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Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a move for Southampton striker Danny Ings recently, and if the striker were to join the Lilywhites in the summer it could be bad news for Carlos Vinicius.

According to The Guardian, Ings is delaying contract talks with Southampton as he eyes a move to a club playing European football, with Spurs monitoring his situation at the South Coast club.

The former Liverpool man has been superb since joining Southampton, having seemingly overcome the injury issues that marred his time with the Merseyside club, and he finished as the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League last season with 22 goals.

He has also started this season in impressive form for the high-flying Saints, having contributed seven goals and three assists in 13 top-flight appearances, averaging a strong 7.17 rating.

If he were to join the North London club ahead of next season, it could spell trouble for Vinicius’ hopes of joining Spurs on a permanent basis.

The Brazilian was signed on loan from Benfica for the season, with Spurs holding the option to sign him for €45 million (£40 million).

The 25-year-old has impressed with his performances in the Europa League, with three goals and three assists in five appearances, resulting in a 7.41 average rating. He also bagged a hat-trick in the FA Cup third round against Marine but has been limited to just four substitute appearances in the Premier League.

With Ings currently valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt, and his contract set to run out at the end of next season, the Englishman would surely prove to be a lot cheaper to bring in that Vinicius, with the added bonus that he has a lot of Premier League experience, having contributed 50 goals and 12 assists in 124 top-flight appearances.

Having made three appearances for England in his career thus far, Ings could also prove to be an effective strike partner for Harry Kane in Jose Mourinho’s side, as they will have worked together at international level. The Southampton man’s energy and pressing in attack could allow Kane to drop slightly deeper and be more of a playmaker, as we have seen with Heung-Min Son this season.

Former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was full of praise for Ings last season, saying:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

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Therefore, if he were to join, it would be difficult to see Daniel Levy shelling out another £40 million just to sign Vinicius, as the Benfica man would surely struggle for much game time if he was behind both Kane and Ings in the pecking order in Mourinho’s side, so it would not be a surprise if he was forced to return to Benfica.

And, in other news, Forget Devine: “Record-breaking” academy sensation should be the next man in Jose’s first-team squad…

Keith Downie has revealed some detail into the Bellagraph Nova (BN) Group’s bid to take over Newcastle United.

As per the Sky Sports anchor’s tweet, the group have claimed that they have made a £280m bid to buy out Mike Ashley, as Downie confirmed that the Sports Direct chief executive’s lawyers have held talks with them, adding: “I’ve seen documentation.”

The documents to which Downie refers contain the initial £280m offer, a letter of intent and a 29-page document with detailed financials, according to his tweet. However, as the journalist confirmed, the £280m offer is short of Ashley’s valuation of the Tyneside club, but the Magpies have yet to formally react to it.

Indeed, the consortium, which consists of the businesswoman Evangeline Shen as well as Singaporean cousins Terence and Nelson Loh, have reportedly already offered St. James’ Park legend Alan Shearer the chance to manage the first team, or at least play a big part in its development.

However, if the bid falls below Ashley’s expectations, it is likely to get rejected, and thus they will likely have to come up with more money.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group, which consists of the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman/head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire London-based Reuben brothers, bid £300m to take over at Newcastle, so the BN Group will likely have to at least match this sum.

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Nevertheless, perhaps it is useful insight from Downie into their intentions as the whole saga develops.

Geordies, can you see the BN Group taking over? Comment below with your views!

It’s getting to that time again.

We’re a few months away from Euro 2020, and speculation around who will be in the England squad is rampant ahead of the next round of fixtures.

This week we’ve had a bit of a surprising story break as The Telegraph (via LeedsLive) have reported that Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips could be in line for a shot at playing on the international stage.

It’s somewhat surprising to see Gareth Southgate considering the United midfielder after saying that Jack Grealish needed to play in the Premier League before consideration last year.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, what’s even more surprising is that the England boss is opting for Phillips over another of the Championship’s top midfielders.

Indeed, Jake Livermore’s recent form is much better than Phillips’, and Southgate should be considering giving him his eighth England cap before handing the 24-year-old his first.

We waxed lyrical about Livermore’s performance against Bristol City earlier this week, but he’s been consistently brilliant for some time now.

He’s outperforming a man once hailed as the best player in the Championship in numerous areas, including tackles per game.

Tackling is Phillips’ bread and butter, averaging the eighth-most per match of any player in the division, yet, Livermore has been outdoing him recently in that area.

Now, you’d think a man known as the Yorkshire Pirlo would be sensational when it comes to passing, but the fact of the matter is that the West Brom man is outperforming him on that front as well, averaging more key passes per game lately.

You could point towards Leeds’ tough run as a reason for Phillips’ dip, but Livermore has faced just as many top-six sides as the 24-year-old in his previous ten outings.

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Add into that the fact that his average rating is higher and he has fewer unsuccessful touches per game and you can see who is in better form.

Southgate himself has said that form is what he picks his squads on, and if that is the case Livermore should be above Phillips in the pecking order.

The Baggies’ star man has every right to feel aggrieved if the Leeds ace is called up ahead of him.

In other news, Luke Dowling deserves huge credit for two deals.

Plenty of Liverpool fans were raving about the commentary of Peter Drury in Wednesday night’s Merseyside derby victory.

Along with former Reds player Jim Beglin, he was calling the match for viewers on Amazon Prime Video, who screened all of this week’s Premier League games for the first time.

With Liverpool romping to a 5-2 victory over neighbours Everton at Anfield, a game in which the home side scored four times in the first half and maintained their eight-point lead at the top while sending the Toffees into the relegation zone (as per Sky Sports), Drury summed up the contrasting fortunes of the two teams with the quote: “Liverpool pressing, Everton depressing”, one which went down a treat with many Reds fans.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been vocal in their criticism of Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler over the years for a perceived lack of excitement for Reds goals and hyperbolic reactions to goals scored against the Merseysiders.

By contrast, these Liverpool fans loved Drury’s commentary during the midweek derby win:

Liverpool fans, is Drury your favourite commentator? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Dimitar Berbatov has urged Manchester United to be more ruthless with the opposition whenever they play at Old Trafford.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have not had the greatest of starts to the Premier League season, and were soundly beaten 2-0 by West Ham last weekend.

After only squeezing past Rochdale on penalties in the Carabao Cup in mid-week, United return to league football when they take on top-four rivals Arsenal on Monday night.

Ahead of the clash, Berbatov has demanded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side toughen up, and show opposition teams “who’s in charge”.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “The Arsenal defence isn’t in the best shape of their lives so the Man United strikers have a good chance to hurt them as well. Both teams have big strengths and weaknesses, they will both be looking to exploit each other. United will have some advantage of playing at Old Trafford, but when the results haven’t been going for you, you know the fans will be a little impatient, you can think too much about it, make mistakes and it becomes a difficult situation.

“Sometimes when I have watched them I have noticed that United have been too soft against the opposition, they need to be tough in their challenges, show them who’s in charge and let them know that this is ******* Old Trafford.”

Easier said than done

Berbatov’s viewpoint is more than understandable. Having played in some of the most dominant United teams of the Premier League era under Sir Alex Ferguson, watching this current crop of Red Devils flail about must be difficult to see. But ultimately, that’s the key issue here.

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Solskjaer’s side look devoid of any attacking momentum and simply don’t overwhelm teams anymore. In an alarming stat, since their 3-1 win over PSG back in March of this year, United have scored just 18 goals in their following 20 competitive games.

How can they ever be confident of getting a victory in a game when they don’t appear to be confident in themselves? The Red Devils desperately need something to fall their way to galvanise them. And a much-needed three points against historic rivals Arsenal would certainly represent that.

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This is the first instalment in Football FanCast’s Legacies series, which pays tribute to those players and managers leaving a compelling story behind as they move on to pastures new.

In the opening piece of Football FanCast’s Legacies series, we take a look at Juventus-bound Aaron Ramsey, who has left north London on a free transfer after 11 stellar years of service at the club.

The Welshman’s departure has been met with scepticism and doubt from most fans, as Arsenal’s number eight departs on the back of some of his best performances at the Emirates despite over a decade of service.

Leaving with many fond memories for fans to cherish, we analyse the midfielder’s legacy at the Emirates Stadium.

An Overview

Ramsey arrived at Arsenal from Cardiff as a promising young midfielder, beginning his love affair with the FA Cup in a final defeat against Portsmouth. His substitute appearance in the final was just the beginning of his journey in the competition, where he’d go on to write his own cup history in the following decade.

Before any trophy was lifted, Ramsey suffered a major set-back. In February 2010, the midfielder was stretchered off after Ryan Shawcross’ horror challenge left the Gunner nursing a broken leg – one considered too graphic for many media outlets to broadcast – for the next 12 months before an eagerly awaited return in another FA Cup appearance, this time at Old Trafford. While that particular tie ended in defeat, the Gunners later got their revenge at the Emirates in a 1-0 Premier League win thanks to Ramsey’s sweeping finish.

The Welshman’s best season came in 2013-2014 in which he scored 16 goals in all competitions, including the winner against Hull in a wonderful FA Cup 3-2 come-back victory, delivering Arsenal their first trophy in nine years. Ramsey returned to Wembley to play in two more finals and win a total of three FA Cups, two Community Shields, and even had his final bow with the England ground as he scored a tremendous goal in a 1-1 draw against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Stat Breakdown

Injuries have plagued Ramsey’s development and availability.

262 appearances in 11 seasons equates to an average of about 24 per season, which aren’t particularly low numbers, though the Welshman has missed his fair share of matches with short-term muscle injuries he’s never been able to truly recover from. Despite his fitness problems, he’s remained an integral part of the squad under both Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery thereafter.

A grand total of 40 goals and 46 assists in the league are excellent numbers, especially considering he’s often been used as a central midfielder with key defensive responsibilities, lining up alongside a more creative influence like Mesut Ozil or Santi Cazorla.

Ramsey’s reputation as a goal scoring midfielder blew up after his 2013/14 campaign, and he remained a steady goalscorer after that, registering 37 more goals in all competitions in the following seasons. In those years he remained a creative influence as well, bagging himself 38 assists.

Memorable Moments

Two moments in particular will undoubtedly stand out when fans look back at Ramsey’s Arsenal legacy: the FA Cup winners against Hull and Chelsea.

From 2-0 down, Arsenal pulled off a remarkable come-back to beat Hull 3-2 with Ramsey’s extra-time winner earning the Gunners their first FA Cup and major trophy since 2005. As the Gunners probed for a winner, Olivier Giroud showed great composure and awareness to back-heel the ball into the path of the on-running midfielder, who used the outside of his boot to drive the ball into the bottom near corner of the goal and claim the trophy for his side.

Ramsey went on to start in two more finals, beating Aston Villa 4-0 and Chelsea 2-1, the latter being a particularly glowing moment in the Gunners’ recent history.

Antonio Conte’s men were newly crowned Premier League champions heading into the final and the odds were stacked enormously in the Blues’ favour, especially after Arsenal’s dismal campaign which saw Wenger’s side finish outside the top four for the first time in his tenure. But Ramsey and the rest in Arsenal pulled off a wonderful performance despite the surrounding negativity and injury problems.

Having led 1-0 for most of the game, Arsenal conceded to Diego Costa who pulled his side level, but moments later Ramsey was on the score board as his piercing run into the box was found by Giroud, who chipped the ball into the penalty area for Ramsey to head into the back of the net and secure a 13th FA Cup trophy for the North Londoner’s, making them the outright best FA Cup team of all time.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What is his legacy?

The Welshman’s legacy is a culmination of inspiring moments.

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He arrived as a youngster from a lower league, proved his quality and repaid Wenger’s faith in making bargain signings and promoting youth, recovered from a near career-ending injury, having to play through moments of bad form and serious criticism, before becoming one of Arsenal’s most important leadership figures.

His legacy lies within his commendable attitude, exceptional talent, and exemplary work ethic, but more importantly, in his journey to getting where he is today.

The midfielder has certainly had moments that some Arsenal’s legends would be proud of themselves. Compliment this with his sheer passion and love for the club, his unwavering commitment and professionalism and you’ve got a player who’s leaving with real love from the Arsenal faithful.

However, when it comes down to it, his ability and achievements don’t quite match some of the Gunners’ greatest of all time.

Legendary status is a bridge too far for the much-loved midfielder.

Legacy: Icon

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has confirmed that winger Oliver Antman is expected to be out of action for around eight weeks after he suffered a muscle injury in recent days.

The Finland international, signed from Go Ahead Eagles in the summer, started on the right wing against Falkirk on Sunday, and is now set to be out until 2026.

Antman is not the only Rangers player who will be unavailable during the festive period, though, as a couple of players are set to go to the African Cup of Nations with their respective countries.

Rohl is expecting Nasser Djiga and Mohamed Diomande to be unavailable whilst they play in the tournament, which means that there will be several positions that will need to be filled in the coming games.

With these absences, on top of the likes of Mikey Moore, Derek Cornelius, and John Souttar being out with injuries, some of the lesser-seen members of the squad may need to step up.

As unpopular as it may be, Kieran Dowell is one of the players who could step up and benefit from the lack of options available to the manager before the January window opens.

Why Danny Rohl should give Kieran Dowell a chance

After being subbed on in a 1-1 draw with Dundee under Russell Martin, a section of the Gers support, but not all of them, booed the English attacking midfielder’s introduction to the game.

Commenting on the incident, Martin said: “That surprised me. I’m not on any social media or anything like that, so I don’t really know what the narrative is around Kieran. I don’t think it helps him, I don’t think it helps the rest of the guys. That’s how I feel about it really.”

Dowell has not played a league match since that draw with Dundee in August, due to injury, but he recently played for the club’s U19s alongside Dujon Sterling and Clinton Nsiala as he looks to return to full fitness.

Given the reaction to his last league outing for Rangers, playing the left-footed midfielder may not go down as a popular decision with some fans, but the Gers look set to be in a position where it could be needs-must with the players due to be unavailable.

24/25 League One

Kieran Dowell

Appearances

19

Goals

5

Big chances created

9

Key passes per game

1.5

Assists

4

Stats via Sofascore

It is also worth remembering that Dowell, as shown in the table above, shone out on loan at Birmingham City in League One in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he is capable of being productive in the right environment.

Unfortunately, as evidenced by a return of two goals and three assists in 38 appearances for the club, the Englishman has not found that environment at Ibrox yet.

Since joining on a free transfer from Norwich City in 2023, the 28-year-old flop has not established himself as a key player for the Light Blues, but the injury and international call-up situation could provide him with an opportunity to finally do so under Rohl.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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One of the other reasons why Dowell could end up with a chance to revive his Gers career is that Thelo Aasgaard currently looks like an even worse signing for the Scottish giants.

Why Aasgaard makes Dowell look good for Rangers

The Gers did not have to pay a transfer fee to bring the former Everton and Norwich star to Ibrox in 2023, as his contract at Carrow Road expired, but that was not the case with Aasgaard.

Rangers reportedly splashed out a fee of £3.5m to sign the Norway international from Luton Town in the recent summer transfer window, which shows that the club had to spend significantly more money to bring him in than they did with Dowell.

Unfortunately, the Liverpool-born playmaker has not shown enough on the pitch to suggest that he was worth paying £3.5m for, as he has made Dowell look like a good player by comparison.

Aasgaard has as many red cards (one) as goals (one) for Rangers in all competitions so far this season, per Transfermarkt, with one goal and one assist in 21 appearances for Rangers.

Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar recently posted that he “would gladly never see him again”, referring to Aasgaard, and described him as a “passenger” at the end of November.

It is, unfortunately, hard to argue with the harsh criticism of the Norwegian attacking midfielder, because his performances at Scottish Premiership level make him look even less effective than Dowell.

Premiership

Dowell

Aasgaard

Appearances

26

11

Starts

8

8

Goals

2

1

Key passes

20

9

Big chances created

4

0

Assists

2

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Aasgaard has already started as many games in the Premiership as the former Norwich man, yet has created 11 fewer chances and has yet to create a single ‘big chance’.

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Dowell’s Rangers career has not been good enough to this point, as evidenced by his aforementioned goal contributions, but he also arrived on a free transfer and his creative output looks good in comparison to the club’s £3.5m signing.

That is not to say that the left-footed star should be considered a good signing or that he is the answer to Rohl’s current problems at the top end of the pitch, but it does suggest that those who jeered his introduction against Dundee earlier this season were too harsh on him.

As well as highlighting that maybe Dowell was not as bad a signing as has been made out, this also highlights how underwhelming Aasgaard has been for a player who was signed for £3.5m.

Related Rohl can unearth his own Igamane by unleashing Rangers star in new position

Danny Rohl could unearth his own Hamza Igamane by playing this Rangers star in a new role this season.

Posts ByDan Emery

The caveat, of course, is that the Norway international only joined in the summer and still has plenty of time left ahead of him to turn things around and prove people wrong, but the signs so far have not been encouraging.

Aston Villa are now “ready to make a move” for a “special” £60m star, with Unai Emery believed to be a “big fan”, transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke has revealed.

Aston Villa eyeing striker amid Watkins uncertainty

Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri recently revealed that Villa have held talks over selling Ollie Watkins to Manchester United, and with the Englishman keen on a move to Old Trafford, Emery may need to bring in a replacement this summer.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani is on the shortlist as a potential heir to Watkins, while the Villans have also set their sights on Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, having made initial contact over a deal for the striker earlier this week.

There has now been a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Jackson, with O’Rourke revealing that Emery is a huge admirer of his former player, and the Football Insider report states the ex-Villarreal man could jump at the move.

O’Rourke said: “Unai Emery remains a big fan of Nicolas Jackson, so it’s no surprise that Villa are in the market for him.

“We know Villa need reinforcements in attack – they still haven’t really replaced Jhon Duran – and Jackson’s future’s is up in the air at Chelsea as well.

“If he does become available before the end of the window, there’s no doubt that Aston Villa will be one of those clubs ready to make a move for him, because Unai Emery is a huge fan of his.”

The Chelsea forward is thought to be unsettled by the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park.

Related NSWE now prepared for bidding war to sign "underrated" star for Aston Villa

The Villans could light a fire in the transfer market.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Jackson could be "special" signing for Aston Villa

A deal for the Senegalese striker is unlikely to be cheap, with previous reports suggesting the Blues could hold out for £60m, but there are signs he could be an exciting signing for Villa this summer.

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While the arrivals of Delap and Pedro suggest Enzo Maresca doesn’t fully trust the 24-year-old, he has maintained a solid goal and assist record since his arrival in the Premier League.

Journalist Rahman Osman was also left impressed by the improvements the Chelsea ace made to his game last season.

Jackson could be an exciting addition to Emery’s squad, but if possible, the manager should also hold onto Watkins, given that the England international has amassed a very impressive 87 goals and 42 assists in 223 games since arriving at Villa Park.

Arsenal talks for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi have hit a stumbling block, with new sporting director Andrea Berta now thought to be handed a cheaper alternative.

Arsenal in negotiations to sign Martin Zubimendi since January

During the January transfer window, news broke from The Mail that Arsenal had entered advanced negotiations for Zubimendi.

Related Berta "will try" to sign £160k-per-week star amid new Arsenal transfer plan

The Italian is set to orchestrate an ambitious project.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini

The Spain international actually rejected a move to Premier League rivals Liverpool last summer (BBC), but Mikel Arteta and co weren’t turned off by this and began attempting to lure him to the Emirates Stadium this winter.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Arsenal have been attempting to agree a pre-summer deal for Zubimendi since the last transfer window, according to various reports, and there are now even suggestions that Berta wants to partner the 26-year-old with Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes in a complete revamp of Arteta’s midfield (Eduardo Burgos).

Fabrizio Romano previously stated that Arsenal are planning to trigger Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause this summer, but they still need to convince the player. Arteta is thought to have a key role in swaying the midfielder, while The Athletic have reported that Arsenal hope to have this deal fully agreed before the next window.

However, since these plethora of reports heavily linking Zubimendi with an Arsenal switch, it appears talks haven’t yet advanced enough to seal his signature ahead of the 2025/2026 season.

With Jorginho and Thomas Partey out of contract this summer, Arteta will soon need a world-class replacement for either one of the duo, but it appears that man might not be Zubimendi after all.

Arsenal talks for Martin Zubimendi stall as Berta eyes Morten Hjulmand

According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal have hit a roadblock in talks to sign Zubimendi, with the Gunners actually unprepared to fork out his release clause after all. Therefore, it is now a possibility that Berta will move on to alternative targets for the engine room, and one of them could be Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

The Denmark international’s contract actually includes a more expensive release clause, set at £67 million, but it is thought that Berta could seal his signature for much less – a fee of around £34 million.

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Hjulmand has been a mainstay for Sporting in the Primeira Liga this term, scoring two goals and assisting two others in 20 league starts, while averaging an impressive 91.1 per cent passing accuracy and ranking as one of their best-performing players by average match rating per 90 (WhoScored).

The 25-year-old currently captains Sporting and played a key role for Ruben Amorim last season, helping the Portuguese heavyweights win their 20th Primeira Liga title, so he could be a very astute option.

Arsenal are ready to make a January bid to sign their “perfect” player, and it is believed they’ve leapfrogged Manchester City in the race for his signature.

Arsenal make statement with 5-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon

Mikel Arteta has made the perfect start post-international break, following up their impressive 3-0 win over Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest with a statement 5-1 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Related Arsenal expected to hold talks for emergency loan signing of £77m forward

The Gunners need reinforcements.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini

A disastrous run of form, stretching from mid-October to mid-November, saw Arsenal go without a single win in the top flight – putting their chances of a first league title for 21 years in serious jeopardy – but two exceptional performances in the last few days have provided hope that Arteta can resurrect the club’s fortunes.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard rounded off a superb display in Portugal last night, with Arteta praising his side for their convincing performance.

“For sure, especially against the opponent that we played in their home,” said Arteta on whether he was impressed with Arsenal against Sporting.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

“I don’t think they’ve lost a game in 18 months. They’ve been in top form, they did better than anyone they played here, so to play to the level, with the determination, the purpose, and the fluidity that we’ve done today, very pleased.

“For sure, the performance was there a few times and when we played big teams. When we played PSG, we were exceptional, again, when we played Bayern we were exceptional and some mistakes cost us. Now it’s Inter, now it’s this level, that’s the level we have to be able to cope, and you have to make it happen, then that creates belief, then on the next one the players will be better prepared. We need that consistency because the ability to do it is there.”

West Ham await Arsenal at the London Stadium this weekend, and you’d seriously fancy the Gunners’ chances given the opposing form of both sides right now.

Arsenal ready to make January bid for £60 million Martin Zubimendi

According to CaughtOffiside, the Emirates Stadium could reinforce Arteta’s chances of making this campaign a success with a winter swoop for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

Both Jorginho and Thomas Partey are edging towards exits, following the expiry of their contracts, so the club also need to think about long-term replacements for them – if contract extensions are not on the table.

Arsenal are ready to bid £50 million for Zubumendi in January, as per CS, but Sociedad will demand closer to £60m. The north Londoners have an advantage over City, though, with Arteta ahead of his old mentor Pep Guardiola in the race for Zubimendi’s services.

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Arsenal were linked with Zubimendi in the summer, and the Spaniard has been tipped as a potentially ideal upgrade for Arteta’s midfield.

“My personal feeling is that Zubimendi would be fantastic, even if [Amadou] Onana and Douglas [Luiz] have the advantage of both already knowing the Premier League,” said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano in an interview with CaughtOffside earlier this year, commenting on which midfielder Arsenal should go for.

“Zubimendi is [a] fantastic player, he can help with his vision, quality and intelligence on the ball – he’s the perfect midfielder.”