February turned out to be a mixed month for Arsenal. Defeats against Everton and Manchester City contributed to losing top spot in the Premier League table only to recover that position by recording back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Leicester City.
There was also the rather controversial 1-1 draw at home to Brentford as had Ivan Toney's goal been ruled out, then the Gunners may have been heading into March four points clear of City instead of two. Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta's side are in a good position to end their near 20-year wait to be crowned champions of England.
Of course, the next month won't necessarily be decisive for Arsenal but it could be a defining one. With six games to play across two competitions in the space of 18 days, there's a chance to hold their nerve in the Premier League title race and progress in the Europa League.
READ MORE: Martin Odegaard ready to adapt to ‘two great players’ as Arsenal prepare for Everton decision
So by the time the season pauses for the first international break of the year on March 20, we should have a clearer picture as to what the priority for Arsenal will be in April and May. With that said, football.london takes a look at what's in store over the next month and what items may appear on Arteta's to-do list.
Squad rotation
As mentioned above, six games in just under three weeks means Arteta simply has to make full use of his squad. And a rather kind Europa League round of 16 draw against Sporting Club can effectively allow the Spaniard to rotate heavily whilst keeping his preferred Premier League starting XI intact.
One would expect the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding and Takehiro Tomiyasu to be handed chances from the start whilst a debut for January signing Jakub Kiwior shouldn't be too far away as he can come in for Gabriel Magalhaes as the left-sided defender when the Brazilian needs a rest.
Gabriel Jesus return
When Gabriel Jesus sustained medial ligament damage whilst playing for Brazil at the World Cup back in December and subsequently undergoing surgery, the best-case scenario was that he would be available for selection again in February. Obviously, that's not been the case but fans' patience should soon be rewarded.
This is because football.london understands Arsenal are hopeful of having the 25-year-old back in the squad before the international break. Now, it's unlikely he will be in contention to face Everton on Wednesday night or Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon but there are four more fixtures for a return.
Read more about Gabriel Jesus' return right here.
Contract announcements
2023 has already seen Gabriel Martinelli and Mohamed Elneny sign new contracts at Arsenal. Next in line is Bukayo Saka as football.london understands the winger has revealed his intention to stay in north London as the club close in on tying down their star player to a fresh deal.
After Saka, the plan, as revealed by Arteta, is to secure William Saliba's future: "We want to keep our best players. The players we are developing," the Spaniard said. "That's what we have to do, that's our responsibility. To keep our best players, our best people. Those that have the same aims and same purposes as the club."
If Arsenal can get these deals wrapped up in March not only will a double announcement be greatly received by supporters but it would be a huge boost for the remainder of the season.
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