Just as Arsenal supporters wanted to be at the top of the table during the international break, worse news on the injury is heading down their path.
On Saturday with West Ham, Martin Ødegaard set an unnecessary record and became the first player in Premier League history in the first half of three consecutive league starts.
As he recovered from shoulder problems and appeared to have a sparkling display against the Olympiacos in the Champions League, the captain was expected to suffer an medial secondary ligament injury to his left knee, and he was expected to spend at least a month on the sidelines.
Between this international break and the window in November, Mikel Arteta’s team faces Premier League Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland, facing Champions League Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague, and EFL Cup tie Brighton.
For most of these fixtures, especially when Diego Simeone’s Corconeros visits north London, the gunners are Kryptonite, a low block, so Arteta must fill in the creative blank in the absence of Ødegaard in Arsenal’s new Mesatt Özil.
The impact of MesutÖzil at Arsenal
In Fabrizio’s post-Romano era, it is difficult to outline the excitement that Özil’s move to Arsenal brought about.
Upon his arrival, the Germans had a major impact in North London, providing countless assists and scoring goals on a regular basis.
mesuutÖzil Arsenal Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
season | the goal | assist |
2013/14 | 7 | 14 |
2014/15 | 5 | 8 |
2015/16 | 8 | 20 |
2016/17 | 12 | 15 |
2017/18 | 5 | 14 |
2018/19 | 6 | 3 |
2019/20 | 1 | 3 |
total | 44 | 77 |
Statistics through the Transfer Market | ||
Özil was at his absolute best in 2015/16 and 2016/17, and was his absolute best in the tally of 19 Premier League assists in previous campaigns that Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne have improved so far.
The German will be remembered forever as Arsenal’s Assist King, a key figure in the FA Cup trio.
Who can forget that goal for Rudgoletto in the Champions League? Or his trademark finishes against Liverpool, bouncing the ball back onto the grass, passing the bewildered goalkeeper.
German power and body language have been questioned towards the end of his career, but it is rare to dispute how magical he was on his day.
So, now, fast forward to today, can one of Arsenal’s summer signatures have a similar effect if it was unleashed by Arteta?
Arsenal’s new creative star
After Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield in August, Arteta was widely criticized for deploying Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino.
However, recently Eveletti Eze has been centrally deployed in Newcastle. Then we started tandem with Ødegaard over the weekend.
So now, Eze has to give this team key, as Ødegaard is set up to spend long periods on the sidelines. Considering Gunners’ upcoming opponents, it should unfold from the middle as he is the only guy who can solve creativity issues.
Following his dramatic victory at St. James Park, Arteta admitted he was at his best when England International took advantage of its centre, saying, “We have his strengths, especially when there is a threat around him.”
Meanwhile, on his arrival, hijacking Tottenham’s move, sports director Andrea Berta labeled Eze as “a creative and explosive talent with a huge technical quality,” but Arteta noted that given him being a “strong and exciting player,” he would bring a “new dimension” to his team.
The 27-year-old has only played for his new club eight times, but has already shown his quality, creating this sublime assist in halt when he scored his first goal against Portvale in the Carabao Cup, saving Gabriel Martinelli from a draw against Manchester City.
So, as already outlined, Arsenal’s next seven matches will mostly be against teams who will sit deep and challenge gunners to break them.
So giving eze freedom to roam around the center and create could be key to fighting this, especially considering both left-wing options Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
Eze’s arrival is perhaps the most exciting team over the Germans, as signing Arsenal supporters have returned in 2013, and he may be the player leading Arsenal to that elusive Premier League title.
