Mikel Arteta will start his best XI on Sunday

At the end of last season, we accused Mikel Arteta of losing the Premier League title because he had failed to rotate his main squad. However, since the start of this Premier League season, Arteta has already had three different starting XIs. Now, many in Arsenal Nation are all up in arms that he has not started his best players in those three matches.

I mean the man can’t win.

Okay, let’s come down to earth, take a deep breath and look at what the manager has been doing.

In the transfer window, Arsenal acquired four really good players. Declan Rice is already showing his worth, Kai Havertz is still getting adjust to the new system, Jurrien Timber started strong but was injured, and David Raya is yet to play. It takes awhile fro them to assimilate into the squad, especially on match days.

With those signings, Arsenal has more versatility than it did last season, and I think the boss is trying to find not only one, but several combinations that will work throughout the season. Yes, we should have beaten Fulham, but we are still 2-1-0 in the league, and only two points behind Man City in the very early going of the season.

With that said, Arteta has had the opportunity to try some players in different positions, and in different combinations. Some of those experiments have worked, and some are a work in progress, but I’m sure Arteta and his staff know that better than any of us. The Gunners have the squad required to make a run at the title, however, with Thomas Partey playing right-back and Kai Havertz learning a new midfield role, it might take time for those positions to feel natural to those players.

I believe Arteta will continue to tinker throughout the early parts of this campaign, however, on Sunday v Manchester United, I believe we will start his strongest XI, including Fabio Vieira, who played extremely well v Fulham.

[4-3-3]

Martinelli, Jesus, Saka

Rice, Vieira, Odegaard

Zinchenko, Gabriel, Saliba, White

Ramsdale

This weekend’s match v Manchester United is a key, early season game, and the Gunners need to keep building momentum going into the international break, because once they get back into action, they have Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Bournemouth and Manchester City waiting in the wings.

I would give Arteta and his squad a B- grade after three games, but we all know the machine will begin to gell, and opponents will soon be dropping like flies.

COYG!

Gunner1953