Arsenal face Brentford on Thursday night as they look to bow out with a league win before turning their attentions to the FA Cup
Tom Victor
05:00, 12 Feb 2026
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 31: Ethan Nwaneri #11 of Olympique de Marseille looks on during the Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Paris FC and Olympique de Marseille at Stade Jean Bouin on January 31, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
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Mikel Arteta's plan for Ethan Nwaneri has gone wrong(Image: Catherine Steenkeste, Getty Images)
Arsenal head to Brentford on Thursday evening looking to remain in control in the Premier League title race. The Gunners secured a 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in early December, though both goalscorers from that match are currently sidelined.
Mikel Merino opened the scoring that day, but a is set to miss the remainder of the campaign as he recovers from foot surgery. His fellow goalscorer Bukayo Saka should return sooner as he works his way back to full fitness following an injury sustained during the warm-up ahead of Arsenal's victory over Leeds in late January, though this game may ultimately come too early.
Following the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium, Mikel Arteta's men face Wigan at home in the FA Cup. That precedes consecutive away league fixtures at Wolves and Tottenham, before they welcome Chelsea to north London at the start of March.
Meanwhile, there has been no shortage of talking points away from the action as Arteta's men get ready for action. Here's the latest from the Emirates Stadium.
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Nwaneri plan suffers setback
Arsenal's plans for Ethan Nwaneri have unravelled within weeks of the teenager leaving on loan. The England Under-21 international joined Marseille for the remainder of the season with the intention of learning under Roberto De Zerbi at Stade Velodrome, only for the Italian boss to depart by mutual agreement.
"Olympique de Marseille and Roberto De Zerbi, coach of the first team, have announced the end of their collaboration by mutual agreement," the club confirmed 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.
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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 managed one goal in three league appearances under De Zerbi and also featured once in the Coupe de France. With managerial change on the horizon and a shock early exit from the Champions League, both Arsenal and Nwaneri will be hoping for stability despite the upheaval.
Trossard praises Norgaard
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Arsenal's Christian Norgaard comes on as a substitute during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Sunderland at Emirates Stadium on February 07, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Christian Norgaard coming on against Sunderland(Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard has highlighted colleague Christian Norgaard as a player who consistently maintains exceptional standards both on and off the pitch. Norgaard, who arrived from Brentford in the summer, has barely featured for the Gunners in the league but could get some rare minutes when they face his former side.
Norgaard made a brief appearance off the bench in last week's victory over Sunderland, one of just four league outings. Whilst he has been named in the starting XI on three occasions in the Champions League, he has played just 32 league minutes, although that hasn't prevented Trossard from lauding his teammate.
"I would say Christian Norgaard is a good example of that," Trossard answered when asked on The Premier League Show about which colleagues have been setting high standards. "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."
Arsenal manager Arteta has also heaped praise on the Dane. "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," Arteta told TNT Sports after starting Norgaard against Club Brugge in December. "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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