Who is next?

Morning all.

Back in the old days, it was Arsene Wenger against Fergie, Arsenal against Manchester United. The game football waited for each season, certainly during Arsene’s first ten seasons at the club. These days though, it’s the blue side of Manchester v Arsenal which is hogging the pre match weekend headlines.

The fixture at The Etihad along with the post final whistle behaviour from Erling Haaland is back on the back pages. The way the big guy ‘belittled’ Mikel Arteta by slapping him on the back whilst telling him to “stay humble”, the “who the f**k” are you comment directed at Myles Lewis Skelly and of course, throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head after Stones equalised right at the end of the game.

The game itself was a good one despite the early City pressure and goal. Mikel Arteta’s team came back from being a goal down to lead 2-1 thanks to a stunning strike from Riccardo Calafiori and a Bukayo Saka corner headed home by Gabriel. Michael Oliver was clearly concerned about Arsenal winning the game as just before he blew for halftime, he booked Trossard for delaying a restart after he fouled Silva. Having already gone in Oliver’s book earlier in the game, Trossard was off. Just one of the eight red cards Oliver has shown to Arsenal players over the years. Thankfully, he’ll be nowhere near The Emirates Stadium this weekend unless he’s in one of the away fans seats. I jest of course.

Our rematch with City doesn’t kickoff until 4-30pm tomorrow afternoon, by which time we’ll know whether we have a chance of closing the gap at the top of the table or need to win just to hang on in there. Nottingham Forest face Brighton at lunchtime today whilst Liverpool are up against and in form Bournemouth side in Dorset at 3pm.

Mikel Arteta spoke to the media yesterday when once more he was asked about transfers:

I’m very confident with the work that the club is doing and exploring every single opportunity that we believe can have an impact on the team. That’s certainly the case and if we can agree something we will. If not, we won’t.

If it’s likely that we’ll be able to make any signings?

We are trying everything that we can, but I don’t want to give any reassurance or not. I don’t know, it doesn’t depend only on us, so our intention is clear but the possibilities are affected by three parties.

I’m usually a glass half full kind of girl but I’m starting to think we as a club are going to stick with who we have. Even Sverre Nypan seems to be staying put for the remainder of the season. Still, at least we know the club is doing everything it can to find a player eh. They’ve only had 31 days to get a deal over the line!!

Whilst we might be tempted to still feel bitter about Obi-Martin leaving us last summer to join Utd and Ayden Hayden likely to follow suit, I strongly suspect Wolves fans aren’t overly thrilled about Arsenal snapping up one of their young players last summer when 6’ 1” central defender Brandon Clarke ditched his boyhood club for Arsenal and now it seems Lennon Patterson could follow suit. Having already a trials with the under 21’s, 17 year old left-back/midfielder/central defender has a decision to make about his next club. He’s already said his goodbyes to Wolves.

I know every young player we sign for the academy doesn’t always interest everyone but regardless of what the club does for the present, it has to think of the future too. Snapping up young players who show great potential at 17 years old is cheap and very low risk. Even if they don’t make it to the very top, they should have a resale value. If they make it into the first team, brilliant. Sometimes with younger players, all they need is a lucky break which often means another player has suffered injury or hit a low period in his game. Look at Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. At the beginning of the season, I thought it would be the latter who’d be stealing the headlines but since MLS played his first game, he’s played as if he’s been in the team for years. Two fantastic young players and both are Arsenal through and through. It’s like the Michael Thomas and David “Rocky” Rocastle era being reborn.

One of Arsenal Wenger’s favourite things to say around transfer time was about not wanting to block a young players route into the first team by signing someone else. The problem for him though was that many of the young players he perhaps hoped would come through, weren’t really up the standard required to improve Arsenal’s first team. Jack Wilshere and Ashley Cole are the only players which immediately spring to mind and whilst others dipped in and out like Gibbs, Lansbury, Eastmond, Randall etc etc, none cemented their place in the team. Now, a bit like London buses, two have not only come through the academy but are going nowhere for the foreseeable future.

Who is next I wonder…?

Catch up in the comments…