tough return to business for leaders Arsenal
Normally, the end of the season can be fatal for players just before the World Cup. This year, for the very special 22nd edition, which takes place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18, it’s a bit of the opposite, and the 2022 World Cup could leave a serious mark on the end of the 2022-2023 season for clubs. . Arsenal is a perfect example. The authors of a canon begin training in the Premier League, even before the truce imposed by the World Cup, the Gunners, five points clear at the top of the table over Manchester City, were walking on water, or almost, with a well-oiled squad that moved very little.
Jesus’ injury could hurt the pitch
With 10 elements flown to Qatar to represent his country in recent weeks, Mikel Arteta can legitimately be concerned about both the physical and psychological toll this World Cup has taken. Unfortunately for the north London club, Gabriel Jesus, who has shone since his arrival from the Sky Blues, picked up a knee injury in Brazil’s final group game against Cameroon. Arsenal’s 9th player went to the pool table and will have to stay on the ground for 3 months. Bad news for the gunners.
This physical failure spoils a lot for Arsenal, as Gabriel Jesus is a central part of Mikel Arteta’s squad. “This is a big blow for us. He is a very important player and cannot be replaced. We have other players, other alternatives and we will try to solve it. The transfer window is an option. We have a lot of players, we have a lot of academy players. We have players who can perform and bring consistency to maintain or even improve.”recently explained the Spanish technician.
What revenue and what internal solutions for Nketiah?
Specifically, the idea is to see if Eddie Nketiah’s presence will be enough to compensate for Jesus’ absence in the coming weeks. The 23-year-old England striker has certainly improved greatly in recent months, but his ability to perform at the highest level over time remains a crucial question mark at the Emirates Stadium. Should we trust Nketiah, who is very hard working but definitely less skilled than the Brazilian technically and doesn’t have as much impact on the game? That’s the question. The Arsenal-trained player is the only top striker currently available.
What if he got hurt too? Gabriel Martinelli could help him up front, but that would greatly reduce the depth of the bench. Reiss Nelson, the author of interesting performances in recent weeks, was injured in the match against “Juventus” (0:2). Fabio Vieira is a reliable alternative in the starting XI, while the young Marquinhos still looks a bit tight for the top of the basket. Without recruits and additional breakdowns in the attacking sector, this could quickly diminish the Gunners’ performance. Even the long-awaited return of Emile Smith Rowe, scheduled for January, will do the best.
The physical and psychological condition of globalists will also be taken into account by London staff. William Saliba, who was defeated by the Blues in the final against Argentina, barely played for a month, as did Gabriel Martinelli or Ben White, who continued to struggle against Juve. Bukayo Saka has been a key element for the Three Lions, but he may find it a bit difficult to digest their quarter-final exit against France, despite a dominant display from England.
Which transfer window for a fully confident team?
The management of the capital club is in any case keeping an eye on the outposts, especially the paths of closely studied João Felix (Atletico) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (Shakhtar). In midfield, the names of Danilo (Palmeiras) and Youri Tielemans (Leicester) have been recurring for several weeks. The idea would be to strengthen the midfield, which has been impeccable since the beginning of the season, with the Partey-Xhaka pairing, but from the bench or a little fragile for the Europa League (Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga).
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal, who won the Dubai Super Cup without many globalists, beating OL and AC Milan in style before losing to Juventus during the World Cup, will keep their hands in their pockets this winter. transfer window. In January 2022, Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu refused to hire and especially pay compensation for the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, which prevented the Gunners from finishing in the top 4 and qualifying for the Champions League.
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