Arsenal’s Premier League weakness presents huge opportunities

Ready to rock and roll for the 17 Premier League matches to come, the glaring weakness at Arsenal is undoubtedly one of squad depth.

As much as it may become their achilles heel between now and the rest of the season, should all go well then it could also be their strength: less disgruntlement over squad omissions and a tighter-knit bond.

Allowing six players to leave in the January transfer window dropped Arsenal down to a first team squad of just 21 players including three goalkeepers.

With the Premier League allowing matchday squads to remain as 20-man groups for the 2021/22 campaign, and thus being able to field nine substitutes, a tiny amount of number crunching will conclude that Arsenal can take their entire first team squad to every Premier League match for the whole season with the exception of one goalkeeper.

Arsenal’s Premier League weakness presents huge opportunities for academy players as Mikel Arteta’s 21-man squad has openings for inclusion

It’s a worrying aspect in many ways, but also a huge opportunity for others.

Should even just one of those players be unavailable for whatever reason it opens the door for the flood of exciting young academy stars in the group to be involved.

The standout name to be in the reckoning will be Charlie Patino. Marking his senior debut with a goal against Sunderland in the Carabao Cup, he has since been involved in two Premier League squads against Norwich and Burnley.

In case of a player being unavailable he will step in, although if it were someone like Rob Holding, or example, then Omar Rekik will be eyeing his own inclusion in a senior matchday squad for the first time considering he is effectively now the fourth choice central defender, excluding Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Elsewhere there are other midfielders pining for involvement, such as Miguel Azeez who surprisingly didn’t get secure another loan move away in the January window. Having been recalled from his Portsmouth spell and being expected to move out again, any failing on the club’s part to find that move presents him with a chance to come in.

There are other exciting names like Omari Hutchinson and Mika Biereth who will be looking at the forward areas and waiting patiently should an opening come up, while the more forward-thinking of the midfielders, Salah-Eddine Oulad M’Hand, who operates as a No. 8, has every chance of getting a call-up.

Of course, as much as the youngsters will be chomping at the bit, the fact that they are so close to the Premier League squad highlights how weak Arsenal are depth-wise.

But, when the top four is wrapped up with two games to spare it won’t matter, will it?