The one gigantic benefit that Arsenal have that everyone has forgotten

 

• Club Brugge v Arsenal: all the things you don’t need to know but are quite interesting
• Are Arsenal getting too many injuries, or should we be watching the tactics?
• Club Brugge against Arsenal: how are the oppositin doing of late?

By Tony Attwood

Injuries continued to be the key issue in discussions about Arsenal in the build up to tonight’s game, and journalists have at last started to ask why Arsenal get so many injuries.    One suggestion put forward blames the intensity of the training, but Arteta denied that on the simple grounds that “we don’t have time to train.”

Instead, he postulated that because Arsenal are constantly without a number of key players, those not injured are playing more games and “there’s a consequence to that and it’s a really dangerous circle that one.”

What has not been mentioned, however, is the point we’ve raised once or twice that Arsenal have four places available in their squad for players aged 21 or over, and players of any nationality could be brought in.   I can only presume that the players that Arteta wants are players that either don’t want to come themselves (perhaps through having seen Arsenal’s injury record) or their managers won’t let go.

The issue of players not wanting to come to Arsenal is not one that is discussed in the media because in many ways their constant negativity about Arsenal is a major cause of players not wanting to move to the club.  Although the high level of injuries also deters some, as players are very aware of the injury level in each club.

Indeed, such a message doesn’t have to be said – it is there in the injury table list.  Arsenal have been running at double the number of players out this season compared with many other clubs – just as happened last season, and players thinking of joining Arsenal are not going to be ignorant of such figures.

However, the solution postulated here, of buying some more players in January, is still valid.  The squad contains only 21 players over the age of 21.  But in relation to that Arteta said, “At the moment we’re just focusing on bringing the players back and hopefully it will be a matter of weeks. We know how important those weeks are going to be because we’re going to come into the period where a lot of things start to get defined in that period, and hopefully we’re going to have those players back.”

And just to confirm those spaces that are available here is the current squad with an asterisk showing those who count as “homegrown,” (which makes them sound like potted plants).

1. Kepa Arrizabalaga
2. Riccardo Calafiori
3. Gabriel
4. Eberechi Eze*
5. Gabriel Jesus
6. Viktor Gyokeres
7. Kai Havertz
8. Piero Hincapie
9. Noni Madueke*
10. Mikel Merino
11. Christian Norgaard
12. Martin Odegaard
13. David Raya*
14. Declan Rice*
15. Bukayo Saka*
16. William Saliba*
17. Gabriel Martinelli*
18. Jurrien Timber
19. Leandro Trossard
20. Ben White*
21. Martin Zubimendi

Plus of course, Arsenal have the benefit of a range of under-21s who are used to playing with their older team mates.

But moving forward, Gabriel Martinelli, if he plays could become the first Arsenal player to score in five successive Champions League matches, which must give him an incentive.

The current Champions League table after yesterday’s games is given below, and it is important since being in the top eight does, as I have mentioned before, mean the club can avoid the next knockout round.   And since Arteta is complaining about having to play too many matches already, Arsenal can hardly want that.

There are three games to go, including tonight’s match and the way the table is looking a win and a draw could be enough to see Arsenal avoid the knockout round and also mean that Arsenal then have the chance to use some reserve players and some returning from injury in that final game.

 

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	ARSENAL	5	5	0	0	14	1	+13	15
2	Bayern Munich	6	5	0	1	18	7	+11	15
3	Atalanta	6	4	1	1	8	6	+2	13
4	Psg	5	4	0	1	19	8	+11	12
5	Inter Milan	6	4	0	2	12	4	+8	12
6	Real Madrid	5	4	0	1	12	5	+7	12
7	Atlético Madrid	6	4	0	2	15	12	+3	12
8	Liverpool	6	4	0	2	11	8	+3	12

 

Meanwhile it is amusing if nothing more, to see the media causing difficulties for clubs other than Arsenal, of late.   Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United are all in the Champions League but all outside the top eight.   That doesn’t mean they can’t qualify – I suspect all of these clubs will get into the play-off round and quite probably get through.     It is just that missing the knock out games means fewer chances for more players to be injured.

And it is also interesting to see Barcelona currently lurking in 14th place in the table, having played six games and won just three.   They are currently four points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the Spanish league table, which makes their Champions League position seem even more odd.   But I am sure they know what they are doing.