Arteta could now be forced to drop 5/10 Arsenal star

Final week Mikel Arteta would have been waking up with chilly sweats, that is if he was even in a position to sleep.

The Arsenal supervisor was given numerous dilemmas after his squad have been seemingly dropping like flies within the build-up to a pivotal north London derby.

They knew about Declan Rice for 2 weeks after his pink card in opposition to Brighton however there have been late blows to the likes of Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Odegaard who have been each injured on worldwide responsibility with Italy and Norway respectively.

They have been additionally lacking new signing Mikel Merino with a shoulder drawback and Oleksandr Zinchenko sat out together with his personal health points.

That meant that Arsenal’s bench was extraordinarily skinny on the bottom for his or her journey throughout north London with 5 of the gamers named among the many substitutes being Hale Enders.

Ethan Nwaneri was probably the most notable and was joined by Maldini Kacurri and Ismeal Kabia who loved their first senior call-ups. Ayden Heaven and Myles Lewis-Skelly who have been each seen in pre-season have been on the bench too.

So, though it was solely Nwaneri who was seen on the sphere, this was a remarkably spectacular win for the Gunners who ran away again to the Emirates with a 1-0 win courtesy of Gabriel’s bullet header within the second half.

Arsenal’s finest gamers in opposition to Spurs

Nicely, deservedly so, Gabriel took the Participant of the Match award house for an excellent dominant efficiency in each penalty bins.

He shrugged off Cristian Romero with absolute ease for his objective earlier than leaping excessive and heading previous a helpless Guglielmo Vicario within the Tottenham web.

The goal-scoring defender was additionally a monster on the again, making a whopping eight clearances, blocking two photographs and successful two of his three floor duels.

It was a whole efficiency however compliments should even be handed to goalkeeper David Raya who’s proving to be fairly the signing, simply over one yr on from his preliminary mortgage transfer from Brentford.

Raya received 100% of his duels within the match – he hasn’t really misplaced a duel but this season – and made 4 saves contained in the penalty field. Spurs could not get previous him, nor can many groups. The Spanish gloveman already has three clear sheets to point out for his efforts in 4 matches.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows from an Arsenal perspective

Arsenal’s greatest underperformer in opposition to Spurs

Talking at full-time, Arteta clearly sported a beaming smile however was he 100% proud of the efficiency of his aspect? No.

Speaking to Sky Sports activities, he famous: “We had some nice moments in open areas the place we must always have performed much more than we really did.

“We weren’t the most effective with the ball in the present day and we did a number of easy issues unsuitable. The sequence of passes you are able to do in opposition to them are only a few as a result of they soar and press each ball, they make it very troublesome.”

These troublesome moments that the Spaniard talks about have been maybe because of not having Odegaard within the group.

The Norwegian has been the person who makes issues tick on this Arsenal group for thus lengthy and when the membership cannot play him, they do lack real creativity from a central space.

So, how did Arteta attempt to repair that on Sunday afternoon? He gave Leandro Trossard the playmaking keys.

Did he make up for Odegaard’s absence? In reality, the Belgian struggled in an unfamiliar function. Handed a 5/10 match score by GOAL’s Charles Watts, the Arsenal reporter famous that Trossard ‘could not actually get into the sport and took some dangers when in possession.’

Certainly, there was one explicit second within the first half the place he surrendered the ball far too simply in the midst of the park when the Gunners have been in a promising place in Spurs’ half. He ought to have performed a lot better to proceed the assault.

That was one in all 9 instances the previous Brighton star gave away the ball throughout an detached efficiency the place he left the pitch having had fewer touches than Raya’s 48.

Arsenal face Atalanta within the Champions League on Thursday and with Odegaard nonetheless a little bit of a doubt, Arteta might have to stay with Trossard in an unfamiliar function.

That mentioned, he does produce other choices. Kai Havertz may very well be moved again into extra of a quantity 10 function whereas Nwaneri – who regarded so composed when he got here on within the derby – could be handed his first senior begin. The latter, specifically, is one thing the Arsenal boss should discover, with Trossard shifting again to the bench.