More stories

  • in

    Arsenal’s incredible strength in depth this season revealed with ‘world class’ back-ups in every single position

    ARSENAL have much improved strength in depth heading into this season.Gunners chiefs have handed boss Mikel Arteta hundreds of millions of pounds to rip up his squad and start again since succeeding Unai Emery.
    Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – the latest on big Prem opener

    Arsenal have spent a fortune on new recruitsCredit: Getty
    With a net spend totalling an eye-watering £380million since the summer of 2019, the North Londoners are desperate to get back to challenging at the top end of the Premier League.
    Arsenal fell at the final hurdle last season, losing six of their last 12 matches to botch finishing in the top four.
    But there will be no excuses this term, given the greater depth Arteta now has to call upon.
    The Gunners have nearly three players for each position – nearly all of whom were signed by the Spaniard.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    Arsenal have blown teams away in pre-season, including a 4-0 shellacking of rivals Chelsea.
    So as they prepare to go into Friday night’s opener at Crystal Palace, let’s take a look at their depth chart in more detail.
    GOALKEEPERS
    Aaron Ramsdale will start the season as Arsenal’s undisputed No1 goalkeeper, particularly after the sale of Bernd Leno to Fulham.
    The England international will hope to keep developing as the Gunners aim to improve in the Premier League.
    Most read in Football

    Given Arsenal’s return to Europa League action, there may well be minutes for new American back-up stopper Matt Turner.
    While forgotten man Runar Alex Runarsson is back after a loan spell at OH Leuven.
    DEFENDERS
    When fit Takehiro Tomiyasu impressed immensely at right-back during his debut campaign in North London.
    Cedric Soares deputised for the Japan international last term, while Hector Bellerin is back after his loan at Real Betis, at least for now.
    Kieran Tierney was excellent at left-back but like Tomiyasu suffers from numerous injury issues.
    Oleksandr Zinchenko’s addition will keep Arsenal covered, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles could also fill in.
    Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes will now receive much greater competition at centre-back with William Saliba finally set to be given a chance – while Rob Holding and Pablo Mari are still at the club as back-ups.
    MIDFIELDERS
    Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka were Arteta’s first choice pairing last season.
    Mohamed Elneny penned a new contract to stick around, while Arsenal will hope for further development from youngster Albert Sambi Lokonga.
    Zinchenko offers an intriguing option, regularly playing in midfield for Ukraine – while Maitland-Niles could also do a job.
    New skipper Martin Odegaard is set to begin the campaign as Arsenal’s creator-in-chief in the No10 position.
    While new signing Fabio Vieira and academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe will also challenge for a starting position.
    FORWARDS
    Gabriel Jesus has been on fire in pre-season since arriving from Manchester City and offers Arsenal fans genuine hope that they have finally found a prolific No9 to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
    Alexandre Lacazette has departed, although the Gunners were able to retain Eddie Nketiah on a new £100,000-a-week contract.
    Bukayo Saka will hope to take another leap on the right flank as he enters the final two years of his contract – while he will be backed up by £72m man Nicolas Pepe and the returning Reiss Nelson.
    Read More on The Sun
    Gabriel Martinelli is desperate for an injury-free season after showing glimpses of his talent during his three years in North London.
    He will be backed up on the left by Smith Rowe and intriguing new boy Marquinhos.
    Arsenal are desperate to crack the top four this seasonCredit: PA More

  • in

    ‘F***ing s***, man! Tackle that f***ing player’ – Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale’s fumes after goal during All or Nothing doc

    AARON RAMSDALE lost his rag with team-mates after conceding a consolation goal last season.Arsenal comfortably led Aston Villa 3-0 last October when Jacob Ramsey pulled one back with eight minutes remaining.
    Aaron Ramsdale was devastated to lose his clean sheetCredit: Prime Video
    Crystal Palace vs Arsenal – the latest on big Prem opener
    The Gunners won the game 3-1, but Ramsdale was simmering with rage regardless.
    Leon Bailey had been able to ride a couple of feeble challenges before the ball fell to Ramsey to tuck home from the edge of the box.
    Ramsdale, 24, could be seen waving his arms in fury at the time – and Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary has lifted the lid on just how shaken he was.
    As he returned to the dressing room he tore off his gloves and shin pads and tossed them aside before putting his head in his hands.
    Read More Arsenal Stories
    He blasted: “That was f***ing s*** man.
    “Go with the f***ing player. That cost me the b****** clean sheet.”
    Ramsdale had to be consoled by baffled staff, as his team-mates smiled and celebrated the victory.
    The goalkeeper had arrived for around £30million from Sheffield United earlier in the year, a transfer that raised eyebrows given his performances as the Blades got relegated.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    After taking Bernd Leno’s spot in the Arsenal team, Ramsdale opened up for the Prime Video cameras on the pressure of playing for the Gunners.
    He said: “When you play for a big club you definitely feel it [pressure] and I’m loving it.
    “I’m not walking around saying I am the best in the world but I’ll always have aspirations to get there.
    “Where I’ve come from in terms of the past two seasons, I knew how hard clean sheets are to come by in this league.
    “It’s not just me trying to keep the ball out of the back of the net or my back four, it’s everyone.
    “The Aston Villa game in the last five minutes where they scored another day that could be a 1-1 equaliser or a 2-1 and the last five or ten minutes are a nervy ending.”
    Ramsdale, 24, was furious at his team-mates’ defendingCredit: AFP More

  • in

    ‘The star of the show!’ – Arsenal fans go wild for Aaron Ramsdale’s down to earth dad during All or Nothing doc

    ARSENAL fans have declared Aaron Ramsdale’s dad the star of the All or Nothing documentary. The Amazon Prime series followed the Gunners’ struggles and successes over the course of last season – but it’s the father of their No1 goalkeeper who has proven to be the breakout star.
    Aaron Ramsdale has his dad, Nick, backing him all the way as he signed his Arsenal contractCredit: Instagram @aaronramsdale
    The first episode reflects on Ramsdale’s move to the Emirates last summerCredit: Getty
    Ramsdale’s dad has already built up a fan base bigger than some EFL clubsCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
    While supporters have enjoyed seeing more of Arteta’s unique management techniques, the cameo appearances of Nick Ramsdale have also caught attention.
    He can first be seen grabbing Arsenal’s matchday programme while holding a drink and saying excitedly: “He’s on the front of the programme!”
    Later, as Arsenal got their first win of last season over Norwich, the dad can be seen squirming as he watches his son in goal.
    As Ramsdale attempts to evade Teemu Pukki and play it out from the back, Nick said: “F***ing hell, Aaron.”
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    He can then be seen leaving his seat as he says in exasperation as he says: “F***ing nothing to do with my f***ing heart!”
    Ramsdale Senior can then be seen shouting more expletives as he watches Arsenal miss chances, before they finally put the Canaries to bed.
    Even as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the opening goal, it appears Ramsdale’s father was too stressed to celebrate, and instead shares a low-energy high-five with his wife.
    But he finds his voice at the full time whistle and can be seen cheering on his son.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    The goalkeeper, who signed for Arsenal a year ago, revealed in interviews how his dad hates watching him play from the back as it will “give him a heart attack”.
    Nick has left Arsenal fans in stitches on Twitter.
    One said: “Clearly the real star of #AllorNothing is Aaron Ramsdale’s dad.”
    Another tweeted: “Ramsdale’s parents have barely missed a game in his career, his dad came to his Arsenal debut and he had to stop watching because we were doing his heart in, what watching the Arsenal can do to you.”
    Another fan watching the fly-on-the-wall doc said: “Just finished the first episode and if the rest of the series doesn’t just follow Ramsdale’s dad around, I don’t think I’m interested.”
    One Arsenal fan added: “Everyone deserves a dad like Ramsdale’s.”
    The first batch of three episodes follow the club as they experience their disastrous start to last season.
    Before the match against Norwich, Mikel Arteta delivered an inspirational speech about how he overcame heart issues when he was younger. More

  • in

    Mikel Arteta warns Premier League rivals he is taking Arsenal to ‘a different level’ after £120m summer transfer spree

    MIKEL ARTETA claims he is leading Arsenal to the next level as they kick off the new Premier League season tonight.Arteta knows that nothing less than Champions League qualification will be enough after his team surrendered a top-four place to bitter rivals Spurs in the final week of last season.
    Mikel Arteta reckons Arsenal are heading to the next level with their new signingsCredit: Getty
    Gabriel Jesus is set to terrorise defences after joining from Man CityCredit: Getty
    But he is confident Arsenal are on the right path after a £120million summer spending spree including Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
    Ahead of facing Crystal Palace, Arteta said: “I am convinced that we are ready to go to a different level. It’s obvious what the teams who finished above us are doing.
    “They already had much stronger squads than we had and some of them have still recruited six or seven players.
    “So it’s not going to get any easier for us and all we can do is focus on what we can achieve, because we cannot do everything at the same time.
    READ MORE SUN STORIES
    “But we are confident that we’re going to be able to do it and we are all enthusiastic for the new season.
    “We have had the pre-season that we wanted with good results but now the ball starts rolling in a completely different context against a Premier League opponent.
    “We are playing with a level of energy and ambition to have a successful season and now we have to show that on the pitch against Palace.”
    Arteta also hinted that he has not finished his summer spending yet and said: “You can see that we are really active with incomings and outgoings.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to play a key role for the GunnersCredit: Getty
    “It’s a long transfer window and a lot has already happened. Some players are going to need to leave and everything is still open.
    “It’s incredible how much business the clubs have done across the Premier League and that shows how competitive this season is going to be.”
    Palace boss Patrick Vieira reckons Arsenal have taken a huge step closer to being title challengers.
    Read More on The Sun
    He said: “They are in a better place than they were last year. You look at the players they bring into the team, they are much stronger.
    “They have the squad to challenge to be much closer to the title. It will be a completely different game [compared to last season].” More

  • in

    How Premier League clubs’ summer spending compares with Arsenal blazing the trail but Leicester leaving fans worried

    ARSENAL are leading the way in the Premier League in terms of summer spending.The Gunners topped the chart last season when they splashed £150m on seven players.
    Arsenal top the spenders list while Leicester are sat rock bottom
    Jesus has been Arsenal’s marquee summer signing so farCredit: Rex
    And this summer, they’re nearing that figure again having spent £119m.
    Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko joined from Prem champions Manchester City.
    Up and coming Portugal star Fabio Vieira also arrived at the Emirates in a big money deal from Porto.
    North London rivals Tottenham are a close second, having spent £99m.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    Richarlison has been Spurs’ biggest summer signing so far.
    Man City brought in Erling Haaland in a shrewd deal, which took up a large chunk of their summer spend.
    Leeds, who will have to make do without Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, have invested well across all areas of the pitch.
    Darwin Nunez arrived at Anfield in a club record deal and will spearhead Liverpool’s attack following the exit of Sadio Mane.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    Chelsea, West Ham and league newcomers Nottingham Forest have all spent between £80m-£90m.
    The Blues, in particular, have done some impressive business by bringing in Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling.
    At the opposite end of the table is Leicester, who are yet to sign any players.
    The Foxes are also set to lose a number of key players.
    Former club captain Kasper Schmeichel has joined Nice for £1m.
    Wesley Fofana could also be on his way out of the door with Chelsea believed to be bidding for the defender.
    The money brought in by the potential sale of the Frenchman could free up Leicester in the transfer market. More

  • in

    ‘Everything is still open’ – Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal’s summer transfer spending spree is NOT over

    ARSENAL manager Mikel Arteta has revealed that the club’s transfer business is not over.The Gunners have already splashed the cash this summer bringing in five players including Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko spending more than £100million in total.
    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that he could sign more players this summerCredit: Getty
    Arteta, 40, was speaking in a press conference ahead of the club’s opening match of the Premier League season versus Crystal Palace tomorrow.
    He said: “We are really active as you can see with incomings and outgoings.
    “Everything is still open, it’s a long window, a lot has happened, it’s incredible how much business the clubs have done across the Premier League and it shows how competitive it is.
    “Players are going to have to leave, some others to move and everything is open still.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    “It’s always been my team.
    “It’s true that obviously we have trimmed the squad and changed the squad massively in the last two windows especially,
    “And you feel that now the players we have are more specific and better for the way we want to play.”
    Arteta is reportedly still keen to bring in a central midfielder with Leicester’s Youri Tielemans and Inter Milan youngster Cesare Casadei both linked.
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen is someone they are also reportedly interested in.
    The Spanish boss also wants a clear out of fringe players and could sell up to eleven squad members.
    Pablo Mari could join Monza, Lucas Torreira is reportedly nearing a move to Galatasaray and youngsters like Charlie Patino and Folarin Balogun have already left on loan. More

  • in

    Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal transformation with just TWO players from first game in charge likely to start vs Crystal Palace

    ARSENAL have utterly transformed since Mikel Arteta took over as manager.The Spaniard has spent big once again this summer and could hand debuts to Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and William Saliba against Crystal Palace on Friday.
    Arsenal looked vastly different in Mikel Arteta’s first game
    Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka are the only surviving members from Arteta’s first gameCredit: Getty
    But the changes do not stop there, and the Arsenal team that lines up at Selhurst Park could feature JUST TWO players who started in Arteta’s first game in charge – Granit Xhaka and Bukayo Saka.
    The Boxing Day 2019 fixture away at Bournemouth ended in a 1-1 draw with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring.
    Saka featured at left-back that day but will be tasked with providing a creative spark at Palace and helping get Jesus off to a flying start.
    The striker scored seven goals in pre-season and has replaced Alexandre Lacazette as Arsenal’s main striker, who incidentally started in Arteta’s first game.
    READ MORE ON ARSENAL
    The Frenchman lasted longer than most with Sokratis Papastathopoulos shipped out the following summer in a loan deal which Olympiacos made permanent in 2021.
    Mesut Ozil and David Luiz also left in the summer of 2021 to be replaced by Ben White and new Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
    It also did not take long for Arteta to deem Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Reiss Nelson and Lucas Torreira surplus to requirements.
    The trio have all had multiple loan spells since Arteta took over and their futures at the club look bleak – Torreira has been linked with a permanent switch to Galatasaray this summer.
    There could be three debutants for Arsenal at Crystal Palace
    Most read in Football
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    The goalkeeper against Bournemouth, Bernd Leno, completed a transfer to Fulham this week after he was made No2 to Aaron Ramsdale by Arteta last season.
    And of the three substitutes Arteta used that day, only Nicolas Pepe remains with Joe Willock and Skhodran Mustafi moving to Newcastle and Schalke respectively. More

  • in

    Three key issues for Arsenal against Crystal Palace as Arteta’s new-look side must improve against Vieira’s tough team

    THE greatest show on Earth is back this weekend – and it all starts with Crystal Palace vs Arsenal on Friday night.If Arsenal are finally going to crack the top four this season this is exactly the kind of game they need to be better in than last season.
    Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is aiming for a top-four finishCredit: Getty
    Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira has been rebuilding the side at PalaceCredit: PA
    There are three key areas where this opening day fixture is going to be won or lost by either side.
    Last season saw the incoming Palace boss Patrick Vieira build a mixture of players who were young and hungry blended with older players with a point to prove – and Palace progressed to finish safely in mid-table.
    Arsenal, on the other hand, suffered a more difficult season and a late season collapse saw them miss out on a top-four finish.
    This summer has seen the Arsenal board back their Spanish coach Mikel Arteta to the hilt.
    CRYSTAL PALACE 28/1 or ARSENAL 8/1 – CLAIM HERE
    Read more football stories
    The club have been busy with the signings of Fabio Vieria, from FC Porto, and Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, both from Manchester City, and they probably come into this match as early favourites.
    Movement in the Arsenal build-up
    Mikel Arteta is a very modern coach whose style incorporates positional play, similar to that of Pep Guardiola, and aggressive vertical play, similar to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.
    One of the most important things for Arteta’s side is the way that they build up the play from the back and move through the thirds of the pitch.
    Arteta has been intent on expecting his team to play out from the back since he took charge but this concept does not come without risks as players can make mistakes or be caught in possession.
    The signing of Zinchenko brings flexibility to Arsenal’s ball progression in the middle third. The Ukrainian winger is comfortable making inside runs and allowing the central midfielders to move outside, as Xhaka does here
    Most read in Football
    New to Sky Bet? Get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE*
    We are likely to see both sides line up in 4-3-3 formations and often when matching up tactically in this manner it can be difficult for the team in possession to create space to move the ball through the thirds.
    Arsenal are now in a position to create space with more rotational movement in the midfield.
    This will typically come with Zinchenko positioned at left-back as he will generally look to get into positions in the channels or even the central areas as his side are building out from the back.
    This can then be combined with the moments from the Swiss international midfielder Granit Xhaka, who has a tendency to move out to the channels to create space and options.
    These rotations will make it notably more difficult for the Crystal Palace midfielders to cope with the ball progression from Arsenal.
    In deeper areas this season we are likely to see both fullbacks for Arsenal move narrow and in line with the deepest midfielder. This is to allow Arsenal to outnumber the opposition press and make sure that the ball can be progressed forward
    Oleksandr Zinchenko is one of the new recruits out to impress this seasonCredit: Getty

    In deeper positions, we will also see the fullbacks, likely to be Zinchenko and Ben White in this match, move narrow in order to give passing options and overloads for Arsenal.
    This will make it very difficult for Crystal Palace to effectively press and disrupt the Arsenal build-up.
    Crystal Palace’s strong spine
    Vieira and Crystal Palace have followed sound squad-building logic in that they have built a strong spine to their squad.
    This has been further enhanced by the very smart signing of Cheick Doucoure from Lens of France.
    Now, we see a spine of Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi as the central midfielders, Doucoure as the deepest midfielder and one of Odsonne Edouard or Jean-Phillipe Mateta in attack.
    New to Sky Bet? Get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE*
    Mateta will make aggressive runs behind the defensive line to force the opposition defenders to cover his run and this allows teammates to attack into space. We see this here as Edouard is able to cut inside and attack the space that Mateta has left behind
    Mateta, in particular, is a very interesting forward as a lot of his work is done off the ball and his runs and clever movement will be important for Palace in this game.
    He can create space for teammates with his willingness to make angled runs away from the ball that either attack into the channels or wide areas or access space behind the defensive line.
    These runs are dangerous because Mateta does carry a threat to goal and as such his runs have to be defended.
    Palace fans will also be hopeful that we are going to see a full debut for the Malian international midfielder Doucoure.
    He is going to play as the deepest midfielder and his ability to read the game and break up play will be key in preventing Arsenal from dominating the central areas of the pitch. 
    Doucoure, in his final match for Lens, is more than a destructive midfielder and he will position himself at the base of the attack. When in possession in these areas Doucoure can find runners in all areas of the pitch
    CRYSTAL PALACE 28/1 or ARSENAL 8/1 – CLAIM HERE
    Doucoure is more than capable of breaking through the Arsenal press in the midfield either through forward runs as he carries the ball or via his passing which is generally very strong.
    With Arsenal likely to play a combination of Thomas Partey and Xhaka in the midfield with Martin Odegaard given more freedom.
    The ability of Doucoure to hold the centre of the pitch in this game will be important for Crystal Palace in this game.
    Solving a problem like Gabriel Jesus
    When the Brazilian international forward Gabriel Jesus completed his move from Manchester City there was a general consensus among fans of the Premier League that this would mean that Arteta would play him in his favoured central striking position for Arsenal.
    This was seen as especially important for Arsenal to solve given that Alexandre Lacazette left at the end of last season to return to Lyon.
    Last weekend we saw Arsenal demolish the Spanish side Sevilla in the Emirates Cup 6-0 and the movement of Gabriel Jesus, in particular, caught the eye.
    Gabriel Jesus still showed a tendency to come out to the left-side to receive the ball in space. In this example he then slipped the ball to Xhaka who was making an intelligent forward run before making an aggressive run into the centre of the area
    New to Sky Bet? Get £30 in free bets – CLAIM HERE*
    In this match, we saw Jesus keep drifting out to the channel on the left side of the pitch with Garbriel Martinelli moving inside.
    In these positions, Jesus is a huge threat to take possession of the ball and either link with teammates or drive inside to create a shooting angle.
    The fact that Jesus can play as a traditional 9 or as more of a fluid all-round attacking player creates options that will be difficult to defend against for Crystal Palace in this match.
    Jesus has pulled out wide to access intelligent space in the wide area. He can receive here and either drive outside the defender or cut inside. This will be very difficult for Palace to defend. We also see once against the positioning of the Arsenal fullbacks at the base of the attack
    How Arsenal could line up against Palace
    While Anderson and Guehi represent a strong partnership in the centre of the defence for Crystal Palace they will be seriously tested in this match against an Arsenal side who are very fluid in the attack.
    What does all this mean?
    Arsenal, obviously, will be keen to get off to a winning start so they can convince us all they really are Champions League qualifying material.
    Read More on The Sun
    Palace know it is a long season for them and that they are looking for steady progress which might take them nearer Europe. 
    Realistically, it really could go either way – so probably a draw – but seeing how Arsenal come together around Jesus is slightly more exciting than seeing how Palace’s strong spine work out.
    The new Total Football Analysis Magazine is out now.
    *Terms and conditions: New customers only. First single & e/w bet only odds of 1/1 or greater. 3 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns. Free bets only redeemable on football. Free bets are non withdrawable. No free bet expiry. Eligibility restrictions and further t&cs apply.

    Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org

    Remember to gamble responsibly
    A responsible gambler is someone who:

    Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
    Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
    Never chase their losses
    Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
    Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
    Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org

    For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. More