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Arsenal enter the Premier League in 2025 and are unbeaten in 11 games, yet the mood in north London doesn’t exactly paint the rosiest of pictures.
Most of them are related Bukayo Saka’s latest injury setback Which will keep him sidelined for at least two months. Life without their superstar winger began with a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town on Friday night – a performance that embodied the latest iteration of Mikel Arteta’s side: strong and controlled, but lacking a ruthless edge.
It will be a slog for the title hopefuls, but they are a good enough team to be in contention even without Saka. Liverpool are definitely due for a blip, right?
Either way, their margin for error is ever so slim and will be just three points when they travel to Brentford on New Year’s Day. Here’s how Gunners can line up at Gtech.
GK: David Raya – Rye was ineligible to face the Bees after joining the Gunners on loan early last season, but the Spaniard is available to face his former club after completing a permanent transfer in the summer.
RB: Jurin Timber – There has been plenty of timber over the past month as a result of Arsenal’s injuries at full-back. He is such a good footballer, but prone to burnout.
CB: William Saliba – Saliba has a big role to play in keeping away from the fast bees on Wednesday. Ipswich allowed the Frenchman to complete a pass at will on Friday, and the defender has scope to haul up another monster on New Year’s Day.
CB: Gabriel – Set-pieces have been key to Arsenal’s success this term and they will need Gabriel to continue their dominance in the opposition box when Saka is out. On Friday night he missed a gilt-edged opportunity.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelley – Riccardo Calafiori will certainly play a part, but Lewis-Skelley doesn’t deserve to leave. He has been looking at absolute ease since joining the senior set-up.
CM: Declan Rice – Arteta recently spoke of Rice’s midfield role depending on the opposition. with Armory dominated regionally and Brentford Boasting a different threat on the counter, it makes sense for Rice to start again over Thomas Partey at the base of midfield.
Chief Minister: Mikel Marino – The Gunners need bodies in the box on Wednesday, and Marino’s crash could come in handy. The midfielder’s career in north London is yet to ignite.
Chief Minister: Martin Odegaard – The skipper is starting to have more success as a metronome, and we should expect to see him go deeper and wider to direct the proceedings. However, Arsenal will also need his ability as a lock-picker in the final third.
RW: Gabriel Martinelli – Arteta won’t let go of Martinelli’s right-wing experiment after one start. Despite struggling on Friday night, the Brazilian should find another way.
ST: Kai Havertz – The German produced his best performance in a while against Ipswich but could return to a centre-forward role here. Havertz scored a pair of late winners against Brentford last season.
LW: Gabriel Jesus – Jesus will remain in the team and work in a fluid role from the left. He will move freely and have plenty of opportunities to occupy the box. His mini-scoring run came last time out.
