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What will new signing and England defender Ben White bring to Arsenal this season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton      It is believed Arsenal have now agreed a fee for the club’s latest new arrival – Brighton defender Ben White. After several initial rebuffs from Albion, a deal believed to be in the region of £50million has now been agreed between the two parties. It would be a record spend by the club on a defender. The 23 year-old, from Poole, was part of England’s squad at the European Championships, only appearing on the pitch in the two warm-up friendlies. His impressive rise over the last two seasons has seen him become the number one defensive transfer target for Mikel Arteta and Edu this summer. But what will he actually bring to the team? Technical ability White is your classic modern, ball-playing centre-half, who is good enough technically to play in a possession-oriented tactical system. He has become one of the most sought-after defenders in the league, primarily b...

Does David Luiz's exit hint at a chance for William Saliba? By Josh Graham David Luiz will leave Arsenal at the end of the season when his contract expires and the 34-year-old's spot in the side could be filled by William Saliba who is set to return to North London from his loan spell at Nice. Gunners chiefs may not need to dip into the transfer market with a ready-made replacement in 20-year-old Saliba already on the books and impressing in Ligue 1. But Mikel Arteta refused to include the youngster in his plans at the start of this season, letting him cut his teeth in the Under-23s before he departed on loan in January, and may not be convinced he is ready to step up. Saliba should be given a shot Big things were expected of Saliba, he was awarded the No.4 shirt last summer and featured in several pre-season friendlies before being surprisingly axed from Arteta's 25-man squads. Saliba's talent has been clear to see across the channel and he was immediately named Nice...

Who should Mikel Arteta pick to face Villarreal tonight as the Gunners prepare for Europa League semi-final  By Adam Le Roux Decisions, decisions, decisions…. A football manager’s career will teeter on every single one he makes, and tonight’s clash with Villarreal will see Mikel Arteta having to make some of the biggest choices since he has been at the club. Arsenal head into the Europa League semi-final clash looking to reach the final of the competition for the second time in three years - having lost out to Chelsea back in 2019 - with the small matter of Unai Emery and his new charges standing in their way. There is nothing the former Gunners boss would love more than seeing off his old employers in the last four, so it is imperative that everyone knows their jobs and pulls together as a team in El Madrigal to give the visitors the edge heading into next week’s second leg. But who will Arteta pick to start tonight, and who will thrive when the going gets tough? Determination in ...

Dramatic draw at West Ham showed the best and worst of Arsenal in 90 minutes    Is there a more wildly frustrating team than Arsenal in this season's Premier League?  The trip across the capital to face West Ham was the latest journey on the rollercoaster. In the stadium that hosted the 2012 Olympics, the Gunners were sluggish out the traps but pulled off what amounted to a sprint finish as Alexandre Lacazette's late header secured a point.  From 3-0 down, it has to be considered a point gained rather than two dropped. But the contrast between the team that played the first 35 minutes and the remaining 55 was staggering.  Mikel Arteta admitted his side 'cannot have two faces' but both were on show on Sunday and consistency remains elusive for Arsenal this season.  The negatives - dodgy defending and Auba off the boil  Jamie Carragher wasn't wrong when he pointed out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's passionate celebration of Lacazette's leveller was about hi...

                                          The 3-1 victory over Olympiacos suggest Arsenal have exactly what it takes to secure Europa League success this season By Adam Le Roux Arsenal fans have been biding their time for a performance like the one against Olympiacos all season, but when it came along it was well worth the wait. Every single man stood up to be counted in Thursday night’s clash in Athens, with the 3-1 first-leg victory over the Greek side paving the way towards a place in the last eight of the Europa League. The intentions of the Gunners were obvious right from the first whistle at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, as they flew out the blocks and laid siege to their opponents’ goal. When the chances weren’t being converted there would have been plenty of Arsenal fans casting their minds back to Turf Moor on Saturday, when Mikel Arteta’s side were made to pay for a num...

                                                Arsenal's win over Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday is proof that we have to trust Mikel Arteta and his decisions By Adam Le Roux Six changes for Leicester. ‘That’s it,’ they said, ‘we’ve given up on the top four and the Premier League,’ they cried. How wrong they were. With no Martin Odegaard, no Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, no Bukayo Saka, you could have been forgiven for thinking that Arsenal would lack the dynamism that the troublesome trio produced in defeating Benfica on Thursday night, but that was far from the truth. For a squad that supposedly lacks depth, the Gunners showed it in spades on Sunday afternoon, with Mikel Arteta’s rotation of his squad working wonders as they outshone the Foxes on a glorious day at the King Power. After a last-gasp win such as that one in Athens, the Arsenal players would hav...

Who is Odilon Kossounou? The Club Brugge man linked with a move to the Emirates By Adam Le Roux As the Mikel Arteta revolution continues at the Emirates the Spaniard is constantly on the lookout for more recruits to bolster the Arsenal squad, and if you believe the daily rags the Gunners boss already has his eye on another defender to add to the ranks.  The Belgian Pro League is where you’ll find the latest talent that has been unearthed by the Arsenal scouting team, and that man’s name is Odilon Kossounou.  The 20-year-old has been hotly tipped to become one of the standout defenders in Europe in years to come, and rated at around £20m he could be considered something of a bargain in the current climate.  So what do we know about the young talent, and just why are there a number of clubs chasing his signature?  Odilon already has the pedigree He may have only turned 20 at the turn of the year, but Kossounou already has a wealth of experience to his name, with around...

                                                                                                                            David Luiz deserves a new contract at Arsenal, and here's why... By Adam Le Roux Yes he may be a liability, yes he may be a laughing stock, yes he may give us all heart palpitations every time he enters the pitch, but David Luiz should be offered a new contract. The Brazilian has been something of a mainstay in the 18 months since making the move across London to join Arsenal from Chelsea back in the summer of 2019, having played 63 times in all competitions for the Gunners in that time. And with the defender’s current deal set to expire at the end of the seaso...

Mid-season report card part two: Who has impressed and who has left us stressed for Arsenal in the Premier League this season? By Adam Le Roux Who’s impressed you this season for Arsenal? In a season that has been anything but routine there have been very few players that have stood out so far in the Premier League, with the Gunners languishing in 11th position ahead of the weekend’s action. Whether it is up front or at the back, there have been issues all over the field during the current campaign, with Mikel Arteta trying to steer the ship over the tumultuous seas. And with just 15 matches left to play to try and salvage something from the season, there will be a number of players worrying about their future at the club when the summer transfer window comes about, having underperformed for much of 2020/21. So, following on from yesterday’s offerings, we take a look at seven more stars and judge their season so far. David Luiz: D You can try as hard as you like, but it’s becoming inc...

A year of Arteta: What has changed since the Spaniard took over at the Emirates? By Adam Le Roux  December 20 2019 was meant to be a turning point for Arsenal Football Club, the day that their recent miseries were meant to be forgotten, and they became a force in the Premier League once again.  Of course, that was the day that Mikel Arteta finally put pen to paper to become the new manager at the Emirates, as the former Gunner returned to the club after being prized away from Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s right-hand man.  And despite not having any managerial experience to speak of, Arsenal fans punched the air in delight, as Guardiola 2.0 was appointed. He was the Messiah, the man to turn around the debacle that had swarmed across the side with Unai Emery in charge.  But 368 days later, the general consensus seems to be one that is polar-opposite to the days leading up to Christmas last year, with the Spaniard failing to turn around the Gunners’ fortunes, with ...