine-point gap at the top with a 3-0 victory.

Mum blames Suarez after son is bitten by another child in 'copycat' incident

A mother from Wales believes Liverpool striker Luis Suarez is to blame after her son was bitten by another child at school this morning.

  Suarez was fined £300,000 by his club after digging his teeth into Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic. The Uruguayan striker escaped a red card at Anfield yesterday, allowing him to remain on the pitch to score the 97th-minute equaliser against the visiting Blues. Suarez will not face criminal charges for the incident but has since been charged with violent conduct by the FA. 

But now a concerned parent believes her son was the victim of a 'copycat' incident after he was bitten on the elbow while at school.

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Luis Suarez: The serious and the less serious

Luis Suarez's bite-attack on Chelsea rival Branislav Ivanovic may have rocked English football but it has also inspired many people to take a more light-hearted view of the scandal online. 

Photoshopped images of the Liverpool striker have gone viral, including one showing him as the blood-thirsty Count Dracula and more as killer shark Jaws, gobbling up victims.Others have compared him to a dangerous dog needing a muzzle or someone who is just very hungry. 

The Uruguayan was today offered anger management classes by the Professional Footballers' Association, allowing jokers to recreate the poster for Jack Nicholson's hit film, Anger Management.

These bite-inspired images have already become internet hits viewed by thousands around the world. Suarez earned the nickname 'The Cannibal of Ajax' and a seven-match ban in 2010 for drawing blood from the shoulder of PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal while playing in Holland, allowing comparisons to Hannibel Lecter.

Liverpool's Managing Director Ian Ayre has confirmed that the Uruguayan has been fined for his latest misdemeanour  - believed to be between £200,000 to £400,000 – which go to the Hillsborough Family Support Group.