When talking about preparing for the match against Tottenham in the fourth round of the Premier League, Mikel Arteta shared that he did not have much time to sleep. The "Gunners" captain admitted that it took 4-5 days to plan for the North London Derby last weekend. The biggest difficulty for The Gunners was that a series of key players were injured, causing Arteta's original plan to almost go bankrupt.
In such a tight situation and playing away, Arsenal won convincingly with the only goal from Gabriel Magalhaes. That header was no fluke, it was the result of many hours on the training ground. The Brazilian centre-back marked the Gunners' 42nd goal (the most in Europe) from corner kicks, since the arrival of Nicolas Jover - Mikel Arteta's tactical assistant.
Starting from the start was Jorginho, who had only played 90 minutes three times since the start of the year, alongside Jurrien Timber, who had just returned from an ACL injury more than a year ago. There were times when up to four Hale End youngsters were warming up on the sidelines, but in the end everything was fine.
In the pre-match tactical meeting, Arteta asked his players many questions. They all took note seriously and then proposed solutions. The match against Tottenham is when The Gunners must find solutions and cannot be discouraged by the difficulties caused by the lack of resources.
Without Declan Rice, Mikel Arteta was forced to revert to a classic 4-4-2 formation, with Jorginho and Thomas Partey sharing the burden in midfield. In addition, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were assigned to participate in more one-on-one duels. In the middle, Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard had a relatively effective day without stepping on each other's toes.
However, the key to success for the Gunners in this match was still the defense. On a day without Declan Rice, the William Saliba - Gabriel Magalhaes duo suffered many storms. Besides the strong and continuous collision of Jurrien Timber, it was the understanding between all that contributed to keeping David Raya's goal from being breached.
When Havertz, Trossard, Martinelli or Saka could not score, the solution from the defense named Gabriel was called. Arsenal showed that their careful preparation in every situation helped the team achieve results. This is the third consecutive time the Emirates team won on the home ground of their big city rival. Besides maintaining the pursuit with Man City, this victory has great significance.
"Jorginho still trains hard when he's not playing. When asked to play a full 90 minutes, even though he hasn't done it for months, he still does it.
The same thing happened with Timber, who hasn't played a full game in about a year. However, Timber has worked very hard for the club. As for Havertz, he didn't even have much time to prepare before the season started. However, his performance on the pitch was beyond imagination.
Arsenal have strong and experienced players, all of whom are hungry to play and love the feeling of winning. To win the three points, sometimes you have to accept a slightly ugly performance" - Mikel Arteta shared.
Arsenal's early-season schedule is considered the heaviest in the Premier League. In the first 5 rounds, they have to face Aston Villa, Tottenham and then Man City, alternating with the opening match of the Champions League against Atalanta. Having passed the halfway mark with 2 wins, Arsenal are very confident and aiming for as many clean sheets as possible.
This week, when they face Atalanta in the Champions League, Arsenal will need a new game plan to face the Serie A representative - the reigning Europa League champions. If they continue to face difficult problems, Arteta and his team are confident they can find a solution.
