Josh Kroenke has been seen at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground this morning as the Gunners gear up for a crucial period.
Mikel Arteta’s side had a week away from competitive action as the FA Cup reached the quarter-final stage. Arsenal were left to stew over their midweek draw with Nottingham Forest, which saw them slip 13 points off the pace in the Premier League title race.
PSV Eindhoven stands in their way of Champions League progression, with the first leg set to take place at the Phillips Stadion on Tuesday.
The Arsenal director’s arrival in the capital amid an important period for the club.
The American is in London during an intense period with the two-legged European showdown as well as their clashes against Manchester United and Chelsea before the international break from Monday, March 17.
As things stand, Thomas Partey’s contract at Arsenal is set to expire in the summer alongside fellow midfielder Jorginho.
Jorginho looks almost certain to leave Arsenal, however, it’s a different case with Partey and the midfielder’s contract situation still appears to be unresolved.
Partey has played 39 games under Mikel Arteta this season and his injury record has significantly improved in comparison to his last two or three campaigns at Arsenal.
Amid a series of fitness issues for the Gunners this season, Partey has been readily available, fulfilling roles at right-back and in his preferred defensive midfield role.
Of course, Arsenal want to sign Martin Zubimendi in the summer which suggests that Arteta is envisioning a major midfield revamp.
But with Arsenal pushing to sign Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, perhaps Partey might still have a future at the club.
Arsenal signed Partey from Berta’s old club Atletico Madrid in 2020, a deal that the sporting director negotiated with the Gunners.
Although, given that Arsenal paid Partey’s release clause, Berta didn’t have much say in the Ghana international leaving.
Arsenal nerves will be jangling ahead of their Champions League last 16 first leg with PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening.
The Gunners travel to the Netherlands low on confidence and in underwhelming form following their defeat to West Ham United and draw at Nottingham Forest over the past ten days. Dropped points have seen them fall well behind in the Premier League title race, with European glory arguably their only chance to secure a much-needed piece of silverware under Mikel Arteta.
Significant misfortune with forward injuries leaves Arsenal in a frustrating position heading into the final few months of the campaign. They have blanked in their last two matches and look unlikely to score too many until at least one member of their injury-stricken attacking unit returns to the fold.
With fitness issues in mind, here is how Arsenal could line up midweek.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs PSV (4-3-3)
Arsenal need some magic from their young star Ethan Nwaneri / David Rogers/GettyImages
GK: David Raya – Arsenal’s goalkeeper has had little to do in recent weeks despite his side’s slump, with the Gunners still boasting a well-organised and rigid defensive shape.
RB: Jurrien Timber – Ben White’s recent return from injury will allow Timber some well-earned rest in the coming weeks but the Englishman is unlikely to leap back into the lineup in Eindhoven.
CB: William Saliba – Saliba will be tasked with keeping the fairly immobile but powerful Luuk de Jong under wraps. The Dutch striker has scored 15 goals and provided nine assists this term already.
CB: Gabriel – An excellent intervention helped Arsenal secure their point at the City Ground last Wednesday and the Brazilian may have to make some more last-ditch tackles on Tuesday against one of Europe’s most relentless attacking teams.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – Lewis-Skelly was suspended last time out against Forest but the youngster could return to the lineup in favour of Riccardo Calafiori against PSV. He offers an attacking threat from left-back that Arsenal may require given their injury woes.
CM: Martin Odegaard – Arsenal desperately need some Odegaard magic in Eindhoven as they aim to secure a positive result to take back to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg. The Norwegian has failed to score or assist in his last four.
CM: Thomas Partey – Jorginho replaced Partey against Forest but the Ghanaian remains the first-choice holding midfielder in Arsenal’s three-man engine room.
CM: Declan Rice – Arsenal could use some attacking influence from Rice, too, with the England international having improved his form since the turn of the year after a mediocre start to the season.
RW: Ethan Nwaneri – The talented teenager looks set to torment opposition defences every single time he gets on the ball but those around him are not always on the same wavelength.
ST: Mikel Merino – Merino’s impressive brace from the bench against Leicester City looks more like a one-off with each passing match in which he operates as a number nine. He puts his body about well enough but is clearly out of his depth.
LW: Leandro Trossard – The Belgian has often stepped up with sizeable goals during his Arsenal career, including a crucial strike against Porto in last year’s Champions League round of 16.
Arsenal return to action on Tuesday as they face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. The Gunners travel to the Netherlands for the first leg of their round of 16 clash, with the second leg pencilled in for March 12 at Emirates Stadium.
With Mikel Arteta’s side trailing Liverpool by 13 points in the Premier League, the Champions League is perhaps Arsenal’s last chance of silverware this season. Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid await in the quarter-finals but PSV will be a tough test for the north Londoners, with Peter Bosz’s side currently second in the Eredivisie.
“They are a really good team,” Arteta admitted last month. “We know that. We have experienced it and it will be very difficult like any other Champions League result that we could have got or any team.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus will all miss the clash through injury, which means Arteta’s options in the forward areas are limited. Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri are the only senior forwards available, while Mikel Merino has been deployed in the striker role in recent weeks.
Sterling has not had the best of seasons at Emirates Stadium but the Chelsea loanee does have a lot of experience playing in the Champions League, with the Englishman reaching the final of the competition with Manchester City in 2021. With so many attacking options ruled out of Tuesday’s first leg clash, Sterling could have a big say on what happens in the game.
Arsenal appear set to lose five first-team squad members this summer when their agreements with the club end.
Raheem Sterling will be the first to depart, with the player’s loan deal from Chelsea concluding when this season ends. Neto is another who will return to his parent club, Bournemouth, before the summer transfer window begins.
Kieran Tierney is another due to leave, with Celtic confirming they have already reached a pre-contract agreement to sign their former defender when his contract ends at the end of June. Jorginho and Thomas Partey are also in the final few months of their current deals, but the latter could remain at the club, reportedly.
Arsenal reportedly want to agree a new one-year contract with Partey, who is said to be open to agreeing an extension and keen to stay in north London. According to Caught Offside , the Gunners have reportedly held talks with the player’s agents.
Partey, though, is said to be in no rush to decide his future due to interest from Barcelona and Juventus. That is despite Mikel Arteta reputedly being ready to keep the Ghana international for
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been encouraged to make a summer move for Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, who is highly sought after as contract negotiations with his current club appear to have hit a snag.
The German midfielder has made his mark in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern back in 2015, boasting an impressive collection of silverware including eight Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokals, and the prestigious 2020 Champions League trophy. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season and renewal talks stalling, Arsenal have displayed interest in acquiring the 30-year-old talent.
Former Tottenham Hotspur player Michael Dawson has highlighted Kimmich as an ideal successor to Thomas Partey and Jorginho in a discussion with Sky Sports. “I think he’s a very, very good player. He’s done it for a long time in Germany at the age of 30. His contract is coming to an end and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be renewed,” said Dawson.
“The reason Arsenal are probably looking at this is because you go, ‘Is Jorginho going to go? Is Thomas Partey going to go?’, so you need to replace them. And if he’s a free agent then you get the experience, the quality that he possesses and it’s a no-brainer really on that front.
“Kimmich, I can see why they would go for him, of course. The experience and what he could bring if those two players [Jorginho and Partey] do leave Arsenal. You’re bringing in someone who is tried and trusted… no-brainer.”
Partey and Jorginho are set to leave the Gunners this summer, with their deals expiring at the end of June. football.london understands progress has been made in a potential deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who could form somewhat of a dream midfield for Mikel Arteta, should both he and Kimmich join the club.
Arsenal take on PSV in the Champions League, looking not only to get a positive result but just simply scoring for the first time in three matches. Back-to-back goalless clashes in the Premier League have seen the mood drop to a new low this season.
However, the feeling of their opponents is very similar, who have lost twice in the last week to Go Ahead Eagles, knocking them out of the cup and potentially ending their own title hopes to Ajax. A clash of sides struggling for form, it seems.
Mikel Arteta is still without many of his key players, PSV too have some of their own problems, having lost Ricardo Pepi for what appears to be the rest of the season and signing former Gunners Lucas Perez on a free contract – the Spaniard, however is not eligible to face his old club.
With the issues in mind, the changes that football.london have looked into again stick with the idea of a system change to try and find a way to the net. Moving to a wing-back system with three central defenders.
William Saliba, flanked by Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhaes, offers a steady back line which should be able to cope with the likes of Luuk de Jong. Flanking them are Ben White on the right and the returning Myles Lewis-Skelly on the left – it could have been Kieran Tierney, but the youngster has been the most impressive so far this season.
The system gives Arsenal more natural width and an overlapping and overloading presence in the final third. Providing better opportunities for low-driven crosses and cut-backs from the touchline.
Gary Neville expressed doubts over Arsenal’s intent to recruit Raheem Sterling – suggesting the winger’s move played a role in the club’s quiet January window.
Despite Sterling’s storied Premier League experience, his contribution at Arsenal has been underwhelming, with just one goal in 21 games across all competitions since his deadline day transfer from Chelsea last summer.
The acquisition of the four-time Premier League champion followed unsuccessful attempts to land a striker, with links to Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko falling through. Neville feels that Sterling was signed on the eve of the window’s closure primarily for depth purposes, rather than as a significant boost to Arsenal’s forward line.
Commenting on the Stick to Football podcast, backed by Sky Bet, the ex-Manchester United captain said: “I’m not sure the club wanted to sign Sterling. I think Arteta’s thought, ‘I can get him centre forward, left wing, right wing’ and he’s gone in there and said ‘he’s my cover for those three positions.'”
Neville implied that Sterling’s lacklustre performance might have deterred Arsenal’s hierarchy from making further signings, in spite of a growing list of injured attackers. “I think what’s happened is they’ve backed him and I think it’s put them off doing another deal in January of the same ilk because they’re thinking, ‘Well we’ve already brought in Raheem in so if you’re not going to use him, what’s the point of adding someone else.
“Then all of a sudden, Havertz gets injured, and you’re done,” reports the Mirror. Arsenal’s injury woes, with both Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus sidelined for the season, alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s hamstring injuries, have inevitably given Sterling more playing opportunities, as seen when he started during the 2-0 victory against Leicester City.
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece in action. Credit: Ali Haider, AMNA
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece’s tennis champion, made history on Saturday by returning to the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Top 10 rankings after winning the title at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
With an impressive 6-3, 6-3 victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, the 26-year-old not only broke an 11-final losing streak at this level but also had a triumphant return to the top players of world tennis.
For Tsitsipas, this victory was crucial for his ego. The Greek star finally conquered the desert stage after losing two previous Dubai finals to legends Roger Federer (2019) and Novak Djokovic (2020). His excellent performance left his opponent unable to convert any of seven break points.
This win also comes after a challenging year in which Tsitsipas parted ways with his father and long-time coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas. Now coached by Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, the Greek player has found new levels of confidence, as seen by his improved performance on Saturday.
How did the game of Greece’s tennis champion Tsitsipas unfold
Tsitsipas offered to his fans a fantastic performance. The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas showcased a near-flawless game, with powerful groundstrokes and tactical precision. Despite a slow start at the beginning of the match, where Tsitsipas actually faced two break points, the Greek held firm and turned the tide with a crucial break at 4-3 in the opening set. This important moment came after Auger-Aliassime, leading 40-0 on his serve, came under pressure, allowing Tsitsipas to win five consecutive points and seize control.
From there, Tsitsipas reeled off four straight games to clinch the first set. His ability to elevate his game during key moments was evident throughout the match. He saved all seven break points he faced and converted three of his six opportunities against the Canadian.
The second set followed a similar pattern of high-intensity rallies and decisive moments. Auger-Aliassime fought like a champion, saving two break points early on and creating three of his own at 3-3. However, Tsitsipas remained unshaken, using his booming serve and precise forehand to escape trouble. The turning point came once again at 4-3 when Tsitsipas broke Auger-Aliassime’s serve with a combination of aggressive returns and well-timed drop shots.
Serving for the match at 5-3, Tsitsipas closed out the contest emphatically. The match lasted one hour and 28 minutes, during which Tsitsipas won an impressive 83 per cent of his first-serve points and displayed superior consistency in extended baseline exchanges.
This triumph is particularly significant for Tsitsipas. “It’s a big relief that I’m able to hold that trophy after the third attempt,” said an emotional Tsitsipas post-match. “I’m proud of how I managed the pressure and performed in those crucial moments.”
The win also improved Tsitsipas’ head-to-head record against Auger-Aliassime to 7-3 and guaranteed his return to the ATP Top 10 rankings for the first time since May 2024.
For Auger-Aliassime, who entered the final as one of the most in-form players of 2025 with titles in Adelaide and Montpellier, it was a frustrating evening. Despite creating more break opportunities than his opponent (seven compared to six), he failed to capitalize on any of them. His usually reliable serve also faltered under pressure, with only four aces compared to Tsitsipas’ eight.
The Tennessee Titans are set to host some star-studded names in Nashville this week following the end of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Per reports from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Titans are hosting Penn State Nittany Lions edge rusher Abdul Carter for a visit. Tennessee appears to have its sights set on three candidates for the No. 1 overall pick, if of course the team decides to keep it.
The announcement came shortly after Schultz reported that the Titans would also be hosting quarterbacks Cam Ward (Miami Hurricanes) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado Buffaloes) for visits this week.
It will be interesting to see if the Titans also visit with Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter. Many scouts feel the Heisman Trophy winner is the best overall player in the draft and should therefore be the No. 1 overall pick.
However, Carter has made his case for being the top selection. Sure, he’s currently dealing with a foot injury, but there doesn’t appear to be any reason for concern. In three seasons at Penn State, Carter had 173 total tackles (105 solo), 23 sacks, five forced fumbles, 13 pass breakups and one interception.
