The recent international break provided the perfect opportunity for Mikel Arteta to take stock and await his best players’ returns to full fitness after the heartbreaking 1-0 defeat away at Liverpool. The Gunners had made the perfect start to the new campaign before that trip to Anfield, narrowly edging out rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford before thumping newly promoted Leeds at the Emirates. The trip to Merseyside was certainly a disappointing one, and it’s due to that 1-0 defeat that the international break was a welcome one in North London.
For a while, international fixtures took center stage, with nations looking to punch their tickets to next summer’s FIFA World Cup. The current list of qualified teams heading to North America is a varied one, with reigning champions Argentina set to defend their crown, while outsiders such as Uzbekistan and Jordan will feature on the grandest stage for the first time ever. While the greatest tournament the beautiful game has to offer is still months away, some unlikely sources are providing supporters with the perfect way to pass the time between now and next summer – specifically, online casinos.
Passing Time Ahead of the World Cup
As the World Cup looms on the horizon, platforms like the popular Ignition Australia are stepping up to the plate, offering an array of online slot games that bring Aussie fans closer to the pitch than ever before. Among the standout titles are Zombie FC and Hat Trick Hero, both of which have struck a chord with Australian football enthusiasts and slot game lovers alike. We know that Australia loves a great game of football, and these options let them enjoy the beautiful game in a brand-new way.
What’s driving their popularity? Accessibility. These games are available 24/7, allowing players to dive in anytime, anywhere, as long as they have a smart device and a stable internet connection. For supporters eagerly awaiting their country stepping out on the grandest stage, these games provide the perfect blend of entertainment and anticipation. Ignition has clearly identified a gap in the market—and filled it with a blockbuster offering.
Many of Arsenal’s star men won’t yet have had the chance to enjoy the offering, however, being busy throughout the international break, helping their countries attempt to reach the 2026 World Cup. Some of them shone brighter than others.
Mikel Merino
When Arsenal closed the deal for Spaniard Martin Zubimendi this summer, there was a question of where Mikel Merino would fit into the squad or whether he would be cast into more of a backup role. If Spain’s qualifiers are any judge, Merino remains the real deal.
Rarely does a midfielder seize two international fixtures so emphatically. Four goals in two games from central midfield, with three of them coming in the opening forty-five minutes of a 6-0 thrashing on the road against Turkey, displaying the kind of finishing ability that prompted Arteta to deploy him as a makeshift striker last season. His second against the Turks, ghosting in unmarked and lashing the ball home, was a masterclass in timing.
Even earlier in the break, Merino’s finish versus Bulgaria was framed by his tireless running and masterful partnership with Barcelona metronome Pedri. Spanish media outlets lauded not just his technical quality, but his dogged pressing and insatiable hunger—a force multiplier in Luis de la Fuente’s high-tempo system.
Declan Rice & Noni Madueke
International windows can sometimes show fatigue and confusion. For Arsenal’s English duo, they harvested authority.
Declan Rice dominated both physically and mentally, just as he always seems to do. Against Andorra, with England one goal up and the match lurching toward nervous territory, the lungbusting midfielder galloped into the penalty area in trademark fashion and rose to meet Reece James’ delivery—thumping home a header that sealed all three points. In the subsequent 5-0 demolition of Serbia, his pinpoint corner spawned Harry Kane’s opener. But it was Rice’s orchestration—shepherding the tempo, winning duels with regularity, foiling pressure with a single pivot—that earned plenty of praise from fans and pundits alike.
But perhaps the star of that drubbing of the Serbs was a blistering performance from Arsenal’s new boy Noni Madueke, with the pacey winger announcing himself on the world stage with the gusto of a man determined to banish any lingering doubts. The former Chelsea man was causing problems from the outset, regularly twisting and turning his way past defense, while his exceptional off-the-ball movement proved too hot for Serbia to handle.
Madueke managed to net his first international goal and put England 2-0 ahead on the night as he latched onto Morgan Rogers’ sublime flick and, with predatory calm, found the net with aplomb. But it wasn’t just his electric burst that caught the eye. The clarity of his end product – something he was regularly criticized for at Stamford Bridge – proved that he was maturing as a first-team player. Five chances created, defenders left scattered and confused, the kind of performance that shifts selection debates in both club and international camps.
The message looks to be clear: Arsenal, at home and abroad, possess a wide threat whose blend of pace, vision, and improvisation is now an international talking point. Madueke, Rice, and Merino unquestionably set the world aflame, and everyone will be eager to see how this unfolds in the coming weeks.