Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: 3 mistakes for Arteta to avoid

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the English League Cup third round football match between Arsenal and AFC Wimbledon at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 22, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 26: Albert Sambi Lokonga of Arsenal in action during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 26, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

2. Play Albert Sambi Lokonga With Thomas Partey in Midfield

Would it be catastrophic if Arteta reverted to the 4-1-4-1/4-3-3 system against Palace with Partey in the pivot and Odegaard sitting deeper? Not at all.

If that were the approach taken with 4-3-3 being used to match up against Palace and allowing for an additional behind-the-lines attacking player in Nicolas Pepe, there would be no complaints.

Except one.

Nobody was especially decent against Brighton but Sambi was far from the worse having been asked to slot in at a left-back very often (see: point 1). With Xhaka out for the long term and the Belgian now being handed a clean run at first team involvement, he should be kept in to continue his development.

The Partey and Sambi partnership needs time to mould just as Sambi needs time to continue adjusting to the division, and home matches against opposition with slow central midfielders is prime feeding ground.

Palace will press high and having two press resistant midfielders in midfield is one way to counteract that approach.

More importantly is that Sambi is considered part of the future of this club and with injuries opening the doors for him there is no better time to give him a run of Premier League games where he can either enlighten Arteta to a Xhaka-less team or confirm that he requires more time developing in other less important fixtures.

Play the talent. Trust the talent.

Continued on next page…

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