The North London side will look to extend their lead over second place Manchester City, while Manchester United hope to return to winning ways after dropping points in the midweek game against Crystal Palace.
The 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park saw the Red Devils’ nine-game winning streak come to an end after Michael Olise’s 91st minute freekick ruled out Bruno Fernandes’ first half opener.
It was an unfortunate end to the game for the Manchester side, who late on saw midfield talisman Casemiro booked for a fifth time this season, resulting in a one-match suspension and therefore unavailable for the game this afternoon.
The Brazilian has been one of Erik ten Hag’s standout players this season, with the Dutch manager relying heavily on the defensive midfielder.
The Manchester United manager said: “Casemiro is obviously a really important player for us, he’s one of the reasons we are where we are now.”
The ex-Real Madrid star averages higher tackles (4.2) and duels (8.08) per 90 minutes than United’s other midfield options Fred and Scott McTominay, despite playing more minutes than the pair.
Casemiro has been crucial for @ManUtd this season ?
How will Erik ten Hag's team cope without him in #ARSMUN? ?
? https://t.co/rBL5x01Qst pic.twitter.com/wiO9MAPxXZ
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 19, 2023
Manchester United can find encouragement by looking back at their 3-1 victory at Old Trafford in September, where they beat Arsenal without Casemiro in the starting line-up.
Erik ten Hag added: “But last time we beat Arsenal without Casemiro so we have a squad, we have to fill the gap, make a proper plan and the squad have to fill it and make sure, as a team.
“We already showed how to beat Arsenal.”
That being said, Arsenal were also without their regular midfielder Thomas Partey, who missed the tie through injury, replaced with Albert Sambi Lokonga.
Partey, like Casemiro, has been in fine form this season, with fans often comparing the Arsenal and Manchester United’s central defensive midfielders in a debate as to who is better.
The Ghanaian will be available for selection this time round and could give Mikel Arteta’s side the edge in the midfield battle.
The North London side have bolstered their squad with the addition of Leandro Trossard who is in line to make his debut today, after signing from Brighton on Friday.
Mikel Arteta said: “We are really happy to have him. He’s a player we followed for a while.
“The opportunity came and we had the necessity for a player in the front line who is versatile.”
The Gunners are enjoying life at the top of the Premier League but will be aware of the presence of Manchester United, who many have included in the title race.
United currently sit eight points behind Arsenal but could reduce the gap to five with a win against their rivals.
Victory for Manchester United certainly keeps things interesting at the top of the table, despite Arsenal’s game in hand, although that’s against fellow title challengers Manchester City.
City could themselves close the gap behind the Gunners to just three points if they were to beat Wolves in the 2pm kick-off later today.
A must-win game for both Arsenal and Manchester United, fans will hope to see echoes of the fierce rivalry of old between the two giants.
K/O 4:30pm from the Emirates Stadium.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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]]>Those same casuals will be more than aware that just 15 months ago Saka experienced a moment of sporting misfortune that had the potential to derail a career. Survival in the Euro 2020 final on the line. The enormous frame of Gianluigi Donnarumma dives the right way. Penalty saved. A torrent of racial hatred follows online.
A grim feeling of doubt was therefore surely present in the minds of some as the slight figure of Saka, made to look even slighter by the framing of the camera, prepared to find a way past the sizeable Alisson and give Arsenal the lead for a third time on Sunday afternoon against Liverpool.
Saka guided an effort into the bottom left corner of the Brazillian’s goal with both precision and power. Alisson dived the right way, just as Donnarumma did at Wembley, but the conviction with which the ball was struck meant the possibility of a save was never realistic.
That goal sent Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League table.
What those with less investment in the fortunes of the 21-year-old may not have realised is that this was not the first decisive spot-kick that Saka has taken responsibility for since, nor is it even the second.
The successful penalty at the weekend means that he has now scored from the spot against Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea since the Euro 2020 final – all of which came in important games and earned equally important points.
Prowess from 12 yards is not the only art that the Ealing-born attacker appears to have mastered though. His goals per 90, assists per 90, expected goals per 90, key passes per 90 and successful dribbles per 90 so far this season are higher than at any other point in his Arsenal career.
Rather than being inhibited or defined by such a potentially traumatic moment, or understandably allowing performance levels to drop and concentration to drift by trying to force the issue from his mind’s eye, it is now almost as if Saka is using that moment to fuel personal and team success.
He is no longer simply a promising talent nor a symbol of the potential of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, he is now defined by harder, more mature attributes such as the consistency of those curling finishes when coming inside from the flank, and the directness of his ball-carrying when the opportunity presents itself.
Saka’s England redemption may come in earnest in the coming months, but a recent appearance off the bench against Germany in the Nations League was the most forceful claim yet that he should be starting in attack alongside Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in Qatar.
Introduced in the 66th minute in place of Phil Foden with England two goals down, Saka played a part in both of the goals that dragged Gareth Southgate’s side level in the eventual 3-3 draw.
Whilst there can be no denial of the talent of the Manchester City man, Saka’s impact on what was seemingly a desperate situation may indicate that he is less reliant on systems or styles of play to prove effective. Foden has been surrounded by superstars from the very start, Saka has had to drag Arsenal to a level whereby they can attract such players once more. With England patently in a difficult situation before the World Cup even starts, it may be that Saka’s battling qualities are what is required in the desert heat.
With Arteta in the third full season of his project in North London, the team is now at a level befitting Saka’s talent. Martin Odegaard’s ascension to creative focal point has lessened the burden on him to instigate attacks. The continual improvement of the equally impressive Gabriel Martinelli has meant opponents have a goal-scoring threat on either flank to contend with. Gabriel Jesus’s perpetual motion is giving Saka less work to do off the ball as well as opening up more space for him when he does have possession.
Even though Saka’s own trajectory in terms of ability and the influence he has on this Arsenal team seems destined to continue blossoming, it may well be that this, right now, is the best we ever see of him. Development is not linear and form is prone to fluctuation, so embrace what we are seeing of this brilliant young individual now, and don’t forget how he made you feel in this moment.
Bukayo Saka has already achieved so much. Cherish him.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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Early signs suggested it was shaping up to be a good day’s work for the Gunners but one man was hell-bent on ensuring costly complacency remained at bay: after the initial celebrations and laudations of Partey’s goal, Granit Xhaka ordered the ten outfielders into a huddle, reminding them — finger vigorously pointing to his head — to remain switched on.
For a player so often associated with heightened on-pitch emotions and its symptoms, including recklessness and losses of temper, Xhaka brought a cool composure to that moment of sheer jubilation, something which testifies to his personal development.
Martin Odegaard wears the armband these days but the Switzerland skipper’s leadership credentials are not to be underestimated. Now, his influence on the pitch has finally come to mirror his sway and esteem in the dressing room. In a purely footballing sense, Xhaka has emerged as, truly, one of Arsenal’s most important players, a key cog in the machine that Mikel Arteta has spent the last three years constructing.
Arguably the biggest cheer of a joyous day on the red half of North London came when Arsenal’s third was powered home by Xhaka. The 30-year old, positioned almost as a second striker as Gabriel Martinelli received the ball on the left edge of the area, nicked it off the Brazilian before powering past Hugo Lloris and into the bottom corner to send the Emirates into raptures.
Chants of “We’ve got Granit Xhaka!” echoed around the ground as he lapped up the extolment from fans and teammates alike. It was a goal and celebration, a moment, which underlined Xhaka’s importance to the Gunners and his strong, mutually affectionate bond with the club’s supporters.
It hasn’t always been this way; indeed, there’s been quite some journey up to this point.
Xhaka joined Arsenal for a fee of around £30million back in the summer of 2016. There was tangible excitement amongst the Gunners faithful at acquiring a player who had captained former club Borussia Monchengladbach as young as 22 and had also registered impressive performances on the continental and international stages, especially while representing Switzerland at Euro 2016.
But, as it turned out, the club was entering a period of decline. Although they had finished 2nd in the season prior, Arsenal’s points tally of 71 remains the third-lowest ever recorded by a Premier League runner-up, before 2016/17 resulted in a 5th-placed finish and failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
Fairly or not, Xhaka — as a near-permanent fixture in defensive midfield since his arrival — became something of a poster boy for Arsenal’s downfall, his impetuousness and competitive edge juxtaposed in a negative sense with the Gunners’ increasing reputation for mental fragility and gutlessness. He was the outlier and therefore the most liable to blame. The midfielder’s relationship with the fanbase appeared to suffer as a result: by and large, his was not a popular name for a number of years.
It all reached boiling point on 27 October 2019 when, while the Gunners were being held at 2-2 on home turf by Crystal Palace, Xhaka was withdrawn by manager Unai Emery. The substitution was greeted with ironic cheers and applause from the home fans. The midfielder, booed as he departed the field, responded by cupping his ears to the crowd and cursing the reaction of those in attendance, before promptly storming off down the tunnel.
At this point, it probably seemed to all parties involved that there was no way back; a suspension from the first team followed and the groundwork was laid for Xhaka’s departure at the earliest opportunity. Few would have predicted that, three years after that infamous incident, he would have reemerged as one of the most important — and most adored — players at the Emirates.
But here we are, and he’s done just that. The strength of character shown to rebuild bridges burnt between himself and the club’s supporters, to keep putting himself under the spotlight when other less determined players might have caved in and moved elsewhere, is beyond commendable.
That he has been able to retain his place in the starting 11 amid a thorough, sweeping rebuild at the Emirates demonstrates his importance from the outset. Regardless of supporter opinion, he has almost perpetually been one of the first names on the team sheet right from his arrival under Arsene Wenger, through Emery’s tenure and into the present Arteta era.
Clearly, managers see something tangibly positive about the midfielder’s presence which made it worthwhile persisting with Xhaka even through the darkest hours of his career. Perhaps his most infectious trait is his competitiveness, his steadfast determination to win. Sure, it can on occasion boil over into ill-discipline but, when channeled positively and productively, it turns him into a real force. Every successful team needs players, and people, like that.
The ways in which defeat affects the midfielder were conveyed well in Amazon Prime’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary following Arsenal in the 2021/22 season. Winning is his drug and he’ll stop at nothing to experience the high. That kind of attitude and resoluteness will doubtless rub off on his teammates; perhaps, over time, it has contributed to the creation of the overtly confident Gunners team we are watching today.
Xhaka’s unwavering dedication to the cause has never been in doubt. Now, with the trust of Arteta — the role of the Spaniard, as the man who restored him into the fold, has been pivotal — and the support and affection of the fans, he has been given the platform from which to find more productive ways of channeling his competitive edge.
The 30-year old owes an awful lot to Arteta, not just for the extent of his development under his tutelage, but for the receipt of the opportunity of redemption in the first place. But how exactly has his game improved so drastically? And what specifically has the manager done to get the best out of him? He is now a player transformed, a totally different tactical asset to that which arrived in 2016.
Xhaka arrived in North London as a deep-lying playmaker but, as alluded to earlier, this season he has been operating much higher up the pitch. The tactical benefits of this are numerous. Positioning him more towards the attacking third than the defensive one goes some way towards mitigating the midfielder’s difficulty with positional awareness and recklessness in the tackle.
It also allows Xhaka the opportunity to use his pinpoint passing and ball-striking ability to contribute more directly to goals. With two to his name already and a further three assists on top of that, the midfielder is well on his way towards enjoying his most productive campaign in terms of goal contributions: a total of five from eight games looks certain to beat his current personal best of eight in 2017/18.
Credit must be attributed here to Arteta and his tactical grasp; that Xhaka’s traits and abilities would be better utilised higher up the pitch was not explicitly obvious from the outset. Indeed, it has proven such an innovative, effective move that opposition teams are still desperately struggling to contain him, their endeavours to do so in turn freeing up space for those around him on the left side of the pitch.
Martinelli enjoyed arguably one of his best games in an Arsenal shirt against Tottenham at the weekend, his energy and dynamism proving borderline impossible for Emerson Royal to deal with. The Brazilian deserves enormous praise for his performance but also in turn owes an awful lot to Xhaka, whose ability to penetrate and confound the Spurs defence with both his passing and his movement gave the winger the freedom to wreak havoc from the left.
In essence, the benefits of Xhaka’s new role — both to himself and to Arsenal’s performances at large — are abundant. Continuing in this vein will set both the player and his club up for one of their most fruitful campaigns in recent memory.
The fact that Arteta has been able to improve Xhaka — a player already approaching his late 20s when the Spaniard took over — so drastically bodes well for his potential to get the most out of Arsenal’s younger prospects, as the emergence of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe proves. The midfielder is something of a mentor for the youth in the team, now not only as a respected voice and authority, but as one of the best players at the club and as a case study for personal development and perseverance.
Sticking with Arteta — and, indeed, with Xhaka — look even better decisions by the day. Currently sitting atop the Premier League table, the Gunners are going places and these two are key figures in both the journey that got them here and that which lies ahead. Victory in the North London derby merely corroborated two things which have been known for a while now: Xhaka is a man reborn and Arsenal are a club revived.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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]]>The Gunners will be hoping that this season – Mikel Arteta’s fourth – will finally ensure that they mark their return to the Champions League next year.
Although Arsenal have improved from Arteta’s previous seasons, the end of the Gunners’ campaign turned sour as their hopes of being in the Champions League came to an end. But, it is clear that there has been a progression in this Arsenal side and even though this progress is not always linear, they look to be heading in the right direction.
Consecutive opening defeats against Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City meant that tensions were high at the Emirates in the initial stages of last season. A victory against Norwich and a tightknit win at Turf Moor – courtesy of a glorious Martin Odegaard freekick – bought Arteta time for the first north London Derby of the season.
As shown in Amazon’s ‘All of Nothing: Arsenal’ documentary, Arteta took an unorthodox approach to the team talk: inviting Club Photographer Stuart MacFarlane to rally the players before the match. The decision proved a success and Arsenal beat their rivals 3-1. This seemed to be a turning point in fan relations within the Emirates. From there, Arteta had changed the tune around the stadium: they wanted top four.
But the fairy-tale ending was not to come for the Gunners. A defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with just three matches remaining put pressure on Arsenal, who had to win against Newcastle United to stay in control of their top four hopes: this was easier said than done.
An own goal from Ben White and a late second from Bruno Guimaraes plummeted Arsenal to defeat in their penultimate league match and meant that their final league position was out of their hands. Despite an outstanding 5-1 victory over Everton on the final day, there was a glum mood around the Emirates as they had lost out on Champions League football to bitter rivals Spurs.
Arsenal’s transfer window has seen them continue with the same philosophy that we saw the previous year: signing young players but also adding experience to the squad. The arrivals of Man City players Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko not only improve the technical aspect of the squad but the depth too.
Zinchenko, who can play in the left side of the midfield if needed, brings competition and cover for Kieran Tierney, who had a track record of injuries since his move to London. Jesus also offers the same versatility. As seen at Man City, the 25-year-old forward can operate as a number nine or drift out to play on the left.
The Gunners have also strengthened their defence this summer; without making a new signing. The return of William Saliba from Olympique Marseille will be key for Arteta’s side this season.
The 21-year-old centre-back impressed in France yet again last year and will give support for Gabriel Magalhaes and White: especially when White fills in at right-back.
As always, Bukayo Saka will be one to watch for Arsenal this season, but Jesus may just steal the show. The Brazilian has impressed in preseason – scoring seven goals in the process.
Jesus should be the focal point of Arsenal’s attack this coming season. His ability to drift out wide but still make the forward runs into the box offers something different to what Alexandre Lacazette was giving last year.
A fluid attack of Gabriel Martinelli, Jesus and Saka should have the Arsenal fans excited for the new season. When Odegaard and Fabio Vieira are thrown into the mix too, the Gunners’ ability to score goals should not be a problem.
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It was the Brazilian’s first appearance in the red and white of his new employers, and the near-on instant impact he had in helping to overturn a 2-0 half-time deficit has understandably whet the appetite for what Jesus can achieve in North London in the upcoming season and beyond.
Following the January departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was left short of both quality and options in attack at the end of last season as his side agonisingly missed out on a Champions League qualification spot to their eternal rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The expiration of Alexandre Lacazette’s contract at the end of June only further increased the need for a new forward at the Emirates Stadium, and with Jesus in search of a new challenge after a successful if not entirely satisfying five-and-a-half years at Manchester City, a reunion with former City assistant Arteta seemed an ideal solution for all involved.
However, there has been a fair degree of debate over whether or not the 25-year-old is capable of leading the line for a team looking to return to the top table of European football.
In an interview with Sky Sports, South American football expert Tim Vickery pinpointed how Jesus’ inability to score for Brazil in five appearances at the 2018 World Cup in Russia lead to him asking national team manager Tite to be used as a wide player going forward rather than as an out-and-out centre-forward.
Although his highest-scoring Premier League season followed not long after in 2019/20, and competition for a starting role up front in Manchester was decreased when Sergio Aguero left City in the summer of 2021, Jesus’ game time was still limited by the regularity with which Pep Guardiola used a midfielder as his central attacking force.
Of his 28 Premier League appearances last season, Jesus only started 10 as a central striker.
His tally of eight goals therefore possibly deserves greater credit than it has received, yet his inability to establish himself as Guardiola’s go-to striker surely contributed to the Premier League Champion’s desire to sign Erling Haaland, and only adds doubt to the idea that Jesus will be the goal-scorer that helps Arsenal re-establish themselves at the pinnacle of English football.
According to FBref, Jesus underperformed his individual expected goals total in all but one of his five full seasons at the Etihad Stadium, and the number of goals per shot he was averaging dropped to 0.11 last season – slightly lower than the 0.18 averaged by Arsenal’s first-choice striker at the end of the season, Eddie Nketiah.
In comparison, Tottenham’s Harry Kane has only underperformed against his individual xG tally in one of the previous five Premier League campaigns, and Aguero’s goals per shot number never dropped below 0.17 in the four full seasons he played alongside Jesus.
Jesus is by no means incapable of scoring goals in the Premier League though.
His most prolific campaign for City saw him score 14 goals despite starting only 21 matches, his overall tally for the club of 95 was racked up from a total of 151 starts, and his neat finish in Nuremberg on Friday afternoon doubled his tally for the afternoon and wrapped up the win for his new team displayed the movement, anticipation, and execution of a forward who knows how to find the back of the net.
It was his first goal of the afternoon, arriving barely a minute after the Brazilian had been introduced as a half-time substitute with his new team-mates two goals down against the 2.Bundesliga side that displayed a wider range of Jesus’ useful attacking qualities though.
First, Jesus closed down an opposition defender as he looked to control a ball dropping out of the sky. Praising Jesus for forcing centre-back Asger Sorenson into the heavy touch he then took would be giving him too much credit, but the subsequent determined dribble after securing possession, intelligent pass inside to Nketiah, and accurate finish after continuing his run more than exemplified the well-rounded nature of the Brazilian’s talent.
Even though this snapshot of Jesus’ quality was capped by the ball finding the net, his ability to impact matches is not restricted to goal-scoring alone.
His work rate off the ball can hardly be questioned, with his 239 defensive pressures in the final third across the 2019/20 Premier League season – his most impactful in Manchester – second only to Kevin de Bruyne’s 253 among his former City team-mates, and 18th overall among forwards in the league – an achievement made even more impressive by the fact that Guardiola’s side averaged almost 67% control of possession across the season.
Jesus’ ability to create opportunities for others is another quality that should help Arsenal improve next season.
The way in which Jesus picked out Nketiah in the build-up to the new signing’s first goal in Arsenal colours was quite possibly a snapshot of his attacking vision in such situations, a facet of the Palmeiras academy graduate’s game that Arteta will be hoping can enhance the effectiveness of the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka.
For some, the success of the £45million signing will be determined by whether or not he can hit the 15-goal mark in the English top-flight for the first time and bring Champions League football back to the Emirates.
But the fact only eight players scored 15 or more goals in the Premier League last season should be enough to indicate that the success of an individual cannot be determined by their goal tally alone, and given the array of impressive elements present within Jesus’ game, some of which he has already displayed in an Arsenal shirt, it would be wise to assess the influence he is having in other areas of the pitch before passing judgement.
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]]>Their last appearance in the prestigious competition saw them taste defeat to then five time winers Bayern Munich, with the Gunners being knocked out via an embarrassing 10-2 aggregate scoreline over the two knockout stage legs.
Since then their continental quests have taken place in the Europa League, with a 2019 4-1 final defeat against London rivals Chelsea being the closest they have come to success. Last season was their first without European football since the 1995/96 campaign and while they were handed the boost of not having to play many games during the week, they were still unable to clinch a coveted top four spot.
Mikel Arteta’s side have certainly shown signs of improvement in recent months, but their chances of returning to the Champions League next season could be even slimmer.
With just three games left to play in the season, Arsenal travelled to their arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur for their postponed North London derby.
The Gunners sat in fourth and four points clear of Spurs going into the match and knew that a win on the road would have been enough for them to claim a spot in the top four. However come full time, their chances of Champions League qualification dipped dramatically.
Harry Kane opened the scoring for Spurs after just 22 minutes with a penalty, before Rob Holding was sent off for the visitors after a clumsy foul on Son Heung-min, with the centre-back being dismissed for a second yellow card. Just four minutes later Kane made it 2-0 with a close range header, with Son then making it game, set and match within the opening moments of the second half.
In the hours prior to kick-off Arteta’s side were full of confidence, but it would see be Antonio Conte’s Spurs who had the momentum heading into the final games of the season. They soon beat Burnley 1-0 at home, meaning Arsenal had to secure victory away at Newcastle United the following evening to overtake them.
They failed to win however; a 2-0 defeat courtesy of a Ben White own goal and a late second from Bruno Guimaraes meant the Gunners had to beat Everton on the final day and hope Spurs lost to last-placed Norwich City. Arsenal beat the Toffees 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium, but Tottenham defeated the Canaries 5-0.
Arteta’s side will now be playing in the Europa League next season and as it stands, they will need to win the tournament if they are to have any chance of playing Champions League football in the 2023/24 campaign.
Manchester City and Liverpool were the two consistent Premier League title challengers throughout last season, with the former beating the latter to the trophy by just one point on a dramatic final day. It appears as though their dominance at the top will not diminish anytime soon, leaving just two more places for the Champions League.
Chelsea’s season started encouragingly, with the Blues sitting top of the table early on in the campaign. However they were soon hit by various injuries to crucial players, and events off the pitch soon affected their performances on it. As the campaign progressed there were questions raised as to whether or not they would secure a top four finish, with Arsenal and Spurs hot on their tail.
The Gunners’ defeat at Newcastle confirmed their qualification and with their new ownership now beginning their operations at the club, the west London outfit could be set for another successful season. Raheem Sterling and Jules Kounde have also been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, and their signings would boost their prospects for the new campaign.
While the aforementioned top three could be set to finish above the Gunners once again, Spurs may also be in a shout of pipping their rivals to the top four for a second consecutive season.
Conte’s side have been conducting their transfer business early. Ivan Perisic has made the switch from Inter Milan to Spurs, with goalkeeper Fraser Forster signing from Southampton. Yves Bissouma has also signed for the Lilywhites, transferring from Brighton after four seasons on the South Coast.
While Forster may be brought in as cover for Hugo Lloris, Perisic and Bissouma add more strength to a Tottenham side who have mostly flourished under Conte since the Italian arrived as manager.
The second half of the season saw their attack thrive, with the prolific partnership of Kane and Son being enhanced by the arrival of Dejan Kulusevski. He signed for the club on loan from Juventus at the end of the January transfer window, and ended the campaign with 13 goal contributions in 20 games in North London.
His loan deal means he will remain at the club until next summer, with Spurs fans now set to witness their new front free play together for a full season for the first time. Couple this with their new signings thus far, as well as the managerial skills possessed by Conte, and they could be set for another top four finish at the end of the season.
Of course, Arsenal have also been operating in the transfer market. Fabio Vieira has signed from Porto, as well as 19-year-old winger Marquinhos from Sao Paulo. While Alexandre Lacazette has departed and returned to Lyon, Eddie Nketiah has signed a new deal, with the choice to give him the club’s historic no. 14 shirt suggesting he may be their first choice striker in the coming campaign.
The Gunners have strengthened and will continue to do so in the window, especially with the likes of Raphinha and Richarlison being linked with moves to strengthen their attacking options. However, they will have to get used to playing European football during the week once again, something that could scupper their chances of a top four finish.
Squad depth will be pivotal in determining such an outcome, especially if the sides around and above them also strengthen, but there is also the chance that they could win the Europa League, with a trophy lift giving them an automatic spot in the Champions League for the following season.
Arteta and his Gunners have certainly improved over the last year or so, but next season will be a true showing of where they are as a team and how they compare to the rest of the Premier League’s elite.
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]]>After signing from Saint-Etienne, where he spent the following season on loan, Arsenal fans were excited to see a player with Saliba’s potential joining the club.
At the time of Saliba signing for Arsenal, the north London club’s central-defensive options were not in strong abundance. David Luiz, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi were the three key defenders, so it is clear why there was excitement around the young Frenchman signing.
Despite three different clubs on loan, this excitement has not faded. Saliba has proven his quality in Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille and, whilst teammate Matteo Guendouzi looks to be left behind in Arsenal’s past, Saliba could play a key role in Arsenal’s future.
But what exactly about the defender makes him so good?
Well, Saliba has some impressive traits. The physical aspect of his game is something Arsenal have been lacking in recent years. Within Gabriel Magalhaes, Arsenal have a strong central-defender, but Saliba offers competition and cover for this.
Saliba also possesses great pace. In October 2021, the Frenchman produced a last-ditch tackle on Kylian Mbappe, after catching up to the forward. The clip was shared relentlessly by Arsenal fans and, whilst this may have been a one-off against a world superstar, it showcased his talent.
Whilst on the ball, Saliba is composed. In fact, he made the most passes in recorded history of Ligue 1 this season: this is no easy feat.
So, it is clear that Saliba is good on the ball and good physically; but, what else?
There is a level of experience to his game that is usually lacking in 21-year-olds. Perhaps that was key to what Arteta was after.
Despite the announcements that Saliba had been loaned out to yet another French club seeming almost continual for Arsenal fans, it is undoubted that he has grown as a player and can come into Arteta’s side with confidence.
If Saliba is brought into the Arsenal system, he will join Gabriel, Benjamin White and Rob Holding as their main centre-defenders. This would be suited if Arsenal are to adopt a back-three; however, this seems unlikely. Nonetheless, Saliba has experience in this, though. During his time at Marseille, he played on the right-side of a back-three and in a back-four.
For now, it seems that Arteta will stick with four defenders. Kieran Tierney is the obvious choice on the left; whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu is likely to operate on the right-side. Within the centre, it is probable that Arteta will rotate the centre-backs.
As well as Premier League football, Arsenal also have Europa League football for the coming season. This offers more opportunity for rotation in the squad: but will Saliba settle for this?
As of now, only time will tell. Saliba has made it clear that he wants to play for Arsenal and the Gunners could use a centre-back like the 21-year-old: its seems like a match made in football heaven.
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]]>Eddie Howe’s men were full value for their victory and an own goal from Ben White was followed up by Bruno Guimares to leave the Geordies with an outside chance of a top half finish.
The Gunners made a nervous start to proceedings on Tyneside with Aaron Ramsdale particularly culpable, dallying on the ball to allow Miguel Almiron to charge in but, luckily for the England goalkeeper, the ball was cleared.
This seemed to spread anxiety to the rest of the team with White picking up a booking less than a minute later for a foul on Callum Wilson.
Ramsdale was struggling again in the 18th minute when he made a meal of a Sean Longstaff cross before the ball was cleared as far as Joelinton, whose shot was blocked for a corner.
The Magpies were in the ascendancy and the crowd were roaring on, with Arsenal struggling to get a foothold.
Bukayo Saka injected a bit of urgency into his side and played a lovely one-two with Martin Odegaard, with his goal-bound shot blocked for a corner.
Saka had another effort which was the Gunners’ only strike on target in the first half, but his effort was easily held by Martin Dubravka.
Ramsdale made up for his earlier carelessness with a fine save to deny Allan Saint-Maximin at the near post before Arsenal’s injury problems took a turn for the worse.
Takehiro Tomiyasu picked up a hamstring injury to deepen the defensive issues.
Mikel Arteta’s side knew they had to improve after the break but their task got all the more difficult when White poked Joelinton’s cross into his own net. It was unfortunate for the former Brighton man but just what Newcastle deserved.
Arteta threw on the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe but they huffed and puffed and never truly looked like scoring. Odegaard’s blocked effort was as close as it got.
Newcastle then put the game beyond doubt in the 85th minute when poor Arsenal defending saw Wilson through with Ramsdale who did well to block only for the ball to fall to the talismanic Guimares to slam home.
The Arsenal players were sprawled out on the floor and you got the sense that they knew the game was up, both on the night and for their season.
All is not lost, but relying on a victory from bottom side Norwich City on the final day against Tottenham is not what Gunners fans will have wanted after being in such a strong position.
Arsenal must do their bit and beat Everton and hope for an unlikely result in Norfolk.
Anything less and it will be Thursday nights that the Gunners play their European football next season.
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The 10-time Bundesliga champion, whose contract expires in June 2023, is seeking a new challenge in his career. He spent two years at Lech Poznan in the Polish league before joining Borussia Dortmund, and eventually Bayern.
Here are four teams who should look be looking to acquire Lewandowski this summer.
The Spanish side have been heavily linked with Lewandowski, with the Polish international reportedly favouring a move to Barcelona.
Xavi’s side currently have four strikers on their roster after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Memphis Depay, Luuk de Jong, and Ferran Torres in January.
Aubameyang has scored 11 league goals in 15 appearances since joining, including a brace in his first-ever El Classico. Memphis is Barcelona’s top scorer in the league so far with 12 goals while de Jong is very much a ‘kitchen sink’ option for Xavi.
Torres has shown promising signs since joining from Manchester City, but the 22-year-old has found himself guilty of missing big chances in various games.
It is likely that Barcelona would need to offload at least one of these forwards to make room for Lewandowski in terms of squad size and game time.
The Rossoneri are currently battling for their first Serie A title since 2011 as they sit two points clear at the top of the table.
Stefano Pioli has used Olivier Giroud (9) most often this season in the striker position along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (8) off the bench, but it is Rafael Leao (10) who has scored the most goals in the league for them this season.
Milan’s defence have conceded the lowest number of goals along with Inter and Napoli but both their rivals have scored more, with Inter outscoring them by ten.
The seven-time Champions League winners have also struggled to score as frequently at home. They’ve scored 26 goals at home compared to 38 away in the same number of games (18). Although Lewandowski has scored more away from this season (18 in 16), he has still scored an impressive 16 in 17 at home.
The Blues have made many marquee signings over the past two seasons in the striker position with Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Kai Havertz all coming in, but Thomas Tuchel’s side still lacks a clinical nature in the final third.
Mason Mount (11) has outscored all the Chelsea strikers in the league this season with Lukaku, Havertz, and Werner scoring eight, seven and four respectively.
Lukaku has been under fire from pundits and fans this season after an interview earlier in the season aired on Sky Italia. Many questioned the Belgian’s commitment to the club despite backing from his manager.
Lewandowski has only played twice against Chelsea in his career as he faced the London side in the last 16 of the 2019/20 Champions League. In those two games, he scored three goals and got five assists on his way to lifting the trophy in Lisbon.
If Lewandowski wants to have a challenge, Arsenal is the place for him. The Gunners would need to secure Champions League qualification to have any chance of signing the former Best FIFA Men’s Player, but if they can manage to finish in the top four a move would not be out of the question.
Mikel Arteta has progressed his side over the past 12 months as they go from battling for Europa Conference League last season to pushing for Champions League this season. New signings such as Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale along with Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard have given Arsenal a new identity under the Spaniard.
Arsenal are the only team in the top seven to underperform their expected goals tally. Aubameyang struggled to fire in the first part of the season and Alexandre Lacazette was finding more assists than shots on goal.
Eddie Nketiah has been scoring in recent games, along with a good record in the Carabao Cup, but has struggled to find consistent form over the course of the season.
Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have been Arsenal’s top scorers this season, but they have also been good creatively. With the addition of Odegaard, Lewandowski can feed off the youngsters’ build-up play while bringing his world-class talent.
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]]>Eddie Nketiah was the difference between the two sides, scoring twice against the club he once had an unsuccessful loan spell with.
Having seen Burnley suffer defeat at home to Aston Villa on Saturday, Leeds came into this game knowing any sort of positive result would take them above the Clarets but will have been keenly aware that Everton’s result at Leicester would also have a massive bearing on the outcome.
The Whites started slowly and fell behind after five minutes when Illan Meslier dwelt on the ball for a little bit too long and Nketiah took advantage to charge the ‘keeper down and put the ball into the net.
It was a horrible start for Jesse Marsch’s side and things got worse just five minutes later when Gabriel Martinelli ran at Ayling and cut the ball back for Nketiah who once again found the back of the net, turning the ball into the far corner.
The striker has enjoyed a resurgence of late and his goals have been a welcome boost for Mikel Arteta after Alexandre Lacazette’s struggles.
Arsenal were rampant as Leeds struggled to get out of their own half. Bukayo Saka tested the nerves of Meslier while Cedric Soares blasted over while well placed.
Ayling then dealt his side a further blow with a two-footed lung on Martinelli. Referee Chris Kavanagh initially gave the defender a yellow card but after a VAR check, he overturned his previous decision and sent the right-back off.
Ayling will now miss the rest of the season and it leaves Leeds short in a key position, with Stuart Dallas also missing with a long-term injury.
Raphinha got booked in the aftermath and had to be calmed down by his teammates as Leeds threatened to collapse completely.
It is to their credit that they dug in. Diego Llorente made a good clearance after Martin Odegaard’s free kick was deflected while Meslier denied Martinelli who looked determined to score all game.
Leeds then got an unexpected route back into the game in the 66th minute when Llorente turned in Junior Firpo’s near-post header to score with their first shot of the game.
It gave the supporters some hope but being a man down, Leeds never truly looked like getting the all-important leveller even if Arsenal endured a nervier finish than they really should have.
It leaves the Gunners well placed for a top four finish and they can clinch Champions League football if they win at bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday.
Everton got a big three points at Leicester which now means Leeds are in the bottom three. They have a vastly inferior goal difference to Burnley and need a result from somewhere to get ahead of the Clarets.
They face Chelsea on Wednesday and a hammering here may have been terminal for Marsch’s men but they showed enough fight to suggest they have the stomach to battle in the next couple of weeks.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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