The nightmare returns for Arsenal.

A perfect season awaits Arsenal, provided Mikel Arteta's team overcomes the injury jinx that has plagued them towards the end of the year.

Manager Arteta faces a squad dilemma - Photo: REUTERS

At 11:30 PM on November 23rd (Vietnam time), Arsenal will host Tottenham in the 12th round of the Premier League. A derby match that promises to be unpredictable.

FIFA Days Obsession

Derby matches are never easy, regardless of Arsenal's current excellent form and their dominant head-to-head record against Tottenham (winning 5 out of the last 6 matches). However, Tottenham are currently managed by Thomas Frank, who employs a fierce counter-attacking style of football. This style is considered very formidable in big matches.

And above all, it is Arsenal's inherent character that they need to overcome. A "Gunners" club spanning decades, many managers, many generations of players, from a philosophy of beautiful play to an effective style, but their common trait is that they crumble whenever they face real difficulties.

Needless to say, the disappointment that manager Arteta and his team inflicted on fans after finishing second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons is undeniable. However, if we were to look for a common thread across those seasons, fans would easily spot a clear trend: Arsenal collapsed due to a wave of injuries following FIFA Days (international match periods).

In the 2023-2024 season, Arsenal lost one and drew one of their first three matches after the October FIFA Days period. Last season, their slump was even faster, with two losses and two draws in the four matches sandwiched between the October and November FIFA Days periods.

This season, Arsenal navigated October and the first half of November smoothly. But remember, that was before the injury crisis hit.

Arsenal's squad still has depth.

After the FIFA Days in November, manager Arteta truly faced a squad headache. He had already lost Odegaard, Madueke, Havertz, and Martinelli. It was a rather daunting injury list, but having spent heavily in the last two years, Arsenal had enough players to compensate for those absences.

But now, the Gunners' injury list has grown to seven names, with Gyokeres, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Calafiori also injured. Of the four previous injuries, only Odegaard was truly an irreplaceable key player. As for the three recent injuries, all of them were regular starters throughout the season.

Arsenal fans may witness some makeshift changes in their lineup against Tottenham. Merino is likely to be moved up to play as a central striker, and young defender Lewis-Skelly will take over the left flank from Calafiori. At center back, manager Arteta has several quality alternatives such as Mosquera and Hincapie. However, these players have been severely underutilized since the start of the season. Specifically, Mosquera has only started twice, while Hincapie hasn't started a single game.

However, Arteta can't blame the injury crisis, because Tottenham are in a far worse crisis, missing almost an entire squad, with Kudus, Muani, Sarr, Bergvall, Dragusin, Bissouma, Solanke, Maddison, and Kulusevski all unavailable. And the Spurs' schedule is no easier than their opponents', as they also have to play in the Champions League midweek.

For three consecutive seasons, Arteta has used injuries and a thin squad as excuses for their failure in the title race. But this season, he has the strongest squad in the Premier League, and now it's time for Arsenal to grit their teeth and overcome all obstacles.

Back to the topic

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ac-mong-tro-lai-with-arsenal-20251123083000013.htm