Arsenal

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Mikel Arteta has said that he is "very glad" Bukayo Saka says he wants to stay at Arsenal.

The 23-year-old made his first start since returning from injury in the 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg and won both free kicks that Declan Rice scored from.

Saka enters the final two years of his contract this summer but said prior to the Madrid match that he "wants to win wearing this badge".

"So humble, so simple, very committed to the club, obviously has very deep roots connected to this football club and with a lot of other people here, so I'm very glad to hear that he wants to stay with us and win with us," Arteta said when asked about Saka's comments.

The winger, who caused Madrid defender David Alaba problems throughout Tuesday's 3-0 win, was taken off after 74 minutes and Arteta says it is another step as he works his way back to full fitness.

"He gives us a level of threat, connection and unpredictability that probably no other player at the moment can provide, especially with the connection that he's already built in and around the team," Arteta said.

"And he has the power to lift the stadium, which is something incredible, because shifting the energy in the stadium is something really difficult to do, and a player who is able to do that, that's a great addition, a great quality to have."

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at home to Brentford (17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta said there has been "an unbelievable energy" around the club since the 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday: "Obviously it was a very special night. That's over and now the full focus is on Brentford because it is a game that will require the best of us."

• He confirmed Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are "both fit" and "both available" after being substituted on Tuesday, while Riccardo Califiori is "progressing really well" and is "in a good place, but "giving a timeline is difficult".

• Arteta is "hopeful" Kai Havertz can return before the end of the season.

• On Saka's impact after his return from injury: "He gives us a level of threat, connection and unpredictability that no other player can provide. He has the power to lift the stadium, which is incredible because shifting the energy in a stadium is something that is really difficult to do and when a player is able to do that, that is a great quality to have."

• On Saka's future: "He is so humble, very committed to the club and has very deep roots connected to this football club. I am very glad to hear that he wants to stay with us and win with us."

• How many days off after the win over Madrid?: "Just one. I think they were very happy with that. We had a day off because it was the best way to recover and prepare."

• On opponents Brentford: "When you look at what they have done it is remarkable and a beautiful story. They are a club that we can learn a lot from because the way they did it is very clever and the way they maintained it is very impressive."

• On Thomas Frank: "More than respect, admiration. He's done it at a football club where everyone shares the vision. The way he has sustained and evolved with the model is really well timed in my opinion."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to live commentary of Arsenal v Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live from 17:30 on Saturday

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Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka knows how to "pick his moment in a genius way" while breakout star Ethan Nwaneri has "no fear", says former defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

A fellow Gunners academy graduate who is just four years older than Saka, Maitland-Niles saw the 23-year-old progress to becoming the key player he now is for Arsenal.

"I saw him coming through from when he was a little kid and he has really pushed on in the last four years," Maitland-Niles told BBC Sport.

"He has become one of the world's best wingers, very consistent, knows how to kill off a game and he can pick his moment in a genius way.

"I think [Arsenal] now rely on him a bit too much and you can't expect so much from such a young player. He hasn't even hit his prime yet. But, I think he is the driving force of the team and they miss a bit of attacking threat when he is not playing."

Maitland-Niles has become a key player to Ligue 1 side Lyon since joining in 2023, however, as a childhood Arsenal fan, he still watches the side today.

Like many, he has been impressed by winger Nwaneri who, after becoming the youngest player to represent the men's first team in September 2022 aged 15, has become a regular this campaign.

"Physically, he is absolutely incredible to watch. There is no fear in the kid," Maitland-Niles said.

"He is just going at people and trying to make things happen. You can see he is trying to become a leader very early in that team. He is trying to cement his place, which is difficult as he plays in the same positions as [Martin] Odegaard and Saka.

"He has the ability to do it, definitely, it is just whether he can keep his place when the big guns come back and are firing again.

"He has the world in front of him and he just needs to take it."

Read more from Maitland-Niles here

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Arsenal's pre-season plans for the upcoming summer have been confirmed as the North London club are set to take on Italian giants AC Milan and Carabao Cup winners Newcastle United.

Mikel Arteta and his players will travel to Singapore for these two games and will play Milan on 23 July and Newcastle on 27 July. Both games are set to be played in front of 55,000 fans at the National Stadium in Singapore.

Arsenal will conclude their Asian tour with a friendly against Tottenham in Hong Kong on 31 July.

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With eight goals and seven assists, Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in 15 goals in his past 17 London derby appearances in the Premier League.

He has been involved in 12 goals in his past 11 home games for Arsenal in the Premier League (six goals, six assists),

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Former Arsenal defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles feels the club might have been "a bit hasty" when they let Unai Emery go but did hire a "footballing genius" in Mikel Arteta.

Maitland-Niles, who now plays for Ligue 1 side Lyon, came through the Gunners' academy after joining at the age of six.

The 27-year-old made his senior debut as a teenager in the 2014-15 season and became a regular under Emery, who managed the team from May 2018 to November 2019.

"Emery was really good for Arsenal and you can see now with what he is doing with Aston Villa that he is a great manager," Maitland-Niles told BBC Sport.

"Maybe when they [Arsenal] look back, they might think it was a bit hasty, but for the players we gelled with him and we enjoyed having him. Maybe his time was cut short but they replaced him with a footballing genius in Arteta.

"He really studied how Pep [Guardiola] took football to new heights as one of the best managers in the world. He really, really studied how to break down teams and be most effective in games. Arsenal are showing that at this point.

"They are not coming close enough to win the league but you can see they are making big, big improvements by going close two years in a row.

"I had respect for him as a manager, I thought he was a tactical genius but it was an average player-manager relationship, not especially close."

The academy graduate thought he would be at his boyhood club his entire life, however, injury and lack of playing time led him to leave on a free transfer in 2023.

Maitland-Niles did taste cup success with the club and started in the 2020 FA Cup final win over Chelsea.

"To do it with Arsenal, my boyhood club - I still watch them to this day," Maitland-Niles said.

"It was fantastic, a dream come true to be able to win a trophy that night with the team I grew up with and watching. It was an amazing feeling, I can't describe it.

"It is every boys dream winning something like that, especially with Arsenal, a dream since five or six years of age, so to go out and actually achieve that was something that will stay with me for the rest of my life and something I will be thankful for."

Read more from Maitland-Niles here

Arsenal and Liverpool are looking at alternatives to Alexander Isak, with Newcastle United adamant they won't sell their 25-year-old striker. (i paper), external

Chelsea are leading the race to sign 19-year-old Sunderland midfielder Jobe Bellingham, ahead of Arsenal, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Tottenham. (Caught Offside), external

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

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We asked for your views on whether Arsenal should be renewing Thomas Partey's contract.

Here are some of your comments:

Eric: Partey is one of those players who divides opinion. When he is fit, and that is an issue, he is one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. The problem is that he spends too much time in the treatment room. Arteta also uses him as a full back which is often a disaster. He is worth a new contract but not on his current salary, especially with the expected new arrivals.

Caleb: It is pivotal for Arsenal to give Partey a new contract. He has been an anchor for us in terms of experience and distribution of the ball.

Kanairo: Arsenal would be crazy to let Partey leave as they have no other player like him. He doesn't panic in midfield, uses space cleverly and wins so many tackles. The team isn't the same when he doesn't start in midfield. His experience is crucial too if Arsenal hope to win trophies next season and such experience cannot be replaced. Give him another contract, otherwise the top Italian and Spanish clubs are waiting to take him on a free.

Stuart: I think he is a fantastic player in this system for us and offers real balance. He isn't getting younger but we don't have another player to fill that role so I think we should keep him - the question is will he stay on realistically reduced terms as he's aging. If we have plans to replace him, I'd still think he's got a role to play from the bench and for cup rotation for sure - he's also versatile enough to play right-back for us which in our current squad is a valuable asset!

Paul: I don't think we should keep Partey. When fully fit, he's one of our best players. Unfortunately he's injured a lot, and when he's in that infamous red zone before an injury (and in his first few games back after an injury) his performances drop. We need to invest in someone more reliably available.

Will: He's a great player but he's never gone a season at Arsenal without some major injury at a key point. It's good to see what he looks like when he has momentum. But I think we need to move on in the summer, if only because I don't trust that he'll be injury free as he gets older and that we need to keep evolving and not get tied to an aging (if elite) player. Also, definitely don't want to see him at right back ever again.

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With two stunning free-kicks, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice understandably stole the headlines after the Gunners' 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

But, was it the performance of another midfielder that actually had just as much of an impact?

Thomas Partey's commanding of the middle of the park may have gone unnoticed among the furore of his midfield partner's double set-piece heroics.

But the numbers around the 31-year-old's night at the Emirates are impressive.

Partey's stats ranked him in the top two of Arsenal players in almost all of the key metrics against Real Madrid:

The Ghana international was second for most touches of any Gunners player, with 76 (defender William Saliba came top with 91).

He also had the second most number of passes with 76 (Saliba top with 91), and was second for number of accurate passes - 61 to Saliba's 80.

Other standout statistics included:

• Second most dribbles with three, behind Gabriel Martinelli (four) and level with Jurrien Timber

• Second most duels won with three - level with Myles Lewis-Skelly and behind Timber (eight)

• Won possession back six times - top alongside Saliba

• Attempted three tackles - second behind Timber (four).

Being able to keep a clean sheet against the powerhouse of Real Madrid's forward line and midfield is arguably as important in the context of the tie as the goals from Rice and Mikel Merino.

Partey providing solid defensive cover in that midfield area also gave the freedom for Rice to foray further forwards and help build up the Arsenal attack.

He has quietly gone about his business this campaign for Mikel Arteta, having played 44 games across all competitions and chipped in with three goals and two assists.

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When considering this consistent and solid presence in the team, it is therefore somewhat puzzling that Partey is set to become a free-agent in the summer when his contract runs out.

It is this experience that is sometimes the hardest to replace in a team.

So, what do you think, Arsenal fans?

Should the Gunners be renewing Partey's contract or have they already seen the best of him?

Let us know

Image source, Opta

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made sure to get the message across that it is just half-time in their Champions League tie with Real Madrid despite his side's impressive 3-0 win.

The Gunners produced their best performance of the season to stun Los Blancos in the quarter-final first leg with Declan Rice scoring two excellent long-range free kicks.

The goals are the first two free kicks the midfielder has scored in his career and Mikel Merino, acting as a makeshift striker, scored his fifth goal in nine games as Arsenal set themselves up with an impressive lead before next week.

Arteta spoke about how he believes that the crowd played a massive part in the win and talked of "magic moments" that secure such victories.

After that though, in his post-match news conference, the manager referenced a few times how it is only half-time and that his Arsenal team still need to go to the Bernabeu.

The Gunners boss will be aware of the magic that Madrid can produce in this competition and will not want his side to be caught unaware when they travel to Spain.

Arteta says he wants his team to "elevate their level" for that game next week as the Gunners look to set up a special end to their season.

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Arsenal beating Real Madrid 3-0 is an absolutely incredible result.

I think to be able to have games and moments like that at home, with your fanbase there, with everybody tuning in, and to walk off with a lead like that, makes it one of the marquee games of the competition so far.

Going into a second leg in the Bernabeu in the Champions League knockout you should never be too comfortable.

But I think it is vindication for Mikel Arteta and his players who have always believed they can compete. They have always believed they can beat absolutely anybody and beating Real Madrid in the Champions League is something that should never be ignored.

They have been the dominant force so for Arsenal to dominate them in that fashion, for some of Madrid's key players to be as quiet as they were, and for the goals to be of such high quality - it is the type of game you remember for a lifetime.

The first free-kick from Declan Rice was really good, but the second one was outrageous. It could not be any more in the top corner. No questions, no discussions - it is literally a perfect free-kick.

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The second leg is when it matters that they have someone like Arteta who never gets too up or too down with his team. He has a real undying belief they can beat anybody so I think he will set his team up in the right way.

We have seen throughout the season that defensively Arsenal are very solid and they have got one of the best defensive records in the Champions League.

It will be tough in the second leg, but I think those players will be more than prepared for anything that's going to be thrown at them.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Over the past few seasons, we have got used to Arsenal scoring from set-pieces.

Jack-in-the-box set-piece coach Nicolas Jover jumps up, Bukayo Saka or Declan Rice swings in one of those menacing corners and Gabriel/William Saliba/Thomas Partey marmalises the defenders to head in.

But it's not been the same story from free-kicks.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta said last night that Arsenal had not scored directly from a free-kick since October 2021.

While not strictly true, Bukayo Saka's strike that went all the way in against Paris St-Germain from out on the touchline should probably be ruled out as against the spirit of these things!

Prior to that, it was indeed three and a half years ago, when Martin Odegaard bent in against Burnley at Turf Moor.

And he's kept trying ever since.

In fact, it has been 30 attempts without success for the Arsenal captain since then – put somewhat to shame by the ridiculous quality demonstrated by Rice against Real Madrid for two goals on Wednesday evening.

Probably time for the Norway midfielder to hand over the baton.

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Via Opta's expected goals (xG) model, Declan Rice's first free-kick had an xG of 0.037 (3.7%) and his second had an xG of 0.063 (6.3%).

The probability of scoring both of those comes in at a combined total of 0.23% - a 1 in 434.8 chance.

That means that in theory, if the match was played out 435 times and Rice took both of the free-kicks he scored again, in only one of them would he have scored both free-kicks in the same match.