Petr Cech: Arsenal need to be more like Chelsea

It was also arguably the first time the 26-year old had really looked capable of holding his own and bringing others into play.

But against Louis van Gaal’s Red Devils, who came into the game off the back of a 2-1 win against Bundesliga side Wolfsburg at Old Trafford, Arsenal displayed the full strength of their devastating attacking capability. It is no surprise then that rumors continue to circulate suggesting Arsenal hold an interest in the highly rated Carvalho.

Meanwhile, Sevilla’s holding midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak, who was believed to be a prime Arsenal target in the summer, will have his buy-out price increased according to Spanish publication AS.

Wenger admitted he had his doubts over whether a diminutive Cazorla will be able to handle the physical demands of English football, but said the Spaniard’s technical quality convinced him he was a gamble worth taking.

“Being Wayne he always wants to represent his country”, the Arsenal player told a press conference.

Walcott, 26, has been at Arsenal for nearly 10 years but for most of that time has operated as a winger. The season heads into its second worldwide break on the back of a weekend full of blockbuster fixtures, Arsenal came out of the blocks too quickly for Manchester United’s liking, scoring 3 goals in the opening 19 minutes to set up a comfortable victory for Arsene Wenger’s side.

Yet Napoli repeatedly said they would not allow the 27-year-old to depart unless his release clause worth almost 95 million euros (£70 million) was met. Should Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud fail to provide the goals or one or both suffers an injury, Arsenal could be desperately looking for forward reinforcements, especially after Danny Welbeck’s injury setback. Sometimes I asked Robert, “Are there any good players there?’ He said to me straight away, ‘Cazorla is a fantastic player”. I don’t know [how attractive they are].

Thrust into the spotlight after Sven-Goran Eriksson’s shock decision to name him in the 2006 World Cup squad, he is well placed to help Tottenham’s Dele Alli having earned his first senior call-up just five months since helping MK Dons out of League One. Kolarov has cemented his position in the team at the expense of Clichy, he has done a superb job defensively and remains a serious threat going forward. Hodgson is expected to reveal whether they will play against the Estonians at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “Kokorin deserves to play at a decent club, and he has to move there as a fully developed player who can deliver results”.