AFTV News

Saliba, White or Gabriel?  By James Reid  It has been a summer of change so far at the Emirates, with four new names already arriving at the Emirates. In Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, and Marquinhos, Mikel Arteta has sought to strengthen his offensive options as the Gunners chase the Champions League spot that eluded them last season. However, questions still remain over the Spaniard’s defensive options. Back-up for Kieran Tierney is likely required, while the right-back slot is still wide open with the possible departures of Hector Bellerin and Cedric. A big question lies, too, at the heart of Arsenal’s defence, with no first-choice centre-back pairing yet to emerge. With William Saliba, Ben White, and Gabriel, Arteta now has a big decision to make – so who should he pick to lead the Gunners’ defence?  Ben White  Arsenal’s most expensive defensive signing, Ben White, had a difficult start to life at the Emirates but soon showed exactly why he cost £50m as the season ...

Who should start in defence for Arsenal next season? By Alec McQuarrie Mikel Arteta has looked to bolster his attacking options this summer and well he should. The Gunners were desperately light up top and with Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Marquinhos arriving at the Emirates already, fans can expect fireworks if everything clicks. But everyone will tell you that defences win titles, and it is no surprise that both Liverpool (26) and Manchester City (26) conceded almost half the number Arsenal did (48). Added to that, fullbacks like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joao Cancelo and Andy Robertson are supreme attacking threats, setting the bar high for the chasing pack. With that in mind, how should Arsenal’s back four line up next month and beyond? Centre Back There is little doubt over who should occupy the two centre back berths next season. While admittedly not quite perfect, Gabriel and Ben White are two of the first names on the team sheet, with Gabriel playing the most minutes of any Ar...

Player Profile: Zach Awe By Oliver Gafsen The eagle-eyed viewer would have noticed 18-year-old Zach Awe replacing Takehiro Tomiyasu on the bench in Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Molineux earlier this month. An academy player breaking into the seniors barely a year after putting pen to his first professional contract speaks to how big an impact Awe has made at Hale End. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have already demonstrated the class of our graduates in recent years, so here's everything you need to know about Arsenal's next wonderkid. Background The Young Gun was born to Nigerian parents in Greenwich in 2004 – mid-way through our invincibles season. If that doesn't make you feel like one of the old-timers, nothing will. Palace spotted his promise and snatched him from his Sunday league team, but Awe said: "when Arsenal came calling a year later, it was an opportunity we just couldn't turn down." So clearly, the youngster is a big Arsenal fan who feels a gen...

Arsenal v West Ham By Jonny Bray After getting the season back on track with a 3-0 win against Southampton, Arsenal are preparing to clash with West Ham United this week.  David Moyes and his side have been one of the most impressive teams in the Premier League this year, and Gunners fans can be sure they’ll provide stiff opposition on Wednesday.  The Hammers currently sit fourth after an excellent start to the season but the Gunners will leapfrog their fellow Londoners in the table if they triumph on Wednesday.  While Moyes and his team have enjoyed an outstanding campaign, they’re not in the best form, and that could prove ideal for Arsenal.  Mikel Arteta and his side avoided suffering three consecutive defeats with victory against the Saints, and this is an excellent opportunity for the Spaniard to get a big win under his belt.  What can we expect from Arsenal?  It felt like the win against Southampton last weekend was absolutely crucial to the season....

Ben White has been crucial for Arsenal so far this season What is Arsenal's best centre-back partnership going forward? After multiple summer signings, Mikel Arteta has shaken up his Arsenal starting 11 on a few occasions this season. Though he seems to have settled on his attack and midfield, the defence is one area that hasn’t quite been sorted out yet. Aaron Ramsdale has sealed the spot as the club’s number one, but there is still debate about who sits in front of him. There were rumours that Arteta would employ a back three after defensive woes earlier in the season, but stronger performances have put that to bed for now. Tomorrow’s match against Crystal Palace is likely to be a further indicator of the rest of the season, and one person who people will want to see more of is Ben White. White arrived at the club this summer, and fans had high expectations after signing for £50m. The 24-year-old did not look too convincing in his first league start against Brentford and then suf...

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is back to his best after a difficult 12 months How has Arteta turned things around? At the end of August, many Arsenal fans were calling for Mikel Arteta's head. The Spaniard had overseen a disastrous start to the 2021/22 campaign, suffering three consecutive defeats, though two came against Premier League champions Manchester City and European champions Chelsea. One month later, it's all change at the Emirates, with the Gunners finally resembling a cohesive unit both in attack and defence. Sunday's 3-1 win against Spurs came after two hard-fought 1-0 victories over Burnley and Norwich. While the first two may not have been the most glamorous of results, they were needed and have got the season back on track heading into October. It's been quite the turnaround, and though we shouldn't get carried away due to the number of false dawns we've seen over the last decade, it is good to see Arsenal back performing well. Here's what Arteta...

Should Arsenal sign England and Atletico Madrid star Kieran Trippier? By Jonny Bray In the past week, reports have begun emerging that suggest Arsenal might beat Manchester United to the signature of Atletico Madrid right-back Kieran Trippier. Traditionally, his transfer to Arsenal would be interpreted as sacrilege. When he left Tottenham in 2019, even his biggest fan would struggle not to give him the dreaded title of  'reject'. He scored just one goal and made no assists in a poor season in North London despite having a great deal of momentum coming out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, he has shown incredible character to revitalise his career in the Spanish capital, where he's become the first choice in his position and won the La Liga title on the final day of last season. He's been touted as a potential option for Manchester United, who are believed to be hunting for a more attacking alternative to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. However, with Hector Bellerin reportedl...

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...

Bukayo Saka, 19 How Bukayo Saka showed the country what Arsenal fans already knew  By Jonny Bray   The reaction across the country to Bukayo Saka’s inclusion in the starting line-up against the Czech Republic last week bordered on being disrespectful.     Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden, and Raheem Sterling are all outstanding attacking players, but the response completely disregarded Saka’s obvious talents.  Since then, Saka, 19, has been England’s stand-out player for two consecutive games, starring against the Czech Republic before carrying England through a dark period at the start of the first half against Germany.     This begs two questions.     Why was the country so quick to dismiss Saka’s obvious talents prior to his last two performances and what did he do to change these opinions so quickly?     It’s been clear to anyone who watched Arsenal last season that he’s taken the outstanding form that saw him become a ke...