Arsenal: Rampant competition can finally elevate Unai Emery’s squad

Arsenal finally have a squad rife with competition at nearly every position. It is a real advantage that can drive the Unai Emery forwards.

On Tuesday night, Unai Emery deployed a youthful team to kickstart Arsenal’s Carabao Cup campaign. While playing a Championship side in the early rounds of a lesser competition is usually not the type of fixture that gets the blood pumping, this clash was actually quite enticing from the onset.

Gabriel Martinelli’s first official start for the North London side added spice to the starting XI, and the additions of Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and the now ubiquitous Joe Willock were also a welcomed sight. But by far the most exciting aspect of this seemingly innocuous match was the bolstering of the defence: the return of Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding from long-term injuries alongside the highly-anticipated first inclusion of Kieran Tierney, who also returned from the physio table.

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The Arsenal fans who braved the dreadful London weather were treated to a glorious 5-0 victory. The Gunners were composed and assured throughout the entire game and while the half-time score was only 1-0, it did not truly reflect the Premier League side’s dominance, and once Holding completed the dream comeback game with a thumping headed goal while wearing the captain’s armband, Nottingham Forest looked well past their breaking point.

What ensued was a late-game flourish that highlighted the quality and variety of Arsenal’s youthful talent, three different scorers of 20 and younger notching late goals. Many will point out that it was ‘only Nottingham Forest’ and that is a valid assertion, but it can also be said that Arsenal’s heavily rotated squad did exactly what was expected of them if not more. Putting a team to the sword as stylishly and comprehensively as the Gunners did was exactly what they needed to do.

Despite coming against lesser opposition, the performance against Forest will undoubtedly give Emery some selection headaches. With a major test against a sputtering Manchester United at Old Trafford on the horizon, there are quite a few players who have propelled themselves into first-team contention over the last few matches.

Granit Xhaka’s position must finally be under scrutiny as Lucas Torreira reprised his role as a defensive midfielder in the Carabao Cup. Of course, it was only Nottingham Forest and they didn’t pose much of a threat, yet the absolute dynamism and steel that Torreira brings to that position are simply unrivalled in the side. The Uruguayan’s passing accuracy is sometimes questionable, but he makes up for that with the fantastic speed and tempo with which he moves the ball. Couple that with an ability to sniff out trouble, read situations well and break up play without fuss and it gives Arsenal a combative platform to spring attacks. Furthermore, Torreira has the ability to cover ground far faster than Xhaka which makes the gap between defence and midfield far smaller. Surely this positional competition has now tipped in favour of the pint-sized pitbull.

Further forward, things are also continuing to evolve. The budding rivalry between Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson is quite interesting. After Saka’s stellar night in Germany and subsequent start against Aston Villa, many fans were dubious over Nelson’s place in the squad. It seemed as though the exciting English prospect was already pipped by one of his younger counterparts. However, to his credit, he showed his quality and distinction against Forest.

Nelson and Saka are similar in many ways such. Their technical acumen, dribbling ability and eye for goal are all comparable. But there are key distinctions in the way they approach the game. While Saka is a player who seems to be able to force issues and take on opponents, Nelson is a bit more of a cerebral player who doesn’t rely on his physical abilities quite as much. Nelson tends to find spaces in the opposition’s final third and squeeze into gaps where he can give himself time on the ball. This was apparent on Arsenal’s first goal when the young Englishman was able to dance around the edge of the box before delivering a beautifully lofted ball for who else but Calum Chambers to fire into the mix with a first-time, volleyed assist. Later on, Nelson once again exhibited an ability to find space when he drifted in behind Martinelli to tuck away yet another lovely cross from Chambers with a smart finish. Nelson seems to be able to find space between the lines rather than burst past defenders like Saka does.

Where Saka is a player who likes to force the issue and provoke a response from a defender in one-on-one situations or tee up shots from outside the box, Nelson is a player with a bit more of a midfielder’s approach to the game and fox-in-the-box instincts. Watching these two players push each other will be an exciting storyline this season. With Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both gone, both have the opportunity to now cement themselves as first-team regulars.

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Joe Willock, meanwhile, has pushed himself to the front of the midfield queue. The youngster, who just extended his contract at the Emirates, is proving that the hype is warranted. With an Aaron Ramsey-like ability to score goals from midfield, a thunderous running style reminiscent of, dare I say, Patrick Vieira, as well as a dedication to the defensive side of the game (three tackles and four interceptions against Nottingham Forest), Willock is turning into the all-around midfielder Arsenal fans have been crying out for.

With Matteo Guendouzi’s storming performances in the league and Willock’s mercurial rise, players like Dani Ceballos and Mesut Ozil are no longer the only players who can lay claim to Arenal’s more advanced midfield roles.

And then there is Emiliano Martinez. He has not yet done quite enough to unseat Bernd Leno as Arsenal’s number one, but the German should be wary. Martinez has produced some seriously impressive appearances in the last week or so. The Argentine is emanating an aura of calm confidence behind the back four, and that’s saying a lot considering Shkodran Mustafi has started twice ahead of him. Martinez has been the rock in the cup competitions so far. A dip in form from Leno could see the former Reading loanee finally get a run in the first-team.

Gabriel Martinell’s impressive brace in his first full start for the club shows that the 18-year-old Brazilian attacker has some serious talent. When Alexandre Lacazette returns to the fray, he will undoubtedly become the second-choice striker again and Martinelli might find himself shunted wide, even in cup games, but the Frenchman isn’t the player Martinelli is in direct competition with. Somewhere in Leeds, Eddie Nketiah will surely have an eye on Martinell’s development as both players will be vying for the same minutes over the next few seasons. When Tyreece Johns-Jules and the prolific Folarin Balogun are added to the mix, the future of Arsenal’s strike corps is bright but crowded.

Finally, there is the defence. Calum Chambers is Arsenal’s in-form player with a crucial goal and three assists in 135 minutes of action. He seems to have gained a great deal of confidence from his loan spell at Fulham, where he was, of course, voted the Player of the Season. Playing Chambers at centre-back might actually be stunting the impressive 24-year old’s creative ability, but at the moment, he is surely due a start somewhere on the pitch. And until Bellerin is back, he might be needed at right-back with Ainsley Maitland-Niles struggling for form. With Rob Holding now back in fold too, Emery has two obvious centre-half options to turn to should the madness that David Luiz and Sokratis have been producing in recent weeks continue.

Everywhere you look on this Arsenal team there is a positional battle occurring. And not just for the present, but the future as well. William Saliba’s arrival and Konstantinos Mavropanos’ rehabilitation is another factor to take into account in the coming seasons, as is the continued development of a whole host of gifted young players who have the ability to make their mark at the senior level.

If Emery can harness this competitive atmosphere, Arsenal may be able to push towards relatively lofty heights throughout his tenure. As is well-known, inner-squad competition is vital for teams to progress and compete at the highest level. And for the first time in a long time, Arsenal have it in spades.