Arsenal wrongly debating Cedric over Calum Chambers

Arsenal have a lot to do. Quite a substantial amount of work and the time to complete all of it within a beneficial period is depleting. Right-back is the least noteworthy of all those areas to tend to, and it’s left two players licking their lips.

There are a few areas of the pitch for Arsenal that have certified starters. When fit, Bukayo Saka, Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey are the three first names on the team sheet. Emile Smith Rowe is part of that group but that could change depending on arrivals, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, despite the criticism, will also start every week under Mikel Arteta.

Elsewhere it’s anyone’s game. Anyone’s game, that is, if more additions are made.

As the window moves on and the issues become clearer, right-back looks like being a straight two-way battle between Cedric and Calum Chambers.

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Arsenal wrongly debating Cedric Soares over Calum Chambers as Mikel Arteta looks unlikely to sign right-back in summer transfer window

Plenty of time remains to sign a new right-back, one that may not even come into consideration until Hector Bellerin’s protracted move to Inter meets an amicable conclusion, but it looks like being a position left untouched. Bellerin was nowhere to be seen against Millwall.

That speculation has some legs to it with football.london reporting that Cedric is in contention of starting away at Brentford on the opening day of the season having impressed Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff throughout pre-season training.

Well, with only two players for the position, it’s not exactly the biggest revelation.

However, given he was frozen out of the team by Arteta at the end of last season, not coming off the bench in any of the final ten fixtures in all competitions, it’s a marked improvement. Pushing for a starting berth shows a level of professionalism in his attitude and work rate to have not battened down the hatches for a bench warming campaign.

Any player who willingly joins a club knowing they will be a backup option comes with an element of risk attached. Sufficing for a bit-part role even under the guise of a possible number one slot, their mentality does come into question.

Now, with the potential to assert himself on the first choice berth at the club with it growing less likely that a new right-back will be signed, should it be Cedric to start against Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League?

No. But also yes. Sometimes.

Continued…