Football.london takes a look at the latest stories surrounding Arsenal ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
05:00, 07 Feb 2026
There are still doubts over Viktor Gyokeres at Arsenal(Image: Carl Recine, Getty Images)
Arsenal will shift their focus to the Premier League with a crucial home match against Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.
Mikel Arteta’s men have bounced back from their 3-2 loss to Manchester United at home in late January, securing a 4-0 win over Leeds United and a midweek Carabao Cup semi-final victory against Chelsea.
They now have an opportunity to increase their lead over Manchester City, who face a difficult visit to Anfield on Sunday. However, Aston Villa in third could temporarily leapfrog City when they face Bournemouth, also at 3pm on Saturday.
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A win against Regis Le Bris’ team would further cement Arsenal’s position as title favourites, having also topped the Champions League league phase table and now reached the League Cup final, where they’ll face City.
That is despite the fact that the north London club didn’t make any significant signings during the January transfer window, following a substantial summer spending spree. Now, football.london examines two of the biggest news stories from N5.
Gyokeres ‘not trusted’
Arsenal legend Paul Merson believes Viktor Gyokeres’ Arsenal team-mates don’t trust the forward enough with the ball. Despite netting 11 goals across all competitions since his £64million move last summer, the Swede has struggled to find form for the Gunners this season.
Along with his lengthy goal droughts in the league, Gyokeres’ overall displays with the ball have left much to be desired. The ex-Sporting CP star often goes through extended spells in games without touching the ball, leading Sky Sports pundit Merson to question whether his team-mates might be hesitant to pass to him when he’s under pressure.
Merson said on the Stick to Football podcast: “I watch Gyokeres, Arsenal don’t trust him, the players. They never pass to him, you watch him, next time he comes short they go, ‘No’.”
Merson drew a comparison between the service Gyokeres receives from the Arsenal players and that of fellow striker Gabriel Jesus, noting: “If you watch it, you’d be surprised, then when [Gabriel] Jesus comes on, they [Arsenal players] keep on giving it to him all the time.
“That’s what I see from when I watch the game, he [Gyokeres] comes short and they never give him it. He makes some good runs as well. He’s low [on confidence] at the moment but I don’t think they trust him at all.”
Goretzka turns down Arsenal
Leon Goretzka didn’t want to leave Bayern in the middle of the season(Image: Harry Langer/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s last-ditch attempt to secure the signing of Leon Goretzka was reportedly rejected by the Bayern Munich midfielder on transfer deadline day. The 31-year-old Germany international’s contract at the Allianz Arena expires at the end of this season following an eight-year spell with the Bundesliga champions.
But while Goretzka is considering a new challenge for next season, German publication BILD reports he was reluctant to leave mid-season and plans to fulfil the remainder of his contract before making a decision on his future destination. AC Milan, Napoli, Juventus and Atletico Madrid are all understood to be keen on acquiring his services.
Arsenal had been exploring options for a new central midfielder late in the transfer window following Mikel Merino’s recent long-term injury setback. The 29-year-old has been sidelined with a stress fracture in his foot, which he sustained during the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.
