Arsenal

DECLAN RICE was rewarded for his brutal shift as Arsenal battled back to beat Newcastle.

However, Cristhian Mosquera failed to make the most of his chance after he was thrust into the starting XI alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.

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Arsenal were stunned in the first half after falling behind after a Nick Woltemade header in the 34th minute.

Mikel Arteta‘s side had dominated much of the first half and were denied a penalty by a VAR decision.

The visitors avoided defeat as Mikel Merino was the hero, nodding in an equaliser in the 84th minute.

The turnaround was complete as Gabriel scored in the winner in the dying seconds of the match.

Scroll down to see how SunSport’s Gary Stonehouse rated the Arsenal players’ performances…

DAVID RAYA – 6

Had very little to do and was let down by Gabriel for the goal.

Swept up well when needed.

JURRIEN TIMBER – 8

Strong performance from the Dutchman up against Anthony Gordon and he wasn’t found wanting once the game turned into a physical battle.

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Should have done better with a header when presented with a great chance to equalise but a strong performance from the full-back.

CRISTHIAN MOSQUERA – 4

His mis-kick gifted Newcastle the corner that led to their opener and he didn’t recover.

Struggled once the game turned into a scrap and by half-time his manager had seen enough as he was replaced by William Saliba.

GABRIEL – 6

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Looked rattled up against Woltemade and his weak attempt to buy a foul allowed the German to nod home.

His head had gone after that and he was fortunate when no VAR check caught his swing at Woltemade before the break.

Looked a lot more confident and composed once Saliba joined him in the backline and he put a difficult afternoon behind him by holding off Dan Burn to head home the winner at the death.

RICCARDO CALAFIORI – 6

Marshalled Jacob Murphy well in the first half but offered little going up the other way.

Was fuming when the referee put a stop to him using a towel for a long throw.

Got hooked midway through the second half as the Gunners had to go for it, but not before going into the book for a daft foul.

EBERECHI EZE – 6

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Forced Pope into an early save and unleashed another great strike before the break.

Was a constant threat throughout but he was bought to get goals in these big games and he failed to do that.

MARTIN ZUBIMENDI – 6

Struggled with the pace of the game at times and also failed to provide enough protection defensively, fortunately, he had Rice alongside him to help.

He did produce a fantastic outside of the boot pass to put it on a plate for Timber but that was the highlight of his afternoon.

DECLAN RICE – 8

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Tried his best to make things happen and did brilliantly to track Jacob Murphy and deny him a second.

Covered a lot of ground and got his reward when Merino capitalised on his brilliant cross.

BUKAYO SAKA – 6

Enjoyed a good battle against Dan Burn but the Toon defender just about edged it.

Helped out full-back Timber really well but just wasn’t his day up the other end.

LEANDRO TROSSARD – 6

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Another who tried his best to make something happen but he just couldn’t make it click.

Replaced late on without really causing too much of a threat.

VICTOR GYOKERES – 6

Headed straight at Nick Pope early on and then became the pantomime villain after being denied the penalty.

Rarely had a sniff after that as he struggled against the imposing Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman.

SUBS

WILLIAM SALIBA (for Mosquera, 46) – 7

Helped manage the physicality of Woltemade a lot better than the man he replaced.

The Gunners looked a lot more composed defensively while he was on the pitch.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI (for Saka, 70) – 6

Struggled to really get involved upon his arrival. Had one long-ranger late on but that was about it.

MIKEL MERINO (for Calafiori, 70) – 7

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Injected fresh life into the middle to keep Arsenal’s hopes of a comeback going and produced a great header to equalise. 

MARTIN ODEGAARD (for Zubimendi, 82) – 6

Could see Arsenal’s confidence grow as soon as he got on and he provided the magic for a winner. His brilliant corner was placed perfectly for Gabriel to head home.

MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY (for Trossard, 88) – 5

His pace was a threat during the closing stages but failed to carve open a clear-cut opportunity.

ARSENAL make the trip up to the North East to take on Newcastle on Super Sunday.

Both sides are wearing black armbands at St James’ Park in memory of former Gunners academy striker Billy Vigar.

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Why are Arsenal and Newcastle players wearing black armbands?

Arsenal and Newcastle players are wearing black armbands this afternoon in tribute to the late Billy Vigar.

The 21-year-old died following a horrific brain injury suffered when he tragically hit his head during a match while playing for Chichester City at Wingate & Finchley last Saturday.

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Vigar received lengthy treatment on the pitch after hitting his head before being airlifted to the hospital and placed in an induced coma.

He then underwent surgery but tragically died from his injuries on Thursday.

Vigar joined the Gunners academy at the age of 14 and went on to represent the North London outfit at under-18 level, in Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Arsenal released the following statement regarding Vigar’s death: “Everyone at Arsenal is devastated by the shocking news that former academy graduate Billy Vigar has passed away.

“All our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this time.

“Rest in peace, Billy.”

Last Saturday’s awful incident at Wingate & Finchley’s Maurice Rebak Stadium has sparked calls for brick walls surrounding football pitches to be outlawed in the UK.

A petition has gathered more than 12,000 signatures, with the FA confirming on Friday that they are launching a review.

IT will come as no surprise to their stylish famous fans, but Chelsea supporters are the best dressed in the Premier League.

The club’s followers are most likely to wear a smart suit for a night out, a survey has revealed.

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Celebrity fans including Gordon Ramsay, Jeremy Clarkson, David Baddiel, Madness singer Suggs and actor Phil Daniels are always well turned out for a trip to the club’s Stamford Bridge home — and regular fans have followed suit.

But it’s not really a surprise, as back in the Seventies Chelsea’s players, including Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood, were known as the kings of the King’s Road for their fashionable sense of style.

And the club’s 21st-century fans have maintained the tradition, according to research by betting site freebet.com, with 16 per cent getting suited and booted for a big night.

While fans of Newcastle, Burnley and Wolves were in the relegation zone with just one per cent being bothered to look smart.

The table shows there’s a clear North/South divide when it comes to off-the-pitch style.

The top seven spots are filled by teams from London and the south, with Man City and Leeds sharing eighth place with Brentford and West Ham with five per cent.

Spokesman Tim Agnew said: “Our research shows Chelsea fans are the best dressed fans in the Premier League.

“They already had a reputation for wearing Gucci and Prada and our research confirms Chelsea fans like to look sharp.”

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Chichester City FC and former Arsenal striker Billy Vigar has died after sustaining a “significant brain injury”.

Vigar, 21 and from Worthing, was injured during a game at Wingate and Finchley on Saturday in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

It is thought the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete wall, but the club has not confirmed this.

Vigar’s family said on Thursday they were “devastated that this has happened while he was playing the sport he loved”.

“After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put into an induced coma,” the family said.

“On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday morning.

“The responses to the original update show how much Billy was loved and thought of within the sport.”

Vigar was a graduate of the Arsenal academy, and also had spells at Derby County, Hastings FC and Eastbourne Borough.

Arsenal expect Noni Madueke to miss six to eight weeks with the knee injury sustained in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

However, the 23-year-old England winger is not believed to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The summer signing from Chelsea was substituted at half-time of the Premier League match with City and has been having tests to discover the severity of the problem.

“It looks like Noni is going to be out for a few weeks, but we don’t really know yet, we will have to scan him next week again,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Tuesday.

“He felt something at the beginning of the match and tried to carry on but it was too sore, so let’s see.”

Asked to confirm whether Madueke will be out for weeks rather than months, Arteta replied: “We hope so. Like I said, we need to scan him again to see the extent of the injury but it doesn’t look too bad.”

Arsenal face Port Vale in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Earlier, sources indicated medics were waiting for the swelling to subside before making a definitive diagnosis on the injury, but it is understood that Madueke will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks, though that timescale is thought to be the best-case scenario.

The news is a major blow to Arteta and England head coach Thomas Tuchel given Madueke’s promising start to the season.

If the initial prognosis is confirmed, Madueke will not return to action until November at the earliest, ruling him out of a clutch of key domestic and European games for the Gunners.

The attacker is set to miss England’s forthcoming games against Wales and Latvia, while also making him a doubt for World Cup qualifiers against Serbia and Albania in mid-November.

Arsenal face Sunderland on 8 November in the Premier League. If Madueke is unavailable for that game and the international break, he could return for the north London derby versus Tottenham on 23 November.

While Arsenal had a longer turnaround, three of England’s other Champions League teams had a Premier League game three days later like City.

Newcastle, like Manchester City, were also in Champions League action on Thursday night – at home to Barcelona.

And they faced a Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Sunday in an earlier fixture than City, at 14:00.

Liverpool had an even shorter turnaround.

They hosted Atletico Madrid on Wednesday – and then faced Everton in the Merseyside derby at 12:30 on Saturday – 62.5 hours after full-time.

Chelsea were away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday and visited Manchester United on Saturday.

Tottenham had four days in between games, hosting Villarreal on Tuesday and then Brighton on Saturday.

The Champions League teams are all in Carabao Cup third-round action this week.

Five of the six teams have their tie three days after their league game, with Tottenham getting an extra day.

And between seasons, Chelsea had less preparation time than Manchester City having won the Club World Cup – with City going out two weeks earlier in the last 16.

After City scored, they took a defensive approach unlike one Guardiola has opted for previously.

They sat deep and blocked the centre of the pitch, making it difficult for Arsenal to find striker Viktor Gyokeres or attacking midfielders between the lines. Guardiola has typically asked his team to defend in a 4-4-2 and did to begin with, but City moved into a 5-4-1 or 5-5-0 as the game progressed.

So why did he opt for this approach?

This was the third game in seven days for an unchanged City side who were fatigued, according to Guardiola. Most teams would struggle to stifle Arsenal’s excellent build-up play, but with City tiring, defending deep prevented them from being exposed trying to press Arsenal.

It wasn’t just about stopping the build-up, but preventing Arsenal creating chances.

Arteta’s men eventually got their equaliser but it was telling the goal came from a direct ball over a City defence that had stepped up, rather than when the visitors sat deep.

Arsenal dominated the ball, but the 68% possession they had amounted to 0.61 expected goals in the second half.

The Gunners have played through the middle this season with Martin Zubimendi and Riccardo Calafiori key to this, before releasing their direct attackers.

City aimed to nullify Arsenal’s dangerous central quality by putting numerous bodies in the middle of the pitch. They also aimed to nullify runners by reducing the space they had in behind by being close to their own goal.

It is unlikely City will play that deep consistently going forward, but it was interesting to see such an attacking manager like Guardiola deploy a shape without a recognised striker, given his previous quotes about the formation.

“In prehistoric times, now and in 100,000 years, it is always very difficult to attack a 5-5 formation,” were his words when facing a similar tactical gameplan deployed by Atletico Madrid in 2022.

Ultimately it was a combination of acknowledging City’s fatigue and strong counter-attackers, while wanting to minimise Arsenal’s quality – particularly the home side’s directness, build-up and central attackers – that help explain the unique approach.

MORE than a few eyebrows were raised at the Emirates when Arsenal’s starting line-up was announced.

In particular the midfield three of Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi.

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It was a defensive-minded decision by Arteta to put pressure on City’s Rodri and limit his influence from deep while keeping things tight until he found the courage to fling on his attacking game-changers at the right moment.

It backfired massively.

Those who criticised Arteta for playing not to lose instead of going for the win at Liverpool last month – eventually losing 1-0 – have even more fuel to chuck on the now-blazing fire.

He had a fully-fit Eze on the bench, and yet kept the handbrake on with a safety-first approach. The question remains: does Arteta have the bravery to win a league title?

The sort of midfield that would have been Jose Mourinho-approved, but one that Arteta must NEVER start again in a title-defining game again if Arsenal are to compete for the Prem.

Can you imagine Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola or even Arne Slot doing the same? No chance.

That trio had no pace, no drive, no attacking intent – and Arsenal have no hope of glory come May should they combine from the off again.

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MARTINELLI MORE THAN JUST A ‘FINISHER’

MIKEL Arteta made it clear after Arsenal’s Champions League opener just how much it pains him to leave Gabriel Martinelli on the bench.

The Brazilian came on away at Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday night and after 36 seconds he netted before creating another for Leandro Trossard.

It was not enough for Arteta to reward Martinelli with a first start for nearly a month against Manchester City, revealing that he prefers to call his subs “finishers” to give them more meaning and motivation.

But after yet another late goal to snatch points, there is now a dilemma for Arteta: continue using him as a super-sub – or super-finisher – or recall him to that left-winger spot.

Martinelli would admit himself that he has not been in good form over the last 18 months with just 18 goals in all competitions over the past two seasons.

But he is certainly knocking on the door. Is this the start of his North London renaissance?

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EZE SHINING IN GOOD COMPANY

WITH England boss Thomas Tuchel watching on, Eberechi Eze proved why he is so special and belongs on the biggest of stages.

Eze would have been more than frustrated to be left on the bench for this one, desperate to build some momentum in an Arsenal shirt with next summer’s World Cup looming.

But boy did he deliver when he was thrown on at half-time with Mikel Arteta desperate for some magic after playing it safe for the first 45 minutes.

His beautifully-crafted long ball over the top to put in Gabriel Martinelli for a late, late equaliser is exactly why Arteta snatched him from Crystal Palace, lured from the grasps of rivals Tottenham at the last minute.

Once again for large parts, the Gunners struggled to break down a low block, just like they did last season, but Eze is the player with the key to unlock the most stubborn of defences – if he is given the chance.

It cannot be clearer now – Arteta must start Eze as much as possible between now and the end of the campaign if Arsenal are going to claw the Prem title away from Liverpool.

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Manchester City sought to defend an early Erling Haaland goal, but Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench to equalise.

Arsenal equalised in the third minute of stoppage time through Gabriel Martinelli to snatch a 1-1 draw in their match on Sunday with Manchester City, whose rare defensive performance under Pep Guardiola narrowly failed to deliver a win in the Premier League.

Erling Haaland scored an early goal on the counterattack, and City went on to frustrate Arsenal with a defensive approach that was unlike any team coached by Guardiola, who is famed for possession and attacking football.

There was a late twist, however, when Eberechi Eze played a ball over City’s packed defence and Martinelli latched onto it before lobbing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It left Liverpool, the defending champions, with a five-point lead after just five games, with Arsenal in second place on goal difference over Tottenham and Bournemouth. City are already eight points off the pace.

Arsenal controlled the opening exchanges until City scored from a rapid counter in the ninth minute.

Tijjani Reijnders broke from deep with Haaland on his shoulder before he played the Norwegian striker in to finish coolly past David Raya.

Arsenal looked short on ideas before a double change at half-time gave them more impetus, with substitute Eberechi Eze forcing a sharp save from Donnarumma as the hosts swarmed all over City.

The visitors recorded 32.8 percent possession, the lowest-ever possession average by a Guardiola team in his 601st top-flight league match, according to Opta.

City had seemed to have weathered the storm, though, finishing the game with five at the back as Arsenal probed without creating the killer opening they needed.

But substitute Martinelli – who delivered a goal and an assist off the bench against Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday – ran on to Eze’s speculative ball over the top and produced a superb lob in the 93rd minute to give Arsenal a share of the spoils.

Arsenal captain Declan Rice suggested City’s defensive approach was a sign of respect for the Gunners, and he praised Martinelli for his “moment of magic” in grabbing the equaliser.

“We’ve gained the respect of the opposition. They know the quality we have from front to back,” Rice told Sky Sports.

“We passed and moved well in the first half and in the second, but there was always the threat on the counter.

“In the end, we deserved the goal and would have been disappointed to come away losing.”

Speaking about Martinelli’s late equaliser, he added: “The run and finish is unbelievable. He fully deserves it – you wouldn’t meet a nicer guy. He’s come on and produced a moment of magic.”

Guardiola conceded that Arsenal were the better team in a post-match interview.

“It’s difficult to analyse with all that’s happened this week. We play games like United and in the Champions League on Thursday, and now today. The teams are like so powerful in all aspects,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.

“[It’s] so difficult when you’re not effective or high pressing and you’re not effective in build-up.”

He added, “I think the result is fair. But in general, Arsenal were better.”

Elsewhere in the Premier League on Sunday, Aston Villa ended their goal drought but still could not beat 10-man Sunderland in a 1-1 draw.

Matty Cash blasted a swerving shot from 25 metres (82 feet) that Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs could only parry into his own net in the 67th minute, giving Villa their first goal after five games in the league.

However, Sunderland – playing with 10 men from the 33rd minute after Reinildo’s red card for kicking out at Cash – equalised in the 75th minute through Wilson Isidor to leave Villa without a victory and third from bottom.

Meanwhile, Newcastle rotated their team after a Champions League loss to Barcelona on Thursday and struggled to create many clear-cut chances in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.

It meant Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who used to coach Bournemouth, has now not beaten his former side in seven attempts.

PEP GUARDIOLA bizarrely KISSED fourth official Craig Pawson during Manchester City’s game with Arsenal.

City were leading 1-0 thanks to Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute opener at the Emirates.

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And Guardiola’s men looked to be heading for the three points as the game entered the final stages.

Maybe City’s legendary manager was feeling too jubilant too early as he grabbed Pawson by the cheek and tried to give him a smooch on the cheek.

Pawson managed to just about swerve the peck but fans were still left absolutely baffled by Guardiola’s moment of madness.

One said: “Have I just seen Pep kiss the ref??”

Another added: “WHAT’S BLUD DOING!”

One asked: “Pep trying to kiss ref??”

Another said: “Did Guardiola just kiss the fourth official?”

Ironically, it was City who kissed their lead goodbye after Gabriel Martinelli levelled the game in injury time.

MORE TO FOLLOW

Manchester City have increasingly utilised long passes from goal-kicks too.

Unlike the Arsenal example above, their long goal-kicks have typically been played with attacking intent rather than to gain territory.

Take the following example from the recent Spurs game.

Spurs pushed high, marking individual players closely as City aimed to build up. From one goal-kick City brought some of their players towards the ball, enticing Spurs to follow them closer to their goal.

They also pushed Haaland high up the pitch, increasing the distance between him and the rest of the team. The player standing in the big space in between Haaland and the rest of the team was Omar Marmoush.

The idea here was to isolate Haaland and his marker. By going long, City didn’t have to worry about trying to build through congestion, especially without Ederson in goal.

They were able to reduce the risk of conceding, nullify Spurs’ strengths, and increase the likelihood of keeping the ball by having Haaland battle for it in an isolated duel.

City also increased their chances of picking up the second ball and scoring as Marmoush’s positioning allowed him to be proactive in running forward to pick up knockdowns from Haaland, or any ball that landed short.

This was a well-worked move and ended with a Marmoush shot that went just wide of the post.

Who: Arsenal vs Manchester City
What: English Premier League
Where: Emirates Stadium in London, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, September 21, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Manchester City will try to finish a challenging week unblemished when they visit an Arsenal side hoping to see some of its injured stars return to match fitness.

City were dethroned as champions by Liverpool last season, following four successive title wins, while the Gunners have finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive years.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at another early-season title showdown in the English top flight.

How are Man City shaping up in the Premier League this season?

After a difficult start to the season, City (2-2-0, 6 points) returned from the September international window in impressive form.

Last weekend, Erling Haaland’s brace propelled City to a 3-0 home win over Manchester United, a result that halted a two-match Premier League losing streak.

Then on Thursday night, Haaland and Jeremy Doku scored after halftime in a 2-0 home victory over reigning Serie A champions Napoli to open their UEFA Champions League campaign.

City are nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who beat Everton on Saturday, in the early standings as manager Pep Guardiola’s reworked squad begins its bid to win another league title.

Guardiola, however, is still placing the most importance on his squad’s overall development at the moment, rather than the match-by-match results.

“Seeing the team growing up, that is my only concern right now, making a step forward,” he said on Friday. “We are not going to win the Premier League on Sunday, and we are not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday.”

Man City points to irony of Arsenal’s investment drive

Guardiola has suggested Arsenal’s spending has not been held to the same level of scrutiny.

Arteta’s Arsenal side were bolstered by a close-season outlay exceeding 250 million pounds ($337.3m), while champions Liverpool spent more than 400 million ($538.6m), including more than 100 million ($134.7m) each on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

“The only thing I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta is, if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent money, not because he worked hard or because of his players,” Guardiola said tongue in cheek of his former City assistant coach.

“It’s like Liverpool, too. If Arne [Slot] wins it again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right? Because it’s not just Man City that [spend], right?

“For many, many years, every club can do whatever they want, you know? I know how they’ve been treated is completely different [to City], but what they want to spend is because they want it and it’s fine.”

City spent about 150 million pounds ($202m) in the close-season transfer window, adding to the 180 million ($242.4m) they invested in January.

What happened in last season’s corresponding Arsenal-Man City clash?

City suffered a 5-1 defeat at The Emirates last season, and Guardiola said his team face a stiff challenge on Sunday against an Arsenal side bolstered by the close-season signings of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martín Zubimendi.

“They spent what they believe they can to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe, and they’ve reached that level,” Guardiola said.

“[Arteta] found the club in a [certain] way and step-by-step, window-by-window, Arsenal are getting better.

“Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward, and they are for me the most solid team,” he added, referring to Arsenal reaching the Champions League semifinals.

How are Arsenal shaping up in the Premier League this term?

Arsenal’s only defeat so far came at Liverpool at the end of August in a tightly contested 1-0 reverse decided by Dominik Soboszlai’s brilliant late free kick.

That is the only goal Mikel Arteta’s Gunners (3-1-0, 9 points) have conceded this season. They rebounded from the defeat with a 3-0 home win against Nottingham Forest in the league last weekend and a 2-0 Champions League victory at Athletic Club in Bilbao, Spain, on Tuesday.

Arsenal seek to keep their cool for Man City’s visit

Arteta expects Arsenal to learn from Myles Lewis-Skelly’s provocative celebration against Manchester City last season when the title rivals clash for the first time in this campaign.

Arsenal defender Lewis-Skelly mocked City striker Haaland by copying his zen goal celebration after scoring in the Gunners’ 5-1 rout of Guardiola’s side in February.

With Arsenal falling just short in title fights with City in 2023 and 2024, the rivalry between the clubs has grown increasingly acrimonious.

Haaland had taunted Arsenal boss Arteta by urging him to “stay humble” following a stormy 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier last season.

Teenager Lewis-Skelly, who has not started a game for Arsenal this season, was criticised for his inflammatory celebration.

Asked if he had spoken to his players about their goal celebrations before Sunday’s showdown, Arteta told reporters, “Well, that was done, and that’s part of it.

“There have been a lot of celebrations or non-celebrations in the past from a lot of teams. The experience is to learn and grow as well, and we certainly learnt from that.”

Arsenal team news

There is a chance that forward Bukayo Saka, midfielder Martin Odegaard and defender Ben White could all participate this weekend for the Gunners after recent injuries.

“Everything has been modified so far for them [in training],” Arteta said of the trio. “There are still a few things to clear, and [Saturday,] we’ll have more information on whether they are part of the squad or if they have a chance to be part of the squad.”

Saka, who scored 47 Premier League goals across the previous four seasons, has not played since the second weekend due to a hamstring issue. However, Arsenal’s reinforcements have helped weather his absence, including striker Gyorkeres, who has a team-high three league goals so far.

Gyokeres is expected to be available after needing stitches for a head injury sustained following a clash of heads with teammate Gabriel Magalhaes. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz remain sidelined.

Man City team news

England international John Stones could return to the back line following muscular discomfort that has kept him out of the side.

Rayan Cherki remains out with muscle issues, while Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri are also absent.

Arsenal predicted starting lineup

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Merino, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Manchester City predicted starting lineup

Donnarumma; Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Rodri, Silva, Reijnders; Foden, Haaland, Doku

Arsenal form (all competitions)

W W L W W

Manchester City form (all competitions)

W L L W W

Having a fan on the board is a nice touch that will connect with supporters, but who is the celebrity producer who was James Corden’s best man and had Harry Styles live in his house for two years during the peak years of One Direction?

Winston, 43, has been a season ticket holder at the club for more than 30 years, and says he started supporting Arsenal when he was around ‘five or six’ before going to his first match aged nine.

He has had an interesting and successful life and his father is Baron Robert Winston, the world famous fertility doctor and scientist.

But it is Winston’s success as a film and TV producer which makes his appointment to the Arsenal board so interesting.

According to an article in GQ, external Winston met Corden on the show Teachers, where Winston was a runner and the two bonded over their love of football.

Winston, who went to university in Leeds, would visit Corden while he filmed Fat Friends in the city.

And Winston’s support of the Gunners is not for show.

He did not miss a European away game for 12 years and pictures on his Instagram show him in the Bernabeu Stadium for Arsenal’s wins over Real Madrid in 2006 and 2025, while he also successfully won an auction with three friends for a lunch with former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.

His production company Fulwell 73 has won 23 Emmy awards and three Baftas.

In the sporting world they have produced programmes such as Sunderland’s Netflix documentary ‘Till I die and the Class of 92 around ex-Manchester United players, including David Beckham and Gary Neville investing in Salford City.

Alongside Corden, Winston came up with the successful Carpool Karaoke series on the Late Late show, which Corden hosted, and the company also produce ‘The Kardashians’.

Winston’s celebrity connections could be a key part of the next step for Arsenal as they try to lean into that fanbase.

The Gunners are supported by some huge celebrity names with Anne Hathaway, Lewis Hamilton, 21 Savage and Reese Witherspoon all making their love for the Gunners clear.

Superstar singer Dua Lipa has been pictured at the stadium, as has Romeo Beckham, who is a vocal Arsenal supporter despite his dad David’s success with Manchester United.

The club lean into their fanbase across the world with music artists being used in their transfer announcement videos and pictures of celebrities in their shirts shared on social media.

There can’t be many people better placed than Winston, with all of his contacts, to take that fandom to the next level.

Martinelli has been a key player for Arteta during his time as Arsenal manager but the winger’s drop in form meant he had become the topic of fan debate about his place in the team.

The Brazil international was aware of that talk and his confidence suffered.

He scored 10 goals in all competitions last season, with a memorable strike coming in their quarter-final second-leg win at Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Arteta has always trusted Martinelli in big games and the manager was delighted for the 24-year-old to play such a big part in this Arsenal win.

“He fully deserves it,” said Arteta. “I adore Gabi. His attitude, his commitment, his positivity, what he is willing to do for the team.

“We certainly value all of the quality he has and brings to the team – I am so happy he has decided the game for us in the two actions.”

The Arsenal players ran to celebrate with Martinelli after his goal, with Riccardo Calafiori pointing at the player’s name on the back of his shirt in front of the supporters.

“That’s the spirit,” added Arteta. “That’s why I really enjoy every single day working with them and being part of this team.

“The way they look after each other is genuine. They really want the best for each other and they recognise someone that works every single day in the manner that Gabi does. You can go through struggles or through moments, and recognising that and having that capacity to connect with him, I think it will mean a lot to him.”

“I was sure that Gabi was going to react like that. You raise the level to Gabi and he was going to do that.

“They are the moments that hopefully are going to give him the confidence again to go, as he is an outstanding player.”

Goal Arsenal! – Leandro Trossard

THE return of the long throw has had an impact on how much football Prem fans have seen this season.

Brentford’s stoppage time leveller against Chelsea after the Blues could not cope with a ball hurled into their box came in the week that Thomas Tuchel signposted his willingness to go direct with England.

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And the statistics show that the Bees are not the exponents of old-fashioned Pulis-ball.

In the 40 Prem games so far this season, there have been 130 long throws, at an average of 3.3 per match.

That compares to last season’s average, over the 380 games, of 1.5 per match – a doubling of the frequency.

And senior figures believe the return of the long throw has been a factor in a significant shortage of actual playing time.

Figures provided by Stats Perform show that across the 40 top flight games the ball has only been in play for an average of 54 minutes and 21 seconds, down 133 seconds from last season’s average.

The analysis by Prem insiders suggests that one major reason is that the extra number of long throws has seen more teams sending their centre-backs up into the opposition box.

A similar amount of positioning, by both attacking and defending sides, at corner kicks, has also been noticed, with many sides now having specialist set-piece coaching teams.

And with goalkeepers unable to hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds under the new Laws, also taking longer at goal kicks when the ball goes out of play, fans are getting less value for their ticket prices.

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One expert explained: “What we’re seeing makes it clear that the amount of long throws in particular is making a difference.

“It will be interesting to see if it continues for the rest of the season or is just a passing fad.”

ARSENAL welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates for Saturday’s early kick-off.

The Tricky Trees have appointed Ange Postecoglou to replace Nuno Espirito Santo after the Portuguese gaffer was brutally sacked at the start of the week.

The former Tottenham manager will be looking to get off to a winning start away at his side’s former archrivals.

Arsenal are hoping to get back to winning ways after they suffered their first defeat of the season to Liverpool before the international break.

• Kick off time: 12.30pm BST
• TV channel: TNT Sports 1
• Live stream: discovery+
• Arsenal team: To follow…
• Nottingham Forest team: To follow…

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CLUB football is back for the Premier League this weekend after the international break.

After the last round of fixtures, a chaotic transfer deadline day followed as clubs splashed out £375million on new talent to take the overall spending for the window to over £3BILLION.

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And with that wave of new arrivals, including emergency loans, the conclusions of blockbuster sagas and shrewd deals, there will be several new faces for fans to watch.

SunSport has taken a look at stars who could make their debuts this weekend, including two club-record signings.

Kicking off the team in goal is new Manchester City star Gianluigi Donnarumma, who arrived on deadline day from Paris Saint-Germain for £26million.

New £18m Manchester United star Senne Lammens could have been selected just as easily, but they can let their goalkeeping do the talking during the Manchester Derby on Sunday.

Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie – signed on loan from Bayer Leverkusen with a £45m option to buy – put in a great display for Ecuador against Argentina and will partner £13m Bournemouth signing Veljko Milosavljevic and West Ham loanee Igor Julio in defence.

There are three more loanees to consider going forward: Tottenham’s Randal Kolo Muani, Nottingham Forest‘s Oleksandr Zinchenko and Aston Villa‘s Jadon Sancho, who all arrived in the twilight hours of the summer window.

Harvey Elliott followed Sancho to the struggling Villans from Liverpool on an initial loan with a £35m obligation to buy next summer.

The front three is where the majority of the star power and cost come into play.

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Alejandro Garnacho, a £40m sale from Man Utd to Chelsea, was not a deadline day switch but was only announced after the Blues’ most recent game at Stamford Bridge – meaning he will be in line for his debut this weekend.

Newcastle star Nick Woltemade is the club’s record signing at £69m.

The 23-year-old German looked impressive during the Under-21 Euros this summer, while he scored 17 for Stuttgart last season.

But he – alongside fellow new Toon ace Yoane Wissa – will have big boots to fill following Alexander Isak‘s record-breaking £130m departure to Liverpool.

Isak’s saga dragged on all summer and was on and off and then on and off again, before possibly the move of the summer was finally put to bed on deadline day.

Elsewhere, there are the likes of Kevin, Fulham‘s own £35m record-breaking arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk, Jaydee Canvot at Crystal Palace and Brian Brobbey at Sunderland who could also make first appearances for their new clubs at the weekend.

It is unlikely that Venkatesham will rule Spurs with an iron fist. He is a firm believer in a culture of inclusivity.

He’ll lead by example rather than being ultra vocal, sources say.

“He’s a leader – but an understated one,” said one of his colleagues at the Emirates.

When it comes to making football-related decisions it is very likely he will be guided by the expertise of head coach Thomas Frank and technical director Johan Lange.

At Arsenal, it is noted that he generally let Edu and Arteta shape the football operation in terms of performance.

That may sound a given. But ask managers up and down the country – it isn’t.

He is viewed by those who worked alongside him at the Emirates as an efficient administrator, whose intelligence allows him to analyse and understand information quickly.

That strength allows him to make relevant contributions internally and, on a wider basis, it has allowed Venkatesham to expand his influence.

For example, he was a key member of the European Club Association, though he has now relinquished his position with the organisation.

It is said his amiable persona allows him to deal smoothly with characters who perhaps seem more assertive than his exterior suggests he is.

It will be interesting to hear if Venkatesham adopts an abrupter approach as he seeks to lay down a marker in the post-Levy era.

If first impressions are important, then those at the Emirates will tell you that Venkatesham makes a good one. In that sense, relationship building – internally and externally – is cited as one of Venkatesham’s key strengths.

Levy – despite often facing the wrath of irate supporters who pinned the blame for Tottenham’s flaws squarely on him – was liked behind the scenes at Spurs.

He was good to his staff. For instance, when Spurs would travel on pre-season tours, he would ensure the club’s support staff were provided with the same privileges as the players.

But it was Levy’s relationship with rival clubs that often left a sour taste; the now departed executive chairman’s infamous fierce negotiation style left him unpopular in boardrooms across the country.

It will be interesting to see how Venkatesham’s elevation, given his genteel and friendly personality, changes the dynamics between Tottenham and their rivals at boardroom level.

Will his “nice guy” identity be a strength or a weakness in a sport that is cut-throat?