Arsenal apologise as Mikel Arteta addresses William Saliba fear | Football | Sport

Arsenal will now shift their focus back to the Premier League after their Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. The Gunners currently sit atop the domestic table following a narrow victory over Fulham last weekend.

Mikel Arteta‘s side hold a three-point lead at the summit, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Bournemouth hot on their heels. Next up is a home fixture against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, following the Eagles’ own European exploits on Thursday evening. In addition to last night’s game against Atletico, there’s been plenty happening around the Emirates. From Arteta discussing William Saliba’s future to the manager’s surprise at one of his players, we bring you all the latest from the red half of north London.

William Saliba’s situation addressed

Real Madrid’s interest in Saliba has been well-documented since the Frenchman made his Premier League breakthrough with the Gunners three seasons ago. However, the 24-year-old, widely considered to be one of the world’s best defenders, recently quashed growing speculation by signing a new contract until 2030.

Arteta was asked this week in an interview with Marca whether it was difficult to retain Saliba given the links to Madrid, who have developed a reputation for poaching players on free transfers in recent years. The Spaniard maintained that he was confident Saliba would agree to an extension, saying: “All the previous conversations I had with him were based on the intuition of what he wanted and which he later confirmed by renewing, since his number one intention was to stay here because he is happy here.”

Saliba himself has insisted he is happy in north London, declaring: “I didn’t win anything here except the Community Shield. I want to stay here and win a lot of trophies. I love this club, I couldn’t leave this club without giving something back, I’ve won nothing. I want to stay here and win.”

Apology issued

Arsenal had to apologise to Atletico after the Spanish club were left without hot water in their dressing room at the Emirates Stadium. The La Liga side trained in N5 on Monday night ahead of their Champions League clash but were forced to return to their hotel to shower after the session due to the absence of hot water.

Atletico staff informed Arsenal of the problem at 6.45pm on Monday, while their players were training. Their session had been set to finish at 7.30pm but it ended 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

The problem with the hot water, which is understood to have affected both the home and away dressing rooms, was not resolved until 7.25pm, by which point Atletico had decided to return to their hotel. Arsenal reportedly apologised to their staff for the inconvenience caused.

Mikel Arteta surprised

Arsenal‘s remarkable summer spending spree saw the club invest over £250million on fresh talent, namely Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Christian Norgaard, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Piero Hincapie. While their contributions have varied, midfielder Zubimendi has been singled out by Arteta as one arrival who is undeniably flourishing at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners splashed £60m on the former Real Sociedad star, outmanoeuvring rivals Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid in the process. The Spain international’s effortless adaptation to English football, having already netted two goals, has even taken his own manager by surprise.

Arteta revealed to Marca: “I don’t like comparisons [to Man City’s Rodri]. I think Zubi has to make his own way, and he’s doing so. Since he’s arrived, his impact on the team has been exceptional, and that’s very difficult.

“I’ve seen many midfielders reach the Premier League, coming from top positions in other leagues, and they’ve struggled; it’s taken them a year or two to become who they are.

“The speed and naturalness with which he’s adapting is surprising. We’ve given him confidence and a clear role, at all levels, including decisions we’ve made here with players who were there but are no longer here.

“We gave him space. And then, he feels comfortable with our style; it suits his way of playing.”