Sam Dean

Sam Dean

@samjdean.bsky.social

Football reporter for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph.

7.7K followers244 following659 posts

The Champions League final in Budapest comes 70 years after Istvan Gyokeres, Viktor's grandfather, fled Hungary in the dead of night. It's an astonishing story: uprisings, Soviets, illegal radios, secret letters. This is the tale of the "Black Horseman" www.telegraph.co.uk/football/202...

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That is Saka's first assist for Gyokeres in the Premier League. They have not really gelled this season but Arsenal will hope this is the start of a better connection.

Looks like Myles Lewis-Skelly is making his first senior start as a midfielder. #AFC Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Eze, Trossard; Gyokeres #FFC Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Reed; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez

Moises Caicedo and Pascal Gross played 50 games together for Brighton but they don't seem to be the closest of friends. They have been locked in an angry conversation for a few minutes now, with Gross clearly not impressed by something Caicedo has done out there.

Chelsea's available attackers for tonight's hugely important trip to Brighton: Liam Delap, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Marc Guiu, Jesse Derry.

At Brighton v Chelsea tonight. No Joao Pedro or Cole Palmer for #CFC. #BHAFC Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu; Gross, Baleba, Hinshelwood; Minteh, Georginio, Mitoma #CFC Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia, Enzo; Neto, Delap

As Declan Rice said yesterday: "It's not done". Here are seven reasons why Arsenal can still win the title 📅Better fixtures 💪Key players returning 🇩🇪Havertz up top 🚑Rodri's potential injury 🧙‍♂️Odegaard/Eze magic 🥷Hunters, not hunted 📊Trust the data www.telegraph.co.uk/football/202...

telegraph.co.ukThe seven reasons why Arsenal can still win the titleDespite the fact Manchester City can go top this week there is potential for the race to swing back in Mikel Arteta’s favour

Arteta: "Today I think they [his players] are now more convinced. They were talking about in the dressing room. It’s a new league now. Everything is still to play for. We know how much we want it and we are not going to stop." #AFC

Arsenal have one striker in Havertz who does so much in build-up, holds onto the ball and creates chances for others - but lacks a ruthless edge. And then they have another in Gyokeres who is a ruthless finisher but can't do any of the hold-up work that Havertz does.

Arsenal are pressing so aggressively and are leaving Haaland one-against-one with Saliba. Not sure any other defenders in the Premier League would be willing to do that, or capable of it.

Looks to Arsenal are basically going man-to-man off the ball. Rice was the most advanced player out of possession a few minutes ago, while Gabriel was effectively in central midfield marking Cherki. Don't see this very often.

This is only the fourth time that Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze have started together for #AFC. Previous three were against Forest (3-0 home win, Odegaard injured after 18), West Ham (2-0 home win, Odegaard injured after 30) and Villa (2-1 away loss, Eze subbed after 45)

Arteta says the players decided that Rice should be captain for these past two games. "They made a decision because I think Declan has earned the role, the way he is taking ownership in difficult moments."

Madueke is walking around the pitch with the other players after the final whistle, but is limping quite heavily. He's smiling but not moving well at all.

Arsenal were much better after the attacking substitutions, I thought. A bit of energy and freshness. A lot of these players really do look absolutely exhausted, though. Madueke injury is obviously a big worry ahead of Sunday.

Havertz now has a good 30+ mins to get into the groove at centre-forward, with Eze behind him. Surely that's the attacking duo Arteta has in mind for the City game. He can't persist with Gyokeres in a match of such importance.

Eberechi Eze starts for the first time in a month. Before his injury against Leverkusen, he was on a run of six goal involvements in nine appearances. The games against City and Bournemouth showed that Arsenal really need one of Odegaard or Eze in that No 10 position.

At the Emirates for Arsenal v Sporting. Here’s the #AFC lineup: Raya; Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Eze, Martinelli; Gyokeres

Only one Premier League midfielder (Szoboszlai) has played more minutes in all comps than Martin Zubimendi. The Spaniard is exhausted and his performance levels have plummeted. Arteta's refusal to use Christian Norgaard points to a failure of recruitment. www.telegraph.co.uk/football/202...

telegraph.co.ukArsenal’s midfield is creaking and this is a recruitment failureMidfielder Martin Zubimendi appears fatigued; plus, Mikel Arteta says he is ‘on fire’ and Rice and Saka injury doubts

Arteta says this week is the "biggest opportunity" of his six years at Arsenal. "No fear. Pure fire. I am on fire. I see beauty, opportunity." #AFC

Arteta: "It’s a big punch in the face. Now it’s about how we react to that. Today there were certain very basic things we did extremely badly."

There is a disconnect here between what Arsenal are trying to do (patient build-up play, move through the thirds, create a less open match) and what the home supporters want them to do.

Bournemouth have been the better team here. They have had more of the ball, more of the territory and played more passes. Scott, Senesi and Hill have been very impressive.

That penalty takes Viktor Gyokeres to 18 goals for the season. I still think there are lots of areas of his game that aren't clean enough, but you can't question his penalties.

Mikel Arteta just turned to the home fans behind the dugout and gestured to calm down. The Arsenal supporters were moaning about the team's inability to play forward more quickly.

Such a flat start by Arsenal, especially given the importance of the game, and Bournemouth deserve their lead. It feels like most of the match has taken place in Arsenal's half so far. The home crowd aren't happy with the amount of time Arsenal are taking over throw-ins.

Teams at the Emirates. Lewis-Skelly starts for Arsenal. #AFC Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Havertz, Martinelli; Gyokeres #AFCB Petrovic; Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert; Scott, Christie; Rayan, Tavernier, Kroupi; Evanilson

Increasingly convinced that David Raya is Arsenal's most important player. He's the man they really, really cannot afford to lose - perhaps even more so than Rice and Gabriel.

Martinelli isn't known for unlocking defences with creative passing but that's brilliant work by the Brazilian. Delicious chip into Havertz's path. That one moment has turned this into an excellent European night, even if the performance has lacked spark.

Just the nine touches for Viktor Gyokeres in that first half, the fewest of any player on the pitch. Arsenal have had plenty of the ball but they have not been able to get their attackers into the game. Very little threat in the final third so far.

Leandro Trossard in his last 18 appearances for Arsenal: zero goals, two assists. Leandro Trossard in his previous 18 appearances for Arsenal: six goals, four assists.

Here’s the Arsenal lineup in Lisbon: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Trossard; Gyokeres

Arteta on the Southampton defeat: "Feel that pain, feel that emotion, use it to be better and to improve. We are very clear what happened. We were punished for things related to our identity. We need to defend that in the strongest possible way." #AFC

In Lisbon, where David Raya is speaking. He says Arsenal will use the "pain" of the last two games as fuel. "This is the most important part of the season. We have to enjoy it." #AFC

Arsenal have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The City defeat, in a cup final, can happen. Losing to Championship opposition in the next match is far more worrying. The international break was supposed to be Arsenal’s reset. Now they need another one.