We might only be entering the fifth gameweek of the season but, given how recent campaigns have played out, there’s reason to suggest it’s already crunch time for Arsenal and Manchester City.
The two heavyweights of the past few seasons are the leading contenders to win the title this time around and the winner of Sunday’s meeting between the two will undoubtedly leave the Etihad Stadium feeling good about their chances of lifting the trophy next summer.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, arguably the biggest game of their domestic season comes at a time in which captain Martin Odegaard is unavailable. The Norway midfielder went down with an ankle injury during the international break and manager Mikel Arteta has now confirmed the damage to his ligaments is “quite significant“.
The task presented to Arteta is simple: find a way to replace one of your most influential players for what could easily be a title-decider against your fiercest rivals. Easy. No pressure.
Here’s the midfield Arteta should opt for against City.
Declan Rice‘s return from suspension is a real blessing to Arteta, whose midfield options are incredibly limited while summer signing Mikel Merino is still out injured.
The England international will reclaim his usual place in the starting lineup, but crucially, Rice should be tasked with filling the void left behind by Odegaard, rather than his usual box-to-box role, which can be left to Thomas Partey.
While Rice does not possess Odegaard’s vision for a pass, he is deceptively capable with the ball at his feet. Per FBRef, Rice’s 87.8% pass accuracy is well above average across Europe’s top five leagues over the past 12 months, as are his 7.65 progressive passes per 90 minutes.
The ‘Odegaard role’ is one which Rice is familiar with, having been given similar duties during his final year at West Ham United when it became clear that, with all due respect, he was capable of things nobody else in his squad could do. He’s comfortable collecting the ball and driving forwards, and now is the time to show that.
At the base of midfield, expect Jorginho to sit deep and pull the strings, spraying the long passes which might be a little too much to ask from Rice.
As we saw with the 36% possession away to Tottenham Hotspur last week, Arsenal are prepared to prioritise a clean sheet over a goal on their travels to their big rivals, and there’s no reason to expect anything else from them here.
Again, expect Rice to be crucial to these efforts. He’s obviously known more for his defending than attacking and may have to provide the mobility for an ageing midfield duo of Partey, 31, and Jorginho, 32.
Without Odegaard, Arsenal may not have the cutting edge on the ball, but they do still have the bright energy to press through Rice, and don’t be surprised to see Leandro Trossard once again asked to help out in a deeper role as Arsenal look to stifle the space available to De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri.
It might not be pretty at times, especially if Kevin De Bruyne shakes off his injury scare, but that’s largely irrelevant. Whether fans like it or not, these games aren’t about aesthetics anymore. Winning the Premier League title has become a ruthless task of exploiting each and every minor slip-up from your rivals, and Arsenal can’t allow that to happen to them at this early stage in the season.
Arteta would be wise to stay cautious with this one. City are already two points clear and a five-point gap could be insurmountable, even at this early stage of the campaign. Not since the 2020/21 season has the title been won by a greater margin.
A draw may not be the most appetising result, but in this weakened state, Arsenal could celebrate leaving the Etihad with a point.
