3 February 2025
Arsenal live on Showmax Premier League
Can the Gunners improve their points tally from last season ? Only time will tell.
- Nickname: The Gunners, Gooners
- Short name: AFC
- Founded: October 1886, as Dial Square
- Ground: Emirates Stadium
- Current League position: 2nd (Played: 35 Won: 18 Lost: 4 Drawn: 13)
Most recent result:
- Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth (Declan Rice; Dean Huijsen & Evanilson)
Next Premier League fixture: (Sunday, 11 May 2025)
- Liverpool v Arsenal : Anfield : 17:30- Live on Showmax Premier League
Latest news:
Mikel Arteta has revealed Jurrien Timber is a doubt for Arsenal’s make or break Champions League semi-final second leg trip to Paris Saint-Germain.
Timber missed out on the matchday squad for Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth at the Emirates and may not be fit enough to return on Wednesday.
Ben White started in the Dutchman’s place and could keep his spot at the Parc des Princes, where Arteta’s side will look to overturn a 1-0 aggregate deficit.
Asked whether he was confident Timber would be in contention in Paris, Arteta said: ‘No. Confident? At the moment, no.
‘He wasn’t able to play here and we play in four days.’
Pushed on the defender’s exact issue, Arteta cryptically replied: ‘I cannot tell you.’
Timber had played 83 minutes of the first leg loss before being replaced by White.
The 23-year-old, who joined the club in a £40million deal in 2023, has made 47 appearances in total this season, scoring two goals and registering four assists.
Arteta will already be without fellow defenders Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu in France while Riccardo Calafiori remains sidelined.
Calafiori suffered a knee injury on international duty with Italy in March and was ruled out of Saturday’s defeat, with Arteta refusing to put a timeframe on his recovery.
Arsenal’s loss to Bournemouth leaves them in a battle to keep hold of second place in the Premier League – and Arteta urged his players to react against PSG.
Declan Rice put the Gunners into the lead but Bournemouth fought back through second-half goals from Dean Huijsen and Evanilson.
‘We certainly wanted to create a positive vibe, a positive result would have really helped us to build what we wanted towards Wednesday,’ Arteta said.
‘What we have created now is a lot of rage, anger, frustration and a bad feeling in the tummy. So let’s make sure we use that for Wednesday to have a massive performance in Paris, win the game and be in the [Champions League] final.’
Summer signings:
- David Raya
- Riccardo Calafiori
- Mikel Merino
- Neto
- Raheem Sterling
Arsenal XI
Manager: Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta was appointed Arsenal manager on 20 December 2019. As a player, Arteta began his youth career at Barcelona before taking in spells at Paris Saint-Germain, Rangers and Real Sociedad.
His introduction to English football came during a loan spell at Everton in January 2005, before making the move to Goodison Park permanent six months later.
He moved to Arsenal in August 2011, where he was named club captain ahead of the 2014/15 season. The Spaniard won two FA Cups during his time with the Gunners, before retiring in 2016. Arteta was appointed as an assistant coach at Manchester City in July 2016 working under manager Pep Guardiola and was part of the coaching team that won the Premier League in 2017/18 with a record 100 points.
City became the first club in 10 seasons to retain the Premier League trophy a year later, while they also won two EFL Cups and one FA Cup during Arteta’s time at the Etihad Stadium. Arteta took charge of Arsenal midway through the 2019/20 season, replacing Unai Emery, and the Gunners finished eighth in a Premier League campaign that was suspended for 100 days due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The campaign ended on a high with victory in the FA Cup final and qualification for the UEFA Europa League
After finishing fifth in 2021/22, Arsenal narrowly missed out on a first title since 2004 the following season, finishing five points behind Man City while returning to the UEFA Champions League.
The Gunners were even closer in 2023/24, finishing two points behind Man City with 89 points as they achieved a club-record 28 Premier League wins over the season.
Goalkeepers
- Neto
- David Raya
Defenders
- William Saliba
- Kieran Tierney
- Ben White
- Gabriel
- Jurrien Timber
- Jakub Kiwior
- Oleksandr Zinchenko
- Takehiro Tomiyasu
- Riccardo Calafiori
Midfielders
- Thomas Partey
- Martin Odegaard
- Jorginho
- Fabio Viera
- Declan Rice
- Kai Havert
- Mikel Merino
Forwards
- Bukayo Saka
- Gabriel Jesus
- Gabriel Martinelli
- Raheem Sterling
- Leandro Trossard
- Reiss Nelson
Sign up for the Showmax Premier League mobile plan at www.showmax.com for all the Premier League action.
Read more about Arsenal:
William Saliba: “Haaland is the toughest opponent I’ve ever faced”: https://stories.showmax.com/za/william-saliba-haaland-is-the-toughest-opponent-ive-ever-faced
Arsenal’s new Spanish star eyeing trophies with Gunners: https://stories.showmax.com/za/arsenals-new-spanish-star-eyeing-trophies-with-gunners
Best to binge this weekend
The Real Housewives of Atlanta S16
These sassy women of Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirits are in full bloom as they juggle their personal and professional lives, along with their busy social calendars.
Pastor Wants A Wife S1-3
Pastor Wants A Wife follows South African pastors as they balance their family lives and their roles at church with finding love.
Made in South Africa
Anatomy of Lies S1
This riveting doccie series reveals the rise and fall of Grey’s Anatomy star writer Elisabeth Finch, whose jaw-dropping lies fooled Hollywood for years.
The Catch S1
In a high-stakes dating reality show, eight ladies are on a quest to find their suitor. Little do they know, among them lurk six secret imposters ready to break hearts and steal the prize.
Made in South Africa