Arsenal news: Eberechi Eze handed warning as fans fume over Max Dowman incident

Arsenal went into the international break with two wins from three, following a 1-0 loss to Liverpool in their last game, but Mikel Arteta’s men have the chance to reset as they prepare to resume their title assault

Arsenal have a chance to reset over the international break after their agonising 1-0 defeat to Premier League title rivals Liverpool last time out.

The Gunners have two wins from their first three games, scoring six goals in the process. They have been given a tough start to the season after starting with games against Manchester United and Liverpool in their opening fixtures and still have testing clashes against Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle coming up.

Arsenal have a number of players who have jetted out to play for their countries during the international break and it will be a good opportunity for stars to get their fitness levels up and maintain momentum.

Manager Mikel Arteta will be eager to get his players back to the training ground soon as he plans to resume his assault on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Mirror Football has taken a look through some of the biggest Arsenal headlines and gossip as we await the return of the top flight.

READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe hints where loyalties lie as Real Madrid star issues Liverpool predictionREAD MORE: Arsenal dealt hammer blow with William Saliba to miss 7 key fixtures after injury update

Keane warns Eze

Arsenal’s new signing Eberechi Eze has only appeared once for the Gunners since his £70m arrival from Crystal Palace as he came on as a sub against Liverpool, and fans will be looking forward to seeing more from the playmaker.

They were given another glimpse of his talents when he started England’s 2-0 win over Andorra, playing 78 minutes before being subbed off for Morgan Gibbs-White.

Eze didn’t manage to get into his full stride despite playing against far inferior opposition, with many of Andorra’s player being semi-professionals.

And pundit Roy Keane issued a warning to Arsenal’s new recruit, claiming he could not afford to produce “okay” performances after his big move to the Emirates.

Keane had responded to an optimistic outlook on Eze from Arsenal legend Ian Wright, who said: “In some instances he stayed still and got on the ball, he had that opportunity in the first half where he did that and took the shot. He’ll be disappointed he didn’t do better with that, but as long as he is staying in that area, I am really happy.”

But Keane added: “The worry for me when we talk about players like this… I think he done okay. But the manager will be saying, ‘Okay is not good enough. We need to be setting higher standards than that’.”

Arsenal fans rage over Dowman fouls

There’s no doubt Arsenal fans are getting very excited about the potential of 15-year-old wonderkid Max Dowman after being given his Gunners debut against Leeds United last month.

Despite his tender age, Dowman is showing maturity beyond his years and displayed that once again during England U19’s 3-3 draw against Spain this week.

The playmaker was targeted by Spain players as he was fouled a total of ten times in the first half alone, with Arsenal supporters showing their frustration and concern that left-back Davinchi was only shown a yellow card late in the game despite numerous challenges.

There was concern from the fanbase that Dowman could pick up injuries throughout his career if this sort of tactic continued.

One said: “I pray his career is not ended before it started with the way he is being kicked and the referee not dealing with those situations. He’s got to be protected.”

Another wrote: “That [left back] probably should’ve been sent off in the first half. Dude just had his worst nightmare on display. Hopefully this kid won’t have bad injuries considering how much he gets tackled in every game.”

A third added: “The Spanish lad who repeatedly fouled him, was subbed and sat on his own with his head down for ages – The officiating was beyond awful – weak & pathetic, no protection whatsoever.”

“Refs need to protect these kinds of players more,” read another tweet. “Poor ol’ Jack [Wilshere] had this same treatment and look how it ended for him.”

Mbappe tips Gunners for title

Arsenal might not be everyone’s hot tip for the Premier League title this year, but Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe has a feeling they could be outsiders to lift their first crown in over two decades.

Arteta’s men are already trailing Liverpool in the title race after their 1-0 defeat at Anfield last week but there is still a long way to go.

Liverpool have spent more than £400m on new signings this summer, including on high profile stars like Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and the Reds will be hard to stop. But Mbappe believes Arsenal have a chance of upsetting the odds because of the familiarity in their squad.

“Of course, Liverpool has to be mentioned first and foremost, as they’re determined to win one title after another,” he said in an interview with Bild.

“But I also have high hopes for Arsenal, because the core of the team has known each other for a long time, and that’s a crucial factor in football. And Manchester City is always at the forefront anyway, with Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland.

When asked to give a proper verdict on the title race, he added: “That’s tough. Maybe Arsenal, maybe it will be their year. It would certainly be easier to say City or Liverpool.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.