Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard may now be facing a significant spell on the sidelines, and Mikel Arteta must find creative solutions to cope without his captain.
Odegaard sustained a knee injury during the Gunners’ clash with West Ham on Saturday, and while an official diagnosis has not been made, he’s not expected to feature in the foreseeable future.
Arteta has opted for Mikel Merino in the Norwegian’s role in various matches, a decision which has prompted criticism due to its perceived conservatism.
Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze has also been used in this position in recent matches, as has teenager Ethan Nwaneri.
Mikel Arteta should play Bukayo Saka in a central role during Martin Odegaard’s absence
Bukayo Saka has been used in a central role in the past.
While a rarity, Arsenal’s talisman did play as an advanced number eight on a few occasions when he was younger, and he excelled in these outings.
The Gunners’ winger has the attributes to thrive centrally, with his passing and carrying skills perfectly suited to helping his team break down stubborn low blocks.
Arteta has refrained from using Saka in this role in recent seasons due to his lack of alternative right-wingers and because of how brilliantly he’s performed out wide.
However, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Nwaneri all capable of playing on the right, it might be worth positioning Saka in a role where he can influence the game even more.
Eze is the most likely candidate to replace Odegaard during his absence, but deploying the former Crystal Palace man and Saka as dual number tens could better help the Gunners make up for the loss of one of the most creative players in the Premier League.
It’s at the very least worth Arteta experimenting with in one or two matches in the coming weeks, particularly given how favourable the upcoming fixture schedule is.
Mikel Arteta could restructure Arsenal’s attack
Arteta’s wingers have generally stayed high and wide in recent years, with the number eights taking up the half-spaces.
This has meant that the full-backs have been relatively restricted in how advanced they’ve been.
Now, he could flip this dynamic and use the wingers in the inside channel, with the two full-backs pushing forward and providing the width.
Both Ben White and Piero Hincapie are capable of fulfilling these attacking roles on either side. Meanwhile, this system would also allow Arteta to deploy the conservative midfield trio he likes in Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino, without it detracting from Arsenal’s offensive game.
These would be significant changes to make purely because of an injury to one player, but it could provide Arteta with another effective attacking blueprint to use at various points in the season.
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