Don Robbie

What side could Arsenal have put out for the North London Derby if it went ahead? By Tom Masters Arsenal were due to be finalising their preparations ahead of an important north London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but despite playing a Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool on Thursday evening, their request for the game to be postponed was granted by the Premier League.  The match against Liverpool finished 0-0, with Granit Xhaka getting sent off for a clumsy challenge and Cedric Soares being replaced early on with an injury.    However, Arsenal felt they did not have the squad available to take on Spurs in such an important match and submitted a request for it to be postponed, with Martin Odegaard testing positive for Covid.    But could Arsenal have played the game? We have a look at the players available for the Gunners and a possible XI Mikel Arteta could have selected.    Goalkeeper: Aaron Ramsdale    Absolutely no problem ...

By Josh Graham You can have a Premier League side packed full of stars but if the man at the helm is not hitting the mark you cannot expect to be lifting trophies.   In the toughest league of the world, it’s a dog-eat-dog world when it comes to managerial chopping and changings and no more so among the traditional ‘big six’ clubs.   Here we rank the incumbents in charge at Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.    1, Pep Guardiola    The Manchester City boss is a colossal figure when it comes to football management, having dominated the game at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now at the Etihad.    Famed for rotating players in an irritating fashion for fantasy football players, a trait that has been coined ‘Pep roulette’, the Spaniard is revered globally for his tactics and tinkering.    The three-time Premier League manager of the season has helped turn City into a genuine European giant and all that...

Does Liverpool's win over Arsenal show just how far behind the Gunners are compared to the Premier League big boys? By Oscar Maung-Haley Liverpool slammed the brakes on Arsenal’s top four push with a 4-0 drubbing of Mikel Arteta’s side at Anfield last weekend in the Premier League. Arsenal had undergone something of a transformation throughout September, October and early November, going unbeaten during this period until they ran into a buzzsaw Liverpool attack on Merseyside. Liverpool found another gear which Arsenal don’t quite yet have in their locker, and it leads us to ask did the 4-0 defeat show just how far behind the Gunners are in comparison to the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool? Separating the men from the boys  Arsenal went toe to toe with Liverpool for about 30 minutes of action on Saturday night until a brief argument broke out on the touchline between Jurgen Klopp and Arteta. The spat seemed to galvanise both the entire Liverpool starting line-up and ...

Who is closer to a Champions League Challenge? – Arsenal or Spurs? By Jack Lacey-Hatton Since the first North London derby of the season on September 26, both sides involved have seen contrasting fortunes. For Arsenal, the 3-1 win jump-started their season, with the Gunners going five games unbeaten since that day in all competitions. Spurs on the other hand have suffered defeats at West Ham and at home to Manchester United, the latter seeing the end of manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s short reign. But the appointment of Antonio Conte has raised spirits and given hope to the supporters that a top-four challenge can still be salvaged. But realistically, who is closer to qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League? Arsenal Ahead of their final game before the international break, the Gunners sit seventh in the Premier League table, with 17 points from their opening 10 games. After a tricky start, culminating in that awful collapse at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta has man...