In the space of a few days, Arsenal have stormed into a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League courtesy of a record-breaking Max Dowman moment, and soared into the last eight of the Champions League.
Now, Wembley and the chance to make the ultimate statement against Manchester City await this weekend. It would be one of the best weeks of Mikel Arteta's managerial career if the Gunners ended it by defeating their closest challengers in the Carabao Cup final, but he must get his selection right.
As impressive as Arsenal's week has been, it has handed their manager quite the headache when it comes to picking his strongest side this Sunday. Yet again, several players staked their claim for a starting place.
Leverkusen victory hands Arteta ultimate selection headache
They say that a selection headache is a good thing in football, but try telling that to Arteta's thumping head right now. The Arsenal boss arguably has the strongest depth to choose from in the Premier League, but must now answer several questions ahead of Wembley this weekend.
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One of those questions surrounds his captain - Martin Odegaard. Would it be a justified decision to bring the Norwegian back into the side over Eberechi Eze?
He carries the armband, but it wouldn't be absurd to suggest that he doesn't carry the same impact as Eze, who scored one of the goals of the season against Leverkusen.
It's not the only question for Arteta to ponder, either. He's also got to make a decision about his frontline. Does he turn towards Kai Havertz? Or has Viktor Gyokeres done enough to win back his starting place after a late goal against Everton and a solid display in the Champions League?
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It's tough to call from the outside looking in, but there is at least an easy decision for the Arsenal boss to make this weekend. Victory over Bayer Leverkusen proved that Jurrien Timber should be nowhere near the starting line-up against Man City.
Why Arteta needs to avoid selecting Timber
It's almost impossible to deny Timber's quality. He has been one of the best right-backs in the Premier League all season long. But that quality quickly becomes irrelevant when he's not got the energy to match, and the Dutchman has looked shattered as of late.
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It's largely why Ben White's return has come at a good time. The former Brighton man barely put a foot wrong in the second leg against Leverkusen and has now staked a claim to start against Man City this weekend.
Crucially, White's impact also saw Bukayo Saka edge closer to his best form - something that the Emirates hasn't seen for quite some time now. And if Arsenal are to defeat Pep Guardiola's side at Wembley, then getting the best out of the winger will be key.
|Saka vs Bayer Leverkusen|
|Stat|2nd leg with White|1st leg with Timber|
|---|
|Touches|58|38|
|Touches in opposition box|10|4|
|Chances created|5|0|
|Shots on target|4|0|
There were a lot of differences in Arsenal's performance in the second leg compared to the first, but Saka's impact on Tuesday evening ultimately proved crucial.
White certainly played his part in that improvement, too. Compared to Timber, the 28-year-old is more reserved going forward - taking fewer touches than Timber in Leverkusen's box - and instead focuses on distributing to Saka.
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The supply-line, which saw White complete more passes into the final third than £38m Timber managed in the first leg, allowed Saka to take up a more dangerous position inside the area and, as a result, enjoy more shots and chances created.
Arteta should aim for a repeat against Man City. Instead of forcing Saka wide to bring Timber into play, the Arsenal boss should allow White to hold width and simply supply the Gunners' best talisman. That is the formula to Carabao Cup victory.
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