Arsenal have a golden opportunity to blood Ethan Nwaneri in a Premier League match, with the Gunners dominating Southampton at the Emirates thus far and likely to secure all three points, despite not finding a breakthrough as of yet.
The home side have penned Southampton in for large periods, and limited the Saints to just two shots in the entire 45 minutes, but have failed to convert this pressure into several clear-cut opportunities.
Teenager Nwaneri could provide some additional final third ingenuity, with the starlet impressing off the bench last weekend at home to Leicester City. The Hale End academy graduate made an impression in his short cameo against the Foxes, as well as scoring a brace against Bolton in the EFL Cup the weekend before, and Arteta ought to grant the youngster some meaningful minutes from the start of the second period.
Nwaneri Should Replace Jorginho
He needs minutes to develop
With the likes of Jurrien Timber and Ben White out injured, Arteta has been forced into using Partey at right-back from the beginning this afternoon, tasking the Ghanaian with inverting from the full-back position. As a result, Jorginho has come into the side, deployed in Partey’s usual deep-lying midfield role.
Aside from a few delightful intricate balls in and around the penalty area, the Italian has struggled to influence proceedings, and thus Arsenal are lacking creative flair in the final third. To give the North Londoners fresh impetus in attacking areas, Arteta should look to 17-year-old Nwaneri.
The youngster would offer greater movement into the box, direct dribbling and would provide Saka with another midfield option to combine with. Rice can drop deeper with Jorginho coming off, while Havertz can switch over to the left-hand side of Arsenal’s midfield, his more natural and threatening side.
With Arteta’s team dominating possession and territory, a goal is likely to come, and the Spaniard can afford to sacrifice some midfield stability for extra threat in forward areas.
Jorginho’s struggles are reflected in his poor statistics from the half. The veteran midfield metronome won one of his three ground duels, zero of one aerial duel and failed to complete his only attempted long ball. The 31-year-old looks lacking in match fitness, and should thus be replaced at the interval.
| Arsenal vs Southampton Half-Time Statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Stat | Southampton |
| 69% | Possession | 31% |
| 14 | Shots | 2 |
| 1 | Shots on Target | 1 |
| 8 | Corners | 0 |
Partey ‘Expected To Stay’ Until Summer
The midfielder’s contract expires in 2025
Another player who could potentially make way for a more attacking option is Partey, who has played a crucial role in Arteta’s side so far this season. The former Atlético Madrid man has been linked with a return to Diego Simeone’s team, while he’s also been mooted as a target for Barcelona in the January window.
However, Fabrizio Romano has dispelled these rumours, claiming Partey is expected to remain at the Emirates until the summer. The 31-year-old’s contract is up in June, and it’s understood that the club’s hierarchy will assess whether to offer him a contract extension at that point, although it would appear more likely that he won’t be wearing an Arsenal shirt next season.
