Arsenal and their supporters are riding high right now, having decisively beaten league leading Liverpool last night 3-1. And the 1, was an own goal the Gunners gave them. In the wake of yesterday’s statement of intent game, we look at what’s making headlines in Gooners land today, pertaining to Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Let’s start with Saka, who gave Gunner supporters a scare when he hobbled off early, holding his right leg.
Saka was replaced by Reiss Nelson, but apparently his injury is nothing serious, just a knock.
“He should be fine, I think,” manager Mikel Arteta said of Saka in the post match presser.
“He got a kick, I think, on the ankle or the back of his foot, but he should be fine.”
???? EXCL: Takehiro Tomiyasu’s new deal at Arsenal, agreed and sealed. Japanese defender set to sign new long term contract at the club.
Decision wanted by both board and Arteta as there was never any chance for Tomiyasu to leave in January.
Announcement to follow soon. ?? pic.twitter.com/qkRwagwyVy
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 5, 2024
Moving on, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu will be coming back to the side soon, as his Japanese national team were just eliminated from the Asian Cup, by Iran, in the quarterfinals.
And he’ll soon be a newly minted man, as he’s in line to sign a new long term deal with the club. As pointed out by worldwide transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, an official confirmation should be coming soon.
Finally, Martin Odegaard has hit back at the critics of his/his teammates’ celebrations on Sunday. Odegaard was spotted, by both television and still cameras, taking photos of the club photographer Stuart MacFarlane after the game.
TV pundits have suggested that what he and teammates did conveyed a sense of immaturity. Odegaard responded by asking ‘when is it ok to celebrate then?’
He maintains that he and his side will stay humble.
“I think everyone who loves football, who understands football, they know how much it means to win this game,” Ødegaard said when asked after the game if he thought the celebrations were over-exuberant.
“And if you’re not allowed to celebrate when you win a game, when are you allowed to celebrate? We are happy with the win and we’ll stay humble.
“We keep working hard and we prepare for the next one — but you have to be happy when you win.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.