AFTV News

By Tum Balogun  The run continues and with every passing victory the dream of not just Champions League football, but a title push starts to feel more real.  Next on the chopping block is the ever-improving Manchester United who have rebounded from their Brentford nadir and secured three  wins on the bounce.  There is a surprisingly long list of players who have featured for both clubs, in recent history, the likes of Robin Van Persie, Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have called both the Emirates and Old Trafford home. So ahead of this afternoon’s storied match-up let’s look at four United players who should accompany the Gunners   and all three points  on the team bus back down south.  Jadon Sancho  One of United’s marquee signings last summer, Sancho suffered from the same malaise that has befallen pretty much all Old Trafford arrivals since Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013.   Now with Erik Ten Hag at the wheel, t...

Arsenal’s best and worst moments of the season  By James Reid The 2021/22 season has been a real rollercoaster for Arsenal, with plenty of highs and lows.  A disastrous start was turned around by Mikel Arteta’s youthful side and it looked like a top-four finish was on the cards despite a difficult January and April.  However, crushing defeats to Spurs and Newcastle put a return to the Champions League out of sight for another season.   With the dust beginning to settle on the season, we took a look at some of the best and worst moments.  Best: Chelsea 2 - 4 Arsenal The Gunners came into this game off the back of three defeats to Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Southampton.  The results, and the manner of the losses, looked to have derailed Arsenal’s push for the top four as what should have been nine points turned into zero.  Mikel Arteta’s men arrived at Stamford Bridge knowing that nothing but a win would do, never an easy feat away at Chelsea.  B...

How has Arsenal v Manchester United changed the race for fourth? By Alec McQuarrie It’s been a dream week for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. The Gunners bounced back from three straight defeats – only once in Arteta’s reign had Arsenal previously lost three league games on the bounce – with vital wins over top four rivals Chelsea and Manchester United. Both will almost certainly prove decisive come the end of the season, but what does the 3-1 victory actually mean for the race for fourth? United out of the race? Firstly, Arsenal may have just struck a knockout blow to United’s chances of Champions League football next season. Rangnick’s men have now won only once in their last five games and sit six points off fourth, having played a game more than both Arsenal and Spurs. And following a diabolical performance in midweek against Liverpool and a lacklustre showing at the Emirates today, it would be no surprise if they lost their next match to third-place Chelsea. On the other hand, if they ove...

Is Arsenal v Manchester United still the greatest Premier League rivalry of all time? By Jonny Bray Sky and other mainstream media outlets have been trying to find a successor to Arsenal v Manchester United for several years now. The decline of the 'biggest' northern and 'biggest' southern clubs on the pitch has seen a hunger for a new game that can be fairly labelled as the greatest rivalry in English football. But can the natural development of a rivalry as complex and layered as United and Arsenal's was ever truly be surpassed by one created in the media to sell subscriptions? Arsenal wrote the latest chapter in this historic back-and-forth between two of English football's most historic sides this weekend. The 3-1 win was a reminder of just what this rivalry means to Arsenal fans. So what better time to take a look at if Arsenal v Manchester United is still the greatest Premier League rivalry of all time? What changed? The hatred between Arsenal and United w...

How highly do Arsenal’s attack rate in the Premier League this season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton Arsenal’s attacking unit has undoubtedly been key to Mikel Arteta reigniting a Champions League challenge this season. You only have to hear Gooners at grounds across the land singing loudly and proudly about Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, to know how fundamental the team’s forward stars have been to the upturn in results this season. Even the departure of the previously talismanic captain and number nine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, midway through the campaign, hasn’t overly impacted upon Arsenal’s resurgence. While goalkeeper, defence and midfield have also improved this season compared with the last, to varying degrees, the collective ability at the top of the pitch has made a huge difference. But how does Arsenal’s attack compare with the rest of the Premier League so far?   Goal return Perhaps the priority area to strengthen in attack over the summer transfer window will be the goalsco...

With three months to go - will Arsenal make the top four and return to the UEFA Champions League? by Hugo Mirabel-Hardy A rsenal’s late winner over Wolves on Thursday propelled their chances for top four into their own hands, as they have two games in hand over their rivals in the table. While top two seems to be a certainty for Liverpool and Manchester City, and Chelsea look to have secured third - the fight for the final spot looks like it could be a four, or potentially five, horse race. The Gunners sit fifth, having played 24 games and have 45 points. Manchester United are above them by a two points, and West Ham are three points below – both teams have played more games. Their opponents on Thursday, Wolves, have 40 points but have played 25 games, and an outlier to top four, Tottenham are six points adrift of their north London rivals. At the time of writing, United and West Ham are the only two teams left in Europe, while the Irons are Spurs have games left in the FA Cup. Therefo...