Arsenal

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta has hinted that now could be the time when he starts to push exciting youngster Ethan Nwaneri.

Calls for the 17-year-old to get more minutes after his promising performances in the EFL Cup are growing.

Nwaneri, who is the youngest player to have played in the Premier League, has scored three goals in his two starts for Arsenal in the cup competition.

He has also made four substitute appearances in the Premier League and come on in big games against Tottenham and Liverpool.

"I think the biggest thing is to push him and then when he is pushing you grab him from behind to make sure he is stable and protected," said Arteta.

"This talent you have to push him. Protection is necessary, keeping an eye on him but he needs to see that he can go and fly and not cut his wings."

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Earlier, we asked you to identify the former Arsenal player from their Premier League statistics playing for the club.

The correct answer was Aaron Ramsey.

On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Newcastle United defender Dan Burn discusses Arsenal's recent success before the two sides go head-to-head in the Premier League on Saturday.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that he must manage Ethan Nwaneri's development as the 17-year-old begins to make a name for himself at the club.

"At 17 years old to be in the position he is, in one of the biggest clubs in Europe sums up his level," said Arteta.

"At the moment he wants it a lot and he is surrounded by the right people.

"It is rare to see talent like this at 17 years old. When he made his debut in the Premier League, he was good. We know the pathway we want with him and we want to send him a message of how much we trust him and believe in him."

Arteta also believes that the journey of Bukayo Saka provides motivation for younger players at the club, to follow his example.

"I think it creates belief in the journey," he added. "Our players see there is a pathway that they have opportunities and if they earn it, they will be treated like the rest.

"I was lucky because someone trusted me at that age, and that is what you need as well. You have to be surrounded by the right team and players, and then you can be successful."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Newcastle (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta respects Newcastle: "Their position after nine games is tricky and they are a fantastic team. They are well-coached, intense and it is a great stadium to play in and we are looking forward to it."

• He has put his outburst towards the officiating in last year's match at St. James' Park behind him: "It is part of the past and part of the situation that happened that you learn from it and take positives. We move on. My intention is to say what I feel on the day. The referees are trying their best."

• The Arsenal boss puts the increase in injuries down to two things: "I think there are two aspects. One, I think we are quite unlucky and then obviously the demands on the players every week. All the restrictions that are hitting the squads means you can't have that big squads and it is quite difficult to manage."

• Introducing meditation has aided him and his side: "I just want the best for the team and want to give the team the best chance to win games. We need to adapt to the rule changes and as well, I try to. I don't want to miss any games. I can't promise you that if we score a goal I won't be jumping down the touchline. Hopefully, they have adapted and realised emotions are a big part of the game."

• Martin Odegaard is nearing a return: "Now is the stage when he is going to start doing certain work with us and see how he deals with pain. He is physically now at the level that he is ready to compete. He looks ready so hopefully soon."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Guess the former Arsenal player from their Premier League statistics at the club:

• Years at club: 2008-2019

• Position: Midfielder

• Appearances: 262

• Goals: 40

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 GMT

Brentford will demand £60m for 25-year-old Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo in the January transfer window, amid interest from Arsenal. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Arsenal are up there in terms of challenging for the Premier League title this season but if they want to do it then dealing with injury issues is something they will have to do.

The best clubs adapt and find ways to win even when their best players are out.

That is what sets Manchester City apart to everyone else. When they have injuries to key players they have been able to find other players who can slot into their system nicely. They had Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland out for a long period of time last season but they still went on to win the league.

If Arsenal want to be serious in their hunt for a title then they have to do the same as the reigning champions.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, PA Media

Arsenal secured a comfortable win against Preston North End to secure a place in the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup and set up a tie with Crystal Palace.

The match was near perfect for Mikel Arteta as Gabriel Jesus scored his first goal since January, academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri continued to impress with an excellent goal, his side secured a clean sheet and he was able to give debuts to youth players Tommy Setford and Ayden Heaven.

With Setford and Heaven coming on, Arsenal have now used eight teenagers in matches this season.

Bukayo Saka was also able to get about 30 minutes of football as he continues to build up to full match fitness after returning from injury in the Liverpool match.

The Gunners are still dealing with some injury issues and Riccardo Calafiori has been ruled out for a few weeks.

Centre-back Gabriel limped out of the Liverpool match but sources around the club say his injury is not as bad as first feared. Ben White also missed the game at Deepdale but his absence was more of a precaution and he looks to be available for the Premier League match at Newcastle on Saturday.

Newcastle are not in great form in the league but after picking up a win against Chelsea in the cup, it is still a tough test for Arteta's side with the full fixture calendar and squad concerns he has.

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We asked for your thoughts after Wednesday's League Cup game between Preston North End and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Ben: I was at the game and it was such a controlled performance. The result was never in doubt and it felt like one of those games that would have had nervous moments a few years ago. The Nwaneri goal was fantastic. Hopefully we can go on and win this trophy without getting in the way of our league form.

Maddox: We are looking at some promising youth players coming through the ranks. More time for people like Nwaneri in the Premier League can only do him good.

David: Easy win for Arsenal. I was a little confused by the substitutions though. Why risk Kai, Saka and Partey when the game was won.

Mick: Good solid performance, especially our new home grown talents. Time to send Sterling back though, it just hasn't worked.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA

While the Carabao Cup is unlikely to have been at the top of Mikel Arteta’s priorities this season, Arsenal’s campaign in the competition could not have gone better so far.

The Gunners have scored eight goals in two games, are now only two ties away from Wembley and Arteta has been able to hand out several debuts to promising youngsters.

Both goalkeeper Tommy Setford, 18, and defender, Ayden Heaven, 18, were given their first-team bows at Deepdale but it was another teenager, Ethan Nwaneri, who stole the show.

The 17-year-old capped a fine performance with a superb first-half goal, curling his effort into the top left-corner and was brimming with confidence and composure throughout.

The academy product, who registered his first senior goals in the 5-1 win over Bolton in the previous round of the EFL Cup also hit the crossbar late on for Arsenal and was deservedly serenaded by the visiting fans when being withdrawn late on.

And on this evidence the chorus for him to start more Premier League games will only get louder.

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, speaking to the media about 17-year-old goalscorer Ethan Nwaneri: "He did it yesterday in training too, so we're getting used to that.

"He's a big talent, he's got the right attitude, he's got the right players and context around him and we need to make sure that we put brick by brick in the right tempo, in the right order, but we have some player there.

"He's going to really dictate how fast that's going to go, but I'm really, really happy with him.

"There's so much personality there. He wants to impose himself, he wants every ball, he wants to make things happen. Outside around the boy, he's still a bit quiet, as is usual for a 17-year-old.

"But he's very respectful, his work ethic is tremendous and he loves what he does, you can tell that. I think he is showing every day what he is capable of. You see his teammates, they are giving him the ball all the time, that's a great sign. So we have some player there."

On Gabriel Jesus: "It's been a long time [since he scored].

"I think it's going to unlock that thing mentally and [he can] move on, but I think he had a good performance tonight."

Image source, Getty Images

The draw has been made for the Carabao Cup quarter finals, with eight Premier League clubs having made it through.

For the first time in 14 years it is an all Premier League quarter-final line-up, with ties including Tottenham hosting Manchester United and holders Liverpool travelling to Southampton.

Matches are scheduled to take place the week commencing 17 December.

All the fixtures are shown below:

Tottenham v Manchester United

Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Newcastle United v Brentford

Southampton v Liverpool

Find reaction to the draw here

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Arsenal's performance, external

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

The Carabao Cup quarter-final line-up will be completed on Wednesday, with the six remaining fourth-round ties being played.

• Brighton v Liverpool (19:30)

• Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

• Man Utd v Leicester

• Newcastle v Chelsea - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Preston v Arsenal

• Tottenham v Man City (20:15) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off times 19:45 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

For all the quality that the England national team has in its squad, you get the feeling that, whoever is managing the team, Declan Rice is the first name picked.

Arsenal had an entire defence lost by Sunday evening, but there was Declan covering space, reading the game brilliantly and getting his team-mates out of trouble.

He managed to find time to create the second goal for Mikel Merino with yet another wicked set-piece delivery and, at times, he seems to be doing the work of three players.

He will have to keep doing that, with the injuries and suspensions really kicking in now.

With no William Saliba, Gabriel and then Jurrien Timber near the end, Rice could not quite be everywhere. When a little naivete from Timber's replacement, 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, gave Mohamed Salah too much space - two points were lost.

Lewis-Skelly was unfazed and his reaction was splendid, so I think they have found another good one there.

There were ragged moments from Arsenal and losing concentration at a corner, allowing Luis Diaz to win a near-post flicked header that led to Virgil van Dijk's goal, would have left Arteta apoplectic.

It had happened once before in the game, and they did not seem to learn their lesson.

In the end, a draw was the fair result - no matter what you thought about the late "winner" Arsenal had chalked off or indeed any other refereeing decisions.

Arsenal have fallen five points behind Manchester City, so is it time to worry? It is suboptimal, but there is only a quarter of the league season played. Although, it might be an idea not to allow the gap to grow any bigger.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United are interested in signing 25-year-old Brentford and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, who the Bees value at about £50m, in January. (Newcastle Chronicle), external

Arsenal are working on a deal to sign 28-year-old Germany winger Leroy Sane when his Bayern Munich contract expires next summer. (Football Insider), external

Sporting are willing to sell Viktor Gyokeres for between £50m and £58m next summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City all interested in the 26-year-old Sweden striker. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In the aftermath of Arsenal's draw with Liverpool, with the talk about injury issues and refereeing decisions, one player has probably gone under the radar.

Ben White started the game at centre-back, the position he started his Arsenal career in, for the game against the Reds and put in an excellent performance.

Arsenal were dealing with injury issues at the back and with William Saliba suspended, White shuffled inside.

Bukayo Saka returned to the starting line-up after injury and White's partnership with the winger is a huge part of Arsenal's attacking outlet.

Arteta resisted the urge to put him out there and brought Thomas Partey in at right-back, a decision also made because of Arteta maybe not fully trusting Jakub Kiwior in a game of that magnitude.

When Gabriel did have to go off with injury, White partnered Kiwior at centre-back and he was a commanding presence there, constantly talking to Kiwior while ensuring the backline was set up correctly.

At the end of the match, White was the only regular starter from Arsenal's back four still on the pitch and his importance and development as a player in that time was really highlighted.

White still managed to link up with Saka during the game and his pass to Saka for the opening goal was one of true quality.

The Gunners take on Preston in Carabao Cup next and Saliba will be available for selection so it is not clear if White will continue in that centre-back role, but he showed in the past week just how important he is to this Arsenal side.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup last-16 game against Preston North End (kick-off 19:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Arteta confirmed they are "still assessing" Gabriel but he "doesn’t look that bad", however, Riccardo Calafiori will be out "for a few weeks" with injury.

• On captain Martin Odegaard's fitness: "He’s been on the grass for a few weeks but there is still a few boxes to tick. Hopefully he’ll be back before the international break."

• They will try and find "the right balance" while competing in four competitions but Arteta insisted they "want to win them all". He added: "We have a chance tomorrow to carry on the momentum and put a strong team out there."

• Asked if he was un-sackable because of the support he has had from the Arsenal board: "Nobody is un-sackable. When this happens you have earned something and you have it in the bank somehow, but we are here to win football matches – never forget that."

• Asked about how long he's been in the role he added: "Very unusual. Unfortunately it is very unusual. I will carry on with my job in the best possible way and football matches are the most important thing and you have to win many of them to keep your job."

• On importance of the League Cup: "It is important because it keeps everyone alive. It can help you maintain the winning habit which is really, really important. You show that you care about every competition regardless of what you play. You have to compete for every match you are in or you are out. The margins are so small and tomorrow we face a tough opponent."

• On this game being an opportunity for squad players: "There are players who haven’t played much. They will have a chance tomorrow, but you have to earn the right to play. When you have that right then you have to perform and you have to perform in a way to win the game and impact the team."

• The manager says academy graduate Myles Lewis-Kelly has a "huge personality" and "doesn't care who he plays". Arteta emphasised they "have full belief and he is showing qualities that we want. He has earned the right to play those games."

• On comments made by pundit Jamie Carragher that Arteta's tactics are closer to Jose Mourinho's than Pep Guardiola's: "I don’t talk about myself. I leave him to give his opinion."

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

The atmosphere at Emirates Stadium has long been a subject of debate. In the early years, the matchday atmosphere was unfavourably compared to the intensity of Highbury and many questioned if it could ever replace the hallowed turf where Arsenal had enjoyed so much success.

In the past three seasons though, the Emirates has been electric. The first year Arsenal mounted a serious bid for the title in 2022-23, it was truly joyful.

This season has felt different. Arsenal's role as the plucky pretender is no longer enough for fans - they are demanding success. And with this, there has been a real shift in the atmosphere, particularly on Champions League nights. The Saturday 15:00 games against teams in the lower half of the table have also been subdued.

Ahead of Sunday's game with Liverpool, Mikel Arteta said that his team would be "flying" and for at least the first half, they certainly were. The atmosphere was back, the vibes were back and the Arsenal were back. When it comes to the so-called "big games", Arsenal's recent record both on the pitch and in the stands is fantastic. The 3-1 win against Manchester United last September was the Emirates at its most raucous.

But perhaps what both the fans and the team need to remember is that the smaller games carry just as much weight as the big ones. Getting up for big games, like winning away at Spurs, or going toe-to-toe with Liverpool, seems to be easy for this Arsenal. Unfortunately, it is the performances against the "smaller" teams where the title could be lost.

If Arsenal are to win the title this year, both the players and the fans must find a way to inject the same energy they displayed on Sunday into every single game.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton believes Arsenal are still missing a "natural goalscorer" and has questioned whether Gabriel Jesus has lived up to expectations at the Emirates.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "Over the last couple of years, there has been this debate about whether Arsenal need a natural goalscorer - it does feel like something is missing.

"[Martin] Odegaard is clearly missing but Gabriel Jesus - who played on the right-wing against Shakhtar Donetsk in a 4-4-2 - I remember there was talk of him taking them to the next level when he went to Arsenal.

"He does so many good things in a game but two things he still hasn't come to grips with is finishing and being clinical - I think that is the issue.

"When you look at the likes of Manchester City, you have to be near perfect to beat them and I think Arsenal probably need a little bit more than they have got at this moment in time."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds