By Cameron Winstanley,Kasra Moradi

Copyright dailystar

Despite the external pressure suggesting it’s a ‘now or never’ season for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal , the Gunners find themselves in a favourable position . The Spaniard has consistently improved the north London side year on year, most recently securing second place in the Premier League and reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009. They’ve built on that by addressing the main issue that hindered their last season – injuries and a lack of depth, executing the most successful summer transfer window in the club’s history by signing eight players . The early indications this season suggest that Arsenal are a team to be reckoned with, with many pundits tipping them as one of the favourites to clinch both the Premier League and the Champions League titles. Sunday afternoon’s showdown with rivals Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium presents the perfect chance to demonstrate their ambition, with three points helping them keep reigning champions Liverpool under pressure. Here, the Daily Star Sport looks at the latest news involving the Gunners ahead of that exciting fixture. Former Arsenal and City defender Gael Clichy has suggested that the Gunners faithful would have preferred to sign Alexander Isak instead of Viktor Gyokeres this summer. Despite in the past being linked with Isak, who ended up joining Liverpool for a British record transfer fee, Arteta and Andrea Berta ended their long search for a striker by signing his Sweden team-mate Gyokeres for £64million. The striker’s beginning at the Emirates has been patchy as, despite netting three goals in four Premier League matches, he has frequently been on the fringes of games and his link-up play has occasionally been lacklustre. Clichy told BetMGM: “Is he the player that the Arsenal fans wanted? I don’t think so. We saw Alexander Isak get linked with Arsenal and I think every team in Europe would have wanted him – but Gyökeres did have a very good record in Portugal and you have to give him credit for that.” However, the Arsenal Invincible is refusing to write off the No. 14, insisting that he brings a different element to Arteta’s revamped attack. “He’s not a typical Arsenal player in that he’s pretty old-school in what he does, but that is also something they didn’t have before,” Clichy added. “It looks to me as if Arteta wants his wide players like [Eberechi] Eze and [Bukayo] Saka to isolate the opposition full-backs and put the ball in the box. If the wingers can do this, you’d imagine opponents will need to double up on them and that leaves more space for the likes of Gyökeres. “I don’t doubt he’ll get chances and he’ll score goals, but how quickly he adapts to the Premier League is the big question.” Brazilian winger Rodrygo has revealed he never had any intention of departing Real Madrid this summer, despite intense speculation linking him with a switch away from the Bernabeu. The 24-year-old seemed to have slipped down the pecking order under new Los Blancos manager Xabi Alonso when the Spaniard initially took charge, with the Brazilian seeing his playing time reduced during the Club World Cup . Reports emerged suggesting Rodrygo was becoming increasingly restless, with the Guardian claiming Arsenal, alongside rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, were ‘monitoring’ developments and ready to pounce if relations deteriorated during the summer window. However, no transfer materialised and Arsenal ultimately secured the signings of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke instead. Speaking to TNT Sports Brazil, via Mundo Deportivo , the two-time Champions League victor insisted he remained relaxed throughout the speculation following Real’s Champions League encounter with Marseille this week. “I’m used to it; every year they say I’m leaving. During the transfer window, every week I was on a different team,” he revealed. “I even joked with my parents and friends: ‘Look, today I’m on this one, tomorrow I’m on that one.’ Every week I was on a different team, but, as I said, I was very calm mentally and it didn’t affect me at all. “I continued enjoying my vacation, training because I knew this was where I would continue. Well, in the end, I’m still at home, in the place I always dreamed of being. I’ll continue giving my all every day I wear this shirt.” Arsenal are reportedly prepared to go head-to-head with Barcelona for 19-year-old Palmeiras left-back Luiz Benedetti ahead of the 2026 winter transfer window. According to Mundo Deportivo , the Brazilian prodigy has caught the attention of both the Catalan giants and the Gunners, whilst Serie A champions Napoli have also registered their interest. This comes despite Arteta already boasting numerous left-sided defensive options, including Italian sensation Riccardo Calafiori, England international Myles Lewis-Skelly and recent £45million acquisition Piero Hincapie.