Mikel Arteta can finally do something he hasn’t this season for Arsenal after international break

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Mikel Arteta will finally have an opportunity to do something that he hasn’t been able to all season after the international break, and it could take Arsenal to another level.

The Gunners are riding high at the top of the Premier League table, winning eight of their eleven matches and conceding just five goals in the process.

However, Manchester City beat Liverpool on Sunday to close the gap on the league leaders to just four points, following the North Londoners’ draw at Sunderland.

This has increased the pressure on Arteta’s side, who now have a team in rampant form chasing them for top spot.

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Mikel Arteta can finally play Arsenal’s best eleven after the international break

Arsenal have suffered from something of an injury crisis over the last month.

Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres have all spent time on the sidelines, significantly depleting the Gunners’ attack.

Arteta was forced to start Mikel Merino up front against Sunderland, and while the Spaniard did a cromulent job as a makeshift striker, he wasn’t able to replicate what a true number nine is capable of.

These injuries also meant that the Arsenal boss had few senior options to call upon off the bench. Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Andre Harriman-Annous were the only attacking players sat behind him, all of whom are 18 or under.

However, this could all change after the international break when the Gunners host Tottenham. Odegaard, Havertz, Madueke, Martinelli and Gyokeres are all expected to be fit, giving Arteta a number of potential options.

In fact, the tactician may finally be able to field what many would have described as his best team at the start of the season.

Arteta is yet to start a front three of Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Gyokeres, with a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Odegaard behind them.

This is likely the vision the head coach had for his team once the squad was assembled, but it hasn’t played together once.

Not only will this see the return of Saka and Odegaard’s partnership, it could get the best out of Eze, who has struggled with the creative burden thrust upon him in a central role.

Who misses out on Arsenal’s matchday squad when everyone is available?

If all six injured players are fit to play after the international break, and none of those on duty sustain an injury, then Arsenal’s bloated squad could finally come into play.

In fact, Arteta will have to leave at least a few senior players out. Taking the squad from the Sunderland match and putting all six players straight into the next matchday squad, there will be at least four players missing.

Dowman and Harriman-Annous will likely lose their spots on the bench, while youngster Nwaneri will also be under threat.

Jesus may not be viewed as a genuine option after his knee injury, and certainly won’t take anyone’s place in the squad for the time being.

The final two players to miss out are likely to be defensive players. Arteta won’t need three left-backs at his disposal, and this means one of Myles Lewis-Skelly or Piero Hincapie probably won’t make the bench.

The final player to miss out is likely to be one of Christian Norgaard, Ben White or Cristhian Mosquera, all of whom have been on the periphery in recent weeks.