Arsenal

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is likely to be out injured for at least three weeks, according to the Norway team doctor.

Odegaard came off injured in the match against Austria on Monday and, speaking to Norwegian newspaper VG, doctor Ola Sand said Odegaard has "probably" not suffered an ankle fracture.

The injury comes at a bad time for Arsenal, who play rivals Tottenham on Sunday, before games against Atalanta in the Champions League and then title rivals Manchester City.

It is understood that Odegaard had a scan on Tuesday afternoon and is being asssed daily by the Arsenal medical team.

"Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus, and then it can take longer," Sand is quoted as saying.

"What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.

"It is always a bit difficult to interpret an MRI scan when you have had an old injury, but Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach - but this may still take some time.

"In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus."

Arsenal will also be without the suspended Declan Rice and new signing Mikel Merino, who is also injured.

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Austria's Christoph Baumgartner has apologised for the tackle that left Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard on crutches.

The RB Leipzig forward posted a message on his Instagram account wishing Odegaard all the best for his recovery after injuring his ankle with a sliding tackle during Norway's 2-1 victory over Austria in Oslo.

"I would like to sincerely apologise to Martin Odegaard," he wrote. "It was never my intention to injure this fantastic player.

"I wish him all the best and a speedy recovery! Come back stronger."

Odegaard, who was pictured walking on crutches as he boarded a private jet back to London on Tuesday, was expected to have an MRI scan to determine the full extent of the injury, which was described by the Norway team doctor as a "minor ankle sprain" immediately after Monday's match.

Arsenal are already missing his midfield partner Declan Rice through suspension for Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham.

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Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott says Mikel Arteta has changed the ambitions of the club from finishing in the top four to winning the title.

The Gunners finished two points short of Manchester City last season, but are determined to once again to become champions for the first time since 2004.

"There is an expectation now for Arsenal to win the league. When I was playing there was the expectation to finish top four," Walcott said. "Now, there is a feeling which Mikel has set with his whole demeanour, of being alert constantly, of always being so positive.

"And that is not just with the players, but with the the whole staff, at the training ground and the whole environment of an all-in-one mind of a positive outlook.

"It is hard trying to get everyone going in the right direction and I think Mikel has done that, from the fans particularly, he has brought them all in one and he has gelled it."

On his expectations for this season, following a non-perfect start: "I have said Arsenal will win the league - and they are going to have to be exceptional to win the league.

"The way Manchester City have started, they have just wiped people to the floor. They have that fear factor now that when they walk on the field, the [opposition] players and their fans are terrified.

"We don't want it to be a one-horse race. We have got to be wary of Liverpool as well because they have started exceptionally well."

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In a change from recent history, Arsenal will be wearing their black away kit for Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham.

The Gunners said referees' body the PGMOL and the Premier League ruled their home strip features too much white, clashing with Spurs' traditional colours.

According to Arsenal, the option of Mikel Arteta's side wearing their home shirt with red shorts and socks for was also discussed but not agreed on.

Tottenham will also wear their away kit when they visit Emirates Stadium in January.

Image source, Getty Images

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We wanted to know how you're feeling going into this weekend's north London derby, as Mikel Arteta prepares to possibly face Tottenham without his first-choice midfield partnership of Declan Rice (suspended) and Martin Odegaard (injured).

Could this be one of the biggest games of the Gunners' season? Do you think they will take all three points?

Here are some of your thoughts:

Emily: I'm worried. I'm keeping everything crossed that Odegaard's injury isn't prolonged because he is such a vital part of Mikel Arteta's plan. I feel confident that we can still get a result against Tottenham, but the Manchester City game could be a disaster without our captain.

Ibrahim: I wouldn't really worry too much about the availability of Odegaard for the north London derby. I have a feeling he won't be sitting on the sidelines for too long and we have quite a few options in the squad to fill in for him. There might just be a silver lining here for Ethan Nwaneri because this could be his opportunity to break into the first team. Plus, it is just Tottenham...

Rod: I think Riccardo Calafiori, Rice and Odegaard will be out - so I would put Jurrien Timber at left-back, with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jorginho in midfield. I would take 0-0 now!

Graham: Arsenal to win. We have some good youngsters to cover for Odegaard in the creative role, with Timber able to step up in midfield. I hope Calafiori's injury isn't too bad!

Derek: We are going to lose this one. Our midfield is decimated. Tottenham will never have a better chance to beat us. If we come away with any kind of result, it will be a major plus for us and it will seem like a defeat for Tottenham.

Peter: I'm apprehensive. We have some good players in Jorginho and Thomas Partey, but we are light in depth here. It is such bad luck that Mikel Merino is injured just when we need him. I think we might be lucky to get a draw. Not a great start to the campaign...

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Martin Odegaard being pictured on crutches is a blow for Arsenal. He is heading back to the club so the injury he picked up in Norway's win over Austria on Monday can be assessed.

It is another midfield problem for Mikel Arteta with Declan Rice already suspended for Sunday's north London derby at Tottenham and Mikel Merino injured too.

Riccardo Calafiori also returned early from international duty after coming off injured during Italy's victory in France on Friday.

It means Arteta will have to try to find solutions, particularly in midfield, with Odegaard so important to how Arsenal play.

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

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How important is momentum when it comes to winning a title? Three games in and Arsenal have yet to truly bed into the new season.

They now face a tough run of fixtures, starting this weekend with the north London derby, followed by a trip to Manchester City, interspersed with fixtures in the new Champions League.

This is the first time in a few years that Arsenal will have faced Tottenham and City away in the first half of the campaign.

On the one hand, getting these games out the way early means that, if the worst does happen, there is plenty of season left to correct it.

The defeat at Spurs in May 2022 all but ended Arsenal's challenge for the top four, and a bruising 4-1 defeat at City in April 2023 exposed the gap between the two sides.

In 2024, this is a different Arsenal, and they should still be confident of taking points off their rivals.

On the other hand, defeat in these two fixtures could be hugely damaging to confidence.

Although still early in the season, handing points to Manchester City will leave Arsenal fans where they were last year - powerlessly hoping their title rivals drop points against other teams. And besides, defeat at Tottenham is always unthinkable.

In February and March last season, Arsenal notched up 21 goals in four games and then faced what was - on paper - a tough test of Spurs, Brighton and Manchester United away.

Momentum was key - and Arsenal won three out of three.

They do not have that luxury this time around - they are going to Spurs and City having barely got going this term.

Arsenal's record against the 'big six' last season was fantastic, unbeaten with six wins and four draws. It will be crucial they continue that this year.

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

Sporting Lisbon and Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, is unlikely to move in the January window, despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, because he is settled in Portugal. (Football Insider), external

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

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The north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham takes centre stage this Sunday as the Premier League returns.

But Mikel Arteta may be without his first-choice midfield for the match due to the suspension of Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard limping off for Norway in the Nations League.

Odegaard, who went down in pain after hurting his ankle, is a doubt and could be sidelined alongside summer signing Mikel Merino, who fractured his shoulder in his first training session.

So, how are you feeling before one of the biggest games of the season? How do you expect Arteta to line up his weakened squad? And are you still confident of getting a result?

Let us know, external

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport Football News Reporter

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Referee Chris Kavanagh was right to send Declan Rice off in Arsenal's draw with Brighton, the Key Match Incidents panel has ruled.

The board, which reviews the big refereeing decisions in the Premier League each week, agreed the midfielder should have been dismissed.

Rice, who was already on a booking, nudged the ball away from Joel Veltman as he prepared to take a free-kick in the 49th minute of the 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium.

It was the first red card of the 25-year-old's career, with the panel agreeing his actions were "clear, deliberate and impactful", and a second yellow card was correct.

The panel, which unanimously backed the decision 5-0, wrote: "Rice knows what he's doing. It's a gentle touch but once the referee sees it, he has no choice."

Arsenal were 1-0 up at the time after Kai Havertz's goal, but Joao Pedro's leveller earned Brighton at point.

The KMI panel is independent and made up of three former players or coaches, one Premier League representative and one from the Professional Game Match Officials Board, the referees' body.

The Premier League's summer transfer window saw clubs spend almost £2bn in all.

Data from Footballtransfers.com, external shows the biggest net spend by a club - that’s all the money spent minus all that came in from sales - was Brighton.

The Seagulls had a net spend of £153.5m.

On the flip side, the club who generated the biggest net summer profit on transfers was Manchester City, who made £115.8m, thanks in large part to the sale of Julian Alvarez.

Arsenal had a net spend of £17.2m.

Arsenal are unwilling to let Italy midfielder Jorginho leave the club, despite Galatasaray reportedly being interested in bringing in the 32-year-old before the Turkish transfer window closes. (Talksport), external

Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus are among the clubs interested in 31-year-old Ghana and Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey. (Caught Offside), external

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

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice says it was "a weird feeling" to score for England against the Republic of Ireland in Saturday's 2-0 win in Dublin.

Rice, who played three senior friendlies for the Republic before switching allegiance in 2019, silenced the jeers from the home fans after firing home in the 11th minute when Harry Kane's shot was blocked.

Explaining his decision not to celebrate his goal, Rice told BBC Radio 5 Live: "A lot of the Irish fans have an opinion and a feeling towards me, which is absolutely fine because I made that decision to switch as a kid.

"But you could see in my goal there's no animosity from my side. I didn't want to celebrate. My nan and grandad were Irish. It would have been disrespectful because obviously I played three times for Ireland and I had such an amazing time here.

"It would have been wrong of me so that's why I chose not to. It's nice to score but also it was a bit of a weird feeling."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

Real Madrid are targeting a move for Arsenal centre-back William Saliba. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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

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Earlier, we asked you who has made the most Premier League appearances for Arsenal.

Former midfielder Ray Parlour is the correct answer - he played 333 games in the competition for the Gunners, eight more than second-placed David Seaman.

Who has made the most Premier League appearances for Arsenal?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST

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We asked you for your views on how Arsenal have started the season - and where you thought they might finish.

Almost half predicted Arsenal will be crowned Premier League champions at the end of the season.

Here is a flavour of your comments:

Fred; Arsenal have the ability to win the league. Depth across all positions, a fantastic defence and with Kai Havertz in such form, do we even need a striker?

Sho: Breaks my heart and it seems ridiculous to say three games in but silly things like the red card for Declan Rice against Brighton, in my opinion will once again be the reason why Arsenal finish second or third when up against a imperishable Manchester City and powerful Liverpool side. I hope I am wrong as Arsenal deserve it and have the personnel but it’s so tight!

Bill: They are going to be a high-scoring, entertaining team that not only will finish first but will win the title by five points.

Craig: I feel that Arsenal will only manage third or fourth place this season. The squad at present has very young talented players but has a key element that’s missing. Whether it’s experience of winning or an Thierry Henry extraordinary talent, I don’t feel Mikel Arteta has brought anyone of that calibre into the squad to take them to the next step.

Thomas: I think the signings of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino have helped us a lot. This has given us a strong squad depth in different positions where we were lacking. These strong additions to the team can help us win the league and I predict Arsenal to win it this season.

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Lifelong Arsenal fan and The One Show presenter Roman Kemp has been choosing his favourite songs for BBC Sounds podcast Make Me A Mixtape.

And one of them is Shakira's 2010 hit Waka Waka (This Time for Africa), the official track of the World Cup in South Africa

The tune has been adopted by Arsenal fans for a chant about striker Kai Havertz and Kemp explained its origins.

"The song started at Bournemouth away last season and he [Havertz] was playing so badly," he said. "He had arrived from Chelsea and everyone was telling us he was rubbish and terrible, that we had spent £60m and may as well have thrown it down the drain.

"It got to a point where we had been playing really well and he still hadn’t scored and there was a lot of pressure.

"Then there was a moment where we had a penalty and we have two normal penalty takers – the captain Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. They both said, 'Look, we aren't taking this', and gave the ball to Havertz saying, 'go get your first goal so you get your confidence' and he scored.

"It was a sunny day, we were winning 3-0 and all of a sudden it just kicked off and the fans sang this song for 30 minutes straight, over and over.

"It's just to say it ironically - they're saying £60m down the drain... Kai Havertz scores again"

It turns out that Kemp's soundtrack is heavily influenced by his love for the Gunners.

"Every week I make the journey to go and watch my beloved Arsenal," he told hosts Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens. "Those feelings and the emotions you get need a soundtrack because there is so much anticipation in football. Depending on where we are in the league or how we are performing, there is a lot that goes with it.

"I always find when I’m going to these games I can’t figure out what mood I am in. Am I wanting to listen to Papa Roach or am I wanting to listen to something else?"

Find out which songs made the cut on BBC Sounds

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Arsenal head into this international break with two wins and a draw and a solid start to the Premier League season, but there is still a feeling they could have done better.

The red card for Declan Rice was a big factor against Brighton even though they had chances to win the game themselves with Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka late on.

However, the real question that Mikel Arteta will have to answer now is what he will do with his midfield options.

Rice now misses the north London derby, which is a big blow. Not withstanding the rivalry, Arsenal will feel they have to win to keep pressure on Manchester City in the title race.

They will also be without new signing Mikel Merino, after the shoulder injury picked up in his first training session will see him out for a few weeks.

He will be another real miss, given he is a player brought in for his excellence at winning duels and his physicality, especially in a derby match.

That match against Spurs also starts a really busy seven days with matches in the Carabao Cup, the first game in the Champions League before a huge clash away at City.

Arteta will look at Jorginho and Thomas Partey to carry the load, particularly in the Spurs match but he may be forced to get creative to find a solution to get Arsenal and their midfield through those tough matches.