Pain in the Arsenal
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4 things to watch when Arsenal visit Crystal Palace on Monday night

By Victor Salazar

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal FC scores the first a goal of his team during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on August 5, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal FC scores the first a goal of his team during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on August 5, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /
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Mikel Arteta has said nobody is guaranteed a place in his starting XI. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has said nobody is guaranteed a place in his starting XI. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images) /

2. Arteta: there are no guaranteed starters

No one is guaranteed to be in Arteta’s starting XI: “When we had different goalkeepers there were questions as well. To have two excellent goalkeepers is great – there’s nothing wrong with it. We have two great left-wingers and two great strikers and two great holding midfielders. We have Jorginho, Thomas and Declan and that is not a problem, and it should not be a problem,” the boss said ahead of Monday’s game.

On one hand, I like that he is sending a message to his side and hopefully the breeding of competition makes them better.

On the other hand, I like it when there is a consistent starting XI especially when it comes to the players. Having a familiar sense of what to expect from each other in terms of positioning, passes, and overall feel for the game is vital. But those things can be worked out on the training ground.

Continued on the next slide…

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