ROTATION NEEDED, WILL ARTETA BLINK?

It’s Tuesday, and I’m still feeling pretty good about that Manchester City result. However, the bland punditry surrounding Arsenal this season has put a slight dampener on proceedings. It’s all a little personal, right?

Over-celebrating.

A manager on the sidelines deemed disrespectful.

Having a bit too much fun with the club photographer.

And now, we’re dissecting a clean sheet at the Etihad, the first one in 882 days, as if it’s an insult to the beautiful game? Claiming we lacked ambition? That it wasn’t a serious performance?

When it boils down to it, people are resistant to change, and the change they’re resisting is Arsenal’s return to the top table.

Once we scoop that first glorious Premier League title, this nonsense will cease, and Arteta’s junior standing in the managerial hierarchy amongst pundits will change overnight.

It’s still disheartening for the Arsenal players and coaching staff to be bombarded with so much nonsense after a truly world-class performance.

Furthermore, some of the evaluations regarding individual performances seem lacking. Let’s face it, Manchester City is formidable; they compel you to be flawless with their pressing, they keep you in a constant state of alert, and they have the capability to capitalize on even the slightest errors because they boast some of the best players in the world.

It’s difficult to pinpoint any underperformers when you manage to hold City to a goalless draw and limit them to under 1 expected goal. Passengers cannot exist in games like that. If you have them, you’re dead; it’s as simple as that.

Now, we turn our attention to a new challenge this Wednesday against a Luton side fighting for survival. This match is crucial because three points are expected. The reality of the Champions League demands squad rotation for survival. We can’t afford to stumble into games like Brighton, Villa, and Wolves away. Arteta also needs to give playing time to players who haven’t seen much action: Thomas Partey, Tomiyasu, Zinchenko, and even Fabio Vieira could all play significant roles in the final stretch of the season. If they’re not match-fit, they won’t be of any use to us.

You might notice I haven’t mentioned Timber. Why? Because I’m struggling to fathom how we integrate him into a team that’s hitting its peak. It might not be fair to him, nor worth the risk. Perhaps if he had played a couple of friendlies during the break, but he didn’t, so I’m hesitant to endorse his inclusion… especially considering he doesn’t have much experience in our first team (this is just an educated guess, by the way).

Arteta has been forced into rotation this season, and to some extent, it’s been effective. Despite our outrageous form all season, we’ve had to contend with heavy injuries throughout the year. The true test of rotation lies in how you manage your squad when all your star players are available… but you have to rely on those further down the pecking order.

Could Kiwior come into the midfield? Might we see Tomi at center-back and Cedric at right-back? Apologies, I can’t believe I just suggested that, do forgive me. In midfield, I expect to see Thomas Partey and Jorginho (the Italian hasn’t been worn out by a full season). Our front three might feature Reiss and certainly Trossard and Jesus.

We have plenty of options. Our bench could be very exciting. Whatever happens, our key players need to be out of that starting 11. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some big players dropped from the squad entirely.

Lastly, let’s take a look at this xG table from Understat.com:

Five of the top seven teams have overperformed their expected points by more than 8.9.

City and Arsenal have scored fewer than 5.

Some have questioned the reliability of the xG scores on the website, but regardless of their accuracy, it’s evident that teams significantly overperforming are the ones that have been under scrutiny all season.

The question remains: Are they getting away with it… or are they using wide-open football to outsmart the system?

Is a system that controls every inch of the pitch, like Arsenal and City, superior to the wide-open, high-scoring style of football seen with Spurs and Villa?

I don’t have a definitive answer, and we’ll only find out which style prevails by the end of the season… but let’s make some educated guesses.

United: It’s a blend of outrageous luck and having a squad brimming with individual talent that bails them out even in their worst performances. The system isn’t exemplary. Nor are their future prospects for the next few years.

Spurs: Ange has made positive strides with them. Everything I’ve heard about his vibe over there is promising. However, I’m not sold on his system. It exhausts players, it’s high-risk, and I doubt it will significantly evolve with better players. Plus, the absence of European competition is a factor. More time for coaching, more time for rest, and more time to devise strategies. Ange might find himself figured out next season – and I’m skeptical that Premier League + Europe will work to their advantage (especially if it’s the Champions League).

Liverpool: Klopp’s narrative has propelled them on a wave of euphoria. The last-minute goals, the stroke of luck, combined with individual brilliance, have been remarkable… but once he’s gone, that momentum won’t be sustainable, and a sixth-place finish next year wouldn’t be surprising.

I won’t even delve into Aston Villa, lest I stir up some heated debates among the commenters.

So, what do you think? Let me know in the comments!

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