September 19th 2024.
Bad news for Arsenal fans as manager Mikel Arteta confirms that midfielder Martin Odegaard will be out for a while due to a significant injury. This is a major blow to the team's title aspirations, especially with a tough game against Manchester City coming up and the first two Champions League fixtures against Atalanta and PSG.
Despite Odegaard's absence, Arsenal put on a stellar performance in their recent win against Tottenham. Arteta, being the strategic coach that he is, surely has a plan to fill the void left by the influential Norwegian player. Let's take a look at three possible ways Arsenal could line up without Odegaard.
The first option is to stick with Leandro Trossard, who surprisingly filled Odegaard's attacking midfield role in the north London derby and excelled at it. This tactic allows Arsenal to maintain their usual 4-2-3-1 formation and easily transition into a 4-2-2 when defending, with Trossard partnering with Kai Havertz up front. The only downside to this approach is that Trossard won't be able to play on the left wing, putting more pressure on struggling players like Gabriel Martinelli and Raheem Sterling.
Another option is to give 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri a chance to shine. The young attacker has been making waves since becoming the youngest player in Premier League history and has a strong record in the Arsenal U18s. He showed glimpses of his potential in his brief appearance against Tottenham and has the support of his teammate Jorginho. While Arteta may not start him just yet, it's likely that Nwaneri will get more opportunities as a substitute.
The final option, and the least likely one, is to play Havertz in a deeper role and bring in Gabriel Jesus as the centre-forward. This would require Trossard to play on the left wing, with Martinelli or Sterling as the other option. However, Martinelli has been struggling for goals and it's uncertain if Havertz can regain his top form. Alternatively, Trossard could keep his place on the left flank while Jesus returns to the starting lineup. The Brazilian has had some issues with form and injuries, but still managed to score eight goals and provide eight assists last season. His record in the Champions League is also impressive, making him a viable option for Arteta.
Despite the setback of losing Odegaard to injury, there are still multiple ways for Arsenal to line up and compete at a high level. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see which approach Arteta will take and how his team will adapt without their influential midfielder. Keep an eye out for more Arsenal news, exclusives, and analysis. Sign up now to stay updated.
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