Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta saw his team squeak out a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Monday to keep an unblemished Premier League ******* le defense.
The Gunners took a second-half lead on Bukayo Saka's second goal of the Premier League season and rode that through stoppage time to all three points.
MORE — Aston Villa v ******* nal recap, highlights
Old boss Unai Emery flustered the Gunners for much of the game but the flip side was ******* nal showed very few openings to the Villans attack.
There was some bad news from the win, as Cristhian Mosquera had to exit with an apparently leg injury late in the contest.

#second

Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Monday looking to continue a perfect start to the season, having won the Community Shield and beaten Coventry City 3-0 in their Premier League opener without conceding.
Mikel Arteta's side could become the first in the club's 140-year history to win five consecutive opening away fixtures of a Premier League season.
Jurrien Timber remains out with a groin issue, and William Saliba is a long-term absentee with a back problem. Bruno Guimaraes has a minor groin issue of his own but Arteta has not ruled him out of contention. New signing Ezri Konsa, who joined this summer from Villa, is available to face his former club but is expected to start on the bench given ******* nal's settled defensive pairing.
David Raya is set to continue in goal behind a back four of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhães, Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard are expected to anchor midfield, with Martín Zubimendi the likely third member of the trio ahead of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis, both of whom Arteta has used in wide areas that double as auxiliary full-back cover, are set to support Kai Havertz in attack, with both players having scored or contributed directly to goals in the win over Coventry.

#premier

Arsenal start the defence of their Premier League ******* le on Friday night, and the expectation is obvious. They have already brushed aside Manchester City in the Community Shield, winning 3-0 in Cardiff, and now they open at home against promoted Coventry. Same sky-blue shirts, very different level of threat.
Mikel Arteta's side go into the new campaign as favourites for good reason. They won the league by seven points last season, ended a 22-year wait for the ******* le, and reached the Champions League final. The immediate task is simpler, start fast, stay in control, and avoid handing a newly promoted team encouragement.
Coventry arrive with a different kind of momentum. Frank Lampard guided them back to the top flight after a 25-year absence, and they did it emphatically. While ******* nal finished seven points clear at the top of the Premier League, Coventry won the Championship with 95 points, nine ahead of Ipswich. Promotion earned them a place here, now comes the difficult part.
Arsenal still have defensive issues to manage. William Saliba is set for a lengthy spell out, while Jurrien Timber remains unavailable with a groin problem. That leaves Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera continuing in the back line, with Ezri Konsa still waiting to complete his £51million move from Aston Villa.
There should also be changes from the side that beat City. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice both began on the bench in that 3-0 win, but are expected to return to the starting XI here. That matters. ******* nal are a different side when both play from the first whistle, one gives them incision, the other gives them authority.

#different #premier

Here is the latest team news, injury updates and predicted line-ups ahead of ****** nal's opening Premier League fixture of the new season.
Arsenal v Coventry team and injury news 6
Arsenal launch their Premier League ****** le defence against Coventry City at Emirates Stadium on Friday, with kick-off at 8pm BST, looking to build on their commanding 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
Arteta remains without William Saliba, who is sidelined by a back injury, and Jurrien Timber, who continues his recovery from a groin problem.
As a result, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori are expected to continue together across the back four after impressing in Cardiff.

#emirates

Jack Buchanan, Chief EFL Editor
Team news is in for this afternoon's FA Community Shield in Cardiff, with the headline news being that both Erling Haaland and Elliot Anderson are in the starting XI for Manchester City.
Arsenal also named a full-strength starting side, featuring Gabriel as well as Summer signings Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis.
Raya, White, Gabriel, Mosquera, Caliafori, Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Odegaard, Madueke, Tzolis, Madueke. Subsititues: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Merino, Rice, Eze, Dowman, Saka, Gyökeres.
Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly, Kovačic, Anderson, ****** yo, Foden, Doku, Haaland. Substitutes: Rulli, Guéhi, Marmoush, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Aït-Nouri, Nunes, Lewis.

#anderson

Arsenal: Raya, White, Gabriel, Mosquera, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Guimaraes, Odegaard, Madueke, Tzolis, Havertz
Arsenal subs: Kepa, Hincapie, Merino, Rice, Eze, Dowman, Saka, Gyokeres
Manchester City: Coming soon
Manchester City subs: Coming soon
Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images

#white #mosquera

Arsenal look set to hand Bruno Guimaraes his first start when they face Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Principality Stadium. After stepping off the bench in the midweek win over Como, the Brazil midfielder is now in line to begin a game that will offer a proper early measure of Mikel Arteta's side.
There is no mystery here. ****** nal have had to manage the return of several players after their extended summer break following the World Cup. Guimaraes, Gabriel Magalhaes and Gabriel Martinelli only returned to training at the start of the week, so caution has been the obvious approach. Even so, Arteta has made it clear they are ready to feature. "They will be available," Arteta said at his pre-match conference. "They trained with us today, they will train tomorrow. If they are in the condition we expect them to be, they will be involved."
Photo IMAGO
That points to Guimaraes getting the nod alongside Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has done the hard yards all summer and started every pre-season match. It is a sensible pairing, one offering control, legs and a bit of bite. ****** nal need that against Manchester City, because these games are usually decided by who gives the ball away less often.
At the back, ****** nal remain without Jurrien Timber and William Saliba. That leaves Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera as the likely options on the right side of defence, with Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori expected to complete the back line in front of David Raya.

#arsenal #city #side #summer

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Defender Reggie Cannon scored midway through the second half with an ******* ist from Youssef Maziz in his MLS debut, and Nico Hansen was stellar in goal as the Colorado Rapids beat Sporting Kansas City 2-0 on Saturday night.
Colorado (8-10-1) played with a man advantage after a red card on Sporting KC midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng in the 38th minute.
Cannon took a pass from Maziz in the 65th minute to score his first goal this season with a header and give Colorado a 1-0 lead. Cannon's netter was his fourth in 111 appearances. Maziz entered in the 56th minute before providing the spark.
Hansen turned away three shots on goal for Colorado (8-10-1). Hansen has four clean sheets in 10 starts this season and seven in 20 career starts.
Rafael Navarro capped the scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Sporting KC defender Moisés Mosquera exited with a red card three minutes earlier. Navarro's 10th goal of the campaign came with an ******* ist from Paxten Aaronson. All six of Aaronson's career ******* ists have come this season after making 44 appearances without one. Mosquera was hit with two yellow cards in a four-minute span.

#minute #maziz #goal #season

Well folks, it's that time again. August is here and so begins ******* nal's slate of preseason matches. Today, the Gunners face Girona to cap off a week of training in Spain. They take on Real Betis (and Hector Bellerin) in Dublin on Wednesday, August 5th, Dortmund next Sunday in the Emirates Cup, and Como on August 12th before the Community Shield on August 16th. The Premier League season kicks off in less than three weeks — the 21st home to newly promoted Coventry.
Arsenal – Kepa, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly, Havertz, Nwaneri, Dowman, Tzolis, Gyokeres
Everyone should be prepared to overreact wildly to a lineup several players off the first XI. Because that's what you do in the preseason, after all. None of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Ødegaard, Declan Rice, Ebere Eze, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, David Raya, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, nor William Saliba are in today's squad.
The Brazilians rejoined the team in the last day or two. Gabriel Martinelli got married a few days ago in Greece but is back with the squad. Martin Ødegaard is due back next week. The England players after that and the Spanish contingent last of all. William Saliba will miss a fair bit of time recovering from the back injury he played through at the end of the season and during the World Cup.
The Gunners are also expected to do a fair bit of business before the start of the season. A move for Bruno Guimaraes seems close. The rumors are swirling around a massive move for Vini Jr. The club intends to sign a CB to cover during Saliba's absence. They may also sign a right back — Jurrien Timber is still recovering from the groin problem that kept him out of the World Cup.

#gabriel #season #saliba

Arsenal have a problem, and it is a serious one. William Saliba, arguably the club’s most important defender, is set for a long spell out after suffering a back injury during France’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. According to Sky Sports, ****** nal are now looking hard at the centre-back market, with John Stones and Ezri Konsa among the names under consideration.
That much is logical. Saliba has “avoided the need for surgery” but still faces “a lengthy period of rehabilitation”. You do not lose a defender of that calibre and pretend your existing depth solves everything. ****** nal have numbers at the back, yes, but top-level sides do not build plans around wishful thinking. They build around certainty, availability and profile.
That is where this story gets interesting. Stones and Konsa are both credible options, both known quantities in the Premier League, and both capable of playing at right-back. The similarity ends there.
Arsenal have already moved to “consolidated their defensive options” by signing Piero Hincapie permanently after his loan from Bayer Leverkusen. They also have Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, Jurrien Timber and Ben White available, or close to available, across the defensive line.
But context matters. White is only just back in training after the knee injury he suffered in May. Timber has said he is “hopefully back soon” as he recovers from a groin problem. In other words, there are still too many variables. Arteta cannot go into the season knowing Saliba is out for an “extended period” and simply hope the rest of the puzzle pieces stay in place.

#stones #konsa

Arsenal are reportedly looking at a move for Konstantinos Mavropanos, according to Sky Sports, and on the face of it, this is a deal that makes practical sense.
Mavropanos is hardly a mystery to the club. ******* nal signed him from PAS Giannina in 2018, gave him limited Premier League exposure, then watched his career stabilise and improve in Germany before he moved on permanently in 2022. Now, after a strong personal season at West Ham despite the club's relegation, he is back on the radar.
The obvious question is simple, where does he fit? ******* nal already have William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White as right-sided centre-back options. That looks crowded until you remember that squad planning is never about names on paper alone. White is being tipped to leave, Saliba may need a procedure after the World Cup to address an ongoing back issue, and a club competing across multiple fronts needs reliable depth, not wishful thinking.
Photo: IMAGO
At 6ft 4in, Mavropanos offers presence, experience and Premier League adaptation. He also arrives without the uncertainty attached to a player stepping into England for the first time. ******* nal would know exactly what they are buying, a defender who has matured, who has handled difficult circumstances, and who could cover important minutes without forcing a tactical rethink.

Arsenal are interested in signing West Ham United defender Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer, according to Sky Sports. ******* nal manager Mikel Arteta wants quality depth at the Emirates and the North London club could look to sign the former Gunners player. The 6ft 4in Mavropanos played seven Premier League games for the club after joining from PAS Giannina in 2018. He left in 2021 but could be rejoining the North Londoners despite the Gunners having William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White as right-footed centre-back options.
Ian Wright believed at the time that Mavropanos is 'going to be an ******* nal legend', and the 28-year-old could be open to a return. He is expected to leave West Ham following their relegation to the Championship, and he is attracting plenty of interest from the Premier League sides and European clubs. The Greek international had an impressive individual campaign with the Hammers, and ******* nal remaining admirers. However, it is unknown whether Mavropanos will fancy his chances of playing regularly given the options Arteta currently has in his position.

Croatia earned its first win at the 2026 World Cup, bouncing back from the opening defeat to England. In their second Group L match, Modric and his teammates beat Panama 1-0 thanks to an Ante Budimir goal early in the second half. It was a crucial result, allowing Zlatko Dalic’s side to get off the mark in the standings and celebrate their number 10’s 200th appearance for the national team in the best possible way.
It was far from a walk in the park. In the first half, in fact, Panama created the most dangerous chances. Midway through the half, a move involving Murillo and Martinez put the Croatian defense under pressure, but the follow-up effort was handled without too much trouble by Livakovic. Shortly after, Murillo was involved again with a precise cross for Rodriguez, who met it with a header. The Croatian goalkeeper got a touch on the ball, which then hit the crossbar.
The turning point came in the 54th minute. Budimir, who had just come on for Musa, needed only a few minutes to make his mark. The move started down the right flank, where Pasalic set up Stanisic with a classy backheel. The defender found ***** e to cross and delivered a perfect ball into the middle of the box, where Budimir was ready and made it 1-0.
The lead gave Croatia more confidence, and a few minutes later they came close to doubling it. A mistake while playing out from the back by Panama allowed Modric to win the ball and send Marko Pasalic through on goal, one-on-one with Mosquera. The goalkeeper managed to parry the first attempt and, on the rebound, Pasalic failed to find the accuracy needed from a very tight angle.
Trailing, Panama kept pushing until the very end, when Murillo had a free kick from the edge of the box, but blasted it well over.