SETTABLOID

FIFA are reportedly exploring an alternative to the current VAR system that would allow football coaches to challenge refereeing decisions during matches, a move that could be welcomed by Arsenal and football fans alike.

According to French media outlet L’Equipe, FIFA are working on a new system called Football Video Support (FVS), which would enable coaches to challenge up to two refereeing decisions per game, similar to the challenge system used in basketball. The proposal is said to be “seriously considered” by FIFA, with the governing body hoping to obtain approval from the board to continue testing FVS.

The FVS system was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) earlier this year and has already been trialled in the Under-17 and Under-20 Women’s World Cups. FIFA’s head of referees, Pierluigi Colina, emphasised that while FVS is not intended to replace VAR, it is a distinct system with fewer cameras, meaning it can offer limited video support compared to VAR.

Kieran Tierney has admitted there is “every chance” he may still leave Arsenal, despite his unsuccessful bid for a summer transfer. The Scottish defender, who spent last season on loan at Real Sociedad and made 26 appearances despite injury setbacks, has not featured for Arsenal since their Community Shield victory over Manchester City in 2023.

Tierney joined Arsenal from Celtic in 2019 for a reported £25 million and initially held the starting left-back spot until Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival from Manchester City in 2022. Recent defensive additions, including Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori, have pushed Tierney further down Mikel Arteta’s depth chart.

Arsenal defender Ben White has undergone a knee procedure for an injury he has been managing for the past 18 months.

The Arsenal account, which is famous for breaking news about the North London club on social media and is followed by the likes of Kaya Kaynak, Simon Collings, Charles Watt and Sami Mokbel on X (formerly Twitter), has claimed that the initial prognosis is around eight weeks out, but it could be a couple either side.

Arsenal are expected to officially announce that White has been operated on, and it is a huge blow for manager Mikel Arteta given how influential and reliable the Englishman has been since joining the club.

The 27-year-old has played 145 games for Arsenal since joining in the summer of 2021, and it first emerged back in March that he had been carrying a knee problem for much of the 2023-24 campaign.

Two days; that is all it took for the international break to throw up a story to ignite Arsenal supporters into a near-full meltdown about one of their players. We used to be used to this: seeing our best players poached in search of trophies and sometimes just more money.

However, William Saliba plays in an era where that was thought a thing of the past. Players sign new deals at Arsenal in 2024, they don’t up sticks and leave a project half-baked… well, unless your name is Edu Gaspar of course.

The biggest teams in the world sign the best players, but they also lose the best players. Look at Liverpool, who lost Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho; Barcelona with Neymar, or even Manchester City with Leroy Sane and perhaps to a lesser extent Julian Alvarez.

Players leave and they have their reasons, you cannot be beholden to one. But that is a problem Arsenal do have and they have been reminded of it harshly these past few weeks.

The loss of Martin Odegaard to an injury sparked a creative dip that can only be likened to the Marvel films post-Endgame. The Gunners lacked imagination and flair and the doubts have crept into the minds of viewers as a result.

Ethan Nwaneri has again sent a clear message to Mikel Arteta in pursuit of more minutes for Arsenal. The 17-year-old has featured for 230 minutes this season and has consistently impressed despite such a short amount of time on the pitch.

The bulk of his game time has arrived in the Carabao Cup with the teenager netting a brace in the 5-0 third round win over Bolton and a stunning goal away at Preston at the next stage. Unsurprisingly, Arteta has been very impressed by his displays.

In the absence of Martin Odegaard, calls for Nwaneri to start became louder but the Gunners boss has refrained from putting him in the spotlight too often. “The biggest thing is to push him and then when he is pushing you grab him from behind to make sure he is stable and protected,” he explained when asked about those demands from supporters.

Arsenal will perhaps welcome the breather that the international break brings given their recent form.

The Gunners have not won in the Premier League for more than a month with Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea keeping them nine points adrift of table-toppers Liverpool. The team has scored just once in three games despite welcoming a number of players back from injury.

Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka both recovered from knocks to feature in recent matches, although neither has joined up with their countries for international duty. Odegaard has only just come back from ligament damage while Saka picked up an issue at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal enter the November international break knowing it is the last break in the domestic calendar until March. That said, it comes at perhaps the most kind-spirited time for the Gunners in some ways.

Mikel Arteta failed to secure a Premier League win in the run of games between this break and the last, piling the pressure on and dredging up questions over the club’s title aims. When the side returns from this break, however, they will embark on a run where they leave the capital just once for a Champions League clash with Sporting CP.

Riccardo Calafiori has been missing for Arsenal since he suffered a minor knee injury against Shakhtar Donetsk. While described as an escape from something more serious, even a minor problem to this particular joint can cause a period of absence that covers several weeks and that has been the case.

Kieran Tierney has confessed that there is “every chance” he could still depart Arsenal despite failing to secure a move away in the summer.

The defender spent last season on loan at La Liga’s Real Sociedad, playing 26 times despite suffering from injuries. Tierney hasn’t played for the Gunners since the Community Shield win over Manchester City in 2023.

Arsenal acquired Tierney from Celtic in 2019 for around £25 million, where he became the first-choice left-back until Oleksandr Zinchenko’s arrival from Manchester City in 2022.

The arrivals of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the past two summers has meant the Scotland international has fallen further down Mikel Arteta’s pecking order.

In the summer, Tierney insisted there was every chance he may have already played his final game for the north Londoners. “There is every chance. Look at the squad depth in that position now,” he told The Athletic.

Arsenal lost more ground in the Premier League title race and will have to wait nearly two weeks before addressing the nine-point gap to the top.

The Gunners’ winless run was extended at Chelsea with the international break coming into affect. Mikel Arteta is beginning to welcome back a fully fit squad ahead of the hectic winter period as Arsenal prepare for high-flying Nottingham Forest next time out.

Martin Odegaard played in his first Premier League outing in several months at the weekend but a number of the squad have now headed off on international duty for the final time in 2024.

Odegaard will not play for Norway during the international break having only just recovered from injury. The playmaker has spent weeks on the sideline due to an ankle problem and his absence has hampered the Gunners, who have missed their captain’s leadership and creative influence in the final third.

Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot has suggested that Chelsea should have targeted Arsenal right-back Ben White, noting that White appeared “irritated” during Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

Arsenal’s struggles continued over the weekend, with the team dropping points for the fourth consecutive Premier League game, a trend that seems to be testing the patience of the players and staff alike.

Melchiot noted that White appeared “irritated” and unusually “unstable” as he faced off against Chelsea, in a game that ended 1-1 and marked Arsenal’s fourth consecutive Premier League match without a win.

Melchiot observed that White, who typically handles defensive pressure well, seemed unsettled as he contended with Chelsea’s attack. In particular, Melchiot believed Chelsea could have gained an edge by focusing on White, whom he described as “irritated” during the game—a rare sight for the composed Arsenal defender.