AFTV News

Transfer deadline day: The ins and outs By Oscar Maung-Haley Another summer transfer window is in the books and while Arsenal didn’t quite go for the full 2011 experience (we’re still shuddering at the signing of Andre Santos…) it was quite a busy day at the Emirates. Here’s a recap of all the ins and outs. The Ins Arsenal made just one signing on deadline day. Takehiro Tomiyasu – signed from Bologna Centre-back Takehiro Tomiyasu joined the Gunners from Bologna on deadline day for a fee thought to be in the region of £16m. A Japanese international, Tomiyasu is a versatile player, capable of operating at both the heart of defence and at right-back. Given Hector Bellerin’s deadline day departure, it made sense to add someone who could cover right-back. Additionally, Tomiyasu’s arrival would allow Arsenal to be more flexible in their attacking approach, with the 22-year-old being able to come inside to form a back three, freeing up Kieran Tierney to roam forward. His signing could turn ou...

Good business? Ranking all of Arsenal’s 2020/21 season transfers By Josh Graham Now the season has ended it is time to rank Mikel Arteta’s business in the transfer market from both the windows last summer and in January.  Thomas Partey 6/10 It was finally Partey time on deadline day at the end of last summer’s delayed transfer window. Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey arrived from Atletico Madrid for £45million with big expectations after some impressive engine room displays in La Liga. Much like the team as a whole, there have been glimpses of the real quality Partey can bring to the side but overall he has failed to live up to the hype in his first Premier League campaign. The 27-year-old has battled with injury and if he can string a run of games together next season is sure to become a fans favourite and help boss games in the middle for Arteta. Gabriel Magalhaes 6/10 Another man who arrived to much fanfare, centre-back Gabriel rocked up at the Emirates for £23.5m after Gunners...

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 five players Mikel Arteta should consider for Thursday's Europa League trip to Austria to face Rapid Vienna By Adam Le Roux This Thursday sees the Gunners face their first European fixture of the season, as Mikel Arteta takes his side to Austria to face Rapid Vienna in the Europa League. It’s a competition in which Arsenal fans are used to seeing an experimental line-up, as young starlets and new signings get the chance to shine on the highest stage, and we get a glimpse of the next generation of talent among our ranks.  It was Gabriel Martinelli who stole the show last year, with the Brazilian’s early brace paving the way for a comfortable 4-0 victory over Standard Liege at the Emirates, but who could be the man to make the headlines this time around?  Here we take a look at five players that Arteta could deploy in the Allianz Stadion, as we look to get off to the perfect start in group B. Runar Runarsson The Icelandic shot-stopper has been playing second fiddle to Bernd ...