Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce has overseen a remarkable turnaround in fortunes since he took over Roberto di Matteo. In 9 games of being in charge, Bruce has picked up 5 wins, drawn thrice and lost just once. Di Matteo was sacked after a run of just 1 win in 11 games and Bruce has steadied the ship to a certain extent and has taken Villa to 13th place. They sit just 4 points off the play-off places in what is a jam-packed mid-table region.
With the January transfer window coming soon, Bruce will undoubtedly be looking at a few players to bring into the club. Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson is his prime target, as he is looking to shore up a defense that has leaked goals left, right and center. Villa have used Scotsman Alan Hutton there for the entirety of the season so far, but are looking at Jenkinson as a fresher alternative.
Jenkinson has had a whirlwind few past weeks as he has seen his stock fall considerably. An England international with one cap, Jenkinson was on loan at West Ham for 2 seasons where he impressed and racked up 50 appearances in doing so. He was expected to return to Arsenal as a better player, but his recent performances haven’t been convincing enough.
In the absence of Hector Bellerin, he was thrown into the open when he was fielded in the game against Manchester United, in which Arsenal laboured hard in the end to draw 1-1. He was then picked for the game against Paris Saint-Germain. Again, the 24-year-old put in some mediocre performances and fans started to get on his back, quite understandably. His last appearance for Arsenal came in the 2-0 League Cup defeat to Southampton. His stock had fallen so much that Gunners fans actually ironically cheered his substitution, throwing a lot of light on what they think of him.
One could put his inconsistency and failures down to a serious knee injury that he sustained at Upton Park. But that is certainly no excuse as Arsenal have helped him in every step through his recovery and rehabilitation. His performances on loan at West Ham were quite encouraging and there were talks of him returning to Arsenal to challenge Bellerin for a spot. But it’s clear that the Spaniard is leaps and miles ahead of his English counterpart, who has failed to hit the ground running this season.
So could a loan with a Championship club like Villa help Jenkinson get his career back on track? No doubt Steve Bruce is a good, experienced manager who wants to use Jenkinson to conjure up a promotion chase with Villa. But Jenkinson must be wary before making any such move.
He was a teenager on the books of Charlton Athletic when Arsenal came calling for his services and his time in League 1 remains his only playing experience so far, outside the Premier League.
The Championship is a harsh, fast league that sees the teams play a lot of games and this could take a strain on Jenkinson. He would be better served moving on loan to a Premier League club, as he has shown he is capable of doing well in this division during his time with the Hammers. In his first season at Upton Park, he racked up close to 32 league appearances. In his second term there, he had racked up 20 appearances before injury struck him hard.
Wenger has recently admitted that Jenkinson’s confidence is at an all-time low and he will need to bide his time before making an appearance for Arsenal again. Clearly, he showed a lot of nerves in his recent appearances for the Gunners and with Arsenal only second to Chelsea in the Premier League race, they really cannot afford such nerves. Instead, they need nerves of steel in order to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League title along with also doing well in the Champions League.
At 24, he has a lot of time on his hands and should make the right move this January, in order to get his career back on track. The offer from Aston Villa might be tempting, but Arsenal too needs to realise that sending Jenkinson to Villa might only be risking another injury for Jenkinson.
Arsenal Women travel to Brisbane Road on Saturday afternoon for the first north London derby of the season, looking to extend their recent unbeaten WSL record against Tottenham while managing a mounting injury crisis that’s decimated their squad depth. Out of the 11 fixtures, the two clubs have played, Arsenal Women have won a staggering 11 times, drawing and losing just once.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal Women (4-3-3): van Domselaar; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Codina, McCabe; Little, Cooney-Cross, Caldentey; Mead, Russo, Foord
Tottenham Women (4-3-3): Kop; Neville, Koga, Hunt, Nildén; Summanen, Spence; Vinberg, Holdt, Naz; Tandberg
Arsenal’s Devastating Injury Crisis
Arsenal’s season has been ravaged by ACL injuries, with Katie Reid becoming the third player to rupture their anterior cruciate ligament. The 19-year-old defender suffered the injury in training last week and will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. Reid had displaced Lotte Wubben-Moy and Laia Codina in the starting lineup following Leah Williamson’s knee surgery.
Williamson herself remains sidelined after sustaining her injury at Euro 2025, though she’s nearing a return to training. Goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger is out for the season after tearing her ACL in training before the Benfica Champions League match. Michelle Agyemang ruptured her ACL while on England duty, adding to Arsenal’s unprecedented injury crisis.
Kim Little is a doubt after missing training on Friday with an undisclosed issue. Her absence would rob Arsenal of their captain’s experience in crucial moments.
Tottenham’s Form and Fitness
Tottenham’s last meeting ended in a 4-0 Arsenal victory at the Emirates Stadium, with Beth Mead directly involved in 19 goals in her last 17 WSL starts heading into that fixture.
Tottenham sit fifth in the table after winning 3 games out of their last 5 in the WSL. Their home form at Brisbane Road has been inconsistent, making this the ideal opportunity for Arsenal to continue their dominance in the derby.
The Stakes
Arsenal sit fourth in the WSL table, six points behind leaders Manchester City after eight matches. They drew 1-1 with Chelsea in their last league fixture after having two goals controversially disallowed, leaving them frustrated despite Alessia Russo’s late equalizer.
For Tottenham, victory over their fierce rivals would represent the biggest result in their WSL history and inject confidence into a campaign that’s stalled recently. However, Arsenal’s superior quality and Tottenham’s inability to ever beat them suggests the Gunners remain overwhelming favorites.
Kick-off: 2:30 PM Saturday, November 16th, 2025
Venue: Brisbane Road
TV and Streaming Options: Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Ultra HDR (UK)
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Arsenal
€200 Million Worth Arsenal Duo Fire England to 2-0 Victory Over Serbia at Wembley in World Cup Qualifier
Both of England’s goals in their 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Serbia came from Arsenal players, with Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze delivering the cutting edge Thomas Tuchel’s side needed at Wembley Stadium on Thursday evening.
Saka’s Brilliant First-Half Volley
Bukayo Saka opened scoring in the 28th minute with a spectacular volleyed finish after Nico O’Reilly’s blocked shot looped perfectly into his path. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger guided the ball into the bottom-left corner on the volley, demonstrating technique that justified Tuchel’s recent plea for him to score more international goals.
The goal took Saka’s England tally to 14 strikes, continuing his excellent form for club and country this season. His importance to England’s attack was evident throughout a rain-soaked Wembley evening where the Three Lions struggled for fluency against a stubborn Serbian side playing under new manager Veljko Paunovic.
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Eze’s Stoppage-Time Sealer
Eberechi Eze doubled England’s advantage in the 90th minute after being introduced as a second-half substitute. The Arsenal forward initially struck the crossbar via goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic in the 87th minute before finding the far corner with an accomplished finish three minutes later.
Phil Foden, who entered as a false nine alongside Jude Bellingham in Thomas Tuchel’s second-half changes, provided the assist with a perfectly weighted pass that allowed Eze to curl home England’s second. The goal sealed England’s seventh consecutive victory in World Cup qualifying, maintaining their perfect record while eliminating Serbia’s playoff hopes.
Arsenal’s contribution proved decisive on a night when Bellingham and Foden started on the bench, with Morgan Rogers initially preferred at number 10. The victory extends England’s clean sheet streak to 10 consecutive matches under Jordan Pickford, who wasn’t seriously tested by Serbia’s limited attacking threat led by isolated Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.
Read More: Injury Update From International Camp About Key Defender Brings Relief to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta
Arsenal Dragon
Injury Update From International Camp About Key Defender Brings Relief to Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta
Riccardo Calafiori‘s hip injury is not considered serious by Italy’s medical staff, providing crucial relief for Arsenal ahead of the North London derby against Tottenham on November 23. The defender is managing hip pain but should be available for Arsenal’s first match after the international break.
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Expected to Miss Moldova Clash
Italian reports confirm Calafiori will not feature against Moldova on Thursday despite being named in Gennaro Gattuso’s travelling squad. Italy hope their left-back will recover sufficiently to face Norway in Sunday’s crucial World Cup qualifier, though Arsenal’s priority remains his fitness for the derby.
Gattuso publicly praised Calafiori’s professionalism during the international window. “I have to thank the likes of Barella, Calafiori and Bastoni for being here, as it was by no means to be taken for granted. I congratulate the lads for their professionalism and hunger, which they show every day.”
The 23-year-old has started every Premier League match for Arsenal this season, establishing himself as indispensable to Mikel Arteta‘s system. His 12 appearances across all competitions demonstrate his importance to Arsenal’s strong campaign challenging for the title.
Italy’s World Cup Play-Off Preparations
Italy face a World Cup play-off in March after automatic qualification hopes faded due to Norway’s vastly superior goal difference. Gattuso confirmed significant rotation against Moldova, with Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma.
“I can confirm that there will be many changes, but without any problems or fears,” Gattuso explained. “I have great faith in my players; they all deserve a night like tomorrow’s.”
Arsenal’s medical team will monitor Calafiori closely during Italy’s double-header. His availability for the North London derby represents a major boost given his consistent performances at left-back this season. Arteta cannot afford losing his first-choice defender for such a crucial fixture against Spurs, making Italy’s cautious approach welcome news in North London.
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