The Short Fuse
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Arsenal at Fleetwood Town Carabao Cup match thread: cup quest continues
Arsenal travel to Fleetwood Town's Highbury Stadium for the Carabao Cup fourth‑round tie on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 8:00 pm GMT. The Gunners, fresh off regaining a share of the Premier League lead, must balance a comfortable win with squad rotation ahead of a Liverpool trip and a Champions League away date. Arteta is expected to field a mix of youth—potentially Zubimendi, Mosquera, Hincapie, Salmon, and Max Dowman—and senior players, while Calafiori remains doubtful and Saka is out until late December. The match streams on Paramount+.
Arsenal at Fleetwood Town Carabao Cup 4th round preview: Highbury Bound
Arsenal travel to League Two side Fleetwood Town for the Carabao Cup fourth round, a rare draw against a non‑Premier League opponent that offers a breather before a crucial league clash at Anfield. With Bukayo Saka’s quad injury likely sidelining him until the New Year and other defensive absentees (William Saliba, Christos Tzolis), Mikel Arteta is expected to rotate heavily, giving backups and youth game time. Fleetwood sit 18th after 12 matches and have no historic ties to Arsenal, but the small 5,327‑capacity Highbury‑named stadium adds charm to the fixture. The Gunners aim for a smooth win to keep injuries low ahead of the Liverpool showdown.
Arsenal 2 – Everton 0 match report: comprehensive, satisfactory
Arsenal regain a share of the Premier League lead with a dominant 2-0 victory over Everton at the Emirates on October 24, 2026. A 7th‑minute header from Ezri Konsa opens the scoring, while Gabriel caps a swift counter‑attack in the second half, marking his 200th appearance with a goal and a clean sheet. The Gunners control possession, create numerous chances and limit Everton’s threats despite a slippery pitch and a few controversial fouls. Next up: a League Cup tie at Fleetwood Town before traveling to Anfield.
Arsenal vs. Everton match thread: home cooking
Arsenal host Everton at the Emirates on October 24, 2026, aiming to close the gap on Manchester City after a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. The Gunners mourn former president Ken Friar, while dealing with Bukayo Saka’s six‑week injury and other absences, giving Viktor Gyokeres a start up front and prompting Noni Madueke and Ebere Eze to step up. Everton sit mid‑table with two wins, four draws and a loss. Both sides field line‑ups featuring Raya for Arsenal and Pickford for Everton, with the match airing on USA Network and UNIVERSO.
Bayern Munich 2 – Arsenal 2 match report: top quality
Arsenal salvaged a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in the Champions League Group Stage on October 21, 2026. Martin Ødegaard set up Eberechi Eze’s early volley, but Bukayo Saka left the field with a non‑contact thigh/knee injury. Bayern equalised through Alphonso Davies after a Harry Kane assist, then took the lead via Kane’s penalty in the 61st minute. Declan Rice answered with a long‑range strike after Viktor Gyökeres’ pass, securing a point. Goalkeeper David Raya made key saves, while Eze and Noni Madueke impressed on both ends. The result ends Arsenal’s perfect opening‑phase run but shows resilience despite Saka’s loss.
Arsenal at Bayern Munich Champions League match thread: stars come out
Arsenal head to Munich for a Champions League Group Stage showdown with Bayern, remaining the only side yet to concede a goal. After Bayern’s 6-1 Bundesliga thrashing of Leipzig and a disappointing draw with Viking, they’ll be missing key attackers Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise, plus Kimmich on compassionate leave and possibly Neuer. Arsenal field a healthy lineup, featuring Raya, Timber, Saka, and midfield dynamo Declan Rice. The article highlights the tactical intrigue of Arsenal’s stalwart defence versus Bayern’s firepower and predicts the midfield battle as decisive. Match airs Oct 21 at 8 pm GMT on Paramount+.
Arsenal at Bayern Munich Champions League match preview: Champions collide
Arsenal travel to Munich for their third Champions League group match against reigning Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. After a solid 3-0 win over Lille, the Gunners face criticism for a lack of goals – they’ve yet to score a first‑half winner in two‑thirds of this season’s games. Bayern sit top of the German table with a +17 goal difference, fresh from a 5-0 thrashing of Bodø/Glimt and a dramatic 3-3 draw with Viking, though they’ll miss winger Michael Olise after a double‑yellow dismissal. Harry Kane (7 goals) and Luis Diaz (5) lead Bayern’s attack, while Arsenal must win the midfield battle, with Martin Ødegaard’s creativity key to breaking Bayern’s rhythm. The preview weighs whether Arsenal can find the net early and hold their own against a deep‑stacked, high‑scoring Bayern side.
Nottingham Forest 0 – Arsenal 1 match report: still counts
Arsenal scrape a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest thanks to Noni Madueke’s second‑half strike, reclaiming the Premier League lead. The match was dull, with Arsenal dominating possession but creating few chances until a halftime swap brought Madueke on, sparking the decisive move. Declan Rice blocks a Forest equaliser, while Forest’s defence remains stubborn. Arteta’s substitutions have limited impact, and the victory lifts Arsenal two points above Manchester City, who the author dismisses as "not a legitimate team."
Arsenal at Nottingham Forest match thread: keep chopping!
Arsenal travel to the Midlands to take on Nottingham Forest today. All eyes are on the top of the Premier League table, where Manchester City have maintained their perfect start to the season. Arsenal trail them by three points. But the entire thing feels a bit pointless and farcical with City starting down sanctions for […]
Arsenal at Nottingham Forest Premier League match preview: Sharpen the axe
Arsenal head north to take on Nottingham Forest on Sunday in the Premier League ahead of a marquee Champions League match at Bayern Munich next week. The Gunners have enjoyed their return to action following the first international break. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but they have certainly gotten back to business since their 0-3 […]
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest Premier League match preview: Injuries, suspensions, and predicted lineups
Arsenal head to Nottingham Forest on Sunday as they look to keep pace with Manchester City in the Premier League. The Gunners bounced back from their loss to Brighton with two wins in a row since the international break ended. They needed a second-half comeback against Leeds to take all three points at the Emirates […]
Arsenal 3 – LOSC Lille 0 match report: seven minutes was heaven
Arsenal scored three goals in seven minutes midway through the second half to bury an over-matched Lille side. It’s two wins from two for the Gunners to open their Champions League League Phase campaign and two losses from two for Les Dogues (the Mastiffs). Other than being a bit wasteful with first half chances, there’s […]
Arsenal vs. LOSC Lille Champions League match thread: bright lights
Arsenal resume their Champions League campaign today, playing host to Lille in the League Phase. The match is the Gunners’ only home contest in their opening four CL matches, making three points seem even more important than usual. You’re “supposed” to win your home contests anyway. But as ever, there are no easy games in […]
Arsenal vs LOSC Lille Champions League preview: New opponents, same goal
Arsenal host French side LOSC Lille on Tuesday night as the Champions League league phase resumes as the Gunners look to solidify another top 8 finish. The Premier League has been as chaotic as ever since the recent campaign started. While Mikel Arteta’s side have been largely consistent, the parity has made it tough for […]
Arsenal 2 – Leeds United 1 match report: job done
Arsenal came from behind to claim the points against an organized, stubborn Leeds side. The opening 60 minutes or so weren’t pretty but the visitors scoring seemed to wake the Gunners up. They leveled the scoreline less than 10 minutes after going behind and took the lead less than 10 minutes after that. Arsenal cruised […]
Arsenal vs. Leeds United match thread: back in action!
Arsenal resume their Premier League campaign after a three-week international break by hosting Leeds United at the Emirates. When we last saw our heroes in red, they were beaten 3-0 by Brighton in a contest that was closer than the scoreline indicated, in my opinion. Either way, it was a surprising result that the side […]
Arsenal vs Leeds Premier League match preview: Coming home
The first international break is over and the Premier League returns to action as Arsenal host Leeds for an early Saturday kickoff. As nice as it will be to see the Gunners back at the Emirates for the first time in over a month, the larger viewing public’s attentions will be on Manchester City, and […]
Mikel Arteta’s pregame press conference: Leeds United
The Arsenal manager held his standard prematch press conference ahead of Arsenal-Leeds United on Saturday, October 10th. Mikel Arteta’s comments focused on player availability questions, but he was also asked about the Manchester City guilty verdict on 114 out of 115 charges of financial rulebreaking. Arteta is in a bit of an interesting, perhaps uncomfortable, […]
Friday Cannon Fodder: we’ve got our Arsenal back!
Happy Friday, TSFers! Remember the Premier League? Remember Arsenal Football Club? I’d forgive you if things were a bit hazy. The three week international break has been roundly criticized for being too long. The critics are right. I know not everybody shares my comparative valuation of club versus international football. For me, it almost feels […]
Arsenal vs Leeds preview: Injuries, suspensions, and predicted lineups
Arsenal finally return to the Emirates on Saturday for their first match on home turf in over a month as they host Leeds with the Premier League kicking back on following the first international break of the season. Thankfully, the Gunners’ loss at Brighton before the break was majorly overshadowed by the guilty verdict handed […]
Arsenal international injury break update: Konsa, Dowman
And the hits just keep on coming. Arsenal have had two more first team players withdraw from their respective squads and return to the club — Ezri Konsa and Max Dowman. Those pair join an ever-lengthening list. Ban international breaks, IMO. Konsa was held out of England’s match against Czechia with a minor injury problem […]
Monday Cannon Fodder: the weeks ahead for Arsenal
Good Monday morning, TSFers! The Arsenal men won’t be the focus of the Premier League narrative when play resumes this weekend. Instead, all eyes will be on Anfield, where Liverpool host Manchester City. It seems somehow fitting that the side most directly affected by City over the investigated period (‘09-’18) are the first to get […]
Arsenal international break injury update: Tzolis, Havertz, Ødegaard, Saliba
The international breaks have not been kind to Arsenal of late, at least it feels that way. Those feelings are almost certainly exacerbated by the negativity bias hardwired into our brains. They’re also exclusively focused on Arsenal — I don’t think any of us are doing comparative studies on which clubs were most negatively affected […]
Friday Cannon Fodder: unlikely
Happy Friday, TSFers! This extra-long international break won’t wind up until Tuesday, but it’s time to start re-focusing on Arsenal. Unfortunately, we’ve got an injury update coming later today for a couple guys who picked up issues on international duty. I don’t like international breaks. I really don’t like extended international breaks. This morning, we’ll […]
Manchester City found guilty on 114 of 115 charges
Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges against them for breaking the Premier League’s financial regulations, reports The Athletic. The sanctions have not yet been determined. The PL rules provide a wide range of options to the panel, everything from reprimands and fine to points and deductions and expulsion from […]
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