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      The four Arsenal bosses responsible for transfer failings, from Josh Kroenke to Edu’s former scout

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      VICTORY, they say, has a thousand fathers. Defeat is an orphan.But if Arsenal’s failure to recruit the striker the fans have been crying out for for a year or more does now end up costing them the silverware they crave, the guilt must be shared by the quartet at the heart of the decision-making process.Tim Lewis (left) with Josh Kroenke (right) the son of Arsenal owner Stan KroenkeCredit: GettyRichard Garlick (left) and Jason Ayto (right) are part of the group that did not buy a strikerCredit: RexMikel Arteta admitted he wanted to bring in a new No9 in JanuaryCredit: GettyA manager and four executives. Mikel Arteta. Richard Garlick. Jason Ayto. Tim Lewis. Josh Kroenke. The men who run the club.And who, now, surely must be regretting the decision not to splash the cash for a front man, either last summer, or last month.The loss of Kai Havertz for the rest of the season is more than just a kick in the guts.On top of the previous injuries to Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, it feels like a potentially fatal blow.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLWhat will follow, too, is the blame game. A question of where the responsibility lies.Arteta will doubtless point to his own words, delivered last month, after Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead against Aston Villa.A couple of hours before that game, Liverpool boss Arne Slot sent on Darwin Nunez and the Uruguayan scored twice in stoppage time to break Brentford’s resistance.Then the Arsenal bench against Villa was made up of Raheem Sterling, three senior defenders, reserve keeper Neto, Jorginho – who is set to depart in the summer – and three kids with less than half an hour of first-team football between them.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERSSending out a clear message, Arteta said: “With the numbers we have in the squad and looking at our bench, I’m very worried.“Liverpool were able to make subs to change the game. It was the opposite for us.”Arsenal wonderkid Lewis-Skelly’s mum reveals he’s ‘still on washing-up duty’… and how she nearly missed Man City goalArsenal fans had seen the links with Newcastle’s in-form Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.Even with Havertz available, the supporters were united in the view that Arsenal needed something else – a genuine No9.Instead, they waited until it was too late, launching a doomed and pointless £60million bid as Aston Villa were sealing the deal to send Jhon Duran to Saudi Arabia.Unai Emery would have been unlikely to do his old club a favour in ANY circumstances. And definitely not at that point in the window.Arteta, having raised the issue, did not force the point, did not demand a signing, did not order those above him to spend the money they had available.Misguided, foolish, or plain reckless? Whatever your choice, it is on the manager.Kai Havertz is out for the rest of the season with an injuryCredit: PAEdu unexpectedly quit as Gunners chief in NovemberCredit: ReutersIt is also on those above Arteta, the men who make the final decisions.From the outside, it appears that Arsenal have struggled to properly align themselves internally after two key departures – one expected, the other coming out of the blue.Last summer, after 14 years, managing director Vinai Venkatesham left the Emirates.Garlick, who had joined the club from the Premier League in 2021, stepped up but it meant the loss of a smart and savvy operator.Then, in November, former Gunners midfielder Edu – Arteta’s point-man on the board as sporting director – unexpectedly announced he was off to pastures new – likely to eventually be as chief lieutenant to Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis.It meant a hasty appointment for Ayto as ‘interim’ ahead of the winter window.Ayto has been part of the club for a decade, initially as a scout before working under Edu.Yet could an interim really have the clout to make things happen if there is resistance about spending money?Lewis, who has been an advisor to owner Stan Kroenke since 2007, has assumed more and more responsibility at Arsenal since his appointment as executive vice chairman in 2023.It is Lewis who now is the “face” of the club at many of the meetings with rivals at home and abroad. He is a smart businessman is unquestioned.But he is not a figure like David Dein was for Arsene Wenger, a mover and shaker who was a fan at heart and would always want to give the manager what he wanted.Kroenke Jr has been his father’s main man at the club over a protracted period, a direct line to the fellow who really counts.Between them, they decided not to act, crossing their fingers and hoping that the injury worst would not happen, presumably biding their time to get the striker they really want in the summer.Yet chances to win the Prem do not come every year. There is often a narrow opening, a fleeting opportunity, that must be taken.Plenty of Arsenal fans were already thinking that the lack of a 20-goal striker last term meant their club fell short.And this season, with Manchester City falling off their perch, Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs in various stages of undress and the post-Jurgen Klopp Liverpool the only team they had to beat, it may be even more the case.READ MORE SUN STORIESArsenal could, still, win the Prem or the Champions League. But it suddenly feels even less likely. Fingers will be pointed. Rightly so. More

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      How many injuries do Arsenal have? Full list of players currently on the sidelines

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      KAI HAVERTZ’s latest injury means Arsenal’s list of injured key players extends further.It was confirmed on Wednesday that the German attacker tore his hamstring during a warm-weather training camp in Dubai, and although a surgical decision has not yet been made, he could miss the rest of the season.Kai Havertz is Arsenal’s top scorer in the Premier LeagueThe injury would reportedly see Havertz miss Arsenal’s remaining 14 Premier League games, which would be the longest layoff of his career.The former Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen man has struggled with knee injuries in the past, but the hamstring tear is the first of his career.Mikel Arteta returns to the Gunner’s Colney training ground with more key men out than in ahead of a crucial four-month stretch to the end of the season. How many injuries do Arsenal have?Before Arteta’s men headed to the Middle East, the injury list was lengthy in quality and quantity, with five first-teamers already missing.READ MORE IN ARSENAL Attacker-wise, Bukayo Saka was the headline absentee after picking up a hamstring injury in December.Gabriel Martinelli is expected to be out for almost a month after hurting his hamstring in the Carabao Cup loss to Newcastle, while Gabriel Jesus will miss the remainder of the season owing to a knee injury.Further back, full-back pairing Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined with knee injuries with the latter’s return date still unknown. Full list of Arsenal players currently on the sidelinesBen White – Knee injury / Mid-February 2025Takehiro Tomiyasu – Knee injury / Mid-February 2025Bukayo Sake – Hamstring injury / Late February 2025Gabriel Martinelli – Hamstring injury / Late March 2025Gabriel Jesus – Cruciate ligament injury / Out for seasonKai Havertz – Hamstring injury / Out for seasonMost read in Football More

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      Four ways Arsenal could line up until end of Premier League season with Mikel Arteta facing unprecedented striker crisis

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      MIKEL ARTETA has some huge decisions to make in the coming weeks.Arsenal are in the midst of an injury crisis.Mikel Arteta has an injury crisis on his handsCredit: PAKai Havertz has been ruled out for the remainder of the seasonCredit: GettyKai Havertz became the club’s latest star to suffer a significant injury this week.The striker sustained a torn hamstring while training in Dubai and is now set to miss the remainder of the season.And with Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli already on the treatment table, the Gunners now find themselves severely limited in attack.Arteta currently has just three first team forwards at his disposal – loanee Raheem Sterling, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard.Read More in FootballThe Spaniard could be forced to play some stars out of position while he waits for the likes of Saka and Martinelli to return next month.Here, SunSport look at four ways Arsenal could line up in attack in the coming weeks.Nwaneri strikerEarlier this season, Arteta admitted he would like to see Nwaneri in the No9 role one day.He said: “I think he can develop into a No9. He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSArteta sees Ethan Nwaneri as a potential strikerWith Havertz now absent, that day could come sooner rather than later.Should Nwaneri move into the centre, Sterling could take his place on the right until Saka returns to fitness.Where Arsenal’s transfer window went wrong with Mikel Arteta more reliant on Havertz than ever and no back-up strikerMeanwhile, Trossard will probably keep his role on the left.Sterling strikerThe 30-year-old played as up top on several occasions during his Manchester City and Liverpool days.Arsenal’s current injury crisis could see him move back into that position.Sterling played as a No9 during his time with Man City and LiverpoolIn 62 outings as a centre-forward, Sterling scored 25 goals and provided ten assists.The Gunners will be hoping he can find his form as he approaches the end of his loan spell.Should Sterling move inside, Nwaneri will probably go to the right with Trossard on the left.Trossard strikerTrossard has played central on a number of occasions for Arsenal, usually in a false nine-style formation.Arteta could utilise that again in the next few weeks to combat the absence of a striker.Leandro Trossard has played centrally beforeShould that be the case, the Spaniard could try something completely different by moving Kieran Tierney to the wing.Tierney played left midfield on a handful of occasions during his time at Celtic but never as high as a winger.Such a move will probably see Nwaneri stay on the right.Merino strikerProbably the most unexpected option on this list, Merino is also allegedly being considered as a potential striker for Arsenal.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe midfielder has never played as a No9 professionally but Arteta could give him a chance in the near future.There is talk of the 6ft 2in star using his physique and stature as a makeshift central striker – a little bit like the way Marouane Fellaini was deployed by Manchester United.Mikel Merino could start as a No9 More

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      I wasted my Arsenal career partying and not trying in training – Arsene Wenger put me back in my place

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      AN ARSENAL flop admitted he looks back at his failed spell with the Gunners with “a lot of regrets” as he never fulfilled his potential.The North Londoners ruled the Premier League in the early 2000s along with then bitter rivals Manchester United.Arsenal flop Francis Jeffers has ‘a lot of regrets’ from his time at HighburyCredit: Getty Images – GettyJeffers went out partying and didn’t work hard enough during Arsenal trainingCredit: AP:Associated PressThat was when legendary manager Arsene Wenger decided to bring one of the Prem’s most exciting strikers over to Highbury in 2001.That was none other than Francis Jeffers, who shone bright with his beloved Everton the previous four years, a period that saw him register a total of 18 goals and one assist in 55 appearances.However, Jeffers never lived up to his star billing as he only managed eight goals and three assists in 39 appearances during his three-year stint with Arsenal, who loaned him back to the Toffees in 2003.The former striker conceded that he didn’t work hard enough in training and would instead go out partying.Read More on ArsenalThe ex-England international downed tools as he thought he wouldn’t play anyway, with the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Sylvain Wiltord and Nwankwo Kanu ahead of him in the pecking order.That is why Wenger gave him a “fair crack of the whip”, which he insists was very well-deserved as it put him back in his place.Nevertheless, the ex-Charlton ace is adamant he didn’t “throw it all away” as he realised a lot of dreams throughout his career.Jeffers told The Independent back in 2014: “I was out partying, living life, tossing it off in training because I always thought I wouldn’t play Saturday anyway. Most read in Football”Now, I look back with a lot of regrets. That is where I should have been putting it in more. Wenger gave me a fair crack of the whip. “I haven’t got a bad word to say about him. He tells you how it is, one of the only managers I played for who did.I slide tackled Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry on my Arsenal trial – I couldn’t believe manager’s reaction“He said there were things going on in my head that shouldn’t have been and that it was an important time in my career. I am not saying I threw it all away, because I had a decent career.“I fulfilled a lot of ambitions but I always say it, I know how much ability I had. “I’m not soft. I know how good a player I was. One England cap wasn’t enough.” More

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      Why can’t Max Dowman play for Arsenal in the Premier League?

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      MAX DOWMAN is the new talk of town amongst Arsenal fans, following the rapid rise of Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. Discourse around the Arsenal teenager has ramped up in recent weeks as he’s been promoted to first team training and travelled with the senior squad to their warm-weather training camp in Dubai.15-year-old Max Dowman has risen through the Gunners rank in the last yearCredit: GettyThe attacking midfield talent was joined by fellow teen 16-year-old Jack Porter as Mikel Arteta’s squad spent a week in the Middle East due to the week-long gap in their schedule following their elimination from the FA Cup.To help the young pair, plus other young players, adjust to the senior team, Arsenal brought along under-21 manager Mehmet Ali and an Academy Player Care employee.A large number of them had previously trained alongside the senior team.Dowman would’ve been eligible to play in the FA Cup, but Arsenal’s defeat to the hands of Manchester United in the third round will delay any possible debut.READ MORE IN ARSENALAs will a Premier League rule. Why can’t Max Dowman play for Arsenal in the Premier League?A month before his 15th birthday on December 31, Dowman made history in September by being the youngest player to score in the Uefa Youth League at the age of 14 years, 8 months, and 19 days.In December, he also became the youngest player to represent Arsenal at the under-21 level.Dowman is the youngest player to score in the Uefa Youth League everCredit: GettyYet, Dowman cannot participate in the Premier League this season. Most read in FootballNo player below the under-16 age group can be included in a matchday squad, per tournament regulations.To be able to participate in the Prem at any point during this season, a player must have turned 15 before August 31, 2024 – and Dowman did not.Nwaneri is the youngest Premier League debutante ever at 15 years and 181 days and was able to do so because he was 15 before the established Premier League date. More

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      Mikel Arteta’s gamble not to sign new striker was a DISASTROUS decision that leaves Arsenal’s season on edge of collapse

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      HOURS after the January transfer window closed, Mikel Arteta staunchly defended Arsenal’s policy NOT to bring in attacking reinforcements.First, the Gunners boss claimed the decision was NO gamble, despite seeing Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka struck down with long-term injuries and Kai Havertz his only fit centre forward.Mikel Arteta’s reluctance to buy a forward in January has come back to bite himCredit: GettyKai Havertz is the latest attacker to pick up a devastating injuryCredit: GettyPushed on whether Havertz could now play every game for the rest of the season without a rest, Arteta said yes, gushing over the German’s robustness and labelling him a ‘genetic powerhouse’.On the failed recruitment push, the Arsenal gaffer added in his February 4 press conference: “We are disappointed, but we have to move on. Nobody knows whether it is better to have done it or not. We’ll know at the end of the season.”Eight days later, and Arteta already has his answer: It was an unmitigated, disastrous decision – one that sees the rest of their campaign teetering on the edge of collapse. Costly is an understatement.Havertz – that physical specimen of a man who looks after himself properly – tore his hamstring during a training session on the club’s mid-season warm-weather retreat to Dubai this week.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt is very unlikely we will see Havertz, 25, again in an Arsenal shirt until the 2025/26 season begins.The Middle East has often been a venue to trigger an upturn in form, with a trip there in January 2024 almost spurring Arsenal to the Prem title only to be pipped on the final day by Manchester City.Now, it must be the place of nightmares for Arteta, his charge to catch Prem leaders Liverpool and progress in the Champions League resting at the feet of his THREE remaining fit options: Leandro Trossard, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and disappointing summer loan signing Raheem Sterling.With Gabriel Martinelli also expected to be out for at least a month with a hamstring strain, Arteta must survive for three months with NO recognised centre forward.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSMartinelli and Saka will be pushing for a March return, but to throw them straight back in would be a huge risk – yet what choice does Arteta now have? A pit of despair he helped dig.The blame does not solely lay at Arteta’s door – interim sporting director Jason Ayto will be taking some heat for his negotiation struggles in a poor first audition to take over from Edu, the Brazilian shocking Arsenal by resigning from his position back in November. ‘Now everyone’s calling me it…’ – Declan Rice reveals hilarious new nicknameArsenal’s injury crisisGUNNERS stars who are currently injured:Kai Havertz (hamstring)Bukayo Saka (hamstring)Gabriel Jesus (ACL)Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring)Ben White (knee)Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee)Regardless, it is now on Arteta to fix. He is known for problem-solving during his five-year tenure in charge of Arsenal, willing to adapt and change styles to fit his needs, as well as being open to some outside-the-box thinking to get through the stickiest of sticky patches.Of the three remaining fit forwards at his disposal, Trossard and Sterling have deputised as a false nine before – meaning Arteta can stick with his usual 4-3-3.Nwaneri could also be tossed into that role having scored three goals in all competitions in 2025, with Arteta previously suggesting it is a position the youngster could end up in later in his career.Arteta said in December: “There is a position I think he can develop into – No9.“He has got the goal in front of him and he looks at the goal and he has a tremendous ability to put the ball in the back of the net.”Arteta will need to rotate that three for the next month at least, having pushed the likes of Saka, Martinelli and now Havertz to limits that have seen their bodies crumble.Left-back Kieran Tierney could be a left-wing introduction if required – the Scot has featured there a few times already this calendar year as a late substitute.There is talk of 6ft2 midfielder Mikel Merino using his physique and stature as a makeshift central figure – a risk that even Arteta would have second thoughts over.And in the academy, striker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and winger Ismeal Kabia would be the most likely options.Butler-Oyedeji, 21, made his first team debut as an added-time substitute against Dinamo Zagreb last month, while 19-year-old Kabia made his debut in September against Bolton.READ MORE SUN STORIESArsenal play seven games before March’s international break, with three of those coming in midweeks. Between them, Trossard, Nwaneri and Sterling have seven Prem goals.This is going to be a bumpy, painful ride for Arteta. More

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      Two Premier League stadiums to host Kendrick Lamar gigs after his controversial Super Bowl half-time show

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      TWO Premier League stadiums are set to host Kendrick Lamar gigs after the rapper’s controversial Super Bowl half-time show.The American ace was the star act during the break of Sunday’s NFL final.Kendrick Lamar will play two Premier League stadiums after his Super Bowl showCredit: RexThe star sang a controversial song about fellow rapper DrakeCredit: GettyThe game saw the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs.Travic Kelce, the boyfriend of pop star Taylor Swift, and his side had won the last two Super Bowl finals.But the Eagles put in a top performance to take home the sport’s main prize.Despite some of the skills on display though, the main talking point of the event was Lamar’s half-time show.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe rapper took centre-stage at the 80,000-seater arena in New Orleans before busting out some of his biggest hits.But there was controversy when he belted out diss track Not Like Us.The song takes aim at fellow rapper Drake and includes some infamous lyrics.Now, Lamar is set to bring his show to the shores of the UK.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSHe is playing four shows with fellow superstar SZA.And the pair are kicking off their tour in Scotland at Glasgow’s Hampden Park on July 8.Kendrick Lamar & SZA UK Grand National tourLamar will first bring his show to Villa Park in BirminghamCredit: ReutersHe then goes to London for a gig at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: GettyTheir travels also take them to Wales and the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on July 19.But sandwiched between them is a gig at Aston Villa’s Villa Park on July 10.The show takes place just five days before Black Sabbath’s farewell show at Villa’s home ground.But it’s not the only Premier League stadium set to be visited by Lamar.The final stop on his UK tour takes place on July 22.And that is set to be held in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.READ MORE SUN STORIESA month earlier sees the same venue play host to SIX dates from Beyonce.While the likes of 50 Cent, Mary J Blige, Imagine Dragons and Catfish and the Bottlemen are also set for gigs at Spurs’ home this year. More

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      How long is Kai Havertz injured for and what games will the Arsenal star miss?

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      KAI HAVERTZ has picked up an injury during a training camp in Dubai – and he is set to face a lengthy period on the sidelines.The 25-year-old is Arsenal’s top scorer this season, with nine goals in all competitions, as the Gunners chase a first Premier League title since 2004.Kai Havertz (right) has suffered an injury while on a training camp in DubaiCredit: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty ImagesKai Havertz is Arsenal’s top scorer this season with nine goalsCredit: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Newcastle United via Getty ImagesKai Havertz adds to a long list of injuries for Mikel Arteta’s side this season, with star player Bukayo Saka still out of action. Arsenal are six points off Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, and Arne Slot’s men also have a game in hand over the Gunners.How long is Kai Havertz injured for?Kai Havertz is expected to be out for the remainder of the season after he picked up a hamstring injury during a training camp in Dubai.It’s a huge blow to Arsenal’s title hopes, with the German a pivotal cog in the Gunners’ success since his arrival from Chelsea in June 2023.Read more FootballMikel Arteta now only has three fit senior forwards for the upcoming weeks.Raheem Sterling, Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard are expected to make up Arsenal’s forward line for the next few matches due to an injury crisis in the Gunners’ camp.What games will Kai Havertz miss?Kai Havertz will miss all of Arsenal’s remaining fixtures this season. The games he will certainly miss are:Most read in FootballLeicester (A)West Ham (H)Nottingham Forest (A)Champions League RO16 1st LegManchester United (A)Champions League RO16 2nd LegChelsea (H)Fulham (H)Everton (A)Brentford (H)Ipswich (A)Crystal Palace (H)Bournemouth (H)Liverpool (A)Newcastle (H)Southampton (A) More