The international break comes at a good time for Arsenal in some ways, and in others, it might be a frustration. Mikel Arteta spoke after the September international break, which followed Liverpool's defeat, about how he would have preferred to jump straight back in.

“After a defeat, you want to have a game in the next three days, get it out of the system,” he said. “It is what it is.

“But at the same time, I look at the players' international duties and how they've grown. The role that they have in the teams, the impact that they're having in every single match, and I feel pride because they can lose a game and they can go to the national team, they can click again, perform, and most of them win, and they're very important in those wins.”

Unfortunately, despite many players having strong games for their nations last time, particularly Martin Odegaard, the captain has already pulled out of the Norway side with a knee issue. He joins six other senior stars at the Sobha Realty Training Centre who are set to stay behind while their teammates are away with their respective nations.

Of the seven, two are...