Arsenal

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BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.

Mick asked: Although Arsenal are still in with a decent chance of catching Liverpool, there is a real danger of this season being yet another case of 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride', if they were to finish second for the third year in a row. In fact, some Arsenal fans are inclined to give the manager only one more season to win the Premier League, before getting rid of him.

So will it be 'Four weddings and a funeral' for Mikel Arteta?

Phil answered: As you say Mick, Arsenal are still in with a chance of catching Liverpool but Arne Slot's team are in a strong position.

The Gunners are also straight into the last 16 of the Champions League, so I wouldn't be questioning Mikel Arteta's future, but there is no doubt he needs to start winning a trophy soon, having last won the FA Cup in 2020.

Arsenal have made progress under him, but a club of their stature needs silverware and it needs to arrive sooner rather than later. The club has great faith in the manager but mistakes have been made in not signing a striker, which may still cost them dear this season.

In the end, though, it is about trophies and Arteta needs one. If that's not this season, then it certainly has to be next.

It is a hectic few weeks for Liverpool, with the Reds having league games pretty much every three days until the end of the month.

But things ease considerably in March, when the Reds play just one league game - a home fixture against bottom club Southampton.

That's not to say it is a quiet month, however, with Liverpool having the small matter of the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle on 16 March.

On either 4 or 5 March, Liverpool will also have the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, when they will travel to one of Paris St-Germain, Benfica, Monaco or Brest. The return leg at Anfield will take place a week later.

Liverpool finish the season with a home game against Crystal Palace - by which point they would hope to have already had the title wrapped up.

They have two tough away games coming up - travelling to Aston Villa and then Manchester City.

They also play rivals Arsenal towards the end of the season but have the advantage of hosting that encounter.

The Gunners, meanwhile, face six sides in the top half of the table in their final 13 games.

As the historical table below shows, only once in Premier League history has a side held a lead of this size after 25 games and not gone on to win the title.

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Former Premier League striker Glen Murray says Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri is "everything that Raheem Sterling isn't" currently.

Sterling was substituted early in the second half of Saturday's 2-0 win at Leicester, while 17-year-old Nwaneri impressed on the left wing and created Mikel Merino's opener with a fine cross.

"He does look like the next one off the rank at Arsenal to be a real big star," Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"Everything that Raheem Sterling isn't at the minute, Nwaneri is. He has youthful exuberance, confidence, a constant threat."

Nwaneri became the youngest player in Premier League history when he made his debut as a 15-year-old two season ago, but is enjoying a breakout campaign and has stepped up in the absence of senior players, such as Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

"He does not look fazed by anything," added former Tottenham and Manchester City midfielder Michael Brown.

"He has that maturity already of understanding what he can bring and do.

"That's the joy for me. How can he be so level-headed and calm when he's doing what he's doing at his age?"

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

Here are some of your comments:

Leicester fans:

Louise: Depression has set in at Leicester City. We all know negativity spreads and infects everything around. Our fans are at a loss. They don't know what to think or do. We all love our club and will always carry on supporting Leicester City through the good and bad times. But right now, we all need to come together. We have to believe and push our club out of this funk. Is Ruud van Nistelrooy the right man for the job? Yes, and I do believe he can keep Leicester City up, but my confidence is draining as weeks pass by.

Brad: Gutted. The lads dug in deep and even had chances to have got a result. Sadly it's been the story of our season two 50/50 breakaways fell to Arsenal and the rest is history.

Chris: Really proud of the whole team. Played resolutely and as a team for the whole game. Unlucky not to get something from the game, but this should give us some much-needed confidence for the next few games.

Mike: Great performance for 80 minutes. As RVN says, "the results will come". Need to get behind the team. We can stay up if we play like this.

Arsenal fans:

Michael: Poor performance but they got the job done. No-one came away with any real credit aside from maybe two players. The annoying thing is how many, without any original thought, blamed Raheem Sterling for all their ills while he was on the pitch. Give the man a break.

Leigh: We're not alone in having injuries. We've just got to get on with it and, as we did against Leicester, find a way to win. I trust the youth and scouting set-up to unearth talent at home or overseas and we must strengthen over the summer. A good run in the Champions League will make an offer from Arsenal an attractive one. Ridiculous to suggest that Mikel Arteta be given the push. We're going in the right direction!

Martin: I had an inkling that Mikel Merino would work as a false nine, but I didn't imagine he'd work out this well. Both his finishes wouldn't look out of place from Erling Haaland or Chris Wood. Ethan Nwaneri is playing well beyond his years. Sadly, it looks like Sterling is finished at the top level - all the pace that made him great is gone. Merino needs to start at least until we get Bukayo Saka back.

David: Fantastic that we won but - and it's a big but - we struggled to score against a team that has won four games all season. They have a goal difference of -30. Yet we had to wait for two goals from a midfielder who has never played up front before coming off the bench. Great work, Merino, but what will we do when we meet a more in-form side?

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Kai Havertz celebrated Arsenal's win over Leicester on a video call with his team-mates after "successful" surgery on his season-ending hamstring injury.

On Sunday, Havertz posted on Instagram:, external "The past few days have been tough to process both physically and mentally. But yesterday was a good day. A successful op and a win.

"Thanks for all the messages of support over the past few days - it's really helped.

"I'm now focused on my journey to full fitness and giving all the support I can give to the team in the background."

The hard-fought win at King Power Stadium was key for the Gunners, who were also without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, and had to rely on a late double from makeshift striker Mikel Merino.

Defender Jurrien Timber revealed Havertz took part in the post-match celebrations.

"It was very important," he said. "Everyone knows we are a bit tight up front.

"Losing Kai is massive for us, a big blow for him. He's been fighting all season for us. We can't wait to have him back.

"We've had him on FaceTime in the dressing room after the match. We've spoken to him."

Newcastle would be willing to let Alexander Isak leave for £83.3m (100m euros) this summer if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona among those keen on the 25-year-old Sweden striker. (Sport - in Spanish), external

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

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Highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Brighton and Chelsea.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Man City 4-0 Newcastle

• Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ethan Nwaneri continued to show his huge potential with another excellent display in Arsenal's win over Leicester.

The 17-year-old is having his breakthrough season for Arsenal and has deputised for the injured Bukayo Saka on the right side of Arsenal's attack.

He has scored seven goals so far this season in 24 appearances in all competitions.

Nwaneri started the match with Leicester, the first match Arsenal played following the season ending injury to Kai Havertz and was Arsenal's most creative outlet.

He clipped the bar and hit the post with shots in the second half before crossing excellently for Mikel Merino to open the scoring.

That lead to former England forward Joe Cole working as a pundit on TNT Sport comparing Nwaneri to Lionel Messi after his game changing performance.

"These little touches in and around the box - I don't even want to say it, but it's like Lionel Messi." Cole said.

"I don't want to put any more pressure on him, but the touches off the back foot entices the defender, then the touch off the toe to send him off balance. He plays with such confidence, a beautiful player."

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Mikel Arteta looks to have found the solution to his striker problems with makeshift centre forward Mikel Merino after his two match-winning goals against Leicester.

Coming into this match all the talk was about how Arsenal would play without a recognised striker after Kai Havertz's hamstring injury.

Arteta named a front three of Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri, a much different set up without the focal point of Havertz.

Arsenal struggled to create much in the first half but looked lively whenever Nwaneri got the ball and he came close twice when he clipped the bar and smashed a shot against the post in the second period.

It was another tough game for Raheem Sterling who was replaced after 69 minutes. He didn't beat his opposing full back and Nwaneri's ability to take on his man highlighted Sterling's inability to do so.

Nwaneri has had an excellent breakthrough season and not only has he taken on the mantle of being Saka's replacement on the right hand side but he has now become a key creative player, arguably the Gunners best, during Arsenal's striker crisis.

The 17-year-old also created the key moment in the match with an excellent cross for Merino's opener.

Mikel Merino, a player brought in for his excellence in winning duels, showcased his ability in the air for his first goal and his stature gives Arsenal's players something to aim for in the penalty area, which is something they lacked in the early part of the game.

It may be too simple to say that he is the answer for Arsenal but it looks a very good fit at the moment.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after their victory: "We knew it was going to be tough. The first 20 minutes, we were too sloppy. It opened up the game a little bit. We didn't have a real threat and we weren't playing with enough urgency. We were much sharper in the second half. Mikel could give us something with Trossard off the left."

On Mikel Merino: "He has a sense of danger and great timing in the box. We were on the verge of getting to a different level of anxiety. We were composed, scored two brilliant goals and could have scored one or two more."

On Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly: "Physically they are built in a really special way already. Emotionally and mentally, how composed they are, and how they make decisions on the pitch are really impressive so let them go.

"That's what we want. Let's go day by day and take a lot of positives from the second half but also know the first half wasn't good enough to win games."

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Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber speaking to BBC Match of the Day after today's win: "I think Mikel [Merino] did an amazing job. It's not easy being a midfielder and coming in and playing like a striker. We didn't [train with Merino as a striker] but I think he has exceptional qualities and he showed it again today.

"The first half we didn't go to our level and we created a couple of chances that didn't go in in the second half. We know it's a tough away game before coming here but a 2-0 win is well deserved."

On the title race: "You know how tight it is and you know how good the opposition is. We need three points next week and the week after that. The reality is that we are chasing them and we need to win our games."

On Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly: "You almost forget they are so young. They are amazing for that age. it's from a different level and the sky is the limit for them."

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Arsenal's match winner Mikel Merino, has been speaking to TNT Sports after today's victory: "He [Mikel Arteta] told me to come in as a striker this morning. We were talking about it a little bit with one of the assistants. It is the first time in my career that I've played that position.

"He told me to go with my strengths and luckily I could help the team with two goals today."

On him starting as a striker regularly: "I don't think so to be honest. It is the first time I have scored a brace coming off the bench as a striker.

"I forgot to give my wife something for Valentine's Day so this goes to her. I think she will appreciate this more than a rose and some chocolate.

"Today was a tough game. But I think these games are the ones you need the spirit. Games like today are really good for the squad."

On Ethan Nwaneri: "He is an amazing player. Every time I do an interview you guys ask me about him.

"We have to keep the foot on the gas and if we keep doing this job then good things will come in the future."

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Merino became the first Arsenal player to score twice as a substitute in a Premier League game since Gabriel Martinelli against Crystal Palace in January 2024 and the first to do so away from home since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Fulham at Craven Cottage in October 2018.

It is the first time Merino has scored twice in a game since scoring a brace for Osasuna against Gimnastic in the Segunda Division play-offs back in June 2016.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Leicester's performance

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Seven matches make up Saturday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Leicester City v Arsenal (12:30)

• Aston Villa v Ipswich Town

• Fulham v Nottingham Forest

• Man City v Newcastle - BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

• Southampton v Bournemouth

• West Ham v Brentford

• Crystal Palace v Everton (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live commentary

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here.

It seems Kai Havertz has turned into Pele in the eyes of Arsenal fans since he has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.

All of a sudden Havertz is a world-beater, that they cannot cope without, when in reality he has been panned by them for his inconsistent finishing since he joined.

But, with Gabriel Jesus already out injured for the season, Havertz's absence will give Arsenal fans an excuse if they end up not winning anything this campaign, and there will be a pile-on to ask why they did not sign another striker.

The fact Gunners boss Mikel Arteta tried to get Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa in January tells you he wanted someone in.

Now, if they don't win the league, there will be this blame game. Is it Arteta's fault, or is it on the board for not backing him?

Still, even with Havertz out, and Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli both injured too, I think Arsenal will have enough to beat Leicester. Leandro Trossard will probably lead their attack, although Raheem Sterling can also play up there.

Leicester are out of the FA Cup and were walloped by Everton in their last Premier League game.

This is not going to be anything like as close as their last meeting in September.

Sutton's prediction: 0-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

BBC Sport football news reporter Alex Howell talks to The Football News Show about Arsenal's attacking options following Kai Havertz's season-ending hamstring injury.

Watch The Football News Show's full Premier League weekend preview