Arsenal’s 4-1 win against Portsmouth gave Mikel Arteta so many pointers ahead of the upcoming clash against Chelsea.
Arteta was able to make 10 changes to his squad at Fratton Park, with the rotation being hugely beneficial.
Ethan Nwaneri impressed in a rare appearance, as did Kai Havertz, who returned to action following a lengthy injury layoff.
From Gabriel Martinelli’s hat-trick to other top performances, it was a good outing for Arsenal’s second-choice squad, but not everything was perfect.
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Who was your Arsenal Man of the Match vs Portsmouth?
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s performance against Portsmouth proved that Jurrien Timber must play at left-back against Chelsea
On a negative note, Eberechi Eze failed to perform against Portsmouth when given the chance to impress after seeing his game time significantly reduced.
Eze wasn’t the only England international to fluff his lines at Fratton Park, as it was also a lacklustre afternoon for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arsenal fans haven’t been wowed by Lewis-Skelly for some time, and when playing at left-back against Portsmouth, doubts about the teen only grew.
Change my mind: Myles Lewis-Skelly cannot play at LB for Arsenal again, it has to be midfield.
The midfielder, who is continually used in defence, had little presence on the left side, losing more duels than he won and allowing himself to be dribbled past.
The problem is that it didn’t just stand out as a poor individual performance, but an issue for Arsenal, whose options at left-back are wearing thin.
With Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie out, Arteta has been made aware that there’s now a risk of playing Lewis-Skelly in the back four.
As a result, it’s now clearer than ever that the Arsenal manager must give Jurrien Timber a rare start at left-back in the next match against Chelsea.
The idea of Lewis-Skelly playing against Chelsea’s pace and trickery is a nightmare, so it could be that Arteta gives Timber his first start at left-back this season.
Mikel Arteta’s latest injury update on Piero Hincapie
Timber’s versatility is one of his greatest strengths, so fortunately, Arteta has a solution to Lewis-Skelly’s struggles at left-back.
Ideally, Timber would stay on the right, and either Hincapie or Calafiori would take the left, but with both injured, the Chelsea game on Wednesday night could come too soon.
After the Portsmouth win, Arteta shared an injury update on Hincapie in his post-match press conference.
“Probably Monday, we’ll know a little bit more where he’s at,” Arteta said.
“Obviously, he had to come off [vs Liverpool,] which is never a good sign, but hopefully it’s not too much.”
Either way, Hincapie should be rested against Chelsea to fully recover, and given Lewis-Skelly’s form, it’s undoubtedly time for Timber to take on a left-sided shift.
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