Arsenal
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The Premier League has been halted after three interesting rounds of matches for the international break, where several Arsenal players earned crucial call-ups to represent their countries.
The Gunners went into the international break at the back of a very painful 1-0 win to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
The international break will once again provide a platform for Arsenal players to showcase their skills on the global stage and boost their morale going into the next phase of matches in the Premier League and other ensuing local cup and European competitions.
Several Gunners featured prominently for their respective countries in the first batch of matches of the international break played on Thursday.
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Arsenal new boy Piero Hincapie played the full 90 minutes in Ecuador’s 0-0 draw against Paraguay. This was his first match since his loan move to Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli also both featured in Brazil’s 3-0 win against Chile.
Magalhães played the full match, while Martinelli came off after 71 minutes. Magalhães’ return to form after a long injury layoff is a welcome boost for Arsenal, and his solid performance for Brazil will be the morale booster Mikel Arteta’s team needs going into the next batch of club fixtures.
Gabriel Magalhaes
Gabriel Magalhaes played the full 90mins. for Brazil yesterday (Image credit: Getty Images)
Spain’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria was another highlight, with Arsenal stars Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino playing key roles.
Zubimendi provided a neat pass that set up Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal and delivered a corner that led to Merino’s header.
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Merino’s performance was also very impressive, scoring a goal and creating several chances to extend his tally for Spain.
Arsenal goalie David Raya was also named in Spain’s squad, although the spotlight was stolen by Bulgaria’s goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov, who made several crucial saves.
These standout performances will undoubtedly give Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta valuable insights as he shapes his squad for the upcoming matches.
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