Mikel Arteta lead the latest Arsenal training session on a bitterly cold January afternoon at London Colney ahead of their Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during a training session at London Colney (Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))

Arsenal ended their eight-game streak of winless Premier League visits to North London rivals Tottenham in style with a professional 2-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. A first half own goal from Hugo Lloris closely followed by a delightful strike from Martin Odegaard sealed the victory, with Aaron Ramsdale making a number of key saves in the second half to keep the clean sheet intact.

The result and display is a defining moment in the Gunners season, especially with regard to their collapse at the very same stadium last season which saw Spurs leapfrog their rivals to claim fourth spot in the Premier League. However, there was no such chance of that happening on Sunday, with Mikel Arteta’s side controlling the tempo of the game throughout.

It was also a defining weekend in the title race as second-placed Manchester City were beaten at Old Trafford by Manchester United, who have now seemingly emerged as shock title contenders. Erik ten Hag’s side will be able to test that claim soon as they take on Arsenal at Emirates Stadium this weekend, with the Gunners likely seeking revenge on the only team who have beaten them in the league this season.

Arteta has been working his players hard at London Colney ahead of another huge league match where results going their way and a win could potentially see their gap extended at the summit to 11 points.

Elneny absence

After scoring and playing in the FA Cup third round win over Oxford United, Mohamed Elneny was a noticeable absentee from the Arsenal squad that travelled across north London to take on Tottenham over the weekend.

The batch of photos released by Arsenal of their training session on Wednesday also showed no sign of the 30-year-old. The Gunners are said to be continuing to assess Elneny ahead of their clash with Manchester United this weekend after he suffered a knee injury in training.

It is understood that Elneny has not been in training at London Colney this week yet and his availability for the weekend is unclear.

Bukayo Saka is also not clearly photographed in training, and the 21-year-old was also absent from the last batch of training images ahead of the North London Derby. However, the Hale End graduate still featured against Tottenham, playing a key role in both goals.

The attacker showed zero sign of an injury which could simply suggest he his an expert at hiding from the cameras as well as scoring goals and grabbing assists.

Arteta’s methods

Mikel Arteta conducted a fascinating interview with Jamie Carragher before the resumption of the Premier League season where a five-year plan was discussed, along with the intricacies of his Arsenal project.

A group made up of key signings and development of youth players has created a fantastic squad for Arteta with a variety of attributes, and the togetherness among the group is obvious. This was particularly highlighted in one of the photos uploaded to the club website that shows Arteta in the centre of a large huddle.

Alongside first-team players, staff members are also involved in the discussion with it clear to see each set of ears is intently listening to the Spaniard.

Smith Rowe and Tierney plan

Emile Smith Rowe and Kieran Tierney face an enormous task to fight their way back into the Arsenal team with Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli thriving in their favoured positions.

The duo, with Smith Rowe on the left of the attack and Tierney at left-back, were once mainstays in the starting XI but a combination of injury issues and a slight tactical tweak has seen them surpassed in the pecking order.

In one of the pictures posted by Arsenal, the pair are seen laughing with each other showcasing their relationship is great away from the pitch. As for on the pitch, in order for them to stake their claim for a starting place to Arteta they will need to prove they can combine to great effect in games once again if they have any chance of dislodging Martinelli and Zinchenko.

Academy stars involved

In the absence of Elneny, youngster Matt Smith stepped up to the bench for the North London Derby win against Tottenham.

With the Egyptian’s prognosis unclear, Smith has continued in training in the first-team along with Catalin Cirijan and Ben Cottrell, who have both also been called up from the under-21s to partake in senior training.

After seeing Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka develop through the ranks and make a significant first-team impact, the trio will be hoping this is their opportunity to stake their claim for more first-team involvement under Arteta.

source: football.london