Arsenal: Three ways Mikel Arteta could line up after William Saliba injury blow

Not for the archetypal time, Arsenal felt the interaction of being without William Saliba arsenic they blew a two-goal pb astatine location to Aston Villa.

Arsenal volition anticipation that means the centre-back is backmost by February 2, erstwhile they big Manchester City, but until past Arteta indispensable find a solution with games against Zagreb, Wolves and Girona up next.

Here, Standard Sport takes a look astatine the options disposable to Arteta…

Arsenal person routinely struggled erstwhile Saliba is retired and, since the commencement of the 2022/23 season, they person conceded 1.7 goals per crippled crossed the 13 Premier League matches he’s missed.

In the 85 league matches that Saliba has played during that time, Arsenal person conceded 0.8 goals per game.

Arteta’s solution connected Saturday to not having his prima centre-back was to determination Jurrien Timber from right-back into the bosom of defence. Thomas Partey was shifted from the basal of midfield to right-back to implicit the backmost four.

It is simply a setup Arteta has gone with earlier and Saturday was the sixth league crippled this play that Partey has started astatine right-back.

The Ghana planetary was astatine responsibility for Villa’s 2nd goal, allowing Ollie Watkins to tally disconnected him and volley location Matty Cash’s cross.

Arsenal person routinely struggled erstwhile Partey has played astatine right-back this season. In the six league games with him there, they person won conscionable once. They person failed to support a cleanable expanse and conceded 8 goals, too.

Arteta’s options are undoubtedly constricted by Arsenal’s injuries successful defence. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are some retired with genu injuries and, if they were fit, they could slot into the defence alternatively of Partey.

Riccardo Calafiori would beryllium different imaginable solution, but helium has missed the past 3 games owed to injury. Alongside Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior is the lone different elder centre-back acceptable and available, truthful Arteta could crook to him if helium wants to support Timber astatine right-back.

The Poland planetary is left-footed, which complicates matters, but bringing him successful would astatine slightest support disruption crossed the squad to a minimum. Arteta has been blessed to crook to Kiwior erstwhile Gabriel has been retired arsenic helium is comfy playing arsenic a left-sided centre-back.

Playing connected the close whitethorn beryllium much challenging, but a location crippled against Dinamo Zagreb feels similar a accidental to trial that out.

It was during a dead-rubber Champions League crippled against PSV past play that Arteta experimented with Declan Rice astatine centre-back. Rice played the last 30 minutes oregon truthful of the crippled successful Eindhoven and enactment successful a coagulated show arsenic Arsenal claimed a 1-1 draw.

The 26-year-old is comfy playing successful the bosom of defence arsenic that was wherever helium came done the ranks astatine West Ham. Rice has since developed into a midfielder, but helium represents a viable exigency enactment astatine centre-back.

It would, again, support disruption crossed the remainder of Arsenal’s squad to a minimum. Timber could enactment astatine right-back and Partey astatine the basal of midfield. Rice would besides springiness Arteta the near and close ft operation helium likes to person from his 2 centre-backs by pairing him with Gabriel.

The interest would beryllium that Arsenal would suffer Rice’s thrust and vigor successful midfield. His past 5 appearances person been arsenic a No8 and, against Villa connected Sunday, helium was 1 of their champion players.