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BAYERN PREP: ARSENAL HINTS DROP ON DOWMAN, GYöKERES SPOT

Arsenal host Bayern Munich in a crucial UCL clash. Arteta faces key team decisions as injury crisis eases and youngsters wait.

Bayern Prep: Arsenal Hints Drop On Dowman, Gyökeres Spot
Double Hint: Dowman, Gyökeres Replacements

Arsenal is gearing up for a huge Champions League game as they host Bayern Munich at the Emirates. Bayern has been a tough opponent for Arsenal, who haven't managed to defeat them in Europe since October 2015.

Mikel Arteta is aiming for his first victory against Bayern in over ten years, and he has some important calls to make. After Arsenal's win against Tottenham in the North London Derby over the weekend, the short break might require some changes to the lineup.

The good news is that the injury situation is improving, with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, and Riccardo Calafiori all fit again. Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus have also returned to training, suggesting they could be involved in the squad.

These returns are a boost, allowing for more rotation, but they also create a selection headache for Arteta. With almost everyone available, some players will have to miss out on the matchday squad.

It looks like we already have a hint of who might be involved against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night. In the Arsenal Under-19s' UEFA Youth League game against their German counterparts, there was one notable inclusion and one exclusion.

Max Dowman was in the team, suggesting he won't feature in the later match. The 15-year-old made his Champions League debut against Slavia Prague this season, becoming the youngest player in the competition's history.

However, while Dowman might not play against Bayern Munich, there could be a spot for one of his academy teammates. Andre Harriman-Annous wasn't present for the Under-19s game, meaning he's available for the senior squad.

This seems likely given the lack of striker options available to Arteta. An injury to Viktor Gyokeres before the international break means he's out, and Kai Havertz is still recovering from a knee issue.

While Mikel Merino might be the main No. 9 choice, Harriman-Annous could offer a more natural centre-forward option off the bench. A win for Arsenal could be crucial for their chances of finishing in the top eight and getting to the next stage.

Speaking before the game, Arteta said, "We want to win; we've prepared well, even though it's been a short turnaround." We know how important this match is, we're in a good position, and we want to keep it that way. We know we have a tough game ahead.

OPINION: BUKAYO SAKA SIGNING UNTIL 2031 IS A BIGGER STATEMENT THAN ANY £100M TRANSFER

Forget the summer spending spree; securing Hale End’s finest, Bukayo Saka, is the definitive proof that Arsenal are back on top.

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Bukayo Saka is locked in

Bukayo Saka just signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, keeping him at the Emirates until 2031. He’s 24 now, and with his old deal running out next season, a new five-year contract locks him in for the long haul.

Since breaking through from Hale End, Arsenal’s legendary academy, Saka has racked up 77 goals in 290 games for the Gunners since his debut in 2018. He’s not just a regular anymore—he’s become one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe. England fans can expect to see him leading the charge at the World Cup this summer, too.

Honestly, nobody really doubted Saka would stay. There’s no official announcement yet, but everything suggests that he will join William Saliba and Gabriel in committing his future to Arsenal this season.

It’s not just Saka, either. Two more academy products, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles-Lewis Skelly, signed new contracts in the past six months. Sporting director Andrea Berta has moved quickly to make sure Arsenal’s brightest talents stick around. The club also went big in the transfer window, dropping £250 million on eight new signings.

Last season, when asked about his future, Saka said, “For me, I want to win, and I want to win wearing this badge. It is pretty clear the fans know how much I love them. I think they love me back. So it is a good relationship, and I am really happy to be here.”

Saka has scored seven goals already this season, and Arsenal are still alive in four competitions. Even though they couldn’t get past Liverpool on Thursday, Arteta’s team have a solid six-point lead over Manchester City as they chase their first league title in 22 years.

Next up: a trip to Portsmouth for the FA Cup, then Chelsea at Stamford Bridge for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The season’s still got plenty of twists left.

GABRIEL MARTINELLI ISSUES EMOTIONAL PUBLIC APOLOGY TO LIVERPOOL’S CONOR BRADLEY

Gabriel Martinelli issues an apology to Conor Bradley after their heated clash. See the reactions from Gary Neville and Roy Keane.

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Bradley faces "serious" knee scan after horrific Arsenal clash

Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli has apologised to Conor Bradley after a heated moment on the pitch. During the match, Martinelli threw the ball at Bradley and tried to pull him off the field, even though Bradley was clearly hurt.

Liverpool’s players were furious right away. They saw something was wrong with Bradley and rushed over, turning the whole thing into a bit of a mess. The referee handed out yellow cards to both Martinelli and Ibrahima Konate. Turns out, Bradley had a nasty-looking knee injury at the end of the match at the Emirates.

On TV, Gary Neville didn’t hold back. “I’m fuming with Martinelli,” he said. “I honestly don’t know how the Liverpool players didn’t just go after him.” Roy Keane agreed. “I didn’t like it at all,” Keane said. “It happened to me once—bad injury, another player standing over me. It’s just not on. Martinelli’s a good lad, but throwing the ball at someone, standing over him, getting a knee in, and trying to force him off…that’s an absolute disgrace. Hopefully, he’ll take a look at it and apologise.”

Martinelli did just that. He posted an apology on Instagram and said he’d already messaged Bradley. “I really didn’t realise he was seriously hurt in that moment,” Martinelli wrote. “I’m deeply sorry for reacting like that. Sending Conor all my best for a quick recovery.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot didn’t slam Martinelli, though. He figured Martinelli probably thought Bradley was wasting time. “I don’t know Gabriel Martinelli personally, but he seems like a nice guy,” Slot said. “The problem is, there’s so much time-wasting in football these days. In the last moments of a tight game, tempers are high, and players get annoyed, thinking the other team is just trying to run down the clock.”

Slot added, “I’m sure if Martinelli knew how bad the injury was, he’d never have done it. But because of all the diving and time-wasting we’ve seen, it’s easy to jump to conclusions in the heat of the moment. I get why he thought it was just time-wasting and didn’t realise it was Liverpool.”

After all that, Bradley had to leave the stadium on crutches, clearly in pain, with his knee in a brace.

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