Tag: Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta pointed out exactly what Bukayo Saka needs to do to reach the next level
13Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta pointed out exactly what Bukayo Saka needs to do to reach the next level

Arsenal superstar right winger Bukayo Saka is one of the best in the Premier League but many have noticed he isn't impacting games like he should in the sense of fulfilling his Ballon d'Or potential. Mikel Arteta told reporters ahead of the Arsenal Champions League fixture against Ligue 1's Lille that he would like to see Saka do more to get into scoring positions and take that responsibility on as the next step in his evolution. He said at the press conference, "That's where we need to get him. And if he misses the chance, so be it. At the end, the more volume we generate, the bigger the probability of him scoring more goals. And he's been getting into great positions. He's getting shots, he's getting one-touch finishes, tap-ins. And that's the kind of unpredictability that we have ...
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Mikel Arteta has a different idea for Max Dowman in mind
13Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta has a different idea for Max Dowman in mind

Max Dowman has mostly been playing as a No. 10 or left footed right winger who cuts inside for Arsenal, but in an effort to get their biggest young gem of them all more involved, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that it's time to start giving him minutes on the left wing. Arteta told reporters before the Champions League game against Lille, “We haven’t seen much of Max on the left, and I think especially the way we have evolved him and trained him in those two positions [centrally and on the right], probably at the moment is easier. But with the talent that he has, we need to throw him in that position at some point I think he will have the capacity to adapt to it.” Arsenal have nothing to lose by experimenting with Dowman on the left, even if it curtails his tantalizing goal scorin...
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Mikel Arteta had the same frustrating response for Viktor Gyokeres
10Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta had the same frustrating response for Viktor Gyokeres

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres hasn't exactly been lighting up the goals since his big money transfer to the Emirates from the Portuguese top flight, but he has definitely been a better scorer than Kai Havertz and played a crucial role as a new anchoring point for the team in Arsenal finally winning the Premier League last season. But despite Havertz coming off an injury over the international break and Gyokeres scoring in all four of his UEFA Nations League matchups for the Swedish national team, the big No. 9 continues to be snubbed by manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal won 2-1 against Leeds United but no thanks to Havertz, who did not score or assist as the starting No. 9. And many Arsenal fans were not happy to see the German international still starting despite the injury and poor f...
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Mikel Arteta serves up brilliant Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera injury news
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta serves up brilliant Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera injury news

Arsenal just lost Ezri Konsa to an injury over the September and October international break with the England national team, and while Mikel Arteta is giving him a chance to play in this huge matchup against underdogs Leeds United, who find themselves in the top five, he is a game time decision. The good news is that Arsenal do not have to push Konsa, because they can choose among a grab bag of four different defenders to start at center back, including Konsa, as three more key players are available. Arteta told reporters before facing the Peacocks that Ben White, Piero Hincapie, and Cristhian Mosquera are all back and available for selection on Matchday 6 against a team similar in underdog status to the side Arsenal lost 3-0 in Brighton. The Arsenal manager said of Hincapie and M...
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Mikel Arteta’s brutal Christos Tzolis injury news is a clear transfer message
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta’s brutal Christos Tzolis injury news is a clear transfer message

Arsenal star left winger Christos Tzolis suffered a muscular injury over the September and October international break, and the initial speculation is that he could miss the rest of the month's games for the Gunners. Tzolis is a new signing from Club Brugge, and he has been every bit as decisive as Arsenal fans expected after he racked up the goals and assists in the Belgian top flight. An upgrade on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli in the 11, the only concern with Tzolis is that now Arsenal only have him on the left wing and no real depth behind him after losing both Trossard and the disappointing Martinelli this summer. Speaking at the press conference before Arsenal vs. Leeds United in the Premier League's return, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that Tzolis is inj...
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Mikel Arteta offers unclear Kai Havertz, Ezri Konsa injury updates for Arsenal vs. Leeds
9Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Mikel Arteta offers unclear Kai Havertz, Ezri Konsa injury updates for Arsenal vs. Leeds

Arsenal will battle Leeds United in their return to the Premier League after the September and October international break, and after their 3-0 blowout loss to surprise package Brighton, they will want to avoid a similar upset against a Leeds side that has really outperformed expectations in the top five themselves. The Gunners will be shorthanded after the break, as they suffered some key injuries. We already know star left winger Christos Tzolis will be out with a muscular issue, which is a huge blow. But another new signing, center back Ezri Konsa, could also be out, and the same goes for center forward Kai Havertz. Both men suffered injuries over the break with their countries. Mikel Arteta provided injury updates on both Havertz and Konsa before the Leeds game to the press, b...
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Viktor Gyokeres’s record is a message Mikel Arteta can’t ignore
7Oct By Frank G. BarnesNo Comments
Analysis

Viktor Gyokeres’s record is a message Mikel Arteta can’t ignore

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has not started a game this season, as German international Kai Havertz has been preferred for his better all-around game. But we can't forget that Arsenal spent so much to sign Gyokeres in the first place because they wanted a more traditional 9, and while the scoring has not been there for the Swedish international in an Arsenal shirt, that was not true for him in a Sweden shirt. This past international break, Gyokeres was on fire, and he scored four goals in four UEFA Nations League game to extend his record to seven straight games with a goal. That means no player in history has scored in more consecutive Nations League games than Gyokeres, and while he has not been perfect, he has been scoring and showing a bit of an all-around game, too. Arsen...
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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...
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