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Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Arsenal get Saliba and White reminder, Odegaard's nickname as Tielemans sets transfer condition

The March international break entered somewhat of a lull period following Saturday's fixtures and with players set to report back to their clubs this week, it's the perfect time to assess how the break has affected Arsenal so far.

Not every member of Mikel Arteta's first-team squad was initially selected for duty when the respective squads were announced just under a fortnight ago, but Aaron Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka and Nuno Tavares are among those who have returned home earlier than expected.

Certainly, in the cases of the latter pair, they've been given extra time to recover from a positive Covid-19 test and an unspecified injury respectively to be available for selection against Crystal Palace next Monday, whilst Ramsdale can use this period to step up his own rehabilitation after missing the 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

READ MORE: Flo Balogun makes Arsenal admission as striker names one area Middlesbrough loan has improved

But what about the players who are representing their countries, whether it be for crucial World Cup, U21 European Championship qualifiers or friendly matches? Well, football.london takes a look at four things learned about the March international break so far for Arsenal.

Saliba and White can play in the same side

In truth, many Arsenal fans - and most likely Arteta - knew of this before the international break got underway. In William Saliba, Benjamin White and Gabriel Magalhaes, the Gunners will have a strong group of central defenders next season if the decision is made to keep the Frenchman at the club.

But with Saliba being urged by ex-Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit to seek guarantees of regular game time before committing his future to the club, there has been chatter about whether or not he can break up the White-Gabriel partnership that has provided the platform for a top-four push.

The Gunners being in Europe next season would make that easier given the extra number of games, and the international break has outlined how Arteta can, in particular, get White and Saliba in the same side.

White, a late addition to England's starting XI in their 2-1 win over Switzerland started as a right-sided centre-back (RCB) in a back three and finished it playing as a right-back, whilst Saliba made his France debut in the middle of a back three after replacing Manchester United's Raphael Varane in the second half.

As a result, Arteta could use White as an RCB alongside Saliba and Gabriel in a back three next season, or ask the £50m signing from Brighton last summer to operate as a full-back. Having three very good central defenders shouldn't be a problem - just ask the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.

Goals, goals, goals

Very soon, the top-four race will come to the fore once again. Arsenal currently have the advantage with a three and four-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United respectively, and there's the added bonus of playing a game fewer than their two immediate rivals.

But following Spurs' rapid improvement over the past month, goal difference could be the deciding factor come the end of the season. Whilst the Gunners have a +13 GD, it's only two better than their north London rivals who have recently racked up a couple of big wins over Leeds United and Everton.

Of the teams in the top eight places in the Premier League table, only Wolves (31) have scored fewer goals than Arsenal (44) so far this season and they'll need to respond to Spurs' improvement with one or two big statement wins of their own within the next eight weeks or they could risk missing out on Champions League if both teams finish level on points.

Luckily for the Gunners, there are signs that players are gearing up for a big end to the season. Kieran Tierney, Martin Odegaard and Nicolas Pepe were all on target for their respective nations, whilst Gabriel Martinelli looked very sharp during a Brazil training session. If the quartet can transfer this form at club level after the international break to get Arsenal firing, the better it will be for their hopes of finishing in the top-four come the end of the season, especially as Spurs apparently have the easier run-in on paper.

Odegaard's new nickname

Speaking of Odegaard, many supporters have been invested in how he's getting on with the Norway national team during the break - and not necessarily just because of him. Instead, Erling Haaland has been the main source of attention with the striker being a dream signing for many.

Ahead of the 2-0 win over Slovakia - where both players were on the scoresheet - one Arsenal fan had a brilliant theory that Haaland will be joining the club this summer because he was wearing red and white slippers. Of course, it's a deal that seems highly unlikely, but some supporters are refusing to throw in the towel just yet.

Now following the friendly, a new nickname for Odegaard has been coined on Reddit - 'Agent O' with many thinking the Norway captain is laying the groundwork for a reunion at club level after an image of the pair sitting side-by-side in the changing room emerged online.

Tielemans sets transfer condition

The international break has also provided an opportunity for Arteta, Edu and supporters to learn more about potential, and perhaps more realistic, new signings ahead of the summer transfer window. One of them is Youri Tielemans who has been tipped for a move to the Emirates Stadium.

With 16 months remaining on his Leicester City contract, the Foxes could be forced into a sale this summer otherwise they risk losing the midfielder for free or at a cut-price deal at some point in 2023. And when speaking on Belgium duty, Tielemans effectively set out the conditions for his next move.

"I don't worry about it," he told Het Laatste Nieuws. "I want to get the most out of myself this season and finish as high as possible with the team. "Of course I want to play in the Champions League, like any footballer. Am I ready for a European top club? I'm ready to get the best out of my career. We'll see what happens next summer, or the summer after that."

Arsenal are certainly on course to meet Tielemans' conditions as matching Tottenham's results in the last 10 games of the season will mean Champions League football will be back on the menu at the Emirates for the 2022/23 campaign.

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