It is "very important" for Bukayo Saka to go on holiday in the not-so-distant future, according to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who has urged the England international to take a break. Saka has been ruled out until March after tearing his hamstring in a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on December 21.

DEPENDING on who you ask, Mikel Arteta is either a lunatic or a genius. Opposition fans are always ready to ridicule his barmy ideas for keeping his Arsenal players engaged and on the edge.

LONDON — Mikel Arteta warned Liverpool that "sensational" Arsenal is back in the Premier League title race after beating Tottenham 2-1 in the north London derby on Wednesday. Desperately needing a win to close the gap on leader Liverpool, Arteta's side staged a stirring fightback after Son Heung-min's early opener for Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta has been told he made a ‘big mistake’ with injured Arsenal defender William Saliba. Saliba has been a key member of Arteta’s squad over the past three seasons, making over 100 appearances for the Gunners.

It doesn’t get much better for Arsenal than beating Tottenham, but Saturday’s win at Wolves felt even bigger than their victory in the north London derby two weeks ago. That was certainly the sense you got watching Mikel Arteta and his players celebrate after the full-time whistle at Molineux.

The reaction from Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after their clash at Wolves on Saturday was lively, as expected, as his side rallied to win late. After going down to 10 players in the first half when Myles Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off, Arsenal dominated the second half as Joao Gomes was sent off for Wolves.

Mikel Arteta has admitted that William Saliba ’s injury setback has forced him to consider a new role for Declan Rice. Saliba missed Saturday’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Aston Villa after he pulled up during the closing stages of last week’s north London derby win over Tottenham.

Arsenal will be looking to build upon victory in the North London Derby as they face another tough test at home to Aston Villa. Mikel Arteta will be hoping to claim victory over former Gunners manager Unai Emery and keep pace at the top of the Premier League with Liverpool facing a tough trip to Brentford.

After leaders Liverpool could not draw against high-flying Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, Arsenal took full advantage 24 hours later with a 2-1 victory over rivals Tottenham in the North London derby

Arteta’s first-choice deputy for Saka on the right was Gabriel Martinelli, with Leandro Trossard on the left. That wing pairing returned against Aston Villa on Saturday. Despite the game ending in a 2-2 draw, they brought more threat to Arsenal’s attack than there had been in previous weeks.

Nwaneri’s return is timely given Arsenal are light on options in attack. The 17-year-old scored in back-to-back games before his injury, emerging as an option on the right flank in the absence of Bukayo Saka. “It was a big setback because he (Nwaneri) was getting some consistency and more minutes,” said Arteta.

Arsenal welcome Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb to north London on Wednesday for their fifth successive home fixture, with victory pushing them ever closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16. Their midweek European venture offers them the opportunity to forget their domestic struggles.