Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Robert Warlow

Arsenal news: Xhaka's big admission, Lacazette injury boost, Mkhitaryan 'very close' to transfer

The north London derby is over, but what a derby it was as Arsenal and Tottenham shared the spoils at the Emirates Stadium.

The two rivals played out a pulsating 2-2 draw at the home of the Gunners , with Unai Emery's side coming back from two goals down to claim a point, thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arsenal's performance was not without errors though, with the Gunners having to come back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils, after mistakes from Bernd Leno and Granit Xhaka leading to Spurs opening up a 2-0 lead, with Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane on target.

But Unai Emery spoke of his pride in his players' performance after the game, with the Gunners boss saying that he felt his side deserved more in the end.

Below, we take a look at the fallout from the game, and the latest transfer news ahead of the European transfer deadline.

Xhaka's message for the fans

Granit Xhaka came in for plenty of criticism for his part in Spurs' second goal at the Emirates Stadium yesterday (Sunday).

He was blasted by several pundits after committing the foul that led to the penalty, with the Swiss international bringing down Heung-min Son after going to ground inside his own box.

But while Emery admitted it was "disappointing", he also said he felt Xhaka played very well overall.

"The penalty is really one action that is very disappointing. He worked very well. He played very well. If we won the match maybe we'd speak about the mistakes less," said the Gunners boss.

"Really there were two mistakes in the first half and they scored two goals. We spoke about that in the dressing room and we learned for the second half and after we were continuing getting in their boxes, taking corners and shots. We didn't get the efficiency for scoring the third goal but I think we deserved it."

And Xhaka has taken to social media since the game to send a message to the fans.

It read: "Thanks for the amazing support inside the Emirates.  We showed a lot of character and you helped us to come back into the game. For the penalty I made a mistake - I'm of course angry about it but I will never give up!"

The latest on Alexandre Lacazette's injury

There was some concern among Arsenal fans when Alexandre Lacazette limped off during the 2-2 draw with Tottenham.

The Frenchman, who has been struggling with an ankle injury early in the season, was withdrawn in the 67th minute of the game against Tottenham with the Gunners trailing 2-1.

The move was greeted with boos by the Emirates crowd, but it subsequently emerged that Lacazette had asked to be withdrawn, with initial fears that he had suffered a hamstring injury.

However, Arsenal have been handed a welcome fitness boost ahead of the international break with the news that the injury that forced him off is less significant than had initially been feared. 

Indeed, football.london understands that it was cramp that forced the striker off and there are no serious fears over his fitness.

Mkhitaryan on the verge of transfer

The transfer window may have closed a few weeks ago in England, but it is still open across Europe.

And there could be another late deal done involving Arsenal, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan 'very close' to joining Roma on loan, according to reports in Italy .

The Armenian international came off the bench against Tottenham yesterday, but reports suggest that Roma are "pushing hard" to seal a deal before the transfer deadline this evening (Monday).

It is being widely reported that it would be a loan until the end of the season, with an option to buy for the Serie A side.

Mkhitaryan has only started once for Arsenal this season, on the opening day against Newcastle.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.