Mikel Arteta has several decisions to make when selecting his starting XI ahead of facing Liverpool.
Arsenal travel to Anfield on matchday three in a bid to secure their first win away to Liverpool in the Premier League since 2012.
Arteta was named in Arsene Wenger’s midfield on that day, as the Gunners won 2-0 thanks to goals from Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski.
The Spaniard certainly enjoyed that trip to Anfield and will hope to emerge victorious on Sunday, but first, he has several squad decisions to make.
Riccardo Calafiori could be a weak spot for Arsenal vs Liverpool
The main talking point ahead of Arteta naming his XI to face Liverpool is whether Eberechi Eze will make his full debut.
Ian Wright thinks Eze will start on the left side, while others believe Gabriel Martinelli should start at Anfield.
The attack will need altering, as Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka are likely to miss the fixture due to injury, which will require a change to the lineup from last week’s 5-0 win over Leeds United.
It’s not only going forward that Arteta will need to consider making changes, as one position could have Liverpool licking their lips.
Journalist and Arsenal expert Charles Watts raised the dilemma that Arteta might have on the left side of defence, as Riccardo Calafiori isn’t the best when it comes to defensive positioning.
Speaking on his Inside Arsenal podcast, Watts said that Liverpool might already be ‘looking at’ how they could take advantage of Calafiori.
“When you’ve got Calafiori playing at left-back, who we know likes to get forward and leave space, if you’re Liverpool and you’re Mo Salah or Arne Slot and you’re looking at where you’re going to hurt Arsenal, you could be looking at that position.”
Though Calafiori has impressed early in this season, taking the left-back spot from Myles Lewis-Skelly, the Italian doesn’t come without fault.
Arsenal fans are used to seeing Calafiori bomb forward, but, as a result, are also familiar with watching the 23-year-old leave a lot of space in behind him.
The problem is that Lewis-Skelly is sometimes rash when defending, which might sway Arteta towards keeping Calafiori in the XI, but not dropping the £42m signing doesn’t necessarily mean alarm bells should ring.
Gabriel Martinelli’s involvement could be key
There’s a simple solution for Arteta to strengthen his left side, and that’s by restoring Martinelli to the starting lineup.
Martinelli was an unused substitute against Leeds after his poor opening day performance against Manchester United, and despite his form not warranting a start, the Brazilian provides defensive cover to a better level than most of Arsenal’s attackers.
The 24-year-old’s pace, strength and desire on the left could balance well with Calafiori’s playing style, as the Brazilian can cover when his teammate ventures forward.
Added to his defensive contributions, Martinelli has a fantastic record against Liverpool, recording eight goal contributions in 12 career appearances.
It will be fascinating to see how Arteta lines up on the left side, with the task of keeping Mohamed Salah quiet one that so many fail.
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