The Premier League has confirmed that the 2026/27 campaign will begin a week later than usual, marking the latest season start in the competition’s history. The decision, announced after a shareholders’ meeting on Friday morning, is designed to counter the growing strain on players created by an "increasingly congested global football calendar".
Mikel Arteta has confirmed that Arsenal defender Gabriel will be unavailable for "weeks" after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty. The defender limped off during last weekend’s friendly against Senegal at the Emirates Stadium and missed the subsequent match against Tunisia. His injury now presents a significant setback for a team sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has lavished praise on teen sensation Max Dowman and revealed his stunning ability while playing against opponents who were five years older than him when he was just 13 years old. Dowman has enjoyed a record-breaking season for the Gunners and Wilshere has identified the moment he knew that Arsenal had a very special player coming through their junior ranks.
Eberechi Eze spoke to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the 'Beast Mode on Podcast', opening up on the only difference between representing Crystal Palace and wearing the colours of Arsenal, the club that took him in as a child and eventually returned for him in a £60 million deal this summer. The 27-year-old midfielder, released by Arsenal at 13 and later rejected by Millwall at the end of his youth scholarship, has come full circle by rejoining the club he supported as a boy.
Manuel Neuer’s illness and Serge Gnabry’s fresh fitness concerns have unsettled Vincent Kompany’s preparations for Bayern Munich's upcoming matches against Freiburg and Arsenal. With squad fatigue and strategic decisions piling up, Bayern face fitness concerns ahead of the Bundesliga and Champions League clashes.
Arsenal's Eberechi Eze has revealed the inner workings of his relationship with former Crystal Place team-mates Michael Olise and Jean-Phillippe Mateta on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On podcast. The 27-year-old spoke of the almost-immediate friendship he struck up with Olise, and the similarities he shares with the driven and determined Mateta.
Pep Guardiola has revealed "the truth" about Arsenal, with the Manchester City boss admitting that the Gunners may become "impossible to catch" in the Premier League title race. The Catalan coach has, however, pointed out that "now the real season starts" as a flurry of international breaks have been completed and full focus becomes locked on the pursuit of precious points.
Nacho Monreal has sung the praises of Myles Lewis-Skelly, saying the youngster will "make a lot of appearances as an Arsenal player" amid talk he could leave the club. There has been mounting speculation that the 19-year-old will seek a move away from north London in search of more game time ahead of next summer's World Cup. Lewis-Skelly was omitted from Thomas Tuchel's most recent England squad.
Eberechi Eze opened up to Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the 'Beast Mode on Podcast', telling his former teammate that he deserved to be released as an academy player. Eze was first let go from Arsenal's youth setup as a 13-year-old, and failed to secure a professional contract with Millwall at the end of his scholarship with the south London club.
Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany has called on forward Luis Diaz to step up for the club’s upcoming match against Freiburg, with the Colombian winger set to miss the midweek clash against Arsenal. Diaz was shown a red card in Bayern’s 2-1 win over Paris Saint Germain and will now serve his suspension in the Champions League fixture against the Gunners.
Nacho Monreal has joined a growing list of ex-Arsenal stars who have come out in defence of former team-mate Mesut Ozil, claiming he was unfairly scapegoated for his work ethic. Ozil joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-club record fee of £42.5 million and was heralded as a player who could usher in a new era at the Emirates Stadium. However, the German World Cup winner was regularly called out for supposedly acting lazily on the pitch.
Premier League clubs have voted against the introduction of a salary cap in top-flight football, but a serious overhaul of Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) is still being lined up. The proposals put to teams at the highest level of the English game would have seen previous financial regulations ripped up, but not every suggestion has received universal approval.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has named Arsenal’s David Raya among the top three goalkeepers in the world at the moment. The Belgian praised Raya’s outstanding form this season, with Arsenal yet to concede a goal in the Champions League. However, Courtois noted that Raya still faces strong competition at international level and must overcome the challenge posed by Unai Simon if he hopes to become Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Regis Le Bris has responded to mounting speculation linking Sunderland with the signing of Marseille's Matteo Guendouzi. While the Black Cats boss did not commit to an approach for the ex-Arsenal midfielder in the January transfer window, he spoke positively of their relationship. Le Bris was managing Lorient's B team as Guendouzi was coming through the ranks at the French club.
It would have been easy to miss amid all of the excitement generated during arguably the most dramatic international break of all time - but some very big transfer news broke earlier this week. According to the very reliable David Ornstein, Antoine Semenyo has a £65 million ($85m) release clause in his Bournemouth contract that can be triggered during the first two weeks of the winter window.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is reportedly in line to make a "superhero" return to action in the north London derby. The Norwegian midfielder has sat out the Gunners' last seven games through injury, having endured a disrupted start to the 2025-26 campaign. He is, however, poised to hand manager Mikel Arteta a timely boost ahead of a home date with Tottenham.
Thierry Henry has anointed the side most likely to challenge Arsenal for this season's Premier League title. Mikel Arteta's men have finished second for three seasons in a row but this term, they look ready to finish at the top of the pile. But the Gunners legend says there is one rival you "don't want on your shoulder".
Kate Abdo and Co. can fly into the UK as Paramount Plus has reportedly won the rights to the Champions League from 2027 to 2031. The move signals the end of TNT Sports’ decade-long grip on Europe’s most prestigious club competition and marks a major expansion of the American-owned streaming giant into the UK market.
Tottenham loanee Randal Kolo Muani has reportedly been training in a specially fitted mask ahead of the north London derby against Arsenal. During Spurs' 2-2 draw with Manchester United earlier this month, the striker suffered a fractured jaw following a clash with Harry Maguire. However, after the Paris Saint-Germain man did not need to have surgery, Tottenham are doing all they can to give him a chance of facing the Gunners this weekend.
Arsenal and England star Eberechi Eze has revealed his toughest ever Premier League opponent. Speaking exclusively with Adebayo Akinfenwa on GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast, Eze admitted how difficult it was to play Kevin De Bruyne whenever Crystal Palace faced Manchester City, before their respective summer 2025 moves. The Belgian midfielder is widely considered to be one of the best overseas players to ever grace the English top flight.
Eberechi Eze has revealed his reaction to receiving an England call-up just moments after suffering a serious Achilles injury in training. Speaking exclusively to Adebayo Akinfenwa on GOAL's Beast Mode On podcast, the Arsenal star admitted he was in tears when he saw a message that stated he was part of the initial pool of players that can be selected for international duty.
Arsenal star Eberechi Eze has revealed that Marcus Rashford was the one player who stood out most to him during his first England training session. Speaking exclusively with Adebayo Akinfenwa on the latest episode of the Beast Mode On Podcast, Eze praised the way the versatile forward strikes and runs with the ball and explained how Thomas Tuchel has England set up to "achieve something incredible" at the World Cup.
Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke doesn't expect Arsenal to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table following their 2-2 draw with Sunderland prior to the international break, while Mikel Arteta's men currently sit eight points clear of defending champions Liverpool after the opening 11 games of the season.
There's been a lot of talk lately about the Premier League as a product. Is modern football actually boring? Are teams now too reliant on set pieces to score goals? Are the mavericks and the willing protagonists being silenced just to preserve their manager's tactics? Have we gone too far in pursuit of sporting perfection?