SETTABLOID

Arsenal are optimistic about having captain Martin Odegaard back in the lineup for their crucial Champions League showdown against Inter Milan on Wednesday. The playmaker has been sidelined since late August after sustaining a significant ankle ligament injury while on international duty with Norway, following a 1-1 draw with Brighton.

Odegaard has recently resumed light training and is reportedly nearing the final stages of his recovery, a welcome boost for Arsenal as they search for creativity in midfield.

Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle came too early for Odegaard’s return, but he could make his comeback in Milan. This fixture marks the first of two key matches for Arsenal this week, as they are also set to face Chelsea on Sunday in a tough Premier League clash.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Magalhaes, despite concerns over a knee issue, paired with William Saliba in the defence against Newcastle. Mikel Arteta’s defensive injury worries appear to be easing, though Riccardo Calafiori is expected to remain sidelined, and Takehiro Tomiyasu continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Bukayo Saka was thrilled to dispatch a crucial penalty as England beat Switzerland on spot-kicks in the EURO 2024 quarter-final.

Saka was also the Three Lions’ hero during normal time, scoring a superb equaliser in a 1-1 draw to take the game to extra time.

Having also played in a multitude of positions, it was a stellar evening for the Arsenal star.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is reportedly pushing to make his comeback from an ankle injury in Wednesday’s Champions League league phase encounter with Inter Milan at San Siro.

The Norway international has been sidelined for almost two months with a severe sprain and was believed to have had a wafer-thin chance of coming back against Newcastle United, but he missed out again as the Gunners slumped to a 1-0 defeat on Saturday.

Mikel Arteta will no doubt be pressed for an update on Odegaard in his pre-game press conference, although the Spaniard is likely to keep his cards close to his chest, and he will definitely be missing Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Kieran Tierney (hamstring) and Riccardo Calafiori (knee) in midweek.

With Odegaard absent at St James’ Park, Arteta placed his faith in Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard up front, but all four struggled to impact proceedings.

The former three should all hold their places, but Trossard is certainly at risk of the axe as Arteta rejigs his midfield, potentially moving Thomas Partey back to his more familiar number six position if Ben White is fit to start at right-back.

Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Merino, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

It was another concerning performance from the Gunners who have lost points in their last three Premier League matches.

Their poor run started with a defeat against Bournemouth and continued at home against Liverpool where they could not beat Arne Slot’s side after taking the lead twice.

Their latest defeat against Newcastle means they have only won one point out of the last nine available in the league.

William Saliba spoke to the media after the defeat against the Magpies and claimed that the Gunners need to win against Inter Milan in the Champions League in midweek in order to regain their confidence.

Arsenal travel away to Italy to face Inter Milan in the Champions League and after that, they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal sporting director Edu Gaspar is set to leave the club, according to reports.

The former Gunners midfielder has been responsible for the club’s fine work in the transfer market in recent years. His work alongside Mikel Arteta has led to him being widely thought of as one of the leading sporting directors in football.

Edu returned to the club in 2019 after playing 127 games under Arsene Wenger. His work in the transfer window has helped Arsenal recruit well and sign key players like Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

The Brazilian has become a staple for all of the Gunners’ signings in recent years. In club videos, he always the first to meet new players outside the Sobha Training Centre before posing for pictures with Arteta.

His appointment in 2019 came because of his understanding of the club, having been part of the Invincibles team under Wenger. Then director of football Raul Sanllehi said: “We’re very excited that Edu is joining the team. He has great experience and technical football knowledge and most importantly is a true Arsenal man.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny has announced the successful completion of his UEFA A Licence, marking a significant step toward his coaching ambitions after departing from Arsenal earlier this year. The Egyptian joined Arsenal in 2016 from Swiss club Basel for £5 million, making 161 appearances and helping the club secure an FA Cup title in 2017.

Elneny’s final season with Arsenal was marred by a knee injury that limited him to just eight appearances across all competitions in the 2022/23 campaign. Arsenal narrowly missed out on the Premier League title, finishing second to Manchester City.

Despite his transfer to the UAE, the 32-year-old midfielder has remained committed to advancing his coaching qualifications. On Sunday, he proudly announced his UEFA A Licence completion on X, stating, “I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my coaching skills and knowledge, and I’m very excited for the journey ahead as I continue to grow and make a positive impact in the world of football!”

The Gunners have got lucky this season already in that, as Neville says, Man City and Liverpool are not quite the forces they have been in the past.

City have already lost and drawn twice this season, while Liverpool let Nottingham Forest beat them at home to show they can be got at.

Still, Arsenal are now in a position where it’s two defeats and three draws and those results already look costly.

Essentially, Arsenal cannot afford to drop a single point between now and the new year. Realistically, Liverpool and City will keep on winning games and if Arsenal lose another, it will be game over.

 Riccardo Calafiori – like Timber – is dealing with yet another fitness setback. It is telling that the statement summer arrival was at home as Arsenal lost their second game in two weeks.

He posted online with the game on TV. Already 1-0 down when he put up an image onto his Instagram story alongside two younger children, it is needed evidence of the problems Arsenal have suffered.

Calafiori being unavailable is one of many injury absences for Arteta to deal with. At this stage of the season it is a growing concern just how much the physical state of his squad is being felt, and it might be having an irreversible impact on how the entire campaign plays out.

Alexander Isak broke the deadlock with a superb header, which proved enough for the Magpies to secure all three points.

Reflecting on the game, Arteta noted that Arsenal’s attacks lacked the final quality needed to trouble Nick Pope in Newcastle’s goal.

“We are obviously very frustrated and disappointed with the result,” Arteta said post-match. “I think we started the game really well, we were on top of it, and then in one action, we found ourselves 1-0 down after a brilliant cross and finish.”

Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal’s initial momentum faltered following Newcastle’s goal. “I think the energy and momentum changed. We got dragged too much into the game they wanted to play and weren’t good enough or consistent enough to get out of that. You look at the chances, possession, and dominance, and there’s no difference between the teams.”

The manager was clear that Arsenal had to be more clinical in these situations. “The reality is, when we had the chances, we didn’t score, and we didn’t create enough threat consistently against an opposition that does very well at what it does.

Bukayo Saka has broken his silence following Arsenal’s 1-0 loss against Newcastle. Alexander Isak fired the Magpies to victory at St. James’ Park on Saturday lunchtime, denting the Gunners’ hopes of winning the Premier League.

Arsenal could fall to sixth place by the end of the weekend, with Aston Villa and Chelsea eager to capitalise on the north Londoners’ disappointing result. On Sunday afternoon, Unai Emery’s team face Tottenham Hotspur before the Blues lock horns with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Regardless of results elsewhere, though, Arsenal have significant ground to make up in the title race. Liverpool are two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, and seven points ahead of the Gunners.

After a ‘frustrating’ clash against Newcastle, Saka broke his silence on social media. The England international, who donned the captain’s armband in the absence of Martin Odegaard, re-posted a post-match graphic to his Instagram story, with the caption: “We stick together!”

Speaking to reporters, Arteta was also asked for his assessment of the reverse. The Gunners head coach said: “We started really well. I think we were on top of it, we looked sharp, we looked alive. And then one action, which they are really good at – they put the ball wide and have an unbelievable cross and finish.

“And then momentum changes, energy shifts. You know the game they want to play. It’s clear. You get dragged into that kind of game too often and we weren’t good enough and we didn’t have enough answers to get out of that constantly, especially to create the threat that we needed and discussed about.”