Good morning, everyone!

This evening, we are gearing up for an exciting match as Ipswich Town visits our home ground. A significant focus of discussion revolves around the tactical adjustments that Mikel Arteta will implement in light of Bukayo Saka’s absence. During his press conference on Monday, Arteta expressed his thoughts on the situation:

We have to look internally at what we have and be creative, do a very good exercise again. How can we mould the squad? How can we adapt to the circumstances and be different? We cannot pretend to be the same. We’re going to have to be different and try to find the best way to do it and be very competitive and win a lot of games.

To clarify, Bukayo Saka holds immense value within the Arsenal squad, yet his position may be slightly easier to fill compared to some other key players. He is undoubtedly our most consistently productive forward, but as we witnessed when Martin Ødegaard was sidelined, the absence of a natural alternative in the squad can pose a challenge. The manager may not have deemed someone ready for the level of responsibility required in crucial matches.

In Saka’s absence, we can look to Gabriel Martinelli, who has successfully filled the role before, as demonstrated in our match against Crystal Palace, where he performed admirably. Additionally, Gabriel Jesus has experience playing in that position throughout his career, and it’s feasible that Leandro Trossard could also step in if necessary. While Saka’s absence will certainly be felt, I believe it won’t disrupt our playing style as significantly as Ødegaard’s absence did. The player I am most intrigued about is Ethan Nwaneri, and I wonder if we might see him take on a more advanced role tonight.

Could this match against Ipswich at home provide the perfect opportunity to experiment with Nwaneri in a forward position? While we should never underestimate any opponent, it’s a home game against a side experiencing difficulties, making it a potentially low-risk scenario to trial Nwaneri’s abilities. If he can shine in that role, we may discover a valuable option we hadn’t previously considered. My intuition suggests Arteta will likely opt for Martinelli, but I would be excited to see the talented 17-year-old get a start.

The decision regarding Nwaneri’s involvement may also hinge on the right-back selection. Jurrien Timber is currently on four yellow cards; therefore, any further booking in the next two matches could lead to a suspension. It’s worth noting that Gabriel Jesus faces a similar situation. If this is a factor in the manager’s strategy, we might see Thomas Partey adapt to a right-back role, but we will have to wait and see how the lineup unfolds.

In midfield, we have a robust selection featuring Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, and Jorginho. It will be intriguing to see who is chosen for the left-back position. Myles Lewis-Skelly has been impressive, yet Riccardo Calafiori has returned from injury. Perhaps the management team views this match as an opportunity to reintegrate the Italian into first-team action, possibly with a cameo appearance from the bench. Given our rigorous upcoming schedule, it’s essential to manage his minutes carefully following his injury-affected start to his career with Arsenal.

Regardless of the final lineup, we have an important task ahead. Securing three points is crucial, and with recent results, the stakes have increased. While Liverpool continues their winning streak, Chelsea faced a late defeat, and Nottingham Forest surprisingly emerged victorious, placing them above us in the standings. With Manchester City slipping up, we have a chance to widen our advantage over them as we approach the second half of the season. A win today could propel us into second place, so let’s hope for a successful outing!

For now, I’ll sign off. Don’t forget to check out our preview podcast available on Patreon. Join us later for live blog coverage, along with match reports, goal highlights, player ratings, and much more over at Arseblog News.

Until next time!