Arsenal international roundup: Spain lead, Sweden flying and Norway struggling
When 17 Arsenal players headed away on international duty, the extended September-October break presented Mikel Arteta with the prospect of some of his squad playing four times before returning to nor...
Arsenal international roundup: Spain lead, Sweden flying and Norway struggling
When 17 Arsenal players headed away on international duty, Mikel Arteta faced a challenge with his squad playing four times before returning to London. All international matches have now been completed, setting the stage for the Nations League groups.
For several Gunners, the international break was highly successful. Sweden, Netherlands, and Northern Ireland led the way. Viktor Gyokeres had a standout performance, scoring the winner for Sweden in their 1-0 victory over Romania, extending his Nations League scoring streak to seven matches. Gyokeres now leads League B Group 4 with ten points.
Jurrien Timber's Netherlands also tops their group with eight points, level with Greece. Germany's Kai Havertz sits third with five points, having played only the opening two matches of the window. Italy's Riccardo Calafiori had a strong finish, scoring in the 3-1 victory over Türkiye. Italy is second in Group A1 with seven points.
Northern Ireland's Ceadach O'Neill led their group, drawing goalless with Georgia, sitting on eight points ahead of Hungary. For Martin Odegaard and Norway, the break was less successful. Their 2-1 defeat in Portugal left them fourth in Group A4 on three points, with Portugal already advancing to the quarter-finals. Odegaard recovered well after the ankle concerns from his earlier match against Bernardo Silva.
James Scanlon's Gibraltar, playing in League D Group 1, finished second behind Malta. Brazil's Gabriel Magalhaes and Bruno Guimaraes were absent from the Nations League.
Spain's international break featured a standout moment, with Mikel Merino scoring both goals in a dramatic 2-1 comeback win against Croatia. Spain maintains a perfect 12 points from four matches, ensuring their place in the quarter-finals. England remains behind Spain, finishing second in Group A3 with nine points after a 3-0 win over Czechia. England's strong position could see them qualify for the knockout stages when the Nations League resumes in November.
With the international window complete, Arsenal can now focus on their upcoming Premier League matches.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
