Losing Eberechi Eze to a calf problem is undoubtedly a major blow for Arsenal at such an important time. Defeat against Manchester City highlighted just how much they'll miss his creative spark in the coming weeks and replacing that spark is far from easy.
At Wembley, it was Kai Havertz who was handed the no.10 role and after the opening period, it looked as though Mikel Arteta's decision had paid off. The German should have found an early opener for the Gunners.
Havertz-Gyokeres-Rice-Arsenal
As soon as Man City were allowed to find their tempo, however, Havertz's influence dwindled to the point that he was no longer having any impact at all.
His struggles have begged the question as to how Arsenal could look to replace Eze in the coming weeks.
How Arsenal could replace Eberechi Eze
The natural solution would be to hand Martin Odegaard the role in Eze's absence. The club captain is one of few natural No.10s in Arteta's squad and is on course to return from injury after the international break.
Odegaard-Arteta-Arsenal
But this isn't the same Odegaard who was involved in 18 goals last season, nor is it the version who was involved in 23 the season prior.
Instead, this is an Odegaard who has struggled with injuries all season and a player who has been involved in just seven goals as a result. At the most important part of the campaign, Arteta cannot afford to fall back on unreliable stars.
PL stats 25/26 per 90 Eze Odegaard
Minutes 1,504 1,078
Goals 0.36 0.08
Assists 0.12 0.42
Successful dribbles 1.38 0.75
Chances Created 0.78 2.5
Although the Norwegian deserves credit for his chance creation, if teams set a high block like Man City did against Arsenal at Wembley, then they will need ball carriers rather than those waiting for possession. Hence why Eze and his take-on success was desperately needed.
So, perhaps Odegaard isn't the answer. Instead, it may not be a matter of who, but what Arteta should change to get the best out of his frontline in Eze's absence.
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Eze's injury could actually become a blessing in disguise if it gets the best out of Bukayo Saka again. The winger has been incredibly disappointing this season, scoring just six Premier League goals and setting up just three others. For a man backed to be Arsenal's leading talisman, it has not been good enough.
But, what if it's not entirely down to the winger himself? What if Arteta's system has stifled one of the best attacking players that English football has to offer? It could result in a Premier League title, but there's no denying that Saka has been forced to sit through some criticism as a result.
Saka stats 23/24 24/25 25/26
Minutes 2,933 1,735 2,001
Touches in opposition box 287 181 166
Touches 2,130 1,094 1,236
Goals 16 6 6
Assists 9 10 3
It's easy to act surprised by his drop-off and to blame it on ability and ability alone even if that couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is that Arteta has become more and more robust by the season and that was always going to decrease the winger's influence.
In the 23/24 season, when he was involved in 24 league goals, Saka took 287 touches in the opposition box. That's more than Mohamed Salah - an inside forward rather than a winger - took in the same campaign.
A season later, Salah broke the league's record for goal involvements with those numbers increasing. The Arsenal man, meanwhile, spent most of his time out wide and his numbers dropped.
Saka-Mosquera-Arsenal
Micah Richards went as far as to describe Saka as Arsenal's new Robert Pires for how he cut inside with such conviction back in 2023, and you wouldn't ask an invincible to isolate himself to the byline instead of driving into the area.
So Arteta should stop asking Saka to do so. It's time to get him back in the 10 position, the role he has barely played in throughout his career but did score from in that 2-2 draw with Wolves at Molineux.
If Arsenal adjust his role and get him into the most dangerous area of the final third, they will unlock one of the best wingers in the Premier League for the first time since the 2023/24 campaign, even if it is in a different position.
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