When Martin Ødegaard limped off from Norway’s 2-1 win over Austria in early September, we feared the worst. How would we cope, after all, with one of the best playmakers and chance-creators we’ve had since Özil and one who, at his best, was starting to remind us of none other than Dennis Bergkamp? Well, we’ve done just fine if winning away to Tottenham, drawing away to Man City, and winning at home over PSG offer any indication. What gives? Ødegaard is one player for whom we lack a direct replacement.
Havert’z Resurrection
For one, Havertz’s emergence as a centre-forward who can also drop deeper to offer some playmaking responsibilities has been key. Dropping deep to offer some hold-up play has allowed him to take advantage of some superb movement off the ball, vision, and passing abilities. He can receive the ball with his back to goal and lay off for an on-rushing Martinelli, Trossard, or Saka—and then make a late run into the box to finish, as he’s been doing with some degree of alacrity of late, having scored in our last four. It’s not just the scoring, however; his ability to distribute from a kind of false-nine role means that he can create chances from deeper positions. The only wonder really is that he hasn’t claimed more assists. Still, his resurrection from the first half of last season is remarkable. I don’t think many of us predicted that he would pick up from where he left off. Even fewer of us would have predicted that he’d build on his form from the second half of last season.
Saka’s assault on the assists record…
Saka now has seven Prem assists in as many matches, setting him on pace for a preposterous 38 assists, almost doubling Thierry Henry’s 2002-03 record of 20. Entire defenses have devoted two and sometimes three players to denying Saka a clear shot on goal, and, to a degree, this has worked as Saka has scored just twice in those seven matches. However, for as young as he is, he’s learned to adapt to opportunity. If his mere presence with the ball on the edge of the 18 draws a second or a third defender wide, this means that there are fewer defenders obstructing the goal itself. Yes, Saka has notched several assists from corners, but he’s also creating from open play as he lures defenders out of position. He seems to have formed a symbiotic relationship with Havertz, having assisted three of the German’s four goals.
Arteta eschewing philosophy for pragmatism
In Arteta’s first few years, we sometimes saw a dogmatic, inflexible approach to pure philosophy despite lacking the players needed to impose that philosophy. This season, though, Arteta has shown a new willingness to concede possession to opponents, especially when
Generally speaking, Arteta’s Arsenal prefers to dominate possession, control the match’s tempo, and overwhelm the opposition defense to win matches. Despite this, Arteta is pragmatic and understands that it is best to sacrifice the possession battle in favor of winning the match. Arsenal’s 2-0 win against PSG in the Champions League is a perfect example of this pragmatism. To whit, Tottenham kept 63.7% possession but lost. Man City kept 77.2% possession but barely escaped with a draw that they know they didn’t deserve. It makes sense to concede possession on the road. That we did the same at home to PSG, who kept 64.9% possession but lost 2-0, shows a new-found maturity and pragmatism in our young manager. He’s learning to care more about results than about process.
It’s one thing to stubbornly insist on sticking to one’s values when one has amassed a squad of players who each rank among the top five or ten in the world at their positions. Arteta has come to understand that such a purist’s position is only attainable through the shadiest of business dealings. Instead of such dealings, he’s adjusted his tactics to the players he has available and has tasked them with taking on different roles. We’re undefeated after two of what were our toughest fixtures—away to Tottenham and to Man City (and should feel furious that we only claimed four points when it should have been all six).
For as excited as we may be about the potential growth of young players such as Ødegaard or Saka or Havertz or Martinelli or Saliba, let’s recognise that we should be just as excited if not more so about the potential growth of our young manager. Arteta is already among the best managers in Europe right now, and he’s still learning and growing and evolving. He’s figured out how to cope with the long-term absence of a key player, adjusting tactics and asking players to take on new roles and responsibilities.
If he can react so successfully to the long-term absence of a player such as Ødegaard, that bodes very, very well for his future. Remember how injuries to Saliba and Partey derailed previous campaigns? Those perhaps reflected Arteta’s own naïveté as well as the scant resources he had to call upon. Gone or at least fading away is that naïveté; gone or at least fading away is that notion that he has scant resources to call upon.
Players are answering the call. It’s not just Havertz and Saka evolving. Nwaneri has stepped up. Trossard and Martinelli have looked increasing incisive. Rice has picked up from where he left off. There is serious competition at left back and right back with Timber and Calafiori making a case to join the first team on a regular basis. We may not ever reach the squad-depth that Man City can boast; then again, we may not ever face 115 charges. ‘Twixt the two, and given the growth we’re seeing, we have cautious reason for optimism.
Just think of what we might be capable of once Ødegaard is back…
