AFTV News

Preview: Arsenal v Leicester By Tum Balogun  Mikel Arteta’s men have energised even the most lethargic Gunners fans by following up their stellar summer shopping spree with a confident opening day performance against Crystal Palace in South London. With many tipping the side for a top-four spot - and a few even dreaming of a title jaunt - Arsenal gear up for gameweek two at home to Leicester City on Saturday knowing, better than perhaps any other side, how dramatically things can change. The Foxes on the other hand, travel to the Emirates as a mirror image of the North Londoners.  A summer window punctuated by speculation of high-profile departures, zero incomings and an opening fixture stalemate against Brentford which felt like a defeat having led by two goals to nil.  Let’s take a closer look at what to expect to see from tomorrow afternoon’s match-up. Line-ups Arteta opted for a 4-3-3 in last weekend’s London derby, awarding starts to summer arrival’s Oleksandr Zinche...

What have we learnt from the first three episodes of All or Nothing By Matt Wright It’s finally dropped. We’ve known for a year that Arsenal were to be the latest subject of the glitzy All or Nothing series for Amazon Prime and now we’ve finally seen the results.   Depending on how much you enjoy their brand of behind-the-scenes (albeit the scenes their subject wants you to see) documentaries, you’ve either been anticipating or dreading the release.   Now the first three episodes are with us – the rest are being released on August 11 and 18 – here is what we have learnt so far…   The elephant in the room   OK, let’s address the sneak peak that went viral, particularly among opposition fans, this week: Mikel Arteta having speakers at the training ground playing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ in the build-up to Arsenal heading to Liverpool in an attempt to prepare his players for the (often overrated) Anfield atmosphere.   It’s certainly an unorthodox approach. It’s ...

What is Jack Wilshere's new role at Arsenal ? By Tum Balogun  Jack Wilshere announced his retirement last week after struggling to find a team amidst continuing injury troubles.  The 30-year-old former academy graduate, who went on to make 197 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2018, was quickly installed in a surprise role at his former club.  A continental-style midfielder, Wilshere won two FA Cups with his boyhood team before injuries took a decisive toll on his promising career.  However, on Monday it was revealed that he would be taking up his first coaching gig, head coach of Arsenal’s U18s. The Londoner has already had a flavour for coaching youngsters, having spent some time last season at London Colney working with some of the club’s young players.  It’s an experience which fuelled the England man’s desire to take a step into management.   “It's a huge honour to have this role, “ he told Arsenal's website upon being announced in his new role...

Transfer profile: Fabio Vieira By Ben Hart   Vieira, whoah. Vieira whoah. Arsenal fans could soon have the chance to belt out one of their favourite songs once more.   Seemingly out of nowhere, Arsenal are set to sign Porto’s Fabio Vieira. The Portuguese club confirmed the sale on Friday and his official unveiling should soon follow.   That could coincide with the release of Arsenal’s second or third kit, neither of which have been officially released yet.   Here we take a look at the type of player Arsenal are acquiring and where he could fit into Mikel Arteta’s side.     Player history   Born in the city of Santa Maria de Faria, located 23km south of Porto, Vieira was always destined to play for the club he grew up supporting.   He joined the Porto academy at the age of eight and his stand-out season at youth level came in the 2018-19 UEFA Youth League.   Porto beat a Chelsea side containing Marc Guehi, Tariq Lamptey, Billy Gimour and Conor...

Arsenal's fixtures assessed: A brutal October and another tough run-in?  Alec McQuarrie The new season starts now.  With the Premier League fixtures released on Thursday, fans can start envisioning tricky away days in the depths of winter, nerve-wracking North London derby weekends, and the balmy afternoons in the April/May run-in.  So where is the season going to be won and lost? What are the dates not to book holidays for? What’s the easiest run of games on paper?  Hardest month: October  Not only is October Arsenal’s hardest month theoretically, it’s also the month with the most matches.  With three Europa League group stage matches interwoven with six league matches, the Gunners face the prospect of nine games in just 29 days.  And if playing Thursday-Sunday week-in-week-out wasn’t bad enough, Spurs’ visit to the Emirates is the first cab off the rank after the September international break.  Two Europa League commitments sandwich hosting Live...

                                        Is Bukayo Saka England's best young player? By Jonny Bray In a short amount of time, Bukayo Saka has cemented his place as one of England's star players. Many neutrals believe he should be starting ahead of Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, and he has shown that he can deliver both at club level and on the international stage. He already has 17 England caps at the tender age of 20 and will surely become a legend for the Three Lions. However, during a new 'golden generation of young English talent, is he England's best young player? Bukayo Saka After breaking into the Arsenal side, Saka showed his class during last summer's European Championships. He was England's best player at the tournament and was a big reason why the Three Lions were able to reach the final. His versatility is unreal, playing in several positions across the pitch since making ...

Season Review: End of Season Awards By Jack Lacey-Hatton With the Champions League final and Championship play-off final rounding off the European club season this weekend, it won’t be long before attentions turn to 2022-23. Some supporters will see the last twelve months as a positive step forward for Arsenal and manager  Mikel Arteta, while others will be keen to move on after a missing out on the top four right at the end of the season, to fiercest rivals Tottenham. But before we start assessing summer transfer rumours and counting down the days till the next fixtures are revealed, 18 by the way, first we need to handout the Arsenal FanTV unofficial end of season awards. Ahead of the club's official Player of the Season award to be announced next week, here are our own picks after a rollercoaster season at the Emirates.   Player of the Season Bukayo Saka Sometimes you have to remind yourself where Arsenal would be without Bukayo Saka. The 20-year-old has once again ...

Did the first month of the season cost Arsenal Champions League football? By Tom Masters With the Premier League season done and dusted last Sunday, it is time to reflect on what ultimately proved to be a slightly disappointing season for Arsenal.  Missing out on Champions League football to rivals Tottenham, after losing to their fiercest rivals and to Newcastle United towards the end of the season, left a bittersweet taste in the mouth. But was it perhaps form earlier on in the season that cost the Arsenal a place among Europe’s elite?  There is a saying in the game that the first month of the season is not going to win you the title but it absolutely can lose you the title, and this can also apply to the Gunners quest for a return to Europe’s premier competition for the first time in five years.  So the question is, did the first month of the season cost Arsenal Champions League football?    What happened?     On Friday 13 August 2021, the new ...

Has Bukayo Saka proven he is England’s best winger this season ? By James Reid It is easy to forget that Bukayo Saka is just 20 years old, such is the meteoric rise of the young forward.   Saka is already approaching 100 Premier League appearances and has 14 caps for England, including becoming a pivotal part of the Three Lions’ run to the final of Euro 2020.  But where does Arsenal’s  No.7  rank amongst Gareth Southgate’s other wide options, six months from the World Cup in Qatar?  Healthy competition  For what feels like the first time in a long time, England finally have a plethora of options in wide attacking areas. Long gone are the days of central midfielders and strikers being pushed out wide, meaning Saka has plenty of competition for one of the starting berths.  Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden   and Marcus Rashford all took up wide positions in Euro 2020 with clubmate Emile Smith Rowe recently called into the squa...