For Arsenal, 2022 has the potential to be an exciting year.
While it got off on the wrong foot with a last-gasp loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, manager Mikel Arteta will be eyeing possible European qualification come the end of the campaign. And perhaps some silverware too.
The Gunners won the FA Cup in his first season in charge and the current squad is well advanced from that group of players, operating with attacking verve and intensity.
A trip to Nottingham Forest on Sunday will be challenging though and it will be fascinating to see what side the manager selects with a busy schedule to come.
Here are your latest Arsenal headlines ahead of their trip to the City Ground.
Have your say! Should the Gunners prioritise trophies over the top four? Let us know in the comments section!
Vlahovic hint dropped
Arsenal have been strongly linked with a move for Fiorentina sensation Dusan Vlahovic in recent weeks and Arteta has hinted a move could be on the cards in January.
Vlahovic has shone in Serie A this season with 16 goals in 19 appearances. Understandably the performances have captured the interest of some of Europe's biggest clubs and the Gunners are reportedly ready to make a move.
Arteta was asked specifically about a move for the Serbian this month and suggested the cash is there to spend if the right player becomes available.
"I think with the amount of things and the way that we want to evolve the squad, we have to maximise every window in many different ways and we are alert," he said.
"[Technical director] Edu and his team are working very hard because we know exactly what we need to do, and whether we can accomplish that in January or in the summer, is a different question as it is related to other stuff."
Read the story in full HERE.
Arteta rules out Wilshere return
Although he has been training with the Arsenal first team as of late, Jack Wilshere will not be signing a contract with the club.
Since leaving Bournemouth at the end of last season, the midfielder has not been picked up by any team and has been working with the Gunners to keep up his fitness.
While there has been a lot of positive things said about Wilshere's performances in these sessions, Arteta has confirmed a contract offer will not come for the 30-year-old.
The Arsenal boss said Wilshere "100 per cent" could still play in the Premier League, but responded "that's a different story" when quizzed on him rejoining the Gunners.
Read the story in full HERE.
Smith Rowe choices explained
Arteta has said the decision to leave Emile Smith Rowe on the bench in recent weeks is due to the competitive culture that is being established at the Emirates Stadium.
The midfielder is Arsenal's top scorer this season, although in recent weeks he has struggled for starts. Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli have all been excelling in support of striker Alexandre Lacazette.
As a result, Smith Rowe has had to do his damage coming off the bench, scoring in three of his last four substitute appearances.
"This is why we need that, we raise the level," said Arteta of the competition in the squad. "Each player raises the level of the player next to him, and this is how you evolve as a team.
"How you create a culture around the team, that when I get the opportunity I have to grab it. That a statement should be done on the pitch, and not talking or making comments, and when you have the opportunity, grab it."
Read the story in full HERE.
