Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta takes his team to Chelsea on Sunday knowing that a positive result is needed after suffering another loss in midweek at the hands of Inter Milan
It may only be early November, but Arsenal’s meeting with Chelsea on Sunday already feels like a pivotal moment in the season for Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners chief has done a fine job to re-establish his club as a genuine force in the Premier League after years of misery, but the side many see as the most likely to dethrone Manchester City are in the midst of a difficult spell.
Arsenal have lost two of their last three league games and head into this weekend’s round of fixtures in fifth position. They are seven points behind league leaders Liverpool and five behind City, who are still favourites to retain their domestic crown at this stage.
The absence of key figures have prohibited Arteta from fielding his first-choice XI over the past few weeks. A combination of injuries and suspension have been to blame and Arsenal are still without their influential captain, Martin Odegaard.
While others have also missed out this term – including William Saliba, who is suspended for a further two Premier League matches, and Declan Rice, who missed Wednesday night’s 1-0 loss to Inter Milan – Odegaard has arguably been the biggest loss.
Arsenal’s inability to replace his influence has led to questions over their squad depth – something former midfielder Emmanuel Petit scrutinised earlier in the season.
The Frenchman told TalkSPORT back in September: “”City started poorly [last year] and they were missing big players during the season, but they won the title. I’m not sure that can be possible for Arsenal in terms of quality and quantity of players. That’s what I’ve been worried about for ages, the rotation of the team.
“Now they are back in the Champions League again. Playing every single three days, international duty as well with your country, that means you need to get rotation in your team.
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“When you get important players injured, what’s the solution for Arteta? He’s got players, but not in the same position and who cannot bring the same qualities on the pitch.”
Arsenal’s loss against Inter Milan comes just days after it was confirmed that the club’s sporting director, Edu, had resigned from his role. The Brazilian has played a major role in rehabilitating the club alongside Arteta from boardroom.
Chelsea could pile even more misery on their London rivals in Sunday’s derby clash at Stamford Bridge. And club legend Thierry Henry feels another loss could all but extinguish Arsenal’s hopes of ending their title drought.
He was asked if Arsenal were out of the title race if they lost at Chelsea on CBS Sports and replied: “I think it [would] be extremely difficult.
“Why? Because you have too many teams to catch. One team can have a problem, but one or two – we’re going with Liverpool and Man City – I don’t see two teams collapsing, that’s my issue.”
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