Arsenal have enjoyed a dream start to their Premier League campaign and fans will be counting down the days until they play again.
Mikel Arteta's side are five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after winning 12 of their first 14 fixtures. The division has been paused to allow the World Cup to take place in Qatar, with the action starting on Sunday.
Arsenal's season resumes on Boxing Day when they take on London rivals West Ham on home soil. In the meantime, there will be a lot of talk about who they may sign in the January transfer window. Here are the main headlines from the Emirates.
Arsenal to play in tournament
The Gunners will play in the brand-new Dubai Super Cup next month while the World Cup takes place in Qatar. Arteta's side will join Premier League rivals Liverpool, Serie A champions AC Milan and Ligue 1 outfit Lyon in Dubai for the mini-tournament.
Arsenal will not face Jurgen Klopp's team but will play Milan and Lyon, with their fixtures pencilled in for December 8 and 13. All the games will be played at the 15,000-seater Al-Maktoum Stadium, with teams awarded three points for a win and two for a draw.
Speaking to Arsenal's website, Arteta said: "It’s an easy trip as one of the biggest sponsors we have in Emirates is part of it, plus we’ve been there and know the facilities and it’s a really good environment to work.
Do you think Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League title? Let us know in the comments below!
"The weather is spectacular and then the World Cup is so close, so for any player that is around there, it is so easy to get them back straight away. I think it ticks all the boxes that we need. We need good preparation mentally and physically to be ready for the huge demands that the second part of the season is going to bring to the team.
"We have two great games against Lyon and Milan and we are really looking forward to it. They’re two big clubs and it’ll be tough competition, and for us, it’s a great test to see where we are."
Click here to read the full story!
City fearing the Gunners
Man City's Premier League title anxieties have been revealed after Kyle Walker was spotted asking Bukayo Saka, "Are you guys going to stop winning?"
The City defender and the Arsenal hero were spotted chatting on international duty. Both players are part of England's squad for the World Cup and will put their title battle on hold until after the tournament, with the Three Lions aiming to be victorious in Qatar.
Click here to read the full story!
Arsenal urged not to spend
Gunners legend Lauren believes his former employers should avoid spending money in January, as he's concerned it could upset their title charge. Many pundits have urged Arteta to bolster his ranks in the upcoming transfer window.
"Rather than think about which players we need to strengthen, we have to keep this momentum," Lauren told Mirror Football .
"Keep encouraging the players because the difference from this squad to last year is the fact that we can maintain the consistency in the 90 minutes and over two, three or four consecutive games.
"We haven't seen that for a long time, so the fact that the team at the moment is playing with that kind of confidence, I don't think we have to think about who can come in in the window. If we can keep this level of performance until the end of January, I believe that we can be considered seriously and fight for the title."
