Arsenal news

Viktor Gyokeres has been told that he is "too heavy", with the Arsenal striker was advised to lose weight to achieve Premier League success. The Gunners' bold summer gamble on the Sweden international was meant to herald a new era at the Emirates Stadium, but his first weeks in north London have been dominated by concerns rather than celebration. He was signed for a total fee of £63.5 million from Sporting CP, but questions have been raised over his physical readiness for English football's unforgiving pace.

Arsenal have an "AI dossier" which is reportedly powering Mikel Arteta's Premier League title pursuit, with the manager being assisted with input on transfers, tactics and even injuries. This quiet revolution is an attempt to build the most technologically advanced operation in English football. They have computer models humming with millions of data points to predict problems before they happen.

Max Dowman is in line to be promoted five age groups within the England national team structure. At 15 years of age, the Arsenal wonderkid still qualifies to represent the Young Lions at U16 level. He is, however, among those being closely monitored by U21 coach Lee Carsley. Manchester United academy hopeful Shea Lacey is another that falls into that category.

Arsenal have learnt some worrying news on Martin Odegaard's fitness after Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealed a concerning update on the midfielder's injury progress, casting serious doubt over when the 26-year-old will return to action with fears he could be sidelined beyond the international break.

Chris Waddle has slammed Mikel Arteta for his supposed criticism of Sunderland's tactics as the Arsenal manager was told to stick to his own job. The Gunners boss' frustration was palpable after his side let a precious victory slip through their fingers in stoppage time and had to settle for a point instead in Saturday's 2-2 draw.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris admitted to making a sly tactical tweak to try and prevent Arsenal's long throws. It was one of those epic Premier League encounters that saw Arsenal’s title charge momentarily halted by the fearless Black Cats, who matched the intensity of their more illustrious rivals in every department and also employed some unusual help.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is back training with Arsenal after becoming a free agent, claims to have turned down offers from a number of clubs. The 35-time England international has returned to his homeland after being released by Turkish side Besiktas. He is prepared to be patient while seeking fresh terms, with the midfielder making it clear where his next port of call will be.

Arsenal and Crystal Palace have both made requests to the Premier League regarding fixture congestion after the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw caused a headache. The festive season is supposed to be the highlight of the English football calendar, with packed stadiums and Boxing Day drama. But this December, fixture scheduling has been a sticking point for the league authorities as teams complain of a lack of breathing space.

Fabio Vieira’s spell at Hamburg has gone from bad to worse after the Arsenal loanee was sent off for the second time in just five Bundesliga games. The 25-year-old midfielder, who joined the German club on a season-long loan in the summer, lost his cool during a 4-1 defeat to Koln, receiving a second yellow card late on as HSV slumped to their fourth loss of the season.

David Raya has credited former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze for Arsenal’s remarkable defensive form this season. The Argentine joined Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff in the summer and is said to have brought intensity and resilience to the Gunners’ back line, who have now kept seven consecutive clean sheets and sit six points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Mikel Arteta has revisited memories of Son Heung-min's miss for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City in May 2024 to explain the fine "margins" that determine the title race, with Arsenal looking to end a 22-year wait for the Premier League crown. The second of three successive seasons in which the Gunners finished as runners-up saw them nearly come top.

Bryan Mbeumo reportedly turned down four clubs in order to join Manchester United in the summer. The in-form Cameroon international has made a blistering start to life at Old Trafford following his £70 million (€79m/$92m) summer move from Brentford, playing a significant role in what has been a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Ruben Amorim's side.

Arsenal booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 victory at home to Brighton on Wednesday night. Second-half goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka saw Mikel Arteta's men into the next round, with several young players impressing for the Gunners after weathering an early Seagulls storm.