Many things were spotted during Arsenal’s open training session at the Emirates ahead of facing Leeds United.
In preparation for the return of Premier League action at the Emirates, the Arsenal squad took part in an open training session.
The Gunners will be eager to add to their maximum points tally when Leeds visit, having beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day.
There are, however, some vast obstacles for Mikel Arteta to clear, not only relating to Arsenal’s poor performance against United.
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Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka switch spotted in Arsenal training
Three Arsenal players were missing from training, as Kai Havertz, Christian Norgaard and Ben White missed out.
There’s a lot of concern surrounding Havertz, who has suffered a knee injury, which has prompted the Gunners to scan the market for an additional striker.
Putting injury concerns aside, Arteta will be eager to get the most out of his front line, which struggled immensely at Old Trafford.
One issue was in the wide areas, as Arsenal’s wingers weren’t good enough against Man United.
Bukayo Saka had a terrible game, as did Gabriel Martinelli, which might explain a tactical switch Arteta has made in training.
Reporting live from the Emirates at the training session, journalist Connor Humm spotted a tweak on the flanks, with Saka playing on the left and Noni Madueke playing on the right.
Madueke is better suited to the right, but given that the £52m signing is hoping to be a starter, the most likely pathway is on the left side.
Arteta is clearly open to switching his wide players, which could open an unlikely door to Saka being unleashed on the left.
Saka’s record on the left wing
Saka’s starting spot on the right is one of the most secure in the Arsenal squad, but now, we’re seeing that change could indeed happen.
Fans have grown so accustomed to seeing the England international on the right that sometimes, his contribution on the left gets overlooked.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 20 | 6 | 7 |
Saka has played more times at left-back than he has as a left-winger, but the forward has shown that he’s a jack of all trades.
On the left, the Arsenal academy product has 13 goal contributions in 20 appearances, coming in the form of six goals and seven assists.
Being a left-footed player, Saka is more efficient on the right as he finds joy cutting onto his strong foot, but that by no means limits him to only playing on that side.
Who knows if we will see Madueke on the right and Saka on the left, with all eyes on the Leeds clash.
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