SETTABLOID

Arsenal have immense pressure on their shoulders as the Premier League gets back underway with Mikel Arteta looking to secure his first win since before the international break… not this one, October’s domestic interruption – yes, it has been that long! Two defeats and two draws have seen the gap to the league leaders open to nine points.

That said, Arsenal have an opportunistic run of games coming up where until after New Year’s Day, they will leave the capital only once to travel to Lisbon to face Sporting CP in the Champions League. This of course is a chance to build some momentum but Mikel Arteta will be focused on simply the next game.

Win against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates and the poor form can be put to bed. To do that, he needs to choose the right team and with many question marks over some, a dream line-up will rely on several players recovering from their ailments.

David Raya has been impressing for both club and country this season, taking advantage of Unai Simon’s absence to begin solidifying himself as Spain’s number one. He will be looking to have some consistency in the back four in front of him which due to injury has simply not been possible.

With Ben White out for a period of time following a minor procedure, Jurrien Timber comes into the left-back spot in the team. William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes meanwhile will be looking to lock down some clean sheets – something of a rarity this season.

Meanwhile, the hope is that Riccardo Calafiori will be able to return from a knee injury and there has been hope this break has come at a good time. The Italian has been a hit since his arrival and the Arsenal left looks far better with him in the squad.

France secured the top spot in their Nations League group following a 3-1 win over Italy on the road on Sunday night.

Aston Villa ace Lucas Digne was the star of the show with two assists and a fabulous free-kick leading to Guglielmo Vicario’s own goal.

Marseille’s Adrien Rabiot also fared brilliantly with two headed goals from Digne’s crosses.

In the backline, Arsenal star William Saliba had another solid outing. He had a passing accuracy of 92 percent with three long balls.

The central defender won 100 percent of his duels and 100 percent of his take-ons alongside three clearances and four recoveries.

Saliba lost possession on just five occasions, but was not dribbled past once in the game.

The £27 million signing will now return to Arsenal to prepare for the hectic festive schedule.

The London giants restart their Premier League campaign against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The game is a must-win for the Gunners as they are already nine points behind current leaders Liverpool after 11 matches played.

Saliba and the entire backline have not kept a clean sheet in seven league outings and need to step up against Forest this weekend.

Prior to the encounter, the club have suffered an injury scare with Leandro Trossard. The Belgian was substituted in the first half against Israel yesterday.

The 29-year-old will be assessed on his return to London Colney and we should get an update on his injury in Mikel Arteta’s presser this week.

Meanwhile, Ben White is an assured absentee for the Forest game. He could be out of action for eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a knee issue.

However, there is some good news on the injury front. Riccardo Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu are anticipated to return to training this week.

Arsenal have retained their interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. The Premier League club believe they have a better chance of signing the Spanish maestro than ever before.

Martin Zubimendi is a world-class midfielder

Martin Zubimendi came through Real Sociedad’s academy and is considered one of the best holding midfielders in the world at present. He is an integral part of the Spanish club and has interest from multiple clubs.

Zubimendi is showing his red-hot form even in this campaign. He has found the back of the net once and assisted two goals in 16 games so far. He is averaging 2.2 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, and 1.6 clearances per game (stats via whoscored).

The Spanish midfielder is a preferred defensive choice in the middle of the park. He is good at winning the ball back and is always well-positioned. His distribution skills and passing range make him a valuable pick in the playing XI.

Martin Zubimendi rejected Liverpool’s offer

Arsenal wanted to sign Martin Zubimendi in past but the player didn’t join them considering the presence of notable names in the squad. He felt that his game time would be badly affected which would hinder his development.

However, the long-term future of Jorginho and Thomas Partey is under the radar. If these two leave the Gunners next season, it’s natural for the club to go after a big name. In that case, Martin Zubimendi can be an apt target.

While the 25-year-old would surely enhance Mikel Arteta’s midfield selection, his signing won’t come cheap after he signed an extension at Real Sociedad. Moreover, there is still no clarity on whether the player would actually like to join Arsenal or not. Notably, he rejected a move to Anfield this summer and decided to stay with his boyhood club.

Robin van Persie believes that the ‘door is closed’ on him ever possibly returning to Arsenal, as he feels that Gunners supporters are ‘still sensitive’ about him abandoning them for Manchester United.

The 41-year-old Dutchman called time on his playing career back in 2019 and became a head coach for the first time when he took charge of Eredivisie side Heerenveen this year.

And, while thoughts have turned to him one day managing back in England, Van Persie has all but ruled out taking the lead role at The Emirates in the future.

Van Persie scored 132 goals in 278 games for Arsenal between 2004 to 2012 but many at the club – especially Gunners fans – felt betrayed when he swapped north London for Manchester.

When quizzed if there was a chance he could ever work at Arsenal in the future, Van Persie admitted: “I don’t expect to work at Arsenal. I think that door is closed.

“Because of my switch to Manchester United, that is my assessment. You never know in football, but that is my assessment. It is still sensitive for them, not for me. It is especially sensitive for the Arsenal fans.

“I have learned that planning so far ahead makes no sense at all. I don’t want that either. I mainly live in the here and now. I really enjoy it here and I am very proud to be the coach of SC Heerenveen.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have been using a portion of the November international break to prepare for the January transfer window. Plans may have been disrupted slightly following confirmations of Edu’s departure, however Arteta has certainly attempted to keep things ticking.

The Gunners’ mixed form has not helped matters with a four-game winless run in the Premier League seeing them sit in fourth, nine points off leaders Liverpool. A marquee move in the winter trading period could certainly change their fortunes but it certainly appears as though Arsenal will be reactive rather than proactive after Christmas.

Their plans, drawing up candidates to replace Edu and decisions for next summer will have been among the topics discussed at the big board meeting in the United States with the Kroenke family. Following that, Arsenal have been involved in plenty of transfer rumours with a huge update emerging that could also benefit Kai Havertz.

Though he has faced criticism, Kai Havertz’s first 15 months in an Arsenal shirt can certainly be considered a success. There is always room for improvement however, with many of the belief he needs to be more clinical in front of goal if the plan is for him to lead the line going forward.

Based on what happened during Germany’s thumping Nations League 7-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a huge transfer could fully unleash him. The Arsenal star picked up three goal contributions with two of those involving Florian Wirtz.

Arsenal have made their approach for Paris Saint-Germain football advisor Luis Campos as they look for Edu’s successor, according to reports.

Arsenal confirmed on November 4 that Edu had handed in his resignation as the Gunners’ sporting director, bringing to end his five-year spell at the Emirates Stadium which started as the club’s technical director before a promotion in November 2022.

His decision to quit Arsenal came as a shock to everyone, including Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, who had built an excellent relationship with the Brazilian in the process of building a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League.

Real Sociedad director of football Roberto Olabe has been among the people linked with replacing Edu at Arsenal but now Football Transfers claims that they have now approached their preferred candidate.

The report insists that Campos – who has built title-winning sides at Monaco and Lille before his latest test at PSG – ‘has been approached by Arsenal to take over from Edu’ as they continue their search for a new sporting director.

Liverpool have been heavily linked to the Egyptian as they look out for potential replacements for Mohamed Salah – who could leave at the end of his contract in the summer- but former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown reckons Arsenal could hijack any moves for Marmoush.

Former Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe has reportedly entered a relationship with adult film star Teanna Trump, sparking widespread speculation among fans and media. Pepe, who now plays for La Liga side Villarreal, was featured in a photo alongside Trump, shared originally by his sister, Corinne.

Teanna Trump, whose real name is Keanna Nichele Jones, shared the image of the two enjoying a meal together. Rumours suggest the couple has been dating for around five months, though Trump’s post included SamRecks’ song *Situationship,* leaving fans guessing about their relationship status.

The 29-year-old adult film star has been seen showing support for Pepe at Villarreal matches. She was spotted in the VIP section of Villarreal’s Estadi de la Cerámica during their season opener against Atletico Madrid and has been pictured wearing the team’s shirt.

The pair have also been seen exploring local attractions, including Bioparc Valencia and an aquarium. Trump has even been photographed spending time with Pepe’s children, further fueling speculation about the seriousness of their relationship. Pepe, for his part, has shared a photo of Trump on his social media, adding to the intrigue.

Pepe joined Arsenal in 2019 in a blockbuster £72 million move from Lille, becoming the club’s most expensive signing. However, his time at the Emirates was marred by inconsistent performances. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, including scoring 10 goals in the 2020/21 Premier League season, he managed just 16 goals in 80 league appearances overall.

Germany secured the top position in their Nations League group following a 7-0 rout of Bosnia & Herzegovina in Freiburg last night.

Arsenal star Kai Havertz started from the number 10 position with Tim Kleindienst picked to lead the attack by manager Julian Nagelsmann.

The Gunners looked lively from the off. He scored Germany’s third goal in the 37th minute after a lovely interchange of play with Florian Wirtz.

Havertz also provided an assist for Leroy Sane after the interval.

The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes. He had 71 touches in the game with a passing accuracy of 90 percent. The German had six attempts on goal.

He also fared well defensively winning 100% tackles, three duels alongside three recoveries.

Havertz was far from his best after the last international break. He failed to score for the Gunners in four Premier League and two Champions League games.

Of course, many fans were appreciative regarding his work rate and physical presence up front, but he needs to start finding the back of the net soon.

His performance against Bosnia last night could be a confidence booster. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be pleased with his double goal contribution.

Havertz has lacked the presence of Martin Odegaard behind him in recent weeks. The Norwegian recently returned to action after an ankle ligament injury.

Netherlands qualified for the quarter-final stage of the Nations League following a 4-0 win over Hungary at the Johan Cruyff Arena last night.

Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo scored from the penalty spot in the opening half. Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiner put the gloss to the performance with two more goals after the break.

Arsenal star Jurrien Timber started at left-back and he had a brilliant outing. The 23-year-old had 67 touches in 68 minutes with a passing accuracy of 98 percent. He misplaced just one pass.

The £38 million signing completed 100 percent of his dribbles (2/2) and 100 percent of his crosses (1/1). He won three duels and made a crucial challenge in the box to deny a first half equaliser for Hungary.

Netherlands booked their spot in the last eight of the competition with the victory and Arsenal will be hoping that Timber will be rested for the final group game against Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The Dutch can’t improve on their second position with a five-point gap to Germany. They are likely to face Portugal, Spain, France or Italy in the double-legged quarter-final in March next year.

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will be hoping that five players can return for their Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. With the November international break ongoing, several stars have remained at London Colney to recover from both ongoing and new muscular issues.

Declan Rice and Ben White are among those to have played through discomfort with the latter undergoing a minor procedure earlier this week. White had already missed four weeks of action this season and more absences look set to follow as he recovers from the operation.

Rice meanwhile, picked up an injury against Newcastle at the start of November which resulted in him missing the Champions League game against Inter. The midfielder was able to make the huge clash away at Chelsea but he was withdrawn after 71 minutes and subsequently pulled out of England duty.

Bukayo Saka followed suit, both in regard to going off injured at Stamford Bridge and departing St George’s Park early, with Arteta’s initial update far from positive. “It doesn’t look good, because for two players of that importance to tell you they cannot continue in the game, obviously it’s not good news,” he said in a press conference.