Arsenal

Huzaifah Khan
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news, Arteta confirmed that Eberechi Eze is available after going off injured against Newcastle at the weekend. Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka are also fit, but Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber are out.

• On the opportunity that lies ahead for his side, Arteta said this is where the club wants to be and they have "earned it through incredible work, passion and quality" and "now is the moment to make a statement and show how good we are".

• On what he expects from Atletico: "A really tough match. They have so much experience in the competition that they have every right to be here. We know the difficulty of the match but I think we have shown in Europe, in any ground, what we are capable of and very consistent and tomorrow we have to play with that confidence, that desire, to come here to win the game."

• Arteta was asked about being in the same situation as last season, when the Gunners are facing a side in the semi-final that they had previously beaten in the league phase: "We learn things from that game but tomorrow is going to be a completely different one, especially playing here. We know what they've done and what they are capable of, and because we have some experience now in these kinds of games, we know exactly what we have to do."

• On playing at a ground where there has been talk of it being a tricky surface to play on: "We are up to any context and, for the past nine months, imagine the amount of games that we have played with different scenarios, different contexts, different opponents, so we'll adapt to the conditions tomorrow in the best possible way to be ourselves and win the game."

• He also touched on whether he feels Arsenal now feel they belong on these stages: "I don't take it for granted because a very short time ago this club had seven years without Champions League. In that very short period of time what we have achieved is remarkable and we know the difficulty of it and how much we work for this. Enjoy it, take the opportunity and embrace it - because it is very tough to be here."

• On how important taking a win back to the Emirates would be: "That's what we want to do. We have prepared the game to win it. There is no question about that."

• On Atletico boss Diego Simeone saying Arsenal are interested in his striker Julian Alvarez: "You know that I don't talk about any player that is not our player."

Listen to full match commentary of Atletico Madrid v Arsenal on BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday from 20:00 BST

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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has said "everyone is excited" as the Gunners prepare to face Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta's side were knocked out in the last four last season by eventual winners Paris St-Germain.

"We're in the best part of the season," Odegaard said.

"It's another great opportunity to do something special. We take lessons from the past and we're looking forward to it.

"How can you not enjoy it? We're fighting for the title in the Premier League and we're in the semi-final of the Champions League. It's what we've always dreamed about."

Asked about the recent near misses in competitions as Arsenal search for a first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, Odegaard said: "It's always gong to be there until we win it. It's just something you have to live with, we need to take lessons and experiences to help us. It's part of football and the journey.

"We want to win every game and trophy. Our focus is about winning tomorrow and we look to the next game after that. For us, it doesn't really matter - it's all about tomorrow."

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

It was around the 33rd minute during Arsenal's 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday that I first started noticing Kai Havertz exhibiting signs that he was in pain.

Subsequently during a short break in play, he was vehemently signalling to the bench for attention, pointing to his groin, and making the dreaded 'I need to come off' signal.

I sit above the tunnel at the Emirates, and so the sight of the German trudging straight into the changing room felt significant, and not in a good way.

It has become clear to me that the optimism experienced by some of the fan base since the loss at Manchester City has been fuelled by finally having our preferred starting XI on the pitch. With the combination of Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard, and Kai Havertz, Arsenal showed us what we have been missing for months, and how different our football can feel.

But what the football gods giveth, the football gods taketh away. After 34 minutes on Saturday, that was the end of that.

Part of the reason it felt so gut-wrenching was that up until then Arsenal had been excellent. Either side of Eze's sublime finish, we looked fired-up and ready to sweep Newcastle aside.

It's hard to overestimate how different Arsenal looked for the remainder of the game. Much of the criticism has been directed towards Viktor Gyokeres, and specifically his failure to square the ball to Bukayo Saka as Arsenal pushed for a second.

When the dust settles on this season, questions will need to be answered about how there can be such a drop-off in standards when every member of the preferred starting XI isn't available.

Title races are won by pushing the ceiling higher, but only if the floor rises with it. And it could be the latter that is our undoing.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City will "slip up once or twice" in the Premier League title race to crown Arsenal champions, says former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Arsenal moved three points clear of Pep Guardiola's side at the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United, while City dropped to second with a game in hand.

"I thought the Newcastle game was so important," Rooney said in the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show. "If Arsenal go and win that then they really can go and win every game. That was such a big win.

"I feel City have a couple of tricky games in there coming up and I can see them slipping up once or twice."

But despite predicting Arsenal as title-winners, when co-host Kae Kurd asked Rooney which dressing room he would rather be in, Rooney said: "City's - 100%.

"It depends what you're going for. In terms of the Premier League race, you'd rather be in City's one because, [although] I think Arsenal will win it, it's a challenge for City to go and win it again.

"But for Arsenal, all the pressure is on them to go and win the league."

Let us know which team you would rather be right now

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Tim Krul believes Arsenal have been "the masters of marginal gains" this season, with former Premier League striker Jermaine Beckford praising "magician" Eberechi Eze's performance at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The attacking midfielder's ninth-minute opener against Newcastle was enough to see Mikel Arteta's side regain their place at the top of the Premier League table.

"Clearly a reaction was very much needed after the loss to Manchester City," Krul said on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "They turned up against Newcastle with another set-piece goal, once again showing they are the masters of marginal gains this season. Also, what a strike it was from Eberechi Eze."

Beckford added: "He is on of those players who can turn up and show that little bit of magic or stardust. That is exactly what Arsenal have been needing recently.

"Newcastle are no slouches. They have had a little bit of a rough run but they put on a pretty good performance, despite being a little wasteful.

"However, when you've got someone of the magician Eberechi Eze's calibre - wow. What a signing he was from Crystal Palace. He has to be on that plane to the World Cup."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Newcastle United.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Jeffrey: Arsenal need to understand where the goals are coming from. The title run-in dictates that several goals in the remaining four matches is required. Moving the ball at pace between the players had the best results. Now let's add a few shots.

Olivier: The Gunners continue to play very static and predictable football. And as they play with no ambition whatsoever, they get nervous and confused about their tactics. When will Arteta realise you win the title by positive, ambitious football?

Sam: Much-improved performance in a vital win. Could have scored more and definitely wasted a lot of chances, but we got the three points over the line, which is all that is needed at this stage. Eze showed his magic moments again - hopefully his injury isn't too bad. Four more finals and a big trip to Madrid in the week to come.

Edward: Three more points is all that matters at this stage of the league. Let's do it again next week against Fulham. After losing two matches back-to-back in the Premier League, this victory will do a lot of good for our momentum.

Newcastle fans

Paul: Unlucky not to get an equaliser and take a point. Osula, Guimaraes, Tonali, Burn and Wissa all had chances to score. We were caught out by a well-executed set-piece that we should have seen coming, but let's take the positives because this was a much improved performance on recent weeks.

Richard: This game didn't tell us a lot really. I must admit, I thought we might get thumped but we could have snatched a point at the end. There was more of the old team there but still not enough. That said, I'll give Wissa, Elanga and Woltemade next season to show what they can do. Same goes for Eddie. I think the whole club needs a reset.

Derek: A decent, fighting performance. Perhaps the negatives will be quiet for a while and let Eddie get on with the very good job - in difficult circumstances - that he is doing.

Samuel: A confusing season all round for Newcastle. It's hard to pinpoint the exact problem as the team has shown that they're more than capable of getting good results. I'm a big Eddie Howe fan and I haven't forgotten what he's done for the club. It will be interesting to see what the club does off the back of this latest defeat. It certainly doesn't seem worth replacing managers at this late juncture.

Arsenal are monitoring Brazil forward Endrick, who is on loan at Lyon from Real Madrid, and could bid for the 19-year-old if he becomes available. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, Arsenal and Chelsea were among a host of Premier League clubs who watched 20-year-old Belgium forward Mika Godts score an incredible goal for Ajax on Saturday. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Alex Howell
Football reporter

Arsenal will move six points clear of Manchester City if they beat Fulham in their home game next week, though City will have two games in hand.

That is because City were playing Southampton in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday and are not back in league action until 4 May, when they play Everton.

Having that buffer of points by the time of City play would be a huge boost for Arteta's side.

According to Opta, Arsenal have a 72.44% chance of lifting the Premier League trophy at the end of the season, with City on 27.56%.

"Arsenal have given absolutely everything on that pitch," former Crystal Palace and Brighton striker Glenn Murray said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "You can't question their fight."

Arsenal are without a major trophy since the FA Cup triumph of 2020, which came in Mikel Arteta's first season in charge.

And captain Martin Odegaard said the effort the players put in is because every member of the team is doing what they can to get over the line.

"It was tough, very intense, very physical," he told Sky Sports. "We did everything we could and we got the win. The most important thing was to bounce back with a win and get over the line with the three points."

For Odegaard, who played the full 90 minutes, and the rest of the squad, attention quickly switches to the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

"This schedule is crazy," Odegaard added. "We just have to keep going. It is the end of the season, just leave everything out that we have inside, fight every single game and we just have to keep going.

"That's where we want to be but it is going to go all the way to the end. We are ready for it and we will fight every single day."

Read more here

Pundits Martin Keown and Steph Houghton join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham 2-1 Everton

• Wolves 0-1 Tottenham

• Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

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This was a tricky assignment for Arsenal after suffering back-to-back defeats in the league for the first time this season and losing to Manchester City last week.

However, the Gunners navigated through this difficult match to secure a vital three points in the title race.

The short corner with which they took the lead - their 17th goal from a corner this season - was initially not welcomed by supporters with Martin Odegaard gesturing for calm from his own fans as the Gunners celebrated what proved to be their winner.

When Kai Havertz was withdrawn through injury in the first half and Viktor Gyokeres was subbed on in his place, the Gunners lost their ability to hold on to the ball upfront.

That will be a worry for Arteta at this time of the season and with the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid coming up next week.

Eberechi Eze had to be withdrawn too but all that will matter to Arsenal fans is that they managed to secure what could be a crucial three points in this title race with Manchester City.

The Arsenal players fell to the floor with the effort they put in and now they have given themselves the chance to double their lead at the top of the table next week when they take on Fulham before City are next in league action.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Much better. We know what is at stake. The margins are really small. We started the game really well, scored a beautiful goal. I loved the personality of the players. We were so disciplined without the ball, we only conceded one chance with [Yoane] Wissa.

"We can miss chances but it is how the team reacts immediately and the effort that we put. We have to have something else to win games."

On what the last week has been like: "We had a huge reset and I sensed a change in energy in the dressing room. We enjoyed what we had to do and now we play the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in the semi-final which is incredible."

On Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze who came off injured: "Both of them had to come off, I think it was small niggles. We don't know the extent of that. Probably tomorrow we will know more."

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "I think we said after last week [defeat by Manchester City] that we have to win five games if you want to win the Premier League. That's one down and now four to go. It was about winning no matter how we win.

"It is exciting times. There's a lot to play for.

"Always against Newcastle, it will be a really tough game, they have unbelievable players who can hurt you at any time.

"We could have done better in front of goal in the second half, it opened up for us and it was just lacking that final pass. But in the end, three points, a special goal from Ebs [Eberechi Eze] and that makes the weekend better so it is all good."

On how Arsenal are dealing with pressure and fan nerves: "Block it out, we've got to this point for a reason, you know. There's always going to be noise, from home fans, away fans, people outside. It's about blocking it out and believing in what we can do and that is just winning football matches. We will continue to do that."

Did you know?

• Arsenal now hold the Premier League record for most goals from corners in a single season (17).

• Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Eberechi Eze has scored more goals from outside the box than any other player in the Premier League (10).

• Arsenal achieved a Premier League double over Newcastle for just the second time under Mikel Arteta, with the previous one coming in the Spaniard's first full season in charge (2020-21).

• Arsenal's xG against Newcastle was just 0.64 – their second-lowest in a Premier League game at the Emirates this season, only ahead of their 0.57 versus Liverpool in January.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

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Mikel Arteta makes just one change to the side that lost to Manchester City last week. Ben White comes in for Cristhian Mosquera. There's good news for the Gunners too as Bukayo Saka returns to the matchday squad for the first time since the Carabao Cup Final defeat in March following an Achilles injury.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Eze, Madueke, Havertz

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Saka, Jesus, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Trossard, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

Bruno Guimaraes starts as Newcastle United make five changes for the trip to the Emirates.

The Newcastle captain lines up from the off for the first time since February after returning to action as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth last week following a spell out.

Nick Pope, Dan Burn, Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy have also been recalled as head coach Eddie Howe looks to end a four-game losing streak in all competitions.

Newcastle starting XI: Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Tonali, Ramsey, Murphy, Osula, Willock

Subs: Ramsdale, Trippier, Hall, Wissa, Barnes, Elanga, Woltemade, A.Murphy, Neave

Image source, Getty Images

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Fulham v Aston Villa (12:30)

• Liverpool v Crystal Palace

• West Ham v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Wolves v Tottenham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Newcastle (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also watch, listen a follow live text of the FA Cup semi-final between Man City and Southampton here (kick-off 17:15)

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play West Ham v Everton" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Newcastle", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I did not think Arsenal's defeat at Manchester City last week spelled the end of their title hopes and watching City struggle to put Burnley away on Wednesday must have been a boost for their players.

I know the result still knocked the Gunners off the top of the table but that was not the kind of performance that suggested Pep Guardiola's side are just going to march to the title from here.

However you want to view Arsenal's recent form, they know they are still in the race - especially because goal difference could decide the title.

I've been in this situation myself in a title race and, while I am sure both managers will say that it is just about making sure they win their own games, you cannot ignore the fact that the season starts now and goal difference could be important.

That's why, if I was an Arsenal player sat at home watching City against Burnley, I would have been thinking that 1-0 is OK for us.

They are level now, on points and goal difference, and the Gunners still have Burnley to play, but at home.

So, it is there for them, but they have to get past this game first.

Newcastle have given Arsenal a good game when they've met in recent seasons and there has been a bit of needle between the two sides.

Right now, though, Eddie Howe's side have a few injury problems on top of their dismal form.

They have dropped off their usual level and they look a bit flimsy to me. It feels like a good time to play them and I don't think this will be as close.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here