The latest Arsenal news as the Gunners receive a response to a potential transfer target, while Bukayo Saka has hit back at those criticising his side
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta looks on
Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal team slip up against Sunderland on Saturday evening
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Arsenal saw their lead at the top of the Premier League table trimmed on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw with Sunderland. A heartbreaking last-minute equaliser from Brian Brobbey has now sent the Gunners into the international break on a sour note.
Mikel Arteta's outfit are still top of the table but Manchester City have closed the gap to just four points after thrashing a dismal Liverpool 3-0 on Sunday.
Arsenal won't have much room for manoeuvre after the international break either. A crunch tie against bitter rivals Tottenham will precede games against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, a London derby against Chelsea, Brentford and then Aston Villa away.
Saka ignoring the noise
Bukayo Saka says he and his Arsenal team-mates are blanking out external noise. He also claimed people's opinions “change like the weather” after Arsenal were held against the Black Cats on Saturday.
Saka has stated that Arsenal are heavily focused on winning the Premier League and ignoring any and all chatter about their form.
“People’s opinions and thoughts about us change like the weather,” the England star said. “The most important thing is the changing room, how solid we are, the foundation we have, the belief we have in ourselves.
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka hauled Arsenal level vs Sunderland
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“How we stick together, through the good and bad, that’s the most important. We can’t pay attention to the external noise because it’s always fluctuating.
“We’re good, we’re in a good place. The last month or so has gone really well. We’ve won a lot of games, kept a lot of clean sheets and we’re playing well. So it’s all good.
“We just have to win every game, that’s the mentality we go into the games with. See where it leaves us. We can’t get carried away with what people are saying because one day they’ll say something, the next day they’ll say something different.”
Director of football responds
The director of football at Swedish outfit BK Hacken has responded to rumours that Arsenal are tracking the club's young midfielder, Silas Andersen.
Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal have been scouting the 21-year-old, but it's still unclear whether they're planning to make a move come January.
Hacken's director of football, Martin Ericsson has now addressed Andersen's links to Arsenal. “It’s quite reasonable. He’s a young player who is doing very well and who is of great interest. It would be strange if he were to say much else,” he told Fotboll Skanalen.
“With that said, I think he’s doing very well. He’s here both mentally and physically and pushes every day in training and matches. As long as he is, I don’t feel worried at all. Then we’ll see what happens in the winter.”
Silas Andersen of BK Hacken
Silas Andersen of BK Hacken(Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
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The Swedish club signed the young Danish star from FC Utrecht in January. Ericsson has insisted that he hopes to keep the promising midfielder at the club for as long as possible.
“It’s clear that our ambition is to keep Silas as long as we can," he said. Then we’ll see what things mean in terms of offers, clubs and how we and he approach it. We’ll see when a possible sale takes place."
When asked how much Arsenal would have to spend to prise Andersen away, he added: "We’ll see. Everything has to be right. For us, he’s a very important and high-profile player. So, it’s clear that something extra is needed. Exactly what that means is difficult to assess now."
Asked about Arsenal's interest, the player himself told Fotboll Skanalen: "I don't know. I'll let my agent work on it. I don't know much." When pressed further, he added: "It's a big club. I would be happy (to move)"
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