Arsenal will be looking to cement their position at the top of the Premier League when they host Aston Villa on Tuesday night, with injury concerns and striker struggles weighing on the Gunners
08:59, 30 Dec 2025
Mikel Arteta's big summer striker signing Viktor Gyokeres has only scored five goals in the Premier League
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Mikel Arteta's big summer striker signing Viktor Gyokeres has only scored five goals in the Premier League
Arsenal return to action on Tuesday night when they face Aston Villa in a crucial clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Former Gunners manager Unai Emery's team delivered a hammer blow to Arsenal's Premier League title hopes earlier this month with a dramatic late winner at Villa Park. Following that setback, Arsenal have triumphed over Wolves, Everton and Brighton in the league, albeit by slender one-goal margins despite their superiority in those games.
The squandering of opportunities in front of goal has become an escalating concern for Mikel Arteta, and he will recognise that his players must be more ruthless to claim all three points against an impressive Villa outfit who have recorded 11 straight wins. Here's all the latest news from the Emirates, with the January transfer window looming.
Mikel Arteta knows the game against Aston Villa is huge for Arsenal
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Mikel Arteta knows the game against Aston Villa is huge for Arsenal
Arteta reveals transfer strategy
Mikel Arteta acknowledges Arsenal's persistent injury nightmare could force the club into making additions during the January transfer window.
The Spaniard was questioned in his press conference this week about whether the club will pursue defensive reinforcements in January, considering their extensive casualty list, reports the Mirror.
He insisted the Gunners will stay alert and actively seek to recruit players based on their requirements in the new year. "I don't know. We're going to be really aware of the situation and the timescale of certain players," Arteta said.
"We're Arsenal and we have to be actively looking, 'Okay, what do we need?' and then 'can we do it or not?' That's a different story. But our job is to be always very prepared because something can happen, so hopefully [it can be] very positive."
The Gunners have recently been linked with AC Milan's 20-year-old left-back Davide Bartesaghi, alongside Juventus wonderkid Kenan Yildiz.
Worries over Gyokeres
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres
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Misfiring Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has struggled to justify his price tag since arriving in England(Image: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arteta also confessed to having reservations about Viktor Gyokeres' goal drought.
The £64million summer acquisition drew another blank at the weekend against his former club Brighton. Gyokeres squandered an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock in the opening minutes and appeared sluggish with his positioning in the penalty area throughout the encounter, before being substituted by Gabriel Jesus, who delivered a superior display.
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Despite converting a spot-kick against Everton earlier this month, Gyokeres has mustered just five Premier League strikes this campaign.
The Brighton fixture represented the Swede's seventh consecutive match without finding the net from open play, prompting questions to Arteta about potential alarm bells.
Arteta responded: "Yeah [it is concerning] because we want him to score. Obviously, he had a few chances today, a few great positions and the ball didn't arrive, so... Keep insisting, it's the only way."