Mikel Arteta has a chance to deliver a third straight league victory when his team travels to Brentford on Thursday
Ethan Nwaneri playing for Marseille against Paris Saint-Germain
Ethan Nwaneri playing for Marseille against Paris Saint-Germain(Image: Getty Images)
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Arsenal travel to Brentford on Thursday night aiming to maintain momentum in their pursuit of the Premier League title. The Gunners won the reverse fixture 2-0 in early December but the two scorers from that evening are both out of action.
Mikel Merino scored the opener that day but a broken foot is expected to keep him out for the rest of the season. Fellow scorer Bukayo Saka is likely to be back sooner after suffering an injury in the warm-up before Arsenal beat Leeds in late January but is still a little while away from a return.
Next up for Mikel Arteta's team after the derby is a home game against Wigan in the FA Cup. After that comes a pair of away league games at Wolves and Tottenham before they kick off March at home to Chelsea.
In the meantime, there has been plenty to digest off the pitch. Here are Mirror Football's latest lines from around the Emirates Stadium.
Nwaneri plan dealt blow
It has taken less than a month for Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri plan to go up in smoke. The England Under-21 international was sent out on loan to Marseille with the goal of playing top-level football under Roberto De Zerbi, only for the Italian manager to leave the club by mutual consent.
"Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement," the club said in a statement. "Following discussions between all stakeholders in the club's management—the owner, president, director of football, and coach—it was decided to make a change at the helm of the first team.
Roberto De Zerbi at Marseille
Marseille have confirmed Roberto De Zerbi's exit(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
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"This was a difficult collective decision, taken after careful consideration in the best interests of the club, in order to respond to the sporting challenges of the end of the season. Olympique de Marseille would like to thank Roberto De Zerbi for his dedication, commitment, professionalism, and seriousness, which were particularly evident in the team's second-place finish in the 2024/25 season. The club wishes him all the best for the rest of his career."
Nwaneri scored once in three league outings under De Zerbi and also played once in the Coupe de France. With a new manager on the way and a dramatic early elimination from the Champions League, the player and his parent club will have to hope things work out despite the disruption.
Trossard singles out team-mate
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard has pointed to colleague Christian Norgaard as someone who continues to set high standards on and off the pitch. Norgaard, who joined from Brentford over the summer, could make just his fifth league appearance for the Gunners against his old club.
Norgaard has played less than 700 minutes this season, including a late cameo in last week's win against Sunderland. He has started three times in the Champions League but is yet to do so in the league, though that hasn't stopped Trossard singing his praises.
“I would say Christian Norgaard is a good example of that," Trossard told The Premier League Show when asked which of his colleagues has been raising the bar. “Because he always wants to set a higher standard for himself on and off the pitch, and I think he’s a very good pro.”
Arteta also praised Danish midfielder Norgaard after handing him a start against Club Brugge in the Champions League in December. “Christian Norgaard is a player that probably prepares the best out of all of them, and is somebody that makes all of us better every single day,” he told TNT Sports. “He’s willing to play in any position, any condition, whether he plays more or less minutes, his attitude is always immaculate, and that’s a really good example for all of us.”
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