Arsenal and Arteta profit from return of senior stars

Finally, something to be happy about Arsenal fans. Wednesday night’s 6-0 win over a young West Brom side in the EFL Cup has breathed some life into the Gunners’ season. Ironically enough, it came with several senior stars returning to the side.

Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted an impressive hat-trick as he rediscovered his mojo in sensational fashion with two tap-ins and a trademark finish in which he was able to isolate the defender, cut inside, before unleashing a superb curling effort into the net.

A bout of malaria, the illness of his mother, and COVID all add up to a seriously disrupted campaign in what was a difficult season for our captain last year. All of which are extenuating circumstances that contributed to his downturn in form.

Now this season, having already put COVID behind him, hopefully, this is just the start of what is to come from our No.14. If it is, then Arsenal is a different beast going forward.

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Arsenal and Mikel Arteta profit from return of senior stars in thumping West Brom win as Aubameyang, Odegaard, and Saka turn on the style

His partner in crime Alexandre Lacazette also made his return in the second half and looked sharp from the get-go and sealed his comeback with a well-taken goal. It is no secret that Arsenal struggled for goals in the opening two games and with Aubameyang and Lacazette now back and with minutes under their belt, it can only be positive with neither looking like moving on this summer.

Then there was Martin Odegaard, who some fans were not all that keen on returning, showing exactly why he was signed for what, technically, equates to £9m given Joe Willock’s £25m sale to Newcastle. His composure in possession and his ability to craft that little extra bit of space proved pivotal.

Always wanting the ball and constantly attacking in possession, while it is only one game, Odegaard is what we have been missing.

Numerous times against West Brom it was the subtle things that stood out. The drop of a shoulder to get past a defender and as we saw in the build-up to Aubameyang’s second goal, his ability to turn players is something not many Arsenal players have.

Let’s not forget his delightful assist for Bukayo Saka’s goal. It was a thing of beauty and will likely be watched on replay thousands of times over. His understanding of space and knowing when to play in a teammate and when to hold back is another string to his bow.

It was his first run out for some time and he picked up right where he left off last season. Considering this was a performance without Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe, that makes it all that much better.

Some will point at the level of opposition that Arsenal faced and while there is some merit to that, the fact is, Arsenal looked like a team with its groove back.

It is only one game, but the (eventually raised) tempo of passing, willingness to overlap and player movement were all indicative of a side that got some much-needed confidence back. To score six goals and keep a clean sheet (kudos Aaron Ramsdale) is just what the doctor ordered for Mikel Arteta.

Does the result buy him time? No, it doesn’t, but what it does do is allow an insight into how the team can play when it is not ravaged by injuries. The next stretch of Premier League games will ultimately decide Arteta’s future, one would think.

Add in Thomas Partey, Gabriel, White, Emile Smith Rowe, and Kieran Tierney to the team and suddenly Arsenal looks a better proposition for the season ahead. The Gunners were expected to beat West Brom and they did it at a canter.

Seeing goals and free-flowing football was refreshing after a dismal start to the season and with Manchester City up next, our newfound confidence will be put to the ultimate test.