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Episodes four to six of All or Nothing: Arsenal have been released and we bring you the best talking points from those footage.
The highly-anticipated docu-series, All or Nothing: Arsenal, has lived up to expectations and has gathered mixed reviews so far. Mikel Arteta’s management skills take center stage, while several other players have been portrayed in a different light.
We gave our review on the first three episodes released last week and we’ll be doing more of the same for episodes four to six.
There was a lot to unpack but we’ll take a close look at the talking points that stood out the most.
Arteta is not afraid to make a bold call
At this point, we must have realized that Arteta is a no-nonsense manager. Episode four took a close look at the fallout between the Spaniard and ex-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. A series of indiscipline culminated in the Gabonese losing his captaincy before a fixture against West Ham last December.
Stripping the club’s most prolific player off the armband and ultimately leaving him out of the squad was a bold call to make and Arteta was eager to stamp his authority, no matter the consequences. Rob Holding summed all of that up, saying ‘the boss has balls’.
At several times, Arteta was never afraid to shout if he needed to send a stern message across and he often lost his voice far too many times. Four keywords are among the Spaniards’ most used words and they include courage, passion, attitude and discipline.
Gabriel Martinelli talks his humble background
Martinelli did not grow up with things set up for him to excel. He describes his Guarulhos locality in Brazil as a poor community but that did not stop him from dreaming big. The Brazilian also has his parents to thank, who followed him to London just after he moved to ensure he settled down easily in a new culture and environment.
The 21-year-old says he doesn’t care about money and his parents handle his earnings to date. That’s an interesting revelation!
Martinelli scored Arsenal’s opening goal of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign in their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal did not want to sell Aubameyang
Easily the most controversial bit of the latest footage, Arsenal’s decision to sell Aubameyang was a tough one but was ultimately in the hands of Arteta. Several figures in the club’s dressing room wanted the Gabonese to stay as he was a loved figure but they also understood Arteta’s decision and the value he was trying to instil at the club.
Edu admitted it was tough to align with Arteta on that decision but saw reason to back the Spaniard regardless. Aaron Ramsdale also hoped the issues were sorted but in the end, the relationship had to be cut short in January and the Gabonese left for Barcelona.
It was far from straightforward though as Arsenal had to work in a race against time to get the paperwork for Aubameyang’s contract termination submitted to the Premier League on deadline day. They eventually got that sorted at 11:59pm; what are the odds?
Xhaka is passionate and a family man
He is tough and aggressive on the pitch but there is a different side to him at home. Being the only man in the midst of his wife, Leonita and their two daughters, Xhaka says he tries to spend a considerable amount of time with his family, as shown in the footage.
Contrary to what many fans think, players are human as well and defeats get to them probably even more. In fact, Xhaka’s wife says the Swiss can barely sleep whenever Arsenal lose a game. Think about the number of sleepless nights he’ll have endured; not good at all.
Ramsdale and Ben White are big characters in the dressing room
Both players only joined the club last summer but their influence in the dressing room has grown over a short while. Aaron Ramsdale in particular has grown to be loved among players and fans alike, while Ben White has shrugged off initial criticism to prove himself as a reliable first-team player under Arteta.
Peculiar footage showed a dejected Ramsdale after Arsenal suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool and losing their five-game unbeaten run in the process. Long after everyone had left the dressing room, a demoralized-looking Ramsdale was slating himself for his own howler in the game and it took Alexandre Lacazette to cheer him up.
With Leno now off to Fulham, Ramsdale now has the club’s no 1 jersey and don’t be surprised to see him in the running for the captain’s armband in the nearest future.
