Arteta liked what he saw from one playerplaceholder image
Arteta liked what he saw from one player | Getty Images
Arsenal have struggled to cover the absence of key players in the past but does Mikel Arteta have two MVPs who are irreplaceable?
Arsenal’s defence hasn’t been an overnight success with Mikel Arteta taking several seasons to build a back four that is now one of the toughest to break down in Europe.
Sunderland are next to try and break down the Gunners’ wall with a ninth consecutive clean sheet being the aim for David Raya and company. The attention might be on how many set-piece goals that Arteta’s side score, however, trying to find a way past a seemingly impenetrable defence should be the primary concern for opposition managers.
Pat Nevin names Arsenal’s most valuable players
At the heart of Arsenal’s iron curtain has been Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba who, according to Pat Nevin, are now Arsenal’s most valuable players, rather than those who normally get the headlines at the other end of the park. When asked if the pair ever looked in any danger against Slavia Prague, he told BBC Five Live: “No, they didn't. The first 15 minutes, as you say, you know, a big effort from Slavia, but they didn't create any chances really. You know, Arsenal just waited for them, not to run out of steam, but just to leave the odd space here and there.
“What's the big thing about Arsenal? If you look at Arsenal, see last year, oh, they don't want Saka injured, what will they do without Saka? Well, he's wonderful, but you shrug your shoulders now. And the same with Odegaard, he's not in the team just now, but it's fine. You look all the way through that team and it's two players.
“It's actually maybe a third, maybe Declan, maybe Declan Rice. And it's just to take nothing away from them. But if you've got Gabriel and Saliba at the back there and get them together, you really aren't concerned at all. And every other position and every other player is actually kind of in a way expendable.”
What has changed for Arsenal?
Sometimes it might not be pretty, but Arsenal’s results this season are unambiguous. They have been the best team in the country by some distance. The only defeat has been due to a 35-yard wonder goal that Raya could have done little about even if he was standing underneath where the ball ended up. Nevin is right, but also wrong at the same time.
No team can win a league championship with a leaky defence, however, a key component that has been missing from Arsenal’s squad in recent near misses hasn’t been quality, it has been a lack of depth. Now, Arteta has options that he simply didn’t have before. The injury list isn’t any better than it was last season, he just has more players who he can call up to replace those that are absent.
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