Arsenal Insider

Although things are now looking very rosy under Mikel Arteta’s stewardship at Arsenal right now, that wasn’t always the case after the Spaniard was first appointed in 2019.

Arsenal were in a mess after Unai Emery left the club, the relationship between the two simply hadn’t worked out.

Arteta arrived at Arsenal with no managerial experience to his name, but he already had the conviction of someone with a clear plan.

Arsenal finished eighth in the 2019/20 season, then eighth again the following year – Arteta was making very slow progress.

However, Arteta had a clear vision and the club ultimately had the patience to allow him to craft an Arsenal project completely in his image.

That being said, when first-placed Tottenham Hotspur beat 15th-placed Arsenal 2-0 back in December 2020, that good-will was well and truly tested.

Jose Mourinho spotted potential in Mikel Arteta when very few others did

With a team that included the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal were well beaten in the north London derby.

And yet when speaking after the game, Jose Mourinho, who was managing Spurs at time, seemingly saw a bright future for Arsenal under Arteta.

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Mourinho labelled his rival manager as ‘very good’ and appeared to spot all the potential brewing over at the Emirates Stadium.

Mourinho said: “It’s very very good (Spurs’ win) against a team that probably is going to be criticised because of the points and position on the table are not good.

“But I have to say – very good team, very good coach, the team with different ways to play, a team that is able to change during the game, a team that is able to build with four or five, with the centre-backs with the midfield dropping, a team with a lot of work.

“So it was a very complex game for us.”

Arsenal told they have a secret weapon in Premier League title-race

Of course, all of the foundations for Arsenal to enjoy serious success under Arteta are now in place.

There’s no doubt that Arsenal have the on-the-pitch quality to win trophies regularly, but perhaps their squad is still lacking some know-how during the ‘business end of the season’.

That being said, Ray Parlour thinks Arsenal have a secret weapon, someone who reminds him of Martin Keown from the club’s last title-winning campaign.

It’s all in place for success in N5, but Arsenal just need a bit of luck on their side on the injuries front and they perhaps also need to use the January transfer window smartly.

Tottenham Hotspur fans made a lot of noise at the start of the season, but they are still miles off Arsenal.

The rivalry between the two North London clubs has always been fierce, but it has been one-sided lately – Arsenal are unbeaten in their last five games against Spurs, having won four of them.

That is pure domination, so much so that Piers Morgan thinks Tottenham’s stadium should be renamed as Arsenal’s training ground.

Spurs do have some decent players in their squad – Darren Bent has had his say on one of them.

Darren Bent thinks Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke would’ve been a ‘hit’ at Arsenal

Dominic Solanke was on the market in the summer transfer window.

The Englishman had a fine season at Bournemouth in 2023/24. He scored 21 goals and provided five assists in what was a very impressive campaign.

Arsenal were linked with a move to sign Solanke in the summer, but Mikel Arteta decided against bringing in a new striker in the end.

Tottenham were also on the market for a new number nine, and Ange Postecoglou decided to seal a club-record £65 million deal to sign Solanke (Sky Sports).

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The England international has had a decent start at Spurs, scoring three goals and providing two assists in eight appearances so far.

Bent claimed on talkSPORT that he thinks Solanke has been a ‘hit’ at Tottenham. He also went as far as saying he would’ve been successful at Arsenal too had Edu Gaspar and Mikel Arteta signed him.

He said: “Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal. For sure.

“Because he has got the right temperament, looks like he wants to continue improving, I have never heard any stories about him being a bad egg.

“Yeah, I think he would have been a hit at Arsenal.”

Would Solanke even start at Arsenal?

Solanke is a good player, we’re not going to dispute that.

The Englishman is tall, strong, good in the air, can hold the ball up and is a decent finisher too. His numbers last season prove that he can deliver in the Premier League.

Arsenal had a look at Solanke and decided that they are better off with what they have – Kai Havertz, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus.

The latter is perhaps the one player Solanke would start ahead of at Arsenal – there’s no way he’s displacing either Havertz or Trossard.

The two Arsenal attackers have had a fine start to the season and have done a job for Arteta in different positions.

They are both much more reliable as well and we wouldn’t swap either of them for Solanke.

Arsenal are thriving under Mikel Arteta, with the first-team still unbeaten, but a problem is now emerging.

Arteta was criticised in the past for not giving opportunities to academy players, but he has silenced those critics, with several youngsters playing a part in the first-team this season.

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have appeared in the Premier League, with Lewis-Skelly also making his Champions League debut, whilst several Hale End Academy talents played in a Carabao Cup victory over Bolton.

Some have been included in matchday squads in major competitions, with Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri and young attacker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji on the bench as unused substitutes in Arsenal’s victory over Southampton.

However, whilst Arteta’s inclusion of the youngsters was well-intentioned, it has caused a wider issue which needs addressing.

Arsenal under-21s suffer humiliating defeat to Tottenham Hotspur

Two hours before Arsenal kicked off against Southampton at the Emirates, the under-21s played a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at Meadow Park.

Arsenal went 2-0 up at home, but much like the senior Spurs side did in 2012, they collapsed and lost 5-2.

Several key players including Josh Nichols and Maldini Kacurri were included, but there were notable absences in Lewis-Skelly and Butler-Oyedeji.

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With Nwaneri considered a first-team player now, Lewis-Skelly and Butler-Oyedeji have thrived for the under-21s, with the latter winning the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for August.

However, their side badly missed them whilst they were with the first-team, but it is now questionable whether this sacrifice was worth it.

Lewis-Skelly is perhaps in the same bracket as Nwaneri as being of too high a level to continue playing regular academy football, but the pair were unused against Southampton, whilst their youth teammates were being thrashed by their bitter rivals.

Butler-Oyedeji is also 21, meaning that academy football could be of less use to him, but with all of them failing to see the pitch against Southampton, they missed out on any game time at any level.

When the first-team and under-21s play at the same time, it may be more valuable for someone like Butler-Oyedeji to continue his strong form at academy level, rather than being an unused substitute for the first-team.

Having their best players available could in turn help the rest of the under-21 players improve their own performances and results, and the overall benefit could mean that Arteta has to deselect some youngsters whenever games clash.

Teenage goalkeeper Jack Porter made his Arsenal debut on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta called upon Hale End academy shot-stopper Jack Porter for Arsenal’s EFL Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium.

Porter made Arsenal history with this appearance, as he became the North London club’s youngest ever goalkeeper debutant.

The 16-year-old’s services were required due to the recent injury sustained by David Raya. Arteta is keen to treat the Spain international’s knock with caution, and was unwilling to take an unnecessary risk by playing the former Brentford man in this cup fixture.

Meanwhile, summer arrival Neto was ineligible to play in this game due to being cup-tied in this competition. The Bournemouth loanee made an EFL Cup appearance earlier this season, prior to joining the Gunners on Transfer Deadline Day.

Jack Porter fact will delight Arsenal fans at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur

Porter made his debut at 16 years and 72 days old, having been born on July 15th 2008.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur last won a trophy 16 years 6 months and 20 days ago, when they triumphed in the EFL Cup final on February 24th 2008.

The fact that Arsenal now have players featuring in the first team who were born after their fierce local rivals’ most recent trophy win will delight and amuse Arsenal supporters.

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How did Jack Porter fare against Bolton Wanderers?

Despite circumstances conspiring to rob Arteta of his two senior goalkeeper options, it was still a huge show of faith from the Spanish coach to turn to Porter. He could easily have preferred 18-year-old Alexei Rojas, for instance, but he was restricted to a place on the bench.

Ahead of the match, Aaron Ramsdale sent a message to Porter, showing his support for the teenager.

On top of that, Arteta praised Porter after the 5-1 win over Bolton, and it was surely a night that the youngster will always remember.

Porter ought to be proud of his performance, too. There was little he could do to prevent the visitors’ goal, and one misplaced pass nearly resulted in disaster, but in general he looked like a composed figure at the back, and did well to claim a number of high balls in his penalty area.

Arsenal could be handed a huge transfer blow by Tottenham as one key decision has emerged.

Match day four of the Premier League season was about Arsenal breaking Spurs’ hearts, as the Gunners beat their rivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was the third time in a row that Mikel Arteta’s side have got the better of their neighbours in N17, with North London very much belonging to Arsenal.

While those in Islington have bragging rights, a decision at Spurs in the near future could force the tables to turn.

Tottenham contract call could impact William Saliba transfer

Given how impressive Arsenal have been over the last few seasons, it’s unsurprising that some of Arteta’s key players are attracting attention from other clubs.

Following the closing of the summer transfer window, it was reported that Real Madrid are interested in William Saliba, which would be a nightmare scenario for Arsenal.

That being said, there was some optimism over the Galacticos stance on the Frenchman, with it claimed that Madrid are also admirers of Spurs centre-back Cristian Romero.

While there was a sense of relief regarding how Carlo Ancelotti’s side view Romero, there could now be a worrying development for Arsenal to consider.

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Speaking to CaughtOffside about Romero, Fabrizio Romano shared the news that amid Madrid’s interest, Spurs are set to push to offer the defender a new contract.

“Cristian Romero continues to be an important player for Tottenham, and so it’s perhaps normal that we’re starting to see rumours about interest from other top clubs, with some fans asking me if there’s anything to the links with Real Madrid.”

Romano went on to explain that while no talks have ‘started yet’, Spurs are eager to ‘keep him for the long term’, which could spell bad news for Arsenal.

In the instance that Romero extended with Spurs, Madrid could be inclined to push to sign Saliba, which would of course be a massive blow for the Gunners.

Arsenal extended Saliba’s contract in 2023

While the news of Spurs’ plot to extend Romero’s deal could increase Madrid’s desire to sign Saliba, Arsenal are a step ahead regarding their star defender.

The Frenchman signed a new deal last summer, extending his stay to 2027, as well as being handed a hefty pay rise to ensure his future lies in North London.

Given how Arsenal are currently operating both on and off the pitch, it seems unlikely Arteta would be willing to part ways with a player of Saliba’s stature for anything less than a small fortune.

Added to that, the Gunners are now at the level of competing with Europe’s elite such as Real Madrid, a position that Tottenham are not close to at this moment in time.

As a result, the task of luring Romero could be easier for Madrid than attempting to pry Saliba from Arsenal’s grasp, regardless of the two target’s contracts.

Arsenal are set for a tough trip to face Atalanta in their opening Champions League game of the new campaign, but they have now been handed a major boost.

Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to victory in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur in difficult circumstances as several key players were missing.

Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino were both injured, and Declan Rice’s suspension meant that Arteta was without his entire first-choice midfield three.

Defender Oleksandr Zinchenko was also absent, as were Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, leaving Arsenal light on the bench, but Jurrien Timber was able to complete 90 minutes at left-back.

Bukayo Saka also limped off with a suspected injury during the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but any fears over his fitness may now be alleviated.

New signing Calafiori is yet to start for Arsenal, but picked up an injury when playing for Italy in the International break, and was absent from the squad against Spurs. However, he could feature in the Champions League.

Riccardo Calafiori returns to Arsenal training ahead of Atalanta trip

Arsenal are partaking in their final training session in North London before flying to Bergamo, where they will face Europa League winners Atalanta.

With a trip to Manchester City coming straight after, Arsenal may need to rotate where they can, and Arteta has been handed a major boost as Calafiori has now returned to training.

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Journalist Charles Watts is in attendance at Arsenal’s open training session, and he revealed on X that Calafiori has joined his teammates on the pitch at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

“Players are now starting to come out. Calafiori is back,” he posted.

Calafiori could therefore be in line to make his first Arsenal start in his native Italy, and he may be a necessary inclusion.

Bukayo Saka returns to Arsenal training after suspected injury

Saka limped off against Spurs and was replaced by Ethan Nwaneri, but it later emerged that he had suffered from cramp rather than anything serious.

The England star is back in training with the rest of the squad, and is expected to be available for the Atalanta trip. However, there may be merit in resting Saka alongside some other key stars, with new signing Raheem Sterling available to come in from the start.

Riccardo Calafiori could replace Jurrien Timber against Atalanta

Timber was impressive against Tottenham, but given that he is still on his way to full fitness, a rest could be of huge benefit to him.

The Dutchman has regularly started this season, and even played for The Netherlands in the International break.

Timber missed almost the entirety of last season after picking up a cruciate ligament injury on his debut, and his minutes need to be managed carefully.

If Calafiori is deemed fit, the Atalanta game could be the perfect opportunity for him to make his full debut, and replace Timber, who could come back in at Man City.

Arsenal came out of their North London Derby clash against Tottenham with a successful result.

Mikel Arteta went into the game with a number of issues. The likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all unavailable.

This was Tottenham’s best chance of beating Arsenal, especially as they were playing at home. But, in typical fashion, Spurs failed to take advantage of the situation.

Arsenal came away with a deserved 1-0 win, but Wright is still not happy with one thing his old side were made to do during the North London Derby.

Ian Wright reacts to ‘crazy’ thing Arsenal were forced to do vs Tottenham

The North London Derby is one of the biggest games of every season.

The rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham is iconic and not many people know just how special this game is more than Ian Wright.

The legendary Englishman was and still is a hero to many Arsenal fans, and he fully understood the significance of the North London Derby.

In the latest edition of the derby, Arsenal were forced to wear their away kit against Tottenham for the first time since 1986.

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The PGMOL claimed that Arsenal’s home kit features ‘too much white’, which clashes with Spurs’ home colours. The Gunners wanted to play in the famous red and white, but their request was denied.

Wright wasn’t too pleased with that decision.

He said on Premier League Productions (September 16 2024, 1:15 pm): “From a Tottenham and Arsenal point of view, in the derby and what it means. for us to not wear the red and white kit, for something to do with too much white in the kit, it’s crazy.”

New stat shows how Arsenal have humiliated Tottenham

Arsenal are the kings of North London and nothing Tottenham do will ever change that.

The Gunners have a much superior record against Spurs – in recent times as well as in the history of the North London Derby.

With their latest win, Arsenal now have more victories in the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which opened in 2019, than Spurs have wins at the Emirates, which has been open for over 18 years now.

That is an embarrassing stat if you’re a Spurs fan, but as Arsenal supporters, we are not surprised.

Tottenham Hotspur are just the gift that keeps on giving for Arsenal fans.

Ange Postecoglou’s side had the biggest chance of beating the Gunners on Sunday. Mikel Arteta was without seven Arsenal players for the North London Derby away from home.

However, in typical fashion, Spurs failed to take advantage of the Gunners’ weakness and ended up losing their third consecutive derby at home.

Piers Morgan now believes Tottenham’s Stadium should be renamed as Arsenal’s training ground – we completely agree with that.

In the next few months, Tottenham could do something ‘Spursy’ again and massively help Arsenal.

How Tottenham could help Arsenal keep William Saliba amid Real Madrid interest

Arsenal star William Saliba is destined to become the best defender in the world.

The Frenchman has been sensational for Arsenal since he made his competitive debut back on the opening day of the 2022/23 season.

Saliba is already up there with the very best, and his brilliant performances for club and country have attracted a ton of interest from elsewhere.

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Arsenal Insider exclusively revealed that Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Saliba ahead of a potential move in the summer of 2025.

That is a huge concern for Arsenal and their supporters – losing Saliba next year would be an absolute disaster. But, Tottenham could lend a helping hand to Arteta and Edu.

Reports have revealed that Real Madrid’s alternative for Saliba is Tottenham’s Cristian Romero. The Argentine is hailed by Spurs fans as one of the best defenders in the world, but we honestly think he’s just above average.

However, if Real Madrid have him on their radar, that is good news for Arsenal.

Romero is a World Cup winner and we’re sure he’d want to win big trophies at club level too. That will not happen at Tottenham, especially not this season, barring a miracle.

So, if Spurs have yet another ‘Spursy’ campaign where they throw it all away and end up trophyless again, there’s every chance Romero will ask to leave, just like Harry Kane did in 2023 and Gareth Bale did over a decade ago.

That would make it easier for Real Madrid to sign Romero, which in turn would mean that Saliba would stay put at Arsenal. That would be perfect!

Arsenal’s demands if Saliba asks to leave

The last thing Arsenal would want to do is sell Saliba.

The France international is one of the first names on the team sheet every week, and losing him would be a massive blow.

However, if it ever gets to a point where he wants to go, reports have claimed that the minimum amount Arsenal will demand for Saliba is €120 million (£101m) – but it will probably be more.

That would make Saliba the most expensive defender of all time, and we think he’s completely worthy of that title. However, the priority for Arsenal has to be to keep hold of him.

Saliba’s current contract at Arsenal expires in the summer of 2027.

Ethan Nwaneri was afforded a brief cameo for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Mikel Arteta handed Ethan Nwaneri just his third senior appearance as he threw the Arsenal youngster into the fray late on in the North London Derby.

With 86 minutes on the clock, and the Gunners protecting a 1-0 lead against their fierce local rivals, Bukayo Saka went down injured.

At this late stage in such an important game, Arteta showed huge faith in Nwaneri by sending him on to replace the stricken winger. This faith was rewarded, though, as in just four minutes, plus stoppage time, Nwaneri was able to show his quality.

Saka’s injury is not thought to be serious, but Nwaneri has now shown that he can be called upon in the big moments to step up.

Ethan Nwaneri trusted by Mikel Arteta and Arsenal stars

The 17-year-old is a huge talent, and has long been regarded as an extremely promising prospect within the North London club’s Hale End academy system.

However, the teenager is now well-regarded within the first team picture, too. Senior Arsenal players encouraged Arteta to play Nwaneri at times last season, and against Spurs those on the pitch demonstrated the confidence they have in the youngster.

No one hesitated to hand the England under-19 international the ball against Tottenham, and the fact that Gabriel Jesus instructed Nwaneri to push further forward shows that he is trusted to adapt to new challenges.

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Nwaneri demonstrated versatility against Tottenham Hotspur

In moving up the pitch, Nwaneri adopted a false nine role and saw plenty of the ball late on in the game.

In these circumstances, he demonstrated great maturity. Recognising the state of the game, he did not become overexcited and try to make a spectacular impact, but rather played with patience, holding up the ball and slowing down the game.

Arteta will have recognised and appreciated this aspect of his performance.

Nwaneri sends message to Arteta

All in all, despite his involvement on derby day being brief, Nwaneri was still able to do enough to demonstrate his readiness for Premier League action.

Arteta must take heed of this and continue to give the youngster opportunities to impress. Nwaneri has vast potential, but he needs game time in order to develop.

Arsenal supporters have now made their feelings about Jurrien Timber clear to Mikel Arteta.

Jurrien Timber played for Arsenal in their 1-0 North London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

In many ways, the Dutch defender is now making up for lost time. This was his first taste of a North London Derby, after he missed out on almost the entirety of his maiden campaign in English football last season following an ACL injury.

Timber celebrated his first Arsenal win over Spurs on Instagram after the match, and will very much feel that he is just getting started.

The 23-year-old defender is now fit and firing on all cylinders once again and already looks to have established himself in Mikel Arteta’s preferred back four.

Whilst Gabriel Magalhaes was the match-winner against Tottenham, and William Saliba was similarly sensational in the heart of the rearguard, Timber was also able to catch the eye with his committed and physical display.

Arsenal fans stunned by Jurrien Timber in North London Derby

Many Arsenal fans on X were eager to praise Timber for his performance against Spurs.

One supporter said: “Jurrien Timber phenomenal. Superb OOP yet again, completely locked off that side. Knew when to engage and when to apply pressure and show aggression. A committed personality that’s required in the high octane games. Some of his play on the ball as well. Brilliant.”

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Another stated: “Jurrien Timber at left back was SPECIAL today. He won every single loose ball and was everywhere.”

One added: “I’m very impressed with Jurrien Timber. The boy has been injured for a year & today he played at LB in his first NLD. Balls of steel and the precision with which he applied his aggression after that yellow, wow. Got that dawg in him.”

Another claimed: “Jurrien Timber has arrived as an Arsenal player, what a shift from him.”

Arsenal shirt now Timber’s to lose

Oleksandr Zinchenko picked up a knock just ahead of this match, whilst Riccardo Calafiori was already sidelined, making it an easy decision for Arteta to start Timber.

However, in general there shall be plenty of competition for the left-back berth this season, with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jakub Kiwior also both capable of playing in that part of the pitch.

However, the sentiment from the fans is clear, Timber ought to currently be seen as the first choice pick for that role.

The Netherlands international is an aggressive defender, progressive on the ball, and has now shown that he can step up on the big occasions.