Arsenal are looking into a mid-season trip to Dubai in February, though such a break would depend on the Gunners remaining in the Champions League’s top eight.
Arsenal have taken advantage of recent winter breaks to travel to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp, but such a trip was impossible this year as the Premier League opted to dispense with the winter break in favour of a later start to the campaign.
Yet a new opportunity might have opened up following Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United, with the Gunners no longer on the hook for a fixture on the fourth round weekend of February 8-9th.
Simon Collings of The Standard reports that Arsenal are now looking into the possibility of heading to Dubai in the fixture gap between the League Cup semi-final second leg on February 5th and the following Premier League fixture on February 15th.
Mikel Arteta confirmed as much in his press conference, admitting: “We are looking at that now. Okay [the FA Cup] is gone, so how can we optimise the situation in the best possible way, so we’re looking at options.
“The calendar and the fixtures are a bit dependent on what happens in the Champions League as well, so we’re looking and trying to plan the options.
“We knew that (the calendar would be packed) and when we are involved in all the competitions, we’re prepared for that and we’re going to face it, that’s it.”
As Arteta mentions, a trip to Dubai will depend on Arsenal’s Champions League results. If the Gunners finish between 9th and 24th in the League Phase table, they’ll have to play the first leg of their knockout play-off tie on February 11/12th – effectively filling the fixture gap in.
But if Arsenal can finish in the top eight, they’ll jump straight to the round of 16, which doesn’t kick off until March 4th.
Arteta’s side currently sit third in the table, and they know that two wins in their final two games guarantees a top-eight finish whatever else happens. But any slip-ups and there are plenty of teams waiting to pounce.
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