SETTABLOID

Arsenal travel to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon as the Premier League resumes following a weekend off for the latest of the first three international breaks of the season. The Gunners may have wished not to see their unbeaten start to the season interrupted for a second time but they now need to refocus and build momentum again before the clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium next week.

Mikel Arteta has had nine players out of the senior group or suffer problems while away with their respective nations. The number that have stayed behind has allowed the Spaniard more time to work with them and give a week off from action to recover from injury.

David Raya kept two clean sheets for Spain during the break, and did well under pressure with his distribution which will please Arteta. William Saliba, meanwhile, had a less than fun time as a slip gave away a penalty against Belgium, although his teammate Gabriel Magalhaes had a better time being awarded man of the match against Chile.

Arsenal are gearing up for a return to Premier League action this weekend as they travel to face Bournemouth.

The Gunners take on the Cherries in their first fixture after October’s international break and will be determined to secure all three points. Mikel Arteta’s side beat Southampton in their last match before the international break and are currently third in the Premier League table, level on points with Manchester City.

They’re one point behind table-topping Liverpool. Arsenal have four Premier League fixtures between now and the start of the final international break of 2024. The Gunners will also be in Champions League and Carabao Cup action over the next few weeks before the next two-week hiatus.

There are still 31 more Premier League matches to play before Arsenal’s season is over, while the Gunners will hope they can go one better than the previous two seasons and beat City to top honours.

Mikel Arteta only has a few days left on the training pitches at London Colney before Arsenal return to domestic action. The Gunners have won each of their last four games, across all competitions, and they remain unbeaten in the Premier League since April.

Arteta’s side will be keen to extend that run when they lock horns with AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. As it stands, just one point separates Liverpool at the top of the table from Manchester City, and the north Londoners.

With Arne Slot’s men ready to face Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, Arteta will be hoping to set pace and claim first place.

Alexander Isak has put Arsenal on ‘red alert’ after negotiations with Newcastle over his proposed new contract have stalled. The 25-year-old striker, who sees his current deal at St James’ Park expire in June 2028, has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium for a while now, dating back to his spell in Spain.

Lionel Messi has heaped praise on Nico Paz, who’s recently been linked with a move to the Premier League ahead of the January transfer window. The 20-year-old midfielder made his senior debut for Argentina during a 6-0 win over Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.

Paz, who joined Como from Real Madrid in the summer, replaced Lautaro Martinez with a quarter of an hour left to play. Shortly after coming on, Lionel Scaloni’s side netted their fifth of the evening before the youngster teed up Messi for the sixth.

Argentina remain top of the CONMEBOL group. Speaking to reporters after the game, as quoted by Goal, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner said: “We played very well between the lines, at a high level.

“Now Nico Paz has made his debut, and he has a lot of quality and I hope he continues to grow. He wasn’t born when I made my debut in Primera, yes, I knew (laughs). He has a great head.

It will not be long before the transfer window is open again. The summer transfer window may have shut little more than a month-and-a-half ago, but the January transfer window is now little more than two months from opening.

The winter window is not usually the busiest of windows, with prices often inflated as clubs try desperately not to lose their prize assets mid-season.

But for Arsenal it can act as an opportunity to bring in new players to add to their Champions League squad. Clubs are allowed to make three changes to the squads for the knockout stages, to allow for new signings to play.

January is also an opportunity for teams to strengthen their squad depth, particularly if they are struggling with injuries. that is certainly the case for the Gunners at the moment, who have question marks over the fitness of a number of key players after the international break.

Arsenal have suffered in creativity without their talisman and captain Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian has been missing since the last international break with an ankle problem and is set to remain out of the side until at least November.

The latest information regarding the attacking midfield was indeed that his issue could see him miss the next period of games, and that targeting the penultimate month of the year would be a safer bet. In his absence, Arsenal have tried both Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in the role for different games with varying levels of success.

The Gunners remain unbeaten and very much in the title hunt, just one point off leaders Liverpool who they face next week. They’re level on points with Manchester City who they came seconds away from beating despite their lack of Odegaard and 11 men on the field for the entire second half.

Arsenal have dealt with numerous fitness issues and are only now benefiting from the return of several key figures. One such player is Mikel Merino, who has come on in back-to-back matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Southampton having recovered from a shoulder injury.

Newcastle United’s contract negotiations with star striker Alexander Isak have hit a roadblock, alerting Arsenal ahead of the January transfer window. The Swedish international, now in his third season at St James’ Park, has emerged as one of the Premier League’s most prolific forwards, with 36 goals in 73 appearances for the Magpies.

Despite missing a significant portion of last season due to injury, Isak still managed to finish as Newcastle’s top scorer, netting 25 goals across all competitions. His impressive form has not gone unnoticed, attracting interest from several top European clubs, including Arsenal and Tottenham. Both London clubs were reportedly preparing £100 million bids for Isak during the summer transfer window, but the striker remained in the northeast for another season.

Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has tipped Arsenal to dethrone Manchester City and claim the Premier League title this season. Speaking to Gambling Zone, McAteer praised the progress Arsenal have made under manager Mikel Arteta and believes this is the season they are truly ready to win the league.

When asked who he thinks will win the Premier League, McAteer confidently backed Arsenal. “If you’re looking for longevity in an answer, then Arsenal,” he said. “At this moment in time, they’re really ready to win it. Last season and the season before, there was a question about mentality. Could they last the pace? Would injuries affect them? But they’ve bought really well in the last three or four windows to strengthen the squad with quality.”

McAteer highlighted the depth Arsenal now possess, which he believes is crucial for their title challenge. “If they lose key players, they’ve got others who can step in. A perfect example is Martin Odegaard’s injury and Leandro Trossard stepping in. Trossard may not be of the same quality, but he’s a very good player,” McAteer noted.

Arsenal have been told that if they don’t win the Premier League title this season they can forget about it for a few years. In a damning indictment, former Chelsea and Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand believes it’s this season or bust for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Gunners have finished second behind Manchester City in each of the last two seasons – five points and then two points behind Pep Guardiola’s side. The gap has been decreasing but it needs to flip in Arsenal’s favour this year according to Bertrand.

Speaking at the launch of Ladbrokes’ Gaffer of all Accas event, Bertrand even hinted that Arteta and other big-name players could leave if they do not win the title this time around. He said: “If Arsenal don’t win the Premier League this year, then they won’t win it for a little while. They’re the team that have momentum, they’re the team that haven’t won the league in a long time.

Arsenal will be on the lookout for a striker in the coming windows. It is well documented that the Gunners were keen on another forward last summer and that a move was in the works early in the market.

Benjamin Sesko was a candidate and seen as a market opportunity ahead of the European Championships but any move failed to materialise as the timing of the switch simply didn’t align.

One player whom many Arsenal supporters are very keen on is Alexander Isak. The Newcastle striker has been a big success since his arrival from Real Sociedad and been a part of the Magpies’ establishment as a Europe-chasing club again.

Scoring 20 goals last season was a brilliant accomplishment and most would rank the striker second in the league only to Erling Haaland. Although Kai Havertz’s form might have a claim in that field also.

Isak has alerted clubs such as Arsenal over a potential future move as contract talks have stalled. It has been well-documented that Newcastle want to tie the Swede down to an improved and more secure deal, but there are yet to be any breakthroughs on this front.

The current deal is in place until at least 2028, so there is little worry over the player’s value being affected by a diminishing contract. However, there is perhaps concern that the longer he goes without a renewal is something of a flag to suitors that a move might indeed be an option.