AFTV News

Who should start at right-back: Ben White or Takehiro Tomiyasu By Tom Masters Despite a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United last weekend, Arsenal sit top of the Premier league table after the first six matches of the new campaign and one man who has been a key part of that is Ben White.   White, who was purchased from Brighton and Hove Albion for £52 million last summer primarily as a centre back has played in all six Premier League matches this season at right back.  That has come partly down to the return of William Saliba from Marseille, who has formed a quality pairing with Gabriel, and partly down to the injury sustained by last season’s first choice right back Takehiro Tomiyasu.  But with Tomiyasu now back fit, the big question on many Arsenal fans’ lips is who should be the first choice right back?  Pick on form?  I t must be nice for Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff to have options, after a season last year in which there was very little wriggle room for ...

Is Ben White Arsenal's best option at right-back? By Tum Balogun  William Saliba’s impressive form upon returning to the Emirates has necessitated a reshuffle in the Arsenal backline.  Despite scoring an unfortunate own goal in this weekend's 4-2 win over Leicester, the young Frenchman has already stamped his authority on a position previously held by 2021/22's £50 million summer signing Ben White.  Acutely aware of the former Brighton man’s defensive qualities, as well as his versatility, Mikel Arteta has opted to play the Englishman at right-back, dislodging Takehiro Tomiyasu who enjoyed a fine debut campaign last term.  It’s a selection headache the manager will relish after years of struggling to piece together a defensive line which could provide a solid platform for the team to build attacks while also keeping opponents at bay.  With Saliba and Gabriel set to continue at the heart of the Gunners defence, let's assess some of the options at right-back....

Is Takehiro Tomiyasu underrated? By Jonny Bray Takehiro Tomiyasu was one of the surprise packages of last season. The Japanese international was a relative unknown when he joined Arsenal from Italian side Bologna for just £16million. However, he quickly established himself as Arsenal's first-choice right-back despite competition from experienced Portuguese international Cédric Soares. Ahead of the 2022/23 season, the Gunners have been linked with a host of defenders, and a few right-backs have even been rumoured to be on their way to the Emirates in the hope of snatching Tomiyasu's starting spot.  But is that necessarily fair on the Japan international who has earnt the chance to keep his starting spot in the side?  It appears as if many people still don't think that the defender is good enough to compete at the highest level.  So, with that in mind, what better time to assess whether fans and pundits don’t rate Tomiyasu highly enough. Tomiyasu is underrated  Tomiyas...

By Matt Wright In seasons gone by   an article assessing Arsenal’s defending would make for tough reading.  In fact, the same applies for the first month of the 2021/ 2 2 campaign when the Gunners let in nine goals in their first three games, without reply.  Let’s  not lie. A lot of us were expecting a long and painful nine months after such a torrid start, but thankfully it’s been one to finally rekindle  optimism among the faithful at the Emirates Stadium.  It’s natural that, with Arsenal now favourites to finish fourth in the Premier League, supporters would focus on the attackers that have made this possible – Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli etc.  However, it’s also been reassuring to know that Mikel Arteta’s men are now less likely to point the barrel at their feet and blow their own toes off at any given second.  That decreased propensity for self-destruction at the back is one of the ways in which the Gunners have improved...

  Has Mikel Arteta shown that the process is working? The Spaniard is entering a key phase in his Arsenal career. By Oli Dickson Jefford ‘Trust the process’ is certainly Mikel Arteta’s favourite sporting cliché.  Amid times of near-crisis the Spaniard has reverted back to this philosophy to ease the pressure on himself - and things might now be paying off. There is greater positivity around Arsenal this season than there has been in recent years, and definitely more so than any other period of Arteta’s reign. Has Arteta made an impact? Perhaps the biggest positive of Arteta’s time as Arsenal manager, and one of the biggest positives this season, has been the development of the club’s younger players. Academy graduates Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have dazzled, leading Arsenal’s attack which has been particularly potent. Gabriel Martinelli is also much improved and looks like a really good centre forward, while summer signings Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu...

Martin Odegaard made his loan move permanent this summer Review of Arsenal's summer signings and how they've settled since August After a disappointing 2020/21 league campaign, change was needed at Arsenal ahead of a new season. And it was a busy summer in terms of incoming and outgoing players, with six people joining the club on permanent deals. After 11 games and almost three months of the new league season, how have these summer signings fared? Nuno Tavares Tavares wasn’t expected to play a major role this season, largely being signed as Kieran Tierney’s back-up. The 21-year-old hadn’t seen much first-team action until recently but with Tierney injured, he’s stepped up into the starting XI. And now Tierney has genuine competition for his place after a string of highly impressive displays by the Portuguese star. Whether Tavares can stamp his place in Arteta’s line-up remains to be seen, but when called upon he has performed admirably. Rating: 7/10 ...

Where do Arsenal stand heading into the November international break? By Oli Dickson Jefford The international break provides an ideal opportunity to look at where Arsenal stand 11 games into the Premier League season. With a huge meeting against Liverpool at Anfield coming up when the break is over, Mikel Arteta will hope key players on international duty avoid injury over the next fortnight. That was always going to be the case but after a resurgence in form in recent weeks, the Gunners will head to Merseyside fancying their chances of a result. Pressure on Arteta lifted as form continues to improve After losses in their opening three league matches, Arteta was many people’s pick to be the first manager sacked this season. Now, things are looking a lot brighter and there is perhaps more optimism than ever before as the Spaniard approaches his third year as the club’s manager. Arsenal have not lost since those defeats, the worst results since then being draws against Crystal Palace an...

Evaluating Takehiro Tomiyasu's start to his Arsenal career By Jonny Bray Takehiro Tomiyasu has enjoyed an outstanding start to his Arsenal career. The Japanese international signed for the Gunners from Bologna for a reported £16 million in August and has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. Not many Arsenal fans may have heard of the defender – but he's already established himself as Mikel Arteta's first-choice right-back in the space of four games. He was one of our best players in the North London Derby, and before that, had solidified the Gunners' defence after some disappointing results at the start of the season.   So, how did a relatively unknown player make himself one of the first names on the Arsenal team sheet? Small shoes to fill Arsenal haven't had a top-quality right-back since Bacary Sagna left the club back in 2014. Calum Chambers has looked like an encouraging prospect at points, but he has never proven himself to be a top-quality Premie...