Arsenal’s depth has been favored this season and they needed it.
Mikel Arteta’s side are at the top of the Premier League, but this season hasn’t been easy in terms of injuries, especially defensively.
Every member of Arsenal’s backline apart from Miles Lewis-Skelly has been injured this term, with Gabriel Magalhães being a notable absentee after missing several weeks in the run-up to Christmas.
Similarly, Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera over the summer. Given the circumstances, they were an invaluable addition.
Having said that, the depth of the club’s squad is quite an issue for many players at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal’s biggest loser in terms of team depth
No supporter or manager will complain that the team has too many options, but it must be difficult for Arteta to keep everyone happy.
Indeed, that has clearly not been the case this season, with Ethan Nwaneri joining Marseille on loan in February after failing to start a single game in the Premier League. It’s a shame considering how he burst onto the scene in 2024/25, but it has to happen.
Lewis-Skelly is another who endured a really difficult campaign. Like Nwaneri, he was one of the biggest stories of last season, with brilliant performances against Real Madrid and PSG, scoring on his debut for England and setting up Erling Haaland’s celebrations by finding the back of the net against Manchester City.
However, despite the arrival of Hincapie and the very impressive Riccardo Calafioli at left-back, he started just one league game. Like Nwaneri, who was currently competing for a spot with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, he has spent most of the season on the bench.
Arsenal’s depth in squad is ruining ‘future captain’
Arsenal has one of the best teams in Europe.
As for Eze, his life hasn’t been all that easy either. The England international has completed a dream move to his boyhood club after signing from Crystal Palace in the summer. A few days after signing, he left the Emirates with a beaming smile on his face. He couldn’t contain his excitement.
Everything seemed to be going well when he scored a brilliant hat-trick in the north London derby against Spurs. Since then, however, his screen time has been limited. He has not started a Premier League game since the 2-1 win over Wolves on December 13.
That may be a little disconcerting, especially considering the form of Martin Odegaard, who is becoming expendable.
Why Martin Odegaard is becoming a salable asset
Odegaard’s rise to soccer greatness is fascinating. He is the very definition of a wonder kid. He made his debut for Norway at the age of 15, and it didn’t take long for him to enter Real Madrid’s annals.
Things didn’t work out for him in the Spanish capital, but he found his place in England and is currently captain of Arsenal.
For many years, the attacking midfielder has been the main creator of this Gunners team. He was a man who made things work, and was rather irreplaceable.
Please think about the 2022/23 season. It was perhaps the freest campaign under Arteta to date, and it was no surprise that Odegaard produced the best numbers of his career.
No midfielder in the Premier League had more than 15 strikes this season. However, since then, there have been no goals scored. Some may point to the captain’s ankle injury last term, but he has certainly lacked conviction in his actions since then.
Still, for a player of his caliber and in his position at a club like Arsenal, he needs to do better. The 27-year-old is currently at the peak of his career, but has only scored one goal this season. He managed only six games last term, three of which were in the top league.
A look at Odegaard’s Arsenal career in numbers | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | commitment to goals |
2021/22 | 40 | 12 |
2022/23 | 45 | twenty one |
2023/24 | 48 | twenty one |
2024/25 | 45 | 17 |
2025/26 | twenty five | 6 |
It was a long time ago that manager Arsene Wenger hailed him as “the young Cesc Fabregas”. “I spoke to him when he was 15 years old,” the great French player said on Norwegian TV in 2023. “I wanted to sign him. Fortunately, he is here now. He is really like a young Cesc Fabregas. I think he has developed into a complete player.”
Odegaard certainly felt like a complete talent a few years ago, but his game hasn’t developed and he’s now being quickly surpassed. Arteta is starting to realize that too. Indeed, against Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, the penny seemed to drop when he was sent off before the hour. He then didn’t even start in the 4-0 win against Leeds.
Eze also doesn’t have much football experience, but it’s certainly time to prioritize him in a role behind the striker. Even Kai Havertz is now advocating that position.
The German has returned to full fitness in great shape and has already formed a considerable partnership with Victor Gokeres. In the 3-2 win against Kairat Almaty, the former Chelsea player fed Gokeres to score the opening goal of the match, and they combined well.
Further complicating matters for Odegaard, Nwaneri will be back in contention next season, with Max Daumann expected to stardom in a favored role in the middle of the park.
The Norwegian could very well become the club’s captain, but the truth is that if he doesn’t improve quickly, manager Andrea Berta will be looking to move him on. Signed for £30m in the summer of 2021, now may be the time to cash in. It feels like Arsenal will never reach the next level unless they have a proper scoring midfielder to play in Odegaard’s position.
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Arsenal beat Sunderland 3-0 and are now at the top of the Premier League with a nine-point difference.
