Беник Афобе надеется, что получит игровое время в первой команде, после проведённых тренировочных сборов и выступлений на матчах Кубка Эмирейтс под руководством Арсена Венгера.

Афобе на седьмой минуте заменил Джека Уилшира в воскресном матче с "Ред Буллс" и получил указания действовать ближе к правому флангу.

Афобе провёл прошлый сезон в аренде в "Хаддерсфилде", но в новом сезоне надеется завоевать место в основном составе, хотя осознает, что это будет очень сложно.

"Моей целью является выступать за первую команду "Арсенала", - сказал Афобе в своём интервью Arsenal Player. - Я ничего не загадываю наперёд, но в ближайшее время мы с Венгером сядем и обсудим всё: как будет лучше для меня".

"Когда закончится тренировочный сбор, мы сядем с тренером и поговорим о том, где я дальше продолжу свою карьеру. Я очень рад тому, что так долго нахожусь с первой командой".

"Чем больше я тренируюсь и провожу время с ними, тем больше получаю удовольствия от проведённых часов с командой. Я чувствую себя комфортно со всеми партнёрами".

"У нас есть группа молодых игроков, и мне намного легче с ними, я нахожу общий язык со многими в команде".

Центральный защитник "Арсенала" Кайл Бартли заявил, что его будущее на следующий сезон зависит лишь от его наставника Арсена Венгера.

Напомним, что англичанин минувший сезон провел в аренде сразу в двух клубах: "Шеффилд Юнайтед" и "Глазго Рейнджерс", где успел себя зарекомендовать с лучшей стороны. Совсем недавно во встрече "Эмирейтс Кап" против "Нью-Йорк Ред Буллз" (1:1) его постигла неудача - гол в свои ворота - который лишил титула "канониров" и, возможно, будущего в команде для Бартли.

На данный момент на футболиста претендуют шотландский "Рейнджерс", а также "Бернли", ныне выступающий в Чемпионшипе. Кайл, несмотря на это, рад доверить свою судьбу Арсену Венгеру.

"Сейчас я не знаю, где буду играть в следующем сезоне. Босс прекрасно осведомлен о моем желании играть в основном составе клуба настолько, насколько это возможно. Однако окончательное решение за ним, он прекрасно знает, что для моей карьеры было бы лучше и какой путь мне следует избирать".

"Я действительно восхищаюсь тем временем, когда мне пришлось играть в "Рейнджерс", тогда нам удалось взять и лигу, и Кубок Лиги. В общем, мы были крайне успешны. Но "Арсенал" - невероятный клуб, и я несомненно рад вновь оказаться здесь".

"Если тренер посчитает, что для меня будет лучше остаться в "Арсенале" и немного подрасти в плане уровня в структуре клуба, я с радостью приму это предложение".

"Но я надеюсь, что в своем будущем разберусь до начала сентября, и это решение, замечу, будет полезным, как для меня, так и для клуба".

"Полагаю, что есть несколько английских команд, заинтересованных в моих услугах. Однако все будет обсуждаться вместе с боссом, и я, ни в коем случае, в одиночку строить что-то не собираюсь".

"Мне бы хотелось продолжить выступать за клуб и прогрессировать. Я хочу проверить себя здесь. Но, повторюсь, окончательное решение за Венгером", - сказал Кайл Бартли.

Everton left-back Leighton Baines is not surprised by Arsenal's interest in centre-back Phil Jagielka.

Arsenal are in the market to bolster their backline this summer and it was recently reported they had an offer in the region of £12 million turned down by Everton for Jagielka. The Gunners are expected to make a second approach, but Baines insists Everton's squad is unfazed by the rumours surrounding Jagielka's future at Goodison Park.

He told the Liverpool Echo: "It's not unsettling, really. In some respects, we are a club that doesn't get a lot of speculation. I'm sure there are other clubs that have a lot more going on in the rumour mill.

"Personally I don't really follow it. But it's not a surprise to me that a top club would want somebody like Phil. He is fantastic and one of the top three of four defenders the country has got.

"We as players would like to hold on to him if we can. We just have to pay not too much attention to it and not get involved with it, we just have to keep on doing our jobs."

Two Emirates Cup successes are, of course, all that have swelled the Gunners’ trophy collection since their talismanic record goalscorer left to join Barcelona in 2008.

Asked if he felt his former club were capable of winning the Premier League for the first time since he helped them to the title in 2004, Henry replied: “I’m a fan so I want them to win. I would say yes.”

From the groans that greeted the final whistle, it looks as if not too many Gunners fans share their idol’s optimism.

And Arsene Wenger’s side would surely have added a third Emirates trophy on Sunday had officials not refused to sanction their plan to field Henry in a Gunners shirt one last time during the second half of their game against the Frenchman’s current employers, New York Red Bulls.

The proposal, rejected by referee Kevin Friend, was probably based on sentiment more than anything else but, while Henry might have had a lesser influence on the Arsenal front line than in years gone by, his importance to the Red Bulls is undeniable.

Shock

The Gunners seemed to be coasting to victory and top spot in the final table until five minutes from the end, when the 33-year-old’s creative skill set up a shock equaliser and clinched the cup for New York.

True, it was only a pre-season trophy that slipped from the Gunners’ grasp, but the presence of Henry can only have served to remind disgruntled Arsenal fans of the days when their team boasted the clinical ability to kill games off.

That is a failing the Emirates Stadium crowd witnessed twice over the weekend, with Arsenal throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Boca Juniors before their stalemate against the New Yorkers.

Unlike Arsenal, the Red Bulls are more than halfway through the league campaign and their superior fitness sometimes showed – yet the hosts should still have had enough in terms of quality to beat them.

“That was the plan,” said Henry, referring to Arsenal’s proposal for him to switch sides. “They asked me and I said ‘yes, why not?’ but they have some weird rules in this competition.

“But it doesn’t matter, I’ve played enough games in the shirt and I always try my best to give 100 per cent. It was kind of mixed emotions, when you want to get forward and the fans are cheering.

“I have a great relationship with the fans here at the Emirates, so it was weird, but this is a big one for us – now we want to get in the play-offs.

“We had to defend and it was difficult. You have to give those guys some credit – we don’t have too many in the squad so a lot of them had to play 90 minutes twice.”

Fan

Although Arsenal should have had a penalty when new signing Gervinho was sent sprawling by Red Bulls defender Chris Allbright, it was Henry who went closest to opening the scoring, curling a deft free-kick that Wojciech Szczesny sprang to his right to push away.

But there was little Szczesny’s opposite number Frank Rost could do three minutes before half-time when Tomas Rosicky floated in a free-kick for the unmarked Robin van Persie to head home.

Gervinho and the impressive Aaron Ramsey had opportunities to extend the Gunners’ advantage, but Henry had other ideas, threading a pass through for Roy Miller to deliver a cross that was turned past Szczesny by the lunging Kyle Bartley.

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has warned the fans the club could face another season without a trophy.

The Gunners have now gone six seasons without a trophy and Hill-Wood claims it has become increasingly difficult to challenge clubs with far superior spending power.

He told the Daily Star: “Some people have gone 25 years without a trophy and it is becoming more and more difficult with all the people with unlimited pockets.”

As for the price rise for season tickets, where Arsenal were already the dearest in the league, Hill-Wood said: “People don’t seem to realise that VAT went up so we weren’t trying to make any money out of it.”

Spanish Segunda outfit Gimnàstic de Tarragona have agreed to sign Samuel Galindo on a season long loan from Arsenal.

The 18-year-old, who has featured in all of Arsenal’s Reserve team friendlies during pre-season, returns to Spain after a difficult spell with UD Salamanca last season. Galindo struggled for fitness and opportunities, as the Union suffered relegation.

However, the creative midfielder has impressed Neil Banfield with his displays, and joins Nàstic in good form. He will put the finishes touches to the transfer this evening, when he has a medical before being presented to the media.

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has resumed light training with the rest of his team-mates this week, just days before the club hold their annual Members Day function on Thursday which the Spaniard is expected to attend.

The open training session – which is annually held at Emirates Stadium – allows Gooners to watch manager Arsène Wenger put his players through their paces as they get into shape for the forthcoming season.

Fabregas, 24, has been the subject of a long-running transfer saga with former team Barcelona wanting to sign the player they nurtured as a youngster.

A troublesome hamstring problem is still causing the midfielder problems ahead of the new Premier League season, meaning he’s not yet fit enough physically to be involved in the training matches at Members Day – although he’s expected to still attend.

This news comes shortly after Radio Marca claimed that Barcelona made a final offer of £36million for Fabregas, which includes add-ons and £5million from the players reported wage cut.