Arsenal

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

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When the fixture list was released back in June, many Arsenal fans looked at the first few weeks in horror.

An away trip to Old Trafford on the first day of the season, followed by visits to Anfield and St James' Park - all before the start of October.

With such a brutal opening run of games, Arsenal could have been out of the title race before it had even started.

Fast forward to now and you would struggle to find a fan not impressed with how the Gunners have dealt with this difficult start. Sixteen points from a possible 21 and only three goals conceded. Arsenal have more than weathered the storm.

Attention now turns to what looks - on paper - like a kinder run of fixtures. But there is still reason to be cautious.

Arsenal's undoing last term came from dropping points against the exact teams they face in their next three games.

At Craven Cottage, last December Mikel Arteta's side could only manage a draw against Fulham, who are their next Premier League opponents.

Two 1-1 draws with Brighton, who they face next in the EFL Cup, saw the Gunners lose valuable ground on Liverpool. Then, the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace all but handed the league title to the Reds in the spring.

Arsenal can clearly get up for big games. But the true test of the team's improvement since last campaign will come over the coming weeks, including navigating the Champions League visit of Atletico Madrid and a trip to Slavia Prague.

Arteta has clearly answered his critics when it comes to registering wins against the 'big six'. The defeat at Anfield was the first time Arsenal had lost to such a side since April 2023.

The question is now: can they do it on a mild October night in Fulham?

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Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

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The impact sub changes the course of a game.

There were times last season when Mikel Arteta, in Arsenal's second consecutive title race, would look to a depleted bench in hard times and options would be found lacking.

They relied on set-pieces, but after a summer of reinforcement in attacking areas - including Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze - it is a player whose future has been a hot topic who is proving to be one of the Gunners' most clinical attackers.

Gabriel Martinelli was voted Arsenal's player of the month for September because of two standout moments.

It took the 24-year-old just 37 seconds to come off the bench and score the opener against Athletic Club in the Champions League, and he then provided the assist for the goal by Leandro Trossard - another of Arsenal's 'finishers' - that sealed the 2-0 victory. And fellow sub Trossard had laid on the first goal for his team-mate.

Only four Premier League players have contributed three or more goals and assists from the bench this season in all competitions, and Martinelli and Trossard are two of them.

When speaking about the mentality of the players left on the bench, Arteta has said: "They are at least equally important, or more important. We have discussed that.

"The finishers are going to be more important this season sometimes than the starters."

Finishers or game-changers are a concept taken from rugby union to describe players who start the match on the bench.

Though Trossard tops the list of goal contributions above, Martinelli's so far have arguably been more memorable and in big-game moments.

As well as his assist and late goal in Bilbao, the Belgian laid on the third goal in a routine 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest and scored the second late on in the 2-0 victory at Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

Martinelli's other crucial moment as a sub, however, came against Manchester City in the Premier League, rescuing what could prove to be a huge point in injury time.

The superb, lofted finish after a ball over the top ended a move that took advantage of the space behind City's defensive line with Martinelli's direct running.

This perhaps highlights a key reason for the success of Martinelli being deployed largely in the latter stages of matches: he can be at his best when the game is opened up. Transitions are more frequent and there is often more opportunity to catch opponent on the break, which is how his goals off the bench this season have come about.

Martinelli has only started two of the Gunners' seven Premier League games so far this season - both in August against Manchester United and Liverpool - but has been introduced as a substitute in four of the other five.

He also featured from the outset against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup third round and started - and scored the opener - in the home Champions League win over Olympiacos.

Additional data collection and visualisation by Jordan Butler

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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When Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly scored the first goal of the Thomas Tuchel era against Albania in March, becoming the youngest player to score on his senior England debut, aged 18 years and 176 days, he not only looked like a superstar in the making but the answer to the problem left-back position.

He may well still be, starting England's victory in Latvia, but has a potentially major problem ahead that Tuchel has already made reference to.

And it is a problem that comes in the imposing shape of Riccardo Calafiori.

England apart, Lewis-Skelly has been ousted from Arsenal's left-back slot by the Italian this season, starting only two games for the Gunners and playing only 263 minutes.

This is not a question of Lewis-Skelly's quality - that is there for all to see. This is a question of how much football he will play.

It is a subject that has already been exercising Tuchel's mind, even though he played Lewis-Skelly in Riga.

It is clear that unless he can find his way back into Arsenal's starting line-up, Tuchel may face a difficult choice with the gifted youngster, saying: "Maybe it becomes a problem for him, yeah.

"Being a good team-mate in camp may not be good enough to stay the whole year with us. You have to perform at club level on a regular basis."

Lewis-Skelly's task is clear. He may yet claim the left-back berth if Tuchel is unable to find a better alternative but he cannot rely on past credit. He has to find a way into Arsenal's starting line-up.

Read the full list of players with points to prove here

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On Tuesday, Arsenal's teenage sensation Max Dowman made another bit of history - becoming the youngest goalscorer for England Under 19s, breaking Ryan Sessegnon's record from 2016.

The 15-year-old, who does not turn 16 until December, has already featured for Mikel Arteta's first team, making his Premier League debut as a substitute in the 5-0 win over Leeds United in August.

Dowman's rise has been rapid, from Hale End standout to first-team appearance and now a record-breaking England goalscorer.

This is just the latest milestone in what is shaping up to be a hugely exciting journey for one of the Gunners' brightest young talents.

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We asked for your views on who Mikel Arteta should pick to replace Martin Odegaard while he recovers from injury - Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri or Mikel Merino.

Here are some of your comments:

Dave: I really hope Arteta doesn't go back to Merino. The Zubimendi-Rice-Merino axis hasn't worked, so don't go back to it. Eze is the easy choice for me. It is where he played naturally at Crystal Palace, and has shown his worth there (if not getting the goals and assits yet).

Carrick: It has got to be Eze, surely? If not, then why invest such a lot of money in signing him? This sort of situation is surely where he steps up?

Neil: Nwaneri is the most similar player to Odegaard so, if Arteta wants a like-for-like replacement, he should pick him. However, it is horses for courses, game by game. Eze offers that X-factor in games when we face the low block because he is prepared to shoot from long range or try that audacious flick or pass. Merino is solid and versatile but less dynamic and I don't see him with the speed of thought or creativity required in a number 10. A lot has been said about our squad depth. Arteta will have to have real clarity of thought around how he utilises the weapons at his disposal if Arsenal are to claim either of the big pots.

Harry: Losing Odegaard is a big blow. I'd like to see Merino in there, although Eze could possibly fill in.

Tim: Nwaneri deserves a chance. I'm not sure if Arteta trusts him, but he is the only one of the three who has the vision and range of passing comparable to Odegaard. If he gets a run in the side, he can prove himself as Odegaard's future successor.

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Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

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Ethan Nwaneri started as England Under-21s beat Andorra in their European Under-21 Championship qualifier.

Starting on the right-hand side of England's attack, the 18-year-old showed flashes of his quality on the ball, but looked to come centrally when he could and had an effort saved from the edge of the area.

He was then moved into number 10 role after Josh King was removed but came off with just over 10 minutes to go.

Head coach Lee Carsley is aware of of the amount minutes each player is playing at their clubs and uses the international breaks to build up game time for his squad, with Nwaneri playing the full game against Moldova before the Andorra match.

That time on the pitch could benefit Nwaneri, who has only played one full match for Arsenal this season, against Port Vale in the Carabao Cup.

Carsley referenced Nwaneri being one of the "excitin" attacking talents in the group, alongside Chelsea winger Jamie Gittens and King of Fulham.

Nwaneri was part of the squad that won the U21 Euros in the summer, coming off of the bench to play extra time as the Young Lions beat Germany in the final.

Arsenal have matches in the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup before the next domestic pause in Novebmer, and Nwaneri will be hoping he can get some more minutes on the pitch after a successful international break.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Real Madrid are among the clubs interested in signing 22-year-old Germany defender Nathaniel Brown from Eintracht Frankfurt, but the Bundesliga club will not listen to offers until next summer. (Bild - in German), external

Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz, 21, is set to reject interest from the Gunners, Chelsea and Manchester United in favour of signing a new long-term contract Juventus. (Tuttosport - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is not expected to return from a knee injury until after the November international break.

The midfielder, who suffered a medial collateral ligament injury, is likely to miss four Premier League games and two Champions League matches.

Following the immediate injury news last week, we looked at who could step up in his absence, with Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and Ethan Nwaneri all viable options.

But how do you think Mikel Arteta will replace his captain for the next chunk of games?

And how big of a blow is this injury in terms of Arsenal's title challenge?

Get in touch with your views here

Arsenal are considering a move for Sevilla's French midfielder Lucien Agoume, 23, in the January transfer window. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter at St George's Park

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England Under-20 boss Ben Futcher praised the performance of goalkeeper Tommy Setford following the 1-0 defeat by Switzerland at St George's Park.

Setford has been a regular member of England's age group squads and made his senior debut for Arsenal against Preston in the EFL Cup last season.

The 19-year-old was in England's Under-19 European Championship squad last summer but has suffered a number of niggling injuries in recent months, the latest forcing him out of a Premier League 2 game against Brighton in August.

Setford was outstanding against Switzerland, making a string of excellent saves despite finishing on the losing side.

"He had a fantastic game," said Futcher. "When he had to make saves he did and his distribution is good.

"It is good to get him back into an England shirt and playing. He is a pleasure to work with.

"He will be being looked after by some excellent people at Arsenal. Hopefully he can go back to his club and keep developing."

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Arsenal have been sanctioned for breaching FA Cup ticket rules for last season's third-round tie against Manchester United.

Competition rules require clubs to provide the opposition with 15% of the tickets issued.

The Gunners did not comply with this for the match against United in January and have been given a suspended £500,000 fine by the Football Association's Professional Game Board.

The FA said the fine would be triggered if Arsenal are unable to confirm they can comply with competition rules this campaign, or if they then fail to comply with the rules on ticket allocations in this season's rounds.

Joshua Zirkzee scored the decisive spot-kick as 10-man United won the tie on penalties.

Declan Rice says he is enjoying his "adjusted" role so far this season which he is occupying for both Arsenal and England.

"I think now I'm more of a box-to-box number eight," he said after captaining the Three Lions in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales.

"The manager has adjusted my position at Arsenal a bit this year to give me a bit more freedom to drop deeper but to also get in the box when I can and it's the same with Thomas [Tuchel].

"That really suits me on the left side of midfield, being able to get back, be an all-round action midfielder, [which] is what I want to be.

"I'm just enjoying my football and it's another season where we have started strong with England and with a team at Arsenal. Hopefully there's positive things coming."

Rice has a goal and three assists already for the Gunners this season and is enjoying working under both Tuchel and Mikel Arteta.

"I have two managers that lay it out really easily with the gameplan in what I have to do and where I have to be," he added.

"I'm the one that has to go and execute it.

When you have confidence in football you feel unstoppable at times and I think I ended the season really strong last year.

"I probably didn't start the first one or two games of this year, of this season, as good as I wanted but I have picked up my form now.

"I feel really strong, I feel fit, I feel really confident in my game. Hopefully the only way is up from here with England and Arsenal."

Did you know?

• Thomas Tuchel is the third manager to win as many as six of his first seven games in charge of England after Glenn Hoddle (1996-1997) and Sven-Goran Eriksson (2001 - both also six).

• England scored three goals inside the opening 20 minutes of a match for the first time since November 1987 against Yugoslavia (Peter Beardsley, John Barnes and Bryan Robson).

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Bukayo Saka says he is "starting to feel good again" after recovering from the hamstring injury that disrupted his start to the season.

The 24-year-old missed the last England camp in September through injury, but returned to the squad to score The Three Lions' third goal in the 3-0 friendly win over Wales on Thursday to make it three goals in his past three games for club and country.

His superb strike at Wembley was his 13th for England, making him Arsenal's highest scorer for the men's national team, overtaking Cliff Bastin.

"I started the season and picked up an injury, which kind of killed me a bit," Saka said.

"I'm still not my sharpest but I'm starting to feel good again. I have scored in the past three games and I want to continue like that."

"I want to take the way I perform with Arsenal to England, perform better in games and be more effective.

"I was really gutted that I had to miss the last camp. Coming back into the camp and getting the opportunity to score is an amazing moment."

When asked if England's squad depth and competition for places is similar to Arsenal's, Saka added: "It's pretty new to me, but at the same time it is fair and healthy.

"It is only going to get the best out of me and any other players.

"It's about us pushing each other and getting us to perform at the best level."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Who will step up as playmaker in Martin Odegaard's absence?

That is one of the questions submitted via the 'Ask about Arsenal' form, after the Arsenal captain suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his left knee.

Odegaard has already missed four games this season with a shoulder injury and it was Mikel Merino who replaced him for three of those games.

The Spaniard played alongside Declan Rice with Martin Zubimendi sat behind them, a move that made them defensively stronger, but perhaps at the expense of creativity.

Merino has made 27 forward passes this season in six Premier League appearances and created two chances, according to Opta.

That is better than Eberechi Eze's 14 forward passes and one chance created. The England international, however, has completed more passes into the final third [23] than Merino [22] despite playing the same amount of games.

Summer signing Eze seems the most obvious choice of replacement on paper because he has mainly played as a number eight since making the switch from Crystal Palace.

He might have only created one chance, but he has impressed with his pace and tenacity when called upon to impact games.

But if Arteta wants a like-for-like replacement then left-footed Ethan Nwaneri is the player he could turn to.

Despite breaking through the senior team as Bukayo Saka's replacement last season, he is widely regarded as a central midfielder rather than a wide option.

However, for that reason, minutes for the 18-year-old have been hard to come by this term and he has been an unused substitute in four of Arsenal's nine opening fixtures.

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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It was a perfunctory, routine home win over West Ham but it gave a huge psychological lift to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

They are still picking up points even as they pick up injuries to key players. Because of their squad depth, it is having little or no impact so far.

The new acquisitions generally look like they are fitting in effortlessly to the Arsenal style.

Martin Zubimendi is a controlling as well as a comforting influence, while Eberechi Eze has calmly grown into the group, improving week on week. Noni Madueke was brilliant before his injury, but the point is that there is now back-up to spare.

Arteta may never have a full squad to choose from this season - but, right now, that isn't stopping him.

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We asked for your views on Arsenal's plans for extending the capacity of Emirates Stadium.

Here are some of your comments:

Alun: I've been a supporter all my life, and I pay for four memberships annually (for myself, my two adult children, and my junior gunner). It's almost impossible to guarantee tickets even though I essentially have three silver memberships. The expansion would be very welcome. Allowing more fans to attend games and hopefully reducing prices in the long term.

Aditya: In principle, this makes sense. Arsenal have demonstrated the ability to consistently generate ticket sales at high value per ticket and would put them in line with the top end of stadium capacity. With their global popularity, they could sell out even 20,000 more seats! That's equal to one more world-class player every year!

Amy: The stadium needs a proper renovation, not just an expansion. It's looking very dated and hasn't aged well at all in only 20 years.

Mark G: Fantastic development for the club. More fans to cheer the team on, more income and a bigger stadium than Tottenham - what's not to like?!

However, some fans were sceptical about stadium expansion.

Alex: Don't. The current ticket demand may be ephemeral. It will ruin the architecture. 70000, we go mid-table again and loads of empty seats. Just please don't do it. The stadium is beautiful as it is, and yes, its lightness puts it ahead of Tottenham's stadium.

Mark: I find it disappointing that after only 20 years at the Emirates, they feel it is not big enough! Not brilliant forward planning! I also feel playing home games at Wembley only becomes an incentive for the visiting teams.

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So, Arsenal have held internal discussions about expanding the capacity of Emirates Stadium.

It understood the talks were about the possibility of changing the seating plan in order to add thousands of seats as the Gunners look to keep pace with the largest stadiums in the country.

The Emirates has a capacity of 60,704, making it the fifth-largest stadium among English football clubs.

The possibility of home matches being played at Wembley Stadium if work was to take place has been discussed.

Next year will mark 20 years since the Gunners made the move from Highbury.

So, what do you think? Is expansion what you want to see and how badly is it needed? And is it what the focus should be on right now?

Get in touch with your views here