Gunners ready to open up NINE-point gap with huge win at Chelsea, this is the XI to do it

 By Danong

After a spirited bounce back from the 2-2 draw against Sunderland, with convincing wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich, Arsenal now turn their attention to Chelsea.  

For this clash, the Gunners make the short trip to Stamford Bridge eager to sustain their fine form and stretch nine points clear of the Blues.  

In their 3-1 victory over Bayern, Arsenal welcomed back Martin Odegaard, and this Sunday, they could also have Viktor Gyökeres available for selection.  

Meanwhile, Chelsea may be buoyed by the possible return of their key man, Cole Palmer, who has been nursing an injury.  

Unbeaten in six matches, with five wins and a draw, the Blues go to this match at their strongest; they cannot be underestimated.  

Nevertheless, Arsenal have dominated London derbies, suffering only three defeats in their last 40 encounters, while winning 28 and drawing 9. On Sunday, they will be aiming to notch up a 29th victory.

Arteta should not hesitate to deploy the line-up that dismantled Spurs; it could well overwhelm Chelsea too.  

That said, a necessary adjustment may be required on the left wing, with Leandro Trossard a doubt through injury. Hopefully, Gabriel Martinelli can step up. If he does, the left wing should be in safe hands.

Alternatively Arteta may decide to start with Noni Madueke and utilise Martinelli later if required with his finishing abilities! 

Merino’s role as a false #9 will continue to ignite Arsenal’s attacking play remarkably.

Raya  
Timber, Gabriel, Hincapié, Calafiori  
Zubimendi, Rice, Eze  
Saka, Merino, Martinelli  

Ultimately, a victory over Chelsea would send a resounding message: in the Premier League title race, there is only one team to beat and that team is Arsenal.  

This starting line-up is very capable of taking care of Spurs but a surprise is expected

 By Danong

After that minor setback against Sunderland, where Arsenal dropped two points in a 2-2 draw just before the November international break, the Gunners will be determined to respond in style.  

And what better way to do so than against their noisy neighbours, Tottenham Hotspur.  

On Sunday night, Arsenal welcome Spurs to the Emirates for the first North London derby of the season. The stadium has long been a difficult hunting ground for Tottenham, and Arsenal will be eager to ensure it remains that way.  

History certainly favours the hosts. In 23 visits, the Lilywhites have suffered 14 defeats, drawn seven times, and managed only two victories. Facing an Arsenal side who sit deservedly at the top of the league and are charging towards the title, Sunday evening promises to be a frustrating occasion for Spurs fans.  

Of course, Mikel Arteta must contend with the absence of Gabriel Magalhaes, while doubts linger over the availability of Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Kai Havertz. Viktor Gyokeres also remains a doubt.  

In any case if someone of those players makes it then the bench will most probably be where they sit.

Tottenham, meanwhile, have their own injury woes. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Radu Drăgușin, and Archie Gray are all ruled out, while Lucas Bergvall is a doubt after picking up a knock on international duty.  

That said, Arsenal can take encouragement from the return of Gabriel Jesus. At the same time, Ricardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber, who were injury doubts during the break, are expected to be available for selection.  

That said, should Arteta decide to go strong without Gabriel, he could not go stronger than:  

Raya  
Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Calafiori  
Zubimendi, Rice, Eze  
Saka, Merino, Trossard

The inclusion of Hincapie is preferred as he is left footed thus restoring the balance in the centre of Arsenal's defence. He is also more combative than Mosquera which is an asset that may be of essence in such a derby.

Merino will come in for Gyökeres...if the latter is declared not fit. But will he? With Arteta you never know.

But this XI should be more than capable of getting the job done, restoring Arsenal’s momentum and setting them up perfectly for the looming clashes with Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

History favours the Gunners against Burnley but will it repeat itself?

 By Danong

After booking their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 2–0 win over Brighton, Arsenal now shift focus to their upcoming Premier League clash with Burnley.

A trip to Turf Moor isn’t the sternest of tests and on paper, Arsenal should be winning this one.

However, Burnley arrive buoyed by back-to-back victories and for that reason, they cannot be taken lightly.

That said, history favours the Gunners. In their last five meetings, the Clarets have failed to muster a win against Arsenal drawing two and losing three the last one ending in a 5-0 thrashing.

Arteta and his players will be eager to replicate that result and to do so, the manager will need to field his strongest available XI.

Notably, the strongest XI will now be without Gabriel Martinelli and possibly William Saliba, who is an injury doubt.

The pair might join Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus on the absentee list.

Still, Arsenal’s astute summer transfer business should allow Arteta to name a formidable lineup, which could look something like this:

Raya  
Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori  
Zubimendi, Rice, Eze  
Saka, Gyokeres, Trossard

On paper, this lineup should school Burnley. It’s a lineup capable of securing another win, another clean sheet, and, crucially, helping Arsenal tighten their grip at the top of the Premier League table.

Time to rest this player and go full attack vs West Ham

 By Danong

Saturday afternoon at the Emirates, Arsenal welcome West Ham United for the first London derby of the season.

The Gunners are enjoying one of their brightest league starts, 13 points from six games, just two behind leaders Liverpool, despite arguably facing the toughest opening run of fixtures.

West Ham, by contrast, have stumbled out of the blocks. Four points from six matches is a frustrating return for the Hammers, and their early-season woes have already cost Graham Potter his job.

Nuno Espírito Santo has stepped in to replace the former Chelsea and Brighton boss. He took charge of his first West Ham game on Monday.

As many expected, his debut unfolded with a deep defensive setup and a counter-attacking approach. The plan worked: his side ground out a 1-1 draw against an Everton team that’s looked revitalised under Moyes at their new home, the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Arsenal, then, must be ready to break down a West Ham low block; fortunately, that’s precisely what they’ve been doing in their last two Premier League games.

Both Manchester City and Newcastle tried to frustrate them, deploying low blocks to protect early leads.

But Arsenal found a way through, salvaging a draw against City and

snatching all three points against Newcastle.

There’s a new steel to this Arsenal side.

Arteta has been flexing his squad depth, embracing rotation with confidence.

Which eleven he fields on Saturday remains to be seen, but one thing’s sure: it’ll be a strong side.

And with this line-up, the Spaniard can’t go far wrong:

David Raya  
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori  
Rice, Odegaard, Eze  
Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Talking Points:

Martin Zubimendi could do with a breather and this fixture offers the perfect chance to trial Declan Rice as the lone #6.

A midfield trio of Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Rice leans defensive, Arteta’s go-to when he wants to play with the handbrake on.

In contrast, a Rice, Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze trio screams attacking intent. It’s bold, expressive and could thrive against a West Ham side likely to sit deep.

Gabriel Martinelli appears to be rediscovering his spark, having scored three goals in his last five games. He’s fired up, and this could be the perfect stage to confirm his resurgence.

Ultimately, this attacking line-up should have enough to undo West Ham’s resistance. It’s a chance for retribution after the 1-0 defeat they handed Arteta’s men last February at the Emirates.

Arteta’s team out to rewrite the St James’ Park narrative

By Danong 

Arsenal head to the North East this weekend to take on Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

Newcastle haven’t made the brightest start to the league campaign.

With just one win from five matches, three draws, and a defeat, it’s fair to say the Magpies aren’t flying high.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are on a solid run. Three wins, a narrow defeat against Liverpool and a frustrating stalemate with Manchester City suggest they’re building momentum.

Judging by form alone, the edge goes to Arsenal. But Newcastle at home are notoriously unpredictable.
This won’t be straightforward.

St James’ Park has long been one of Arsenal’s toughest away days. The Gunners haven’t scored more than two goals there since 2011. And since their 2-0 win in May 2023, they’ve suffered consecutive 1-0 defeats on Tyneside.

It’s a tricky fixture, and Mikel Arteta will need his side firing on all cylinders.

He’ll be frustrated to lose the bright spark of Noni Madueke to injury, but Saka's return to fitness is will add further power and trickery on the right hand side.

Martin Odegaard’s return to training offers a timely boost. Arteta might keep him on the bench and release him later on along with his finishers...

With Piero Hincapié, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz also sidelined, here’s a potential XI Arteta could deploy to outmuscle Newcastle’s physical approach:

Raya  
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori  
Zubimendi, Rice, Merino  
Saka, Gyökeres, Eze

Some might argue Eze belongs in a central role, but even from the left wing, he can drift inside, allowing Calafiori to overlap and stretch the pitch.

A midfield trio of Merino, Rice and Zubimendi offers Arteta his most physically dominant setup, one capable of going to war with Newcastle’s physically imposing midfield.

Creativity shouldn’t be a concern. With Saka and Eze supplying quality in the final third, Arsenal should have enough to carve out goalscoring chances.

Five points adrift of Liverpool, who just lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace, Arsenal can’t afford to drop points when the gap is there to be narrowed.

Can Arsenal humiliate City again? Expected line up

By Danong 

Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola renew their rivalry on Sunday evening as Arsenal host Manchester City at the Emirates.  

Arteta is unbeaten in five games in all competitions against Guardiola. A win or draw today would see him become the only manager to go five games without defeat against Guardiola, one of Europe’s finest coaches.  

With Bukayo Saka and Ben White still injury doubts, there is a question mark if they can even be on the bench.

In their absence, Noni Madueke and Jurrien Timber have already demonstrated that they can be relied upon at right wing and right back, respectively.  

Elsewhere, having returned to Arsenal’s matchday squad in the 3–0 Champions League win over Athletic Club, William Saliba will be pushing to reclaim his place in Arteta’s starting XI.  

While Cristhian Mosquera impressed in his absence, the Frenchman is undroppable on his day and could well start alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of defence.  

The experience of the two should be enough to keep Erling Haaland, who is off to his brightest start to a league campaign with six goals in five games, at bay.  

Martin Odegaard may also miss this game with a shoulder injury. If so this will be a setback that will heavily influence Arteta's midfield selection.  

The bold decision will be to start Nawneri and it will be exciting to see that happen. But sticking with the safe option of Merino will probably be Arteta's choice.

That new front line of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Madueke looked decent, though Eze has yet to exert the same influence he showed at Crystal Palace.

While there is a push to switch his position, he likely continues on the left wing.  

Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli both made impresive sub appearances against Athletic, combining for two goals. But doing it from the start is not something they have shown recently.

Arteta cannot afford to gamble with his line‑up and it seems likely he will stick with this unpopular selection:  

Raya  
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori  
Zubimendi, Rice, Merino  
Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze  

Looking at this line‑up, the big concern is that, as was the case against Liverpool, Arsenal may once again adopt a cautious approach, playing with the handbrake on.  

Yet with Rodri looking unsteady and Tijjani Reijnders so attack‑minded, Arsenal’s midfield should, in terms of duels and physicality, overpower City’s.  

If they can dominate those battles, Arsenal should not only secure the result they need, but could do so in a manner that  humiliates the Cityzens, again.

Expect rotation, debuts and a youngster to start against Bilbao

 By Danong and 1970s Gooner

Arsenal kick off their 2025–26 Champions League campaign with a trip to Bilbao, where they'll face Athletic Club at the iconic San Mamés.

Arteta and his squad will be keen to replicate or even better their 3-0 thrashing of the La Liga side in last August's Emirates Cup.

Despite injury concerns surrounding Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and William Saliba, Arsenal have shown they can still field a formidable XI.

So far, the club's summer spending spree is paying off. As was the case against Nottingham Forest, Arteta has introduced new partnerships across the pitch, fresh faces in attack, a reshaped midfield, and young defender Cristhian Mosquera getting his chance. 

Yet, the Gunners looked strong against Ange Postecoglou's side.

But with such depth, fans are left guessing: who starts, who sits?

Against Bilbao, one would hope Arteta fields a strong team capable of kicking off the Champions League campaign in style.

Saka and Havertz are ofcourse unlikely to feature, but Saliba, who returned to training last Friday, is in contention to start.

With a big clash against Manchester City looming over the weekend, it would be wise for the Frenchman to build match fitness midweek, so he should start.

This fixture also presents the perfect opportunity for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Piero Hincapie to make their debuts. Both are more than capable of holding their own.

It would also be encouraging to see the Zubimendi–Rice–Odegaard trio continue to build chemistry in midfield.

This is if Odegaard has managed to overcome his shoulder injury sustained last Saturday. If as it looks likely he cannot make it then Nwaneri deserves to start due to his excellent display against Forest when he deputised for Odegaard.

Eze was decent against Forest from the left wing, and it's only right that he gets the chance to build on that performance.

Kepa  
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie  
Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard /Nawneri
Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze

If Arteta goes with this line-up, Arsenal should be confident of leaving Spain with all three points.

Saliba will be on the bench

By Danong and 1970s Gooner 

Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou renew their rivalry as Arsenal host Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off at the Emirates.

Arteta remains unbeaten against Forest’s new boss in the league, and he’ll be determined to keep that record intact this weekend.

There’s a real air of unpredictability surrounding this fixture.

Will Postecoglou stick with Forest’s defensive, counter-attacking blueprint, or will he immediately impose his trademark high line and relentless gung-ho approach?

Arteta’s greatest asset heading into this clash is his side’s ability to focus on themselves, leaning on their strengths and trusting that their quality will see them through.

There’s been a timely injury boost, with Christian Nørgaard, William Saliba and Ben White returning to fitness. However, the Spaniard will be without key figures Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.

Even so, thanks to the shrewd summer business conducted by the new sporting director Andrea Berta, Arsenal should still field a formidable XI.

Noni Madueke, fresh off a scintillating international break with England, looks ready to deputise for Saka. Viktor Gyökeres will aim to silence his doubters up front. 

At the same time, Cristhian Mosquera, who impressed against Liverpool in Saliba’s absence, should slot in confidently alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at the heart of defence (with Saliba rightfully rested for Champions League return and Manchester City).

Arteta could opt for this strong Arsenal line-up:

Raya  

Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori  

Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard  

Madueke, Gyökeres, Eze

While many expect Eze to feature in a left central midfield role, Arteta may trial him on the left wing, a position that’s posed problems for Arsenal in recent times with Gabriel Martinelli struggling.

And Eze will have the freedom to drift towards a left forward come midfield position with Calafiori providing the width on the left side.

If Eze thrives there, he could become the long-term solution for that spot.

Having lost their last outing (Liverpool 1–0 Arsenal), this fixture presents the perfect opportunity for the Gunners to bounce back.

If they can shake off the post-international break rust, Arsenal could extend their unbeaten run against Forest to five matches.

Strong midfield line up selected by Arteta can be the basis of a significant victory at Anfield

 By Danong

In the biggest clash of Premier League matchday three, Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday evening as last season’s top sides renew their rivalry.

Gooners heading to this one will be bullish after a brilliant start to the season, grinding out a vital 1–0 win over United before mercilessly dispatching Leeds 5–0.

If all goes to plan, the Gunners will hope to claim victory over a Liverpool side who, despite winning their opening two games, have looked far from convincing.

Many Arsenal fans who watched the Reds scrape a last-minute 3–2 win over Newcastle couldn’t help but wonder: if ten men overran Arne Slot’s side, why shouldn’t we have it in us to dispatch them?

Of course, the game is played on the pitch and Arteta and his players intend to do just that on Sunday.

While Arsenal head into this fixture on a six-game unbeaten league run against Liverpool, they haven’t won a top-flight match at Anfield since 2012.

With Bukayo Saka sidelined by a hamstring injury, Kai Havertz requiring knee surgery, and Martin Odegaard out with a shoulder issue, questions have been raised about whether Arsenal are strong enough to end their Anfield hoodoo.

Yet thanks to the quality signings made by the club’s new sporting director, Andrea Berta, manager Mikel Arteta still has a capable squad to choose from despite the absence of key players.

Liverpool should field a strong side, barring injured Jeremie Frimpong. But even with their depth, Arteta can still name a line-up capable of delivering a famous win over one of Arsenal’s main title rivals. This is what he went for:

Raya  
Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori
Zubimendi, Rice, Merino
Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Gabriel Martinelli tends to thrive against Liverpool; it’s a fixture he relishes, having scored six goals in 12 appearances against the Reds.

The choice of Merino indicates the Arteta wants to start rather conservatively with a strong midfield of mostly defensive minded players.

Eberechi Eze will be expected to pose a greater threat from the bench deployed centrally, while Noni Madueke, signed as Saka’s reliable back-up, should finally step into the role on the right.

As strong as this line-up is, if it doesn’t leave Anfield with a big win, it’s hard to see why, especially given how vulnerable Liverpool have looked defensively, with Ibrahima Konaté and Milos Kerkez struggling for form.

Victory at Anfield would see Arsenal register three wins from their opening three league games, something they’ve only managed once in the past 20 years, back in the 2022–23 season.

Mikel Arteta could make one surprising tactical move against Liverpool that might leave Gooners baffled

 By Danong

Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard both picked up injuries last weekend as Arsenal thrashed Leeds 5–0. They could both miss the clash at Anfield.

Their possible absence is set to force Arteta to reconsider how he sets up his team.

Noni Madueke is expected to slot in on the right wing, but as he does so, one big question emerges: who starts on the left?

Whenever Madueke has featured for Arsenal, he’s operated on the left. It was only against Leeds that he switched to the right to cover for Saka.

Who plays left wing?

Had Arsenal’s number 7 been fit for the trip to Anfield, it’s likely the ex-Chelsea man would have continued on the left. But with Saka ruled out, Arteta must now make a bold call.

Some argue he should simply start Eberechi Eze on the left.

But while that option is under consideration, stats suggest that if Arteta goes with Eze on the left, he could miss a brilliant tactical trick.

Martinelli: the secret weapon

Martinelli needs to start on the left. The Brazilian is a different animal against Liverpool, he thrives in these clashes.

In 12 appearances against the Reds, Martinelli has registered six goals and two assists.

By contrast, Eze has just one goal and one assist in eight games against Liverpool.

Martinelli’s record alone makes a strong case, but there’s more to it.

Liverpool have shown vulnerability when defending transitional moments and Arsenal’s number 11 has the pace to exploit that repeatedly.

His speed could unlock Arsenal’s attacking play and dovetail perfectly with Viktor Gyokeres’ strengths. The Swede is well suited to transitional fast paced direct football.

After enduring criticism in recent times, Martinelli will be eager to impress if handed the chance and prove he still has plenty to offer.

That said, if Odegaard is sidelined, Eze, who many believe should be deployed on the left, might be better suited to a central role, where he could cause the most damage against Liverpool.

If Odegaard is fit to start then Eze can express his magic from the bench.