Tag: Arsenal

Arsenal fans get reassuring Kai Havertz injury news
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Arsenal fans get reassuring Kai Havertz injury news

Kai Havertz suffered a muscular strain for the German national team over the break recently, putting his status in a bit of doubt for the upcoming game against Leeds United on Saturday when Arsenal return to Premier League action. There have been no clear updates from the Arsenal side, but Hand of Arsenal shared the latest on Havertz. They are reassuring fans that the Gunners are relieved regarding his injury and do not feel there is any long-term injury for the team to be worried about. That says nothing, of course, about the short term and if Havertz will be ready to play against Leeds, so that means Viktor Gyokeres, after four goals in four games for Sweden in the UEFA Nations League could be called upon. But honestly, Havertz's injury did not seem serious, so he should be in p...
Read More
BBC Sport confirms the only possible Declan Rice outcome
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

BBC Sport confirms the only possible Declan Rice outcome

According to a report from Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport, Arsenal and Declan Rice are now close to agreeing to a new long-term contract extension that will pay him more than the current 240,000 pounds per week he earns. He will reportedly make around what Bukayo Saka does as Arsenal's highest paid player, raking in 350,000 pounds per week. It would be a well deserved extension for Rice, who was the team's best and most important player last season when the Gunners finally won the Premier League. And it's hard not to argue that Rice should be the highest paid player on the team, and he could honestly merit more than Saka, since he is more consistent despite not being the main attacking threat - as we all know attackers usually make the most money. But, of course, the paradigm is shifting m...
Read More
Luis de la Fuente is spot on about the Mikel Merino issue
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Luis de la Fuente is spot on about the Mikel Merino issue

Arsenal star center midfielder Mikel Merino isn't even a starter for the Premier League champions, but everyone at the club understands his quality and how important he is. It's just a shame that so many around the world don't sing his praises more, but with two brilliant goals for Spain in their UEFA Nations League winner over Croatia, including a world-class winner in the final minutes, Merino put himself back in the spotlight and made sure people had to talk about him. The reigning World Cup winner has the full support of his Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente, who sung Merino's praises again after the victory and even stated that people in Spain don't appreciate the player enough either. De la Fuente said, via Daily AFC, "It's an honour to coach a player like that. He has clear...
Read More
Viktor Gyokeres is quietly staking the claim Arsenal were waiting for
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Viktor Gyokeres is quietly staking the claim Arsenal were waiting for

Even though Viktor Gyokeres won the Premier League in his first season at Arsenal and played a useful role as an anchor for the team, his actual performances and goal-scoring record after banging home 38 in the Primeira Liga was far from impressive. Gyokeres doesn't look like he's worth the money after scoring just 14 goals in 36 appearances last season, and he hasn't even started a single game for the Gunners in the 2026/27 season, with Mikel Arteta preferring Kai Havertz. But Havertz scores less than even a middling Gyokeres. And since it's just his second season at the club, there is still just that little bit of hope from Arsenal that the Swedish international can bust out once he figures this league out. Well, Gyokeres hasn't lost his scoring touch in the Nations League. In f...
Read More
Roy Keane made a point Arsenal fans hope Eberechi Eze takes to heart
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Roy Keane made a point Arsenal fans hope Eberechi Eze takes to heart

Although Eberechi Eze played a role in Arsenal winning the Premier League title in just his first season since joining from rivals Crystal Palace and made a name for himself in the North London Derby by embarrassing Tottenham Hotspur, the England international has yet to live up to his price tag. Eze has been a passenger in most games, and while there are moments of the sheer quality that made him a huge star for Palace, he has not shown the consistency and all-around game that merits a step up to a bigger team like the Gunners. After a couple of more disappointing displays for the Three Lions over the international break, Manchester United legend Roy Keane decided to take Eze to task, and while Arsenal fans generally don't care for what a Man United icon has to say about one of thei...
Read More
Myles Lewis-Skelly is beyond what Mikel Arteta expected for Arsenal
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Myles Lewis-Skelly is beyond what Mikel Arteta expected for Arsenal

So many managers dream of taking a young fullback prospect and turning them into a midfield general. Liverpool tried to do that with Trent Alexander-Arnold bu failed, and not everyone can make the transition like Joshua Kimmich did for Bayern Munich. But against the odds, Myles Lewis-Skelly has fully transitioned this season from one of England's most promising left back prospects into a legitimate standout in center midfield. Honestly, MLS, with his grit and athleticism, looks 10 times the player in midfield than he did on the outside of the defense. The young England international looks like an ideal Mikel Arteta scrapper in the defensive midfield with a pass completion percentage beyond 93, no dribbles completed allowed, and nearly two fouls drawn per game. Arsenal love having mid...
Read More
There is a clear problem with Arsenal selling Noni Madueke
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

There is a clear problem with Arsenal selling Noni Madueke

Noni Madueke is never, ever going to be a main starter for Arsenal, because the right wing job is locked down by Bukayo Saka, who, for all the haters want to say, is one of the best in the world in his position. But even though Madueke obviously hasn't started a game this season, the useful England international was quite useful indeed to Arsenal, too, last season, starting 16 games as they won the Premier League. There are, of course, big clubs around Europe interested in the former Chelsea man, as they want to bring the explosive right winger in to their teams as a new starter, since he'd be better than their options. Mike McGrath of The Telegraph has reported that European powers Atletico Madrid and Juventus have Noni high on their list, and there are other clubs expected to jo...
Read More
Arsenal CM Mikel Merino just served notice to the rest of the Premier League
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Arsenal CM Mikel Merino just served notice to the rest of the Premier League

Mikel Merino isn't even a starter for Arsenal, but he's still one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. And in case you forgot about that, just watch how badly he cooked Croatia with this go-ahead goal for Spain in the Nations League in the 89th minute. I mean, that touch and finish with the left foot into the near post of the goal, smacking the postage stamp, is exactly what football is all about. And it's exactly what Merino is all about. The guy is maybe the most clutch goal-scoring midfield hero for both Spain and Arsenal, to the point where he can play the false nine or desperation striker role better than actual strikers in this league (here's to you, Big Dominic Solanke). Merino's finish here is a lovely message to Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali, and the rest of the ...
Read More
Projecting the Premier League top 5 heading into Matchday 6
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Projecting the Premier League top 5 heading into Matchday 6

It's time to start thinking about the Premier League again now that the September/October international break is wrapping up. After 5 Matchdays, it's time to project the teams that will make it to the Champions League from the English top flight next season by finishing in the top 5. And with the way the season has gone thus far and how poorly a few of the big clubs have been, it's not easy to predict who is Champions League bound for the 2027/28 campaign. 5. Manchester United Why they could be this high: We can't forget that Manchester United finished third in the Premier League last season and showed real improvement in terms of how they created chances and played with the ball under Michael Carrick, who was a great midfielder himself. When everyone is healthy, Man United are above ave...
Read More
The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break
6Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

The 5 Premier League players under the most pressure after the international break

It's time to talk Premier League again, as the season will return after the break in just a few days, starting with reigning champions Arsenal taking on surprise package Leeds United on Saturday. Although the break is a reset point for most, there are a handful of players who find themselves under immense pressure right now and are going to be squarely under the microscope when the action returns. Manchester United LW Marcus Rashford Marcus Rashford has started four games for Manchester United this season, and while he's had at least three key passes in three matches and has been pretty good on the ball with his dribbling, he really hasn't emerged as a clear option in the 11 for the Red Devils. And he wasn't even a player they wanted to keep for this season; they just had to take him bac...
Read More