Mikel Arteta has begged the Premier League to consider a rule change ahead of next season, despite Arsenal sitting comfortably at the top of the table heading into February. The Gunners boss has guided his side into pole position for a first league title in 22 years, but has once again raised concerns about squad sizes ahead of their trip to Leeds United this weekend.
For the first time in what feels like a long while, the Spaniard has a near fully fit squad to choose from, with previous injury crises easing to give him a clean bill of health. Sixteen-year-old Max Dowman is currently Arsenal’s only injury concern, after both Kai Havertz and Christian Norgaard recently returned to action, with the former scoring and assisting in their 3-2 Champions League win over Kairat Almaty on Wednesday night.
With such strong depth, Arteta has a welcome selection headache over the coming weeks. There are still question marks over who starts at centre-forward, with Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus the natural choices, while Havertz and last season’s midfielder-turned-striker Mikel Merino have also proven reliable at key moments.
Mikel Arteta Begs For Premier League Rule Change
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However, Arteta’s issue with Premier League squad rules is not about his selections, but the players he cannot include, due to the difference between 20-man matchday squads in the Champions League and the 18-man limit in England's top-flight. "At the moment there are two or three players who have to be out of the squad, that’s a reality and I cannot change that," Arteta said, as per the Standard.
"These are the rules, hopefully the Premier League next season instead of 18 outfield players they will do 20. I beg them from here, like it is in the Champions League because it’s much better to manage the squad, to maintain the value of the players, to maintain the mental health of the players as nobody wants to get out of the squad."
Arsenal players celebrating after scoring against Everton in the Premier League
He continued: "I beg them so between all of us to help us with that. We can deal with hotels, travel and all of that, that would be very, very helpful for everybody. The worst thing is to leave somebody [out]. We have a really unique job, which is we have the ability to transform somebody's life, career, which is great.
"But as well, every week we have to tell somebody, 'tomorrow, you don't do the job. You're not even allowed to travel with the team'. So tell me a job that you do that. I cannot go to the kitchen tomorrow and say to two of the chefs, ‘today you don't cook, just go there and see how they cook or go home’. It's really tough.
"So someone that wants to feel part of that, he needs to be there. He needs to travel, he needs to be there and he has to have the feeling that he has a chance. When you take that chance away, you have to leave that player because he feels that he's not good enough. Because at the end, your decision is clear. I choose another 20 players in front of you. And I think this is something I worry about. Why? Because the demands on games are bigger. So we need bigger squads."
arsenal bukayo saka
If Arteta truly cares about player wellbeing as much as he claims, then he may need to look closer to home - particularly at his treatment of Bukayo Saka, who has been heavily relied upon for years while the club’s hierarchy has continued to prioritise defensive signings over strengthening the attack, lending itself to a classic case of a young player then suffering from burnout this season as a result of playing upwards of 2,300 minutes across 34 appearances already this campaign.
Eberechi Eze could do the opposite and lament a lack of opportunities, having rarely started since scoring a hat-trick against Tottenham in the North London Derby in November. The £67 million summer signing has struggled to make an impact in recent months, but that cannot be placed entirely at his own door, given his limited chances to build rhythm and help his teammates get a much-needed rest.
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Elsewhere, the Spaniard has often shown a reluctance to drop Gyokeres from the starting lineup, despite clearly struggling to cope with the demands of the Premier League at times, placing his faith firmly in the idea that things will eventually click. And so, while Arteta begs for the rules to be reviewed in favour of the traditional "Big Six" clubs once again, he could find a lot of flaws in his player management.