Arsenal vs Wolves: 4 interesting selection decisions for Arteta

The break in matches for Arsenal has been an arduous slog for supporters and players alike, with the gap between Brentford and Thursday’s clash with Wolves satisfyingly shorter.

An 18-day hiatus from competitive action was finally brought to an end when Mikel Arteta’s side secured a battling 1-0 win over Bruno Lage’s side at Molineux, before another nine day wait took place before dispatching the Bees.

Both wins were secured by small margins but nobody can begrudge Arsenal for claiming all the spoils. Largely in control at Molineux until the red card, the 2-1 scoreline against Brentford heavily flattered the visiting side.

February rounds off with another showdown against Wolves in just a fortnight, in what is another big clash with top four permutations.

Arsenal vs Wolves: 4 interesting selection decisions for Mikel Arteta to make in Thursday’s Premier League clash

Since losing to Arsenal Lage’s side have secured back-to-back wins over Tottenham and Leicester, results that have kept them well in the hunt for their first ever taste of Champions League football. As for Mikel Arteta’s side, it’s all about taking it one game at a time.

Results around them are unavoidable, as much as the focus needs to be on what is within their control.

The rest of the Premier League’s top four chasers will be watching intently on Thursday’s Emirates Stadium clash as it will directly impact their aspirations, while Arsenal fans will be watching on intrigued to see who Arteta opts to select in his team.

There is only so much wiggle room in the starting lineup on account of the small size of the squad, but still there are four interesting selection calls for the manager to at least ponder – the fans sure are in discussion over a few – for the visit of the side directly below them in the table.

1. Gabriel Martinelli at Centre-Forward

A change that many are craving. Barring Eddie Nketiah – who won’t be mentioned in this – Gabriel Martinelli has the most recognisable No. 9 traits in the entire squad. Perhaps even more so than Nketiah.

Arsenal have someone on their books with aggressive movement, smart positional awareness, and who actively seeks to create danger. In terms of his physique there have been considerable improvements – one need just look at the difference since he joined compared to Nicolas Pepe – and he’s bursting full of confidence this season unlike the other centre-forwards at the club.

Lacazette looked down in the dumps against Brentford. His touch evaded him, he struggled to complete simple passes and self-belief appeared to drain from him with each minute.

Martinelli has natural finishing ability, can play inside or outside and will stretch defences centrally in a way that Lacazette doesn’t. If Arsenal lump as many crosses into the box as they did against Brentford it makes even more sense for Martinelli to be in there.

How long can Arteta go on keeping one of Martinelli and Smith Rowe out of the team? Having both in the equation is an increasingly enticing option. But, of course, Arsenal are set up to play with Lacazette. His profile, while flawed, is the one that this team uses to bounce off, connect the dots and build in wide areas.

It’d be a big call.

Continued on next page…

2. Emile Smith Rowe at Centre-Forward

How do you keep both Martinelli and Smith Rowe in the team if you don’t play the former at No. 9? You swap them around, of course.

In terms of profile the pair offer different attributes to one another. While they both have a solid technical level, can play inside and out and make clever out to in runs, Smith Rowe would suit the false nine role Lacazette plays more suitably.

Growing up playing as a No. 10, it’s also the position he prefers. What Lacazette does in this team is effectively operate at the tip of midfield diamond, almost more of a No. 10 than a false nine, and it’s a role Arteta firmly believes Smith Rowe can play.

"“I think he can play in four positions,” Arteta said of the 21-year-old. “As a left winger, a left attacking midfielder, a right attacking midfielder and he can play as a nine, very, very well.”"

Were he to make the call it would be a brave one. Arsenal have got to where they are with Smith Rowe out on the left for large spells with Lacazette through the middle, and making the change now for a huge clash in the top four race would be another of his risky moves to break the status quo.

He’s obviously considered it, though.

Continued on next page…

3. Choosing One of Emile Smith Rowe or Gabriel Martinelli

Aside from the above there is also an interesting discussion to be had over returning to the 4-3-3 that was used earlier in the season when Granit Xhaka was unavailable.

Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard playing as duel No. 8/10’s didn’t work previously, but Arsenal have improved tremendously with their shape in and out of possession and watching Xhaka as the left-sided No. 8 does make you wonder whether that’s a role waiting for Smith Rowe.

But Xhaka out of the team? Much less likely than Lacazette out of the team.

What is a big selection call for Arteta is whether to bring Martinelli back into the fold ahead of Smith Rowe out on the left. Competition is clearly very healthy for both of them and he’s got a welcome headache to deliberate over between now and Thursday.

After a superb showing from Smith Rowe against Brentford, one capped off with a crucial second half goal, can you leave him out for Thursday?

It’s a fascinating call to make. On the one hand Smith Rowe has taken his opportunity to impress and now should keep his spot, as per competition, while equally there is a reason that Martinelli wrestled his way into the starting lineup for all those matches.

Arteta’s biggest call.

Continued on next page…

4. Takehiro Tomiyasu or Cedric Soares at Right-Back?

When Arteta revealed prior to the Molineux clash that Takehiro Tomiyasu had been ‘training hard’ and was in contention, there was a collective sigh of relief. Alas, he didn’t even make the squad, and panic set in.

But there turned out to be no need to. Cedric had a fine game in his absence, playing a crucial role in the Gunners keeping a clean sheet and securing the three points.

His one solid performance of the season came at the right time. But then there was another one, this time against Brentford, when Tomiyasu wasn’t risked as he stayed on the bench. Where did this come from? Cedric with two excellent outings consecutively? It’s unheard of.

Well now the Japan international is definitely back fit and firing having had plenty of recovery time, so a decision is there to be made.

Given how Tomiyasu has been one of the signings of the season across the whole Premier League this season, coupled with his outstanding aerial ability which will come in handy against Wolves, there is surely no debate over whether he comes back into the side, regardless of Cedric’s mini resurgence.

Right?

Well, we say this, but one Nuno Tavares kept everyone’s pick for captain, Kieran Tierney, out of the team for a number of weeks. Arteta rewarded form then, might he do so again?

There is form and then there is recency bias. Tomiyasu has to play.