Arsenal are flying high right now, but speculation remains rife ahead of the looming January transfer window.
Arsenal already backed Mikel Arteta with a near-£270 million spending spree in the summer, welcoming eight new faces as the north Londoners seek to end their 22-year wait for a Premier League title.
The investment from Andrea Berta and high-ranking Emirates Stadium officials has paid immediate dividends, with Arsenal sitting atop the Premier League with eight wins and just one loss — establishing themselves as clear title favourites.
Arsenal may have seen their defensive supremacy punctured by Sunderland, who ended their run of eight successive clean sheets in all competitions, but Arteta’s side remain four points clear, undefeated in 14 and the team to beat.
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 1-1 Man City
Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace
Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
Burnley 0-2 Arsenal
Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal
Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Arsenal’s water-tight defence and set-piece supremacy have been largely to thank for this, and their form is all the more impressive considering Arteta’s host of attacking players out injured right now.
Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Odegaard have all been sidelined recently, giving Arteta a real selection headache, but it is believed that the five are also racing to be fit for Arsenal’s looming North London derby against Tottenham.
Norway boss Stale Solbakken caused quite a stir this week when he said that Odegaard was still “some distance away” from an injury return, so it remains to be seen if he will be back in time to face Spurs, but Havertz and Madueke have impressed Arsenal staff with their rehabilitation.
Both men were deemed ahead of schedule in their recovery plans, so they could well return to the fold, with Gyokeres and Martinelli also vying for contention.
However, one player who’s been definitively ruled out is striker Gabriel Jesus.
The Brazilian hasn’t featured since rupturing his ACL during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Man United in January, and despite returning to training recently, the seriousness of his injury means that Tottenham will come too soon for Jesus.
A return is expected before the end of the year though (Simon Collings), with Jesus now taking time out from his recovery to talk about his future at the club.
Gabriel Jesus makes January transfer statement and names desired next club
The 28-year-old has been regularly linked with a January exit following the arrival of Gyokeres, but Jesus told Revista Placar that there is no chance he’ll be leaving in the new year.
However, Jesus did confirm that he wants to return to Palmeiras after leaving Arsenal, and the club equally want him.
Arteta spoke about the forward’s imminent return recently, explaining how he can’t wait to have Arsenal’s ‘very unpredictable’ weapon back, so it appears Arsenal’s manager isn’t overly keen on a winter exit either.
With Arsenal competing on four fronts, it will be a major boost to have Jesus to call upon once again, as Arteta will need every possible advantage at his disposal.