Arsenal news: Arteta called out by player's angry brother as Haaland causes issues

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Arsenal's season is gathering serious momentum. The Gunners are now favourites to win the Premier League , having surged three points clear at the top of the table after an impressive run of form.

Their dominance has extended to Europe as well, with a commanding 4-0 victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek sealing a perfect start to their Champions League campaign and keeping them joint-top of the group. The emphatic performance was especially encouraging given that Mikel Arteta's side are still yet to fully hit their stride.

Where Arsenal have truly excelled, however, is in defence. With just three league goals conceded after eight games, they are currently on course to break Chelsea's astonishing record of 15 goals against, set in the 2004/05 season.

It's a similar story in Europe, where they have yet to concede a single goal after three Champions League matches - a testament to the organisation and discipline Arteta has instilled in his team. However, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows for the Gunners.

The brother of a recently departed Arsenal star has publicly criticised Arteta, while a major obstacle to their title challenge has also been identified. With a home clash against Crystal Palace looming on Sunday, Mirror Football rounds up the latest news from around the Emirates Stadium.

The brother of former Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has hit out at Arteta for treating his sibling unfairly. Lokonga, 25, left Arsenal permanently in the summer after four years on the club's books, joining Bundesliga club Hamburg in a £250,000 deal.

Lokonga arrived at the Emirates from Anderlecht in 2021, and his future initially looked bright. The Belgian international made 24 appearances in his first season but soon fell out of favour under Arteta and was subsequently sent out on loan to Crystal Palace , Luton Town , and Sevilla .

Lokonga's brother, Paul-Jose M'Poku - who is also a footballer - believes Albert wasn't given a fair shake at Arsenal, even after playing well while out on loan. "When you look at his performances at Luton Town, Crystal Palace or even Sevilla, he plays like a boss," M'Poku, 33, told Voo Sport.

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"It's just that he's scored fewer goals. Here at Hamburg, he's scored two goals. But his performances haven't necessarily changed compared to when he was at Arsenal. When you look at his early days at Arsenal, he played some magnificent matches. He plays big games.

"It's just that at a certain point, Mikel Arteta … That's where I sometimes get angry with certain coaches. He wasn't 100 per cent fair to him. Otherwise, when you look at his performances everywhere he's been, he's been successful. But when you score, it makes more noise."

Like his brother, M'Poku's career also brought him to north London - albeit on the other side of the divide. He joined Tottenham at the age of 16 but, like Lokonga, failed to establish himself and left before making a senior appearance.

Now, M'Poku plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Batin, having enjoyed a nomadic career that has taken him across Belgium, Italy, Greece , Turkey, the UAE, South Korea and Romania. He has also earned 22 caps for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Jamie Carragher believes Arsenal will win the Premier League this season - but only if they can find a way to stop Erling Haaland . The Manchester City striker looks back to his devastating best, having scored 15 goals in 11 appearances across all competitions so far, including 11 in the league.

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Since re-emerging as genuine title contenders in recent seasons, Arsenal have often found themselves undone by City's dominance, driven largely by Haaland's relentless scoring form. Pep Guardiola's side may still be rediscovering their rhythm, but Carragher thinks that if Haaland maintains his current level, City could once again edge Arsenal in the title race.

"Arsenal came into this season worried about Liverpool being the major obstacle to ending a 21-year title wait. Now their biggest fear might be Erling Haaland," the Liverpool legend wrote in the Telegraph .

"Where Arsenal have the best squad among the contenders and Liverpool must fix well-documented issues, Manchester City have the most influential player and dynamic attacker. The Norwegian is the biggest reason why Pep Guardiola's side have a great chance of reclaiming their crown. Without him, City’s most realistic target would be finishing in the top four.

"Haaland is so good he can be the difference every time he plays. He is the most lethal finisher of this generation, which is why he is already worthy of comparison with past legends."

City currently sit second, breathing down Arsenal's neck as they look to reclaim the title that has rarely left the Etihad Stadium over the past decade. Back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton in August hinted at lingering issues from last season, but Guardiola's men have since bounced back, winning seven of their last nine games in all competitions.

Arsenal will still back themselves as favourites, but with Haaland in this kind of form, nothing can be taken for granted.

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