Mikel Arteta has an excellent Arsenal squad, one with whom he can undoubtedly win the league. Given how the Premier League title battle finished last season, one may argue that Arsenal were just unlucky not to lift the league. They lost by two points on the last day, but they could have won it.
In fact, there was nothing remarkable about City that distinguished them as league winners; they were simply fortunate to win the league.
We eagerly anticipate what the Gunners may accomplish this new season. Even so, as excellent as their team is, one thing has Gooners worried: how to deal with their key players sustaining injuries.
So what happens if Martin Odegaard or Bukayo Saka is unavailable? Jamie Redknapp reckoned yesterday that Arsenal can’t win the title without Saka, but I have to disagree. A team is not made up of just one player.
So to answer that question, I must ask; What happens when Kevin De Bruyne (or even Erling Haaland) is unavailable for City? A powerful team, like Arsenal, necessitates a robust squad. However, what we Gooners have overlooked is that exceptional players, like Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, often lack comparable quality replacements.
So without such players, teams do what they always do: dominate games and produce through persistent pressure, playing over man-to-man pressures, and pushing, which helps deal with the absence of quality players. Thus, if no suitable Saka backup is found by the end of the week, it shouldn’t matter.
Arsenal, with a stellar system and tactical play, should still be able to win without their starboy.
Darren N
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Arsenal will win games but on the long run they will break down because Saka is integral to the way we play arsenal struggle against lowly Everton on the final game of the season it was shocking and funnily we still haven’t fill that position with a back up no body is saying sign someone to complete with him because it close to impossible because one it will be expensive, two who ever arsenal sign know they play less ,so what I ask arsenal for is a Sanchez to back up our Messi that all
Arsenal for the EPL this year believe
Jesus can play instead of Saka…..maybe rhats why Arteta kept him and also to give Havertz a rest
Well, Arsenal “can” win, the question is “will” they win if he’s out? I suggest they probably won’t win as many without him.
These potential problems (both with options in the event of a possible Saka injury and doubts about available strikers now) are not new. Anyone who took the time in this window since it opened in mid-June could have foreseen these issues yet with the window closing on 30 August, here we are still.
Just look at KDB’s long injury absence from City last season. I knew or at least had a strong feeling (as I expressed in JA) that if they dropped enough points during that time that it could give us the opportunity that was needed. However, they held together well enough and eventually went on the deciding run of form after his return. This is a team sport and individual injuries obviously can have an effect, but how much of one depends on the modified play that ensues.
No, because Nwaneri isn’t as pacey as Saka when playing inverted RW
Nelson, Trossard and Martinelli can’t cut inside from the right wing as good as Saka does, because their weaker foot isn’t adept enough to do so
I wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal sign a young inverted RW before the transfer window closes, unless they want to wait until Marquinhos returns in December
@Gai the little I watched in pre-season about Nwaneri, he would be perfectly suited to deputise for Odegard, he can be creative with his left leg he also have swift tricky movements. Nelson has good pace and still the best we have imo to deputise for Saka.
But sincerely, if we remove Bukayo Saka’s goals and contribution from Arsenal past two seasons, if we manage to be in Top4 , we can’t won’t win the league. It’s a NO
At the moment, with what we have in the aquad I don’t want to imagine any of BSaka, Odegard, Saliba & Rice to have a lengthy injury concern it would be a curse to our ambition.
Nelson can replace Saka in the second half of the games to surprise the opposition as a conventional RW, but he won’t be able to invert and shoot with his left foot from the right wing as Saka always does
Thats what the manager is there for. He has his squad and if anyone is missing in the “team” its his job to sort it. It is a team game and you should not miss one player. Especially with the squad we have.
One way of looking at it is considering Saka’s 25 goal contributions last season in the Pl (16/9). Do we have someone to replace that if we don’t have Saka? I don’t think so. Of course over 1 or 2 games, we could manage but over an extended period of time, we have no replacement to absorb that tally.
IMO we are light as it is on the other side of the pitch where we don’t get a lot of goals from Martineli who is the preferred starter, for the moment, and if we look at Trossard who scored an amazing 12 goals and 1 assist in the PL last season, can we expect him to do much more? And can he be a regular starter? He is the best sub we have and more than capable to start a decent number of games, but I am not convinced he has the legs, stamina and speed to start every game. And then we have Haverts who has been good in the second half of last season, but still gives a fragile impression where you think he could go missing any time.
Great players are great for a reason, and that is why they are missed when not available for an extended period of time. If they are not missed, can we really say they are great players?
Saka had hand in all 4 goals scored by Arsenal so far in 2024/2025 season. We simply don’t create enough from the left
Implication: Arsenal will CERTAINLY not be winning the league this if he gets injured and unavailable for a considerable amount of time. Same with MO8
Without his G/A. We may finish outside top 3 last season
Once those two gets any sort of injuries we are done…Martin missed the game at newcastle we struggled to create..saka missed game at emirates against everton we struggled
Let’s try winning one with him first lol
The main reason we are having this discussion is because NELSON, Trossard and Martinelli are not left footed, but mostly NELSON, because of the way we play, our system requires inverted wingers and Nelson with his qualities would have solved that problem if left footed as it would be very difficult to keep a player of Saka’s quality as backup to Saka. The other reason is because the risk we took with Marqhuihos failed, he never developed to become a PL quality player like Martinelli did. You win some you loose some.
I do not think that Marquinhos has had enough game time for you to say that he “never developed to become a PL quality player like Martinelli did”
I have high hopes and I do believe that Marquinhos is the perfect Saka understudy. They have similar body movements
hahaha.. Marquinhos will never be like Saka. don’t get fooled. we have seen the lad
Can’t believe the wishful thinking. Without Odegaard or Saka, it’s top four. What were you guys watching against Villa? Everything went right which would be impossible week in week out. And expecting the Injury ridden Jesus and bladder Kai to step up is just too optimistic.
Plodder Kai. To overcome an injury to Saka we would need a top level 20 goal striker and an old fashioned attacking wing back who could overlap, cross and torment opposition defenders.
Kai has the most open play goals and assists in 2024 and has created the most out of any striker in 2024. But yes Plodder Kai. Yes lets also change our inverted full back because Joe prefers 1990’s football. What else pal you want hard working Tierney as captain
Which also explains why we are so predictable on the flanks. I:d give anything for a Monreal or Ashley Cole or Real Madrid’s two full backs, and yes a fully fit Tierney surrounded by players of the calibre of Saliba, Rice and Odegaard would give us that extra spark.
I hate this narrative.. It’s very uncharistic of a champion not to have two good quality players in all positions. I am confident that Arsenal will suffer this season if they don’t sign proper No 9 and ringht winger.