It has been a bruising 10 days for Arsenal. The Gunners have been knocked out of the FA Cup; fallen seven points behind league leaders Liverpool; and suffered a 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. However you would not know it. Not by the way Jay Bothroyd spoke about his boyhood club.

"With all due respect to Newcastle, they're on an upward trajectory, they have got the Saudi backing and they're a very good club, but Arsenal are one of the biggest clubs in the world," the former Gunners academy striker told Sky Sports. "The biggest clubs in the world can go and take players off Newcastle. We have seen Man United do it, Real Madrid do it and Man City go and do it.

"I don't see Newcastle letting Alexander Isak go right now, but you can get him at the end of the season. Regardless of what managers and players say, we have had loads of stories of Sir Alex Ferguson ringing up players and asking, 'Do you want to play for Man United?' 'Of course I do.'

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"That happens in football and I feel if you were to go to Isak and his representatives and say, 'Do you want to play for Arsenal Football Club?' Arsenal Football Club are a step forward regardless of where Newcastle are right now."

The entitlement! For context, the last time a Manchester City, a Real Madrid or a Manchester United 'took' a player off Newcastle was when Shay Given left the relegation-threatened Magpies with a heavy heart to join the Citizens in 2009. This is a completely different era.

One Newcastle fan rightly questioned why the black-and-whites would want to sell Isak, especially to Arsenal, who are only five points ahead of Eddie Howe's side in the table. A neutral said Newcastle were 'more likely to get Bukayo Saka than the other way round'. Another viewer called for Bothroyd to 'put some respect on Newcastle's name'. That is before you even get into the eye-watering financials or, most importantly, Isak's own wishes.

After all, this is a player who, in the last couple of months, alone, has repeatedly said he is 'really happy' at Newcastle. This is a player who has described playing for the Magpies as a 'dream', which has been made 'extra special' by the club's fan base. This is a player who has called St James' Park 'home'.

Those are not empty words; the Premier League's player of the month certainly looks at home right now. Surely even Bothroyd and Co can see that?