Arsenal

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  1. Carabao Cup fourth-round drawpublished at 06:52 BST 25 September

    EFL Cup trophyImage source, Getty Images

    The fourth-round fixtures of the EFL Cup have been confirmed:

    • Arsenal v Brighton

    • Grimsby Town v Brentford

    • Swansea City v Manchester City

    • Newcastle United v Tottenham

    • Wrexham v Cardiff City

    • Liverpool v Crystal Palace

    • Wolves v Chelsea

    • Wycombe v Fulham

    Ties to be played in the week of 27 October

  2. Analysis: Steady if unspectacular for Gunnerspublished at 22:15 BST 24 September

    Gary Rose
    BBC Sport journalist

    Eberechi Eze celebrates scoring against Port ValeImage source, AFP via Getty Images

    Arsenal have won a record 14 FA Cups but there's considerably fewer League Cup trophies in their collection having only won it twice, with their last success back in 1993.

    They came close last season, reaching the semi-finals where they were humbled 4-0 by eventual winners Newcastle.

    With good strength in depth this term following their summer strengthening, they will fancy their chances of at least replicating that run to the last four this term.

    They were much changed for this match, with Mikel Arteta making nine changes from the draw with Manchester City at the weekend.

    That perhaps played a part in their struggles to get a second goal after Eberechi Eze's early opener, and for all their dominance of the ball they did not create too many chances before substitute Leandro Trossard ensured there would be no late drama.

    It was not a memorable display from Arsenal but they got the job done along with some positives, including Bukayo Saka managing over 60 minutes as he works his way towards a return to full fitness.

  3. Port Vale v Arsenal: Team newspublished at 19:10 BST 24 September

    Port Vale starting XI graphic: Gauci, Humphreys, Debrah, Hall, Lawrence-Gabriel, Croasdale, Hall, Walters, Headley, Curtis, Paton

    There's four changes for Port Vale, with striker Devante Cole among the substitutes.

    Port Vale XI: Gauci, Headley, Hall, Gabriel, Curtis, Walters, Paton, Croasdale, Debrah, Humphreys, Hall

    Substitutes: Marosi, Clark, Heneghan, Byers, Garrity, Stockley, Ojo, Faal, Cole

    There's nine changes for Arsenal, with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard making their first starts for the Gunners.

    Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Martinelli are also in the starting line-up.

    Arsenal XI: Kepa, White, Saliba, Mosquera, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Merino, Nwaneri, Saka, Martinelli, Eze

    Substitutes: Raya, Gabriel, Timber, Gyokeres, Trossard, Zubimendi, Calafiori, Rice, Dowman

    Arsenal starting XI graphic: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Saliba, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Norgaard, Eze, Saka, Merino, Gabriel Martinelli
  4. Follow Wednesday's Carabao Cup games livepublished at 19:09 BST 24 September

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    There are four games in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, all involving Premier League sides, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

    Kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

    You can also listen to 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Huddersfield v Man City" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Port Vale v Arsenal", for instance.

    Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

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  5. Gossip: Arsenal alerted to possible Vinicius Jr availabilitypublished at 08:03 BST 24 September

    Gossip graphic

    Both Arsenal and Liverpool have been informed that 25-year-old Brazil winger Vinicius Junior's future is uncertain at Real Madrid. (TBR Football), external

    Meanwhile, Arsenal are interested in signing 24-year-old Japan winger Takefusa Kubo from Real Sociedad during the January transfer window. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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

    Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

  6. Arteta on Madueke's injury, Saka's return and Eze's rolepublished at 18:07 BST 23 September

    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup third round game against League One side Port Vale at Vale Park (20:00 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • Arteta provided an update on Noni Madueke's injury: "Looks like he's going to be out for a few weeks. We will have to scan him at the end of the week. He felt something at the beginning of the match and he tried to carry on. He was gutted, it is very disappointing as he was in such a good state. He's a big miss for us."

    • Piero Hincapie has picked up "a little groin injury" and will have to be assessed in the next few days: "Obviously it's been a change of load and he didn't really have a pre-season after the surgery that he had and we'll have to see in the next week or so how he is. I think that would be a short-term surgery."

    • Captain Martin Odegaard has been training with the team following his shoulder injury: "No, no surgery. He's totally fine. He's already been training and it will be a matter of days, I think."

    • On easing Bukayo Saka back into action: "He needs minutes and he's demanding that as well. Obviously, when he's been out for a while, you just need to get in there. You need to get that confidence on the pitch and repeat actions and exposure. And we will do that, obviously, gradually, because he's been out for a while."

    • On Kai Havertz's timeline to return from his knee problem: "With Kai we know that it will be months. We don't know with him because he's a different specimen. So far he's progressing really well."

    • On the perception of Arsenal playing with caution: "How can you be dominant against such a team [Manchester City] if you have, what was the word - handbrake. Dominance and handbrake, they are two different words. But I accept everything. I will learn more to have a different vision."

    • More on the draw with City and the decision to not start Eberechi Eze: "Could he play 90 minutes? That's a question I put for myself because none of you know the load that he can do. So it's easy to say he could have played with the start. Maybe not. Because he already played two games from the start. And he's never played as a right attacker in his field."

    • Asked how senior players responded to Max Dowman nutmegging them in training, Arteta said: "At the beginning, they responded immediately, kick him! That was the first one. And Max, to be fair, he was excellent. He stood up and got into the next one. And now everybody loves him. You just want to hug him, help him. He's such a nice boy as well, and he's very much liked by everybody here."

  7. 'Worst possible timing for Madueke from a personal perspective'published at 15:02 BST 23 September

    Sami Mokbel
    Senior football correspondent

    Noni Madueke Image source, Getty Images

    The timing is unfortunate for Noni Madueke.

    His Arsenal career has got off to a very promising start, while his England performances are going from strength to strength.

    So with that in mind, the knee issue that will keep him sidelined for up to eight weeks comes at the worst possible time for Madueke from a personal perspective.

    His signing from Chelsea was met with derision from sections of the Arsenal fanbase, but the attacker has quickly won those doubters over.

    Of course, it is a blow for Mikel Arteta, too. Madueke has been a regular in his team so far this season.

    That said, Bukayo Saka's return from a hamstring injury lessens the damage caused by Madueke's injury.

    And with a myriad of attacking options - including Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard - at Arteta's disposal, the Gunners can cope without Madueke.

    Not that that makes it any easier to swallow for Madueke.

  8. Eze can get Arsenal out of first gearpublished at 12:44 BST 23 September

    Laura Kirk-Francis
    Fan writer

    Arsenal fan's voice banner
    Eberechi EzeImage source, Getty Images

    While Gabriel Martinelli's finish in the 94th minute on Sunday has rightly grabbed the headlines, it was another Arsenal player who provided the key to unlock a resilient Manchester City defence.

    Having signed for the Gunners back in August, Eberechi Eze has now made four appearances for the club. Absurd as it may seem, we can now make our first assessments on his Arsenal career to date.

    During the first half of Sunday's game, Arsenal toiled. It was a worrying throwback to the football that saw them drift out of the title race last season. Many fans have been quick to lament the return of the 'horseshoe' passing structure, whereby Arsenal simply move the ball around the edge of the box in a half-circle without ever truly troubling the opposition.

    Enter Eze. His assist to Martinelli is exactly what fans have been craving. Direct, creative, and accurate, it immediately unleashed the Brazilian who finished sublimely over City's Gianluigi Donnarumma.

    Up till now, Mikel Arteta has seemed reluctant to start Eze in a central role, again preferring the midfield of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice, and Martin Zubimendi. Two of those three were present last season, and it seems that bad habits do die hard.

    Many fans on social media have spoken about a need for Arteta to 'release the handbrake'. Merino is slowly becoming a symbol of Arteta's cautious approach in big games when fans are crying out for a more attacking line-up.

    Giving Eze the chance to play in the middle from the start could be one way of not only releasing that handbrake, but finally getting Arsenal out of the first gear they seem to keep getting stuck in.

    Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

  9. 'Negative mindset to go out and play cautiously'published at 09:45 BST 23 September

    Media caption,

    Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says Arsenal played too cautiously against Manchester City and lost their creativity by benching Eberechi Eze.

    "It's a negative mindset to go out and play cautiously," said Sutton on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "I don't think there was any need for Mikel Arteta to do that against this Manchester City team.

    "I'm not saying that the players are too good to play with fear, but I do wonder why he didn't pick Eze. He is arguably their most creative player.

    "Why did Leandro Trossard start? It was his first start of the season. I know he scored in Bilbao after coming on from the bench, but I don't get it."

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  10. 'That point could be massive' - Rooney defends Arsenal drawpublished at 15:53 BST 22 September

    Gabriel Martinelli scores for Arsenal against Manchester CityImage source, Getty Images

    Former England striker Wayne Rooney spoke about Arsenal earning a late draw against Manchester City on Sunday on the latest edition of The Wayne Rooney Podcast: "Sometimes we're quick to jump at teams who draw a game at home. Those games are tough games - very rarely do you see a team going to win 2-0 or 3-0 in them. They're always very tight.

    "It's a decent point. Could they have won the game? Of course they could. But in the main, going 1-0 down and then Manchester City playing a low block [makes it] very difficult to break a team down.

    "City have probably flipped what Arsenal did to them a few years ago and they saw how hard that was to break down. So City have done that and nearly got away with it.

    "Any point against Manchester City, even though they're not the best with some of the players they have, is a good point.

    "Sir Alex Ferguson used to always come in and say to us, after games we drew and have gone into the dressing room annoyed, that point will win us the league.

    "And then on the flip side, he used to tell us when we were leading 2-0 or 3-0 to keep going and trying to score more goals. You never know, this league could be won or lost on goal difference, which we obviously experienced.

    "So, there are points throughout the season - which only time will tell - that end up being massive.

    "If Arsenal win the league by one point, you look back on this game and say: 'You know what, that was a massive result."

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  11. Arsenal's bench 'better than their starting XI'published at 11:19 BST 22 September

    Ethan Nwaneri of Arsenal runs out to warm upImage source, Getty Images

    "If Arsenal are going to win the league this year, it has to be because they are on the front foot going to beat teams."

    That is the view of former Gunners striker Jay Bothroyd after Mikel Arteta's team selection in Sunday's draw against Manchester City once again drew scrutiny.

    Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka all started on the bench and were introduced in the second half with Arsenal fighting to recover from being 1-0 down.

    "You sign players like Eze so they can come and light it up," Bothroyd told Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "He's got fantastic ability - we've seen his quality, so I think everyone was disappointed to see that [he didn't start].

    "But also in midfield, with [Martin] Zubimendi and [Mikel] Merino alongside Declan Rice you've got three number sixes or three defensive midfield players. You want to see the attacking players on there.

    "Everyone was saying 'look how good our bench was' - our bench was better than our starting XI!

    "I feel like Arteta needs to be more attacking. I always feel like against big teams, he goes out with the mindset of not to lose. That's a negative."

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  12. Arsenal have to provide more for Gyokeres - Artetapublished at 11:19 BST 22 September

    Viktor Gyokeres chases the ballImage source, Getty Images

    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has defended Viktor Gyokeres' performance against Manchester City after he only had 22 touches.

    Gyokeres has scored three goals in five Premier League games but offered little threat in Sunday's game.

    Arteta attributed that to a lack of service, which could also be felt in the stadium as supporters became increasingly frustrated with their side's lack of creativity.

    "There were a lot of situations that chances were there but then the final pass was missing," Arteta said. "There were a lot of very good balls in the box, especially I remember three of them that [Gyokeres] was very, very close to doing it against City.

    "To have very big open chances is extremely difficult, but he's certainly trying his best to do that.

    "We have to provide more for him, that's it."

  13. 'Do you sulk about it or get on with it? Martinelli gets on with it'published at 09:51 BST 22 September

    Alex Howell
    Arsenal reporter

    Media caption,

    Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time equaliser showed why it is too early to write his Arsenal career off.

    The winger has had an excellent week, scoring and assisting in Arsenal's win over Athletic Club in the Champions League, before earning the Gunners a valuable draw against Manchester City.

    Martinelli has lost his starting place - starting two of Arsenal's six game this season - after a difficult time in his career, but has shown just how important he can be when he is at his best.

    Ex-Arsenal forward Theo Walcott told BBC Sport: "You can either sit there and sulk about things or you can actually have a look at yourself and think: 'How am I going to affect the situation I am in?'

    "I don't think he has ever been in this situation before, actually being constantly challenged in that position. He has had moments before when he has been on the bench, but last year he was a starter.

    "This year, he is having to accept he is going to be in and out, but he is definitely going about it in the right way because he is a hard worker and a grafter."

    The 24-year-old is one of the quickest players in the Premier League and both his goals this week played to his strengths, with the ball played behind the opposition defence for him to run on to.

    "I work for those moments. I leave [selection] for the gaffer. I just do my best to help this football club," said Martinelli.

    "Of course I don't want to be on the bench. I want to play 90 minutes every single game, but [Mikel] Arteta knows what he does. He's the gaffer and everyone trusts him."

    Martinelli has been low on confidence and aware of the debate about his place in the team.

    And Walcott added: "As a player, you also have to deal with the mixed messages that can be created in this kind of narrative, when you are not starting every game.

    "Martinelli scored after coming on [against Athletic Club] in midweek and he must have been thinking: 'Right, I am going to start on Sunday.' And then he sees [Leandro] Trossard start ahead of him.

    "Again, how do you react to that? Do you sulk about it, or do you get on with it? He obviously gets on with things."

  14. Arsenal 1-1 Man City - the fans' verdictpublished at 08:16 BST 22 September

    Your opinions graphic
    Media caption,

    We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Man City.

    Here are some of your comments:

    Arsenal fans

    Naeem: Parallels to last years game just opposite teams. City parked the bus and we struggled to break them down. Got through in the end thanks to a super Martinelli finish and it is good to see him scoring after all the critique. Despite this, still not a great display. Need to find a way to get Viktor Gyokeres involved more so he can use that strength to help stride through. Can't be satisfied with a point apiece - we need to be gunning for three points every game.

    Chris: Arsenal second again in the Premier League unless Mikel releases the handbrake, particularly at home. Be braver please - you've got the squad for it this season.

    Paul: We never gave up and that's what champions do. The team is still finding its feet with all the new signings. Our strong bench is going to be crucial to any title run!

    Phoenix: How Mikel Arteta keep doing same thing every time and expect a different results is messing with my imagination. Manchester City was there for the taking. All we had to do was use our best attacking team that doesn't include Mikel Merino in the middle. We keep saying the gaffer knows what he's doing but honestly we have to start questioning his selection. Liverpool are the winners. In just five games, we have started the chasing game .

    Man City fans

    Russell: First half good, second half terrible. Lucky to come away with a point!

    Stella: Despite playing very defensively, this game gave me some optimism. It is the first time City's defence looked relatively solid. People forget that this new team is a work in progress and Nico O'Reilly particularly did very well in an unnatural position. He and Abdukodir Khusanov looked like stable full-backs against some very good players. Arsenal also had two extra days to rest and prepare, which certainly showed as the latter stages of the game were reached with City's players looking close to exhaustion. It was a game we couldn't lose. A tiny green shoot of recovery?

    David: City got a very good breakaway goal but they really should have pressed for a second. It was most unlike them to play a very low block like they were scared. They won't win anything unless their better players can express themselves.

    Shaun: Pep the bus! Absolute joke, that's not what City are about. Liverpool have got the title in the bag and we will be lucky to get fourth.

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