Mikel Arteta pulled off unheralded Arsenal masterstroke as Ivan Toney reality bites
JOHN CROSS COLUMN: Arsenal finally got one over Manchester City before the international break, but Mikel Arteta will need to keep pulling rabbits from hats when the transfer window reopens
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Mikel Arteta has a reputation for pushing players incredibly hard in his training sessions.
But Arteta pulled off a masterstroke by giving most of the Arsenal first team squad the best part of two extra days off in the build-up to the Manchester City game. Arsenal looked refreshed, they had virtually all of their injured players back after lay-offs - apart from the obvious exception in Bukayo Saka - and enjoyed a huge win over their title rivals City.
That game created worldwide interest and unprecedented numbers in international media at the Emirates. There have been intensive talks between clubs about extra access in the next TV deal which has already put out to tender and we could see developments over the forthcoming few weeks.
The bigger clubs are still pushing back on ideas such as half-time interviews, dressing room access and players being interviewed after being substituted. But there are likely to be tweaks such as more pre-match interviews pitch side with a certain allotted number of slots in the current deal but it has been pretty obvious as to which managers are more open to it than others.
Arsenal are in the market to strengthen in January with Brentford’s Ivan Toney their No1 target but they are likely to have to be creative again to get it done.
Brentford want at least £60m and that means Arsenal would have to make a big sale to balance the books. That sale would have to be done before June 30 so it would not be impossible to get Toney done but it will not be easy.
They also want a winger - primarily as cover for Saka - and are likely to look at loan options as, again, a player like Pedro Neto would cost big money and Wolves would surely not sell in January.
Secret Seagulls
Roberto De Zerbi has been cast as one of the most innovative and clever tacticians in the Premier League.
But pity the poor Brighton players who are pushed to the limit by his intense training sessions and demands which have gone up a level now they have more games with a European campaign. And maybe the toughest thing of all to master is all De Zerbi’s secret signals for set pieces, playing out from the back and formations.
Bouncing the ball before taking a corner and such like is hardly new in football but the sheer number of signals and nuances for each routine has definitely expanded the players’ minds!
Roberto De Zerbi continues to drill his Brighton stars, with creative set-piece design a key facet of training (
Image:
Getty Images)
Struggling Hatters
Luton are struggling in the Premier League - and are also struggling to accommodate all of their opponents at Kenilworth Road.
When some of the bigger teams turn up to the away dressing room this season they are likely to find that there are not enough seats to go round for every member of the squad. Some players have already been left to stand up.
In fairness to Luton, they have ambitious plans for a new stadium and have spent big on their existing ground so deserve huge respect for making the best of it this season.
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A marathon World Cup
FIFA have revealed the provisional schedule for the 2030 World Cup and there are some interesting dates and plans.
It is certain to be the longest tournament ever, lasting 43 days - the Qatar World Cup was condensed to less than a month - and has effectively been extended by nearly a week to squeeze in games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
That is a nice touch to mark the centenary of the World Cup which was first played in Uruguay 100 years ago but has obviously raised environmental and sustainability issues as it is being staged in six countries across three continents.
The 2030 World Cup promises to be a gruelling one (
Image:
JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)
Spain, Portugal and Morocco are the main joint hosts but FIFA are keen to point out that half of South America’s teams will effectively play games in their own regions and that will cut down on travel.
FIFA also add: “FIFA will take all required measures to mitigate the environmental impact of the FIFA World Cup. From a sustainability point of view, it’s also worth mentioning that only one bid significantly reduces travel in relation to site inspection visits and other meetings.”
Lionesses demand continues
Wembley has already passed the 50,000 ticket mark for England’s game with Holland in the Women’s Nations League in December.
What an incredible achievement with tickets sales only likely to grow and this weekend is another big opportunity for the WSL with more big gates likely to follow.
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