Arsenal are back in action this afternoon, as the Gunners return to the Emirates to host bottom of the table Sheffield United in match day ten of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Last time out in the league, Mikel Arteta’s side were far from being at their best, scraping a late draw at Stamford Bridge as the squad showed resilience to claim a point from Chelsea after being 2-0 down.
The Blades arrive without a win this campaign, giving the hosts the opportunity to restore their confidence unless Paul Heckingbottom’s side can produce a stellar performance in north London.
Arsenal team news vs Sheffield United
Arsenal have had their fair share of injury woes so far in the season, with a host of first-team players having to miss out on games over the past few weeks due to niggles.
From Bukayo Saka’s absence against Manchester City to Gabriel Martinelli’s time on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, the Gunners have had to weather some injury storms, with the rain now returning to fall on two players.
In his pre-match press conference, Arteta confirmed that his squad will be without both Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey for the next few weeks, as they have been dealt their latest round of poor injury luck.
Partey has already missed 30 days of the 2023/24 campaign to injury, while Jesus has been absent for 24 days, with Arsenal left to find solutions for the duo’s further upcoming absences.
Away from a headache over rotation to accommodate the latest wave of injuries, Arteta may opt to rotate due to a lower level of performance from some of his players, as club captain Martin Odegaard struggles to discover the form he showcased last season.
The stats to show that Mikel Arteta should drop Martin Odegaard
During the press conference, Arteta was quizzed about whether Odegaard needs a rest, as his dip in form has become more noticeable in recent weeks.
The manager responded in support of the Norwegian, suggesting that placing him in “better positions” will help him to “explore his qualities” once again, however, his sluggish performances of late could allow for competition to stem to increase form.
One player who could benefit from being introduced against Sheffield is Emile Smith Rowe, who has collected only three league appearances this season as he continues to battle for game time.
In the midst of Arsenal’s progression, it’s easy to forget just how good the Englishman was back in the 2021/22 campaign, where he netted ten goals in the league and prevailed as one of Arteta’s favoured creators.
By fielding the 23-year-old whiz against the struggling Blades, the Spaniard could not only give Smith-Rowe a chance to flourish once more, but hand himself further room to rotate in his squad, which would ultimately benefit the club.
Odegaard’s drop in performance level is most notable since Arsenal welcomed Spurs to the Emirates in the north London derby, where the skipper received a Sofascore match rating of 6.7.
Prior to the battle of north London, Odegaard hadn’t received a match rating lower than 7.2, and since that fixture in late September, he has only recorded two match ratings exceeding 7.0 in seven games, with the rest falling below par, via Sofascore.
Martin Odegaard vs Sevilla
Statistic
Figure
Touches
30
Key passes
0
Shots on target
0
Dribbles
0
Possession lost
6
Dribbled past
1
Figures via Sofascore
Talk of dropping the 24-year-old skipper stems from his most recent performance, where against Sevilla he was absent, as highlighted by his statistics that night in the table above.
Once hailed as “prolific” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Arteta could strike gold by unleashing Smith Rowe against Sheffield United, with the Gunners’ £40k-per-week asset capable of fighting for his place back in the squad, which is why Odegaard should be boldly ditched for him.