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The Gunners' season will end if they fail to win at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and cast doubt over the future of this team's construction

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From 2021 to 2024, Arsenal made significant progress with each passing season under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners' former captain has learnt a job on the fly, and after one-and-a-half seasons figuring out the kinks of management, he has become one of the world's leading coaches.

It's testament to the work Arteta's done that not only are Arsenal now consistently fighting for the game's most coveted prizes, but they are scolded and picked apart when they don't get their hands on silverware. They have missed out on the Premier League title again and head to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday looking to save their Champions League campaign. Luis Enrique's total-football side left the Emirates Stadium last week as 1-0 victors and have the upper hand heading into a second leg back on home soil.

Amid the disingenuous critiques of Arsenal, there are elements of fairer assessment. Though Arteta has essentially built this squad from scratch himself, should they have more than a solitary FA Cup – a team from which there are no longer any surviving starters – to boast about? Where did they take a left turn when they ought to have veered right on the path to glory?

Unless the Gunners pull off a remarkable comeback in the French capital, they will be under intense inspection again for going trophy-less once more. This meeting at Parc des Princes may have wider complications than first realised.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPRebuilding their European reputation

Wayne Rooney was particularly scathing with his criticism of Arsenal and their fans after the first-leg loss to PSG: "For Arsenal, I was a bit disappointed with how they played, [I was] disappointed with the fans as well, I think the fans against Real Madrid were excellent. I thought tonight they were a bit subdued… almost like an anti-climax because Arsenal beat Real Madrid, that they are going to walk into the final [and] win the competition. The fans had to be there for them tonight. The players had to show up for them, of course, but on both sides, it wasn’t good enough tonight for Arsenal."

But make no mistake, that demolition of the reigning European champions across two legs was a statement the Gunners sorely needed to make, and will serve them well even if their journey ends at the semi-finals. They have only reached this stage of the Champions League three times, and this season's trip to the last-four was the first since 2009. Arsenal have been battered and bruised by the continent's top dogs for well over a decade, while they failed to make the most of their time in the Europa League too.

How Arsenal were thought of in Europe didn't marry up with how massive they were considered to be domestically. They were the Champions League's perennial underachievers, with few scalps claimed and only one appearance in a final to show for their efforts. That's a failing on the club, but one Arteta has started to make right.

Blowing Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final was as powerful as Declan Rice's second free-kick. You had to sit up and take notice of Arsenal, even more so when they went to Santiago Bernabeu and maintained their 100 percent winning record there. In the grand scheme of Arteta's project, that standing as Los Blancos' slayers matters.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportScrambling for second

The domestic and European campaigns have felt worlds apart for Arsenal. They went into the Premier League season as one of the favourites to end it in first. Off the back of two successive second-place finishes and seemingly having strengthened more in the summer transfer window than reigning champions Manchester City, there were enough reasons to suggest their upward trajectory would land them the title.

Fast-forward to matchday 34 and the Gunners' dreams of donning a first English crown since 2004 had already been extinguished. Liverpool wrapped up top spot with four games to spare having extended their lead to 15 points. Mitigating circumstances of course, but Arsenal barely made a fight of this supposed battle for the title at any point after the autumn, finding themselves double-figures behind Arne Slot's Reds for extended periods of the year.

After smashing City 5-1 on what felt like a landmark day to open February, Arsenal went on to win just four of their next 11 Premier League games, with two of those triumphs coming against sides who would end the season relegated with a whimper.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth, ensuring they have now dropped a joint-club-record 21 points from winning positions in a single season, has left Arteta's men barely in control of second spot. Only four points separate themselves from Chelsea in fifth, with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa not too far behind. Arsenal end the season with games against Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton – there's no guarantee they finish as runners-up again.

Getty Images SportInjury excuses wearing thin

The difference between the Arsenal of this season compared to the other two is they have had to contend with a rotating cast of injuries to key players. Bukayo Saka, most notably, missed 19 games this term due to a hamstring injury which required surgery, while Martin Odegaard's form has dropped off a cliff and into the abyss since he returned from an ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have all endured lengthy spells on the treatment table, ensuring the team never gathered sustained momentum together, with Arteta instead forced to adopt a next-man-up approach, one which has seen the fast-track of youth prospects Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri into the first-team fold.

Whether or not Arteta placing more of a physical burden on his key players led to their injuries is inconclusive, but ultimately he is the one who must take blame for the squad not being in a better state to compete for the three domestic competitions. The board and recruitment team have listened to every request and every demand of his, yet this club in unison still cannot say they have the best team. Not just yet, anyway.

Arsenal have not been the only team to have been struck by such injuries, while they got away pretty freely with such strokes of ill-fortune in their previous two campaigns (barring the William Saliba issue which derailed their 2022-23 charge). The momentum previously built up over the last 18 to 24 months is working in reverse.

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Getty Images SportSaliba to leave?

Over the weekend, a report from reliable French outlet claimed that Saliba, whose Arsenal contract expires in 2027, has been in talks with Real Madrid 'for weeks'. Though he has publicly confirmed his desire to remain in north London, such behind-door negotiations are Los Blancos' bread and butter.

You could perhaps even trace Madrid's courtship of Saliba back to an October 2024 interview that centre-back Antonio Rudiger gave. "Saliba is, this brother plays clean… You know, he looks like a silent leader," he said. When pressed on whether Arsenal fans should be scared of Madrid poaching their star defender, the German replied: "I am not scaring anybody but at the end of the day, it's clear, if he keeps doing what he's doing…"

At this point, Saliba's future isn't decided one way or the other, but this is the first time in Arteta's reign that an important player has been linked with such an exit. Everyone who Arsenal have sold since his appointment in 2019 has been with his blessing. Saliba is already a world-leading defender at 24, and the location of his next contract will dictate where he plays out his prime years. There's enough reason for the Gunners to be at least a little concerned it won't be in N5.

Aston Villa were one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs in the January transfer window, but failed to land almost as many of their targets as they ultimately signed, it has been revealed.

Aston Villa's transfer window

Unai Emery welcomed five new faces to his squad in the January transfer window, though only two arrived on permanent deals at Villa Park. The biggest deal of their window saw the Villans agree a loan deal to sign Marcus Rashford for the second half of the 24/25 campaign, with the club agreeing to pay a minimum of 75% of the forward’s wages and up to 90% of them based on performances in a Villa shirt.

Elsewhere, they also bolstered their attack with the permanent arrival of Donyell Malen from Borussia Dortmund, who set the club back £21m, and Marco Asensio arrived on loan on transfer deadline day.

Though they ultimately lost Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr, Villa fans will be hoping that the three attacking additions should more than cover his position and that of little-used forward Jaden Philogene, who was sold to Ipswich Town six months after returning to Villa.

There were also new faces added at the back with both Diego Carlos and Kosta Nedeljković departing the club, the former sealing a permanent exit and the Serbian defender moving to RB Leipzig on loan with an option to buy.

Player

Fee

Donyell Malen

£21m

Andres Garcia

£5.5m

Marco Asensio

Loan

Marcus Rashford

Loan

Axel Disasi

Loan

In their place, Villa added Andres Garcia from the Spanish second-tier, before pulling off a late loan move to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea to add a centre-back to their ranks. Coming in the final hours of transfer deadline day, Disasi was the culmination of a long search for a new defender that had begun much earlier, in a very different place.

Why Aston Villa missed out on trio before signing Disasi

Now, The Athletic have provided some insight into Villa’s attempts to land a new defender, and revealed that the club had actually tried to sign three alternatives before they landed on the former Monaco man.

The first of those was Loic Bade, who they submitted several bids for and even met Sevilla’s asking price to sign the Frenchman (£21.6m). However, it is claimed that Bade ‘had doubts concerning game time and the presence of Ezri Konsa in the right centre-back position’, which meant that he opted not to move to the Midlands and instead remained with the Andalusian side, where he still has four years left to run on his £68,000 a week deal.

Following that, Villa briefly attempted to sign PSG outcast Milan Skriniar, but were put off by his mammoth £264,000 a week wages, though his move to Turkey has since seen those wages slashed.

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Finally, Emery’s side began exploring a deal to sign Juan Foyth, and Emery was keen to reunite with the former defender after their time spent together with Villarreal. However, that appetite was not shared by the hierarchy, who were concerned by the Argentine’s injury record and, as a result, “no agreement was close” even though Foyth is down to the final 18 months of his £33k a week deal in Spain.

In the end, Villa opted to keep their financial powder dry for the summer window with a low cost loan move.

Charl Langeveldt is back as bowling coach, while Brad Haddin has been named assistant coach

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Nov-2022Punjab Kings have announced more changes to their support staff ahead of the next IPL, bringing back Wasim Jaffer as their batting coach and Charl Langeveldt as the bowling coach. They have also roped in Brad Haddin as the assistant coach.In September, they appointed Trevor Bayliss as head coach, after Anil Kumble’s contract was not renewed. Earlier this month, Shikhar Dhawan replaced Mayank Agarwal – who was also recently released from the squad – as captain for IPL 2023. Kings had failed to make the playoffs for three consecutive seasons under Kumble.Related

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Jaffer, who was appointed in the role ahead of the 2020 season under Kumble, had stepped down ahead of the mega auction last year. In July 2021, he was appointed chief coach of the Odisha Ranji team following which he took up a role with the Bangladesh U-19 side.Langeveldt, meanwhile, worked as Punjab’s bowling coach during IPL 2020 and was replaced by Damien Wright in 2021. He is also currently the bowling coach of the South Africa men’s team.Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Haddin will once again team up with Bayliss, with whom he had previously worked at Sunrisers Hyderabad in the same role.Following yet another season in which they failed to make the final four, Kings have rung in changes, releasing nine players at the end of the retention deadline day on November 15. Apart from Agarwal and Odean Smith, none of their other releases were major players in their first XI last season, and Kings go into the IPL 2023 auction, slated for December 23, with the second-highest purse of INR 32.2 crore.

England are through to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, knocking Australia out in the process, thanks to a four-wicket win over Sri Lanka.It was an anxiety-riddled chase in the final match in Group 1, despite a target of 142 looking well within reach after openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales posted 75 for the first wicket inside eight overs. But a series of unforced errors saw six wickets fall in the space of 65 deliveries, for the addition of just 54. The trio of Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya de Silva and Lahiru Kumara split those dismissals evenly between them and for a moment an upset looked well and truly on the cards.But Ben Stokes – as ever – saw England over the line with 42 from 36 that only contained two fours but constantly worked the scoreboard and Sri Lanka’s outfielders before Chris Woakes’ cut for four confirmed victory with two balls left. Stokes came in at No. 3 after Dawid Malan injured his groin fielding and showed typical poise under immense pressure.It was a far closer than it should have been, England having fought back strongly to limit Sri Lanka to a modest total after opener Pathum Nissanka (67 off 45) got them off to a flyer. For Australia, now officially done as defending champions, they will wonder what might have been having relinquished the opportunity to surpass England’s net run rate with their own modest win over Afghanistan on Friday.But for Nissanka’s blitz, which had Sri Lanka 65 for 1 after seven overs, there was little around him as England’s collective attack served up cutters and slower deliveries that were responding well to a worn surface at the SCG. Adil Rashid’s 1 for 16 from his four overs led the retort, though Mark Wood collected the more eye-catching figures of 3 for 26, two of them coming in the 20th over, which also featured a run out, as Sri Lanka crept to 141 for 8 – the lowest total posted first at this ground in the competition. England also became the first to win at the SCG when chasing.Buttler’s charges now head to Adelaide for their semi-final. They will play whoever finishes first in Group 2, which culminates on Sunday.Stokes. Again
Make no mistake, there was always going to be a space for Stokes, even if the pre-tournament conversations over whether he is in England’s best T20 team were merited. In many ways, it is his bowling that has been as close to a revelation as you can get for a multifaceted cricketer admired the world over, and yet again he opened up, finishing with 1 for 24 from three overs. Batting, however, was where the real question remained and it took until England were in the doldrums in Sydney to truly appreciate how valuable he is.Yes, his best spot is as an opener, but the way he gauged the conditions around him – both the tangible challenge of the pitch and intangible stress of having to be the saviour once more – was a reminder of his unparalleled worth to England. He only hit two fours, picking up the majority of his runs with his feet, as that problematic left knee worked more overtime. He is still yet to register a fifty in T20Is, and this score was only the third time he has passed 40 in 35 innings, not that he or his team-mates will care.If Malan’s injury is as feared, a batting replacement will have to be drafted in, and there is no guarantee Stokes will reprise his first-drop role in the semi-final. Whatever position he comes in at, there can be no doubt England’s best XI is one with him in it.Rashid dulls with class
Four games played, 16 overs bowled and, finally, a wicket. It has been a peculiar tournament for Rashid, one which has seen the legspinner operate as a dampener rather than a disruptor. Even though the former is a role of immense value in this format, the fear was the shoulder injury that has limited his usual zip off the pitch was cutting into his incisiveness. Of course, the reality may be closer to the fact batters are more watchful against him, willing to play his overs out before making hay at the other end.Here, he wedded both sides: stopping Sri Lanka in their tracks – he did not concede a boundary in his four overs – and dismissing Nissanka. Had he failed at either task, things would have ended very differently. As it happens, he now has 90 T20I wickets – the joint most for an Englishman, level with Chris Jordan.Change of pace
In a tournament where those topping the speed gun have stolen the headlines, here was a fixture that rewarded shifting down a few gears. The spinners were always likely to shine on this used pitch, but the quicks got in on the act with variations of their own. England’s attack sussed this halfway through and by the halfway stage, pace-off deliveries were going at 4.87 runs per over, while pace-on checked in at 8.46. The most notable element of this in the second innings came in the 18th over, when Sri Lanka’s own speedster Lahiru Kumara bowled six balls – almost entirely reserved and into the pitch – that yielded just two runs and the wicket of Sam Curran, leaving England needing over a run a ball for the last two overs.

Liverpool are well on course to clinch a second Premier League title in the club’s history as they sit six points clear of Arsenal, with a game in hand still to play.

The Reds ensured that the gap remained at six points over the weekend with a convincing 4-1 win over newly-promoted side Ipswich Town at Anfield.

Two goals from Cody Gakpo, after strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Mo Salah, secured all three points for Arne Slot’s team, which meant that the Gunners did not gain any ground on them.

The Reds, who are also top of their Champions League group, have benefitted from Manchester City having their first huge wobble in the Premier League in many years.

Pep Guardiola’s team have lost six of their 23 matches in the division, leaving them 12 points behind Liverpool, having played a game more, as it stands.

The reigning champions have, however, dipped into the market to bolster their squad ahead of the second half of the season and that may be a concern moving forward, more so for next season, after they swooped to sign Omar Marmoush this month.

Why Omar Marmoush could concern Liverpool

Back in October of 2024, Sky Germany reported that Liverpool were in talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over a deal to sign the Egypt international to bolster their attacking options.

This suggests that the recruitment team, and Slot, viewed Marmoush as a player with the quality, or potential, to come in and improve the team’s attack with his play as a centre-forward or out wide on the left.

Manchester City, however, ultimately won the race for his signature and reportedly paid a fee of £59m to bring him to The Etihad, before he made his debut in a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday.

The 25-year-old star was signed by the Cityzens, and wanted by Liverpool, after a return of 37 goals and 20 assists in 67 matches for Frankfurt in all competitions during his time with the German outfit.

Marmoush racked up 20 goals and 14 assists in 27 outings in all competitions in the first half of the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he has arrived in England in red-hot form in the final third.

As you can see in some of the clips above, Marmoush is a direct, fast, and dynamic forward who can score all types of goals from different positions across the pitch with his exceptional footwork, speed, and finishing ability.

This is why Liverpool may be concerned about City’s deal to sign the forward, because he has the potential to be a big signing for Guardiola who can help to bring them back to their best, whether that happens this season or for their title-challenge next term.

The Reds could, however, sign their answer to Omar Marmoush by dipping into the market to land their own right-footed left-sided attacker from the Bundesliga.

Liverpool's interest in Bundesliga forward

German journalist Christian Falk recently revealed, whilst speaking on The Daily Briefing, that Liverpool are one of a number of clubs that are interested in a deal to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.

Transfer Focus

The reporter claimed that Dortmund would prefer to sell him to a team from abroad, amid interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, which could provide the Reds with a boost in their pursuit of the England U21 international.

Speaking on The Daily Briefing, as transcribed by CaughtOffside, Falk said: “It’s true. Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the transfer race with Bayern for Jamie Gittens.

“Dortmund are currently looking for a transfer fee of €100m. Should Premier League clubs bid for the Englishman, Bayern are aware that completing a transfer on their end will be difficult.”

This means that Liverpool would have to splash out a mega transfer fee of £84m to secure a deal for the 20-year-old youngster, although it remains to be seen whether the interested parties want to get a transfer done now or if they are willing to wait until the summer.

If the Reds can see off interest from the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich, Slot could land his own version of Marmoush by signing the former Manchester City academy starlet.

Why Jamie Gittens could be Liverpool's Omar Marmoush

The obvious connection between the two players is that they have both starred in the Bundesliga this season and are both right-footed players who can operate on the left side, cutting in on their favoured foot, or in central areas.

Gittens has not quite matched Marmoush’s incredible haul of 34 goal contributions in 27 matches in all competitions for Frankfurt, but the Dortmund dynamo is five years younger than the Manchester City signing and has shown immense potential with his performances in the German top-flight and the Champions League this term.

In Europe, the English whiz has racked up four goals and two ‘big chances’ created in seven appearances – six starts – in the league phase, which shows that he has made a big impact in the final third in that competition.

The £84m-rated star, who was once described as a “pure difference-maker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the pace, technical quality, and movement to constantly make things happen at the top end of the pitch, much like Marmoush.

24/25 Bundesliga	Jamie Gittens
Starts	15
xG	2.44
Goals	7
Big chances created	5
Assists	3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Gittens has also offered plenty of quality in the Bundesliga this season, with 12 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 15 starts.

Overall, the England youth international has contributed with 11 goals and seven ‘big chances’ created in 21 starts in the Bundesliga and the Champions League combined, which shows that he could arrive at Anfield to make a big impact in the final third on a consistent basis.

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Therefore, the 20-year-old starlet, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve, could be Slot’s own version of Marmoush on the left flank if the club can secure a deal for his services this month or in the summer.

Brett Goldstein has confirmed that will return as a “producer and writer” on Season 4 of Ted Lasso, but will he reprise his popular Roy Kent role?

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• Jason Sudeikis bringing AFC Richmond back
• Contract option taken up on Roy Kent character
• Production about to begin on new series

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It has been announced, after several months of speculation, that at least one more series of the popular Apple TV+ show will be produced. With a “reboot” being set in motion, it has been suggested that another three seasons could be brought to the small screen.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jason Sudeikis is steering the ship, as he plays the character of Ted Lasso while doubling up as a writer, and he will be coaching in the women’s game this time around. New characters and storylines are ready to be introduced.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  A number of familiar faces are also on board, with a contract option being taken up on Goldstein. He is giving little away, though, after being asked how prominently he will figure in the world of AFC Richmond.

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  WHAT BRETT GOLDSTEIN SAID

  Goldstein, who plays foul-mouthed player-turned-pundit Kent, told when quizzed on his role behind and in front of the camera: “What I can say is I'm back in a professional capacity as an executive producer and writer.”

Arsenal are now believed to be the main contenders to sign a Real Madrid forward, with interim sporting director Jason Ayto and the Gunners recruitment team reportedly readying an offer for his services ahead of this summer.

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Kai Havertz will miss the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring on a training trip to Dubai, while fellow striker Gabriel Jesus is also sidelined for months following his ruptured ACL – which was sustained during Arsenal’s penalty shoot-out defeat to Man United in the FA Cup third-round.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

West Ham (home)

February 22nd

Nottingham Forest (away)

February 26th

Man Utd (away)

March 9th

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

This leaves Arteta with just Raheem Sterling as his only senior striking option, and even when given the chance to shine, he hasn’t exactly fired on all cylinders since joining Arsenal on loan from Chelsea last summer.

Sterling’s lack of impact against Leicester City last weekend forced Arteta to get very creative, with the Spaniard electing to replace Chelsea’s outcast by bringing on midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift centre-forward.

In dramatic fashion, the 28-year-old delivered a brace in the final 10 minutes to gift Arsenal a crucial three points in a 2-0 win at the King Power Stadium, but it is currently unclear whether Arteta will utilise Merino as a striker against West Ham on Saturday.

The Gunners’ current striking dilemma highlights why Arsenal really should’ve brought in a world-class number nine in January, while they had the chance.

Arsenal made a public bid for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, but according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, their low-ball £40 million proposal fell short of NSWE’s valuation for the England international.

The list of emergency free agents available to Arsenal is barren to say the least, with the biggest name among them, Diego Costa, most recently enduring a lacklustre stint at Wolves in 2022.

Arsenal preparing £50 million bid to sign Endrick from Real Madrid

Now, Ayto and the recruitment chiefs at London Colney are looking ahead to the summer window, as they seek to ensure Arteta won’t be left so short in the attacking third ahead of another potential Premier League title challenge next season.

The usual suspects, as well as more left-field targets, are linked with moves to Arsenal on a weekly basis – but a report has since emerged that Real Madrid starlet Endrick is now on their agenda.

As per a Spanish media source, Arsenal are believed to be very keen on Endrick, and they’re apparently the top candidates to secure his signature later this year. The Brazil international has found it difficult to break into Carlo Ancelotti’s side on a regular basis, with Arteta said to be offering a way out.

It is also claimed that Ayto and co are preparing a £50 million offer for the 18-year-old, and it will be intriguing to see if they do move forward considering his reputation as one of the most promising young Brazilians in world football.

Leicester City take on Arsenal at the King Power Stadium at 12:30pm on Saturday, in a fixture of great importance at both ends of the Premier League table.

The hosts could move out of the relegation zone with a victory, although it will be a very difficult task to stop a visiting side who are on course to challenge for the Premier League title.

Should the Gunners pick up all three points, they will keep the pressure on league-leaders Liverpool as we enter a crucial stage of the season.

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1 ByRoss Kilvington Feb 10, 2025 Leicester vs Arsenal team news

Leicester City

The trio of Jamie Vardy, Victor Kristiansen and Jannik Vestergaard were not involved in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in the FA Cup last time out, but their issues are not thought to be serious, so they could be in line to return this weekend.

Issahaku Fatawu is set to be sidelined for quite some time due to an ACL injury, while Ricardo Pereira is not expected to return anytime soon either, although Ruud van Nistelrooy has confirmed the right-back is now taking part in individual training.

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta will have to make do without Bukayo Saka once again, with the manager stating the right-winger will not be back before March, while on the opposite flank Gabriel Martinelli is set to miss out due to a hamstring issue.

Elsewhere, Gabriel Jesus will remain sidelined for the long term due to an ACL injury, while Ben White has been out of action since November and is not expected to return just yet and Kai Havertz is the latest player in the treatment room after suffering a hamstring injury in Dubai.

Where to watch Leicester City vs Arsenal on TV

Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the game live on TNT Sports 1, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm (GMT).

In the USA, the match will be streamed on NBC Sports, while Canadian viewers can tune in on fuboTV.

Leicester City vs Arsenal referee & VAR

Sam Barrott will be the man in charge of Saturday’s fixture. Tim Wood and Wade Smith are the assistant referees and Oliver Langford the fourth official. Paul Tierney has been selected for VAR, with Natalie Aspinall as assistant VAR.

The Gunners will be hoping to make it five wins out of five with Barrott as their referee.

Games

6

4

Record

2W, 3D, 1L

4W, 0D, 0L

Cards received

9 Yellow, 0 Red

4 Yellow, 0 Red

Cards to opponents

8 Yellow, 0 Red

10 Yellow, 0 Red

Penalties for/against

1/1

0/0

Leicester City vs Arsenal form Leicester City

There has been little respite for Van Nistelrooy since the Dutchman took the reins at the King Power Stadium, with his side losing four of their five Premier League matches since the turn of the year.

A 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur is one of the only causes for optimism, but since then the Foxes have lost their last two games on the bounce in all competitions, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in the FA Cup last time out.

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

Fri 7th Feb

Man Utd (a)

FA Cup

L 2-1

Sat 1st Feb

Everton (a)

Premier League

L 4-0

Sun 26th Jan

Tottenham (a)

Premier League

W 2-1

Sat 18th Jan

Fulham (h)

Premier League

L 0-2

Wed 15th Jan

Crystal Palace (h)

Premier League

L 0-2

Arsenal

The Gunners missed out on a trip to Wembley in their last match, succumbing 2-0 to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park and exiting the EFL Cup at the semi-final stage, but they remain in very good form in the Premier League.

Arteta’s side are undefeated in league action since November, most recently making a real statement by defeating reigning champions Manchester City 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

Wed 5th Feb

Newcastle (a)

EFL Cup

L 2-0

Sun 2nd Feb

Man City (h)

Premier League

W 5-1

Wed 29th Jan

Girona (a)

Champions League

W 1-2

Sat 25th Jan

Wolves (a)

Premier League

W 0-1

Wed 22nd Jan

Dinamo Zagreb (h)

Premier League

W 3-0

Leicester City vs Arsenal head-to-head

Saturday’s fixture will be the 152nd meeting between the two sides, and Arsenal hold a very strong record against Saturday’s hosts, having won the last six matches on the spin.

The Gunners were made to work hard for their victory in the reverse fixture earlier this season, however, relying on two stoppage-time goals to secure a 4-2 win back in September.

Leicester City wins

33

Draws

45

Arsenal wins

73

This season has felt like something of a slog for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have seemingly gone from one talking point to another over the last six months, be that dodgy decisions, injuries to key players or a lack of attacking signings in the winter transfer window.

The last two have left the team looking incredibly thin in the frontline, with Kai Havertz being the latest addition to the ever-growing injury list following a suspected muscle problem picked up in Dubai.

The German international has come in for plenty of criticism over the last few months, and while he’s a key player for the team, he’s currently being outperformed by someone Arteta let go for nothing.

Arsenal's slim attacking options

So, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and now Havertz all out of action, Arsenal’s frontline options look precariously thin.

Out wide, he only has two senior wingers to choose from in Leandro Trossard, who has 11 goal involvements in 36 games this season, and Raheem Sterling, with a disappointing haul of one goal and two assists in 18 appearances.

Fortunately, academy star Ethan Nwaneri has shown he’s more than capable of contributing to the first team this season, racking up a sensational tally of seven goals in just 700 minutes of action across 23 appearances.

Up top, there is even less of a choice for Arteta, as following reports of Havertz’s recent injury, Trossard is the only senior option left who has played as centre-forward, and even then, that is not a position he appears to be all that comfortable in.

The former Chelsea ace’s potential absence could be a serious problem, as while Understat’s data revealing he’s underperformed his expected goals in the league by 2.76 demonstrates he can be profligate at times, he’s still done an alright job leading the line.

For example, in 34 appearances, totalling 2776 minutes, the Aachen-born poacher has scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games, or every 138.8 minutes.

That said, while Havertz is doing a better job than he perhaps gets credit for, he’s still being outperformed by a striker let go by the club for nothing three years ago.

The former Arsenal star outperforming Havertz

Arteta has seen his fair share of strikers leave Arsenal since taking charge, like Alexandre Lacazette, who moved back to Lyon, and Eddie Nketiah, who moved to South London to join Crystal Palace.

However, the forward in question is former club captain Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who left the club for free in the 2022 winter transfer window after scoring 92 goals and providing 20 assists in 163 appearances, which was enough for Saka to brand him a “legend”.

The next few years would see the Gabonese star play for Barcelona, Chelsea and Marseille, where he did unbelievably well, producing 41 goal involvements in just 51 appearances last season, which was also enough to earn a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Qadsiah, where he has kept up his good form.

In fact, the former star of the Emirates has already scored 12 goals and provided two assists in just 20 appearances, totalling 1784 minutes this season.

That means he’s maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 127.42 minutes, which is a better average than Havertz has managed for the Gunners this term.

Appearances

51

20

Minutes

4005′

1784′

Goals

30

12

Assists

11

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.80

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

97.68′

127.42′

Now, while the level of football in Saudi Arabia is obviously far lower than that of the Premier League, the 35-year-old sharpshooter was tearing things up in a top-five league only last season, so there is every chance he could still be doing a job in England.

Ultimately, Havertz has been doing reasonably well this season, but we can’t help imagining just how different things might have been had Arteta and Aubameyang been able to reconcile their differences in 2022.

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