Mikel Arteta set his regulars after £174m deal, and Gabriel Jesus’s return from injury
Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal to the top of the Premier League standings through the first 20 games of the season by relying on a core group of players. He may continue to do this for the rest of the season.
Halfway through the Premier League season, it’s clear which Arsenal players Mikel Arteta will need to help his team win and take the title when they are healthy enough to play.
Many Arsenal fans were curious to see which of the five new players would be able to join the Spaniard’s core group of players who would not be dropped at any point during the current season. The club spent a total of £120 million on Marquinhos, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner, Gabriel Jesus, and Oleksandr Zinchenko during the previous summer’s transfer window.
After spending an extra £54 million in January to sign Leandro Trossard from Brighton & Hove Albion, Jakub Kiwior from Spezia, and Jorginho from Chelsea, bringing the total amount spent on players this season to £174 million, the previous topic may be brought up again.
In reality, it was never going to be easy for all eight recruits to join and have an effect right away. This is especially true when you look at Arteta’s moves during the preseason, which showed that he knew at least six players who would start every week for him when they were healthy and available. Also, it wasn’t going to be easy for all eight new players to come in and make an immediate difference.
Gabriel Jesus was one of the players who quickly proved that he would always be in the starting lineup, no matter how the team was set up. After about a month of the season, the same was true for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard, who had just been named captain, and Bukayo Saka.
Gabriel Magalhaes has started every Premier League game so far this season, even though Kiwior is now his direct competitor. This shows that he has kept his job. Arteta likes a left-footed player on the left side of the defence to make the centre defence more even.
Read More
- Erling Haaland could leave Mancity for PSG in the summer because of sanctions
- PSG wants to sign Chelsea striker Kai Havertz as a replacement for Lionel Messi
- £55k weekly Chelsea star could leave Stamford Bridge next summer due to contract issues
Granit Xhaka and William Saliba have started every league game so far, so it makes sense to think that they are also part of this core group. In the league, Zinchenko is usually picked over Kieran Tierney when he is healthy. This means that the left-back position, which used to be a big question among fans, is almost set. Supporters already have different ideas about this issue.
The other three spots might not be set in stone yet, which makes things a little more interesting. This season, Ben White has been a revelation at right back, but his poor performances against Manchester United and Everton have led to calls for him to be given a break. Takehiro Tomiyasu has also been asked to be given a chance.
Gabriel Martinelli has a good case for owning the left flank position. He has scored seven goals in 20 Premier League games, but the signing of Trossard and Emile Smith Rowe’s return from injury could make the Brazil international think twice.
Eddie Nketiah was able to get into Arteta’s starting lineup when Jesus had knee surgery to fix a medial ligament injury he got when Brazil lost to Cameroon 1-0 in the World Cup. The Hale End graduate kept his promise by scoring important goals against West Ham, Brighton, and Manchester United. Jesus was hurt during a World Cup game between Brazil and Cameroon, in which Brazil lost 1-0.
