Arsenal Insider

Arsenal’s transfer window can only be described as disastrous following the events since its closure on Monday 3rd February.

Arsenal fans are fuming with Stan and Josh Kroenke after their lack of transfer activity coupled with the injuries to Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz have left Arsenal woefully short in attacking options.

The Gunners are not looking to bring in any free agent strikers and will now rely on Mikel Arteta getting the best out of the likes of the underperforming Raheem Sterling and Mikel Merino.

One deal that Arsenal did pursue on deadline day was not a striker but a former Tottenham Hotspur academy defender, and it seems the Gunners are going back in with a fresh approach.

Arsenal interested Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon

According to the Mail Online, Arsenal are interested in Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon after seeing Ayden Heaven depart to Manchester United in the January window.

Dixon is only 17 years old but has forced his way into the first team at Stoke, making six appearances in all competitions so far and impressing with his physicality and composure.

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The Gunners are believed to have enquired about Dixon on deadline day and will now be tracking his progress in the remainder of the season.

Dixon can play both at right back and at centre back and has already been capped for England at both under 17 and under 18 level.

Arsenal have already signed a Dixon from Stoke City

Should Arsenal be able to pull off a deal for Jaden Dixon, it would not be the first time the North London side have signed a ‘Dixon’ from Stoke City.

Lee Dixon was signed in January 1988 by George Graham and the England international went on to become a stalwart in Arsenal’s famous back four.

The right back won four Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup in his time at Arsenal and made an incredible 618 appearances, scoring 27 times.

If Jaden Dixon can have half the career of Lee Dixon, then Arteta could have some player on his hands in the future.

Arsenal have not had the 2024/25 campaign that fans would’ve desired however, the Gunners’ neighbours have it worse.

As Arsenal achieved a 1-0 win over Wolves at Molineux, other results around the Premier League added emphasis to the table.

Liverpool kept their lead at the top intact while Manchester City hinted at rejuvenation against Chelsea.

Further down the table, Arsenal’s arch-rivals Tottenham lost at home to Leicester City, pushing the North Londoners down the 15th place.

Tottenham match staggering Arsenal Premier League defeat record

Arsenal’s win over Wolves unearthed controversy as Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off for a challenge on Matt Doherty.

Mikel Arteta struggled to react to the red card as the Arsenal manager’s true feelings had to be reined in.

While the Gunners made a noise regarding Lewis-Skelly’s sending-off, an even louder debate unfolded at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Spurs lost 2-1 to the Foxes.

The defeat for Ange Postecoglou’s side took them to within eight points of the relegation zone, in what has been a dreadful season for Spurs.

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To rub salt in the wounds, a remarkable statistic emerged following the Lilywhite’s defeat, as with their 13th loss of the season, Spurs have matched Arsenal’s defeat record since 2022/23.

Arteta has watched his squad lose on 13 occasions since the start of the 2022/23 campaign, the same number of defeats Postecoglou has seen in this season alone.

It’s a surprise when considering that Arteta was criticised amid Postecoglou’s early influence at Spurs, with the Premier League table now taking shape very poorly for Arsenal’s rivals.

Arsenal’s season is far from over

Up until 2022, Tottenham finished above Arsenal for six consecutive seasons, something that hasn’t happened since that year.

In that time, Arteta has been the pioneer behind the Gunners’ claim to the Premier League title race and despite the challenges that have come this term, the race is far from over.

Liverpool sit comfortably in the top spot, so all Arteta can do is unleash a winning streak, similar to the results that followed Arsenal’s winter break in Dubai last season.

With there still a slim chance in the Carabao Cup and the Premier League and, the fact that Arsenal are performing exceptionally well in the Champions League, silverware mustn’t be ruled out just yet.

Amid criticism of the season, it’s easy to only see the negatives, with matchday 23’s results painting a rather glistening picture from Arsenal’s view.

Arsenal were at the centre of another controversial red card decision as Michael Oliver sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly just before half time.

Arsenal had dominated the first half without reward before the game turned on its head with the decision from referee Oliver.

Oliver sent Myles Lewis-Skelly off for serious foul play however, the decision was extremely harsh with many similar incidents in the season having already been deemed just a yellow card.

The incident saw Arsenal down to ten men for the fourth time this season and became the team with the most red cards in the Premier League this season.

Jamie O’Hara reacts to Myles Lewis-Skelly red card

Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jamie O’Hara has given his reaction to the red card shown to Myles Lewis-Skelly.

O’Hara has often been a critic of Arsenal given his Spurs connection but was in agreement with many Arsenal fans that the red card was the wrong decision.

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Arsenal fans were in utter disbelief at Oliver’s decision and fear the decision could be a hammer blow to their title hopes.

Michael Oliver at the centre of Arsenal controversy again

It is not the first time that Michael Oliver has been at the centre of a controversy involving Arsenal. Oliver sent off Gabriel Martinelli for two yellow cards at the same venue back in 2022 in another decision that caused anger amongst fans.

Leandro Trossard was also sent off by Michael Oliver earlier on this season for kicking the ball away in the 2-2 draw at Manchester City.

Arsenal fans will certainly feel that Oliver has had a lot influence on their results in recent years and that the rub of the green may not have gone their way.

The North London Derby exploded into life in the opening 45 minutes at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s attack has come under scrutiny in recent weeks and to Mikel Arteta’s disbelief, it appeared to be more of the same early into the North London Derby.

The Gunners had several chances to open the scoring before Son Heung-min capitalised on a poorly defended corner, giving Spurs the lead.

To the relief of those at the Emirates, Gabriel Magalhaes levelled the scoring with some help from Dominic Solanke however, the goal caused a lot of noise on social media.

Tottenham fans fume at Arsenal corner in North London Derby

Gabriel was the hero when Arsenal beat Spurs back in September, scoring the only goal in the derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While the 27-year-old had his goal stolen from him in Wednesday night’s clash, as it was marked as an own goal, he celebrated all the same in front of the Clock End.

As the Emirates was sent into pandemonium, so did X, as Spurs fans argued that the corner in which Gabriel scored from, should never have been awarded.

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“Glorified Stoke at it again. Should’ve never been a corner anyway,” an angry Spurs fan tweeted, with many sharing the same opinion as the ball appeared to trickle out off Leandro Trossard.

“Wasn’t even a corner. That could keep them in a title race and it wasn’t even a corner,” a supporter said, as another added, “Wasn’t even a corner, typical.”

Gabriel attacked Declan Rice’s inch-perfect delivery at the back post, with his effort coming off Solanke to see the striker score at the wrong end.

Spurs fans were furious, not by their team conceding an own goal, but because of the controversial corner.

“It was never a corner in the first place,” a supporter said, while others offered some sarcasm in reaction, “Wasn’t even a corner, brilliant.”

Other Spurs fans called on VAR to intervene, asking where the technology was when it came to denying the visitors a goalkick.

Why VAR didn’t overturn Arsenal goal vs Tottenham after corner error

Arsenal fans will be relieved that the decision was not overturned, with many asking why it wasn’t.

So why didn’t VAR intervene? Simply because it cannot.

The rules state that VAR is only used to review ‘clear and obvious’ errors, something that the awarding of a corner does not represent.

As a result, VAR had no grounds to overturn the on field decision, regardless of the displeasure it caused the Spurs supporters watching on.

Arsenal are preparing to welcome fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

A midweek North London Derby will grace N5 on Wednesday as Arsenal look to do the double over Spurs in 2024/25.

Arsenal beat Tottenham 1-0 away from home back in September, seeing Gabriel Magalhaes send the away end into pandemonium with a second-half header.

After losing consecutive games against Newcastle United and Manchester United, Mikel Arteta will be desperate for a win and, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Tottenham handed Richarlison North London Derby injury boost

The North London Derby is one of the Premier League’s spectacles, with both sets of players understanding the importance of the event.

Arsenal will head into the fixture hungry for a win however, the Gunners will be without some key players for the contest.

Arteta expressed his concern over Gabriel Jesus, as the striker was suspected to have sustained a season-ending injury against Man United.

While Arsenal are light in attack, Spurs are very short all over the pitch although, Ange Postecoglou revealed that his squad have earned an overdue boost ahead of Wednesday’s clash.

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The Spurs manager confirmed that striker Richarlison is available to face Arsenal, admitting that the forward is desperate to play the fixture.

“He’s been harassing me for the last 10 days to be involved,” Postecoglou said of Richarlison, who has been out of action since match day 10.

Richarlison’s record against Arsenal

Arsenal have many good memories against Spurs, most prominently winning the league at White Hart Lane twice – because once wasn’t enough.

While the Gunners have fond memories of playing Spurs, Richarlison also has fond memories of playing Arsenal, sporting a decent record against his bitter rivals.

Richarlison has won 38% of his meetings against Arsenal, winning on five occasions and scoring twice.

The Brazilian most notably netted a late equaliser against the Gunners when playing for Everton, a goal that spurred the Toffees to get a late winner over Arteta’s squad.

Fortunately, the 27-year-old has never been on the winning side against Arsenal when representing Spurs, with the hope his record can continue on Wednesday night.

The 197th North London Derby is upon us as Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal.

The Gunners have a phenomenal recent record against Spurs. They are unbeaten in their last five games and will once again be the favourites to pick up all three points.

However, Arsenal have a few big problems. They already had plenty of injury issues, but now, Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for a while after hurting his knee against Manchester United.

That complicates things for Mikel Arteta, who now has to find a different solution in attack to get the better of Tottenham on Wednesday night.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham

Arsenal’s XI vs Manchester United was nowhere near their full-strength lineup, but they were still the better side by a mile.

Against Spurs, we expect Arteta to go a lot stronger by making three changes.

David Raya is set to continue in goal and we think the same back four that started against United will get the nod once again – Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

In midfield, we expect two changes from Arteta – Declan Rice and Thomas Partey to come in to replace Jorginho and Mikel Merino.

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Martin Odegaard came under some undeserved criticism against Manchester United, but he is set to start again when Spurs come to town.

In attack, we expect Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz to keep their place in the side, but on the right flank, we think Raheem Sterling will start after his eye-catching display in the FA Cup.

Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Tottenham: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Havertz, Sterling

What happened in the last five North London Derbies?

Some Arsenal fans will make it seem like the Gunners are having a disastrous season, but it could be worse – they could be as bad as Tottenham.

Spurs are 10 places and 16 points below Arsenal in the Premier League table, and their record at the Emirates Stadium is shocking as well – just two wins in nearly 19 years.

To make things worse for Spurs, they haven’t had much luck in the last five North London Derbies either.

Arsenal have been reigning supreme over Tottenham for many years now, and their record recently has been fantastic.

Arteta will be hoping that his side can continue their good run in the North London Derbies as anything but a win would end the Premier League title race.

That is the last thing Arsenal need right now after back-to-back defeats in the two domestic cups.

Arsenal are in crisis mode after suffering a heart-breaking penalty shootout loss at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The Gunners crashed out of England’s oldest competition after failing to defeat the Red Devils, who played for 60 minutes with ten men.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s men sit six points adrift of league leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, and are 2-0 down at the halfway point of their EFL Cup semi-final tie against Newcastle.

To add to the list of problems, Bukayo Saka is out for several months, Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious injury against United, and the likes of Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are also sidelined with fitness issues.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the Emirates on Wednesday night, and given the depleted nature of Arteta’s squad, he ought to consider experimenting with an unusual ploy against Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Mikel Arteta should use Kieran Tierney on the left-wing against Tottenham

Arsenal have struggled to score goals in recent matches, with the attack failing to click as a unit.

Gabriel Martinelli has received criticism for his form, while the likes of Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz are also faltering.

Raheem Sterling divided opinion with his display against United, and thus there are no obvious solutions to the Gunners’ attacking profligacy.

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However, there is one unconventional option that Arteta should surely be contemplating trying in Wednesday’s North London Derby.

Kieran Tierney replaced Jorginho late on against Ruben Amorim’s outfit, and the Scotsman looked sharp in his short cameo.

The defender is adept at getting to the by-line and whipping in dangerous crosses and cut-backs, and in the absence of other options, Arteta should look to utilise these attributes and deploy Tierney as a left-winger.

Defensively, the former Celtic man will have the nous and awareness to support whoever is selected at left-back, while going forward his quality has been on show at the Emirates in the past.

Mauricio Pochettino used Ben Chilwell as a high-and-wide left-winger at points for Chelsea last season, and Arteta should replicate this tactic with Tierney, who possesses a similar skillset to the Englishman.

With the 27-year-old marauding down Arsenal’s left and exploiting the space vacated by the aggressive Pedro Porro, the Gunners could dismantle a fragile Spurs defence.

Tierney’s offensive statistics suggest he’s suited to a forward role

Back in Tierney’s prime days at Arsenal, he was often used as one of the most advanced outlets under Arteta.

The Scotland international delivered impressive output in this role as well, registering 11 assists between 2019 and 2021 for the North Londoners.

Completing over a key pass a game, and 0.59 crosses into the penalty area per game, it’s evident that given more freedom to remain in forward areas, Tierney could thrive.

It’s certainly far from an ideal arrangement, but Arsenal have to try something new against their bitter rivals.

Over the years, it’s not been too common for players to make the controversial switch from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspur or vice versa.

Sol Campbell made that move back in 2001 signing for Arsenal on a free transfer, something Spurs fans still haven’t forgiven him for.

Of course, it’s very hard to argue with Campbell’s decision today, the centre-back went on to win two Premier League titles and pick up three FA Cup medals under Arsene Wenger.

Campbell was a trailblazer in that respect, there’s seldom been a player since who was brave enough to make the move across north London.

William Gallas and Emmanuel Adebayor played for Tottenham after their time at Arsenal, but even they didn’t move directly.

Arsenal fans want to save Dejan Kulusevski from Tottenham ‘mess’

That being said, after watching Liverpool batter Spurs in N17 on Sunday, a lot of Arsenal fans took to X to send a message to Mikel Arteta.

At a time when Arsenal have lost Bukayo Saka for a long period, fans thought there was an opportunity for Arteta to rescue Dejan Kulusevski from the ‘mess’ he’s part of at Tottenham.

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After watching Kulusevski’s consolation goal against Arne Slot’s side, one fan wrote: “In the summer, Kulusevski should enter Sobha Reality training centre’s doors, he’s a life long Arsenal fan.

“Spurs have no ambition, he is wasted there, someone should whisper in his ear, would be a great signing for both parties.”

In addition, there were also a lot of Arsenal supporters focusing on the fact that Kulusevski is thought to be a fan of the club, at least before he joined Spus.

Another said: “Kulusevski is an Arsenal fan. They won’t sell him to us but put a bid in. He will want out.”

As mentioned, Saka will be missing for a significant period and another supporter truly believed that Kulusevski was the right player to deputise for Saka moving forward.

They said: “The only player I’d take out of this Spurs squad is Dejan Kulusevski, so he deputises for Saka.

“And guess what? He’s an Arsenal fan!”

Dejan Kulusevski admits that he’s an Arsenal fan

Quite a few supporters referenced Kulusevki’s allegiance to Arsenal, and they’re not wrong.

Perhaps the Spurs winger has now changed his tune somewhat, but when speaking to Lundh podcast whilst he was still playing in Italy in the past, the Sweden international made his feelings towards Arsenal very clear.

He said: “My favourite team is Arsenal because I like everything about the club, the city, the players and the way they play football.”

It would surely be pretty impossible to prise Kulusevski away from Tottenham, now or in the future.

But at the same time, he’s definitely a player who would thrive in the other half of north London, one who would arguably be an upgrade on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli.

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur share a very fierce rivalry in North London.

The two sets of fans don’t like each other, and every time there is a derby, the tensions are high. Supporters of neither club want to end up on the losing side.

Arsenal have historically been the more successful club, and they remain the better side today too. Tottenham are nowhere near the Gunners’ level.

Mikel Arteta’s side are sitting in a comfortable position now after three wins on the bounce, but things are not so rosy at Spurs right now.

Jamie O’Hara explains difference between Arsenal and Tottenham in set-pieces

Arsenal are the kings of set-pieces in both boxes in the Premier League, while Tottenham are nowhere near good enough.

The Gunners have scored more goals from set-pieces since the start of the 2023/24 season than any other club in the division, and they added two to that list against Manchester United.

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from corners to help Arsenal pick up a good win over the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium.

On Thursday, Tottenham suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, and they conceded a goal from a set-piece yet again.

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Spurs fan and pundit Jamie O’Hara was absolutely furious with his side, and he went on a huge rant, slating his club’s inability to defend set pieces.

The Englishman also made a great claim about Arsenal, who are snidely being compared to Stoke City and other smaller teams who were once efficient in set-plays.

O’Hara, who was absolutely raging, said on talkSPORT: “I’m sick and tired of watching Tottenham give away a set-piece and concede a set-piece. It is a joke. Every single game!

“And, I’m sick of people coming in here saying ‘Arsenal are like Wimbledon, Arsenal are like Stoke, they score a set-piece’ – Yeah, they win games! Because they are good at set-pieces.

“Tottenham are a disgrace from set-pieces! A disgrace! It’s unacceptable in the Premier League to be this bad from set-pieces.”

O’Hara is absolutely right about Arsenal

Fans of several clubs, including Tottenham, have made several snide comments about Arsenal, mocking them for their prowess in set-pieces.

Comparisons to clubs like Stoke City have emerged as well, which is just lazy analysis.

If Arsenal weren’t as good as they are in set-pieces, they would be conceding cheap goals from corners like Tottenham do so regularly. That would almost instantly rule them out of the title race.

Set-pieces are an important part of football at both ends of the pitch. The fact that Arsenal are the masters of it deserves praise, not ridicule.

O’Hara says he’s sick of people mocking Arsenal – so are we. It needs to stop!

In a Fulham shirt this season Reiss Nelson has already almost doubled the amount of Premier League minutes that he made for Arsenal last term.

At 24-years-old, Arsenal decided that it was time for Nelson to try a loan move in the Premier League, a winger who had only headed abroad previously.

Nelson had a season at TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, moving back in 2018, and he also tried his hand at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie a few years later.

The Hale End Academy graduate is at something of a crossroads of his Arsenal career, Mikel Arteta will soon need to make a call similar to the one he made with Emile Smith Rowe.

But if things go well at Fulham, as they did for Nelson against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, who knows what could happen.

Reiss Nelson embarasses Tottenham with Ronaldinho skill move

A quartet of former Arsenal players including Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi and Bernd Leno, all playing alongside Nelson, frustrated Spurs in N17, holding them to a point.

Nelson played 61 minutes before being replaced on the left-wing, and he enjoyed some excellent moments looking dangerous out wide.

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In his minutes, there was one moment in particular when Nelson seemed to pay tribute to his parent club, taking a minute to humiliate Spurs on their home soil.

The on-loan Arsenal man received a long pass out to the left wing which Nelson decided to control with his back, a skill synonymous with Ronaldinho at Barcelona.

It worked, and Nelson then chipped a dangerous ball into the box, one that Iwobi almost scored from.

A delightful moment from an Arsenal fan point of view, and a passage of play that Fulham supporters will have appreciated also.

Arsenal willing to sell Reiss Nelson for the right price

Harping back to the subject of Nelson’s future, it would seem as if the Gunners have already come to something of a decision.

Arsenal would sell Nelson for the right price, a player who Arteta’s project has somewhat moved beyond.

Marco Silva has complimented Nelson since he arrived at Fulham, and perhaps the west London club will eventually eye a permanent move.

Either way, the winger will always be a firm favourite in north London, a player with class both on and off of the pitch.