With the resumption of the Europa League just around the corner, the matches are going to start coming thick and fast for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Topping our group and the relatively early exits in both domestic cup competitions have meant that our schedule has been a good deal clearer than it might have been but that is going to change as we head into some key weeks in our season.
Three games a week will not be unusual from here on and that means Arteta is going to have to reach deep into his squad to keep us in the best possible shape.
For me, the Premier League is the absolute priority but we shouldn’t overlook the importance of a good tilt at the Europa League, against good quality continental opposition, and that means giving the competition the respect is deserves.
It doesn’t mean the manager needs to be reckless, though, and a certain amount of squad rotation is a must. With the visit of struggling Bournemouth to the Emirates today (Saturday), I wonder then if it might be a good chance to keep some of our powder dry.
Thomas Partey, for example, has enjoyed a relatively serene last few weeks as he has recovered from a slight thigh strain so I wonder, given his obvious importance the squad, whether he might be best served by remaining on the bench from the start today.
Oleksandr Zinchenko is another player who is important to the way Arteta likes to play his football and, with both Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu available, perhaps it would be wise to give the Ukranian some time off.
This is not to downplay or underestimate the threat posed by Bournemouth, because in the Premier League anybody is capable of beating anybody on a given day, rather it is an acknowledgement of our quality, our momentum and the ability of our squad to maintain a level of performance good enough to compete with most opposition.
In short, we should have enough in the tank to beat the Cherries today, with or without a few players.
Ankle issues from Eddie Nketiah may complicate matters slightly for the Gunners, particularly if they were hoping to rest Bukayo Saka (god knows he needs it) but the flexibility of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Matinelli, along with the return of Emile Smith Rowe, means we have options if we need them.
In truth, I expect the manager will start the same side he started against Everton in midweek. I think he will hope to get in front early and get far enough ahead that he is able to swap in a few of those aforementioned squad players later in the match and while there is obvious merit in that, it starts to feel a bit risky.
Plotting our way to the Premier League title is going to take some smart maneuvering alongside a fair dollop of luck but we can help ourselves by reducing the risk and the burden on the squad. If we can make small tweaks here and there, it could make that extra five per cent difference that carries us to the title.
The way this season has panned out has caught almost all of us off guard but, now that we’re here, it would seem rude to leave before we have to. Let’s hope Arteta can find a way to get us over the line and let’s hope the squad is ready to step up to help make that dream a reality.
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