AFTV News

Everything you need to know about the upcoming Mind Series By Oscar Maung-Haley Arsenal are putting their fierce local rivalries with Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to one side, as the three clubs come together as part of ‘The Mind Series’, in aid of mental health charity Mind. The Mind Series will see the London-based sides take on one another in a series of pre-season friendlies, with Arsenal and Chelsea kicking off proceedings on Sunday (August 1) at the Emirates. Arsenal Women are first up, taking on Chelsea Women (KO 12:15pm) before the men’s team face off against the European champions at 3pm. Chelsea and Spurs will play the second game of the series on August 4, with the set of friendlies concluding with a pre-season North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham four days later. Mental health awareness is something that everyone at one point in their life has to deal with and often people don’t always know how to handle such a tough issue. Mind are a charity dedicated to h...

Tammy Abraham, 24, playing for Chelsea Does Tammy Abraham offer something different? On the surface, Tammy Abraham to Arsenal seems like a bizarre transfer for the club to make.   Firstly, he’s a Chelsea player, surely Arsenal have learnt not to buy Chelsea’s dead wood after the fiasco of our last two transfers from the blue side of London.   Secondly, striker is the only position on the pitch where Arsenal don’t need investment.   Despite Pierre Emerick Aubameyang having his worst season in an Arsenal shirt in 2020/21, the Gunners still have an inform Alexandre Lacazette, the impressive Gabriel Martinelli, and the hard-working Eddie Nketiah to choose from.   Finally, Abraham can’t be expected to provide good value for money considering Chelsea have a record of maximising the sell on value of their fringe players.   Despite all of this, the England international has been linked with a move to Arsenal, Aston Villa, or West Ham this summer after first team opportu...

Emile Smith Rowe, 21, playing for Arsenal against Millwall  How Emile Smith Rowe became Arsenal’s No. 10 Very few people expected Emile Smith Rowe to become such an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s plans so quickly when he first broke into Arsena’s first team.   Smith Rowe has, at points, had to play second fiddle to Bukayo Saka. Saka burst on the scene and immediately became one of, if not the, star players for Arsenal, while Smith Rowe took more time to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.   Many had forgotten about the young academy graduate, assuming Arsenal couldn’t be so lucky as to find two gems in their academy within a couple of years.   However, last season Smith Rowe proved that he has the quality needed to play for Arsenal, and then this summer he proved he has the temperament as well when he turned down a move to Aston Villa in exchange for a new Gunners contract.   That contract came hand in hand with the heralded No.10 jersey, previously...

Mika Biereth, 18, playing for Fulham Under-18s Mika Biereth: Player Profile By Jonny Bray If reputable sources such as The Daily Mirror and The Athletic are to be believed, then Arsenal are on the verge of signing one of England’s stand out youth prospects in the coming days.  Mika Biereth scored 21 goals in 22 appearances for Fulham’s Under-18’s last season, as his side retained their Premier League South title before narrowly missing out on qualification for the Under-19 UEFA Youth League.  He has reportedly turned down a new contract at Fulham and is eager to ply his trade elsewhere this coming season.  Defeat at the hands of Manchester City kept Fulham out of Europe, however, Biereth certainly caught the eye as he took part in an astounding season for the young Cottagers.  Fulham would be sad to see the youngster go, but their loss could be Arsenal’s gain.  The 18-year-old forward has good reason to want to move to Arsenal now.  The Emirates has proven ...

Would signing Aaron Ramsdale be a mistake? By Jonny Bray Aaron Ramsdale has been linked with a move to Arsenal since the end of this summer’s European Championships. Despite not being England’s first, or even second choice, Sheffield United’s number one could be on the verge of one of the shock moves of the transfer window. Sky Sports are going as far as to report that the Gunners are about to make a third bid worth around £18 million plus add-ons. But is Ramsdale worth signing? Some Arsenal fans have been shocked about the transfer fee being discussed and are worried that it suggests Ramsdale could be brought in, not as back up for Bernd Leno, but as Mikel Arteta’s first choice. While Ramsdale has proven he is a competent operator this summer, many will point to his performances for Sheffield United last season and say that he is not up to the standard that Arsenal need to be hitting if they’re to compete this year. Others have pointed to the plethora of impressive young goalkeeping t...

Shkodran Mustafi, 29, playing for Arsenal against Manchester City Arsenal’s worst ever transfers By Jonny Bray There was a time when Arsenal’s recruitment team was among the most respected in Europe.   From Wright to Fabregas, some truly magnificent players have signed for the Gunners during the club’s history, however, the club have also had their fair share of shockers.   It feels like those shockers have become increasingly common over the last 15 years, but they are by no means exclusive to recent times.   All that’s really changed is how much these failed transfer have ended up costing the club.   Lists like this have been made before and have often been unfair on players who have signed for the club in the last 15 years.   Marouane Chamakh, for example, is a common inclusion in lists of this ilk despite being a free transfer with a relatively average record of eight league goals in 40 appearances across three years.   He didn’t set the world alight bu...

Did Joe Willock play his way into Arsenal’s starting XI against Rangers? By Josh Graham Arsenal fans got a glimpse of Joe Willock back in the famous red shirt last week after his loan spell at Newcastle United. The 21-year-old was a second-half substitute in the 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against Rangers, but did he show enough to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s starting XI? Yes - Willock is ready to be an Arsenal regular You couldn’t help but be impressed with Willock’s impact at Steve Bruce’s Newcastle last term. The youngster went on a remarkable scoring spree by netting in seven consecutive Premier League games for the Magpies, only the second person to do so after Toon legend Alan Shearer. And he appears to have not lost any of his sparkling form, as fans and onlookers remarked on his impressive substitute appearance against Steven Gerrard’s men. Arsenal had to twice come from behind to avoid defeat and Willock did well in a slightly different role. The Englishman played in a ...

  Should Arsenal sign Italy midfielder and Euro 2020 star Manuel Locatelli? By Josh Graham Every major international tournament brings a host of new stars to the global footballing world’s attention, and Euro 2020 was no different. One of the Italy players who crushed English dreams in the final was central midfielder Manuel Locatelli. Reports suggest the Gunners have already submitted a bid for the Sassuolo star, but should Mikel Arteta push hard to land his man? Yes - Locatelli could be missing jigsaw piece It is no surprise that those in the charge of recruitment at the Emirates continue to pursue a central midfielder to bolster their options in the middle of the park.  Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard have both returned to Real Madrid after loan spells and Granit Xhaka  is reportedly close to signing for AS Roma to link up with Jose Mourinho. Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi are another pair returning from loans away who do not look to have a long-term future in N...

  Five academy prospects who could make an impact this season By Josh Graham It’s not always headline-grabbing big name summer signings that go on to deliver the goods for Arsenal on the pitch the following season. Often it is the unsung and relatively unknown youngsters that complete their journey from academy hotshots to genuine Premier League superstars. But who out of the current crop of Gunners starlets can make an impression in Mikel Arteta’s first team during this campaign? Folarin Balogun Striker Folarin Balogun is set to hit the ground running after being promoted to Arteta’s senior side ahead of the 2021/22 season. For months it looked like the 20-year-old would leave the Emirates before finally putting pen to paper on a bumper four-year deal in April.  The highly promising striker has been at the club since he was nine and made his first senior appearances last season, scoring twice in six games. The England youth international appears to have what it takes to make ...