SETTABLOID

Arsenal will be hoping that their warm-weather training trip to Dubai has had a similar effect as it did in the previous season. The Gunners went on to win all but two of their remaining league games, sadly missing out on the title to Manchester City by just two points.

They have a much kinder run of fixtures to close out the current season, but the gap to Liverpool is greater and could yet widen further should the Reds beat their Merseyside rivals in their game in hand over the Gunners. Arsenal are coming off the back of mixed results themselves.

A defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao Cup should not take away from just how impressive the win over Manchester City, where Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri notched in a 5-1 victory, was. Looking ahead to the return of Premier League football, Leicester City are just two points off Wolves and safety and are desperate for points.

Mikel Arteta will need to get his team spot on if he is to navigate something of a trap fixture. Arsenal then have yet another week of rest before they host West Ham United at the Emirates Stadium.

David Raya will naturally continue in goal as the rumours persist linking Joan Garcia with a move in the summer.

Ben White has been back in training with the side, and there are hopes he could indeed make the squad for the trip to the King Power Stadium. It would, however, be far too soon to just throw him into the line-up and therefore, Jurrien Timber keeps his place.

After a fantastic season so far, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri have been handed big upgrades in EA FC 25 – but it’s not good news for a huge chunk of the Arsenal squad.

With Arsenal currently second in the Premier League and performing strongly in the Champions League, you’d think that EA Sports would be a bit generous when it comes to the Arsenal player ratings in the latest update. But, it’s actually the opposite, with seven Arsenal players being handed downgrades in the latest EA FC 25 squad update.

A handful of attacking and defensive injuries has seen youngsters Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri handed regular game time in recent months, and their impressive performances have been noticed, with EA handing the duo big upgrades. But, elsewhere, the likes of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Jorginho have all been downgraded based on EA’s judgement of their recent performances.

Let’s start with the positives. Lewis-Skelly has been given a whopping +4 increase to his overall rating in EA FC 25, with the 18-year-old jumping from 62 to 66 overall. An increase this large is rare, and expect a few more to come his way in the next few months.

18 of Lewis-Skelly’s stats have also been upgraded, with some noticeable changes being made to his Balance (66 to 81), Jumping (60 to 73), Strength (59 to 61) and Composure (59 to 70). He’s also had his primary position change from central midfield to left back, while he’s gained the Press Proven Playstyle and also had his height corrected.

Nwaneri has been given a +3 upgrade to his overall rating, jumping from 68 to 71 overall. The 17-year-old has had 17 of his stats also improved, including his Sprint Speed (72 to 81), Stamina (52 to 61), and Balance (79 to 83). Like Lewis-Skelly, his primary position has been changed from central attacking midfielder to right winger, while he’s gained the Technical PlayStyle thanks to his impressive dribbling.

Arsenal’s focus has shifted from transfers back to football with the close of the UK market last week, though already Mikel Arteta is feeling the weight of the club’s decisions.

First it was a problem picked up by Gabriel Martinelli against Newcastle United one week ago, now rumour has begun to spread over fears of Kai Havertz adding to the injury woes away on the warm weather training camp in Dubai.

The question could also extend to outgoings, with Arteta having to balance options in other areas of his squad that may not necessarily see the minutes they feel are deserve between now and the season’s end.

Referee appointments for the upcoming weekend’s Premier League matches have been confirmed, with some controversy surrounding the appointment for Arsenal’s clash against Leicester City.

The Gunners travel to the King Power Stadium for Saturday’s early (12.30pm) kick-off. Arsenal have spent the last week on a warm weather training camp in Dubai, meanwhile Leicester were in FA Cup action on Friday night, exiting the competition thanks to a controversial late Manchester United winner.

Amid frustrations over officials, Leicester may not be too happy with confirmation that Sam Barrott will take charge of the clash against Arsenal. The referee was in charge of the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium back in September.

Arsenal eventually came out as 4-2 winners after being pegged back from 2-0 up at half time. But after the game, former Leicester boss Steve Cooper was unhappy with the call to award a free kick in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal and not to show Riccardo Calafiori a second yellow card.

Barrott has taken charge of an Arsenal game since, with the referee overseeing the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Manchester United in December. Arsenal do have a 100 percent win record over the four games he has taken charge of.

Declan Rice has revealed the nickname that his Arsenal teammates have given him – and how he left the squad stunned during training.

The Gunners star has been a key member of Mikel Arteta’s squad since the midfielder’s arrival from West Ham in the summer of 2023. Rice has made 33 appearances for Arsenal this term, missing just two matches from separate injuries across the campaign.

Arteta has regularly been able to rely on Rice’s availability this season, with the England international starting 20 Premier League matches. In fact, Rice has been available for all but one top-flight fixture this term, with his only absence from the matchday squad coming due to suspension back in September.

The next three months of the season will see Arsenal challenge for the Premier League title and compete in the Champions League knockout stages. Rice is likely to be a regular starter in the team for the run-in, and has explained how his teammates have given him a nickname to reflect his availability and fitness.

This weekend sees Arsenal return to Premier League action, after a rare weekend free of action. The Gunners’ exit from the FA Cup at the third round stage meant that the squad have had extra time to work with Mikel Arteta.

The Arsenal boss has taken advantage of the extra time and took his squad off for a warm weather training camp in Dubai. There, they will be preparing for the trip to take on Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).

The camp has seen a couple of players return to fitness. Defender Ben White has returned to training with his teammates after undergoing surgery on a knee injury back in November.

Bukayo Saka is also part of the travelling squad to Dubai as he steps up his recovery from a hamstring injury. The winger is expected to be back in March.

That would be a welcome boost for Arteta and his side, given the title race with Liverpool. The Gunners currently sit six points behind their rivals, but with a lot of games still left to play, they have hope of closing that gap. Here’s some big fixtures that will have a say on if that’s possible or not.

Real Madrid have surged into the race for Real Sociedad star once again despite Arsenal pushing to reach a pre-agreement with the midfielder.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side are looking to add to their world-class squad in the summer as they look to reestablish themselves as the dominant force in world football.

Madrid have recently brought in Kylian Mbappe, giving him one of football’s biggest wage packets, but that will not stop them from investing more in the team.

Los Blancos are now looking to bring in midfield reinforcements and sources state that they could ‘hijack’ Arsenal’s pursuit of Sociedad star Zubimendi.

Liverpool attempted to sign the Spaniard last summer but he chose to stay with Sociedad for another season. Sources state however that he if finally set to be on the move this time around.

Arsenal have also tried previously to bring Zubimendi to London with no avail but are making strong progress on securing a deal that will see him join at the end of the campgin.

However, we understand that Madrid have made advances in Zubimendi’s direction and are trying to convince the 26-year-old to join them instead.

The Gunners have been working tirelessly to convince Zubimendi that they are the right move for him. Mikel Arteta has made it clear to the club’s board that he wants him, too.

Zubimendi has a release clause in his current contract worth €60million (£51m, $62m) which Arsenal are ready to pay. The decision will come down to the player, however, if Madrid match the clause too.