It’s been a tough month or so for Arsenal on and off the pitch. They’ve won just two of their last six games in all competitions, with those victories coming against Shakhtar Donetsk and Preston in the Champions League and Carabao Cup respectively, and defeats against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Inter.
And behind the scenes, sporting director Edu has resigned, with the former Gunners midfielder expected to take up a job with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis to run his football operations. It’s a bitter blow for Arsenal at a time when results have gone awry.
Mikel Arteta has struggled with injuries to his squad this season, with captain Martin Odegaard the biggest issue with an ankle injury that has kept him out of action for two months. Elsewhere, the squad looks like they could really do with some fresh impetus in attack, having missed out on a true No.9 in the summer.