Arsenal Team PL Champions Talk/Gossip/Rumours 25/26!

Its a little weird alright. I fully understand why he was brought in but dont get why he wasnt used in the league more before Christmas.

I think it was a mistake (probably consensus opinion) and Zubi suffered a bit for it.

the norgard thing isn’t really a mystery, Arteta can see who’s playing well in training and obviously he wasn’t up to scratch, who’s idea was it to buy him ? It may not have been Arteta at all

It is more that the club is obliged to accept any offer of £5m of more for Kepa. The agreement when we signed him was if he didn't become first choice, he could leave for that price for first-team football.

Doesn't guarantee he will leave, but the choice is in his hands if any club bids £5m.

Gutted for him! Poor Jurrien

A blow for the Netherlands as well, as they have an awesome defence including Mickey van de Ven (Spurs), Virgil van Dijk (Pool) and Nathan Ake (BC)

one to keep an eye on for sure but he has played 92 games the last 2 seasons for us.

Arsenal's key players, Raya, Gabriel, Rice, Timbre, Zubi and Saliba are over played. There's a price t be played if you keep flogging players.

The last thing they need now is going deep in World Cup Tournament. Long term injuries to one or more of those players would spell trouble for next season. Rice on form, which is is 95% of the time is a dream for centre halves to have in front of you.

And to be fair if Arteta/Berta hadnt gone for "quantity" over "quality" (exaggerating for effect) last summer we wouldnt have won the league.

It's an interesting one. Someone's head had to roll. He's the head of Sports Science so he's the one on the chopping block. I wonder what affect this will have on the injury record next season. I'd sympathise with him. Not much I'd imagine he can do about Arteta running players into the ground time after time after time.

Arteta is a stubborn man.

Arsenal were brilliant from Jan to end of season two years ago. From a training camp in January to end of season they dropped 5 points.

3 of those and what lost them the title was against Aston villa.

Arteta picked the same side for three huge games in a row, two against Bayern and the villa game in a 8 day window.

He made same mistake this season with two many key players featuring in two domestic cups.

Rice, Gabriel etc shouldn't even be told when those games are on 😁

I think there is absolutely an element of that. For sure. Sometimes he probably has little choice but ya, that does happen. First 2 that spring to mind are White and Havertz. Over played. Then Saka. Gabriel.

How many were injured from overplaying? I think a lot of the time, players injuries are put down to overplaying them, without any real basis to it. I think Havertz is a prime example, where he got injured after he had finished his run of games, rather than during it - yet the blame was still put on him being overplayed.

In fairness this was the first year I can recall under Arteta where we had decent cover all across the ground and we also then won the league. Yet we still needed our stars to grind it out.