Arsenal

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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

Image source, Getty Images

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."

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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.

The dust has settled on the transfer window, the Premier League is well and truly back, and we are into the first international break of 2024-25.

So we want you to predict where Arsenal will finish in the Premier League this season - thinking about the start to the campaign and summer transfer business.

Submit your prediction here

And also, please tell us what is the one thing - good or bad - you have learned about Arsenal so far in the campaign?

Let us know your thoughts here, external

Chris Sutton and Steph Houghton both believe Mikel Arteta has got the best of Kai Havertz, after the German scored his second Premier League goal of the season at the weekend.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton thinks Havertz "is a super intelligent footballer" and suits Arsenal's system.

Former England Women's captain Steph Houghton agreed, saying how impressed she has been with the German and that "he looks full of confidence".

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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Arsenal's newest recruit Raheem Sterling says he has seen "real togetherness" and "hunger" since joining the Gunners on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Speaking in his first club interview, Sterling revealed he was "buzzing" to be at the Emirates: "It is a perfect fit for myself to be at a football club like this - where you can see that hunger, that desire. Year on year, they are pushing and pushing and pushing. That is exactly how I am as a person.

"Each year you want to get better and do better than the previous year. Hopefully I can gel really well with the boys and get going. It's time to meet the boys, get settled in, and hopefully see some game time and make my mark."

Sterling also spoke about reuniting with his former Manchester City coach Mikel Arteta: "He is a top guy, a top character. I have been watching his journey because I spent some time with him at Manchester City.

"To see him come here and stamp his mark on this amazing football club, with this amazing history, it says a lot about him and the great job he is doing here.

"You can see the real togetherness, the journey that the boys are on, and the hunger. The togetherness is something I'm looking to be a part of."

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

The last red card shown to an Arsenal player came in November 2023, with Fabio Vieira receiving a straight red for a badly timed tackle on Burnley’s Josh Brownhill. The red card that day had minimal consequences; the same can’t be said for the one shown to Declan Rice this weekend. In losing Rice, the consequences could be dire in the immediacy, with the midfielder missing the trip to Spurs, but it also exposes a more chronic problem for Arsenal with regards to their squad depth.

The compiling effect of no Mikel Merino and no Rice is bad enough, but fans may also worry that other areas of the pitch do not have adequate back-up. Early into Saturday’s draw with Brighton, Martin Odegaard suffered a small knock, and continued hobbling for a short period after. This was worrying. Odegaard’s understudy Ethan Nwaneri clearly has potential, but can’t be expected to do what Odegaard does having only played once in the Premier League.

While Arsenal’s defence may be stacked with quality on the bench, there are still some doubts over if they have a ruthless game-changer who could be brought on.

Leandro Trossard, who has contributed a suite of important goals off the bench, seems less comfortable starting, and Gabriel Martinelli is fighting for form. On the right, Raheem Sterling’s arrival will provide back-up, if not competition, for Bukayo Saka. The likes of Jorginho might be a solid alternative, but they’re not the gamechangers Arsenal will need when chasing a goal.

This weekend has shown that Arsenal are but a few injuries away from looking like a team that will still fight for the top four, but perhaps not the title. Keeping Odegaard healthy, and ensuring Saka and Kai Havertz are more ruthless in front of goal, will be absolutely crucial in the coming months.

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