Arsenal will look to get 2021 off to a flyer when they travel to West Brom on Saturday seeking a third win on the bounce.
So much for crisis – the Gunners’ form post-Christmas was exactly what under-fire manager Mikel Arteta needed to keep the knives at bay. Victories over Chelsea and Brighton came thanks to a trusting of the “kids”, with Gabriel Martinelli (19), Emile Smith Rowe (20) and Bukayo Saka (19) making up the attack behind a main striker.
Having laboured for domestic wins in the two months leading up to Christmas, it seems as though Arteta has finally found a formula that creates chances and keeps the Gunners in games. Before the win over Chelsea, Arsenal were rightly criticised for being second-best in almost all areas of the pitch against Premier League opposition.
Thankfully for the boss, he hasn’t lost any men since the 1-0 win at Brighton. Saka – who provided the assist for Alexandre Lacazette on the south coast – was an injury concern in midweek but is expected to feature on Saturday.
“I hope he’s available,” Arteta said of the in-form teenager in Thursday’s press conference.
“We will see with training today. He’s played a lot of minutes as well. I am confident that he will be OK for the game.”
England gem Saka has made 23 appearances for club and country already this season, to add to the 38 games he featured in during a Covid-impacted 2019-20 campaign. He has earned 15 assists since the start of last term – more than any other player at the club – and Arteta is delighted with how the youngster has come on.
“For me, the biggest thing that he’s done in the past few months is the personality that he plays with and the responsibility he takes,” the boss said.
“Also the decisions he’s willing to make when things are not going well and the impact he’s had on the team to get results. That’s in his nature and he wants to evolve that.
“You can see his team-mates trust him, they still want to give him that responsibility and that’s great. He’s a great example to any young player to play with that commitment, that passion but as well, with that courage you need when you play for a big team.”
Defence
With David Luiz only just returning to training after an illness, it seems unlikely that a back four of Kieran Tierney, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin will change.
Bernd Leno will keep his place in goal.
Gabriel remains in isolation following a positive Covid-19 test, and midfielder Thomas Partey is not expected to be fit to return this weekend.
Midfield
The plan is for Partey to be back training with his teammates at the start of next week, although whether he has fully recovered from a thigh injury by the FA Cup third round clash with Newcastle on 9 January remains to be seen.
Indeed, Party’s absence means Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny should anchor the midfield once again – all the manager needs from the pair is to keep their noses clean, win the ball back and distribute to those further forward.
Attack
Should Saka prove his fitness in time for Saturday then there is no reason why Arteta should change the attacking three that sit off the main forward. But Lacazette’s goal off the bench last time out could see the Spaniard tinker here, with Martinelli potentially the name to drop back among the subs.
Lacazette may also come in ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, although the boss will hope to use this game as a platform for rejuvenating the partnership that has often gone astray between these big-money signings.
Nicolas Pepe will almost certainly remain on the bench.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Leno; Bellerin, Holding, Mari, Tierney; Elneny, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang
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