AFTV News

Are Arsenal favourites against Liverpool in the EFL Cup? By Paul Martin Last week’s goalless draw in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield showed battling qualities which have been sorely lacking at Arsenal for the best part of the last two decades. It was as welcome as it was surprising – though Granit Xhaka’s sending off ensured there was some semblance of normality – and gives Mikel Arteta’s side a fine chance of reaching their first Carabao Cup final since 2018. With home advantage, are the Gunners favourites ahead of Thursday’s second leg? Yes With two of Liverpool’s superb usual front three at the Africa Cup of Nations, Arsenal could not ask for a better time to take on Jurgen Klopp’s men in a knockout tie. The Reds dearly missed Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in last week’s first leg – it’s hard to imagine the Gunners holding out for a goalless draw had both been on the field. Klopp’s side got their mojo back in front of goal during Sunday’s 3-0 win over Brentford but th...

Arsenal v Wimbledon Carabao Cup review By Oscar Maung-Haley Following Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 win the the third round of the Carabao Cup over AFC Wimbledon, we take a look at the talking points from last night's action. ANOTHER clean sheet Don’t look now, but Arsenal have now kept clean sheets in THREE consecutive games following the Gunners’ dismal 5-0 loss at the hands of Manchester City. Granted, they came against Norwich, Burnley and AFC Wimbledon but ultimately you can only beat what’s in front of you. Arsenal’s last three games were all games they should have won – which they have done with relative ease. And after their 5-0 drubbing against Pep Guardiola’s side, there’s a lot to be said about going back to basics and searching for some form of stability. The reality is, Arsenal’s first choice XI, on paper, is very talented. For various reasons, they’ve not been able to field it consistently just yet. If the defence can continue to gel, then Arsenal should climb the Premier...

What did we learn from Arsenal v West Brom By Oscar Maung-Haley Arsenal’s 6-0 Carabao Cup win over West Brom was an impressive one. Here’s what we learned… Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looked pretty sharp… Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got his 2021/22 campaign off to a flyer with a hat-trick against West Brom. While his first and second goals were fairly routine finishes, the third was vintage Aubameyang. Cutting in from the left hand side, Aubameyang rifled a shot into the far right corner of the net past Alex Palmer in front of a bunch of delirious Arsenal fans. It was a timely reminder the Gabon forward is still probably Arsenal’s best player on his day. An in-form Aubameyang gives the Gunners a completely different look in attack. Additionally, it’s also important to remember that Aubameyang has recently battled both Malaria and COVID-19 which would knock the stuffing out anyone. If Arsenal are to achieve any form of success this season, they will need Aubameyang to be in tip top conditio...

Carabao Cup Preview: Arsenal v West Brom By Jonny Bray Arsenal will get this year's bid to win a domestic cup underway tomorrow against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns in the Carabao Cup. The Baggies are adapting to life in the Championship after being relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.   However, the Gunners can expect very opposition to the side that lost 3-1 to Mikel Arteta's team at The Emirates back in May.   Arsenal need some momentum after a difficult start to the season in the league, and a solid opening to this year's Carabao Cup campaign could be vital to getting things back on track.     What can Arsenal expect from West Brom?     West Brom are enjoying an extraordinarily exciting start to life back in the Sky Bet Championship.   They currently sit in joint second alongside a resurgent Stoke City and a Fulham side that has been talked about as one of the best Championship sides in recent me...

Five potential replacements for Runar Alex Runarsson By Peter White Runar Alex Runarsson may have only joined Arsenal in September and so-far made just five first-team appearances, but it already appears that boss Mikel Arteta and his staff are on the prowl for the Icelandic’s replacement.  Having eased into north London life as part of four comfortable Europa League wins, the 25-year-old was thrust firmly back to earth after making a catalogue of mistakes in December’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.  Such a performance at the height of Arsenal’s tricky run earlier in the campaign saw Runarsson delete his Twitter account in the wake of a torrent of abuse, and it seems Arteta is now willing to let him go out on loan to regain some much-needed confidence.  Having signed Runarsson as a replacement for current Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez, and let third-choice Matt Macey join Hibernian already this month, Arteta recently admitted there ...

Have we already seen enough of Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson in an Arsenal shirt?  By Peter White Following Arsenal’s undeniably tricky start to the 2020/21 campaign, further cause for criticism in the fallout of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester City was the last thing that anyone at the club would have wanted. Victory over the defending champions and a place in the competition’s last four might have gone some way to relieving the tension surrounding the Gunners, yet a woeful performance by understudy goalkeeper Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson in a 4-1 defeat did little more than add fuel to an already raging fire. The 25-year-old may be a relatively established Iceland international, but having arrived with big shoes to fill as the replacement for FA Cup and Community Shield hero Emiliano Martínez, it appears the Emirates stage may be a level too high for him. Comfortable Europa League wins over Molde, Rapid Vienna and Dundalk twice had provided Rúnarsson with a steady introduct...

Martinelli impresses but where is Saliba? What we learned from Arsenal 1-4 Man City  By Paul Martin Any hopes Mikel Arteta had of using a cup run to paper over league cracks were comprehensively dashed last night as Manchester City became the latest side to stroll to victory at The Emirates. To their credit, Arsenal showed character to equalise after going behind but a howler from Alex Runarsson early in the second half proved a turning point and the visitors were in cruise control for the remainder of the contest. The Gunners remain without a domestic win since November 1 and in truth that run showed little sign of ending last night. As we reflect on yet another defeat, here are three things we learned from the Carabao Cup quarter-final… Goalkeeping back-up a priority From the moment Alex Runarsson was caught in no man's land for Manchester City's early opener, it was a shaky night for the Icelandic stopper. He made a decent save to deny Gabriel Jesus later in the half but tha...

The fight for the final four: What to expect when Arsenal face Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup  By Adam Le Roux You’ll have to put the wrapping on hold on Tuesday night, as Arsenal host Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at the Emirates in their last match before Christmas.  There can’t be too many Arsenal fans expecting much from the visit of Pep Guardiola’s side, with the Citizens the last team you want to be facing when you’re on a run similar to the Gunners’ of late.  It is now just one win in ten Premier League matches for Mikel Arteta’s side after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Everton, and things are looking gloomier by the day as results look no more likely to turn around soon.  But some time away from the domestic game could be exactly what Arsenal need at the moment, with a winner-takes-all clash the sort of fixture that can release the shackles in the team, and not have the burden of the impending relegation battle above t...

Is Mikel Arteta fighting for his job in the Arsenal hotseat? Lose against Burnley on Sunday - and he definitely will be By Will Jennings Arsenal fans – it’s time to get real. It’s all well and good continuing to laud Mikel Arteta for his admirable footballing principles and cosy demeanour. We can continue to harp on about last season’s two – albeit one meaningless – trophies. We can continue to hail his laudable promotion of youth. But the facts remain clear – Arsenal are 15 th in the Premier League table after almost a third of the season. That alone is nothing short of an embarrassment. Gone are the glory days under George Graham and Arsene Wenger. Gone are the days duelling it out with the European elite on the continent’s top table. Gone are the days of travelling to English footballing heavyweights and putting up a consistent fight. The Gunners are in the mire – and it’s time to wake up and realise. Sunday’s clash with Burnley is massive. Sean Dyche’s strugglers lie in ...