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In the 2021-22 season, Arsenal’s starting eleven had ten core players in it. Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Odegaard, Xhaka; Saka, Martinelli / Smith Rowe; Lacazette. Only the wide left spot was subject to any kind of debate. Emile Smith Rowe played 1,921 minutes that season compared to Martinelli’s 1,860.
Outside of that, Arsenal’s core squad players were Cedric, Tavares, Lokonga, Holding, Nketiah, Elneny and Pepe. Nketiah got a run in the team once Lacazette’s form had circled the drain enough times; but the rest only ever played when there were injuries. It was not a deep squad in terms of players Arteta trusted.
The signings of Gabriel Jesus and Zinchenko and the re-integration of Saliba in the summer of 2022 transformed the starting eleven with Tierney falling out of favour and Lacazette leaving on a free transfer. Fabio Vieira provided depth for the bench. The arrivals of Jorginho, Trossard and Kiwior in January 2023 further supplemented the depth of the squad and pushed what was essentially a core of 12-13 in 2021-22 to a core of 15-16 by the end of 2022-23.
Trossard and Kiwior were depth signings, albeit at different stages of their careers. Jorginho was signed because Thomas Partey’s fitness levels were too unreliable not to have another senior option in the midfield anchor position. The additions of Rice, Raya and Havertz in the summer of 2023 were ceiling raisers as opposed to floor raisers (I am sure the addition of Jurrien Timber was intended this way too).
The flexibility of Rice and Havertz has created greater depth by stealth too, Havertz is just as trusted at nine as he is at left eight and Arteta doesn’t seem too fussed whether Rice anchors the midfield or plays a more box-to-box role. It makes Arsenal’s midfield and forward construction more fluid from game to game and in-game.
Slowly Arsenal have pushed more towards a model of having 18 or so players that could feature in the starting line-up without drawing…
Source link : https://arseblog.com/2024/04/arsenal-band-to-orchestra-gabriel-jesus-oleksandr-zinchenko/
Author : Tim Stillman
Publish date : 2024-04-11 12:00:31
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