Rice and Odegaard back, Saliba still out
Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are back for the trip to Brighton. William Saliba is not, still out with a back injury (2).
Arsenal go into it 1st in the Premier League on 12 points from 4 games, goal difference +7. Kickoff is 16:00 CEST on Saturday at Brighton & Hove Albion (NEXT MATCH). The XI is expected to lean on familiar names as Arteta tries to keep the 100% start alive (2).
Why the right-back keeps breaking
Ben White went off injured in midweek, and Martin Zubimendi ended up at full-back. It is the same story as Jurrien Timber.
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The position is not about total mileage. It is the type of running: repeated explosive sprints up and down the same channel, sudden changes of direction, recovering at pace and then going again a minute later, as sports scientist Stephen Smith puts it (3).
Two established right-backs should make this the strongest area in the league. It has not worked out that way.
Kroupi is the January target
Arsenal want Junior Kroupi from AFC Bournemouth, and a January move is seen as feasible (4). The window has closed for most major leagues after a summer where clubs spent over €10 billion on signings (4).
Meanwhile, Arsenal are reportedly complicating Real Madrid's plan to sign one of their main midfield targets (7). Unconfirmed.
Arteta on Dowman: every six months
Mikel Arteta has not ruled out sending Max Dowman out on loan, and says the club reviews the 16-year-old's progress every six months (1)(5).
Arteta backs Gyökeres
Arteta is standing behind Viktor Gyökeres, stressing the need to give him support and security (6).
