Arsenal were unable to sign a winger in the summer transfer window, despite the clear need to strengthen in the wide areas. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have a lot of pressure to perform until the next opportunity to address this area of the pitch opens.
The introduction of Marquinhos to the first team seemed to somewhat settle the issues in the wing positions. But, Mikel Arteta’s decision away to FK Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night highlighted that the Brazilian still will not be enough to support the starting wingers.
Towards the back end of last season, Saka started to suffer from burnout which was shown through his dip in performances. The Gunners must ensure that this does not happen again by addressing the issue in the January transfer window.
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Following Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Bournemouth in August, it meant that Saka became the second youngest player to reach 100 Premier League appearances, with Cesc Fabregas ranking above him.
The academy graduate is also in the top five for appearances made for Arsenal before turning 20, meaning he is above Arsenal legends such as David Rocastle and Liam Brady, and has been used more than any other player by Mikel Arteta since he took charge of the team in 2019.
Despite the excellent performances the Englishman had shown for Arsenal throughout last season, there had been times when he had shown signs of burnout, with Arteta admitting at the end of the season that the youngster needs rest. Having someone who can help successfully share the attacking load would certainly be beneficial.
Marquinhos seemed to be the solution to this, as he had a great start to life at Arsenal after scoring a goal and assisting on his debut. This came in the Europa League against FC Zurich, as the Gunners came out 3-1 winners.
He was also selected to start in the second group stage game against FK Bodo/Glimt. The youngster had less of an impact in that game and was substituted in the second half after a disappointing performance.
This meant that Marquinhos was dropped for the reverse fixture against FK Bodo/Glimt and as a result, Saka had to start which prevented him from getting a rest after playing a major role in Arsenal’s highly intense victory over Liverpool on the weekend.
If this pattern continued throughout the season, then the result would likely be the same as what happened in the previous campaign and we’d see Saka becoming fatigued. This is made worse by the World Cup in November, and the impact Saka is likely to have for England, which increases his frequency of games.
Arteta’s doubts about Marqiunhos being a consistent first-team player should increase the need for Edu to address the wide areas in January. The Gunners are currently high-flying, and to maintain this momentum into the new year, a fresh addition may be necessary..
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