Arteta’s youthful Arsenal selections indicate vital shift

The contrast for Arsenal from Liverpool at Anfield to Newcastle at home is one of the greatest gulfs in approach and quality that any team can face in the Premier League this season.

Losing 4-0 was, somewhat, expected, just as winning 2-0 without ever being in any real danger was the generally accepted result prior to Saturday’s kick-off.

Therefore team selection would be an interesting point of discussion for Mikel Arteta with two key elements to factor in: fielding a team capable of winning and maintaining confidence levels in certain individuals.

The big calls were around Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares, two players who made glaring errors against Liverpool in what easily labels as their worst moments to date since joining the club in the summer.

Mikel Arteta’s youthful Arsenal selections indicate a shift from short-term to long-term thinking after Premier League win over Newcastle

Such situations call for detailed man-management: do you take the pair out of the firing line or give them an immediate chance to respond. While neither would have seen their confidence knocked for six were they left out, the manager was steadfast in his thinkig.

When asked about the selections of both, Arteta was firm in his reasons.

"“If you trust them then you have to trust them and it gives them confidence even after in difficult moments,” he told the Arsenal website. “If not, it’s not real, trust me.“They were given another chance and they’ve done it today because they showed during the week how hurting they were after that defeat and how willing they were to put it right today.”"

Noticeable this season has been revised long-term thinking from the manager. Many of his selections throughout 2020/21 were infuriatingly short-term, choosing the likes of Willian and Mohamed Elneny over those whose futures were more closely connected to the club.

This time around Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been getting the nod over Elneny, for example. Gabriel is the certified starter over Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli came on instead of Nicolas Pepe and the opportunity to take Sambi and Nuno out of the fold was ignored over giving them the platform to respond to their errors.

It comes down to character. When scouting Aaron Ramsdale it was noted that the club looked into how he reacted to mistakes. The recruitment has never been solely about individual quality, with a genuine focus on the individuals’ mental resilience, which Arteta lets the players showcase.

Due to the level of opposition faced this decision became easier, granted, but it demonstrates the direction the manager is looking to make, which was also noticeable in the fact that this was the first time since the late 80’s where Arsenal had fielded a starting lineup in the league with an average age of 24 or under for the tenth consecutive match.

Is such thinking prevalent everywhere? Not yet, as he still feels the need to rely on the experience of his strike duo despite their lack of goal threat in recent weeks.

Fans can see who the manager is building this team around more clearly now. The signings made evidenced that, but to keep giving them the chance to shine even after setbacks leaves no grey area. He’s making the right calls for the future of the team, even if there will be moments where the end result isn’t always the desired one.