Arsenal are presently at the top of the Premier League, but having also been at the top of the log at this time last year and failing to win the title, the Gunners must understand that a successful title charge will require a lot of hard work.
In a similar vein, a bold declaration about Arsenal’s 2023–24 title challenge has been made. According to ex-Liverpool player Danny Murphy, Mikel Arteta cannot win the Premier League without two players: Declan Rice and William Saliba.
“This game [Liverpool vs. Arsenal] showed me just how important Rice – and also William Saliba – are for Mikel Arteta,” Murphy told The Daily Mail.
“They are the two players [Rice and Saliba] he cannot do without if they are going to win the Premier League. With those two players in the side, they can get a result anywhere.”
He added, “It also made me realise how much Liverpool need a player like him. If Rice wore a Liverpool shirt, I think they will win the title. He is that good.”
Mikel Arteta has managed to make the best of what he has in order for his squad to be as spectacular as they are in the Premier League standings. The battle now is for his team to stay on top in 2024 and eventually win the league, and Arsenal’s biggest danger is that Saliba or Rice get injured, or even both of them. We all know what happened last season when we lost the Frenchman….
With the January transfer window approaching, Arsenal may sign great players to help them survive whatever is thrown at them. A central midfielder signing has been widely discussed. If it goes through, it will be ideal insurance for Declan Rice.
It is unlikely that a central defender will be signed, but if Takehiro Tomiyasu (and Jurrien Timber) regain their fitness, Arteta may have options for his defence.
I may be worried unnecessarily as both Rice and Saliba seem supremely fit so far, but that could change in the blink of an eye..
Fingers crossed!
Darren N
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Very true. However, the character of the team has become stronger. Evidenced by that never die attitude. We are much harder to beat this season.
Drawing from their experiences from the final lap of the title race, I believe if we are able to open up a 5-7 pts gap with 8-10matches to go, even with either of Rice or Saliba injured. The boys will be able to hold out and win the title.
Best case scenario will be for us to get good back ups for those 2 guys. But how feasible is that in the January transfer market
We can do with Rice injury if partey was available, but no replacement for Saliba unfortunately and we would be affected im a great way! Holding last season was a big problem. It wasnt about his individual mistakes but the way he stays deep breaking our offside trap and also clearing every ball he gets to a corner or throw in instead of starting a counter or progressing play.
Rashid, Holding no longer plays for Arsenal.
This is a silly question. Ask the same question of any team? Why do you select only Arsenal? Can Man City win the title without their two best players? Why are you always fond of predicting doom for Arsenal? Arsenal has been without Jurrien Timber, Tomiyasu and Partey for long spells and nobody wants to talk about this. All they know is to predict doom for Arsenal. What is the motive for this? Anyway, if Arsenal is to win the title, it will whether the detractors like it or not!
Great comment, David. Last season there was the same article, except it was in March. Get Rodri and Walker out of City team, get VVD and Salah out of Liverpool and they will be out of title race within 3 games. We already saw what is happening without Rodri.
Exactly. Why wish or worry about such scenarios unless they occur.
I don’t mean to knock off anyone but I’m sure that’s the work of the manager to deal with such scenarios when they occur.
Surely the job of ANY serious minded manager is to anticipate in advance the almost certain likelihood of key player injuries and therefore to ensure REAL QUALITY AND DEPTH OF QUALITY.
Only City, of all the rivals for title, have PROPER DEPTH. Neither ourselves nor Liverpool have serious depth of REAL QUALITY. Reality!
DAVID, I wish to give an entirely honest and non self biased answer to your possibly rhetorical question.
So YES, I DO THINK City can and probably will( and the bookies much agree) stil win the title, even without KdB so far. AND without both Stones for much of the time so far and Rodri too for several key games.
Neither we nor Liverpool could achieve the same without OUR key players , so THAT IS a key difference between the three main rivals.
Reality and total honesty. I dont do personal bias in my posts.
Your final line is of course profoundly true but applies to ANY club, (at least theoretically) and is merely a statement of the obvious.
@ Jon
Do you seriously think Man city will compete for the title without kdb and Rodri because facts claim otherwise. Note, Rodri have not been out injured but suspended for some matches and we all see the results on such occasions… Now imagine Rodri and kdb being out injured at the same time for some period… Even guardiola admit that his team is not the same without Rodri is not like they didn’t have depth to cover for the injury ( Kovacic, Nunez, Phillips all decent players) but the quality dropped is the issue.
Now if we loose rice but partey is available we’re good, if we loose saliba but timber is fit we can manage but loosing all these players at a time no team or coach can prepare for that they can only pray it doesn’t happen… That we’re topping the table without partey shows our depth is improving.
I wanted to say the same thing. These people are always trying to create negative thoughts and vebes around Arsenal. If there’s nothing going wrong for us, they create one. Is it only Arsenal who can suffer if our players get injured, or why tf did he come up with such stupid question?
The British media is just like the referees governing body,, who always try by all means to disrupt the rhythm and dumpen the spirit of our players with controversial decisions.
I share the comments posted above.
There is no doubt though, that Rice and Saliba would be a huge loss. So would Odegaard and Gabriel. We have reached Christmas on top and that is without key players. There is still a long way to go
Barcelona are having contract issues with Lewandowski, we should try and get a loan deal in January
the drop in quality with Saliba injury last season was decisive in ending our title challenge
unfortunately the early season ending injury to Timber scuppered Arteta’s plan to address that, so Arsenal remain exposed again this season
Rice has been sensational, as reliable as Jorginho is and loyal Elneny is the drop of in quality is huge should Rice get injured – Partey no longer viable due to injury and inconsistency to sustain a title charge
in what is likely to be a 3 or 4 horse title race then Arsenal need to be near perfect to finish top – so in answer to your question “injury to Rice and Saliba is bound to result in dropped points and thus effectively ends our title hopes”
so in answer
As long been the case , ONE single longish term injury to any of SALIBA, RICE, GABRIEL, SAKA AND ODEGAARD would end our title chances.
Simply the unpleasant truth, when compared to Citys far deeper squad. THEY have been withouit KdB all season and also without Stones mostly but are still in real contention.
Truth says to my logical thinking mind that UNLESS we have extra than normal luck with KEY players injuries, we cannot possibly win the title.
Perhaps, just perhaps, we MIGHT have that luck. We will certainly NEED IT!!
But Jon, remember Takehiro has been on and off, Partly is almost a forgotten man and Timber is expected to be out for almost the entire season. Yet, our team has continued to perform well. Imagine Man city without Rodri and Haaland. Would it be the same tea
Yes David. I agreem but had already allowed for those players you list who are effctively out for all or most of the season So I referred only to those who right now stay fit and have been available all seson.
So those you list , though all top class , are beside the point as they are not fit, so did not feature in my post which was ONLY those who right now are still available.
No Gooner, myself included can possibly FORGET those three key players are out. But not forgetting it does not alter the FACT of their constnt unavailability.
And being a realist, constantly injured players, which all three are, are not worth keeping , for the reasons they take up a squad place, need paying wages and for what ? Sitting on the treatment table?.
Not for REALISTS such as I am David!
Conversely David, City has FAR greater all round depth of quality squad and can cover adequately for the absences they TOO have had and will still have.
As a realist, I only compare like with like, as to compare like with unlike( us and City, in depth of quality) gives a false conclusion. THAT is my whole point!
Jon, can you please tell me who can cover for Rodri or Walker in City squad. The article saying Rice and Saliba and I am saying two similar people in City squad. These cannot be replaced in their squad. We all saw City without Rodri in three games in a row – three loses. Kovacic, Nunez, Philips are similar to Smith Rowe, Jorginho, Vieira but don’t forget Partey. He is out that much because of the surgery and once he is back in January Arsenal have more depth in midfield department. City has far more depth in defence and attacking position than Arsenal but not in midfield.
But Jon, remember Takehiro has been on and off, Partly is almost a forgotten man and Timber is expected to be out for almost the entire season. Yet, our team has continued to perform well. Imagine Man city without Rodri and Haaland. Would it be the same team.4
Okay, after all this intelligence, what do you want comments for?
He should have been asked So are you saying Liv won’t win this season’s title as they don’t have a player of Rice’s ilk in that department?
For me, potentially one player, Mr Declan Rice. He is at a level above everyone in the team. He can not be replaced.
The two players you mentioned are great individuals but they’re still many other players in the squad that their absence will be greatly felt because we don’t have replacements that will be of their standards, the likes of Saka, Odegard, Gabriel. For me limiting it to those two is like underestimating the contributions of many others. All we need and hope for is for all our first team players to be able to stay fit for a greater part of the season