Arsenal sit top of the Premier League table after 20 games with Mikel Arteta relying on a core group of players so far and he can continue to do so for the remainder of the season.
We’ve passed the halfway point in the Premier League season and it’s already evident which Arsenal players, when fit and available for selection, will be relied upon by Mikel Arteta in a bid to win the title.
After splashing out £120million to sign Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in last summer’s transfer window, the question on many Gunners supporters’ minds was could any of the quintet force their way into the Spaniard’s core group of undroppables at some point in the campaign?
And following a further £54m spend in the January window – thus taking this season’s outlay to £174m in total – to bring in Leandro Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion, Jakub Kiwior from Spezia and Jorginho from Chelsea, the aforementioned debate can be revisited.
However, in truth, it was always going to be difficult for all eight signings to come in and make an immediate impact, especially when taking into consideration Arteta’s decisions in pre-season all pointed towards him already knowing at least six players that would feature in his strongest starting XI week-in, week-out when fit and available.
After the first month or so of the campaign, it quickly became clear that Gabriel Jesus was assured of a place in the starting XI regardless of the formation, alongside goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Thomas Partey, newly-appointed captain Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
In addition, due to Arteta’s preference for a left-footer playing as the left-sided defender to bring balance in central defence, the fact that Gabriel Magalhaes has started every single Premier League game so far this season indicates he has confirmed his spot – although he does now have direct competition from Kiwior.
It’s also safe to say William Saliba and Granit Xhaka are also part of this core group, having started every league game thus far. Meanwhile, the left-back position, which has previously been a hot topic amongst supporters, has effectively been settled as Zinchenko, when fit, often gets the nod over Kieran Tierney in the league.
Now, this is where things get a little interesting as the other three spots might not be set in stone. Whilst Ben White has been a revelation at right-back this season, there are calls for him to be rested following his struggles against Manchester United and Everton, with Takehiro Tomiyasu getting a chance.
Further forward, Gabriel Martinelli has stated his case to make the left-wing role his own with seven goals in 20 Premier League appearances, but could Trossard’s arrival, coupled with Emile Smith Rowe’s return to fitness, give the Brazil international something to think about?
Jesus undergoing knee surgery after sustaining medial ligament damage during Brazil’s 1-0 World Cup defeat to Cameroon has allowed Eddie Nketiah to force his way into Arteta’s core group, and the Hale End graduate has lived up to his end of the bargain with key goals against West Ham, Brighton and Man United.
Granted, the Brazilian wasn’t in the best goalscoring form prior to his setback, but he was a regular in the side and is closing in on a return to action. Therefore, once the 25-year-old is match sharp it will be intriguing to witness how the battle between Jesus and Nketiah unfolds as the Arsenal manager has a big decision approaching.
source: football.london
