Arsenal are back in training after the international break and preparing for a tough game against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, with plenty of transfer news and gossip to digest
07:54, 12 Sep 2025Updated 07:57, 12 Sep 2025
Mikel Arteta has come in for criticism despite leading Arsenal to three consecutive second placed finishes in the Premier League
Mikel Arteta has come in for criticism despite leading Arsenal to three consecutive second placed finishes in the Premier League
Arsenal's return to Premier League action is fast approaching following their crushing defeat against champions Liverpool.
The Gunners suffered a 1-0 reverse to their fellow title contenders at Anfield in their last outing, courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai's brilliant free-kick, handing the Reds a three-point advantage in the Premier League table, as last year's runners-up struggled to fashion sufficient goalscoring opportunities.
However, there remains ample opportunity for Arsenal to seize control as Mikel Arteta welcomed his squad back this week, having led a huge revamp of his side this summer transfer window.
Arsenal face a challenging fixture against Nottingham Forest this weekend, with Arteta's former Tottenham adversary Ange Postecoglou now at the helm following Nuno Espirito Santo's dismissal. Here's all the latest news from the Emirates.
Clichy criticises Arteta's "lack of ambition"
Mikel Arteta watching his Arsenal team
Mikel Arteta watching his Arsenal team(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Arsenal have faced criticism this campaign regarding their playing philosophy under Arteta, who it could be argued has emphasised defensive stability and set-piece prowess over fluid attacking football.
While the Gunners demolished Leeds United 5-0 in their second fixture of the campaign, they managed only a 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the season curtain-raiser through a corner-kick goal and appeared cautious in attack versus Liverpool.
Gael Clichy, a member of the legendary 2003-04 Invincibles squad that claimed the Premier League title unbeaten, believes the club's former philosophy of stylish football under Arsene Wenger has vanished. He added that he was concerned about Arteta's ambition at the club, claiming they were "excited not to lose a game".
Speaking to Metro, he said: "Arsenal is coming to a place where the idea and identify of Arsene Wenger's football is not seen much anymore. We don't talk about how well Arsenal played these days, we talk about how difficult they are to break down or how impressive they are on set pieces.
"Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic and it's part of the game you need to exploit but if we talk about what Arsenal used to be and what Arsenal is today, there's nothing to compare anymore.
"We have to accept the manager wants something different. And maybe with the wingers and striker we have, we see more of this old-school way. But we also have to tell it like it is – we have also maybe seen a lack of ambition from Arsenal as a club and from Mikel.
"When you look at that game against Liverpool, you can see a team that is not concerned about winning but a team excited not to lose a game."
Arsenal could target January loan deals
Arsenal new signing Viktor Gyokeres with Sporting Director Andrea Berta at Sobha Realty Training Centre on July 27, 2025 in London Colney, England
Arsenal new signing Viktor Gyokeres with Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta(Image: 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
The Gunners splurged heavily during the summer transfer window, shelling out more than £250million on major acquisitions including Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke.
Whilst Arteta will be reasonably satisfied with how his squad has taken shape following the summer activity, he may well fancy bringing in a couple more faces come January to keep his team functioning smoothly.
Last season, the Gunners were hammered by a fitness nightmare after Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were both sidelined for the campaign, whilst Bukayo Saka was also out for an extended spell with a hamstring injury.
We've already witnessed several fitness concerns within the Arsenal squad this term after Saka and Havertz suffered fresh setbacks, whilst William Saliba is also anticipated to remain unavailable for some time yet.
This could prompt Arteta to dip into the transfer market come January to secure temporary signings - according to Football London. This wasn't an option last season having already utilised his two-player allocation with Raheem Sterling and keeper Neto.
The report suggests transfer supremo Andrea Berta would have the liberty to pursue such arrangements with those two loan positions remaining available.
Bothroyd was 'one of Wenger's best players'
Jay Bothroyd of Arsenal in action during the Times FA Youth Cup Final second leg against Coventry City at Highbury in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0.
Jay Bothroyd has made some audacious claims from his time in north London(Image: Gary M Prior/Allsport)
Jay Bothroyd was previously earmarked for greatness at Arsenal but failed to fulfil his potential. The frontman never featured once for his childhood team, though that doesn't suggest he failed to leave his mark during his stint with the north London outfit.
Bothroyd went on to establish himself as something of a nomadic professional after clocking up 600 outings across various sides in the Premier League, Championship and even in Thailand and Japan, netting 175 times throughout his travels.
The retired footballer, now 43, has made a bold statement about his former Arsenal manager Wenger. He claimed the Frenchman singled him out during an England camp at London Colney, praising him as one of the best players he had ever managed.
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Recounting the emotional encounter on the Beast Mode On podcast, Bothroyd said: "I go upstairs, as soon as I walk in the room, he comes from behind his desk," he told the Beast Mode On podcast. "He came and gave me a big cuddle. And I was like, in that moment, I had tears in my eyes because it was like he kind of gave me the cuddle, and then he grabbed my shoulders."
The ex-striker continued: "He's like, 'I knew it. I knew you could do it. I knew you had the talent like that.' And I said, 'Thanks boss,' and I was like, 'Again, I just want to apologise for my behaviour back then. I was a completely different person.'
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"And he's like, 'Don't worry about none of that. These things happen. You created a pathway for yourself, and you still got yourself back to the top'."
Bothroyd continued: "Then he says to me, 'Do you know one thing? One thing that I always took from you as a kid then, you were one of the best players I've ever worked with, even up until this point now.' I was like, 'What do you mean?' And he was like, 'You are one of the most talented players I've ever worked with in my career as a manager'."