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A Los Angeles-based doctor that specializes in sports science says Erik ten Hag has risked injuring his Manchester United players by making them run 13.8km in the heat on their day off.
Sportsmail reported how a furious Ten Hag made his team cover the exact distance which Brentford outran his side by when the Bees defeated United 4-0 in Saturday’s late game – the shock result of the Premier League weekend.
The Dutchman scrapped the planned day off for the Red Devils in order to unleash his wrath on the team but according to Dr Rajpal Brar, he has risked doing more harm than good to his players.
Responding to the reports at first on Twitter, Brar said: ‘If true, I’m assuming the sports science & physio staff intervened. That’s how you get players into the red zone and/or injured.’
The ‘red zone’ is when an athlete reaches 90-100 per cent of their maximum heart rate, meaning they are also at maximum effort and exertion.
And later, speaking to Sportsmail, Dr Brar expanded on his thoughts: ‘In terms of rest/recovery and injury risk – think of your body like a bucket.
‘Activity adds water to the bucket whereas rest & recovery removes it. With the wrong balance of the two, the bucket will overflow (or on the other end, be bone dry which you also don’t want).
Erik ten Hag axed Manchester United’s planned day off after the 4-0 defeat by Brentford
Ten Hag made the United squad run 13.8km – how much Brentford outran them in the defeat
Responding to the reports, Dr Rajpal Brar said that Ten Hag has risked injuring players
Dr Brar said Ten Hag’s punishment could catch up with players in later games
‘Playing in a high level football match adds significantly to that bucket and adding another day of running on the day after – there’s a reason it was a scheduled rest day – can lead to that overflow and potential injury risk. Maybe not during the session but in following matches. The ‘red zone’ is essentially that state of high fatigue & raised injury risk.
‘Elite footballers’ activity & physical/mental state is closely monitored by the sports science & medical teams for a reason & training programs, lineup decisions, etc are tailored around them.’
Ten Hag arrived early at United’s Carrington training base on Sunday to put the United team through the ringer before leading an inquest into the Brentford result.
The temperature was 30C in Manchester on Sunday – 86 Fahrenheit.
But Ten Hag has to find answers to his team’s awful play, and fast. United faces fierce rival Liverpool next on Monday, August 22 at Old Trafford and Jurgen Klopp’s side beat United 5-0 there last season.
There have been concerns over the standard United has been training at in recent weeks and those worries were compounded by Saturday’s emphatic defeat that puts United last in the Premier League standings.
There are also fears that Cristiano Ronaldo’s attitude is having a negative impact.
Although Ronaldo is said to be training well, he exchanged words with Ten Hag’s No 2 Steve McClaren at the final whistle after refusing to applaud United’s travelling fans at Brentford. There is a feeling that his mood is having a negative effect on the dressing room.
However, United have dismissed suggestions that Ronaldo’s contract could be cancelled, and reiterated that he is staying at the club.
It comes after the season started with a 2-1 loss to Brighton at Old Trafford and Ten Hag is now the first United manager in over a century to lose his first two games.
He was visibly furious with the performance of his team on Saturday night.
‘It’s rubbish, and it’s poor. We need higher standards than that, that’s clear,’ he told BeIN Sports.
‘We have to deliver and we didn’t. We have to change, that’s quite clear.
’35 minutes you concede four goals. It is not possible. The team has to take the responsibility. I feel really sorry for the fans. We let them down.’
There are concerns of Cristiano Ronaldo’s attitude and its impact in the United dressing room
Ten Hag lost his first two games as United coach and it doesn’t get easier with Liverpool next
Club chiefs have so far failed in their attempts to hand their new coach the players he has asked for during the summer transfer window, with their hunt for Frenkie de Jong still ongoing.
United legend Rio Ferdinand defended Ten Hag on Saturday night but said United’s pursuit of De Jong has bordered on begging.
He said: ‘I don’t feel sorry for the players, I feel sorry for Ten Hag,’ Ferdinand said. ‘He’s coming under false pretenses. He’s coming expected new signings.
‘He’s probably sitting there thinking “I’ve been sold a dummy here. I didn’t know I was coming into this”. Confidence, I know, was going to be low.
‘He knew that but he thought “I’ll be able to rebuild that,” but obviously the players are not at the standard required. Simple as that.’
As for the De Jong pursuit, Ferdinand said: ‘We’re almost wh**ing ourselves out for this player.
‘For three months in the transfer window, with our cap out begging, “please come to us, please come to us.”
United is last in the Premier League standings and is already in crisis after two games
‘They’ve walked around behind him, begging him (de Jong), “please turn round and notice us, please turn round and notice us.” And he’s looking around and saying “not for me.”
‘And we’re still there; “please give us one chance.” How are we putting ourselves in that position? How are we allowing ourselves to be put in a position like that?
‘Do you think Klopp or Pep or Sir Alex or Jose would be following around a player like this? They wouldn’t be doing that!’
From the goal kick, Martinez and De Gea try to pass out from the back. Eriksen is immediately stripped of possession on the edge of the box by Jensen, who adjusts himself before sweeping a shot into the bottom left. United are a shambles.
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Brentford 2-0 Manchester United (Jensen 18)”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sat 13 Aug 2022 17.59 BST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 13 Aug 2022 16.28 BST”},{“id”:”62f7d3e48f083b8f44400a77″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Brentford swarm United after the goal kick is taken. Ronaldo loses possession, then Dasilva, striding down the inside-right channel, threads a speculative effort towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It should be an easy claim for De Gea, but the keeper allows the ball to squirt through his hands and into the corner. Oh my, what an error.
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Josh Dasilva scores their first goal.”,”caption”:”Brentford’s Josh Dasilva scores their first goal.”,”credit”:”Photograph: David 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Manchester United may not be very good at the moment, but they remain forever box office. Last weekend’s pitiful display at home to Brighton has cranked up the pressure on Erik ten Hag after one match in charge – I know, I know, but this is life in 2022 – and a second successive defeat, while almost unthinkable at the start of the new manager’s supposed honeymoon period, is far from unlikely.
By contrast, Brentford started their sophomore season in the Premier League with a spirited two-goal comeback to salvage a point at Leicester. Accordingly, their spirits are high, while the expectation as minnows is low. None of which serves to help the visitors, who really need to get something tonight ahead of next week’s game with Liverpool. However, say what you will about this United team, but they often produced a big result when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer really needed one. Can they provide similar succour for their new boss? After last week’s debacle, they certainly owe him something. Kick off is at 5.30pm. It’s on!
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Key events
29 min: Jensen curls the free kick towards a group at the far stick. De Gea punches clear. Dasilva retrieves the ball and wins a free kick out on the left flank. Another opportunity for Brentford to populate the United box.
28 min: Hickey dribbles in from the right and is brought down by Fernandes, near the right-hand corner of the United box. Brentford load it.
27 min: The game restarts with a goal kick for United. Will they try to play out again? Nope. De Gea launches it. Ten Hag looks perplexed and none too happy.
25 min: … and that’s drinks. Thomas Frank gets out the tactics board. Erik ten Hag by contrast stands stock still, hands on hips, briefly staring at an imaginary object 1,000 yards in the distance. He finally snaps out of it and addresses his rattled team.
24 min: United stroke it around a bit, to very little effect. Rashford competes for a ball coming in from the right; Hickey calmly shepherds it out for a goal kick. “Who would have thought that reappointing Maguire as captain and building a defence around him, then asking de Gea to play out using his feet would result in a shambles?” asks Adam Roberts, because somebody had to.
22 min: The Brentford fans are enjoying this. “You’re getting sacked in the morning,” they sing. On the touchline, Erik ten Hag has the good grace to look very concerned.
20 min: Ronaldo tries to make something happen down the other end. He drifts in from the right and attempts the spectacular. His effort is always missing high and wide left. Ronaldo might be furious; his team-mates just look shell-shocked.
19 min:BREAKING NEWS: Ronaldo is fuming. It’s breaking news, but it’s not surprising news, is it.
GOAL! Brentford 2-0 Manchester United (Jensen 18)
From the goal kick, Martinez and De Gea try to pass out from the back. Eriksen is immediately stripped of possession on the edge of the box by Jensen, who adjusts himself before sweeping a shot into the bottom left. United are a shambles.
Brentford’s Mathias Jensen (left) doubles the home side’s lead. Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images
17 min: Jensen hoicks the free kick over the bar. But no matter, because …
16 min: Eriksen dallies on the ball and Toney goes barrelling off with it, straight down the middle. On the edge of the D, Maguire comes from behind and cleans him out. A free kick, but only a yellow, because fortunately for the United captain, Martinez had reacted well again, and was in close attendance.
15 min: Brentford ping the ball around in confident style. They slip it wide right for Dasilva, whose low drilled cross nearly finds Toney on the penalty spot. Martinez reacts well to poke clear, with Toney preparing to sweep a shot goalwards.
13 min: That was an appalling error from De Gea. A penny for the thoughts of a certain Nottingham-based goalkeeper. Meanwhile Ronaldo is claiming a foul in the build-up, but Jensen looked to have stripped him of possession efficiently.
11 min: United try to respond immediately, but Fernandes hoicks a long-distance effort a long distance over the bar.
GOAL! Brentford 1-0 Manchester United (Dasilva 10)
Brentford swarm United after the goal kick is taken. Ronaldo loses possession, then Dasilva, striding down the inside-right channel, threads a speculative effort towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It should be an easy claim for De Gea, but the keeper allows the ball to squirt through his hands and into the corner. Oh my, what an error.
Brentford’s Josh Dasilva scores their first goal. Photograph: David Klein/ReutersAnd almost looks embarrassed celebrating. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
9 min: A free kick for Brentford out on the right. They’ll surely lump it in … but Jensen and Norgaard over-elaborate. An intricate training-ground move breaks down, and the ball rolls out apologetically for a goal kick.
8 min: Hickey and Shaw compete for a loose ball. Shaw is a nanosecond later to the scene. For a second, it looks as though the referee is going to brandish yellow, but there wasn’t much in it, and a talking-to will suffice.
6 min: Mbeumo sends the corner in from the right. It’s only half cleared, allowing Henry to take a shot from long range. The ball sails miles over the bar. Early signs, though, that the United defence, smaller than the average, will be regularly tested under a few high balls.
5 min: A throw for Brentford deep in United territory from the right. Jensen flings it in. Some pinball. The United defence panics. Eriksen takes charge and pokes out for a corner.
4 min: United are seeing more of the ball during these early exchanges. Fernandes feeds Ronaldo down the inside right. Ronaldo takes a whack from distance. It’s an easy gather for Raya.
2 min: After a hectic ping-pong start, United put the first move of the afternoon together. Rashford turns into space and feeds Ronaldo down the middle. Ronaldo goes over in the general environs of Mee, and wants a free kick just outside the box, but he’s not getting one.
United get the ball rolling. A fantastic atmosphere at a sweltering Gtech Community Stadium.
The Brentford fans are in good voice. Photograph: Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images
The teams are out! Brentford buzz around in their red and white stripes, while United’s designers show plenty of devilment by sending their men out in neon lime. We’ll be off in a couple of sweat-soaked minutes!
Pre-match reading.
Erik ten Hag speaks to Sky. “We have problems with numbers in offence, but Ronaldo has had two weeks in training, and is always a threat to score goals. The second half last week, when he came on, it made a difference, so I expect that today as well. In the second half we played really well. We have to react.”
Sky presenter Kelly Cates asks Brentford boss Thomas Frank how the “extraordinary” heat will affect the match. His forecast: “Both teams will try to play with as much intensity as possible, but I’m not in doubt that there will be spells when both teams try to rest a little bit, before being ready to go again.”
Michael Fish presents the BBC weather forecast, back in the days when we had normal heatwaves. Photograph: BBC/PA
Pre-match postbag o’pessimism. “He’s playing Fred?” splutters John Reed. “Must be a misprint. I scored Fred 1/10 last week and that was generous.”
David Wall meanwhile is playing a long game. “People at United are saying that ten Haag has to, and will be, given time. But suppose they lose here. They’ll obviously lose at home to Liverpool, and then Leicester and Southampton are places that they’ve struggled to win at in recent years. Then it would be a resurgent Arsenal who are starting to look like a dangerous and resilient side again. Will that patience remain if they go a couple of months without winning? And should it?”
One way or another, we may come back to reassess these conversational gambits at full time.
Brentford make two changes to the XI named for their opening-day draw at Leicester. Mads Roerslev and Josh Dasilva replace Yoane Wissa and Vitaly Janelt, both of whom drop to the bench.
Just the one change for Manchester United from Erik ten Hag’s first competitive selection last week against Brighton. Cristiano Ronaldo replaces Scott McTominay, who takes a seat on the bench. Christian Eriksen faces his old team.
Manchester United: de Gea, Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw, Eriksen, Fred, Fernandes, Sancho, Ronaldo, Rashford. Subs: Malacia, Varane, Heaton, Wan-Bissaka, van de Beek, Elanga, Garner, McTominay, Garnacho.
Referee: Stuart Attwell.
Preamble
Manchester United may not be very good at the moment, but they remain forever box office. Last weekend’s pitiful display at home to Brighton has cranked up the pressure on Erik ten Hag after one match in charge – I know, I know, but this is life in 2022 – and a second successive defeat, while almost unthinkable at the start of the new manager’s supposed honeymoon period, is far from unlikely.
By contrast, Brentford started their sophomore season in the Premier League with a spirited two-goal comeback to salvage a point at Leicester. Accordingly, their spirits are high, while the expectation as minnows is low. None of which serves to help the visitors, who really need to get something tonight ahead of next week’s game with Liverpool. However, say what you will about this United team, but they often produced a big result when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer really needed one. Can they provide similar succour for their new boss? After last week’s debacle, they certainly owe him something. Kick off is at 5.30pm. It’s on!
FIFA is set to move the start date of the World Cup one day earlier so that host nation Qatar can play first, The Athletic understands.
Previously, the tournament was scheduled to begin on Monday November 21, with Senegal playing the Netherlands.
However, it is understood that Qatar want to play first, as has become customary for the host nation.
Their game against Ecuador is now slated to move forward to Sunday November 20. It will kick-off at 7pm (2pm ET).
England’s opening game, against Iran on November 21, will be played that day as planned.
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The decision still needs to be approved by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, made up of president Gianni Infantino and the leaders of each continental confederation (UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, CAF, AFC, and OFC).
Agreement is expected to be granted, meaning the World Cup will now take place from November 20 to December 18.
The host country has featured in the opening game of every World Cup since 2006, before which the defending champion usually featured in the first match.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar — controversial for the reasons outlined in this article — is the first winter World Cup to take place in the northern hemisphere.
The Premier League will break for more than a month after the weekend of November 12/13 before beginning again after the final on December 18. The top-flight season will resume on December 26 for the traditional Boxing Day round of fixtures.
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The fixture schedule for the 2022-23 Premier League season was released on Thursday, with champions Manchester City starting at West Ham and the Erik ten Hag era at Manchester United beginning with a home match against Brighton, kicking off a tough-looking run to start his new job.
City clinched the 2021-22 title in extraordinary fashion on the final day, coming from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and edge Liverpool in a thrilling race. Pep Guardiola’s side are vying to become the first Premier League team to win the trophy three seasons in a row since Manchester United in 2009 and their campaign starts at the London Stadium, before hosting newly promoted Bournemouth.
The first meeting between last season’s top two comes on Oct. 15 when Guardiola’s men visit Anfield, with the corresponding fixture set for April 1. Jurgen Klopp’s side kick off their campaign against newly promoted Fulham at Craven Cottage.
– Premier League 2022-23: Full fixture list – When does the 2022-23 season start across Europe? – 2022-23 preseason schedules: Where the top clubs are headed
Manchester United endured a nightmare 2021-22 season, finishing with their lowest points tally of the Premier League era. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked midway through the campaign and Ralf Rangnick took over on an interim basis, only to leave the club this summer before the end of his two-year advisory role.
Ten Hag is the latest man trying to stop the rot at Old Trafford and he has a difficult start to life at United, with a home match against Liverpool the club’s third game of the season, on Aug. 20. In that fixture last season, Solskjaer’s side suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history when Liverpool won 5-0.
United’s first 10 matches of the campaign also include trips to Leicester and Everton as well as the visit of Arsenal. The first Manchester derby of the season comes on Oct. 1 at the Etihad, with the Old Trafford fixture set for Jan. 14.
The 2022-23 season kicks off with Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal on Friday Aug. 5 and then a further programme of seven matches on the Saturday, including Frank Lampard’s Everton hosting former club Chelsea.
Antonio Conte’s Tottenham beat Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to the remaining Champions League place last season and they open with a home match against Southampton, with the first North London derby of the season at the Emirates on Oct. 1.
The Premier League is in its 30th year since its inception in 1992 and the new season takes a different shape to previous campaigns, with the league on hiatus in November because of the World Cup in Qatar. The final league fixtures before the tournament take place will be on Nov. 12-13 and the English Football Association submitted a formal request to the Premier League asking for matches between the “Big Six” not to be scheduled on that weekend before the World Cup starts, sources told ESPN.
There are no Big Six contests on that weekend, with City hosting Brentford, Liverpool at home to Southampton, Chelsea at Newcastle, Tottenham hosting Leeds, Arsenal travelling to Wolves and United facing Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The World Cup final is on Dec. 18 and the Premier League returns on Dec. 26 with a full programme of fixtures which includes Liverpool at Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa, Leeds vs. Manchester City, and a London derby between Arsenal and West Ham. The following round of fixtures will not be until New Year’s Eve this term, to ease the workload on teams following the World Cup.
Elsewhere on the opening day, Nottingham Forest, back in the top flight for the first time in 23 years, begin with a trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle, while fellow new boys Bournemouth host Aston Villa.
The fixtues are subject to change, owing to matches being moved for television purposes and how teams might progress in domestic and European cup competitions.
Mikel Arteta might not always think so, but everything seems to be going Arsenal’s way. This was another exceptional day for their top-four prospects and, while they had enjoyed the luxury of watching rivals stumble in recent weeks, here they asserted those credentials all by themselves. Brentford were flattered by Christian Nørgaard’s added-time goal and the tone could hardly have been more different from the opening weekend of the season, when Arsenal were pummelled by the same opponents and appeared a hopeless case.
On this occasion it was one-way traffic in the direction of Brentford’s penalty area. Arsenal would have enjoyed seeing West Ham drop points against Newcastle at lunchtime and were patently hungry to capitalise, barely letting up from the first whistle. A completely dominant first half did not yield enough in terms of clear chances, and much less where goals were concerned, but they re-emerged with the same tempo and deserved their reward.
It arrived three minutes after half-time through a sublime finish from Emile Smith Rowe. Arsenal’s lack of depth is little secret, Arteta emphasising afterwards that their Champions League hopes may hinge on staying injury-free, but their left flank is the one obvious exception. The suspension of Gabriel Martinelli, whose red card at Wolves caused a disproportionate amount of angst given the significance of the win in which it arrived, meant a start for the England international and he had oozed menace from the beginning.
Then he took Alexandre Lacazette’s sprayed pass and, from midway inside Brentford’s half, made for the box. Sergi Canós and Kristoffer Ajer both looked fearful of conceding a penalty and Smith Rowe wriggled between them, snaking a precise curler into the far corner via David Raya’s fingertips.
It was Smith Rowe’s 10th goal of the season in all competitions and he has become a matchwinner when afforded the chance. Exactly the same can be said of Bukayo Saka, who wrapped things up with a vaguely similar effort. Brentford had begun to threaten in something approaching a concerted fashion but, straight after Yoane Wissa had squandered a promising position, Arsenal broke. Sections of the crowd felt Thomas Partey had delayed his pass left to Saka, who had run 70 yards to receive it, for too long; in fact his decision making was perfect, Saka taking it in his stride before raking a sweet drive inside the same upright.
Emile Smith Rowe tucks home Arsenal’s first. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty Images
Saka and Smith Rowe are the subjects of a terrace anthem to the tune of Status Quo’s “Rockin’ All over the World”, which received a hearty airing after full-time. “The supporters love that song and everybody loves that song because they are players that have been raised in our system,” Arteta said. “I am really happy that we have players that take the responsibility and manage to win games for us. It is really impressive at that age.”
Equally eyecatching is the fact that Arsenal, callow though they might appear, operate with such control. Nørgaard’s scrambled effort with the last action, awarded by VAR, did not reflect their level of control and the extent to which they put the squeeze on Brentford. To that point, it should be said that Thomas Frank’s players held out manfully for long periods. The otherwise outstanding Martin Ødegaard should have settled the game before Saka but, beyond that, Arsenal were limited to half-chances even if there was always the sense Brentford were on the stretch. This Arsenal side plays so intensely that, in most opponents, something eventually has to give.
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“We defended fantastically in the first half,” said Frank, although the fact Brentford, without the injured Ivan Toney, could barely exit their own territory by the interval boded ill. A stream of corners, blocked shots, handball appeals and teasing crosses was not sustainable to resist for 90 minutes. Frank felt Brentford were better in possession during the second half but they did little with it and next Saturday’s meeting with Newcastle, which could see a debut for Christian Eriksen, now assumes huge proportions.As do most of Arsenal’s assignments from here. A point off Manchester United with two games in hand, fourth place may be theirs to lose. “We are a little bit closer today because we won our game,” Arteta said before adding a cautious kicker. “We cannot look too far. Things change very quickly.”
Manchester United’s fixture against Brentford has been postponed after the club were forced to close down their training ground because of an outbreak of COVID-19.
United shut their Carrington training base on Monday after confirmation of positive coronavirus cases following PCR testing.
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What was described as a small number of players and staff were sent home on Sunday after routine lateral flow tests came back positive. The club’s academy, training in a separate bubble, was allowed to continue.
“The decision was taken following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak within Manchester United’s squad,” the league said in a statement.
“First team operations at the club’s Carrington Training Complex were closed down today to help control the outbreak and minimise risk of further infection among players and staff.”
United were due to travel to play Brentford in London on Tuesday night, with the match now to be rescheduled at a later date.
On Monday, a separate Premier League statement reported a record high in COVID positives across the league at 42 and said they are reverting to its emergency measures for all teams.
The statement read: “The safety of everybody is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in light of the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country. The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and will increase the frequency of both Lateral Flow and PCR COVID-19 testing of players and staff. The League can today confirm that between Monday 6 December and Sunday 12 December 3,805 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, there were 42 new positive cases.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion last week was postponed by the Premier League following a severe coronavirus outbreak among Antonio Conte’s squad.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette will miss Arsenal’s opening game of the Premier League season tonight.
The Athletic understands both forwards are not available for Friday’s game against Brentford as they are unwell. Aubameyang played in all six of Arsenal’s pre-season games, while Lacazette’s absence is a further blow.
Aubameyang had a difficult season last campaign but still managed to score 15 goals in 39 appearances for the north London side.
Arsenal will be hoping to improve on last season this time around. They struggled in the Premier League and only managed to finish eighth in the division, although they did end the season with five straight victories. They won two of their six pre-season games, against Watford and Millwall.
Arteta has been backed in the transfer market this summer, with Arsenal making three senior signings. Nuno Tavares has joined from Benfica, with midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga coming in from Anderlecht. Arsenal also spent around £50 million on Brighton’s Ben White.
