Mikel Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka was withdrawn from the squad for Saturday’s win over Leeds United after picking up “a little niggle” in the warm-up. The injury was the only notable setback on a positive day for Arsenal ahead of the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

“He wasn’t comfortable to start the game, so immediately we made a decision to make that change and bring Noni in,” Arteta said, explaining the decision to replace Saka before kick-off.

Squad depth on the right flank was a specific objective for the club during the summer transfer window. Arteta has been open about his intention to assemble multiple high-quality options in every position, and securing a reliable deputy for Saka was part of that plan.

Arsenal agreed a package worth as much as £52 million ($71.4 million) to sign Madueke from Chelsea, and circumstances provided an early opportunity when Saka was sidelined earlier in the season. While the headline goal-and-assist figures have not matched expectations, Madueke has “undoubtedly passed the eye test this season,” contributing when called upon.

Arteta praised the new arrival for his attitude and preparation. “The way he prepares, the way he’s waiting for opportunity, I think he paid off today because he really impacted the team,” the manager said, highlighting Madueke’s readiness to fill the role.

On the collective task, Arteta added: “We talked before the game, it’s going to be a long game, we’re going to have to navigate through different moments in the game, and we’re going to need everybody fulfilling the role that they have on the day, and I think the players executed that incredibly well.”

Madueke is the leading candidate to occupy the right wing when Arsenal face his former club on Tuesday, though Arteta’s squad contains several possible options for the position.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the confrontation between Declan Rice and a member of the coaching staff after the Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea has been settled.

The incident unfolded as the team prepared to leave the tunnel. A clearly frustrated Rice was seen gesturing and shouting at Stuivenberg, and a few steps of separation did not reduce the visible tension.

Centre back Gabriel moved between Rice and Stuivenberg to act as a peacemaker and to try to defuse the situation. The Daily Mail brought the clip to the attention of an expert lip-reader, Jeremy Freeman, who claimed Rice told Stuivenberg to “just go,” before telling Gabriel the coach “does not know what he’s on about.” Gabriel told Rice to “calm down” and the situation ultimately soothed.

Ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Nottingham Forest, Arteta was asked for an explanation of the episode. He declined to expand and said: “All sorted, all good.” When pressed on whether the exchange was a sign of Rice’s determination to succeed, Arteta added: “Yes, and the good thing is that by the time I found out the problem was resolved so that’s very good.”

Arteta’s comments confirmed the issue was handled internally and that no further action would be disclosed. The sequence of events — a tunnel confrontation after the Carabao Cup win, Gabriel intervening, lip-reading claims about Rice’s words, and Arteta’s public reassurance ahead of the Nottingham Forest match — forms the complete account presented by the club and media coverage.

Pep Guardiola used the aftermath of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semifinal victory over Newcastle United to air a long-standing grievance with VAR decisions that, in his view, have accumulated across several matches. Rayan Cherki would belatedly establish a 2–0 lead for the visitors to take into the second leg of the tie at the Etihad Stadium next month, giving Guardiola the platform to set out his complaints.

City’s manager returned repeatedly to the same themes during a six-minute critique of refereeing and VAR. He defended his players and stressed resilience: “We know how it works and that will make us stronger,” he told Sky Sports. “I’ve said it many times to the team, it is always about that. It’s in that situation how we react and how we compete.”

Guardiola singled out the disallowed second-half goal by Antoine Semenyo, which was awarded on the pitch but overturned by VAR Stuart Attwell on offside lines involving Haaland. The decision required referee Chris Kavanagh to review a pitch-side image after VAR judged Haaland to have been actively interfering with Malick Thiaw’s attempt to clear the effort. Guardiola asked why the decision had to be referred: “Four officials and VAR were not able to take the decision, they had to go to the referee,” he said, later adding with sarcasm: “Today, the line was perfect. Millimetres.”

He also recycled incidents from earlier in the season on Tyneside and the Premier League meeting with Newcastle, describing those moments as missed punishments, including what he called “two insane penalties.” “In the league game here, 60 minutes and 20 minutes, take a look,” Guardiola said. “I don’t understand why in the Premier League game with [Fabian] Schär on Phil [Foden] why VAR didn’t say anything. Then the penalty with [Jérémy] Doku and Thiaw.”

Guardiola referenced last season’s FA Cup final as part of his wider critique: “Did you review the FA Cup final last season? When [Dean] Henderson touched the ball outside the box. Did I say anything?” He urged those responsible for officiating to answer for decisions: “Ask them. Who is the boss of the referees? Ask him [Howard Webb]. It’s the semifinals. We play for a lot to reach the finals. It will make us stronger.”

The reaction to VAR decisions has also drawn outside comment, with ITV pundit Ian Wright calling one contentious FA Cup ruling “absolutely pathetic.”