Arsenal could tweak their setup slightly when they travel to face Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, as Thomas Partey could feature as the right-back.
Arsenal make the trip to the Amex Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion in a crunch Premier League clash on Saturday, and they will come here without the suspended Jurrien Timber. The right-back’s absence could force Mikel Arteta to make slight tweaks to his system, as Thomas Partey could switch to the right-back slot.
During his pre-match press conference, Arteta provided fitness updates on several players, including Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Ben White. The Gunners boss also touched upon teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri briefly during the questions.
On Ben White and Tomiyasu, Arteta said, “Ben is still a few weeks away, and Tomi again has done some stuff on the pitch, but now, because it’s been a long-term injury, we need to see how quickly he can progress and how he reacts.”
Meanwhile, Rice’s minutes have been managed over the last few games, and this might be a game where he starts. On the midfielder, Arteta said, “In his case especially, he plays so much football. We have nine games in this period this month, and he had some niggles in the last few games. He had to come off, and we have to manage every player, and there are no exceptions.”
Ethan Nwaneri impressed during his first-ever start for Arsenal in the Premier League. When Arteta was asked whether he views the teenager as a direct replacement for the injured Bukayo Saka, he said, “He’s a player that can play in various positions. It’s not a position that he’s played a lot when he was at academy level, but he can adapt to the demands that we have in two or three positions. I think he did really well there.”
Beyond Timber’s enforced absence, Arsenal do not have fresh concerns, although this might be the game where Arteta might have to make tactical alterations. Starting with the right-back slot, in the absence of a natural player suited for that role, Thomas Partey is expected to assume Timber’s role in the Arsenal lineup.
The rest of the back four is likely to remain the same, with William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori starting against Brighton & Hove Albion. Declan Rice could return to the starting lineup in the base of the Arsenal midfield, with Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino operating on either side of the England international.
Nwaneri could be rewarded with yet another start in the right-wing role by Arteta following an impressive performance against Brentford. With Kai Havertz set to be fit again, he may not start this one as Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli complete the frontline for the away side.
Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Nwaneri, Jesus, Martinelli
