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Nigel Winterburn has outlined where it’s all gone wrong for Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old striker, whom Arsenal signed from Sporting CP in the summer for £64m, has struggled to find the net this season.

Gyokeres has featured nine times in the Premier League for the Gunners, yet he’s only found the net three times, with two of which coming against Leeds United on his home debut. The Sweden international’s only other goal was against Nottingham Forest, also at the Emirates Stadium, back in September.

Since then, he’s struggled to impress, firing blanks in each of his last five games in the English top-flight. Gyokeres did, however, net a brace against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, but by which point Arsenal had already secured a two-goal cushion.

Speaking exclusively to football.london, via Casino.org, ahead of the north London outfit’s clash against Burnley, Winterburn commented on the Swede’s rocky start. The Arsenal hero pointed the finger at Gyokeres’ teammates.

“I don’t think it’s him [to blame for his lack of goal],” said Winterburn. “I actually probably look at it as a bit of a role reversal. My personal take is I think he’s looked a lot sharper in the last few games rather than at the start.

“Let’s just talk about percentage goals-wise. He’s not where he wants to be. He makes some intelligent runs. I still think that the rest of the team are adapting around him. They’re just about working out what he’s doing, where he wants the ball.

“There’s no doubt in my mind those goals will come. At the moment, we’ve been dominant on set plays, and we’ve struggled in open play a little bit to create lots of chances, which is not down solely to him.

“But to me, he looks more comfortable in the last two or three weeks in the team than I think at the start of the season. Mikel Arteta will be doing a huge amount of work with him in training.

“I think that will all come together. At this stage, to be honest with you, I’m not worried about it. If he’s still, let’s say, struggling for goals, which is not all about what you want your striker to do.

“You want link-up play. You want movement as well. But if we’re still talking about the same things at Christmas, it may be more of a slighter concern, and going through into January.

“But at the moment, I’m not worried. Personally, as I just said, I think he looks a lot sharper in the last two or three weeks than he’s looked at the very, very start of the season.”

Gyokeres will hope to end his goal drought in the Premier League when Arsenal lock horns with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon.

Petr Cech is impressed by Arsenal’s solidity, but thinks the Gunners will still fall short of breaking Chelsea’s long-standing record for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season.

Arsenal have made an almost imperious start to the league campaign, currently sitting four points clear at the top of the table and six points ahead of defending champions Liverpool.

At the heart of their impressive form has been the Gunners’ superb defensive record, with Mikel Arteta’s side conceding just three goals in their first nine league games.

The north London side already had the best defence in the league over the past few seasons, but have gone up another level this campaign, in part due to the summer signings of Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera.

Should they continue at their current rate, Arsenal would only concede around 13 goals throughout the entire season, a tally which would see them break the previous record set by Chelsea in the 2003/04 season.

In that campaign, the Blues conceded just 15 goals, as a defence marshalled by the likes of John Terry and Cech helped Jose Mourinho’s side canter to the league title.

But the Czechia goalkeeper, who also played for Arsenal later in his career, believes that the Gunners will find it hard to maintain the current level of defensive excellence required to break Chelsea’s long-standing record.

‘Well, you know, they are doing really well, I have to say. It’s early in the season, but you have to start somewhere,’ Cech said in a TikTok video when asked by former teammate Terry if Arsenal could break Chelsea’s record.

‘If they carry on like that, then they have a chance, but at the same time, it’s a hard job. 38 games, you need to have a little bit of luck sometimes.

‘I think it will be hard for them to break our record, but I will be following because they started well.’

Reflecting on his side’s achievement 20 years ago, Cech added: ‘I have to say I’m proud of it because you have to be consistent and you have to have a whole team chipping in and, actually, only 15 goals in one entire season in the Premier League is quite insane.

‘You need everyone and, of course, if you have someone who can actually be in a space between the attacking phase and defending phase and gel things together, then I believe that is very important.

‘We had Makele there and everybody looked and thought ‘this guy is there everytime you need him’. That is important and, of course, nowadays you want creative players as well to score some more goals, but if you have a solid structure and people really chipping in and defending well, then it wins you games in the end.’

Arteta’s style of play with his Arsenal side has come in for criticism in some quarters, but Cech said it is a breath of fresh air to see a side put so much focus on their defensive record.

‘And it’s nice to see, on the other hand, that you have a team that is actually proud of having a defensive record as well, because everybody is now about playing out from the back and creating chances and scoring goals,’ he added.

‘But at the end of the day if you don’t concede you only need one goal to win games, and this is what Arsenal has been doing so far, so let’s see how they keep going.’

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso says Arsenal have secured a ‘top-level player’ in Piero Hincapié.

Arsenal signed the Ecuador internation from Bayern Leverkusen on loan with a purchase obligation on summer deadline day. A few months before that, Alonso left the Bundesliga club for Real Madrid.

The current Real Madrid boss managed the centre-back for three years at the German club. Hincapié was also part of Bayer Leverkusen’s title winning squad during the 2023/24 season.

Extra in Ecuador have relayed comments made by Alonso praising the 23-year-old.

“I have a lot of respect for him. It was a pleasure to coach him,” he said.

Alonso, who will return to England to face Liverpool in the Champions League next week, is pleased with Hincapié’s development.

“Piero is a modern defender, very adaptable and with great game awareness. He has more confidence on the ball and is improving his decision-making. Now we see him playing precise diagonal passes and making those runs from behind,” Alonso explained.

The defender made his debut for the Gunners in their Champions League win over Athletic Club Bilbao in September. He then picked up a groin injury, forcing him to spend over a month on the sidelines.

Earlier this week, Hincapié made his first start for Arsenal in their 2-0 EFL Cup win over Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Ecuadorian has so far played 79 minutes from three matches for the north London club. The Real Madrid manager, however, remains confident his former player can inspire the Premier League leaders.

“He is a top-level player. For me, he [Piero] is not just an emperor: he is a warrior. He has a constant commitment to his work and an ambition that inspires the team,” he added.

Arsenal are reportedly planning to make a formal proposal to sign Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, as per TEAMtalk.

After joining the Bianconeri back in 2022, the 20-year-old made his first-team debut the following year. He showcased glimpses of his qualities in Serie A last term, making 15 goal contributions across all competitions. The forward even helped his side qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four.

This season, he has taken his game to another level, establishing himself as a talismanic figure for the Old Lady of Turin. In 12 appearances in all tournaments, he has scored three goals and registered four assists.

Now, TEAMtalk claim that after being impressed by the youngster’s recent impressive performances, Arsenal have registered their interest in signing him.

The Gunners are even considering submitting a ‘substantial offer’ to secure his service next year, and Juventus might accept a fee of around £79m if they fail to agree on a fresh term with him.

Yildiz still has four years left in his current contract, but his current salary doesn’t reflect the status he holds in the first team. So, Juventus want to hand him a new deal with an increased wage to keep the vultures away.

Yildiz to Arsenal
However, Arsenal aren’t the only club interested in him, as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Real Madrid are also keen on securing his services. Chelsea, on the other hand, have already started making moves to sign him.

The Blues attempted to sign the Juventus star by launching a formal proposal worth around £61m last summer. However, the Bianconeri rejected it, but Enzo Maresca’s side haven’t given up their hopes of sealing the deal and are currently the favourite in this race.

Yildiz is a left-winger by trait but is also comfortable in the No.10 position. It was reported in the last transfer window that Arsenal were willing to sign a new left-winger alongside a new creative midfielder.

However, although they bought Eberechi Eze, they didn’t buy a left-sided forward. So, it appears Arteta’s side are planning to do that next year.

Yildiz is a top-class player and possesses the potential to become one of the best forwards in the world. So, he would be a great coup for Arsenal should they eventually manage to secure his services.

Martin Odegaard has revealed he is ‘progressing a lot’ as he continues to recover from injury. The Arsenal captain has made use of an anti-gravity machine in aid of his rehabilitation in recent days.

Odegaard suffered an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee against West Ham United. The 26-year-old has not played since as he missed international duty, and Mikel Arteta noted the midfielder will be out for weeks.

The 26-year-old is expected to be out of action until after the November international break. As a result, Odegaard may have one eye on facing Tottenham in the north London derby on November 23.

The former Real Sociedad star has suffered a number of injury issues, with a shoulder problem also ruling him out this season. The Gunners ace is eager to be back in action.

And Odegaard has revealed he has started to move around more and that his rehab is heading in the right direction. That has been motivating for the playmaker.

“I would love to be involved, but I’m still working on my recovery,” Odegaard said in his Arsenal programme notes. “It’s going well and I’m progressing a lot.

“I’ve started moving around more and I’ve been running on the anti-gravity machine this week.It’s good to feel that it’s going in the right direction and that I can do more and more each day when I come into Sobha.

“It’s hard work, and it’s nice to feel progression – it gives you more motivation.”

Odegaard has previously admitted his injury is a difficult one to overcome. The Norway international is anticipating his return to the pitch for training to offer the best insight into the success of his recovery.

“It’s tricky to set a return date with this type of injury because, especially it being my left leg, a lot depends on how it goes when I start getting back on the pitch,” he said.

“Sometimes it can be quite sore when you start passing the ball and shooting and all these things with that leg, so it’s really hard to say a date.

“All I can say is I’m progressing really well at the moment. I think we will know more when I start getting back on the training pitches and we’ll see how that goes. If that goes really well then it can be quick.”

Mikel Arteta has described Max Dowman as a “special” player after the 15-year-old became Arsenal’s youngest-ever senior starter in the 2-0 victory over Brighton.

The teenager, who had previously made three substitute appearances, delivered a confident display that reflected both his talent and maturity beyond his years.

“For him, everything is natural. For him, everything is okay,” said Arteta. “It’s the way he plays. I think that’s the secret, that he doesn’t make a big fuss of it.”

Dowman impressed throughout the Carabao Cup tie, showing skill and composure before being substituted to a standing ovation at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta’s decision to hand the Hale End graduate a starting role has been widely praised, underlining the manager’s trust in Arsenal’s youth development model.

Hale End shines on a proud night for Arsenal

It was an evening that showcased the depth of Arsenal’s academy. Alongside Dowman, 17-year-old forward Andre Harriman-Annous made his senior debut, while goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka secured Arsenal’s progression to the quarter-finals.

Arteta reflected with pride on the achievement, saying, “A very special evening. I am very happy, for various reasons.” His approach continues to blend elite youth talent with experienced professionals, aligning with the club’s long-term project to create sustainability from within.

While Arteta acknowledged Dowman’s rapid progress, he was quick to stress the importance of careful management. “There are a lot of things that are new in his life,” he said. “Make sure that he does the right steps, that he behaves and accepts, because this is going to go this one, then he is going to play in a different team.”

Arteta added that Arsenal’s staff must guide Dowman through this critical stage. “He needs to cope with all that, because it is happening very, very fast and we all need to be aware of that. Let’s encourage him to keep going that way, but let’s protect him as well.”

Dowman’s breakthrough has come at a time when Arsenal continue to prioritise the integration of academy players into the senior squad, reinforcing the values that have long defined Hale End’s success.

Arsenal winger Noni Madueke is expected to return to training ahead of schedule after impressing staff with the speed and dedication of his recovery.

The £52 million summer signing has been sidelined with a knee injury since September, sustained during the first half of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Initial assessments suggested he would be ruled out until the end of the year, a major setback considering his strong start to the campaign.

At the time, Bukayo Saka had just returned from injury in the same match, softening the impact of losing another key attacking option. Even so, Mikel Arteta will be delighted by reports that Madueke’s comeback could arrive sooner than planned.

Madueke ahead of schedule

According to GiveMeSport, Madueke is set to rejoin first-team training earlier than anticipated after making “faster-than-expected” progress. The former PSV Eindhoven winger has reportedly impressed medical and coaching staff with his commitment, professionalism and positive attitude throughout his rehabilitation.

He has also used the recovery period to work on other areas of his game, maintaining a strong presence around the training ground and integrating closely with teammates. Arsenal’s medical team will continue to monitor his progress closely to ensure his fitness is sustainable once he returns to action.

Boost for Arteta amid injury concerns
Madueke’s imminent return will be a welcome boost for Arteta, who is currently managing several injury issues within the squad. Gabriel Martinelli suffered a setback against Crystal Palace and subsequently missed the Brighton clash, while William Saliba was also ruled out in midweek.

With a busy run of fixtures approaching, Madueke’s comeback will ease the workload on Bukayo Saka and provide valuable depth in wide positions. His pace, directness and creativity could prove vital as Arsenal look to maintain their strong form across all competitions.

Fabian Hurzeler discussed Arsenal record-breaker Max Dowman after his Brighton side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup.

Dowman, 15, became the youngest player to ever start a match for Arsenal in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.

Mikel Arteta made ten changes from the team that beat Crystal Palace at the weekend but a youthful Gunners side was still strong enough to see off Brighton.

Ethan Nwaneri, Arsenal’s previous youngest player before Dowman, broke the deadlock on the hour mark after combining with fellow academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Bukayo Saka, one of the older and most experienced players in the squad but still only 24, put the game to bed when he came off the bench to score Arsenal’s second.

Arsenal’s priority is to win their first Premier League title since 2004 and Arteta’s side are four points clear at the top of the table.

But lifting the Carabao Cup should not be sniffed at for a team that has struggled to secure silverware under Arteta and the Gunners will face Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals.

Brighton boss Hurzeler admitted his team were not at their ‘highest level’ at the Emirates Stadium but felt the outcome could have been very different had the visitors taken their chances.

‘I think if we take our chances we would be in the next round,’ the Seagulls manager said. ‘It’s about scoring and defending goals and unfortunately we were not able to score or defend our goal.

‘We didn’t defend the key moments well enough. In the second half we didn’t have loads of chances but we had possibilities to score, we tried hard, but we weren’t able to do it.

‘We were not at our highest level today but it’s also not easy to score goals here, we all know that.’

Hurzeler was then asked about Dowman and whether it was difficult to make a game-plan not knowing which team Arteta would pick and knowing less about some of the youngsters in Arsenal’s squad.

‘I think he [Dowman] already played some minutes in the Premier League so he’s a good player,’ Hurzeler said before likening Dowman to his Arsenal teammate and England star Saka.

‘We all try to prepare our team the best we can do. Left-footed player, similar to Saka, so the profiles are not too different.

‘We tried to prepare the best way we can but for sure you don’t always knows who’s playing until you see the teamsheet and at that point you can give some more advice to the players.’

While this was Dowman’s first start, it was his fourth appearance for Arsenal overall since his debut back in August.

Arteta described it as a ‘very special evening’ as Arsenal not only progressed but were able to give ‘huge debuts’ to Dowman and striker Andre Harriman-Annous.

‘A very special evening to be fair, very happy for various reasons,’ said Arteta.

‘Obviously, we are in the quarter-finals, and we won the game against a really tough opponent.

‘We made 10 changes, we played players that never played together, yet we made two huge debuts for Max and Andre.

‘That feeling of giving the opportunity to somebody and fulfilling a dream is unique, and I’m very happy that things turned out to be very positive, and we managed to win the game.’

Arsenal return to Premier League action against Burnley this weekend while Brighton play host to Leeds United.

Arsenal have set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie against Crystal Palace after beating Brighton 2-0 at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka sealed in the second half secured the win with the Gunners having to endure an attacking onslaught from the visitors during the first 45 minutes.

Mikel Arteta made wholesale changes which included handing first senior starts to Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous. Five injury worries emerging in last weekend’s 2-0 triumph over Crystal Palace likely played a role in those decisions.

Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli and Riccardo Calafiori all appeared to be dealing with concerns to potentially add to Arsenal’s injury list which already includes Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.

Thankfully for Arteta, not all of the fitness worries continued into the cup win over Brighton with the Gunners boss likely hopeful, especially after no fresh issues appeared to emerge, that more returns can arrive for this weekend’s Premier League clash against Burnley.

With that being said, football.london has rounded up the latest Arsenal injury news and potential return dates.

William Saliba

After being taken off at half-time of Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace, Saliba was absent from the Carabao Cup clash at home to Brighton. That was expected following Arteta’s comments in a Tuesday press conference.

What Arteta has said: “He’s out. We’re assessing him, but he won’t be involved in this match.”

Possible return date: N/A

Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli came off the bench against Palace, but was spotted hobbling down the tunnel which sparked injury concerns.

What Arteta has said: “Yeah, it looks as well that he’s going to be out. We have to again do some more tests and see the extent of the injury, but this game is going to be early for him.”

Possible return date: N/A

Declan Rice
Rice was forced off in the late stages of the weekend’s victory, but returned off the bench just a few days later.

What Arteta has said: He’ll be available [vs Brighton].

Possible return date: Returned

Bukayo Saka
After being absent from training photos in the lead up to Arsenal facing Palace, there were worries over Saka, but he started the game to quench those. An early withdrawal resulted in fears returning, though. Arteta later revealed he was ill, but he was able to find the back of the net off the bench against Brighton.

Martin Odegaard
With November on the horizon, a return for Martin Odegaard from a knee injury appears to be getting closer.

What Arteta has said: “[The long-termers] are progressing really well. They are starting to do certain activities. They are super willing to be available as quick as possible. But at the moment, none of them are in contention in the next week or so.

“There’s no definite date for his return, but he’s evolving well. It’s very unlucky what’s happening with him and his injuries this season, but I think he will be back in a few weeks. It could be [after the next Int’ break], but we’ll have to see how he progresses. It’s too early to give an answer.”

Noni Madueke
After a bright start to his Arsenal career, Madueke picked up an injury against Manchester City in September that has kept him out since.

What Arteta has said: “[The long-termers] are progressing really well. They are starting to do certain activities. They are super willing to be available as quick as possible. But at the moment, none of them are in contention in the next week or so.

Gabriel Jesus
Jesus is still recovering from a serious knee injury picked up back in January.

What Arteta has said: “[The long-termers] are progressing really well. They are starting to do certain activities. They are super willing to be available as quick as possible. But at the moment, none of them are in contention in the next week or so.

What Jesus has said: “I’m feeling great. My knee is responding very well. An injury like this, one that is so long, you split up the recovery periods into smaller timings.

“So now I’m at the stage where I need to hold myself back a little bit because I’m doing great work outside on the pitches, but it’s tricky because I need to not rush myself too hard over the line.

“When you can see the end it’s important you don’t push too hard, keep my feet on the floor, and then as soon as the time comes, I will be ready.”

Arsenal extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions following a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup fourth round.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta made 10 changes to the starting line-up against the Seagulls. There was a nervous start. The visitors could have easily scored in the first 20 minutes.

Kepa Arrizabalaga made a fine save, while the Seagulls squandered another big opportunity.

Arsenal eventually found some control over the proceedings. Ethan Nwaneri broke the deadlock in the second half. Bukayo Saka came off the bench to score Arsenal’s second goal.

Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous were handed surprise starts yesterday, and speaking after the game, the manager had some fond words to say about the academy duo.

When asked specifically about how Dowman reacted to his full Gunners debut, Arteta said that everything is natural for him and he does not make a big fuss about it.

The Spanish tactician added that it is definitely special to see someone of Dowman’s age (15) being able to run past players, who are established in the Premier League.

He told Arsenal.com: “A tiny smile. That’s what you get with him. For him, everything is natural. For him, everything is ok. It’s the way he plays.

“I think that’s the secret, that he doesn’t make a big fuss of it. He just does what he does best, which is to play football, to play football with a lot of courage and determination.

“Today, again, he’s shown some incredible skill, some capacity to run past players at that level in the Premier League at 15. It’s something definitely special.”

Dowman had a lively debut against the Seagulls. He won an impressive nine duels on the night and was successful in completing five out of eight dribbles attempted.

The youngster was a handful for Brighton’s defence and was fouled on four occasions. Dowman also made three ball recoveries in a lively League Cup showing.

Arsenal will now turn their attention to Saturday’s Premier League trip to newly-promoted Burnley. Dowman will be hoping to make the matchday squad at Turf Moor.

Gabriel Martinelli picked up a possible muscle injury during the recent league win over Crystal Palace, and Arteta said that the Brazilian needs further medical examination.

If the winger is not deemed fit, Dowman should fancy his chances of making the substitutes’ bench. The 15-year-old could make his third league appearance of the season.