9.45pm Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Pepe headbutt video, Saka injury update, Lacazette blasted – The Sun
ARSENAL held out for a 0-0 draw at Leeds after Nicolas Pepe was sent off for an idiotic headbutt, leaving Mikel Arteta fuming.
But Bukayo Saka was forced off with an injury at Elland Road.
Follow all the latest Arsenal transfer gossip below…
- Jon Boon
WHERE'S OZIL?
SKY SPORTS pundit Patrice Evra says Arsenal are playing ‘Where’s Wally’ with Mesut Ozil in a hilarious rant about their lack of creativity.
The German World Cup winner has been frozen out of the team by Mikel Arteta and wasn't registered in both the Premier League and Champions League squads.
And speaking after Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road, Evra hit out at Arteta for pushing Ozil out when they lack a creative spark.
Evra said: “We talk about creativity. I always say when Auba doesn’t score Arsenal are going to be in trouble.
“We need to give Arteta time. At a big club like Arsenal time is not an easy thing.
“We talk about creativity, where is Ozil? We play that game ‘where is Wally?’
“We should do a new version with Ozil because we are talking about a lack of creativity so what’s the problem?
“I know sometimes he is lazy running back but we are talking about creativity now so where is Wally? Where is Ozil?”
- Jon Boon
UNWANTED RECORD
Arsenal's 0-0 draw with Leeds, a game in which Nicolas Pepe was sent off and they were lucky to get away with a point, has meant Mikel Arteta's men have only managed nine goals in their first nine games.
Astonishingly, it's their lowest tally of goals after their first nine games of any Premier League season since 1986-87, when they managed just six goals.
And to put it further into perspective, Spurs star Son Heung-Min has as many goals as Arsenal this season.
- Jon Boon
'UNACCEPTABLE'
MIKEL ARTETA didn't pull any punches when asked about Nicolas Pepe's sending off against Leeds United.
The Arsenal boss blasted the former Lille winger's behaviour as “unacceptable” after he was given his marching orders for headbutting Ezgjan Alioski.
Pepe left his team clinging on for a point in the second half- with Arsenal surviving a Leeds onslaught that included three efforts striking the woodwork.
However, Arteta was full of praise for the 10 that stayed on the field and battled for the point.
“I really liked the personality of the team when Pepe let the team down,” Arteta continued in post-match interview with Sky Sports.
“How we suffered together and how we stuck to what we had to do and still believe we had a moment or two we could win the game but obviously it makes it really difficult.”
- Jon Boon
FULL-TIME
Arsenal hold on for a point at Elland Road.
Leeds really should've stolen the three points though, with the home side hitting the woodwork three times in that second half.
Mikel Arteta will be thankful for the draw, with his side well off their best.
You can bet Arsenal fans will be blowing up on Twitter.
Stay tuned for their reaction.
- Jon Boon
BITE YOUR NAILS TIME
Into the last 10 minutes at Elland Road, and Arsenal are clinging on.
Rodrigo has gone close twice since coming on, clipping the crossbar with one effort from outside the box.
The Gunners are well and truly on the backfoot and clinging onto a draw by their finger nails.
Will they get a point?
- Jon Boon
RED CARD
Arsenal's task just got much harder.
The Gunners are down to 10 men after Nicolas Pepe's sending off, after a VAR review determined the winger guilty of a headbutt.
Needless to say, it was daft from Pepe who deserved his red.
It's backs to the wall time for Mikel Areta's side.
- Jon Boon
PEEP-PEEP
A poor first half from the Gunners, as Mikel Arteta's men go in 0-0 at half-time at Elland Road.
In the last 20 minutes Leeds United had their chances and are unfortunate not to be ahead.
More creativity needed for Arsenal, who appear to be starving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of service up top.
On the plus side, Arteta will be happy to have 15 minutes to sort his charges out.
Check out all the action from our live blog here.
- Justin Lawrence
FAN JOY
Arsenal supporters have been reacting to Mikel Arteta's latest team selection, as his side take on Leeds United at Elland Road.
It has been revealed that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be starting for the club, much to the supporter's joy.
Aubameyang is rumoured to be playing a central role in the match, something Arsenal supporters have been crying out for, for a long time.
They took to social media to express their emotions to Arteta's decision.
One supporter said: “Is that Auba playing as a CF?”
While another said: “Auba finally central.”
- Justin Lawrence
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Dani Ceballos, Nicolas Pepe, Joe Willock and Granit Xhaka are in for Lacazette, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.
Partey is out with a thigh injury and Elneny has tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips is back in the Leeds side after a month out with a shoulder injury and Raphinha makes his first Premier League start for the Yorkshire club.
- Justin Lawrence
LJUNGBERG CRITICISM
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg has insisted that Mesut Ozil should be a part of the club squads after he was left out their Premier League and Europa teams.
The Swede admits there are certain games which may not suit Ozil but says the creativity he brings is vital against 'smaller clubs.'
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “I can't answer [why he's not playing now], that I don't know.
“But for me when I chose to play him, it was that I felt the club like Arsenal and you play at home and you play, no disrespect, smaller clubs, you think you should dominate a little bit and he should be on the pitch to unlock things with his special passes.”
- Justin Lawrence
ISCO INTEREST
Arsenal have reportedly expressed their interest in Real Madrid's Isco.
The deal could work in both the club and player's favour as he wants to leave the club, according to Marca.
Marca reportedthat Isco has ‘his mind set’ to leave Real Madrid when the window opens at the start of 2021 with his father and agent telling the Spanish giants exactly that.
They wrote: “Isco has spent months weighing up the pros and cons of asking to leave.
“He even spoke to Zinedine Zidane about the matter and the Frenchman didn’t try to convince him to stay.”
- Justin Lawrence
LJUNGBERG EXPLAINS EXIT
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg has explained his decision to leave his role at the club at the end of last season.
Ljungberg returned to Arsenal as the club's under-23 coach in June 2018 and was then promoted to the first-team staff under Unai Emery a year later.
The Swede was appointed as the interim head coach in November 2019 following the sacking of Emery.
But he missed out on getting the job full time to Mikel Arteta and left the club in August.
Speaking on his departure he said: “Yeah, 100 per cent [it was a tough decision to leave].
“Everybody knows how much I love that club. I've had a lot of very good relationships and stuff like that, so of course it would be easy for me to have a comfortable life and stay there.
“But I felt that I've been an assistant a lot for a manager and I felt I'm ready to manage myself.
“To be able to do that I felt I had to leave and try to stand on my own two feet. Not an easy decision but I think it was the right thing to do for my career.”
- Justin Lawrence
GUENDOUZI EXIT
Matteo Guendouzi has claimed he needed to leave Arsenal to “have fun” in a thinly-veiled dig at his parent club.
He was frozen out of first-team affairs at The Emirates after falling out with Mikel Arteta in two separate rows.
Since then he has joined Hertha Berlin on loan and doesn't seem like his relationship with the Gunners can be mended.
He said: “I needed to have fun on the pitch, to regain confidence and that's what Hertha offers me. It really is a choice I made.
“In the space of two seasons I have played more than 80 games with Arsenal.
“When you play less, you start to think and it hurts.”
- Justin Lawrence
SAKA CONTENT
Critics have started to question whether Arsenal's Bukayo Saka is being overplayed at the club.
But Saka doesn't believe this is the case and is relishing the playing time he's getting.
He said: ” It’s a lot of minutes but as a kid, this is what you dream of.
“So I can’t now turn around and say I don’t want to play it because I am living my dream, playing for England.
“I played all three games – who’d have thought I would do that? So I’m not going to complain. I just have to trust the people in charge will manage me in the correct way and continue to help me thrive and progress as a player.”
- Justin Lawrence
ARTETA'S AGONY
Mikel Arteta has revealed he loves his job as manager of Arsenal but that he expects to hear bad news very morning.
In a press conference before his side's game against Leeds today he said: “I come in now and I am expecting something to come in through the door and give me bad news and having to react quickly because I know it is coming right now.
“I try to prepare myself and my mood in the morning to say, ‘Okay, let’s see what we face today and let’s go for it.’”
- Justin Lawrence
FREE ROAM
Tim Sherwood has claimed that he would let Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang play wherever he wants on the pitch.
Speaking to Premier League Productions he said: ” I would play Aubameyang wherever he wanted to play.
“I would ask him [where he wants to play].
“Where are they going to get their goals from?
“History shows you that he is the only one who scores on a regular basis.
“If I am Mikel Arteta, I am getting him in the office and saying ‘where do you want to play and who do you want to play around you?”
- Justin Lawrence
MERSON DISAPPOINTMENT
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has shared his disappointment with Alexandre Lacazette.
The Englishman believes that Lacazette plays like he knows that he will not finish a game of football and will be substituted in the second half.
Speaking to Sky Sports he said: “I watch Lacazette play, and it is, ‘Well, I am coming off after 70, so’.”
- Justin Lawrence
YAZICI INTEREST
Arsenal have been linked with a move for Lille midfielder Yusuf Yazici.
The player's agentAdem Cebeci has said he is 'honoured' that the likes of the Gunners are interested in him.
Speaking on the interest he said: “We are honoured that big clubs have had an eye on him.”
- Justin Lawrence
ARSENAL TRANSFER BATTLE
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Leeds United are reportedly in a fight to sign AFC Wimbledon starlet Quaine Bartley.
The three clubs are interested in signing the 16-year-old, who is tipped to make his first-team debut for the League One club, according to TEAMtalk.
The report claims that Bartley is not pushing for a move despite the Premier League interest and he remains hopeful he could force himself into the first-team at the New Plough Lane this season.
- Justin Lawrence
SZOBOSZLAI INTEREST
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Salzburg.
The Gunners have expressed their interest in the creative midfielder after a series of impressive displays in the Austrian League, according to the Mirror.
The reports also claims Arsenal will face tough competition for his signature after he was named the player of the year in the Austrian Bundesligia last year.
- <a href='http://www.thesun.co.uk/sport' rel='external nofollow ugc' class='url'>Alex Terrell</a>
PLAYERS GUTTED
Arteta claims the impact of Covid restrictions have had a wider impact on players, including how they wind down after a game.
Speaking to BBC Sport added: “It’s definitely affecting the players.
“For example, to win at Old Trafford is really exciting, the adrenaline in really high, you want celebrate, you want to do something.
“But you go home by yourself, you sit on the sofa and that’s it.
“So to find our purpose and say ‘ok, I work so hard for this moment I want to enjoy it, I want to have people around me’, you have nothing. It’s a completely different life.”
- <a href='http://www.thesun.co.uk/sport' rel='external nofollow ugc' class='url'>Alex Terrell</a>
CONNECTION LOST
Mikel Arteta has admitted his disappointment fans have not been let back into Premier League stadia yet.
Ahead of the Leeds clash this evening he said: “When you try to build a new project, you need to engage the fans with the team.
“So you have to see live what is being transmitted on the pitch.
“And the players have to feel ‘wow these guys are really behind us, they are pushing, they are liking what we are trying to do.
“I feel more more motivated, I feel more engaged, I want to participate’.
“And we are lacking that.”
- William Pugh
GOOD MORNING GUNNERS FANS
Arsenal face a tough task today as they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United.
Mikel Arteta is set to be without new £40million midfielder Thomas Partey.
And both Sead Kolasinac and Mohamed Elneny are missing after contracting coronavirus.
But Arteta has the inside track on spymaster Marcelo Bielsa from a secret source.
He said: “One of my best friends spent many, many years with him.
“Who is it? I prefer not to say, but they worked as a player and then next to him.
“So I know a lot about his methods, who he is as a person, who he is as a manager as well and I’ve admired him for many, many years.
“I’ve been very impressed with what he has done in England since he joined Leeds.
“He has transformed the club. He has transformed the belief of everyone around the club, the fans, that they could come back and be the club they were a few years back.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal target Isco is ready to leave Real Madrid in January.
Marca reports Isco has already informed Real of his desire to leave, and the Spanish giants are willing to sell for around £45m.
Mundo Deportivo claims Arsenal and Manchester City are both showing interest in the 28-year-old.
Finally, Arsenal reportedly attempted to sign Chelsea vice-captain Jorginho over the summer.
The Athletic claims talks were held as Arteta tried to land the Italian midfielder.
It's reckoned Jorginho was wanted to play alongside Partey but the ace ended up staying at Stamford Bridge.
- Anthony Chapman
SPY MATE
Mikel Arteta has the inside track on spymaster Marcelo Bielsa from a secret source ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Leeds.
He said: “One of my best friends spent many, many years with him.
“Who is it? I prefer not to say, but they worked as a player and then next to him.
“So I know a lot about his methods, who he is as a person, who he is as a manager as well and I’ve admired him for many, many years.”
“I have followed his work, his ways of playing, the way he is able to change a football club immediately with his mentality and the messages he sends, with his personality and charisma.
“I’ve been very impressed with what he has done in England since he joined Leeds.
“He has transformed the club. He has transformed the belief of everyone around the club, the fans, that they could come back and be the club they were a few years back.”
- Anthony Chapman
BY JORG
Arsenal reportedly attempted to sign Chelsea vice-captain Jorginho over the summer.
The Athletic claims talks were held as Mikel Arteta tried to land the Italian midfielder.
It's reckoned Jorginho was wanted to play alongside Thomas Partey.
But the ace ended up staying at Stamford Bridge.
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