Arsenal: 3 ways to play Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard & Smith Rowe

3. Keep Playing Lacazette With Someone on Rotation

Far from perfect, Lacazette is still nearly the ideal profile for this group of players to bounce off. He provides the rough and tumble, the sh*thousery, the aggression and the hold-up play in this side. His mastery of the dark arts is a suitable foil and even from an optics point of view there will be some benefit of having the captain of the team operating around the youngsters.

It is a natural human instinct to seek progression. In this team and with this manager that is what Arsenal fans want.

But there is benefit to be had from allowing the players to continue absorbing the current methods and fine-tuning them. With four outstanding talents all vying for positions, this competition is healthy for them and currently producing the performances and results that we’re seeing. For now it’s working. Rather well, too.

Looking across the bench, there is also little else in the way of impact to be had. Against West Ham and Leeds, Smith Rowe was the only one you could reliably call upon off the bench to turn the game if it needed it: Pepe is a forgotten man, Nketiah isn’t a natural wide player and, aside them from, you’ve only really got Sambi Lokonga to come on and add something progressive from midfield.

Having one of Saka, Smith Rowe or Maritinelli to come off the bench is a devastating weapon in reserve in the Premier League. Odegaard could make way from the starting lineup, but of the four is the least likely to make a difference off the bench. He profits from being involved from the off.

So, with so much healthy competition, Arteta may be woe to remove that from the equation – especially with Lacazette in this form and now seeing matches out.

There will, however, come a point where even the manager will want to find solutions to include all four on the pitch at once. They’re a sensational group and are all laying claim to being on the pitch.

What a headache to have, mind you.