SETTABLOID

Arsenal climbed to second place in the Premier League table after a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners dominated proceedings against the Tractor Boys on Friday, and restricted the visitors to zero shots on target.

The game was decided by a solitary goal scored by Kai Havertz. The German bagged his 12th goal of the campaign for Arsenal.

Aside from Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly was hugely impressive from the left-back position. Arteta was particularly pleased for him.

Speaking after the win, the Spaniard said that Lewis-Skelly is a ‘special character’, who can adapt to the club’s playing style.

He told Amazon Prime (via BBC Sport): “He is a special character. He is well ahead of his age and then he has qualities where he adapts to the way that we are playing. Credit to him.”

Lewis-Skelly made his full Premier League debut earlier this month after the club were without Riccardo Calafiori and Oleksandr Zinchenko with injuries.

The 18-year-old has stepped up with consistent performances, and he got the nod last night despite Calafiori’s return to first-team action last week.

The club graduate was exceptional with nine duels won and a passing accuracy of 98 percent.

Lewis-Skelly also completed 100 percent of his crosses with two take-ons and three tackles.

He lost possession on just four occasions and induced three fouls from the opposition.

The youngster has shown a lot of maturity for his age and the big question remains whether he will keep his place in the starting line-up in the near future.

The hosts claimed a 23rd-minute winner when Leandro Trossard picked the ball up wide on the left side of the penalty area and crossed for Havertz to tap in from close range.

Arsenal dominated and had 83.5% of possession in the opening period as Kieran McKenna’s side, who rarely left their own half, looked to frustrate them.

Declan Rice curled over from the edge of the box, before Gabriel Jesus thought he had doubled the lead when he squeezed the ball between Arijanet Muric’s legs, but the strike was ruled out for offside.

Second-bottom Ipswich came out for the second half with more intent, but Liam Delap battled against centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel without much luck.

Brazilian Gabriel had a chance to make the game more comfortable for the Gunners, but somehow headed wide from inside the six-yard box.

Havertz also missed a good opportunity for a second goal, but the German couldn’t connect cleanly following a Trossard header.

Victory moved Arsenal within six points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand, but Mikel Arteta’s side end the year as the only Premier League team still unbeaten at home.

Arsenal did not suffer any obvious fresh injury blows during their 1-0 Premier League win against Ipswich. Kai Havertz scored the only goal of the game in the clash at Emirates Stadium, which was the first of many without talisman Bukayo Saka and their lack of cutting edge, but defensive solidity, was on full show.

Raheem Sterling was another attacker to miss out, and though he could be back very soon, his absence saw no senior forwards selected on the bench. The other two players unavailable due to injury are Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu, with it unclear when either defender will return.

Martin Odegaard appeared to suffer another ankle injury after a bad foul by Leif Davis, but the Gunners captain was able to run off the issue and play the full 90 minutes. While Arsenal got through the evening unscathed, their next opponents, Brentford, did not, with Mark Flekken and Ben Mee both taken off against Brighton due to injury.

Bukayo Saka

Injury: Hamstring

Saka looks set to miss the next few months after tearing his hamstring against Crystal Palace before Christmas.

What Arteta has said: “It’s not looking good. He’s going to be out for many weeks. Many [weeks]. I cannot be too specific because I don’t know but it will be many weeks.”

Possible return date: Unknown.

aheem Sterling

Injury: Knee

Sterling was a surprise absentee from the squad that beat Crystal Palace before Christmas. It was later confirmed he missed out because of a knee injury with Arteta revealing he will be out for less time than what was expected.

What Arteta has said: “We have Raheem out for less time than we expected.”

Possible return date: January 18 vs Aston Villa (H) at 5.30pm – Premier League.

Ben White

Injury: Knee

To solve a number of niggling injury issues, White underwent surgery during the November international break.

What Arteta has said: “Ben is going to be out for months. We had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately. It got to a point where we had to protect the player, and we decided to do the surgery.”

Possible return date: Unknown.

Arsenal ran out 1-0 winners over Ipswich Town in a turgid Premier League clash at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners were utterly dominant in the first half and edged in front when Kai Havertz touched home Leandro Trossard’s low cross.

For all their control of play however, they managed just four shots, although they could have been two up when Gabriel Jesus’ fine finish was marginally ruled out for offside.

More shots came in the second period but the excitement didn’t as a stodgy affair trundled to a conclusion. A game that won’t live long in the memory ended in three points for Arsenal that takes them a step closer to Liverpool in the title race at the very least.

David Raya: Hardly had a thing to do all night as Ipswich barely mustered an attempt at goal. Swept well on the rare occasions when he was needed. 6.

Jurrien Timber: Got forward adventurously in the first half as Arsenal fashioned a new right side combination. Defended well when required. 7.

William Saliba: Delap has been a tricky customer for many a centre-back this season but Saliba dealt with him well for the most part. 7.

Gabriel: Should really have added another goal from a corner but missed from a yard out. Defended well aside from that though. 6.

Myles Lewis-Skelly: A real vote of confidence for him to keep his place. Defended well for the most part and was assured in possession. A few scuffles with Ipswich players that home fans would love. 7.

Declan Rice: Dictated play nicely from the base of the Arsenal midfield. Nearly scored a superb volley. A good display where the England international showed his versatility once again. 7.

As many as 11 players could miss tonight’s Premier League clash between Arsenal and Ipswich Town – with one very significant absentee missing from Mikel Arteta’s squad.

According to Arteta, Bukayo Saka is set to miss “many weeks” with his hamstring injury sustained against Crystal Palace last Saturday. The winger was seen leaving Selhurst Park on crutches after the match, having been forced off just over 20 minutes into the game.

Arteta has not been able to provide a recovery timeline as yet. “It’s a huge [blow]. Obviously he’s a big player for us,” the Spaniard said on Monday.

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling – who is seen as Saka’s back-up on the right – is also set for a spell on the sidelines. The 30-year-old has picked up a knee injury and was due to undergo further testing but is also expected to be out for a number of weeks.

Alternative right-wing options could include Gabriel Jesus, who has scored five goals in his last two matches, both against Palace – a hat-trick in the League Cup quarter-final win and a brace in the league on Saturday.

Ethan Nwaneri also has the ability to play in the role, while Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli could be asked to move over from the left flank. However, it would seem likely Jesus gets the nod given his recent scoring feats.

Arsenal have plenty of reason to strengthen their attack this winter. After a major injury to Bukayo Saka, the club have lost their best attacking option and this has been made worse by another affliction to one of the winger’s deputies.

Raheem Sterling is also confirmed to have suffered a knee problem that Mikel Arteta suggests will see him miss many weeks. The on-loan Chelsea forward has not been a major success while in north London and there has been an apparent lack of utilisation from Arteta too.

This comes as a blow considering the Premier League loan rules allow just two players to be brought in from fellow top-flight clubs at one time. There has been some confusion over the ruling as they have gone through many tweaks and changes over the past decade.

At present, Premier League rules state: “Premier League clubs may not register more than two players on loan at any one time. The maximum number of loans registrable in the same season is four, and, under no circumstances, shall more than one be from the same club at any one time.

Premier League clubs cannot loan to another Premier League club a player they have acquired in the same transfer window. A Premier League club may loan not more than one of its goalkeepers to another Premier League club.”

On top of Sterling, who signed on the transfer deadline day last summer, the Gunners also brought in Neto from Bournemouth to be the second-choice goalkeeper until the end of the season. He has, however, been cup-tied in the Carabao Cup and is still yet to make his debut, which could occur in the FA Cup third-round clash with Manchester United next month.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is one of few names to have played for both Ipswich Town and Arsenal with the two teams set to face off in Premier League action this evening. The Gunners will be hoping to take advantage of Chelsea’s defeat to Fulham while also remaining six points behind Liverpool.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be heavy favourites to beat the Tractor Boys as they have just one victory from their last six. The return of Liam Delap will come as a big boost for Kieran McKenna but their defensive woes are clear and Arsenal will be aiming for another five-goal haul.

In recent weeks, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe have come up against their former club with Crystal Palace and Fulham, respectively, and now Omari Hutchinson will be the man to face his old side. Upon leaving the Gunners in 2022, he joined Chelsea but has since completed a permanent transfer to Ipswich.

Maitland-Niles is another to have played for both in recent years with the now 27-year-old spending some time on loan at Portman Road in 2015. On that spell, he admitted soon after that it resulted in a big change in his character.

“I think me going on loan, it turned me in to a man pretty quickly that year being by myself and being away from home,” he told Arsenal Player. “It just made me grow up more and mature my game.” Maitland-Niles departed his boyhood club in the summer of 2023 at the end of his contract.

12 months later he returned to Emirates Stadium with new club Lyon and commented on his departure from the Gunners. “I’m very mature in my mind and I understand how football works,” he admitted as quoted by the club’s website. “Sometimes it’s time to let go of a club that has been so dear to you and you had so many years with.

Cristiano Ronaldo foresaw Martin Odegaard’s rise to becoming a top-tier player during their shared tenure at Real Madrid.

The 26-year-old Norwegian prodigy emerged from the youth ranks of Stromsgodset back in 2013, and by 2015, at just 16 years old, he made shockwaves when Los Blancos scooped him up – making him the youngest ever to join their first team. Despite a promising start, Odegaard found himself largely on the sidelines for the Los Blancos senior team, clocking only 11 appearances.

Instead, he was mainly deployed with Zinedine Zidane’s Castilla reserve squad, as he was overshadowed by established international aces Toni Kroos and Luka Modric in the first team. Consequently, Real Madrid opted to loan him out to several clubs including Heerenveen, Vitesse, Real Sociedad, and eventually Arsenal to continue his development.

Despite limited game time at Real Madrid, Ronaldo saw the seed of greatness in Odegaard early on. Speaking with BT Sport in 2015, the then-Madrid spotted the youngster’s potential, explaining: “You see many players with potential. I will mention Martin Odegaard of Madrid for example, at 16 he’s still young but you can see he’s a very good player.

He added: “He’s a great player, I think he’s a young boy, he can still grow. He has a good future ahead. We must give him time to learn, to take his best decisions. But I see a lot of potential in the player, he has got a good left foot.”

After making an impression during his loan spell at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, Odegaard secured a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium in 2021. The deal that brought the Norwegian playmaker to north London permanently was reported to be worth £30million – a savvy investment considering how swiftly Odegaard has lived up to Ronaldo’s rosy forecast for his career.

Arsenal have had an extra day to enjoy the Christmas festivities as their home match with Ipswich Town was delayed to December 27. 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs are taking part in the traditional Boxing Day clashes however including two of the Gunners’ main title rivals: Liverpool who host Leicester and Chelsea who take on Fulham at Stamford Bridge.

Yet, the focus on Christmas Day for many Arsenal fans online turned to Liverpool’s star man Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian international posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate Christmas with his family.

This received backlash for several other reasons but for the purpose of this piece, it is the Arsenal attention in particular that saw many asking why. This is not the first time Salah has made a post at Christmas and having been in the country for many years it appears he has embraced this national holiday.

However, when he did so in 2023, it preceded a time where Liverpool’s then title charge would begin to falter. Salah suffered a hamstring issue while away on international duty which he struggled to return from.

While making it back for the February 17 clash with Brentford where he scored and assisted in a 4-1 away win, he would then miss the next two league games with another muscular problem.

In the remaining 11 games, we would fail to start in three and score only three goals. Liverpool would drop 15 points in these matches and cost them a chance to take both Arsenal and Manchester City to the final day.

Arsenal supporters who have some superstitions it seems have latched on to this again and are hoping that another Christmas post from Salah spells the beginning of a poor run for Arne Slot’s side. While all well and good to believe in these omens, this one is not too consistent.

Salah posted in 2022 and in the New Year went on an even stronger run than the start of the campaign. Staying fit and scoring 12 goals and claiming eight assists.

Again, in 2021 another Christmas post preceded an exceptionally strong second half of the season for Liverpool where they would not lose a league game, drawing just three, winning the rest and Salah contributing along the way.

Christmas is over, which means the January transfer window is right around the corner.

For Arsenal, it’s been a strong year, and they are in the thick of another title race for the third season running. They are yet to close the gap on Liverpool at the top of the standings, but the Gunners will know better than anyone how a couple of results can transform things entirely.

The transfer window could provide Mikel Arteta with the perfect opportunity to bolster his squad and allow them to kick on in the race for the Premier League trophy. The manager will know there are still a few key positions on the pitch that could be upgraded.

Attacking reinforcement

It is no secret that the forward line remains somewhat of a problem position for Arsenal, despite their 34 goals scored in the Premier League this season. The recent injury to star player Bukayo Saka only underscores that.

Signing attackers in January, especially those that would be regarded as an upgrade on Arsenal’s current options, is no easy task. But, should the right opportunity present itself, it could be the boost the Gunners need ahead of the second half of the campaign.

Arsenal have been linked with a number of strikers, but Viktor Gyokeres is the one on everybody’s lips this season. His release clause means they won’t be forced to overpay, although clubs interested in the Sweden international may be banking on Sporting CP accepting a lower offer in the summer.

A pacy winger should also be on the wishlist, not least because of Saka’s injury woes. Both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard can arguably be upgraded on, which was highlighted by Arsenal’s reported interest in Nico Williams over the summer.

Ademola Lookman of Atalanta has impressive numbers this season with 12 goals and five assists in his 20 appearances so far. He also boasts plenty of Premier League experience, but at 27, it remains to be seen whether the Gunners would prefer a player of a younger age profile.

Three contract decisions

Kieran Tierney, Jorginho and Thomas Partey are all out of contract in the summer, which means decisions need to be made over their futures. The January transfer window represents one final opportunity to cash in and recoup some of the transfer fees paid for them.

Tierney is one of the likelier players to depart sooner rather than later, although his injury problems could act as a stumbling block for any potential deal. Arsenal may also prefer to keep their midfield options until the end of the campaign in order to land their primary targets in the summer.