Arsenal face Aston Villa this weekend just three days after their clash with Liverpool at the Emirates on Wednesday night. To make matters worse the match is scheduled for the 12:30 early kick-off despite the extra late 20:15 game on Wednesday.
Mikel Arteta has made his thoughts very clear on the matter in his press conferences. When asked about the tight scheduling of fixtures, he was not one to hold back his thoughts on the topic.
“Thank you so much to the Premier League, to do that and they’ve done it again when we have to play Chelsea and Manchester United, so if they want to give them any advantage, I say to them today, thank you so much for doing that,” said Arteta satirically.
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Looking ahead, Arsenal supporters have debated what changes should be made. The Arsenal Way writers have now tackled this themselves with a variety of different approaches.
Tom Canton - Arsenal Fan Brands Writer & Presenter
Assuming that every player is available, I see no reason not to attack Aston Villa with the same side that has impressed in these past weeks. For all the complaining, and rightly so, regarding the fixture list, Arsenal have demonstrated an ability to keep a line-up for a quick succession of games and win.
In December, Arsenal beat Southampton, West Ham and Leeds United scoring nine goals and conceding just one. In each match, Mikel Arteta chose the same exact team and despite the demands of the midweek fixture against the Hammers, the energy and application the following weekend was top.
Gabriel Martinelli was a star against Liverpool and gave Jurgen Klopp more reason to continue pining over the Brazilian star he is not getting his clutches on. Matty Cash has been strong for Villa, but the Polish international’s comparative lack of agility can be exposed by the 20-year-old winger.
If any of the team is waning, there are players on the bench who can come on. Be it Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe or Nuno Tavares, Arteta has the resources. Keep it strong and continue this group's opportunity to push towards a top-four finish.
Chris Davison - Arsenal Fan Brands Writer & Presenter
The quick turnaround in fixtures is far from ideal, but can Mikel Arteta really afford to make any changes for what is another huge game? I'm not sure he can.
Like Tom, I'm very much in favour of keeping things the same when results are going our way. Despite the defeat against Liverpool, you could tell that Arsenal's starting eleven had won five consecutive games prior.
There was a sense of confidence and energy around them which will be key as they look to bounce back tomorrow. Of course, I'm wary of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli burning themselves out a little, in addition to the increased injury risk due to shorter recovery time.
However, Pepe remains a decent option to bring off the bench while Smith Rowe has only just returned from injury and Covid, so he may not be entirely up to scratch just yet. Not to mention, Saka and Martinelli are just undroppable for me at the moment.
It's vital that we maintain momentum and consistency as much as possible, so If I'm Arteta then I'm sticking with the same line-up.
