Has the international break come at the worst possible time for Arsenal?

Arsenal

Has the international break come at the worst possible time for Arsenal?

By Jonny Bray 

International breaks have come under more scrutiny this season than ever before.

The quality of the Premier League this campaign, combined with the one-sidedness of England’s World Cup qualifying group, has seen an increased desire for change.

Not only do fans prefer watching the Premier League but having three or four breaks inside the first two months of the season can be incredibly disruptive for teams and individual players.

Clubs such as Liverpool have seen numerous first-choice players be unavailable for two or three games in a season and when you combine this with the African Cup of Nations in January, some sides are without as many as six or seven players while other clubs go unaffected.

MA

This can disrupt form - just as Arsenal are about to put together a good run, they could lose some key players during the next international break, and suddenly they're in trouble again.

So, has the international break come at the worst possible time for the Gunners?  

Arsenal’s good form is being disrupted

The worst thing about the international break next week is that it disrupts a good run of form from Mikel Arteta’s side.

They haven’t lost since the 5-0 drubbing by Manchester City and are beginning to look like an imposing unit this season.

The last thing Arteta or any of his players will want is to be taken out of the environment that has produced such a positive turnaround.

To make matters worse, the first game back after the international break is Liverpool away, the last game you'd want to have coming off the back of a block of international fixtures.

With so many players involved with their countries' World Cup qualification campaigns, it’s impossible to know what either side’s injury list will look like come November 20

Liverpool could end up in an even worse position 

One positive for Arsenal is that few sides get hurt by international breaks as badly as Liverpool.

Having suffered such an injury crisis last season, the last thing Jurgen Klopp will want is to see several of his top stars playing halfway around the world.

ESR

Roberto Firmino has avoided going to Brazil and Argentina for two international matches due to a hamstring injury, but first-choice defensive midfielder Fabinho will travel.

Several other key Liverpool players are involved in games worldwide, such as Alisson, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and more.

With so many players involved, they are far more likely to lose a few members of their starting 11 ahead of the game later in November.

Conclusion

Arsenal really could have done without this international break.

Liverpool have produced some fantastic results this season but haven’t looked entirely unbeatable in every game they’ve played.

I would have backed the Gunners in that match with their excellent form and a good week of preparation ahead of the game.

Unfortunately, the international break means it is much more of a toss-up, and the last result after an international break isn’t very encouraging.

That was a 2-2 draw at home against Crystal Palace.

PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES


Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more