Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis is confident manager Arsene Wenger still has the desire to drive the Gunners on to success once more – and is in it for “the long term”.

Manchester City look set to strike a double early blow in the transfer market as they close in on the signings of Fernandinho and Jesus Navas.

Arsene Wenger has refused to rule out further departures from the Emirates, but insists players will have to come in before they do.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not intend to lose any sleep over how to best tackle the January transfer window and will instead focus on getting the best out of the players he already has.

With the transfer window opening today Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has hit out at the network of people surrounding Demba Ba, with his future on Tyneside becoming the subject of frenzied speculation.

Arsenal defenders Laurent Koscielny (knee) and Kieran Gibbs (groin) face fitness tests ahead of Sunday’s north London derby with Tottenham at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s defensive ranks could be boosted by the return of Carl Jenkinson for this weekend’s north London derby against Tottenham.

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THIERRY HENRY required just 10 minutes to enhance his reputation as an Arsenal legend at the start of a loan return that naysayers had predicted might tarnish a golden reputation.

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ARSENE WENGER would never have openly admitted it, but his anger after Monday’s defeat at Fulham made it plain that he believed his Arsenal side were still in the title race.

Defender Johan Djourou is ahead of schedule in his return from a groin injury and could play for Arsenal in Tuesday’s home game against Wolves.

Arsenal will be without any recognised full-backs for tomorrow’s game at Aston Villa.

ARSENAL ended their Champions League Group F campaign with a defeat at Olympiakos — but the Greeks still missed out on the knockout stages.

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Arsene Wenger named an experienced Arsenal defence and gave youth a chance in midfield for tonight’s final Champions League Group F match away to Olympiacos.

Arsene Wenger was today confident Arsenal would not suffer a crisis at right-back in the absence of Bacary Sagna.

Arsenal’s defensive injury crisis has deepened after Bacary Sagna was ruled out until the new year with a broken leg.

Arsenal will give late fitness tests to England winger Theo Walcott (knee) and Gervinho (hamstring) before Sunday’s London derby against Tottenham at White Hart Lane but central defender Laurent Koscielny (ankle) is out.

Thomas Vermaelen has undergone surgery on his left ankle and is expected to be out for at least a month, Arsenal confirmed this afternoon.

Thomas Vermaelen’s father expects his son to be out for up to six weeks after revealing that the Arsenal defender underwent surgery on an Achilles injury yesterday.

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger is on a collision course with Bolton chairman Phil Gartside over the proposed signing of Gary Cahill.

Alex Song, Gervinho and Emmanuel Frimpong are suspended for Sunday’s trip to Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United.

Arsenal will be without Samir Nasri and Jack Wilshere for tomorrow night’s crunch Champions League play-off second leg at Udinese.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was left to count the cost of more poor defending as boos rang around the Emirates Stadium after the Gunners’ final home game of another bitterly disappointing campaign ended in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

ARSENAL suffered a humiliation yesterday after defeat to Aston Villa in their final home game of the season, with supporters jeering the team during a lap appreciation after the final whistle.

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Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was full of praise for his side after they gritted out a 1-0 win over Bolton on Saturday to move five points clear at the Barclays Premier League summit.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted his team’s 2-2 draw at West Brom was two points dropped in the Barclays Premier League title race – but insisted it was an important one gained for the players psychologically.

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Jens Lehmann is among Arsenal’s substitutes for the Premier League clash with West Brom at The Hawthorns.

Wojciech Szczesny is convinced that Arsenal are capable of completing a league and cup double this year.

Cesc Fabregas insists he will do everything in his power to make sure that he leads Arsenal out in the Carling Cup final this weekend despite picking up a hamstring injury in the Gunners’ 1-0 win over Stoke last night.

CESC FABREGAS limped off with a worrying hamstring injury, Theo Walcott left the field on a stretcher and will miss Sundays Carling Cup final with a sprained ankle but Arsenal, battered and bruised by Stoke City’s anti-football, answered the first question on their quadruple exam sheet and passed the test, if not with flying colours, then at least with credit.

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ROBIN VAN PERSIE and Laurent Koscielny have been ruled out of Arsenal’s crucial game against Stoke tonight, but both could return for Sunday’s Carling Cup final against Birmingham.

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Arsenal’s Johan Djourou could be fit for this weekend’s Barclays Premier League match against Wolves after the Swiss Football Association played down fears over the defender’s knee injury.

ARSENAL’S hopes of ending their six-year trophy drought received a significant boost last night with the news that centre-back Johan Djourou could be back in training inside a week and may even be sufficiently fit to play in the Premier League match against Wolves on Saturday.

Arsenal will be without midfielder Alex Song (thigh) for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Newcastle, but Theo Walcott has shaken off an ankle problem.

Arsene Wenger was left counting the cost of a selection gamble which backfired in Arsenal’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over Huddersfield after Samir Nasri suffered a hamstring injury which looks to have ruled the French playmaker out of the Champions League showdown with Barcelona.

Arsene Wenger admits Samir Nasri is now a major doubt for their Champions League clash against Barcelona after his gamble “backfired” when the influential midfielder picked up a hamstring injury in today’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth round win over npower League One Huddersfield at Emirates Stadium.