Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised “exceptional” Aaron Ramsdale on his return to the team as the Gunners won at Brentford in the Carabao Cup third round. Reiss Nelson scored the decisive goal in the eighth minute after a mistake in defence by the hosts. But the display of goalkeeper Ramsdale, benched in favour of David Raya in Arsenal’s last three games, proved pivotal in ensuring Arteta’s side booked a fourth-round meeting at West Ham.

He caught the eye when he made a crucial second-half save from Yoane Wissa as Brentford put the visitors under heavy pressure in the second half. Arsenal will travel to Premier League rivals West Ham United in the week commencing 30 October for a place in the quarter-finals. Ramsdale had started the season as Arsenal’s first-choice, but Arteta caused a stir by replacing him with Raya for the 1-0 win against Everton on 17 September. It was a quiet start for him as Brentford struggled to create opportunities in a first half where they didn’t manage a shot on goal.

But the hosts were much improved after the break and Ramsdale was called upon to superbly push Wissa’s shot on to the post before the rebound was cleared. It proved a crucial intervention as Arsenal weathered the storm to stretch their unbeaten start to eight games.

Tottenham came from behind twice to secure a hard-earned point in the north London derby against Arsenal in a thriller at Emirates Stadium. In a relentless encounter, Arsenal took the lead after 26 minutes when Bukayo Saka’s shot was deflected into his own goal by Spurs defender Cristian Romero. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had made the big decision by keeping David Raya in of goal ahead of Aaron Ramsdale and he justified that faith with two fine saves from Brennan Johson as Spurs went in pursuit of an equaliser. Raya should have done better, however, when Spurs levelled three minutes before half-time. He could only claw away a cross allowing an attack to continue, ending with James Maddison crossing for Son Heung-min to equalise with a deft finish.

Arsenal restored their lead after 54 minutes when Romero was penalised for handball following the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee, Saka scoring from the spot. Spurs, illustrating their new positive approach under manager Ange Postecoglou in his first north London derby, were back on terms almost instantly when Jorginho, as a half-time substitute for the injured Declan Rice, lost possession to Maddison, who played in Son for another cool finish. The headline news before kick-off was Mikel Arteta’s decision to stay with Raya in goal, a move that surely ends the debate about who is Arsenal’s number one keeper, the Spaniard getting the nod ahead of England’s Ramsdale. It was a mixed afternoon for Raya, who made two important interventions but was also culpable for Spurs’ first equaliser when he should have held a cross, allowing Spurs to maintain pressure and score.

For Arsenal, there will be real frustration in being held to a point and one of the key moments came when they were leading 1-0 and Gabriel Jesus caught James Maddison in possession, only to shoot wildly over the top with just Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario to beat. Arsenal were never at their most fluent, not helped by losing Rice to injury at half-time, and paid the price when his replacement Jorginho was robbed by Maddison for Spurs’ second goal. The Gunners staged a late show to beat Manchester United but there was no repeat here, even in 10 minutes of added time, and Arteta’s side had to settle for a point against their great rivals.

Arsenal returned to the Champions League in style as they started their first campaign in six years with an impressive win over PSV Eindhoven at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners wrapped up victory in their opening Group B game with a scintillating first half display that saw them race into a 3-0 lead on a rain-soaked night in north London. Bukayo Saka opened the scoring after eight minutes, pouncing on a rebound when PSV keeper Walter Benitez could only push Martin Odegaard’s into the England winger’s path. Saka was involved again when Arsenal doubled their advantage 12 minutes later, laying the ball perfectly into Leandro Trossard’s pass for a smooth low finish after Gabriel Jesus had broken clear.

Jesus was outstanding and thoroughly deserved to add Arsenal’s third seven minutes before half-time with a rising drive that gave Benitez no chance. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta made a host of second-half changes with Sunday’s derby at home to in-form Tottenham in mind, but his side still retained complete control, and Odegaard made it 4-0 with a powerful 20-yard strike with 20 minutes left. Elsewhere in Group B, French side Lens held Sevilla to a 1-1 draw in Spain as they played in their first Champions League match in 20 years. Arsenal had been waiting for this day since 2017, and the home crowd celebrated their return to the Champions League with a thunderous roar before kick-off as the tournament’s anthem rang around Emirates Stadium.

And manager Arteta could hardly have wished for a better outcome as Arsenal dominated from the outset, those two early goals emphasising their superiority over PSV and a giving them a control they never looked like relinquishing. Striker Jesus was a perfect leader of the line, scoring one, helping to create another with a surging break, and also forcing a superb diving save out of keeper Benitez after some outstanding footwork. David Raya was again chosen ahead of Aaron Ramsdale in goal, and while he was hardly examined, he showed again why Arteta rates him so highly by demonstrating safe handling in conditions difficult as well as some excellent distribution with the ball at his feet.

The added bonus for Arteta was that Arsenal’s victory was so comfortable that he was able to make changes early to keep players fresh for that fixture against Spurs on Sunday. Saka, Jesus, Trossard, Declan Rice, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all given an early night to conserve energies for what is shaping up as one of the biggest games of the Premier League season. The Gunners’ spirits could not be higher after following up their vital win at Everton last weekend with a display full of enough of their trademark fluency to outclass their Dutch opponents.

Arsenal dug deep to secure a narrow but well-deserved win over struggling Everton at Goodison Park. The Gunners – who replaced England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale with David Raya – have suffered away at Everton in recent years, losing on four of their past five visits. But the Toffees, still without a Premier League win this season, were desperately short of quality and Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock with a classy side-foot finish after 69 minutes. Arsenal had Gabriel Martinelli’s sweeping first-half finish narrowly ruled out for offside against Eddie Nketiah in the build up, but the home side could not hold out in the second period as Trossard finished off some patient Gunners probing around the box.

Manager Mikel Arteta was clearly elated as his side maintained their unbeaten start to the season and moved back to within two points of leaders Manchester City. The home side, meanwhile, look destined for a season of relegation struggle and were a far cry from the side who overpowered Arsenal in manager Sean Dyche’s first game in charge in February. Arteta’s beaming smile in front of the visiting fans after the final whistle said it all. The Spaniard was celebrating a vital victory at a venue where he was adored as a player but where he has endured painful experiences as a coach. The Gunners have cracked in the past in the hothouse atmosphere of Goodison Park, notably last season when they suffered a damaging defeat on Dyche’s introduction as Everton boss.

There were no such problems here as they controlled matters against a desperately poor Everton side who gave Raya the most comfortable of games on his Premier League debut for the club. The new signing from Brentford looking at ease with ball at his feet and was able to indulge in some pretty tame catching practice from a succession of aimless Everton crosses. The early departure of Martinelli, who went off with a hamstring injury moments after seeing his goal ruled out for offside, was a blow but Trossard made his mark with a clever side-foot finish following neat build-up from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal’s former club record signing Nicolas Pepe has joined Turkish side Trabzonspor on a free transfer, ending a disappointing four-year spell at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners paid £72m to sign the Ivory Coast winger from Lille in 2019.

Pepe scored 27 goals in 112 games for Arsenal and spent last season on loan with French side Nice. The 28-year-old was not involved in any of the club’s matchday squads this season. Pepe had one year left on his Arsenal contract and had been their record signing until the £100m arrival of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice this summer. After a proposed move to Saudi Arabia this summer fell through, Arsenal agreed to terminate the 28-year-old’s contract a year early so that he could move to Turkey’s Super Lig.

Trabzonspor – who won the Turkish Super Lig title in 2021-22 and are currently seventh in the standings – announced Pepe’s arrival late on Thursday evening. In a video posted on the club’s social media accounts, Pepe said he has joined the club “to become a champion and achieve success.”Pepe’s relationship with Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta soured somewhat towards the end of his time at the Emirates, with the player failing to earn pitch time and then training away from the first-team squad. The winger lost his squad number when Leandro Trossard was given the number 19 shirt upon his arrival from Brighton in January.

Arsenal scored twice in stoppage time to secure a dramatic victory over Manchester United at Emirates Stadium. In a chaotic finale to a largely scrappy game, United first thought they had snatched three points only to see Alejandro Garnacho’s 88th-minute finish ruled out for offside by the video assistant referee with the score 1-1. The drama then switched to the other end in eight added minutes as Declan Rice’s deflected shot gave Arsenal the lead before substitute Gabriel Jesus raced clear to wrap up the win as the stadium exploded in elation. United had taken the lead in the 27th minute when Christian Eriksen’s outstanding pass played in Marcus Rashford, who cut inside to send an unerring right-foot drive past Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

The Gunners, who had already spurned a golden chance when the struggling Kai Havertz miskicked with the goal at his mercy, were level almost instantly when captain Martin Odegaard was given too much space and sent an emphatic finish into the bottom corner. In an encounter that rarely hit the heights despite lots of effort, Arsenal – who had seen a penalty over-turned by the VAR after referee Anthony Taylor originally ruled Havertz had been fouled – missed a glorious late opportunity when Bukayo Saka shot straight at Andre Onana. United saw celebrations cut short with two minutes left when substitute Garnacho raced clear to score, but the VAR ruled he was just offside – opening the door for Arsenal to produce two devastating blows.

Arsenal put their fans through the emotional wringer before sheer joy swept around Emirates Stadium at the sound of Taylor’s final whistle. For most of this match, the hosts could not find the pace and fluency that made them such an attractive, winning proposition last season as there was simply too much tension around their play. Havertz continues to look an expensive luxury item, his role in the Gunners set a mysterious one, but when it mattered Mikel Arteta’s side raised themselves to deliver a vital win when it looked like they would drop points for a second successive home game after being held by Fulham. For a few moments it looked like defeat would be Arsenal’s fate until VAR ruled Garnacho had gone just too soon before beating Ramsdale with a composed finish.

Rice deserved his goal, albeit one deflected off Jonny Evans at the near post, for an outstanding individual display that illustrated once again why Arteta made his £105m signing his main summer priority. And then Jesus showed what value he brings to Arsenal when, with United chasing an equaliser after being stunned by Rice’s goal, he embarked on a weaving solo run before beating Onana. It means Arsenal are still in touch with Manchester City and there is a real feeling of optimism going into the international break.

Crystal Palace are delighted to announce the signing Rob Holding from Arsenal, with the versatile defender joining on a three-year deal. The 27-year-old heads to south London after seven years at the Emirates Stadium, where he made 162 appearances and collected two FA Cup winners’ medals. The defender is Palace’s fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Jefferson Lerma, Matheus França and Dean Henderson. Holding has featured in the UEFA Champions League and Europa League for Arsenal, and made 24 appearances last season as the Gunners took the title race down to the wire.

“I’m excited to get started and get involved,” said Holding upon putting pen to paper. “Playing against Crystal Palace the number of years I have, seeing the fans and how intimidating Selhurst Park can be, and how loud it can get, I’m looking forward to being on the right side of that this time!” Club Chairman Steve Parish commented: “Rob is a player who will bring tremendous quality, possessing considerable Premier League experience for his age. Rob gives us options in two positions at the back, and we warmly welcome him to Crystal Palace.”

A former England U-21 international, Rob was part of the side which won the prestigious Toulon Tournament in 2016. Everyone at Arsenal thanks Rob for his contribution during his time with us and wish him all the best in his new chapter with Crystal Palace.

Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce the signing of Nuno Tavares from Arsenal. The defender arrives at The City Ground on a season-long loan deal, which includes future options. Tavares, 23, joins Forest having enjoyed an impressive loan spell in France with Marseille last season, with the full-back scoring six goals in 31 Ligue 1 appearances.

Born in Lisbon, the defender had spells with Casa Pia and Sporting CP as a youngster before joining Benfica in 2015, going on to spend six years with the club before moving to Arsenal in 2021. Tavares has since played 28 times for the Gunners, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-1 Premier League win over Manchester United in April 2022. Capped 16 times for Portugal U21s, Tavares made 39 appearances across all competitions for Marseille last season, playing the entirety of their six UEFA Champions League group stage fixtures.

Nuno Tavares, who will wear the number 3 during his time on Trentside, said: “I’m really happy to be here. “Forest is an historic club which won two European Cups and to be part of it makes me really happy. “I’m really happy to stay in the Premier League as it’s the best league in the world and I’m thankful to Forest for giving me that opportunity.” Forest’s Chief Football Officer, Ross Wilson added: “We are pleased to welcome Nuno to the club today. “I know how determined he is to do well here and our staff are all looking forward to working with him.”

Nuno isn’t fazed by a debut, he has scored on his first competitive starts for both Benfica and Marseille last season. His first-ever appearance for us, also came with a goal in a 2-2 draw against Rangers in a pre-season friendly the same month he joined.

AS Monaco are delighted to announce the arrival of striker Folarin Balogun from Arsenal. The 22-year-old American international has signed a five-season deal and is now tied to Monaco until June 2028.

Born in 2001 in New York, Folarin Balogun moved to London with his family at the age of 2. The young Anglo-American grew up in England and began his football career with London club Albersbrook.

A precocious talent, he was soon spotted by Arsenal, whom he joined at the age of 8. There, he trained at every youth level from 2009 to 2019, before signing his first professional contract at the age of 17.

After spending a season with Arsenal’s reserves (from 2019 to 2020), Folarin made his first-team debut on 29 October 2020 in a Europa League match against Irish side Dundalk Football Club. Shortly afterwards, still in Europe, the 1.78m striker scored his first professional goal against Norwegian club Molde FK. He played a further 8 games for the Gunners before joining Middlesbrough Football Club on loan in the winter of 2022 for the second half of the season. With “Boro”, Folarin made 18 Championship appearances (3 goals, 3 assists). That year, Folarin and his teammates had an excellent run in the FA Cup. They eliminated Manchester United and then Tottenham Hotspur to reach the quarterfinals of the competition.

After that experience at Middlesbrough, Folarin joined Stade de Reims on loan and discovered Ligue 1 Uber Eats. In Champagne, the American had a convincing season (22 goals and 6 assists in 39 games), earning him several UNFP Player of the Month nominations. A regular in the youth England national teams, where he played 28 games and scored 10 goals, Folarin later decided to play for the United States. Last June, the Brooklyn native received his first call-up to the US national team and played in the final stages of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Kieran Tierney has joined LaLiga side Real Sociedad on loan for the 2023/24 season. Scotland international defender Kieran joined Arsenal in August 2019 from Celtic and during his time with the Gunners he has made 124 appearances in all competitions. The 26 year-old enjoyed success in his first season, finishing the campaign scoring his first Arsenal goal in our 3-2 home win against Watford on the final day of the Premier League campaign. This was followed days later with Kieran starting in the 2-1 FA Cup Final win over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium, playing an integral role in the club lifting the FA Cup for a record fourteenth time.

During his four seasons with us, Kieran also featured in our FA Community Shield winning teams in both 2020 over Liverpool and the recent Wembley victory over Manchester City. Before joining Arsenal, Kieran enjoyed huge success at boyhood club Celtic, winning four league titles, two Scottish FA Cups and two Scottish League Cups in a four-year spell after making his debut as a 17-year-old. He was named PFA Scotland Young Player of Year for three consecutive seasons in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Kieran is a regular with the Scotland national team and currently has 39 international caps for his country. The loan deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.

Joao Palhinha secured a point for 10-man Fulham in an entertaining Premier League draw at Arsenal. Palhinha’s first-time finish from a corner in the 87th minute earned the away side a share of the spoils. The Cottagers had Calvin Bassey sent off four minutes earlier after he fouled Eddie Nketiah on the counter-attack. Andreas Pereira got Fulham off to a flying start, scoring after just 57 seconds. Pereira latched onto a loose ball from Bukayo Saka and fired in a curling shot, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale out of position.

Saka equalised from the penalty spot for the Gunners after Fabio Vieira was caught by Kenny Tete. Nketiah scored Arsenal’s second as they came from behind to take the lead, before Fulham had the final word. A resilient performance against Crystal Palace on Monday saw the Gunners end with 10 men but all three points; however, they swiftly fell behind against Fulham. Pereira’s finish meant Arsenal became the first team in Premier League history to concede a first-minute goal three times inside a calendar year. Quickfire strikes from Saka and Nketiah midway through the second half saw Arsenal surge into the lead. After winning the penalty for the equaliser, Vieira found space on the left to drive in a low cross for substitute Nketiah to finish.

Yet even with Arsenal having a man advantage for the closing minutes, they could not see out the game. Palhinha was left unmarked and punished sloppy defending to snatch a point for Marco Silva’s team. In games against Nottingham Forest and now Fulham, Arsenal have conceded in the last 15 minutes of the second half, with the defending that cost them towards the end of last season’s title challenge still an issue. Takehiro Tomiyasu’s red card at Palace meant Jakub Kiwior came into Mikel Arteta’s home side, with Thomas Partey playing as a makeshift full-back, and it was clear to see the defence was unbalanced by the changes. After getting into their winning position, Arsenal switched off and were punished.

The final week of the summer window is almost upon us and there remains plenty of business to still be done. Arsenal have working hard on shipping out as many as seven first-team stars before the deadline, and Folarin Balogun’s £38million move to Monaco could be the next one confirmed as Kieran Tierney heads to Real Sociedad on loan.

Further incomings are rumoured but those will likely be funded by outgoings which is the focus now for the North London club. Former captain, Granit Xhaka, has already moved back to Germany in a £21m deal with Bayer Leverkusen while fringe players, Pablo Mari and Ainsley Maitland-Niles have also departed the club. Squad players Cedric Soares, Rob Holding and Albert Sambi Lokonga are all said to be surplus to requirements at the Emirates but have so far failed to attract interest. Other outgoings are also rumoured as Arteta aims to further improve his side and build upon an extremely promising 2022-2023 season, during which they led the Premier League for 248 days.

Arsenal’s record signing, Nicolas Pepe, seems highly likely to depart from the Emirates this summer. Due to his high wages and underwhelming performances, the Ivorian winger has failed to live up to expectations, prompting Arsenal to seek a way to move on from what has been regarded as a very poor transfer decision. Although Pepe appears guaranteed to leave the Emirates, his next destination remains unclear at this point.

A penalty from captain Martin Odegaard gave 10-man Arsenal a battling Premier League victory at Crystal Palace. Eddie Nketiah was brought down by Sam Johnstone after Gabriel Martinelli’s quickly taken free-kick, with Odegaard sending the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot. At that stage Mikel Arteta’s side looked comfortable, but they were left hanging on after left-back Takehiro Tomiyasu was shown a red card for two bookings. The first yellow was for taking too long over a throw-in and the second was harshly awarded for a minor foul on Jordan Ayew in midfield. Palace put on late pressure, with Tyrick

Mitchell drilling over in injury time, but the Gunners, who hit the post through Nketiah in the first half, deserved their victory. Arsenal join Brighton and Manchester City on six points from two games, while Palace failed to build on their opening-day win at Sheffield United. Arsenal have a bit of a problem at full-back. Summer signing Jurrien Timber suffered a knee injury last week that could keep him out for most of the season and Oleksandr Zinchenko has just returned from a calf injury and started on the bench. Tomiyasu, who is a right-back by trade, started on the left and Thomas Partey, a midfielder, played at right-back when Palace had the ball, moving into his usual position when his side had possession.

Japan international Tomiyasu will miss the next game now after his controversial red card. He was shown a yellow card for taking too long over a throw-in – although it was Kai Havertz who had wasted most of the time before leaving the ball for his team-mate. And then he was dismissed for a nothing foul on Ayew about 50 yards away from any dangerous area. That was Arsenal’s first Premier League red card since 2021-22. The Gunners were the better team for most of the game, and almost led when Nketiah poked a shot off the post and then chipped an effort onto the roof of the net. Roy Hodgson’s Palace defended stoutly for 99% of the game but their one blip effectively cost them the game.

They were taking their time to organise their defensive shape from an Arsenal free-kick when Martinelli caught them out with a ball to Nketiah, who was felled by Johnstone. Odegaard, whose last penalty was for Vitesse in 2019, made no mistake from the spot. Declan Rice had another solid game in the centre of midfield following his £100m move from West Ham, but Havertz is still trying to find his proper role in the team. Six of Palace’s 14 chances came in the final five minutes with Odsonne Edouard having an effort saved and Mitchell lashing over after Aaron Ramsdale parried the ball.

Theo Walcott has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34. The ex-Arsenal, Everton and Southampton winger told Gary Neville on The Overlap podcast the decision is “scary” but he “wants to try new things”. Walcott hangs up his boots following a 23-year career in which he made 397 Premier League appearances. “I’m officially going to be hanging up my boots. It’s very scary, I can’t lie,” said Walcott. “It’s scary because football’s all I’ve known from the age of 16 or even younger. I want to try new things I never experienced as a kid – I missed out on a lot. “I just feel like I want to experience life – things [usually] revolve around football for me.”

In his 13-year spell with the Gunners, Walcott won three FA Cups as well as two Community Shields. He shot to fame in 2006 as a 17-year-old when he was surprisingly selected in Sven Goran Eriksson’s England World Cup squad. Walcott appeared 47 times for England, scoring eight times in a decade-long international career. Walcott, who was a free agent but made 20 Premier League appearances and scored three goals for Southampton last season as the club suffered relegation, says he received offers from various clubs to keep playing but his “heart isn’t committed” to it.

Walcott played for Newbury and Swindon Town as a youngster before being signed by Southampton in 2000. He made his debut for the Saints in 2005 as a 16-year-old and soon became the club’s youngest ever goal scorer when he found the net against Leeds United. Walcott made 21 appearances and scored four goals for Saints before joining Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in 2006. He played 397 games for the Gunners, scoring 108 goals, before departing for Everton in a £20 million deal in 2019. Walcott played 85 games for the Toffees, scoring 11 times, before re-joining Southampton two years later.

Spanish international goalkeeper David Raya has joined Arsenal from Brentford on a season-long loan. The 27-year-old has been an integral part of the Bees’ team in recent seasons, and played in all 38 of their Premier League matches last season. Born in Barcelona, David came to England at 16 years old when he signed for Blackburn Rovers as an academy player. A short-term loan to Southport in the National League, promotion to the Championship with Rovers and 108 senior appearances later, saw David depart Lancashire for west London in July 2019.

He’s gone on to make 161 appearances in all competitions for Thomas Frank’s team, and his first season for Brentford ended with his performances being rewarded with the EFL Golden Glove and narrowly missing out on Premier League promotion. He didn’t have to wait too long to play in the top tier of English football, when the following season David played a key role as Brentford beat Swansea City in the 2021 Championship play-off final to secure promotion.

Last year came with great success for David on the international stage; he was called up to represent Spain in March 2022, making his debut in a 2-1 win against Albania. David was then selected for Spain’s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad. The end of the 2022/23 season saw David lift silverware with his country, when Spain beat Croatia on penalties to win the 2023 UEFA Nations League. As part of the agreement, there is an option to make the move permanent. David will wear the number 22 shirt, and everyone at Arsenal welcomes him to the club. The loan deal is subject to the completion of regulatory processes.

Bukayo Saka’s superb first-half strike helped Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on the opening weekend. The 21-year-old England forward added to Eddie Nketiah’s 26th minute opener with a curling effort from outside the area that nestled itself into the top left corner of the Forest net, well past the reach of former Gunners keeper Matt Turner. But last season’s Premier League runners-up had to survive a late charge by Forest after substitute Taiwo Awoniyi clawed a goal back in the 83rd minute. The game had been delayed by 30 minutes because of an e-ticketing system issue that meant the majority of fans were still outside Emirates Stadium at the scheduled kick-off time of 12:30 BST.

When play did eventually get underway, it was Nottingham Forest with the first clear-cut chance when Brennan Johnson was put through on goal against Aaron Ramsdale, but the Wales forward lofted his shot high and wide when the Arsenal goalkeeper rushed off his mark. That was to be a rare attacking threat from the visitors as Arsenal created the majority of chances until Awoniyi helped the visitors roar to life and create a tense finish. After a disappointing end to last season, Arsenal’s opening weekend win helps them gather more momentum to add to their Community Shield win over Manchester City at Wembley last weekend. The Gunners led the Premier League for 248 days last season but their challenge fell apart in the closing stages as City overtook them to claim the title as part of a Treble, along with the Champions League and FA Cup.

Arsenal’s big summer signings Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber all started again for Mikel Arteta, having made their competitive debuts in the Community Shield, but it was Gabriel Martinelli who looked the liveliest in the opening stages. The Brazilian winger darted in and out of the Forest defence to create the goalscoring opportunity for Nketiah, who netted his first goal since January when his shot took the slightest of deflections off Joe Worrall to send Turner the wrong way. Eight minutes later, Saka’s quality shone through when he received the ball on the edge of the penalty area, cut inside and fired home Arsenal’s second.

However, Arsenal’s afternoon was marred when Timber, signed from Ajax for £34m last month, limped off the pitch and was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu in the 50th minute with what appeared to be a calf injury. Rice, a £100m signing from West Ham, was effective in the Arsenal midfield and came close on a couple of occasions to adding a third for the home side, but his best effort, a 20-yard strike, was pushed on to the post by Turner’s fingertip save.

Matt Turner has joined Nottingham Forest in a permanent transfer. The 29-year-old Ameican goalkeeper joined Arsenal from MLS side New England Revolution in June 2022 but played back-up to number one Aaron Ramsdale. He went on to make seven appearances in all competitions, keeping four clean sheets from those matches.

Matt, a USA international has had great success with his national team during his 32 appearances. His performances have led to silverware on two occasions, playing an integral part in the US winning the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and also the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League. Matt won Goalkeeper of the Tournament in both of those competitions. Matt also leaves with silverware, being part of the squad which won the FA Community Shield on Sunday.

With Arsenal linked with a move for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, he could have found his match time further reduced at Emirates Stadium. He was an unused substitute as Arsenal beat Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday. Turner is Forest’s fourth permanent signing of the summer after Chris Wood, Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga. Forest start their 2023-24 Premier League campaign, ironically enough, at Arsenal on 12 August.

Former Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined Ligue 1 club Lyon on a free transfer. The 25-year-old, capped five times by England, left the Gunners in June after his contract expired having made 132 appearances. Maitland-Niles has signed a four-year deal until 2027 with Lyon. “If I had been told aged six that I would one day be at Lyon, I could never have imagined it. I had to seize this opportunity,” he told Lyon’s website. Maitland-Niles was in the Arsenal team that won the FA Cup in the 2019-20 season but subsequently fell down the pecking order under Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

He made just eight Premier League appearances in the 2021-22 season before a six-month loan spell with Italian club Roma. Maitland-Niles spent the whole of last season on loan at Southampton where he made 26 appearances. Born in London in 1997, Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Arsenal’s youth academy at the age of 6. Impressing in all youth categories, he made his debut with the first team on December 9, 2014, against Galatasaray in the Champions League. This first appearance allowed him to launch his career at the highest level. He was loaned to Ipswich during the 2015/2016 season, where he played 32 matches in the Championship before returning to Arsenal.

As an English international and U20 World Cup Champion with England in 2017, Ainsley Maitland-Niles continued to shine with the Gunners and earned his first call-ups to the “Three Lions” national team. He was subsequently loaned to West Bromwich Albion (2021), AS Roma (2022), with whom he won the Conference League, and Southampton last year. During his time at Arsenal, he made 132 appearances and won 4 trophies: 2 FA Cups and 2 Community Shields. As a versatile midfielder with over 200 professional matches under his belt, Ainsley Maitland-Niles will become the first English player to officially represent the club. Olympique Lyonnais is delighted with this new signing, the 4th of the summer transfer window, following Skelly Alvero, Clinton Mata, and Duje Caleta-Car.