Overview
- Champions League play-off draw pairs Newcastle with Qarabag, with ties scheduled for Feb 17-18 and 24-25, while Arsenal already await the winners of either Dortmund vs Atalanta or Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16.
- Kai Havertz marked his first start in 357 days with a goal and an assist in Arsenal's 3-2 win over Kairat and was named man of the match, with Mikel Arteta saying the display can take the team to “another level.”
- Arsenal transfer chatter continues with reports of a potential bid for Julián Álvarez that could reach £87m and suggestions he may be unsettled, while Real Madrid prospect Víctor Valdepeñas is viewed as a likely summer target.
- Oleksandr Zinchenko is reportedly set for Ajax in a £1.3m deal with Arsenal covering his wages until summer, with Dutch reports saying a medical was planned in Amsterdam on Friday.
- Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said there is little margin for error in the league, confirmed Jeremie Frimpong is out for a few weeks with Ibrahima Konaté and Curtis Jones returning, and remained non-committal on any deadline-day signings.