12 games into the PL season, we can assess what has gone well for Arsenal, and what has not. In this article, I’d like to discuss three things Mikel Arteta has got right.
For me, the three things he’s got right are as follows:
Trusting Jorginho to replace Thomas Partey
Yes, Declan Rice was signed to play No. 6, but there were calls for him to be tested in a box-to-box role as well. Arteta required someone else to play the No. 6 role to set Rice free. This is where Jorginho enters the picture. Last season’s January signing has dazzled in the defensive role since being tried out, allowing Rice to showcase his brilliance without the defensive duties holding him back. Jorginho has looked reborn in recent weeks, particularly in victories over Manchester City, Sevilla, and Burnley. Jorginho is now an Arsenal first-choice midfielder, providing the balance that Arteta lacked when he preferred a Havertz-Rice-Odegaard midfield.
Shaking things up at left back
Oleksander Zinchenko has been Arsenal’s first-choice left back, but his position is under threat. The Ukrainian international’s poor form prompted many to call for him to be dropped, and Arteta did so in some crucial games to ensure victory. It’s worth noting that Arteta, with his quick thinking, recognized Takehiro Tomiyasu as a viable option at left back and has used him there. The way the Spaniard has distributed the minutes between his options at left back has brought out the best in the position. We’ve seen Zinchenko look out of form, then be benched, only to return and play well, as he did against Burnley.
Having a successful summer transfer window
Injuries have been a major issue for Arsenal this season, with players such as Gabriel Jesus, Jurrien Timber, Thomas Partey, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Eddie Nketiah, and Martin Odegaard all missing games. But, interestingly, even without some of these players, Mikel Arteta has been able to field a strong team, ensuring that he has only lost once.
The Gunners have handled their injury crisis admirably, and it is partly down to the excellent transfer activity in the summer.
Daniel O
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I think Havertz plays better on the right side. Odegaard could be shifted to Xhaka’s position
Yea you right Gai I also agree Havertz play better on the right side but he is yet to lay any assist or a shot at goal from there. He needs to improve. It could be a nice adventure to try Odegard on the left. But seeing Zichenko play on the left side of midfield for Ukrain yesterday and to good effect, I think Arteta should try him there for Arsenal.
Yes, I also believe Zinchenko will thrive in Xhaka’s position due to his experience
It’s beginning to look like Odegaard’s position is been threatened,
Trossard and Havertz both excel on the right No8.
Now, write the article about the things he didn’t get right this season…Jus sayin
Um maybe you could write one NYG?
Jus sayin, eh PAT!!
@Admin Pat
I’ll leave the article writing to the wannabe writers, while I continue to express my opinion…Jus makin an observation.
Hardly surprising either, as writers need to be ABLE to write and to spell, including the last letter on all words.
“wannabe writers” NYG?
I just like exploring the facts about our club and then, hopefully, giving them out to my fellow Gooners.
Seems you like commenting on most of the articles, so it’s working, right?
The injury to Timber has really hurt the team, and we will have to wait until next season to see his impact.
Tomiyasu continues to step up and improve, and is showing how talented and intelligent he is adapting to new responsibilities.
Well done to the gaffer, and hopefully Tomiyasu remains 1st choice LB for the team.
Rice is proving to be invaluable, and our player of the season so far. Unfortunately, part of his midfield pairings are between Jorginho and Havertz.
Imagine a top DM and a capable B2B alongside Rice; it would be game changing.
I don’t see how Timber’s injury “hurt the team”. He only played half a game & a few friendlies, so was hardly a regular.
I’m sure he’ll be a benefit, but you can’t really miss what you never had.
Not the case at all!
Of course we DO miss a PROVEN top quality player like Timber.
Moreover, he showed more than enough real evidence in pre season games of his TOP QUALITY and I doubt any Gooner, save only you as it seems, is not yearning for his return ASAP.
From what we saw in the preseason, he was an absolute upgrade in the LB position.
He was vastly better defending than Zenchinko, not even close really.
He also showed he was better in the midfield inverting, where he succumbed to his injury when he sat on the pitch. Tomiyasu is not bad in an inverted role, but not great yet.
Timber showed he was the most well-rounded of our 3 options at the time, and it is one less option we have, thus hurting our team during his injury.
I think getting over the disappointment of last season’s finish to make a great start to this one which included beating Man (115) City is also “got right” worthy.
I think you are getting carried away in your assessment of Jorginho who simply does not have the pace and strength to supplement his undoubted football intelligence.As for the “left back” position,in an attacking sense Martinelli is being left to plough a line furrow down that flank which is why we are not creating as many chances as last year.Inverted full backs may aid the cause in terms of controlling possession, but they are not assisting directly when it comes to creating chances.The to the absence of their natural left backs, Shaw and Chilwell, England are also faced with the same problem.
Daniel, you seem to be far too easily pleased IMO, as you big up the fast fading and unrelaible Jorginho so much and so wrongly!
Jorhinho is NOWHERE NEAR a proper replacement in quality for the so often injured and probably soon to be gone PARTEY.
Jorginho was not a top quality replacement at all.
I suggest that if you wish, like all your fellow Gooners do, to SERIOUSLY challenge for the title, that you should be calling for a better player than the barely adequate and often missing in games Jorginho.
As for your view that he “dazzled”, well , polite further words fail me!!
One massive thing the gaffer has gotten right this season is writing the Narrative on incompetent officials officiating and the lack of leadership from people who are charged to lead.
He has set the wheel in motion with his out burst at the Newcastle game and any day now changes should be coming.
Agree 100% and, hopefully, starting to end the corruption we have in the game of football.
KEN, to end coruption, we will all need far more than just”HOPE” as in hopefully.
We will need some morals instilled into the game and we could all start by respecting the refs decisions, however wrong as they so often are.
Just this morning I read an alarming article with full chapter and verse about the alarming rate of young and park level refs jacking in reffing altogther from the abuse, including physical harm, a broken jaw, and a knife attack on one 25 year old.
Without grass roots refs our pro game cannot function for long. I know you reject my view but VAR by its very nature massively undemines refs ands facilitates more player to ref abuse and disrespect than ever before VAR began.
IT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE UNTIL WE HAVE NO REFS at all at park level .
My pal who is 71 and another r of his are both still active refs and the older one is your age.
Croydon Borough where I live ,CANNOT GET YOUNGER REFS TO STAY.
THAT IS SCARY and action must follow to cure ref baiting or our game will die.
Jon, ref “baiting” as you put it, has been going on LONG before var was introduced and it is also the case that grass root referees were always short within the local leagues.
I often had to referee a game when I was running a local Sunday league side and before I qualified as a referee.
Abuse existed back then as well, along with violence, as I can attest to!!
With the way the world is today, these actions are, thankfully, reported to the nation by the Internet etc…. back then, it remained more of a local issue.
Unfortunately, mistakes by referees are now seen by a far bigger audience and, despite the use of VAR to assist them, they are making them in high profile games.
Respect is supposed to be earned, not a given and making the same mistakes time after time and/or having no consistency in arriving at the decisions the PGMOL members are making, really DOESN’T warrant the respect you believe they should be given, no matter how wrong that decision is.
If, of course, they were willing to explain why they made such a decision and / or were held accountable, the football fanbase might be more respectful, wouldn’t you say?
Ken I see both good and wrong thinking points in your reply.
I agree that back then we still had aggro toward refs but it is far more common and, however, also far more reported nowadays.
We do have, mercifully, better and more humane expectations now than the bad old unevolved days.
Some folk will never evolve of course, as they lack basic intelligence and the ability to be humble about the faults they have.
Maturer, more humble folk will willingly own our own faults and TRY to learn from them.
BUT I SPEAK OF THE MAJORITY OF ALLOF US WHO LOATHE BAD BEHAVIOUR, ON PITCH VIOLENCE BOTH PHYSICAL AND INTIMIDATORY TOO WITH GESTURES AND VOCALISED.
On your final point , I have given up any short term hope – meaning only in the long term , when humans have finally learned that we either all live in harmony together OR our race is doomed. Such a realisation, en masse , is, as yet, many years away
The football fanbase,esp when in the throes of extreme emotion and the natural club bias we all have, will not learn respect , simply because refs might admit in post match interviews to the mistakes they make. Our race is capable of great good and great harm, often all in tthe same person. football is an aggresive sport by its very nature and most real fans would not want it any other way.
HARD TO TEMPER AGGRESSION AND THINK OF THE GREATER GOOD , WHEN IN THE HEAT OF THE GAME!!
I just dont see that happening , THOUGH I DO AGREE the refs SHOULD talk to fans via TV/ RADIO etc in direct interviews, after the game.
Jon, I am sure that, if a referee actually said that he had made a mistake after a game, so much of this analysing, different angle BS etc etc would become unnecessary and the fans would accept that a human error (either the official or the fan) was made and move on.
Respect? How can anyone respect someone like Mike Dean?
I dont quite understand your point KEN and it is regarding TIMING. Do you mean that analysis by pundits after thre game would not be considered necessary, IF a ref got in first and admitted making a mistake?
IF you DO mean that, then I disagree. Because pundits are still at the game or in the studio etc and are paid to give opinions and their views on ref errors.
I suggest such pundits would STILL analyse, even if refs admitted mistakes, simply because those pundits need to do the job they are paid to do.
I agree that it WOULD lose much of the interest and consider that a good thing, as most pundits are laughably useless and their endless waffle rarely makes anything clearer.
If that is NOT what you meant then I don’t see what your point was.
ON DEAN, I RATHER LIKE HIM, NOW HE IS IN THE STUDIO. NOT PREVIOUSLY THOUGH.
I disagree with the view that if referees own up to mistakes fans would simply accept this and move on.
It is true that there will be some fans who will do this. However, there will be those who will still want to analyse the error, suggest punishments etc. etc.
There are also any number of people who will claim “all I wanted was an apology” who then go on to seek some of retribution once one is given.