MATCH DAY BLOG: TEENAGE PICKS POINT TO YOUTHFUL FUTURE

MIKEL ARTETA HAS MLS AND NWANERI IN THE STARTING 11

Listen, I'm going to say it… yes, I will… you don't need to dare me.

INTERNAL SOLUTIONS

Yeah, that felt rough. But the starting 11 has changed, and Ethan has been given another chance to show he can shine in our starting lineup. The manager started the season assuming he'd be a backup for Odegaard, that didn't work out, so now the idea is that he'll be able to cover for Saka.

No one can complain; lack of playing time for Academy players was an issue last season for people. Now we have two teenagers in the starting 11. Quite incredible when you consider the level.

The thing people might not be noticing is that Arsenal are in a position where they have an extremely good 16 or so players. Most clubs might be tempted to bolster that talent with 28-year-olds like Merino. I'm getting the feeling the push from within is to bring in the academy players and the best and brightest from around the world.

One would assume the thinking is that the very best young kids have a far higher chance of succeeding next to world-class first-team players. That's why I think the likelihood of Arsenal landing Nypan is higher than it is for, say, a City who might be relying on that signing to bring them back to the Premier League if the worst happens.

Arsenal can offer these players first-team pathways and turbocharge their development in a team that is good enough to absorb some of the errors because it's so monstrous on and off the ball.

This is another leg of the SUSTAINABLE football model. The job of an elite club is to make it to the highest level and stay there consistently over a decade. Newcastle and yo-yo-ing will cost them consistent progress. Villa will do the same. Liverpool can handle a monstrous wage bill because they have Champions League broadcast revenue, but also Champions League commercial revenue that is wrapped around everything they do, from kit deals to merchandise sales to higher match-day ticket prices.

Arsenal are back at the top of the game, but we're still 5th when it comes to wages. We don't necessarily need to blow our wage bill out to get back to the top. If we could give our very best players mega deals and supplement those players with the very best teenagers and grow our squad options, we'll be fighting for top-tier trophies every season for a long time.

So, in short, the emergence of super teenagers in our team isn't a bug; it will likely be a feature. Players like Nypan don't need to be sold a vision of how we plan to integrate young players; they can now see it alive and well in a team that is very, very close to perfection.

Ok, short post. Let's enjoy this Wolves game and pray for a win.

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See you in the comments.

WOLVES (A) - ON THE WHISTLE