Arsenal heads into the North London Derby against Tottenham Hotspur facing a tactical dilemma after the international break.
Martin Ødegaard suffered a left ankle injury in Norway's Nations League match against Austria. The midfielder was helped off the field leaving his status up in the air for Sunday. He hasn't been ruled out yet, but scenes on the pitch haven't left Arsenal fans with much hope. Declan Rice is set to miss the fixture through suspension and summer signing Mikel Merino is out with a shoulder injury, leaving Arsenal with holes to fill coming into Sunday's match.
Arsenal's Tactical Options Without Ødegaard and Rice
Losing Rice for a game is one thing. Manager Mikel Arteta could move Thomas Partey into Rice's role as the left-sided midfielder while bringing Jorginho into the side. Losing Ødegaard could warrant wholesale changes, or reinforce trust in the system while plugging holes as best as possible.
Plug Holes and Act Accordingly
Arsenal could stick with the same midfield duo of Jorginho and Partey while dropping Leandro Trossard or Kai Havertz back into the midfield. Havertz remains the first-choice striker, so Trossard would likely drop into the creative role. Arteta tried to shoehorn Havertz last season into being Granit Xhaka's replacement, but he's played his best leading the line.
A midfield of Partey, Jorginho and Trossard would maintain some sort of continuity.
Rely on Defensive Depth
Arteta could rely on his defensive depth with a formation change. Starting five at the back with Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel, William Saliba and Ben White would make Arsenal difficult to break down with each player comfortable playing the ball out from the back. Arteta can play the same midfield of Jorginho and Partey with the attack unchanged to hit Tottenham on the counter.
Trial by Fire
Arteta could throw caution to the wind bringing in summer signing Raheem Sterling and academy product Ethan Nwaneri into the side. Bukayo Saka could drop into the creative role with Sterling out on the right flank and Nwaneri filling in for Rice. The manager could even try bringing Timber into midfield given Partey's slow start to the season.
Arsenal's tough start to the season gets even more difficult with Manchester City on the horizon. One thing is certain: Arteta has to get his tactical setup right if Ødegaard is going to miss considerable time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Faces Tactical Dilemma Against Spurs After Martin Ødegaard Injury.
