Coach Mikel Arteta always supports owning a large-scale squad. In each match, the Spanish captain often wants to have many options on the bench. That view is clearly shown in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal, but Arteta emphasized that this was a team victory. Arsenal kept a clean sheet and controlled the match well enough so that David Raya did not have to make any saves. More importantly, Arteta could bring Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa onto the field from the bench, thereby maintaining the quality of the squad in the final minutes.
Both Guimaraes and Konsa have Premier League debuts for Arsenal. Guimaraes not starting may be related to fitness issues, while Konsa is also not sure to be suitable to start from the beginning. However, owning such players on the bench gives Arteta more options when the match diễn biến in a disadvantageous direction.
That is the difference in the way Arteta shapes the "Gunners". Instead of putting all resources into an expensive star, he prioritizes allocating budget to upgrade many positions. Besides Declan Rice, Arteta has never spent more than 100 million pounds for a player. Arsenal's approach seems to be to own three contracts worth 50 million pounds instead of a 150 million pound deal.
This strategy creates admirable depth. Arsenal has Victor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino on the bench, alongside Guimaraes and Konsa. 8 reserve players in the midfield area have an average value of over 50 million pounds. Even, the total value of this group is higher than the starting lineup, including two products who grew up from the academy, Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
William Saliba's absence due to injury further fueled Arteta's strengthening of the defense. He admitted The Gunners faced difficulties when losing many players in the defense and needed enough depth to compete in all four competitions. Cristian Mosquera also worried Arteta in the match against Villa, although afterwards this player did not have serious problems.
Mosquera is likely to still start against Chelsea. However, if Arteta feels more secure knowing that Konsa can replace him at any time, that is clear proof of the quality of the squad Arsenal possesses.
Arsenal currently also has many players who can take on many positions. Konsa has the ability to play well as a center-back and right-back. Ben White and Jurrien Timber can also play in similar roles, although Timber is currently injured. Riccardo Calafiori can play left-back or left-sided center-back, while Lewis-Skelly has proven his ability to play as a midfielder.
Guimaraes is also not limited to one position. The Brazilian player can play defensive midfielder or central midfielder. This versatility helps Arteta have more options to adjust the squad without having to change too much tactical structure.
Physical strength, experience and depth help Arsenal reduce weaknesses that have appeared in previous seasons. Arteta's team was criticized for being inexperienced, but the appearance of players like Guimaraes and Konsa is changing that image.
