Arsenal star Jorginho handed reality check as ex-Gunners target eyed by Spurs
Arsenal will hope to escape any serious injuries for their international stars as they gear up for a busy run-up to the Christmas period.
Mikel Arteta's side have gone into the break just one point adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City. They rebounded from a first league defeat of the season at Newcastle by beating bottom-of-the-table Burnley, while City were held by Chelsea.
Next up for Arteta and his charges is a trip to Brentford, who have won their last two home league games but lost to the Gunners in this season's Carabao Cup. Here, Mirror Football has the latest from North London including dispatches from the international break.
Warning for Jorginho
Italian World Cup winner Beppe Bergomi has questioned whether Jorginho should continue taking the Azzurri's penalties. The Arsenal midfielder missed from the spot in the Euros qualifier against Macedonia, sending a tame effort into the arms of the visiting goalkeeper after his patented hop during the run-up.
“With all due respect, Jorginho has to bow down to the evidence here and admit penalties are no longer for him," Bergomi told Sky Sport Italia. "That style of taking spot-kicks just does not work anymore and today we got confirmation beyond doubt.
Mikel Arteta's dream Arsenal line up as last-gasp January transfers are secured"We can appreciate his character and mental strength in going up there again, but I’d say now enough is enough. He has to go to the coach and say let someone else take the next one.”
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Kroenkes praised
Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has praised the Kroenke family when speaking exclusively to Mirror Football. The American owners haven't always been the most popular figures around north London, but have won over the Invincibles star.
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"What I've noticed is the owners are more present in the club," Silva said. He was speaking at the Web Summit in Lisbon, where he was promoting his new hate-free football social media platform, Striver, alongside CEO Tim Chase and fellow Brazil World Cup winner, Roberto Carlos.
"You see them around in the Emirates, during pre-season in America, they wore [Arsenal] clothes. But they come to London, they are there in the stadium from time to time, and not spending so much time elsewhere, which is important for the fans to see they own the club, they care about the club, they care about the fans and what they expect. Also to keep the club at a very high level, competitively, but also the culture of the club."
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Spurs want Raphinha after Arsenal failure
Tottenham are reportedly keen on Brazil forward Raphinha, as the Barcelona star's future comes under scrutiny. The former Leeds man opted for Barca over Arsenal when leaving Elland Road, and was linked again in January, but could now find himself moving to the other side of north London.
The Catalan club spent £50m to sign the South American in 2022, but he hasn't always been first choice. Now, Football Transfers report he could be offloaded in 2024 to help Barca ease their financial issues, with Spurs said to be keen on the £61m-rated star.
Arsenal lose eight players and sign three as January transfer window closesSpurs are currently without summer signing James Maddison, who is expected to be missing until the turn of the year after picking up an injury against Chelsea. Richarlison is also sidelined through injury, while the international break brought a fresh scare for captain Son Heung-min.
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