Arsenal fans had one complaint during the Gunners’ top-of-the-table clash against Aston Villa.
Just weeks after suffering defeat at Villa Park, Arsenal lined up against Unai Emery’s side again in the Premier League.
The atmosphere set the scene of the magnitude of the occasion, and most obliged; however, three players had Arsenal fans complaining on social media.
With injury ruling Declan Rice out of the fixture, Mikel Arteta started a midfield three of Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard.
On paper, the trio looked to sufficiently cover Rice’s absence, but early into the game, it appeared that wasn’t the case.
Fill in the blank: I blame ___________________ for Declan Rice’s latest injury!
Arsenal’s midfield didn’t impress fans against Aston Villa
During the first half, Arsenal fans shared the same complaint about the midfield on social media.
One X user said, “This midfield might as well not have shown up. What are we doing?”
Others agreed, asking similar questions.
“What is this midfield from Arsenal!?!” and “Do we have a midfield today?”
Multiple times, led by Amadou Onana, Aston Villa charged through Arsenal’s midfield, making the Gunners look exposed in a matter of seconds.
As Villa cut through the hosts numerous times, fans lost their patience.
“So easy to play through right now, midfield needs to drop,” one Arsenal supporter posted on X.
Another described the trio of Zubimendi, Odegaard and Merino as ‘non-existent’.
Rice’s absence was noticeable from the kick-off, prompting fans to comment on the Englishman being on the sidelines.
“That Arsenal midfield without #41… he’s genuinely the glue,” one concerned fan said.
Another agreed, “We are Declan Rice FC. Midfield is nothing without him.”
It was a weak early showing from the middle three against Villa, but as the half progressed, control strengthened.
Declan Rice’s absence was always going to be felt
Though Arsenal’s squad depth has been celebrated this season, one glaring weakness remained: central midfield.
Arteta does not have a like-for-like replacement for Rice, though; it’s difficult to consider if that exists.
If Declan Rice was worth £105m in 2023, what would his value be in 2026?
Rice is one of the best players in the world, so his absence was always going to be felt.
Arteta just might’ve wished it hadn’t come in a game as important as Aston Villa.
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