Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta responds to Max Dowman claim as Gunners stars makes promise

Arsenal news: Mikel Arteta responds to Max Dowman claim as Gunners stars makes promise

Arsenal have ground to make up in the Premier League as an away trip to Nottingham Forest awaits

Arsenal turn their attention back to Premier League action after last night's Champions League tie against Lille. The Gunners got back to winning ways in the top-flight against Leeds last week after their surprise 3-0 loss to Brighton before the international break.

Now Mikel Arteta will be hoping his players can string a run together as they chase Manchester City at the top. It's Nottingham Forest up next in the league on Sunday, before visits from Everton and Hull City sandwiched in between a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield.

Those four fixtures should give the Gunners a chance to build real momentum before the next international break. Here, Mirror Football has the latest headlines coming out of the red side of north London.

Mikel Arteta responds to Dowman claim

Mikel Arteta has agreed with Lionel Messi's claim that Max Dowman is on the path to greatness. The Arsenal boss was full of pride for the teenager's mention from the Argentina hero in his top 10 list of rising Adidas athletes, stating: "If Messi, who is the best ever player, says that

"His eyes are I think better than anybody else’s. Hopefully he’s right."

Arteta certainly believes Messi's seal of approval, explaining exactly what made Dowman stand out among the rest. He added: "That he’s got something special. In the few appearances that he had, he’s already done remarkable things. That’s somebody that is touched with a special gift.

"He’s a joy to watch. The way he moves, the way he touches the ball, the way he carries himself, it’s just different. And that’s what makes him unique."

Promise made

Gabriel has promised to avenge his Champions League penalty woes by stepping up for another spot kick when required. The defender missed the decisive strike for his team in the final in May, blasting his effort from 12 yards over the bar and handing the trophy to Paris-Saint Germain.

However, Gabriel insists he won't let this deter him from putting his name on the list for another penalty in the future. He said: "In the final anything can happen, and we did really well. Of course, if I have another penalty, I will be there to take it. And my team-mates helped me a lot after this.

"Of course, I was sad, and I didn’t want to miss a penalty, but I have learned from this and if I have another opportunity, I will be ready to take it."

The centre-half praised his Brazil colleague, Marquinhos, for comforting him on the pitch during the final instead of running off to celebrate with his club teammates. Gabriel added: "It was brilliant for him to come to me. Of course, he missed a penalty in a World Cup and he has experience from this moment.

"He said some words to me, and helped me a lot, and after this I spoke with him and I said ‘thank you’ because in this moment it was really difficult. I learned a lot from him, too, so I say ‘thank you’ to him, because it was a difficult moment for me."

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