Time for captain Xhaka to repay Emery’s faith

That trust is not replicated by the club’s fans. On one of the few occasions he was replaced by Emery with the Gunners trailing 2-1 to Aston Villa last weekend, Xhaka was booed as he trudged off the field.

Emery sought votes from his squad before naming a five-man leadership group of which Xhaka came top, but the Spanish manager is aware of the doubters questioning his decision.

“In the dressing room the players voted him as the first (in the) leadership (group),” said Emery last weekend.

“I spoke with him, we want to change that opinion outside. That respect he has inside is very, very important.

Paul Pogba is a doubt for Manchester United’s match against Arsenal, giving beleaguered manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a fresh headache as he juggles his scant attacking resources.

The France midfielder hurt his ankle again in the League Cup match with Rochdale in midweek on his return to the side after not playing since late August.

Solskjaer revealed that his ankle knock was the reason he did not join his teammates.

“The situation is Paul finished the game, 90 minutes fantastically, but he got a knock to his ankle which is very swollen,” said Solskjaer.

“So it was better for him not to go there with the team and he’s in a race for Monday. He is a doubt, but that is the way it is.”

Battle for fitness
Forwards Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are also facing a battle to be fit for today’s game at Old Trafford, with Solskjaer short of attacking options.

Martial is still trying to recover from a thigh injury sustained last month while Rashford limped off with a groin problem in the 2-0 defeat at West Ham last weekend.

If neither of those two makes it, Mason Greenwood will be in line to start his first Premier League game. The 17-year-old has scored in each of United’s past two home games, against Astana in the Europa League and then against Rochdale, so his manager would have no qualms about throwing him in against the Gunners.

Elsewhere, Frank Lampard admitted he was relieved to finally earn his first home Premier League win as Chelsea manager after goals from Jorginho and Willian sealed a 2-0 victory against Brighton on Saturday. Lampard had presided over two draws and a defeat in the league at Stamford Bridge since the Blues legend was hired from Derby in the close-season.

“The home games have been frustrating for different reasons, so today is a nice one. You are aware of it. You want to win,” Lampard said.

Liverpool still unbeaten
Jurgen Klopp said he was happy to win ugly after Liverpool extended their perfect start to the Premier League season thanks to Georginio Wijnaldum’s fortunate strike in a 1-0 victory at Sheffield United over the weekend.

The European champions looked short on invention against the well-organised Blades until Wijnaldum’s shot from the edge of the box 20 minutes from time trickled between the legs of United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

The win is Liverpool’s 16th consecutive victory in the top flight.
Elsewhere, 10-man Tottenham put their recent wobbles behind them to clamber into the top four with victory against Southampton.