Arsenal's preparations for tonight's Premier League clash against Newcastle United are complete.
The Gunners know that victory at the Emirates Stadium will see them open up a 10-point lead at the top of the table - albeit for a couple of days with Manchester City in action later in the week - and Mikel Arteta has said he doesn't want to stop fans from dreaming about winning the title.
"It’s not about stopping anybody, it’s about being realistic about where we are," the Spaniard insisted in his pre-match press conference. "The way we are performing is obviously impressive and we’re really happy with that, but we have set the bar and objectives in the short term of what we want to improve and what is making us win that many football matches."
READ MORE: Arsenal predicted team vs Newcastle as Martin Odegaard aims to prove point and Saliba starts
Winning football matches is something Arsenal have done at an impressive rate so far this season and they'll be aiming for a sixth Premier League victory in a row either side of the World Cup break when the meanest defence across the entire division turns up in north London
As is the case before any fixture, Arteta and his coaching staff put the players through their paces during a training session at London Colney on Monday - the first of its kind in 2023 - and a few images have since been released. Below, football.london goes through the best footage.
Who trained
In a massive boost for the Gunners, there appears to have been no fresh injury concerns following the 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on New Year's Eve as with the exception of Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson, every outfield senior player took part in Monday's session.
Of course, this included in-form captain Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka. Furthermore, those who didn't get any minutes at the weekend such as Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Marquinhos were also involved.
Interestingly, there were no images of Arsenal's first-team goalkeepers - Aaron Ramsdale, Matt Turner and Karl Hein - from the session. But it could be a case of them training separately at London Colney but simply were not snapped on camera by the club's photographer.
Arteta and Smith Rowe chat
The good news is that Emile Smith Rowe took part in the training session ahead of the Newcastle clash and features prominently in the images that have been released. However, the not-so-good news is that football.london understands he will not be named in the 20-man matchday squad.
Missing from action since having surgery on a groin injury at the end of September, the 22-year-old has made positive strides over the past month, and whilst tonight's game is too soon for a return, there is hope that he will be available for selection in the next couple of weeks.
"Very much," Arteta said before the Brighton game when asked if the attacking midfielder is close to making a return to action. "He’s made big steps in the last week or so. He took part in some training sessions lately and looked good. We’re really keen to have him back soon."
Prior to news of Smith Rowe's absence vs Newcastle, he and Arteta were pictured having a chat where the Spaniard was just as animated as he is on the touchline during a fixture, producing a few hand gestures and giving the England international a few instructions.
Wonderkids called up
The Arsenal manager tends to call up some of the club's most promising youngsters to train with the first-team squad ahead of a game. This season has seen the likes of Ethan Nwaneri, Lino Sousa, Reuell Walters, Taylor Foran, Catalin Cirjan, Khayon Edwards and Amario Cozier-Duberry all benefit.
Going into the Newcastle game, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Walters, Zane Monlouis, Cozier-Duberry, Smith and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji were the wonderkids selected to train with the Gunners' senior players such as Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Mohamed Elneny and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
READ NEXT:
Gabriel Jesus reveals potential Arsenal injury return boost with social media hint
Arsenal's three immediate William Saliba replacements for Newcastle clash as double risk emerges
Patino audition, transfer decision imminent and Nuno Tavares to be fined - Arsenal loan latest
Mykhaylo Mudryk's likely Arsenal shirt number revealed with key transfer already completed
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: The latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
