Is Arsenal’s mini midfield crisis a chance for Nwaneri to potentially get some minutes against Spurs?
Arsenal and Europe’s big clubs are heading into the first international break of the new season (I don’t know why on God’s green earth it comes this early every year), this will give key players some time to shift their focus off the demands of a grueling premier league campaign even when it’s just started.
It will also give some players the chance to represent and do well for their nations. Arsenal however will be hoping that a midfield player we just signed in Mikel Merino will be able to make a miraculous return against Spurs, but that is highly unlikely however given the severity of his shoulder injury. The injury was revealed before the game against Brighton and it meant that we would be a man light in the midfield for a few weeks at least, but most gooners would agree that it didn’t pose a serious concern.
However Declan Rice’s red card at the weekend has turned the situation to a mini midfield crisis and has left us stretched in the middle of the park ahead of a visit to spurs after the break.
A trip away to Tottenham is never easy and would require having your best players on the field to be able to get a result, therefore not having a player of Rice’s impact on the field would represent a big blow. However there are adjustments that Arteta can make that might make up for the loss in midfield, firstly we might see Kai Havertz being reinstated in the left 8 as we saw in the early stages of last season, with either one of Trossard, Jesus (if he’s fit) or even Raheem Sterling being utilized in the false nine position or secondly we might see the return of a double pivot, with the use of Jorginho and Partey in behind Odegaard. The latter I think will be the one Mikel will opt for given Havertz’s inconsistencies in the middle of the park.
The third option that I think Arteta might go for against Tottenham would be Nwaneri, hear me out I know he’s super young and very inexperienced to be thrown into a North London derby, but I believe if you’re good enough (which I think we all know he is) then you’re old enough to play. When you are given the chance play for this badge you should be fearless and have that hunger in your belly to prove just how good you are besides I think it’s a matter of time we start giving our youngsters more chances in the starting lineup to show to others coming up that there is a pathway into the team, when you’re good enough and work hard.
My final opinion is that perhaps the Tottenham game is too big of an occasion to overwhelm the kid but even if it’s minutes off the bench, Arteta should give him!
Would it be a good idea to give Nwaneri minutes against Spurs?
KENNETH BENJAMIN.
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