AFTV News

How are Arsenal's players getting on at the Africa Cup of Nations?  By Jonny Bray Arsenal have had a very strong cohort of players competing at this year's Africa Cup of Nations. The Gunners had five players called up to their respective national squads for the competition, and it's been a roller-coaster for all of them. As the tournament draws to a close, let's take a look at how they are getting on in Cameroon. Mohamed Elneny Mohamed Elneny has had an outstanding tournament in the heart of Egypt's midfielder. He's been a crucial part of their side for many years but has been particularly influential in Cameroon. He was named Man of the Match in the 0-0 against Côte d'Ivoire that ended with his side advancing after a penalty shootout. He was also a big part of Egypt getting out of Group D in second place behind Nigeria. His place at Arsenal may be under constant scrutiny, but he never disappoints on the international stage. He's also the Arsenal player ...

November international action round-up  By Jack Lacey-Hatton  The final international break of 2021 has seen Arsenal players jetting all across the globe over the last week. Qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is coming to a head over the next window and several of Mikel Arteta’s first-team are in the thick of the action. A number have already pulled on their national jersey over the last few days, so let’s take a look at those who have already been in action.   Smith Rowe debut It was a proud moment for Arsenal academy product Emile Smith Rowe on Friday night as he made his senior England debut. He came off the bench with 15 minutes left of the Three Lions' qualifier against Albania. England were already 5-0 up, and that is how it finished at Wembley. His club-mates Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale were both unused substitutes for Gareth Southgate’s team.   Tierney helps Scots reach play-offs Left back Kieran Tierney won his 29 th ...

  What we learnt from Arsenal's pre-season defeat to Premier League rivals Chelsea By Jack Lacey-Hatton Ahead of next weekend’s final pre-season game against Spurs, Arsenal’s other London rivals Chelsea visited the Emirates on Sunday, coming away with a 2-1 victory. The three clubs are competing in a mini pre-season round robin tournament known as ‘the Mind Series’. But the Gunners started with a defeat, after goals from Kai Havertz and Tammy Abraham. It was another disappointing result from a mixed pre-season, with the start of the new Premier League campaign now under two weeks away. However, games like this are not all about the result. Instead Mikel Arteta will want to be able to spot the errors and rectify them by the time the serious stuff gets underway. So what did we learn from the Chelsea game on Sunday?   Mikel Arteta is still short of top-class options in midfield The game exposed how Arsenal are still struggling for depth in the all-important centr...

How could the addition of Yves Bissouma boost Arsenal's prospects next season?  By Peter White While Sunday’s 2-0 win at Newcastle served a welcome boost ahead of Thursday’s do-or-die Europa League showdown with Villarreal, news that Arsenal are leading the race for the summer signature of Yves Bissouma earlier this week was further cause for smiles among the Emirates faithful.  The Gunners have reportedly been long-term admirers of the Brighton midfielder, with sustained interest during the winter transfer window eventually coming to nothing after creative star Martin Odegaard was supposedly prioritised.  But the Arsenal hierarchy have kept tabs on the 24-year-old Mali international, who has emerged as one of the Seagulls’ most prized assets throughout a season in which they have largely delivered more on the pitch than their results would suggest.  Having left Lille for the south coast in a £15m deal in 2018, it is widely acknowledged that Bissouma is ready for his...

  Elneny over Thomas? What win over Newcastle taught us ahead of Villarreal showdown On paper, Sunday's game at Newcastle didn't have too much riding on it. But a positive result and performance were essential to ensure Arsenal could go into Thursday night's season-defining Europa League semi-final second leg with confidence - and in that respect, it was a job well done. Newcastle were passive throughout but Arsenal managed to achieve something that has become a rarity this season - swatting aside poor opposition with a minimum of fuss. The win also gave a few pointers ahead of Thursday night, when the pressure will truly be on… Xhaka aiding Martinelli progress - but can he be trusted? Granit Xhaka had another solid game in his unfamiliar left-back role and Mikel Arteta feels the Swiss star is helping Gabriel Martinelli thrive on the same flank. With a 91% passing success rate, Xhaka used the ball effectively at St James' Park and helped nullify the threat of Allan Sain...

                                               What Arsenal stars are playing for their future as Mikel Arteta prepares to shuffle his pack in the summer transfer window? By Adam Le Roux The games are ticking down and the season is nearing its end, and for Arsenal Football Club, the sooner they can turn their back on the current campaign the better. With a nondescript Premier League sojourn and European hopes hinging on Thursday’s trip to Prague, the Gunners will already be looking ahead to the close season, where they can assess and adjust accordingly ahead of next year. The powers that be will already be looking at the current crop of players and seeing who could be farmed out and replaced in the summer, with a number of stars likely to be on borrowed time with just a handful of matches remaining. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who could be on their way out ...

                                          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...

What is the point in Mohamed Elneny? Should Mikel Arteta persist with playing the Egyptian in the Premier League? By Adam Le Roux This Arsenal team is evolving before our very eyes, what had become a stagnant side is slowly developing into a dynamic, forward-thinking and creative unit over the course of the season. It has taken some time, and it’s clear to see that the Gunners are still far away from becoming the finished article but Mikel Arteta has finally started to get the cogs in motion and put his own blueprint on the team. From the departure of Mesut Ozil to the arrival of Martin Odegaard and the faith put into the younger elements of the squad such as Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, this team has Arteta written all over it, apart from one area. And that is in defensive midfield, where Mohamed Elneny continues to get playing time, although you’d be hard-pressed to describe what the Egyptian actually does throughout the 90 minutes. Elneny is expendable Name one thing that Moha...

Nicolas Pepe's misery, power of youth and Mo's time to crash the Partey - three things we learned from Arsenal's 4-2 win over Dundalk By Will Jennings Mikel Arteta and his team put their Premier League woes behind them as a youth-inspired victory in Dundalk secured them top spot in their Europa League group.  Eddie Nketiah, Mohamed Elneny, Joe Willock and Folarin Balogun were the names on the scoresheet as the Gunners confirmed their place at the summit and – theoretically – booked themselves a more favourable draw in the knockout stages.  Arsenal lie a lowly 15th in the top-flight table and just seven points above the drop after a dismal start to the season under Arteta.  But, once again, their performances in cup competitions appear to be keeping their campaign afloat, with a third round FA Cup clash against Newcastle also lined up in the new year.  The Gunners host Sean Dyche’s struggling Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday – and here are three things we learn...

Willian to re-find his form and who's going to stop Jack Grealish? What to look out for as Arsenal host Aston Villa. By Mark Winters Did you know Arsenal have exactly the same number of points as they did at this stage last year?  Believe it or not, the Arsenal of 2019-2020 had also lost two fewer games and scored three more goals than the crop of 2020-2021, all achieved while also playing three of the so-called Big Six early in the season.  Isn’t it funny how stats can be mis-leading?  Unai Emery’s Arsenal were chaotic, without a clear plan and showed no signs of forward progress. Mikel Arteta’s have just won 1-0 at Manchester United, their first Premier League victory at Old Trafford in 14 years.  The Gunners are currently ninth in the table, so not everything is perfect, but this team passes the eye test, whereas Emery’s did not. You can – dare we say it – trust Arteta’s Arsenal far more. So far, at least. However, if there is one minor criticism of this year's Gu...

Three talking points from Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal By Paul Martin The curse has finally been lifted.  Arsenal have enjoyed some torrid visits to Manchester United in recent years but now, after 14 years, the Gunners finally gave their fans a reminder of how it feels to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford. This win is the latest sign of the improvements Mikel Arteta is making to the belief and overall quality within this Arsenal side and was the perfect way to respond to last weekend’s flat defeat to Leicester. Here are three talking points from an excellent win… Gabriel the Great A lot of the hype around Arsenal's new signings has focused on Thomas Partey – and with good reason, as the Ghanaian has settled in brilliantly at The Emirates and was superb again on Sunday. But it is another newboy, Gabriel, who continues to quietly establish himself as a shrewd addition. The Brazilian defender has barely put a foot wrong since arriving from Lille and was consistently in the r...