Poll Results: Arsenal’s three best signings of the summer

Arsenal have had a remarkable start to the season so far considering the huge amount of change at the club in the summer, as Arsene Wenger finally left his post after an incredible 22 years in charge.

The Gunners are sitting in fourth in the Premier League heading in to the international break and have won nine games on the bounce in all competitions under Spanish boss Unai Emery, who demands a higher intensity than his predecessor.

Emery made just five signings in the summer transfer window, which was probably for the best as too much change can certainly cause more harm than good, but who did Arsenal fans vote as their top three summer acquisitions? Take a look below to find out…

3. Bernd Leno

The German international goalkeeper signed for the Gunners from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £22m, but he had to wait to get his chance under Emery as veteran Petr Cech was preferred for the start of the season, despite seeming uncomfortable when playing out from the back.

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Cech’s recent hamstring injury has given Leno his opportunity though and he looks to be a solid signing who is capable of some impressive saves.

2. Matteo Guendouzi

When Arsenal announced the signing of Guendouzi from Lorient for just £7m, many would have expected the unknown 19-year-old to head into the youth setup to continue his development. However, the youngster has now made nine appearances in all competitions and has impressed Arsenal fans enough to finish second in our poll, way ahead of Leno and only just behind our eventual winner.

1. Lucas Torreira

The obvious choice here really, Torreira has looked a classy midfielder ever since Emery started introducing him slowly into the side. The Uruguayan has now made 11 appearances in all competitions and looks as though he is just as happy doing the dirty work as he is keeping play moving when the Gunners have the ball, something that Arsenal have lacked in recent years.

For Arsenal fans, if these three contribute to a top-four finish it will represent an extremely successful first season under Emery.

Check out the full results of our poll below

Arsenal fans are delighted with recent news on Laurent Koscielny

Arsenal have been without Laurent Koscielny for months, but it appears as though he’s finally on his way back to fitness. Arsenal recently confirmed on their official Twitter page that he’s edging closer to a return, and they shared a few images of him at the club’s training base.

The return of Koscielny will be big news for the club. The Frenchman is as solid as they come at the back, and despite their recent form, the Gunners’ defence is the weakest facet of Unai Emery’s squad. They’ve been prone to potent attacks, and though they’ve often been let off by the overall quality of their opponents in recent weeks, it’s fair to say that a big side could make Arsenal pay.

Unsurprisingly, then, many Arsenal fans are delighted at the mere sight of the French defender, and it’s clear that many of them are desperate for Koscielny to return.

Whilst that timeframe remains uncertain, it’s clearly getting ever closer.

Take a look at what they’ve had to say below…

Arsenal fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

Victor Moses linked with West Ham United return, fans react

With the January transfer window edging closer, speculation is starting to do the rounds.

West Ham United brought in nine new faces in the summer following Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival as manager.

It is unclear how much business the East London outfit intend to do, but rumours are rumbling that they might try to re-sign Victor Moses.

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, the Hammers may enquire about a possible move for the winger following the news that Andriy Yarmolenko is set to be sidelined for six months.

The claim was made during a taping of The West Ham Way show via PhoenixFM and it has sparked a response from supporters.

Moses was influential during Antonio Conte’s reign at Chelsea as he thrived in the wing-back role.

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However, the Nigerian is now deemed surplus to requirements due to the fact that new manager Maurizio Sarri does not play the same system.

Moses already has experience playing for West Ham having spent the 2015-16 season on loan at the London club.

During that time, Moses made 26 appearances, scoring two goals and registering two assists.

For Chelsea, the winger has had 127 outings, and in that time has netted 18 goals and bagged 13 assists.

On Twitter, West Ham fans reacted to the reports, and the general feeling is one of positivity.

Slow-starting Arsenal will be punished by Liverpool

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Arsenal and Liverpool are preparing for their huge game this weekend and both sides will think they’ve got what it takes to seize all three points, but the Gunners have a glaring weakness that could see the result decided in the first half an hour.

Two sides on form

Arsenal are currently enjoying a run of 13 games undefeated in all competitions as of their win over Blackpool in the League Cup on Wednesday and are looking ahead to Saturday with the aim to extend that streak to 14.

Meanwhile Liverpool are hoping to claim a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions and keep pace with league leaders Manchester City, who are currently top of the standings on goal difference.

The Gunners stayed in the top four following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and the Reds kept level with City on points and narrowed the goal difference margin with a 4-1 battering of Premier League new boys Cardiff last time out.

Vulnerable Arsenal

The Emirates outfit’s fantastic form is disguising some big issues; they are still error prone at the back and were lucky to come away with a point against Crystal Palace last weekend as the home side were arguably the better team for large parts of the game.

Palace hit the post early on and missed a glaring chance from close range before captain Luka Milivojevic netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead going into the break.

This marked the tenth time in ten Premier League games that Arsenal have gone into the second half either down or level (eight drawing, two losing), which makes their 13 game unbeaten run seem remarkable. Liverpool meanwhile, have led on eight occasions so far. The Gunners have scored 24 goals in the league this season, a massive 18 of which have come in the second half, indicating that they don’t truly click into gear until the first 45 minutes have passed.

Comparatively, Liverpool have scored 12 first half goals, seven of which were in the first 30 minutes – Arsenal have only scored three in the first half an hour this season.

The Gunners’ defensive record also leaves a lot to be desired; they have conceded eight first half goals while the Reds have let in just one. Jurgen Klopp will be licking his lips at these stats and those watching or in attendance at the Emirates on Saturday can expect an exceptionally high-tempo approach from the visitors as they look to expose the lethargic Londoners.

HYS: Who should replace Ayling for Leeds?

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Leeds just can’t catch a break with injuries at the moment, but who should come in at right-back after Luke Ayling’s knee injury?

Leeds have just been boosted by the returns of Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez, but now face two months without their starting right-back.

Ayling hurt his knee in the draw with Nottingham Forest, and the club have confirmed he will be out for around two months with an MCL injury.

The fan favourite defender suffered an injury in the same fixture last season, and it was that injury that triggered the Whites’ horrific run of form.

Marcelo Bielsa has a few options to replace Ayling on that right flank, but he has to choose the safest option to avoid a similar meltdown to last season.

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Jamie Shackleton would inject some pace and excitement into the position, and the youngster showed earlier this season that he is more than adept playing out of position as a defender.

Stuart Dallas has also shown his versatility by appearing in both full-back positions this season, but it’s fair to say fans have not been impressed by his recent displays.

Then of course there is Gaetano Berardi, who himself has been missing with an injury.

The 30-year-old had some fairly controversial lapses in discipline last season, but has been an absolute brick wall wherever he has played this season, and is therefore the safest option to play right-back when he returns.

So, Leeds fans, who do you think should take Ayling’s spot? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Liverpool fans debate form of Firmino as his goalscoring drought continues

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The expectations on Liverpool’s front three are extremely high given how prolific they were least season.

Therefore, it has been fair to say that the dynamic trio have not yet reached their best form collectively.

Individually, they have been getting on the scoresheet, but Roberto Firmino has had to watch his teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have more success in front of goal recently.

The Brazilian has scored four goals and registered two assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.

In fact, Firmino has only struck the back of the net once in his last nine outings for the Merseyside club.

The 27-year-old, who is valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, regularly has opportunities to get back to scoring ways as he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

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However, his current form has led to questions about Jurgen Klopp’s team selection, and whether Firmino should be given a breather.

In response to a tweet from Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce, some Liverpool fans gave their thoughts on the current situation.

Chris Smalling to Everton makes perfectly sense

Everton have reportedly been keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and a move at the end of the season, when the England international is out of contract at Old Trafford, could very well be on the cards.

As reported by the Sun, Smalling is currently busy negotiating a possible extension at United, but could be tempted by a move to Everton with Marco Silva particularly keen on pinning him down. Although the Red Devils have the option of keeping Smalling for a further 12 months, Everton are set to put a proper offer in-front of him with Silva already having sent scouts to United games to monitor him.

Smalling had a lot of up and down performances so far this season but has been at the heart of a United team that has experienced similar results. The instability of the team has been blamed on a lot of individuals part of the club, but it is almost certain that the ownership would back manager José Mourinho with the necessary funds in the next two transfer markets to sign the defenders he didn’t get in the summer.

That could play a key role in Smalling’s decision making, opening the door for Silva to offer him a spot in the Everton first team. The former Watford boss has mostly opted for a centre-back pairing of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma, while Yerry Mina made his debut on Sunday against Chelsea next to Keane.

The Toffees seem to have found their form in recent matches but would like to build a solid base for next season and the addition of Smalling could add a lot of experience for Silva to try and challenge for a European and possible Champions League spot.

With Zouma only on-loan at Everton, the chances are big that they might experience a shortage of centre-backs when next season gets underway. But with Smalling in the squad, Silva would be able to experiment as to who would be his best combination alongside Keane and Mina.

The Chalkboard: West Bromwich Albion should stick with four at the back against Ipswich Town

West Bromwich Albion boss Darren Moore should stick with the same tactics that got the team back to winning ways against Leeds United prior to the international break.

The Chalkboard

At the start of the season, the manager tried out a new formation by playing three at the back.

However, in recent weeks, he has reverted to a traditional back four, which served them well against Leeds.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Ahmed Hegazi, Craig Dawson and Kieran Gibbs were selected to start in what turned out to be a 4-1 victory.

The triumph ended a winless run of four games in the Championship, and it put the Baggies in contention once again for promotion.

As it stands, Moore and his team are fifth in the table, five points adrift of current leaders Norwich City.

Given how tight it is at the top, West Brom will need to get their tactics spot on against Ipswich Town this Friday in order to keep themselves in the hunt.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Tom Skinner’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Three or four at the back?

There is certainly an argument for both cases, but given the success that it brought against Leeds, sticking with a foursome may be best for West Brom at this moment.

Dawson and Hegazi worked well together last season when they were partnered in central defence, and they have been solid when doing so in the current campaign.

Following the loan departure of Allan Nyom in the summer, the Baggies have been slightly weaker in the right-back department.

However, having more numbers at the back will only serve them well against the Tractor Boys on Friday.

It is a difficult decision given that Moore has tried to implement a new system, but sometimes you just have to go with what works.

Revealed: 67% of Charlton fans would support a move for Chelsea youngster Castillo

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According to our recent poll, the majority of Charlton fans would support a loan move for young Chelsea left-back Juan Castillo in the January transfer window.

The Addicks are going well in League One and currently sit in sixth place after their 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers on Saturday, but there are clearly additions that manager Lee Bowyer could make in the winter window.

Bowyer recently told the South London Press & Mercury: “It is too soon to say what sort of players we will want to bring in elsewhere but we need to try to get a left-back, 100 per cent.”

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Charlton fans are clearly keen on signing Castillo though, with 67 per cent supporting a move. The 18-year-old joined Chelsea’s academy on a free transfer in the summer of 2016 after leaving the well-respected Ajax youth system, meaning he has had one of the best football educations available as he continues in the U23 squad.

An attacking full-back, Castillo has scored one goal and provided five assists in 14 games so far this season and those stats would surely impress the prolific Lyle Taylor up top. Check out the full results below.

Arsenal fans react as Laurent Koscielny makes first appearance since May

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Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny made his first outing in red since May – when he suffered a nasty Achilles injury that saw him miss France’s World Cup winning campaign of the summer – on Monday night as he played 45 minutes for the Under 23s.

The former Lorient man was a mainstay in the Gunners line-up under Arsene Wenger, became club captain under Unai Emery in the summer, despite his injury, and has made 324 appearances for the club in all competitions – judging by the response on Twitter, the Emirates faithful cannot wait for the 33-year-old to make his 325th.

Emery has worked hard to restore a defensive security that was absent from the red and white side of north London as Wenger’s time at the helm came to a close, bringing in steel and experience at the back with the signings of Sokratis and Stephan Lichtsteiner but, so far, Rob Holding has surprisingly been the standout performer.

Whether there is still a place in the starting XI for the ageing Koscielny remains to be seen but, regardless, fans were overjoyed to see their number 6 back in action.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates to witness Arsenal’s qualification for the Europa League last 32. Check out his match diary in the video below…

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