Arsenal begin its Champions League campaign in Bilbao without Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Ben White. They adjust their lineup, but manager Mikel Arteta stays focused on securing a win. The match takes place at San Mames, a stadium known for its strong home crowd.

Captain Odegaard failed to recover from a shoulder problem in time. Meanwhile, Saka and White also missed the match with injuries, leaving Arteta with a thinner squad.

Still, Arteta's goal is to push Arsenal closer to winning Europe’s top club prize, a title the club has never claimed. Last season, Arsenal reached the semi-finals, showing they can compete with any team when they stay sharp and united.

Arsenal knows the Champions League is tough, with small margins deciding games. Even so, the team travels with hunger and belief, ready to start strong despite the setbacks. Arteta strengthened his squad this summer to avoid running short of players when the season gets tough.

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Crystal Palace made history with a 1-0 win over Fredrikstad in the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round, yet the night felt split. The win marked the club’s first step in Europe in 27 years, but fans also faced the loss of key man Eberechi Eze, who is set to join Arsenal.

At Selhurst Park, many wore shirts with 'Eze 10' and held signs of gratitude for the midfield star. Coach Oliver Glasner later said Eze would not play for Palace again. Still, joy broke out when Jean-Philippe Mateta struck a header in the second half, giving Palace their first goal in a European competition since 1998.

The club entered this run fresh from their FA Cup and Community Shield wins, which had first placed them in the Europa League. That slot was cut by UEFA due to club share rules, leaving Palace to fight in the lower tier.

Chairman Steve Parish noted that life must go on after Eze, with new signings due. Yet, more exits may come, as Marc Guéhi is linked with a move to Liverpool.

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After weeks of negotiations between Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, Eberechi Eze is headed to Arsenal. It is a sudden hijacking of the move by the red side of North London, as Eze has chosen to make the move from South London to the Emirates. 

The now-former Palace player is set to join his boyhood club. He played in Arsenal’s Hale End Academy as a youngster, but was released as a 13-year-old. Now, he has made his move back to Arsenal as a 27-year-old, playing as one of the featured stars of the senior squad.

Eze provides Arsenal with a new world of options

With Eze joining Arsenal, his skill set provides many possibilities with the squad setup. They already have a set attacking midfielder with Martin Ødegaard. However, Eze can be a competition to him, but he can also play with the Arsenal captain. 

Most people believe that Eze could be the answer to Arsenal’s struggles with the left-hand side. Gabriel Martinelli was superb during the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, scoring 15 goals and dishing out five assists. 

Unfortunately, he has dropped off since that campaign, struggling with only 14 goals and eight assists across 68 Premier League matches over the past two seasons. With Eze joining the club, he provides a competitor and a likely replacement in the starting XI.

The added depth is also a big strength, as Arsenal dealt with all kinds of injuries in the 2024/25 season. As long as he stays healthy and productive, manager Mikel Arteta will keep him playing.

Eze has the winning mentality required to succeed

Since he was released as a youngster by Arsenal, Eze has developed a mentality that has made him a stellar player. He went from playing in the EFL Championship for Queens Park Rangers before earning a move to Crystal Palace. In South London, Eze became one of the most promising players, which the England national team took note of.

Eze’s Palace career was a strong display of loyalty and success, culminating in an FA Cup win in 2025, when he scored the winning goal against Manchester City. That winning pedigree is what he will bring to Arsenal.

Arsenal fans are ecstatic with his arrival

It is safe to say that Arsenal fans are ecstatic with Eze’s arrival. He is already immortalised in a mural on a tunnel wall near the Emirates Stadium. Fans on social media have praised the signing, especially since they got a player over their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Overall, this is a fantastic move for Arsenal, especially with what he provides on the pitch as a footballer and off the pitch as a likeable person.

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At 38, David Luiz is now making a surprise return to European football. Luiz has signed with Cypriot side Pafos FC, a club currently competing in the Champions League qualifying rounds. This move follows the early end of his contract with Brazilian team Fortaleza on August 1.

Luiz left Europe back in 2021 after two seasons at Arsenal. He later joined Flamengo and then Fortaleza in Brazil. Injuries and a lack of game time at Fortaleza led him to cut his one-year deal short. He only played 17 matches for them. Now, he's set to stay at Pafos until 2027.

Pafos proudly called this signing a 'historic moment' for football in Cyprus. They highlighted Luiz’s experience in some of the world’s biggest clubs and stadiums, calling him a global icon. 

Luiz is recovering from a thigh injury, preventing him from playing in the first leg of Pafos�?Champions League third-round qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv. The club hasn’t confirmed when he’ll be back on the pitch.

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The 2025 summer transfer window is still heating up, and the biggest story of early July 2025 is Viktor Gyökeres�?impending exit from Sporting CP. The Swedish striker has been adamant that he wants to leave the Lisbon side in this entire transfer window, and his focus has always been on joining Arsenal. 

The North London club has weighed their options during the transfer window, and the best choices were Gyökeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Šeško. When Leipzig was not budging with their financial demands, Arsenal closed in on Gyökeres.

Sporting looks set to sell Gyökeres, as they are already looking at Almeria’s Luis Suárez as the new forward. With that interest, it seems like Gyökeres is on his way to North London to compete for the starting striker spot with Kai Havertz and deliver on their potential as a potential Premier League title winner.

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Barcelona are in talks to sign Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey on a free transfer when his contract ends this June 2025. Liverpool plans to bid for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez, who is valued at over £40m and has already agreed to join. 

Liverpool also failed in two offers for Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz and may offer Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah in return. Chelsea are close to signing striker Liam Delap from Ipswich for £30m, with part of his medical already done. Everton are showing interest in Brighton’s Matt O'Riley but are unsure if the club will sell him.

Bayer Leverkusen agreed to sign Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken for £8.43m. Brentford will replace him with Liverpool’s Caoimhin Kelleher for a fee starting at £12.5m. Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi will decide if he will join Al-Hilal.

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Arsenal is looking for redemption after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign. They did not win a trophy for the fifth season in a row, and they also had a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League.

It has been a challenging time for Arsenal, but they are showing positive progress. To take the club even further, they will need reinforcements with their signings, which could include a potential Rodrygo signing.

Rodrygo provides Arsenal with a two-pronged attack

Bukayo Saka has been Arsenal’s cornerstone for a long time, and he is still improving. He plays the right-winger position, serving as the team’s main creative outlet. Saka is the perfect star player for this team, as he can do everything with his skill set as a playmaker and scorer.

Unfortunately, Arsenal does not have the same dynamic winger on the left-hand side. Gabriel Martinelli is a talented player, but he plays more of a direct style with his pace. Arsenal needs a winger who could make an equal impact to Saka, which could be Rodrygo.

The Brazilian winger is a more natural player when playing from the left wing, which could be the open spot at Arsenal. Rodrygo is a tremendous player with his dynamic skill set, but he also contributes goals and assists when given the opportunity. He is also quite flexible as he can play on the right wing, as he does at Real Madrid, but he can also go down the middle and be a centre-forward.

Rodrygo has the winner’s pedigree 

A big part of why having Rodrygo on the team is how successful he is for Real Madrid. He is not just successful as he has played a big part in the team’s success, especially in his two Champions League runs. 

Rodrygo is a serial winner, as he has collected multiple trophies by the time he’s 24. The ability to step up on the biggest stage in the Champions League speaks volumes as he could be the game-changer Arsenal needs.

Rodrygo fits the timeline

At only 24, Rodrygo is at the perfect age for Arsenal’s long-term project. He is still developing, but he is already a world-class player. He fits in well with players like Saka, Martin Ødegaard, William Saliba, and Declan Rice, who are all in their early to mid-20s. 

Signing Rodrygo is a big market opportunity, as reports have said the Brazilian might be on his way out. Going to Arsenal is understandable because he solves a big problem they have on the left-hand side. Rodrygo could be the key for the club to win the long-awaited  Premier League trophy and European glory in the Champions League.

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Arsenal has a good spine with a top forward in Bukayo Saka, a defence with Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, and a supposed star duo of Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard in the midfield. They might be top players, but they have not been in the optimal midfield set-up that takes advantage of both of their assets. 

That changes with Martin Zubimendi coming in. The Spanish midfielder could be significant for Arsenal, possessing the qualities that manager Mikel Arteta values for his team.

Zubimendi gives Arsenal the midfielder they need

Arsenal has operated with either Thomas Partey or Jorginho as their defensive midfielder or #6 in the 2024-25 season. They have been good because they dictate the game’s pace. However, they are limited on the physical side of the game, as they are slower out of possession (OOP), making other players adjust to them.

With Zubimendi, that won’t be the case as he is athletic enough to play as the #6, but he still has the qualities of Partey and Jorginho. The passing range encourages the rest of the team to bomb forward. Rice, who was a #6 before joining Arsenal, has become the left-sided #8 with Ødegaard on the right.

Now that they have more opportunities to attack, they can focus on that aspect of the game and contribute to creating goals. Rice has done well with that in the 2024-25 season, but Ødegaard could have a resurgent campaign.

Arsenal’s midfield depth will be remarkable

If and when Zubimendi joins Arsenal, the club will have a strong cast of midfielders. The trio of Zubimendi, Rice, and Ø are the primary options, but they also have Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly moving from left-back to their preferred midfield roles. 

This midfield also includes Ethan Nwaneri, who has been developed as the depth behind Ødegaard. Another academy graduate, Max Dowman, is also being developed into one of the team’s best midfielders. He is only 15, but the potential is impressive, as Arteta wants to integrate him into the system.

With more reinforcements likely coming in the transfer window, Arsenal could have one of the world’s best midfield lineups. This will make them one of the squads other clubs will be wary of.

Arsenal can win trophies with this core

Zubimendi’s arrival allows more players to be in their natural positions, which could be what Arsenal needs to start winning trophies. Those could come in the Premier League, Champions League, or even the cup competitions, as they have the depth to compete. 

The club has competed at the highest level over the past few seasons, which means those experiences could lead the team to improve and beat the top teams.

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The May 18th match secured Arsenal’s Champions League position after defeating Newcastle 1-0. The Player of the Match, Declan Rice, took the shot and gave the winning score to his team. The victory was celebrated by fans at the Emirates Stadium, who knew how important the result was for the season.

David Raya and Declan Rice were considered heroes of the game. During the first half, Arsenal’s David Raya maintained a tight defence and denied the visitors scoring opportunities. 

Raya made a series of impressive saves, stopping shots from Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento, and Harvey Barnes, before making a brilliant double save from Dan Burn and Sven Botman after a corner.

Rice scored a goal early in the second half with a smooth, first-touch shot into the bottom corner, after getting a pass from Martin Odegaard near the edge of the penalty area. This score was the winning goal, giving Arsenal the victory. 

This match gave Arsenal five points ahead of Newcastle. With this victory, they are tied to the current Champions League second-placer, Barcelona, with both securing 19 points. 

Without Alexander Isak, Newcastle found it hard to make good chances and challenge Arsenal’s defence, leading to their almost inevitable defeat. 

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Arsenal faced a tough match against Brighton in the Women’s Super League, experiencing a 4-2 defeat. This loss marks their second in just a week, shaking their hopes for a strong finish. Brighton took charge early, scoring first and keeping the lead throughout the game. 

Brighton kicked off with a bang, with Fran Kirby scoring a stunning goal in the 16th minute. Caitlin Foord scored an equaliser for Arsenal in the 29th minute. For the rest of the match, Arsenal struggled to find their rhythm as Alessia Russo and Frida Maanum had their shots saved by Brighton goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley.

As the match went on, Jelena Čanković netted two goals for Brighton, adding to their lead. Katie McCabe made a costly error, letting Kiko Seike race through to score the fourth goal. Arsenal scored a consolation goal late in injury time from Mariona Caldentey, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. With this defeat, Arsenal sits just a point ahead of Manchester United in the standings. 

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