After the match against Man City, the Arsenal captain said he could not have predicted that his team could control the ball so much against the opponent.
This is considered a recognition of Mikel Arteta when choosing a safe formation with Merino and Trossard, not breakthrough players like Eze and Saka.
Mikel Arteta tried to correct his mistake by bringing on Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze right after the break. Martinelli's equaliser assisted by Eze sparked debate over why the England star did not start?
Mikel Arteta cited the reasons for managing the competition volume and the lack of appetite for the role of "number 8" that Martin Odegaard often plays. However, this is an unconvincing explanation. Eze could have gone left if he had not been in the centre.
Gary Neville commented: "The ultimate task of a top manager is to bring the most talented players onto the pitch without undermining the solidity of the defence." That statement touched the psychology of Arsenal fans who considered Arteta too perfect.
Arteta firmly denied the comments and said he had a basis. Just two seasons ago, Arsenal set a club record for goals. In addition, Erling Haaland's goal last weekend also came from a situation where 9 Gunners players were on the opponent's wing, a proof that they wanted to press all their might, not play defensively.
However, Newcastle's trip to St James' Park on Sunday will be a real measure. Controlling the ball as much as possible is meaningless if you don't convert the chances into goals.
Newcastle have won 3 more times against Arsenal, while this team only has an average of 36% possession. They, like many other opponents, took the Gunners' limited points as a deadlock against a deep defense.
According to statistics from the beginning of last season, Arsenal is only behind Man City in terms of the face-to-face ratio of "parked buses" defences in front of the goal. This clearly reflects the difficulty in creativity of Arteta and his students when facing a large defense.
In fact, Arsenal has many strengths such as being one of the most solid defenses in Europe, being able to take advantage of formidable set-piece situations. However, creativity in the opening game was a big flaw.
After the first 5 rounds of the 2025-2026 season, they have only scored 4 goals from live ball situations, the lowest rate under Arteta, continuing the downward trend in the last 2 seasons. When the opponent can lock in set pieces, Arsenal always work hard to create opportunities.
The London team is well aware of this problem. Therefore, the summer transfer window saw the addition of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke - players who brought diverse attacks. This trio has shown their own qualities but the explosion has not appeared. Is Arteta at fault for becoming too perfectionist?
It should be placed in the context of the difficult opening match schedule with a trip to Old Trafford, Anfield and then welcoming Man City at the Emirates. In addition, consecutive injuries to Havertz, Jesus or most recently Madueke have also limited the rotation plan. Gyokeres has been overwhelmed at times, while Arteta is still looking to serve the centre-forward.
In that situation, Eze emerged as a special solution. He assisted Gyokeres against Nottingham Forest and was a rare player who dared to make a bold pass for Martinelli against Man City. This is a different factor that few players in the current squad have.
In the match against City, Arteta chose Mikel Merino instead of Eze. The Arsenal captain wanted someone who was good at pressing on the pitch in the hope of taking advantage of the opportunity to put pressure.
However, the reality did not go as planned. Against Newcastle, the likely scenario will be that the "Gunners" have to break the defense to retreat deep, not simply pressing. So what is the reason for Arteta to keep Eze on the bench?
Another victory will give Arsenal 13 points after 6 rounds, completing the 3 most difficult away trips since the beginning of the season. That momentum could become a launching pad for championship ambitions, while dispelling the skeptical atmosphere.
However, it all depends on whether Arteta dares to put faith in creativity and take more risks when letting Eberechi Eze start from the start?
