Arsenal finally return to the Emirates on Saturday for their first match on home turf in over a month as they host Leeds with the Premier League kicking back on following the first international break of the season.
Thankfully, the Gunners’ loss at Brighton before the break was majorly overshadowed by the guilty verdict handed down to Manchester City for their numerous counts of financial impropriety. While the spotlight has shifted in a major way, the fact remains that Mikel Arteta’s side will look
to bounce back from their worst loss in years to get their title defense back on track.
The break was unkind to the Gunners, but the show goes on. Let’s check out who is fit, who is out, and how the Gunners might line up on Saturday.
Injuries & Suspensions
The first international break saw a slew of Gunners head off to join up with their national teams, with a few returning worse for the wear.
Kai Havertz faces a potentially lengthy lay off after he was on the receiving end of an awkward challenge against the Netherlands that forced him off in noticeable discomfort. After needing scans, it looks like there may be yet another lengthy setback for the attacker.
The attack took another blow when Christos Tzolis came off after 10 minutes in Greece’s second match with a hamstring injury. The hope is that this malady only keeps him out for two to three weeks, so, fingers crossed.
Ezri Konsa suffered an injury to his thigh in England’s match against Croatia that saw him leave the England camp early, though it appeared to be largely precautionary.
Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, and Declan Rice were all left back in London to recover from their issues, with each back in training and potentially available for selection on Saturday. William Saliba remains out until late November/early December.
OUT: William Saliba (back), Kai Havertz (thigh), Christos Tzolis (hamstring)
DOUBT: Ezri Konsa (muscular), Ben White (groin), Cristhian Mosquera (hamstring), Declan Rice (thigh)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Eze, Gyökeres, Saka
LW: Eberechi Eze
With Christos Tzolis out for the near future, there’s really only one fit and available option for the left wing. Enter: Eberechi Eze.
The attacker has had a quiet season so far. He’s made four appearances in the league, all as subs, and has failed to make an impact on the scoreline with only one shot to his name so far. He is a confidence player, so an extended run of matches may do him some good and get him back to his best.
Noni Madueke is an option, but doesn’t really excel on the left. I think this is Eze’s chance to make a case for more match time.
ST: Viktor Gyökeres
Like Eze, the path to a starting spot for the Swede comes courtesy of yet another untimely injury to Kai Havertz (are they ever really timely?)
Gyökeres has been a square peg in the round hole of Arteta’s offense and has gotten off to a poor start this season as he has failed to find the net in his (albeit limited) match time. His ball striking is second to none in the side, but the tactics just don’t seem to suit his skill set. He’s clearly still got loads of talent, as evidenced by his 4 goals over the break for Sweden.
There’s a small part of me that thinks Mikel Merino could start up top after a phenomenal international break, but starting him over Vik would all but tank any momentum that Vik has built up.
RW: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s right wing star has been enjoying the start to the season so far. Despite a few frustrating misses, he remains the most dangerous player on the pitch, having amassed the fourth most xG in the league (3.21) while leading the side in goals (3) and shots (15). He tacked on 2 goals over the break to keep his form up and returns to London ready to pick up where he left off.
There are the inevitable concerns over his workload. He hasn’t really had a break since the World Cup, and he hasn’t looked 100% in some of the appearances so far. Hopefully the Gunners can start putting matches to bed earlier so he can get rest and Noni can get more minutes.
Midfield: Rice, MLS, Ødegaard
CM: Declan Rice
Arsenal’s do-it-all midfielder was left out of England’s Nation’s League side as a precaution during the break. Seeing as how he has played all but one match this season after racking up more minutes than any other Arsenal player in the midfield last season, it just made sense.
Whether three weeks off was enough time for him to recover appreciably will be the question. So far, Mikel Arteta has been pretty good about subbing him off when he can. Like Saka, the best way to ensure that is for the Gunners to take hold of matches earlier and put teams to the sword.
He slots back in.
CDM: Myles Lewis-Skelly
Of the criticisms laid on Arteta following the Brighton loss, one of the most valid ones was his decision to start Bruno over Myles. Even I thought it would be a prudent move to start the more veteran PL player over the Hale End grad against the league’s top pressing side, but that was proven to be a bad choice pretty quickly.
Myles has become the best player under pressure in the side. No one else has the combination of strength, deftness, and confidence that he possesses in tight spots, and he showed that on the international stage during the break after getting called up to England. The Gunners transition game is far quicker when he is on the pitch, and if he can continue to improve his passing, his already-high ceiling will continue to climb.
CAM: Martin Ødegaard
The Captain has been the comeback player of the season so far, having shown incredible levels following the World Cup following several seasons of injury woes. It looked as though the football gods were prepared to dash our collective hopes when he was hacked down by former City player and perpetual rat Bernardo Silva, but he thankfully recovered without any noticeable issues, providing 4 assists over the break.
Defense: Calafiori, Gabriel, Konsa, Timber
LB: Riccardo Calafiori
Calafiori joined up with Italy over the break and notched his first goal at the international level with a header from a set piece. Arsenal’s unicorn is having a solid season and has been really benefitting from consis
LCB: Gabriel Magalhães
Brazil’s travels during the international break were simply bonkers. With two matches in Australia and one in India, the Gunners’ Brazilian contingent will have racked up a ton of frequent flyer miles, but probably some jet lag as well. Still, if there’s one player whose spot is cemented in the backline, it’s Gabi. He only played half of the available minutes during the break, so barring any jet lag issues, he should be good to go.
RCB: Ezri Konsa
The latest addition to the defense faces a late fitness test after heading back to London early after he suffered a minor injury against Spain. He reportedly entered the break with some “discomfort,” though that isn’t really all that telling. Still, the hope is that he will be fit for Saturday. If not, Cristhian Mosquera is the likely starter as he has returned to training after missing the last three matches.
RB: Jurrien Timber
Timber being back is huge. When he is fit, he is a defensive powerhouse that shores up the right side of the pitch. The biggest question since his return to the first team has been his fitness. He was used sparingly during the break, which is probably for the best, fitness wise. The added match time has ideally gotten him back up to speed without being overworked. Ben White has reportedly returned to training, but after his latest set back, odds are that he won’t be risked just yet.
Keeper: David Raya
David Raya finally got a little run out for Spain, whose unbeaten run continued during the break. It wasn’t his best outing, but even the greats have average days.
