In the last two Premier League games, Arsenal have dropped the same number of points (5), which cost them the league title last season. This is shocking for a team keen to win the league.
That said, the Gooners will be feeling confident for their team to end the year in style by beating Fulham, and here are three decisions Mikel Arteta must make to make sure Arsenal picks up a win this Sunday.
He Must Drop Oleksander Zinchenko For Jakub Kiwior
It is unfortunate that Takehiro Tomiyasu is injured, but Kiwior can also play at left back. Zinchenko has off late been a liability at Arsenal left back, and a team like Fulham, who are not in their best moment, may want to exploit the Arsenal wing back. Defensively, Kiwior may be better than the ex-Manchester City man. I don’t know about you, but Zinchenko for Kiwior makes a lot of sense to me. Arsenal are now so much less reliant on the Ukrainian international’s “inversion dominance.”
Bench Martinelli
If Martinelli starts versus Fulham, many will be shocked. The Brazilian just hasn’t been himself lately. He needs to be benched and probably introduced to face tired legs later. With time, he may rediscover his form and return to the starting 11, but versus Fulham, he can’t start. The Arsenal left wing has looked “dead” in recent weeks; changing the personnel could be the difference.
Giving Emile Smith Rowe or Reiss Nelson a chance on the left wing
These two Hale End graduates are both desperate to break into the team. With Martinelli underperforming, what a chance Arteta has to drop the Arsenal No. 11, and give either Reiss Nelson or Smith Rowe a chance. If there was a time one of the two broke into Arsenal’s starting lineup, it is now.
These three decisions could change Arsenal’s fortunes in their last game of 2023; they could be their ticket to picking up all three points, don’t you think so?
Daniel O
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I agree with everything in the article! 100%
Not over his dead body will the gaffer drop the Ukrainian today, he’s crucial to how Arsenal intends to play as Arteta ball takes root.
But benching the Ukrainian at this stage could affect his confidence at a crucial stage of the campaign.
But a part from welcoming back the newly important big German, Arsenal does not have much options in this razor thin outfit.
It is the formation here that will be key to a convincing win.
As long as Zinchenco is not on the pitch as a left back I am not bothered about any other changes he is the one most likely to cost us if he plays he simply can’t defend!
Raya White Saliba Gabriel Kiwior Rice Odegard Havertz ESR Saka Jesus or put Zinchenko at left 8 and Havertz up top. Depending on who you feel deserves some bench time more out of Jesus or Zinchenko. Martinelli performances recently should have ear marked him some time on the bench. Maybe we could experiment with Jesus out wide and Havertz up top. A good shuffling of the deck could inspire the players dropped to pick the standard of last season back up.
Looking back over all the games we’ve lost this season, it doesn’t feel to me that we should’ve lost any of them.
VAR officials has been instrumental in all of them in my opinion
Arteta will play same starting 11 other than Havertz for Trossard. I would like to see Kiwior at left back, give Martinelli a rest for Trossard and push Zinchenco into midfield leaving Havertz on the bench.
I don’t think Nelson deserves to be in arsenal bench let alone first team. Maybe I’m the one who failed to see potential in him but as for Smith I think he needs to be given chance more to prove himself but can’t play in Matineli’s position and at this time I’ll accept him over Odegaard now that the point is crucial to our tittle challenge.
Daniel O, you must really have something against Martinelli. The only player who consistently gets balls into the opposition box is the one you want to see dropped?
You want to see players who are scared to put in a tackle, take on defenders 1 v 1 and stroll through the game? Who, in your mind maintains the high pace of Arsenals attacks when all the midfield does is kill every attack standing on the ball?
You greatly exaggerated Arteta’s willingness to be flexible in his approach. This squad is being dragged along by some excellent players in amongst some average ones and lead by an awful manager. Just look at how he has treated Ramsdale, Tierney, and Emile Smith Rowe.
Now, I think Arteta is an excellent coach but his management is just appalling. His treatment of players looks to the outsider to be terrible. Players being played out of favouritism rather than merit. The same substitutions every time and the same time in the match. No Plan B.
His tactics were exposed at the end of last season and it had arrived even earlier this season. Small things like persisting with Trossard at corner kicks drive me mad. Trossard is rank average, he just has good moments now and then. Nelson is Championship level, as is Nketiah, meanwhile ESR rots on the bench and Tierney is farmed out.
Arteta has to go.