Underused ace, £45m mistake: 3 things Arteta has got wrong at Arsenal this season

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Mikel Arteta has done a great job at Arsenal, but he hasn’t gotten everything right.

Since taking on the Arsenal job in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has gradually transformed the north London club back into genuine Premier League title contenders.

This is even more impressive given this is the first managerial role he has ever held.

It has been a slow, up-and-down process to get to this point, though, with disappointments and near-misses along the way. However, the club stuck with him. Edu has even spoken out about why Arsenal never seriously considered sacking Arteta during the tougher times of his reign. 

Arsenal’s faith is now being rewarded, as Arteta’s young squad look ready to mount another title challenge this season. The Gunners currently sit one point behind league leaders and reigning champions Manchester City, having only suffered one Premier League defeat so far.

That being said, it has not been a perfect start to the campaign and there are certainly a few issues which Arteta must be held to account for.

Three things Mikel Arteta has got wrong this season

Too much reliance on Thomas Partey

Arsenal had the opportunity to cash in on Thomas Partey this summer. Now, it seems that they would have been wise to do so. Persistent injury issues have restricted the 30-year-old to just four Premier League appearances. The time has come for Arsenal to move on from Partey, as he can’t be relied upon to be fit and available when needed. However, Arsenal may now have missed the chance to fetch a decent fee for the £45 million former Atletico Madrid man.

Created confusion over goalkeeper situation

Arteta had every right to bring in David Raya if he felt the Spanish shot-stopper would improve his squad, no matter how popular Aaron Ramsdale is with the Arsenal fans. However, it was a mistake to muddy the waters over who the No. 1 is.

Since Raya made his debut against Everton in September, the Brentford loanee has played every minute, aside from EFL Cup matches. Arteta remained reluctant to call him the first choice, though, even suggesting that he would like to rotate his ‘keepers regularly, even within matches. This fuelled debate and unhelpful attention on the issue, which could have been avoided as it has been clear for some time now that Raya is the manager’s preferred option.

Leandro Trossard underused 

Leandro Trossard has shown in recent weeks that he can effectively deputise up front, picking up goals against Sevilla and Burnley. Eddie Nketiah has done a decent job of leading the line in Gabriel Jesus’ absence, but he is a more limited player than Trossard. The Belgian is able to link up more effectively with those around him, making the Gunners more cohesive as an attacking unit. Arteta ought to have given Trossard more opportunities as a striker.