Squad depth is the talk of the town for **Arsenal**right now. An away day at Athletic Club conveyed how the Gunners have gained an ability to mix and match options, and Mikel Arteta has said about his 'finishers' that "the quality of those minutes is going to dictate the quality of our season."
‘The finishers are going to be more important’
Arteta affirmed that it is not easy for him to leave players out of the lineup, but he has a job to do.
“It's the only thing I can do, it's my job, I have to make decisions, and I have to make decisions based on increasing the probability of winning football matches. They know it is the only reason why I'm going to make certain decisions, sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and they have to stay with that.”
The chance to play in the Champions League is a dream that he cannot always afford for each man.
“It's always very difficult to leave players out, I know how much they want to play this competition, and what it means to them. Every time you give the line-up, you are disappointing a lot of players.”
The coach can only have eleven players on the pitch at any moment, but it means that every member of the group has to be ready to help, and that attitude starts long before players prepare for kickoff.
“They know that if we want to maintain a certain standard, they are very responsible, not only during matches, but in training sessions, the atmosphere they create, how much they care for each other.”
Yet, he has made clear that being on the bench will have even more significance for the side this year.
“We discussed that the finishers are going to be more important, sometimes more than the starters.”
‘In his eyes, I could see that he was ready’
**Arsenal**have acquired a lot of depth this summer through eight signings in the transfer window. Cristhian Mosquera filled in for William Saliba in central defence, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze expanded the options on the wings, and two more men made their competitive debut in Bilbao.
“We can change the game there, especially with the intensity that we play, especially when the team starts to drop off, and I'm very pleased to see that. Piero Hincapie comes in and plays six minutes, the first six minutes he played, Christian Norgaard is the same. That’s the attitude I want from all of us.”
The activity in the window has meant that some of the starters will spend more time on the bench. Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard watched from the dugout for the first half hour, but the pair scored and assisted for each other to win the game for the Gunners at **San Mames**on Tuesday.
“I looked on the bench, I looked at him, and in his eyes I could see that he was ready, Leo as well. They play with a confidence, and that connection between them as well, and it's really good.”
It is for this reason that the Spaniard prefers to call these men 'finishers', not 'substitutes.' For the first time, Arteta has two players per position from back to front, and it will be a squad game this season.
“I don't like other words to describe the players. If the game is developing, they are going to be more important in many minutes. The quality of those minutes is going to dictate the quality of our season.”