Arsenal are set to face Fulham on Saturday evening, with a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League. With second-placed Liverpool not playing Manchester United until Sunday afternoon, the Gunners have the chance to pile pressure on the reigning champions by securing a victory at Craven Cottage.
Mikel Arteta will be eagerly welcoming back his international Arsenal stars after a fruitful October break. Although club captain Martin Odegaard is expected to be sidelined for a while due to a knee injury, Declan Rice and Piero Hincapie appear to be match-ready for Saturday’s clash. The north London side face a packed schedule ahead, juggling Premier League, Champions League and domestic cup fixtures. However, Arteta’s squad seems robust enough to navigate this wave of back-to-back games. Here, Express Football provides some of the latest news emerging from the Emirates Stadium this week.
Jurrien Timber contract talks underway
Jurrien Timber’s impressive performances have forced Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta to sit up and take notice, especially as they’ve also caught the attention of Bayern Munich. Reports suggest that the Bundesliga titans have reached out to Timber’s representatives to assess interest in a potential move to Germany.
However, the Evening Standard has reported that the Gunners are now engaged in discussions to secure a fresh contract for the defender to ward off any potential suitors. Following his arrival at Arsenal and subsequent ACL injury, Timber has bounced back from the season-long absence with renewed belief in his abilities.
Speaking positively about the Dutch international before the international break, Arteta said: “The way he’s come back and what he’s doing for the team is phenomenal.
“I think he’s a really good example of another one that hopefully is going to have a long career with us. I rate him a lot. When you’re talking about a total player, he has almost every quality that you want from a defender.”
Whilst Timber’s current deal extends until 2028, the north London club are eager to secure him on an extended contract to prevent any possibility of a departure from the Emirates Stadium.
Dowman impresses during training
Max Dowman initially grabbed Premier League attention by making his debut against Leeds United in August. He earned a spot-kick in the 93rd minute and became the second youngest player in top-flight history at merely 15 years old – trailing only behind team-mate Ethan Nwaneri.
He’s now drawn comparisons to Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal. Cristhian Mosquera has praised the young Arsenal talent, telling The Athletic that Dowman will be “world class.”
Mosquera said: “I don’t mean to compare, but his style and way of playing is like Lamine Yamal. His movements are Lamine-esque.
“I didn’t have him on my radar and when I got to Singapore, he was already training and playing. When they told me he was 15, I couldn’t believe it. He really is an incredible player, and I think he’s going to be world-class.”
Arteta has also been full of praise for Dowman, applauding his ability to handle the physicality of the Premier League with maturity. When asked how senior members of the first team reacted to the 15-year-old in training, the Arsenal boss said: “At the beginning, they responded immediately, kick him! That was the first one.
“And Max, to be fair, he was excellent. He stood up and got into the next one. You can really take an impression of someone who was 14 last year at some point when he was doing certain things to players. And now, yeah, everybody loves him. You just want to hug him, help him. He’s such a nice boy as well, and he’s very much liked by everybody here. And just looking after us.
“It brings responsibility to look after somebody with that talent and make sure we just do what we have to do to make sure we’re giving him the best chance to exploit his talent. That’s all.”