Mikel Arteta was able to rest and rotate some key players as he set up his Arsenal side to face West Ham United on Saturday.
Even with a slightly adjusted starting XI, Arsenal were still able to put the Hammers to the sword, running out 5-2 winners at the London Stadium.
Gabriel Martinelli was able to be fully rested, not moving from the bench throughout, and Jorginho also enjoyed just his second full 90 minutes of Premier League action so far this season.
Mikel Arteta is unlikely to name the same starting XI that thrashed West Ham when his side welcome Manchester United to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening, though. The Spanish coach will recognise that certain changes need to be made for this fixture.
Why Gabriel Martinelli has to start against Manchester United
A fully rested Martinelli, perhaps feeling that he has a point to prove, can pose a real threat to the Red Devils.
The Brazilian winger endured an underwhelming campaign last time around, all too often falling short of the performance levels he is known to be capable of producing. Martinelli has shown signs of getting back to his best recently, though, and must still be included in Arteta’s strongest possible XI.
The manager needs to put out the best team available to him in this game. Although Arsenal are expected to batter Manchester United, this is not a fixture for gambling on resting players.
The Gunners’ Premier League title dreams are already hanging by a thread. Failure to beat Ruben Amorim’s side would give Liverpool the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table, all but killing Arsenal’s hopes of being crowned champions.
Arsenal stand a better chance of winning this match with Martinelli on the pitch, so he must start.
Why Arsenal need to drop Jorginho
Arsenal fans were impressed with Jorginho’s performance against West Ham. The Italian veteran, despite not having played a great deal so far this season, looked comfortable in the middle of the park and was able to keep things ticking over with his passing game.
At this stage in his career, though, the 32-year-old might struggle with starting two matches in such quick succession. The pace of the game against Manchester United is also likely to be faster, which could expose some of the £110,000-a-week star’s weaknesses.
Thomas Partey is an injury doubt for this fixture, which certainly opens the door to Jorginho retaining his place in the team.
However, Arteta much recognise that Declan Rice is the best choice to protect the Arsenal defence against Manchester United, rather than Jorginho, if the Ghanaian is absent.
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