How will Arsenal cope without Thomas Partey for the run-in?
How will Arsenal cope without Thomas Partey for the run-in?
As the race to finish in the top-four goes down to the wire, Thomas Partey’s potentially season-ending injury could have a big impact on Arsenal’s run-in.
Mikel Arteta’s men face a crucial few weeks if they are to qualify for next season’s Champions League with key matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, and West Ham coming up in the next few weeks followed by a potentially decisive North London derby against Tottenham.
Consecutive defeats to Crystal Palace and Brighton have dented the Gunners and the loss of midfielder Partey is a further blow to Arsenal’s hopes of qualifying for European football’s top table for the first time since 2017.
How Partey’s injury has upset the balance
Ghana international Partey went off with a thigh injury in the defeat at Palace and leaves Arsenal’s midfield light on options.
Arteta’s conundrum in the centre of the park is further complicated by the loss of Kieran Tierney to injury for the rest of the season, with Granit Xhaka preferred at left back against Brighton ahead of an out of form Nuno Tavares.
It leaves Mikel Arteta with slim pickings in the engine room, with Martin Ødegaard and Albert Sambi Lokonga unconvincing as a duo in the 2-1 loss to Brighton.
Yet Arteta must find the right balance if Arsenal are to have any chance of a top four finish. An out of kilter midfield will likely be ruthlessly punished by sides like Chelsea, United, and Spurs.
The Xhaka question
The most obvious adjustment the manager could make is to move Granit Xhaka back into central midfield.
Xhaka is not a natural left back and can hardly be pilloried for looking slightly uncomfortable out wide, but Brighton certainly targeted the Swiss international.
Putting Xhaka alongside Lokonga could be a solution to Arteta’s midfield issues, with 29-year-old Xhaka proving a good foil for the inexperienced Lokonga.
It would also allow Arteta to play Ødegaard, Arsenal’s most creative player further forward, or with more attacking license either alongside Xhaka or ahead of a Xhaka-Lokonga double pivot.
Moving Xhaka back into the midfield would mean finding a solution to Arsenal’s left back problems.
With Tierney is out for the season, either trust must be placed in Tavares or a more sustainable alternative found to solidify Arsenal’s left side.
Tavares has undoubtedly struggled in recent weeks, most notably against Palace where he was subbed at half-time after a torrid first 45.
However, Arteta may have little choice but to trust the 22-year-old in order to move Xhaka back into midfield and have a natural left-back on the pitch.
The start against Palace was Tavares’ first since December with minutes off the bench hard to come by between then, so there is perhaps no surprise he was off the pace and more regular minutes may see him look more comfortable.
There may be a case that Tavares simply has to play for want of other options, with no other natural option in the first-team.
Alternative plans
The only other option may come in the form of the returning Takehiro Tomiyasu.
The Japanese defender has been absent with injury since January but is now nearing a return to action, and it could be just in time for the Gunners.
The 23-year-old can play at both centre-back and full-back, and while he is certainly more comfortable on the right, it may be an option to play either Tomiyasu or Cedric Soares on the left to bolster both defence and midfield in one swoop.
The only other option for Arteta could be to look deeper into his squad, though options are distinctly limited.
Mohamed Elneny is available and was an unused substitute against Brighton, while the highly-rated Miguel Azeez was on the bench for the first time in the Premier League.
Yet neither option is likely to provide an immediate fix.
Elneny is unlikely to be at the level required, especially in games against Chelsea and Spurs, and the fact that he was not selected ahead of Lokonga or Ødegaard reflects his place in the pecking order.
Azeez is an exciting prospect but dropping a 19-year-old into a Premier League side at such a crucial time in the season feels fraught with risk for both the club and the player.
It would certainly be encouraging to see Azeez come off the bench between now and the end of the season, but it is unlikely that he would be the short-term solution.
Arteta must sort out his midfield in the wake of Partey’s injury and returning Xhaka to his natural position seems the most obvious way to do it.
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