A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as boss Mikel Arteta issues updates on Bukayo Saka plus Gabriel Martinelli’s fitness, and Gilberto Silva urges one player to ‘step up’.
Arteta ‘hopeful’ Saka and Martinelli can face Brentford
Gunners coach Arteta is ‘hopeful’ of having Saka and Martinelli fit when Arsenal play host to Brentford on Saturday. The Emirates Stadium squad can go top of the Premier League with a win against the Bees. But they may be without as many as six players, including David Raya.
Raya is ineligible to face his parent club being on loan to Arsenal from Brentford. But doubts also linger around Saka and Martinelli’s involvements following their respective issues when Arsenal thrashed Sheffield United. The Gunners enjoyed a comfortable 6-0 win this Monday.
Saka offered two assists at Sheffield United but departed at the break after reporting feeling unwell. Martinelli also scored and assisted efforts at Bramall Lane, before exiting in the 64th minute due to a cut to his foot. But Arteta hopes they will both return at home to Brentford.
Arteta said during his pre-game press conference on Thursday: “We’ve got some players back last Monday and then we had Martinelli and Bukayo with little issues. We’re pretty positive that, hopefully, they can be part of that [group]. But we’ll have to see.”
Read more about what Arteta has had to say about Saka and Martinelli’s fitness, here.
Arsenal likely to ignore Toney for a versatile transfer target
Arsenal are now likely to ignore Brentford striker Ivan Toney and instead target a transfer for a versatile forward. That is according to football.london, which reports that Arteta will focus the Gunners’ efforts on attacking reinforcements who can plug multiple gaps in his frontline.
Arteta remains eager to add to the Emirates Stadium natives’ attack, despite Arsenal scoring 31 goals in the last seven Premier League games. Their form is easing fears that the Gunners needed to sign a striker like Toney in January to fight for the title but could not owing to FFP.
Toney has scored four goals in his eight Premier League appearances since returning from his eight-month ban this January. He also captained Brentford on his goalscoring return at home to Nottingham Forest before firing against Tottenham Hotspur, Wolves and Liverpool.
Read more about Arsenal’s latest stance on a transfer for Brentford striker Toney, here.
Gilberto urges Jesus to ‘step up’ and finally stamp his mark
Highbury hero Gilberto has now urged Gabriel Jesus to ‘step up’ and make Arsenal’s centre-forward position his own. The Arsenal legend believes his Brazilian compatriot is still yet to stamp his mark on the position. Jesus has four goals in 18 Premier League games this term.
Jesus has further only scored once in his last six top-flight games, along with offering two of his three assists this season. Arteta was also without the 26-year-old in three fixtures during that run owing to another aggravation of the knee injury he suffered at the 2022 World Cup.
Arteta handed Jesus his first minutes since scoring and assisting against Nottingham Forest in January during a cameo at Sheffield United on Monday. Now, Gilberto hopes the 64-cap attacker can kick on and prove once and for all that Jesus is the only striker Arsenal require.
“I haven’t seen him step up and take the position yet,” Gilberto told The Athletic. “I would love to see it because it’s an opportunity for him.
“He’s a good player. But he needs to show more confidence in himself and say, ‘I’m going to fight. I have an opportunity to establish myself as [the] number one [centre-forward]’.”
Read more about what Gilberto has had to say about Jesus and Arsenal, here.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
