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Arsenal are lastly again in Premier League motion on Boxing Day, when they may face West Ham on the Emirates Stadium hoping to proceed their push for a primary league title since 2003.
Sitting on a five-point lead over Manchester Metropolis within the desk, it’s totally a lot a case of ‘up to now, so good’ for Mikel Arteta’s crew, though they’ll count on severe challenges to their place to mount over the course of the second half of the season.
With that in thoughts, it is crucial Arsenal hit the bottom working following their World Cup hiatus. Upcoming fixtures towards West Ham, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Newcastle United all look difficult on paper, whereas a north London derby away at Tottenham Hotspur is all the time fiery.
A conflict with Manchester United on the Emirates will shut out January. Listed below are 5 issues Arteta and Arsenal want to handle following the World Cup break to assist extend their robust first half to the season.
The silver lining to Gabriel Jesus’ knee damage, sustained throughout Brazil’s last World Cup group recreation towards Brazil, is that it now offers Eddie Nketiah a run of video games as beginning striker within the Premier League.
The dangerous information is that Mikel Arteta has no different pure striker within the squad and Jesus could possibly be out for at the very least three months.
Gabriel Martinelli is one participant who could possibly be moved right into a extra central function however it will be prudent for Arsenal to make a transfer for a substitute as quickly because the January switch market opens.
Former goal Dusan Vlahovic is not a sensible possibility for now, regardless of Juventus’ future trying more and more unsure, but when the objective really is to win the Premier League this season (and it needs to be), Arsenal cannot depend on simply Nketiah and Martinelli for the rest of the marketing campaign – with Europa League and FA Cup fixtures to return as nicely.
They want a high quality striker in as quickly as potential, fear concerning the steadiness of the squad in the summertime.
Arsenal are blessed with two excellent left-backs within the type of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney, with neither deserving to take a seat on the bench.
A minor muscle drawback dominated Zinchenko out of Arsenal’s friendlies through the World Cup break, that means Kieran Tierney has began in victories over each Lyon and AC Milan throughout their warm-weather coaching camp in Dubai.
Zinchenko needs to be again in competition for recreation time as soon as the Premier League returns on Boxing Day however his lack of match health might make Arteta’s determination for him.
Lengthy-term, nevertheless, he might want to know which of the 2 he prefers for large video games and for the time being, it truly is a toss-up.
Ben White returned residence from England’s World Cup camp on November 30, citing private causes. Ever since, the hearsay mill has been in full swing, notably regarding a possible falling out between White and Steve Holland, an essential determine amongst England’s teaching workers.
Regardless of the purpose, it’s crucial for Arsenal that this doesn’t distract from the in any other case nice season White is having at right-back.
In brief, England’s loss is Arsenal’s recreation and the participant needs to be raring to go (and with some extent to show) after failing to make an look on the World Cup.
Arteta has proven an unbelievable knack for motivating his gamers up to now in his managerial profession, it will be no shock if he makes use of this comparatively minor incident to spur White on to even larger heights.
No matter occurs, it will be important that the drama is quickly forgotten about – and the easiest way to do this is for White to let his soccer do the speaking
Fabio Vieira has made just one Premier League begin this season however has, in distinction, taken to the sector from the off in all six Europa League video games.
That lone begin was throughout a 3-0 win away at Brentford, a efficiency Vieira capped off with a beautiful strike from exterior the field. Within the Europa League, Vieira has impressed too and has an additional objective and help to his title in that competitors.
It is clear that Vieira has the standard to develop into a major contributor through the second half of the season and Arteta ought to be capable to give him extra begins within the Premier League as collected fatigue turns into an element.
Bukayo Saka, for example, will want some relaxation following his excellent World Cup appearances with England. Vieira is the right participant to step in and provides him a well-deserved breather.
At 23 years of age, it’s most likely time to just accept that Reiss Nelson is not adequate to interrupt into the Arsenal first crew – not least with Martinelli, Saka, Vieira and Emile Smith-Rowe all youthful and forward of him within the pecking order.
The issue for Arsenal is that until a contract extension is agreed upon quickly, they may lose him on a free switch come the top of the season.
Nelson, who has two objectives and an help to his title in two substitute appearances within the Premier League, could be a good backup to these different choices on the membership. To not point out assist the homegrown quota for European competitions.
He would even be an important signing for numerous groups additional down the league desk or overseas. Whether or not he would agree to remain on at his boyhood membership as nothing greater than a squad rotation possibility appears unlikely however it will be a disgrace for Arsenal to lose him for nothing.
Maybe the best-case state of affairs could be an extension and one other mortgage, though that path may proceed to stall Nelson’s profession. With Emile Smith-Rowe due again within the new 12 months, it seems his time on the Emirates could possibly be up for good.
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