Gossip: Arsenal target Isak stalls on new dealpublished at 07:14 16 October
07:14 16 October
Sweden forward Alexander Isak, 25, has put clubs, including Arsenal, on alert as he continues to stall on signing a new contract at Newcastle United. (Talksport, external)
The release clause for Espanyol's 23-year-old Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who was wanted by Arsenal in the summer, has been cut to 25m euros (£20.83m). (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish, external)
Carsley has Rice 'enjoying football'published at 09:18 14 October
09:18 14 October
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice says it "has been really refreshing" to play under Lee Carsley because of the "positive style" he plays with and his caring nature around the training ground.
Rice has scored two goals in four games under the England interim boss, in comparison to three in 58 appearances for former manager Gareth Southgate.
The Gunners star netted against Republic of Ireland and Finland in the Nations League in games where Manchester City winger Jack Grealish also scored. It is the first time two players have scored in back-to-back England away games since Rice's team-mate Bukayo Saka and Tammy Abraham in 2021 against Andorra and San Marino.
"I played deeper against Greece but against Finland I played deep and that little bit higher, so it was a mix," Rice said to BBC Radio 5 Live. "I've really been enjoying my football and that is the main thing because you need happiness.
"It was a really good reaction [from the Greece defeat] and we probably could have scored more.
"Lee has got a positive way of playing and we will keep playing like that because we love playing for him. It is really refreshing.
"I think he's been unbelievable since he arrived. It is my first time working with him, but the under-21 boys couldn't speak highly enough of him. Whatever happens happens, but we are all enjoying this journey at the minute."
Gossip: Gunners expect Saliba to stay published at 07:46 14 October
07:46 14 October
Arsenal are confident France defender William Saliba, 23, will remain at Emirates Stadium despite interest from Real Madrid. (Express), external
Meanwhile, the Gunners have joined Tottenham in the race to sign 22-year-old Ukraine attacking midfielder Georgi Sudakov from Shakhtar Donetsk. (Caught Offside), external
Arsenal, Barcelona and Newcastle are all interested in signing 28-year-old Germany winger Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich. (Ekrem Konur), external
Arsenal's English forward Nathan Butler-Oyedeji, 21, is being tracked by Borussia Monchengladbach. (Football Insider), external
Gossip: Gunners to make move for Cherries duopublished at 09:31 12 October
09:31 12 October
Arsenal are planning to make bids for two Bournemouth players - Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, 20, and 24-year-old Ghana winger Antoine Semenyo. (CaughtOffside), external
Eidevall on team news, Bayern defeat and Chelseapublished at 15:46 11 October
15:46 11 October
Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Women's Super League game against Chelsea (kick-off 13:45 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Laura Wienroither is unavailable for a "couple more weeks", while Lina Hurtig is very close to returning to the squad.
Eidevall said he was "really disappointed" with the last 15 minutes of their 5-2 defeat by Bayern Munich.
"It leaves us with a bitter feeling but it's a tough learning point," he added.
On whether Saturday's game against Chelsea has more weight than other games, Eidevall said: "Everything is a must-win game. That has to be the mentality."
He said Sonia Bompastor has set a "clear trademark" at Chelsea, who "look like a really good football team".
Eidevall thinks Mariona Caldentey's winning mentality is "one of the best I’ve worked with".
On interactions between fans and players at games, the Gunners boss said the club are "monitoring the situation".
Gossip: Jorginho blocks out transfer rumourspublished at 07:57 11 October
07:57 11 October
Italy midfielder Jorginho is concentrating on his Arsenal future, despite being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. (Caught Offside), external
Just how important is Saka to Arsenal?published at 18:08 10 October
18:08 10 October
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Just before the summer transfer window closed in August, we asked Arsenal fans to tell us one thing that nobody was talking about at the club but really should be.
Several of our readers said the Gunners needed to secure cover for Bukayo Saka.
Maybe Mikel Arteta was following along as within days, the club brought in a wide option in Raheem Sterling.
But, when all is said and done, it is hard to see how someone really could fill the void if Saka were to get injured.
Seven games into the new season and the winger has provided an assist in all but one Premier League match - making up for it by supplying two in the past game against Southampton.
His seven assists ranks him top in the league, having provided two more than Chelsea's Cole Palmer.
The England international is also top for chances created, having made 27 opportunities for his team-mates - four more than the trio of Andreas Pereira, Palmer and Dwight McNeil.
It is not just about the chances he is making but the quality of those opportunities too, ranking highest for expected assists (xA) with 3.16.
Saka is not only giving his team-mates the opportunity to score but has taken 25 shots himself. That puts him joint-fourth alongside Gunners striker Kai Havertz.
On top of that, not afraid to get stuck in, he is consistently looking to win the ball to get Arsenal on the attack. He has made the fourth-most ground duels in the league and places in the top 10 for the amount of those he has won.
Slowly but surely, Arteta has been increasing the depth and quality of his squad, but there still seems to be a Saka-shaped hole on the right hand-side whenever he is not available.
*Stats provided by Opta
Is there a need to rush Odegaard back?published at 16:13 10 October
16:13 10 October
Chris Wise BBC Sport reporter on Final Score
Image source, Getty Images
You have to give great credit to Arsenal for how they have performed without their creative and courageous leader Martin Odegaard.
There was much concern around his absence for those big Premier League games at Tottenham and Manchester City last month, as well as the start of Arsenal’s Champions League campaign - but they have proved they can cope.
There are indications though that Odegaard could be returning from his ankle problem sooner than some imagined.
A video was put out this week of the Norwegian on an anti-gravity treadmill - an Arsenal staple for players recovering from injury - and last weekend, Odegaard said in the club’s matchday programme that his recovery ‘looks better than we were thinking.’
I’m commentating on the Norway v Slovenia game on Thursday evening and it seems that some Norwegians feel they might have Odegaard available again for their next set of internationals in November.
But there are seven Arsenal games between now and then.
Given the solid performances without him, the Gunners’ need to rush him back perhaps does not feel as strong as many predicted it might.
Saka leadership 'shows determination to win something' at Arsenal published at 12:34 10 October
12:34 10 October
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Bukayo Saka has continued to show why he is so important to Arsenal and alongside the top-level output we have come to expect from him, he has embraced his role as a leader.
The 23-year-old has captained the Gunners multiple times this season and has stepped up in tough moments when his team-mates have needed him.
The Gunners are unbeaten in all 10 of their matches so far and a huge reason for that is the performances of Saka.
The England forward had a hand in all three goals in the win over Southampton, taking his goal involvements to 10 in 10 games in all competitions this season.
What is even more impressive about his form is that he has been producing these performances without captain Martin Odegaard, a player who eases the creative burden on Saka and also Ben White, with whom the England forward has a formidable partnership down the right-hand side.
White has missed four games and Odegaard five matches. In that time, Saka has produced two goals and two assists, ensuring those two vital players have not been missed as much as they might have been.
He spoke after the Champions League victory about how this year is Arenal’s to win something, and about his hunger to succeed.
With his performances, Saka is showing he means every word.
Gossip: Real Madrid prioritise Saliba movepublished at 08:09 10 October
08:09 10 October
Real Madrid want to sign Arsenal and France defender William Saliba as a "top priority" in 2025, with Los Blancos already in contact with the 23-year-old. (Le 10 Sport - in French, external)
Arsenal will still target a striker in the January transfer window, despite the promising start to the season made by Germany forward Kai Havertz, 25. (Football Insider, external)
Can managers openly admit mental health struggles?published at 08:08 10 October
08:08 10 October
Media caption,
Former manager Mark Warburton talks to The Football News Show about how managers can deal with mental health struggles while working at a club and what support there is available to them.
Gossip: Arsenal take interest in Ticklepublished at 07:46 9 October
07:46 9 October
Arsenal and Manchester United are tracking Wigan Athletic's 22-year-old English goalkeeper Sam Tickle as they look to bolster their goalkeeping options. (Team Talk), external
'Arsenal are very lucky to have him'published at 12:34 8 October
12:34 8 October
Laura Kirk-Francis Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
How do you know when you have got a truly special player on your hands?
Is it when every media outlet hosts a debate on whether they are "world-class" yet? Is it when we start talking about the Ballon d’Or in October? Or is it when rival fans finally start agreeing that they wish a certain player was at their club?
All of this could apply to Arsenal's Bukayo Saka.
Saka was instrumental once again this weekend as Arsenal beat Southampton, sparking discussions about just how good he has become.
His contribution to Arsenal's success cannot be overestimated but it can be quantified. No other player has created more big chances this season. His overall consistency and ability to deliver in key moments is remarkable.
Another hallmark of greatness is when a player starts getting compared with previous greats, and this is certainly true of Saka.
Compilations comparing Saka to Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, and a specific type of Mesut Ozil assist could be found all over X following Arsenal's win on Saturday.
Saka has captained the club multiple times, but his influence and leadership style extends far beyond his own performance. His rise and stay at the very top improves his team-mates as well - Kai Havertz, Ben White, and most recently Gabriel Martinelli, have all improved simply because they play alongside Saka.
Since breaking into the first team as a promising Hale End graduate, he has also developed a specific type of controlled aggression which is hard to teach and devastatingly effective.
When combined with his intelligence, decision-making and work ethic, he must be a total nightmare to play against.
Arsenal are very lucky to have him, and it would be hard to argue that he is not our most important player at the moment.
Is the new VAR working?published at 07:25 8 October
07:25 8 October
Image source, Getty Images
A VAR related question was put to chief football writer Phil McNulty on Monday's Q&A.
@nubiblue on 'X' asked: Is the new improved VAR working? To me it continues to favour certain clubs.
Phil answered: First of all, I don't believe VAR favours certain clubs and quite honestly, I've not noticed too much difference or huge improvement.
Maybe a little less interference but I confess I lost a lot of faith in VAR after initially being a strong advocate.
I would be happy with semi-automated offside and line technology.
Arsenal 3-1 Southampton - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:40 7 October
12:40 7 October
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Southampton.
Here are some of your comments:
Arsenal fans
Dan: Havertz has matured into a different player to the one from Chelsea. We needed saints to score to stun us into the performance the result deserved.
Phil: Surprised to see Partey in a full-back role but he did OK. Jesus looked lost and ran around not actually contributing much at all. Surely his confidence and football brain is on the wane. Thought Trossard and Martinelli should have started. We certainly struggled up front to create real chances but we were more composed when they came on.
Nurudein: What a slow start from Arsenal - too relaxed at home until Southampton provoked reactions from them. What a comeback though.
Emeka: Arsenal always make hard work of a normally easy three pointer. They need to start games very aggressively and focus on goalscoring to win the league.
Saints fans
Lynne: Played our socks off! Didn’t expect much out of this game when world class PSG couldn’t beat them but for a so called Championship team we gave it a good go!
H: Oh gosh. As much as I like Russell Martin and all he did for us last season I think he really needs to either change the system a lot or he will be sacked. One point from the season so far is horrific. We keep throwing it all away - well I guess that's the Southampton way now.
Bill: It was, to a degree, as expected. Arsenal are good, very good. We’re not so good but we have spirit. We gave the ball away badly, mostly in midfield, passing too slowly and nonchalantly. The defence was very good. When we attacked we rattled them no doubt. It felt the second goal killed us.
Daz: Shambles. Goodbye Russell Martin - hello Graham Potter! Change needed.
Havertz to stay back with Arsenal and miss Germany games published at 09:55 7 October
09:55 7 October
Alex Howell BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal forward Kai Havertz will not join up with the Germany squad and will stay behind to have injuries assessed during the international break.
The official German national team X account said that Havertz will not be joining up because of "knee problems".
While it is correct that Havertz will be staying back with the Gunners as he is checked over, the problems are not thought to be serious as he completed the full match against Southampton on Saturday.
