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Writer's pictureConnor Booth

How Do Arsenal Fill the Bukayo Saka Void?

As if Arsenal didn't already have a mammoth task in hunting down leaders Liverpool, the Gunners will now be without star-winger Bukayo Saka for around two months. Having already seen his side score from one of his corners, the England winger pulled up with a hamstring injury during this weekend's 5 - 1 victory over Crystal Palace.


Saka has struggled with minor muscular problems before, but the hamstring injury the number seven picked up at Selhurst Park this weekend will trigger his first significant spell on the sidelines.



The Gunners struggled hugely without captain Martin Odegaard throughout October and so questions over their title credentials without Saka need to be answered quickly.


There have been positive signs for Arsenal in their double-header over Crystal Palace, with five of their eight goals across the two victories coming when Saka wasn't on the pitch. But the numbers alone emphasise how crucial their star boy is to their Premier League and Champions League dreams.



It's not just the two mainstream competitions Saka will miss games in either; Arsenal play both Newcastle United and Manchester United in January in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively.


While the Newcastle tie in the League Cup is only the first leg, the second leg at St. James' Park is around about the time Mikel Arteta may be able to get Saka back on the pitch.


If Arsenal are looking for a suitably big game for Saka to make his comeback, they need not look further than their clash with Manchester City on the 2nd of February, just four days before the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.


But whether or not Saka returns in time for Arsenal's blockbuster start to February, he's going to miss crucial games in January.


Arsenal fixtures:


27th Dec - Ipswich (H) - Premier League

1st Jan - Brentford (A) - Premier League

4th Jan - Brighton (A) - Premier League 7th Jan - Newcastle (H) - Carabao Cup semi-final (1st leg)

12th Jan - Manchester United (H) - FA Cup 3rd Round

15th Jan - Tottenham (H) - Premier League

18th Jan - Aston Villa (H) - Premier League

22nd Jan - Dinamo Zagreb (H) - Champions League MD 7

25th Jan - Wolves (A) - Premier League

29th Jan - Girona (A) - Champions League MD 8

2nd Feb - Manchester City (H) - Premier League

6th Feb - Newcastle (A) - Carabao Cup semi-final (2nd leg)

9th/10th Feb - FA Cup 4th Round



It's clear to see then that Bukayo Saka will miss some big games for Arsenal. The festive period, while being the most likely for players to pick up injuries, is one of the worst times to do so (behind the end of the season).


Saka will miss at least one FA Cup tie, and a big one at that against Manchester United, at least one leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, a North London Derby and two Champions League games, of which Arsenal must win at least one to finish in the top eight.



Arsenal do have a vast array of attacking options available, but with Summer signing Raheem Sterling also sidelined with a knee injury, Mikel Arteta will need to re-configure his attack if the Gunners are to have any hope of winning a major trophy this season.


So who is the right choice?


Conventional Wingers


Arteta's immediate choice when Saka went off at Selhurst Park on Saturday was to swap Gabriel Martinelli from left-wing to right-wing and bring on Leandro Trossard, who filled Martinelli's position on the left.


While Trossard struggled to get into the game, Martinelli was highly effective on the right.


The Brazilian picked out his compatriot Gabriel Jesus whose header onto the post was turned in by Kai Havertz to make it 3 - 1, before Martinelli netted the fourth for himself.



Crystal Palace aren't exactly the toughest opposition to break down, but given that Arsenal hadn't scored from open play in any of their three league games prior to their win on Saturday, Martinelli's production is a fantastic sign.


That's not to say he's the same type of winger as Saka though. Bukayo Saka isn't a traditional winger; he likes to work 1-2s with Martin Odegaard and Ben White and is far more of a direct goal threat than the average winger.


Martinelli however is very much a traditional winger. He takes on defenders, loves to run at opponents and puts crosses into the box as often as he can.



If Martinelli is the preferred choice for Arsenal in Saka's absence, they would need to take a few more risks in an attacking sense, throwing bodies into the box. This was evident against Palace, but the Eagles were a threat on the break and could've made a game of it had they been less wasteful with their finishing.


The other conventional choice for Arsenal is to keep Martinelli on the left and use Leandro Trossard as a replacement for Saka. While Trossard hasn't had as good of a season as Martinelli so far, he is a more similar player to Saka.


Trossard is a more intricate footballer, preferring to beat opponents with skill moves than the raw pace of Martinelli. He's also a very creative player, often executing the pass before the assist for the Gunners.


On top of that, the Belgian is a man for a big moment. Already in his Arsenal career he's netted against Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Liverpool at crucial moments.



With Saka missing a North London Derby, a cup tie with Manchester United and at least one leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, Arsenal could do with a big-game player.


Whichever way round then, Trossard and Martinelli could certainly be the Arsenal wingers over the next couple of months. But with the games coming thick and fast, the Gunners can't rely on having the same starting XI every three days.


In fact that may well be what's gotten them into this situation, with right-back Ben White also out until at least February.





Moving Strikers


An alternative option for the Gunners is to make use of their versatile strikers. Neither Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz have exactly set the league on fire this season, with just eight Premier League goals between them, but they are both flexible with their positions.


Both players Arteta has deployed as strikers this season have played as right-wingers earlier in their career; Gabriel Jesus for Manchester City and Kai Havertz for both Bayer Leverkusen and Germany.



Havertz is a strong, aggressive forward who is far from afraid to take players on. Centre-backs are typically physical enough to deal with him, but if the Gunners were to deploy their German forward on the right, he may well be able to rattle a few left-backs.


The only way this option becomes credible however is if Gabriel Jesus continues his recent burst of form up front. While the Brazilian has scored five goals across Arsenal's two wins over Crystal Palace, he had just a single goal to his name this term before these games.



Take nothing away from Jesus' performances in the past week, they've been exceptional. But at the same time it's only right to point out that Havertz can't be Arsenal's right-winger unless Jesus can be somewhat prolific up front.


Of course there is also the option to do it the other way around; play Havertz through the middle, as Arsenal usually do, and then use Jesus as the replacement for Saka.


Arteta has only ever used Havertz as a winger when Arsenal are down to ten men and playing without a striker, but Jesus has filled the role before.


Jesus has played on both wings since swapping Manchester City for Arsenal, and even started on the wing for the Gunners' 1 - 0 victory over his former club last season. The flanks were effective for Arsenal in that victory, with Martinelli scoring the winner from the left.



It's not hard to see why Jesus is effective in this role; even though he might not have played there too often, he certainly fits the profile of a winger. He's fast, has a library of skill moves to depend on and is often unpredictable.


As much as the Gunners would obviously prefer to have their star man fit, his absence does at least make them unpredictable. A line-up featuring Trossard, Martinelli, Havertz, Odegaard and Jesus could be constructed in several combinations, many of which may be used in the same game.



Could Anyone Else Do it?


Realistically, unless Arsenal suffer more injuries, Arteta doesn't need to look beyond the four players we've already discussed.


But if he did want to try a bit of a left-field option at right-wing, he could consider Ethan Nwaneri, who has been knocking on the door for more game time.


Arteta has made bold decisions to bring the 17-year-old on in big games this season against Leicester and Everton, both of which were level when Nwaneri was introduced. He also scored his first Premier League goal in November against Nottingham Forest.



While all of his appearances for Arsenal so far have been in midfield, Nwaneri has the unfortunate task of pushing Martin Odegaard out of the Arsenal team if he wants to play in his natural position. It's therefore not much of a long shot to expect Arteta to deploy one of his greatest talents in another position in a bid to get him more game time.


Odegaard himself would be an option for the wing position had Arsenal not struggled so desperately without him in the number ten role when he was injured. Even if the Norwegian were to plug the gap left by Saka, Arsenal would face just as much of a struggle to replace Odegaard himself.


Beyond that, the Gunners could look to their academy, perhaps for a potential Fourth Round tie in the FA Cup. Ismeal Kabia, a right-winger from the Netherlands, has been excelling in the U21s team for Arsenal, as has left-winger Nathan Butler-Oyedeji.




Realistically though, Arsenal's main options are to either use Trossard and Martinelli on the wings or deploy one of their strikers in a wider role.


There is the thin possibility that the Gunners sign a winger in the January transfer window, but as a club often quiet in January, Arteta likely won't delve into the market for a player who would be out of the team by the time of Saka's return in mid-February.


This represents an interesting challenge for Arsenal, and for Saka himself who will have to watch from the sidelines. How well both the Gunners and their star man cope with it will likely determine whether or not they win a trophy this season.

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