The Premier League season is barely four weeks into its run, but Arsenal’s latest title bid is already facing a crucial test.
Arsenal visit bitter rivals Tottenham on Sunday without suspended Declan Rice, injured Mikel Merino and, most likely, captain Martin Odegaard, who injured his ankle while playing for his country on Monday.
It is the first test of a challenging eight-day period that also includes trips to Atalanta and Manchester City and could derail Arsenal’s season just as it is getting started.
First up, Tottenham. Arsenal arguably have the better team, even without their absent midfield trio. But the venom that accompanies this derby often changes the dynamic.
That was evident in the 3-2 win over their rivals in April. David Raya, whose imperious start to the season has seen him twice nominated for the stop of the month, made a mistake that Cristian Romero capitalised on to blow the game wide open.
Martin Odegaard could miss Arsenal’s derby against Tottenham due to injury
Odegaard injured his ankle while playing for Norway and will undergo further tests
A poor run in December ultimately cost Arsenal dearly last season as they were pipped by City (who they face a week later on Sunday) to take the title, with defeats to Aston Villa, West Ham and Fulham.
How the north London club approach the next three games with a growing injury list is crucial.
On Sunday, Arteta will have to be creative as he constructs a makeshift midfield.
He knew last week that he would be without Rice and Merino, due to suspension and a fractured shoulder respectively, but the news of Odegaard’s injury must have been a punch in the gut.
The captain was playing for Norway in their 2-1 Nations League win over Austria on Monday when he left the field in tears after twisting his ankle.
Norwegian doctor Ola Sand told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang on Wednesday that the midfielder will likely be out for at least three weeks.
Norwegian doctor Ola Sand fears he left the field in tears and could miss at least three weeks
The growing injury list means Mikel Arteta will have to get creative with his makeshift midfield.
Sports mail Odegaard is expected to undergo further tests this week to reveal the full extent of the damage, after an initial scan on his return from international duty proved unclear due to swelling around the joint.
The Gunners will hope it is not a lengthy absence, but it is clear he is a major doubt for the Spurs game.
Rice is a big loss, but he has an experienced back-up in Jorginho. Odegaard is not, and his work off the ball is as crucial as his incisive passing.
The captain often leads the opposing team’s pressing, particularly in the first 10 minutes of matches and in the later periods, setting the tone and making it difficult for defenders to play out from the back.
Highly-rated 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri has a similar profile, possessing creativity and dribbling ability in abundance, but Arteta is unlikely to start him in such a big game.
Nwaneri impressed on Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the United States but is yet to feature this campaign, and Arteta is not one to take risks with a young player. The youngster is expected to start against Bolton in the third round of the Carabao Cup in two weeks’ time.
Declan Rice will also be a big loss, but he has a like-for-like replacement in the form of Jorginho.
Kai Havertz could return to midfield to replace Odegaard in a 4-3-3 setup
Jorginho is set to take Rice’s place. Arteta trusts the Italian for big games, having started against City twice and Liverpool in the league last season.
He has yet to play this season but, with Merino out, remains the only conventional central midfielder alongside Thomas Partey, who is fit to start his fourth consecutive game.
Arteta has several options. Perhaps the most likely is to bring Kai Havertz back into midfield to replace Odegaard and maintain the 4-3-3 formation, which is the most common. Havertz played in this position in the pre-season games against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, and scored in both games.
However, Havertz has excelled as a striker in the first three games of the season, scoring against Brighton and Wolves. Moving him back into midfield would limit his play and even curb the team’s attacking momentum, but times are desperate. This would mean Gabriel Jesus or Leandro Trossard playing as a false nine.
Another strategy would be to deploy two No. 10s in a 4-2-2-2 formation, a tactic Arteta used in the 3-1 win over Liverpool last February. Jorginho and Rice played as two holding midfielders that day.
Against Spurs, Arsenal could field Trossard and Havertz ahead of Jorginho and Partey, with Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka occupying either flank of the attack.
New signing Raheem Sterling could form part of attacking trio behind a lone striker
Gabriel Jesus is available to be used as a false nine or as an out-and-out striker against Spurs.
Another possibility is to use a 4-2-3-1, with Havertz, Saka and new signing Raheem Sterling forming the attacking midfield, with Trossard or Jesus up front. This would be a way of bringing Sterling in, if Arteta wants to unleash him against Arsenal’s bitter rivals.
The final option is to bring in Oleksandr Zinchenko or Jurrien Timber alongside Partey and Jorginho as a midfield trio in a 4-3-3 formation. Zinchenko has played in midfield for Ukraine. At Arsenal, his defensive weaknesses are often balanced out by his ability to keep possession.
Timber has the composure needed and was forced to cover spaces further up the pitch against Brighton after Rice was sent off. He played well on that occasion and is capable of taking on that role.
There are plenty of options Arteta can choose from. If Arsenal are to emerge unscathed from this ominous eight-day period, it is essential that the Spaniard chooses the right option.