It’s been an unbelievable season for Arsenal so far this year, and with two games to go, there is a real chance the club could end its two-decade wait for a Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta has created a truly brilliant team that has pushed Manchester City all the way this season, although, based on recent news, the Gunners’ upcoming game against Manchester United could be about to get a lot harder.
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Arteta confirmed that star winger Bukayo Saka is a doubt for the game at Old Trafford.
While it’s not the end of the world for the north Londoners, the Englishman is arguably the most essential player in the team, although there might be a way to solve the problem if he cannot play.
Bukayo Saka’s importance to Arsenal this season
With Arsenal’s impressive campaign this year, several starters could legitimately claim to be their most important player, such as Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, or even Ben White, but it’s impossible to look past Saka.
In his 46 appearances this season, the Hale End superstar has scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists, meaning he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.35 games despite being just 22 years old.
Moreover, he isn’t just the team’s top goalscorer this season; he is also the top assist provider, showing just how essential he is to Arteta’s system. To top it off, he has started 94% of Premier League games in 23/24.
Overall, the Ealing-born sensation is irreplaceable as an individual, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a solution to this problem, a solution that could also give another star some much-needed game time.
The player to replace Saka
The man that could help Arteta solve this problem is Gabriel Jesus, as the former Manchester City ace has previous experience of playing out on the right.
In fact, while there isn’t an enormous amount of data to base too much on, the £265k-per-week star actually has a better rate of return when starting out on the right than in any other position.
For example, in his 24 games on the right, he has scored eight goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averages a goal involvement every 1.33 games. In comparison, he averages a goal involvement every 1.6 games when starting in the middle and every other game when starting on the left.
The 27-year-old “game-changer”, as described by Alan Shearer, would also benefit from more game time as he has been relegated to a bench role in the last few months, with Havertz firmly establishing himself as the number one striker.
Ultimately, with United likely to field a centre-back pairing of Casemiro and Jonny Evans, Arsenal should feel confident with whatever frontline they play with.
However, the prospect of Jesus and Leandro Trossard dancing around the Red Devils’ defence alongside the marauding Havertz should put to bed any concerns Arteta had about missing Saka for this must-win clash.
