It’s Europa League action tonight as we take on Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt in the Emirates.
It is conceivable that Mikel Arteta could rotate nearly his entire starting eleven tonight, with Liverpool on Sunday some would even say preferable. A possible starting eleven:
Turner, Cedric, Holding, Tomiyasu, Tierney, Sambi, ????, Vieira, Marquinhos, Nelson, Nketiah.
The ???? they are there because we have no other obvious candidate for that position in midfield. Granit Xhaka played against FC Zurich, he could do it again, but he has become so important, not to mention the fact that he played two games during Interlull and at 30 we have to start thinking about how many minutes he plays.
We may be able to turn to the Academy. FA Cup winner Matt Smith has made close to 100 first-team appearances during his loan spells with Doncaster, Charlton and Swindon but has yet to make his Arsenal debut. Beyond that, I don’t know. You could start with Thomas Partey and give him an hour with Sambi in the ‘8’ role he played over the summer, but it feels like too big a risk given his fitness and the fact that Liverpool are next.
I don’t think the manager takes the opposition lightly, so we may even see one or two more veteran players tonight. They beat Roma 6-1 in the group stage last season, perhaps an aberration, but they also beat Mourinho’s side in the quarter-finals, winning the first game 2-1 but losing the tie on aggregate after a convincing victory for Roma. in the second leg. Arteta says that Martin Odegaard has given him the Norwegian vision and said that it will be “difficult”, and he himself says:
There are some really good players and he’s also a really good manager, and they have a clear identity with the way they play. You can immediately see what they are trying to do and again I have been impressed.
It’s also a challenge for the depth of this Arsenal team, especially this month as we have a weekday/weekend schedule:
It’s a test for the team in terms of numbers and the quality you have when you make changes and how much you notice it. At the same time, it’s about how you can consistently play at the highest level and demand that of yourself and be successful in doing so.
A lot has been invested in making the ‘first’ team as successful as it has been this season. Work on training camp, tactical instruction and everything in between, so it will be interesting to see how this group does tonight. Each game is different and has its own context, but Arteta will look to them to implement those things as well. How successfully they can do it remains to be seen, and for some it is an opportunity.
Eddie Nketiah talked about how it’s not ‘Eddie v Jesus’ (although I wouldn’t be surprised if that became the last thing in the Marvel Universe at some point), but the striker will be itching to make his mark after having played a supporting role in the Premier. league so far. However, he has a goal and an assist to his name in the Europa League, as does Marquinhos, and I am very interested to see if he can do it again after an excellent performance against FC Zurich.
The return of Reiss Nelson is also timely as he allows Gabriel Martinelli to rest. He is still only 22 years old, but there is no doubt that his career has stalled in recent seasons due to injury and perhaps poor decision-making on his part. Arteta spoke about him before the match and said:
“I think the potential is there, we always hold on because we see something in Reiss that is special. He has been part of our academic system and now he will have an opportunity. He has been out for almost three months due to injury, now he is back, fully fit and ready to play. He now he just needs minutes.
“That’s what he has to do, he has to show it on the pitch. His attitude, the way he has matured and evolved in the last year has been really impressive, I think everyone [around the club] he’s been talking about it. Now she has to do it on the field.”
It’s worth remembering that of that group breaking through, including Eddie, Joe Willock and Emile Smith Rowe, he was as well qualified as any of them. A tricky winger always catches the eye, but for various reasons hasn’t made the same progress. I’d still be surprised if he had a long-term future here, but you can never say never in football. Nketiah is a good example: it was suggested that he leave, but he took the opportunity of him well last season and signed a new contract, so who knows? A solid display tonight would be good for him, but also good for us as we head into this October schedule.
So lots of little sidebars of interest as we hunt for three points at home, and we get a chance to assess the overall depth of the team. As always, we’ll have live blog coverage for you, plus all things post-game on Arseblog News, so join us later for that.
For now, have fun.
