- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was delighted with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's performance in their Carling Cup win over Shrewsbury.
"He grew through the game and became stronger and stronger," Wenger said.
"What came out was unbelievable - you didn't expect it after the first half.
"You could see that he will be a first-team player here, that is for sure. He has still things to work on but, very quickly, he will be knocking on the door."
- Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis insists club owner Stan Kroenke is happy to engage with the media and fans.
But Gazidis, speaking at the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London, claimed: "The Silent Stan moniker is overused. The truth is that Stan is not silent. He has been very involved for a number of years.
"He is not media adverse either - at the right time he will come and speak. He has been limited by what he can say by the takeover panel but he is very personable, very interested in sport and has tremendous ambition for his teams.
"He is somebody that we know well because he has substantial experience in the US and now at Arsenal. It has been a very smooth transition. He is very supportive of the self-sustaining model and of Arsene Wenger.
"Throughout the transfer window, he was intimately involved in the discussions that we were having, understanding the strategy and giving his support to it. I think Arsene and I and the people at the club are very well supported by a good experienced owner.
"Stan has said that he will talk to the fans the next time he is in the UK and he will."
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was in defiant mood after their Carling Cup win over Shrewsbury.
On his 'vote of confidence' from the board, Wenger said: "I am not bothered at all by this speculation.
"I am completely focused on doing well.
"I can understand that people are unhappy and criticise, but you know as well as I know people are very quick to go overboard.
"I accept critics and I do not say it doesn't matter that people criticise us, and like anybody else, I prefer it when they say I am good.
"When we do well we take all the plaudits, so we have to take as well all the blame when it doesn't go as well - but we have as well on both sides to take some distance.
"When it goes well we must not completely believe what people say and when it does not go as well, we must not completely believe it."
Wenger added: "I have just managed 14 years at this club and I have kept them 14 years in the Champions League and I hope it lasts another 14 years."
- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he doesn't need to hire a defensive coach to fix their problems.
Asked if he should consider bringing in a defensive expert, such as former player Martin Keown to help shore up the backline. The Arsenal manager responded: "I have just completed 30 years of coaching. I don't want to answer this kind of question."
- Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis has defended their late summer spending.
"Believe it or not, he didn't suddenly become a bad manager or someone who is out of touch with the game. It is absolute nonsense based on the need to create crisis and drama," said Gazidis.
"Even in this transfer window we have seen a tactical adjustment of bringing in more experienced players. Overall, what we did was spend money early in the window on younger players and then sprinkled it with experienced players but over the course of the window, our squad actually became younger.
"Our strategy continues to be to focus on young players. We know we can't go out and compete with the spending that's out there and frankly, if we did, it would just push the spending to another level so it wouldn't be a successful strategy."
- Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis has dismissed claims their lack of silverware marks the club a failure.
"When we look at Arsenal over the last six years that we haven't won a trophy, many people will say that is a total failure," said Gazidis.
"I understand that, I accept it and I embrace it because in a sense it shows where we are as a club, which is right at the top of the game.
"But at the same time, I cannot accept it's a total failure because actually we have been incredibly consistent over a long period of time - along with Manchester United and Real Madrid, the most consistent of clubs in Europe. We haven't achieved what we want to achieve and we need to adjust, not our fundamental strategy, but I am not sure that chasing after the same players as Manchester City or United would be sustainable or necessarily successful but we are adjusting tactics.
"You have seen that in this transfer window with the introduction of more experienced players, still aligned with youth development that we hope will deliver the level of success that our fans demand."
- Arsenal chief Ivan Gazidis says manager Arsene Wenger knows fans are frustrated.
"Arsene is frustrated, he shares the same frustrations that we all do," said Gazidis, who was speaking at the Nolan Partners Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London this morning.
"The potential is very high but we have found self-inflicted ways not to achieve that full potential and that is why he is deeply frustrated.
"If you look at the last six years when we haven't quite got over the line for a trophy, if we hadn't had the potential to do it.
"That is something we need to correct because the potential is there.
"That is the frustration I think Arsene is wrestling with but he is absolutely not broken. He is as focused on delivering success to this football club as he has ever been."
- Inter Milan winger Ricky Alvarez, who slipped out of Arsenal’s clutches in the summer, could be set for a shock loan move to the Gunners in January.
Alvarez has seen starting opportunities restricted at the San Siro, largely because Wesley Sneijder - who was expected to be sold to Manchester United - has stayed at the club.
As a result, the 23-year-old has struggled to find form, and Nerazzurri bosses are said to be considering letting Alvarez join the Gunners in order to build up his match fitness.
The former Velez Sarsfield star only really broke onto the scene last season following a slow recovery from a serious knee cruciate ligament injury, so it’s no surprise that a lack of regular football is stunting his progression.
Arsene Wenger, though, remains a fan of the attacking midfielder, and could be keen to take on the Argentinean should Inter be willing to deal.
Alvarez started the Italian Super Cup final defeat for Inter, and has since made just two apperances off the subs' bench.
- Arsenal are watching Barcelona youngster Rafa Alcantara.
Rafa, known as Rafinha in Spain, is waiting to open new contract talks with Barca, which has left the door open for Arsenal to pounce.
The Gunners have already raided Rafa's youth team this year for teammates Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral and now fancy adding the winger to their academy squad.
- US high school freshman Gedion Zelalem is highly likely to join Arsenal’s youth academy within two years.
The biggest advantage Zelalem has is that he is of Ethiopian descent and a German citizen meaning he will not have to gain a European or UK working permit.
His father, Woldyes, has confirmed that he trained in Colney in London with the Gunners and will return as soon as he is 16.
“My philosophy was to start with a smaller team and take it step by step,” Woldyes said.
“Arsenal felt like family, so we thought, ‘Why not?’ Gedion said to me, ‘Papa, I want to go to Arsenal.’
“For him to become a professional at Arsenal, it would be a gift.”
And Zelalem junior was very excited about the future opportunity which he says he will take with both hands.
“It’s a dream for me,” he said.
“I’ve always wanted it. I’ve gotten the opportunity, and I’m going to take it.”
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