Arsenal will be looking to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League table when they host Everton on Wednesday night.
The Gunners recorded another impressive victory by beating Leicester at the King Power Stadium on the weekend to keep their place at the top with Manchester City also winning at Bournemouth. Gabriel Martinelli's early second-half strike proved to be the difference in a comfortable 1-0 win for Mikel Arteta's side.
However, they will be keen to back up a victory on the road when Everton travel to the Emirates under the lights in what is a rearranged fixture following the Queen's sad passing in September. The game has huge stakes at both the top and the bottom of the table, with the Toffees fighting to keep their place in the top-flight.
Here is all the latest news coming out of the Gunners.
Arteta makes Tierney claim
Mikel Arteta has played down speculation over Kieran Tierney leaving Arsenal in the summer with Newcastle interested in the left-back.
It had emerged that the former Celtic defender is 'open' to departing the Gunners given his lack of game time this season. Oleksandr Zinchenko has cemented the position his own following his move from Manchester City, leaving Tierney succumbed to the bench.
Reports coming out of the North East suggest that the Magpies are ready to pounce on Tierney's lack of minutes and prize him with a move to St James' Park. However, Arteta appeared to shut down those claims and believes he is not thinking out a potential transfer in the summer.
Asked whether Tierney might be available to move down the line, the Spaniard responded: "I don’t know, I’m not thinking about it.
"I’m thinking about what’s best for the team and obviously and the players with the right to play minutes which they all deserve and we’re going to try to do that in the next couple of games."
Petit urges Rice move
Emmanuel Petit has urged Declan Rice to leave West Ham and believes "it is time" he plays at a higher level amid growing rumours over a potential move to Arsenal.
The 24-year-old has already clocked 225 senior appearances at the Hammers, having made his debut as a teenager during the 2016/17 season. He has won the Player of the Year at the London Stadium on two occasions and was part of the side that finished in the top-seven in back-to-back Premier League campaigns.
Speaking to Boyle Sports, ex-Arsenal star Petit has admitted that Rice should consider a move to the Gunners and leave a struggling West Ham side who are currently fighting relegation. The Frenchman also added that he is a "big fan" of Brighton duo Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo as they continue to be linked with a transfer.
Petit said: "I'm a big fan of Declan Rice. It is time for him to leave West Ham and play at a higher level to reach his potential. He needs to play in important competitions every single season if he wants to improve and move on to the next stage. I think that he is struggling at West Ham and he does not have a good environment to adapt and improve.
"I'm also still a big fan of Mac Allister and Caicedo from Brighton, since I first saw them play. I know Arsenal won't try and buy them all, but they would also fit next to Rice really well.
"It also wouldn't be much of a big move, geographically, for Rice as he is located in London with West Ham, so the move won't hurt too much. But with all due respect to West Ham, it is time for Rice to go.
"It reminds me of Lampard when he first left West Ham and went to Chelsea and look what he achieved for himself. He became one of the best midfielders in the world at Chelsea. Rice should follow his example and leave given Arsenal are ready to buy him."
Arteta backs Potter
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says he sympathises with Graham Potter as his Chelsea counterpart continues to come under fire at Stamford Bridge.
Potter oversaw a 10th defeat in Chelsea's last 17 matches when the Blues went down 2-0 at Tottenham on Sunday, with a petition launched calling for his sacking coming in the immediate aftermath of the match.
Almost 45,000 people have signed the call to remove Potter from his position since Sunday night, but while the Chelsea hierarchy would take little notice of that anyway, there are no plans to sack the former Brighton boss in the immediate future.
Speaking ahead of his side's clash with Everton, where a win would take Arsenal five points clear at the top of the Premier League table, Arteta says he knows just what Potter is going through.
"Absolutely, we are colleagues and we all know the pressure and the demands and the uncertainty that this industry has," he said. At the end of the day, the ball has to go into that net, and there are many factors that can prevent that that are out of your control, so I fully empathise because you suffer and you know how it is when you are going through those moments."
