In the first 2 matches in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta used 3 unchanged starting players: Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Declan Rice. In general, this trio played well and did not make any major mistakes.
Against Coventry, Odegaard attacked well with Rice as a support to cover the entire back. Lewis-Skelly played maturely and played the role of a shield for the defense. Not only that, he also had 19 passes into 1/3 of the opponent's field in the Coventry destruction. In the away match against Aston Villa, this young star still played maturely and left great faith with his coach.
Arteta also has Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and Bruno Guimaraes. 2 of these 3 factors are current EURO and World Cup champions, the other also just had 4 assists for Brazil at the 2026 World Cup recently.
In the times they were brought onto the field, all 3 showed impressive performances. Merino skillfully escaped pressing and always kept the ball well for Arsenal. Zubimendi showed a much stronger one-on-one ability than last season. Bruno G combined both of these factors and also had a tendency to pass the ball forward frequently very accurately.
This is the depth Arteta has longed for and now he has it in his hands. Last season, Odegaard and Merino were absent for many periods due to injuries. Then came Eze's case when the English midfielder once had a period when he was not scheduled to start in any match from rounds 17 to 25 in the Premier League last season.
The highlight in this arrangement is Myles Lewis-Skelly. The 19-year-old young star started playing as a midfielder from last season and he has performed well enough to continue to be trusted by Arteta. The ability to receive the ball in a rotating position, escape pressing and confidently dribble the ball makes him a unique factor.
In the Community Shield match, Lewis-Skelly started alongside Bruno G, followed by 2 starts with Rice in the Premier League. The rotation of position changes between Lewis-Skelly and Bruno G playing alongside Odegaard has helped Arsenal's midfield have diversity that Man City cannot read.
Now it will be the problem of considering choosing Arteta's starting trio against Chelsea. In the match against Villa, Bruno G came on for a few minutes and showed readiness after a minor injury sustained in the English Super Cup. However, Rice will not be ready to sit on the bench as he has a stable physical foundation.
Chelsea's 3-4-2-1 formation only needs 2 central midfielders. Therefore, they may be willing to give up ball control and focus on deploying attacks to both wings. This puts Arteta in front of a difficult problem with 2 issues to be solved.
If Chelsea agrees to let Arsenal hold the ball, who are the best options to perform the "Gunners"' sharp cross-line passes? Besides, who will be fit enough to cover the wing area when starting from the central midfielder position?
The answer is that both Lewis-Skelly and Bruno G have shown their willingness to make through-the-line passes. That is how Myles Lewis-Skelly assisted Riccardo Calafiori in the match against Man City. Meanwhile, Bruno Guimaraes also once launched quick passes from the lower line to give the ball to Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka to penetrate the space behind the opponent's defense in their substitutions. The Brazilian international was Newcastle's best passing player last season. He himself made up to 6 through-the-line passes in just 19 minutes of playing at Villa Park earlier this week.
Bruno Guimaraes promises to bring a new look to Arsenal's midfield when playing regularly as a starter. This reminds of the image of Michael Essien who helped Chelsea win 2 consecutive EPL titles after joining the team in 2005.
Recent matches between Chelsea and Arsenal have not disappointed fans. This time, Arteta may surprise Alonso with the trio Lewis-Skelly - Bruno G - Odegaard this weekend.
