by Arsenal failed to win the transfer window this time, so they will have to content themselves with a tilt in the Premier League. It is too early to talk about must-win tasks but most Emiratis agree that Liverpool’s visit on Sunday is a game the home team cannot afford to lose. Closing the eight-point gap to the leaders would be too much of a challenge, with Manchester City a more interested party between them.
If Mikel Arteta’s players produce the level of performance that repeatedly exposed Liverpool’s defense in at least half of their FA Cup third-round tie last month, they should be keen to be rewarded more this time around . That would reduce concerns, shared by their manager, that they would be straining between now and May. Arteta may have been laying it on thick when he claimed Arsenal had “one of the thinnest squads in the league”, but there are question marks over their ability to withstand injuries in certain key positions.
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Last season Arsenal were unable to find a response when William Saliba’s back injury ruled him out from mid-March. The quality below the Gulf was just too good, although it had a lot to do with the fact that Saliba had established himself so quickly as one of Europe’s leading supporters. Should a similar problem occur this spring it is so hard to see Arsenal having the personnel to compensate, although Declan Rice provides an extra defensive shield from midfield and was given half an hour of testing at the goal during the Champions League dead rubber at PSV Eindhoven. .
Similar concerns would be raised if Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard or Gabriel Jesus were to go down, although Jurriën Timber’s brutal injury on his Premier League debut means Oleksandr Zinchenko will have to find out how long his season lasts to play at left back. Thomas Partey’s latest comeback from injury was a miracle, so midfield depth remains suboptimal. Long-term failures in any of those areas would mean Arteta, who has shown little sign of rotating his star names, would have to rely on a less suitable replacement.
However, there is little point in crying problems that will never happen. Arsenal are feeling right about themselves after putting aside past misfortune to earn a win at the City Ground; last time out at the Emirates they brushed aside Crystal Palace in a low but clinical 5-0 win. In a happier market, and with more cash space on the table, Arteta would like to increase his attacking options in particular. Instead he will go with what he has.
“I love my players,” he said in the build-up to Sunday’s game; the bottom line is that a hard-working, well-drilled group deserves its enthusiasm, regardless of any flaws. After all, Emile Smith Rowe made a persuasive argument that the right answers are within when he impressed on Forest’s recall to the side. Two starts in a week might be unrealistic but if Smith Rowe, who is seemingly out of step, can match his old highs it will feel “less like a new signing”.
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Arsenal’s affinity could see them through against Liverpool, who miss the impact of Mohamed Salah but have shown signs of being able to put that problem aside. Jürgen Klopp’s options have been enhanced by the emergence of Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah, the former striker who has been impressively demolishing Chelsea, along with other youngsters such as Harvey Elliott and Bobby Clark. Under Arteta, Arsenal still have a path between the academy and the first team. Doing so in the future could add to the frustration of another dry January.
Sharp and secure at home, Arsenal may find the fate of their title quest on the road. The Emirates can be relied upon to generate an atmosphere and pace that pushes the issue; it’s now a venue for the big event, as Liverpool found out when they topped it last season and City found out in October.
“I know what we’re going to get on Sunday,” Arteta said. “I want our fans to play every ball with us and create a really lively, positive atmosphere. That way, we are going to make it really difficult for Liverpool. I’m sure that will be the case.”
But trips to the Etihad, Spurs and even Old Trafford in the last nine will provide serious tests; few champions earn that accolade without defeating one of the division’s most successful stalwarts and that will be the biggest challenge for Arteta’s streamlined group. Those are the occasions when injury, suspension and various regrets, should they occur, bite the hardest.
Arteta was asked if Liverpool’s success is a model for today’s Arsenal. “It’s not something we’ve tried to emulate,” he said. “We have to make our own way.” Sunday will provide the latest indication of how far Arteta’s methods can carry his squad.
