Arsenal’s work in the summer transfer window has taken the squad to a new level.
The eight signings Andrea Berta welcomed to North London have bolstered Mikel Arteta’s squad depth beyond his wildest dreams.
Typically, Arsenal’s injury record is making even the Gunners’ packed squad look stretched, with absences being as much of a headache as competition for the boss.
With time, the impact of Arsenal’s early injuries will become clear, as will how Arteta wants his favoured starting XI to look with the new recruits in mind.
Noni Madueke gives Arsenal an edge like Barcelona and Bayern Munich
One of the biggest selection headaches Arteta has right now is who starts on the left side.
Arsenal signed Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze in the summer to try and balance the left and right flanks, and the ex-Chelsea ace looks more likely to claim the spot at present.
Madueke has been incredible since he signed from Chelsea in the summer, giving Arsenal something they’d craved for so long: competition for Bukayo Saka.
Competition between the two players doesn’t look as it seems, however, as it’s not two players fighting for one place, it’s two players being capable of chopping and changing their roles to offer the Gunners maximum threat.
Prove me wrong: The future of Arsenal is Noni Madueke on the right and Bukayo Saka on the left.
The acquisition of Madueke has given Arsenal the ability to replicate one of Barcelona and Bayern Munich’s greatest strengths, which is the capacity to switch who plays on the left and right.
Look at Raphinha at Barcelona, for example, the Brazilian can play on both wings, and Hansi Flick uses it to his advantage, giving Barca the opportunity to tweak tactics in-game without making a change.
The same can be said for Bayern, who have an abundance of wide talent in Luis Diaz, Serge Gnabry and Michael Olise, more players capable of playing on either side.
Madueke’s arrival, like Olise’s and Diaz’s at Bayern, makes Arsenal more unpredictable in attack, as Arteta can move Saka and the new signing around when he deems necessary.
Mikel Arteta is surely more likely to move Bukayo Saka than Madueke
The changes work for now, but the issue remains that Madueke prefers the right, and so does Saka.
It’s unlikely that Saka will be moved out of his favoured position for Madueke; however, it’s not something that Arteta should be opposed to doing.
You can choose any position for Bukayo Saka, what it is and why?
When the Arsenal manager first arrived in N5, Saka was playing on the left, whether it be in midfield or at wing-back.
It wasn’t until later in the season that Saka was given the keys to the right side, but Arteta saw back then just how versatile his star boy is.
If Madueke’s form progresses as the season goes on, it might be that Arteta rolls back the years and gives Saka more time on the left with the freedom to chop and change with his teammate.
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