24 November 2023 , 04:00
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Arsenal will be out to maintain their Premier League title challenge when they travel to Brentford on Saturday evening.
Mikel Arteta's side were third heading into the international break, just one point behind league leaders Manchester City. And just four days after their London derby with the Bees, the Gunners host Lens looking to cement top spot in their Champions League group.
The January transfer window is also nearing, with Arteta expected to try and strengthen in a bid to bring a first title to north London since 2003/04. And a striker is expected to be top on his list of priorities.
Mirror Football rounds up all the latest news from the Emirates in the past 24 hours...
Worrying Timber injury update
Arsenal may have to dip into the transfer market in January for defensive reinforcements, with Jurrien Timber unlikely to make a comeback in time to play in the 2023/24 season.
Wenger breaks silence on Arsenal visit as he doubles down on title prediction
Timber underwent surgery after sustaining an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest in August. It was an untimely cruel blow to the Dutch defender, who was making his Premier League debut following a £38.5million transfer from Ajax in July.
Dutch outlet AD reports there is little chance Timber is back in time to stake a claim to play at Euro 2024. The newspaper believes he could even be sidelined until pre-season for the 2024/25 campaign, with Arsenal keen not to rush him back and risk a recurrence.
Jurrien Timber leaves the field after getting injured against Nottingham Forest (PA)Brentford deal big Toney blow
Brentford are determined not to sell Ivan Toney in January and are set to price him out the market.
The Bees are confident the striker will be determined to help the club push for a high finish and be as committed as ever with a place in England’s Euros squad also up for grabs. Brentford had wanted at least £60million when it became clear Arsenal were interested but that valuation is now closer to £100million.
The Gunners remain interested in Toney but will have to sell to stay in line with spending rules while strengthening their midfield - with potentially a new loan signing as Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz more of a long term option. Chelsea have also been tracking Toney and Tottenham have been linked.
Ivan Toney is unlikely to join Arsenal in January (Paul Dennis/TGS Photo/REX/Shutterstock)Arsenal 'furious' with FA decision
Arsenal have been left infuriated by The Football Association's failure to punish Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi after he claimed he doesn't like "80 per cent of English referees".
The Italian was expected to be sanctioned after reports outlined that his comments were being looked into by English football's governing body. However, a new report from The Mail has revealed that De Zerbi has avoided an FA charge and has only received a formal warning.
The same report goes on to outline that the FA's failure to punish De Zerbi has not gone down well at the Emriates. Mikel Arteta was previously charged for comments he made over the standard of officiating in the Premier League following a defeat against Newcastle at the start of this month.
Mikel Arteta told what could derail title bid - "They'd struggle to replace him"