Mikel Arteta was in attendance at his pre-match press conference and we take a look at what the Arsenal boss had to say.
Let's talk about the injuries:
Everybody is fit and ready to play. So how to make the right choice is a headache.
Happiness worries?
Yes, the annoyance of happiness.
Would you rather play before Manchester City?
That's the reality. It's clear, we have to win our games and wait and see, that's the only thing we can focus on.
How much do you want to keep Jorginho?
I'm very keen to keep him, Jorginho knows that and the club has full support. Jorginho is an important player for us, on and off the pitch, he makes the team better, so we want to keep him.
You've become the youngest manager to win 100 Premier League wins, so you're happy with the progress you've made, right?
It was a lot of contributions from a lot of people who provided really important support to help you win the game. Hopefully that will bring us the championship because that's what we want.
Is Timber ready for a comeback?
We didn't know until we put him on the field. The situation is delicate as there are only three games left in the season and Timber is out for eight months. He's only played 115 minutes with the Under-21s so far and we don't know what to expect until he's put him on the pitch.
Will Raya be bought out and stay?
These discussions are left for the end of the season. We'll take a fresh look at ourselves, but obviously we're very happy with Raya and what he's done for the team.
This decision will be discussed by all of us, so we'll see.
Will Timber be involved in tonight's (Friday) Under-21 game?
No, he won't play in this game.
Is it true that there are rumours that you will accept an offer for Gabriel Jesus this summer?
I don't know where this statement comes from.
So you have no intention of letting Jesus go?
Yes.
The above is the main content of the press conference, in fact, the original text is very long...... Let's not talk about the non-critical ones.
At this point in the season, it's a miracle that Arsenal have kept all of their first-team players healthy, and Arteta's rotation has been criticised repeatedly, but Arsenal's injury situation is the best among the Premier League powers.
Timber won't be playing in the reserves, which is a sign that he has a good chance of being in the squad for the next game, so wait and see!
Jorginho's future is clearer, and both the team reporter and Arteta are sure to renew his contract, waiting for the official news. Personally, I couldn't agree more with Jorginho's decision to renew his contract.
Some friends argued about why not renew Thomas's contract and Xhaka last year? Thomas is because of high salary and injury problems, Xhaka wants to leave the team, not that Arsenal don't want to keep him, in fact, the first thing Arteta did after taking charge was to keep Xhaka.
In Raya's case, Arteta did not make a clear statement, but he will be 100% bought out, which is undisputed.
On the issue of Gabriel Jesus, Arteta has also made it clear that there are no plans to sell him, similar to the situation we analysed. Unless there is a good offer or Gabriel Jesus himself wants to go, Arsenal will not rush to sell him this summer. Even if a new striker is acquired, there is actually a place for Gabriel Jesus, and it is Nketiah who is really affected.
Of course, if Kai Havertz and the new striker compete for a regular place next season, and Gabriel Jesus can only play the role of a runner, then next summer will be the time for him to leave.
Here are the rumors, get started!
Silkeborg FC's 23-year-old full-back Oliver Sonny admitted in a recent interview that he dreams of playing for Arsenal one day.
Speaking to Tipsbladet, Sonny said: "I would love to play in Serie A or play for Arsenal, it's my dream. But I don't know if it's possible, and I hope that one day the dream will become a reality. ”
The lad has a lot of ideas, but he's not the first player to take the initiative to woo Arsenal, and certainly not the last......
Looking at it from the German transfer market, this Sonny is worth only 1.2 million euros, plus the age of 23, it can almost be concluded that he will not be able to win Arsenal in the future, Arteta's team selection standards are very high, I am afraid it will be difficult for him to achieve his wish.
It's always good to have dreams.
The Telegraph reporter SD has posted that given Kai Havertz's excellent performance in the centre-forward position, it is now entirely possible that Arsenal will switch their summer acquisition priority from centre-forward to wing-forward.
Arsenal sources have told SD that they are preparing to make the change, depending on which targets are operational this summer.
SD is a reliable journalist, but there are some points that need to be clarified here.
First of all, SD is only saying that the priority acquisition target is adjusted from a center to a winger, not to abandon the center target, and he also said that "it all depends on which targets are available for operation this summer", that is, it depends on which options are more suitable in the market.
If Osimhen, Isak and Dzhekereish all cost more than 100 million, and Gimenez and Sesko do not meet the requirements, then Arsenal may indeed try to buy wingers first.
But the problem is that the winger target is also not cheap, and Saka must be the main force, Martin Jr. on the left can still be saved, plus Trossard, Ronaldo, and Jesus can all play this position, whether it is necessary to spend a lot of money to strengthen is a question. Even if the right winger buys a player of more than 50 million pounds, it is not easy to place, and the salary must be very high.
Arsenal go and choose, I personally think the center forward still has to be bought, and it has to be bought at the top level. 100 million midfielders, 65 million all-rounders, 50 million central defenders, and more than 30 million goalkeepers have all been bought, and the center forward position is very important and cannot be improvised.
Marca reported that Arsenal and Liverpool are eyeing Barcelona midfielder Pedri.
The young Pedri has established himself in Barcelona and the Spanish national team, although reports have reported that Barca have decided to cash out the 21-year-old as selling Pedri could help them get the money to bring in new players.
According to Marca, Arsenal are interested in buying Pedri, but at the moment Liverpool are the leading Barcelona star race, the Reds need to sign Thiago's replacement, and the £51.3 million offer is enough for the Red and Blues to consider selling.
Not reliable news.
Pedri is good, young and potential, hard working and very creative, but Barcelona should not sell him, which is the cornerstone of the future. The only problem is that there are too many injuries, and that's a problem......
Moreover, it is unrealistic to convince Barcelona to release more than 50 million pounds......
The Independent's editor-in-chief MD has posted that Isak is Arsenal's top target for strikers this summer, but Newcastle have steadfastly refused to sell the striker, a deal that could largely depend on whether the player himself requests a transfer.
Arsenal also have other options up front, and if Isak's deal is difficult to finalise, they will be looking for other targets.
Isak is one of Arsenal's targets, but it's hard to say it's the top one. And Newcastle will not sell him, and the player himself has recently stated that he is happy to stay.
Negotiations must be very difficult, even more so than Guimarães, which I don't think is realistic.
A lot of the rumours today are linked to Newcastle, including Guimaraes.
TA journalist DO spoke about the Arsenal and Guimaraes rumours in a Q&A column.
DO said: "Arsenal really appreciate Guimaraes if they buy a number six, he can also play as a number eight, but Arsenal and Newcastle both see him as a number six.
Arsenal have long been bullish on Zubimendi in this position, and there will undoubtedly be more potential targets.
However, if Rice is fixed in the No.6 position for a long time, there is no guarantee that the Gunners will pursue the No.6 player, and they may instead search for the No.8 player.
Guimaraes has a £100 million liquidated damages clause in his contract, and I'm not sure Arsenal or any other team is willing or able to pay that amount, although there are other ways to explore the deal.
However, Newcastle do not want to lose Guimaraes, and the player himself looks very happy at Newcastle, despite this, many players are willing to join Arsenal, especially with the Gunners currently very strong. Let's see what happens in the summer. ”
I feel that DO is not very optimistic about this acquisition, and I am the same, mainly because the price is too expensive, and it is too luxurious to buy a midfielder for 100 million yuan for two consecutive years......
The most important thing is that, as DO said, if Rice is the No. 6 position, it is not easy to buy another Guimaraes in the No. 6 position, and of course the more good players, the better, but you have to consider the cost. Guimarães can play in the No. 8 position, but there is no need to spend 100 million to buy him to play the No. 8 position, there are more options for this position, and it is cheaper.
In short, this transaction still needs to be observed, and there is no conclusion for the time being.
DO also touched on the rumours of Arsenal and Williams and Neto, in a Q&A column.
He said: "Arsenal have long wanted to improve their competitiveness and depth on the flanks and we know they are interested in Neto, but given his injury history and price, I don't think he is a priority target for the Gunners in the summer," he said.
Williams is also one of Arsenal's possible options, but the Gunners are not the only club to appreciate the winger and there is no guarantee that Williams will leave Athletic Bilbao this summer. ”
Here I also agree with DO's judgment that Neto is rumored every year, but his injuries are scary and the price is high, so it is not suitable to start, especially as the first target.
Williams is very good, but he is a La Liga player, and he has just renewed his contract, the price is not low, the uncertainty is strong, and it is not certain for the time being.
My personal feeling is that it is likely that the final choice will not be the people mentioned now at all. Of course, with Arsenal's current arrogance, it is not surprising that he really spent 70 or 80 million yuan to buy a winger, and it is easy to do things with money......
Let's take a look at this week's game and win against Bournemouth......