Frank Christian
On October 27, Arsenal is set for a crucial Premier League encounter as they take on Liverpool, who currently lead the league.
The Gunners will host Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, at the Emirates Stadium, following their recent defeat against Bournemouth, which marked their first league loss this season.
Despite this setback, Mikel Arteta’s team managed to secure a narrow 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League, while Liverpool triumphed away at RB Leipzig.
Arteta will need to make adjustments for the match against Liverpool; William Saliba is suspended for one game, and captain Martin Odegaard remains sidelined due to injury.
In addition, Riccardo Calafiori is also expected to be unavailable after sustaining a knee injury against Shakhtar, but Arteta is optimistic that Jurrien Timber will be able to step in as a replacement.
There is encouraging news regarding Bukayo Saka’s potential return after missing recent matches; this gives Arteta a confidence boost, though pundit Ian Wright urges him to be daring in tactics against Liverpool.
Wright expressed that the midfield lineup of Thomas Partey, Declan Rice, and Mikel Merino against Bournemouth lacked aggressiveness and suggested that Arteta should consider including the 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri against Liverpool.
“When I saw Merino, Partey, and Rice – I thought of bringing in Nwaneri, the young talent,” Wright remarked on Sky Sports’ The Overlap podcast.
“Against Bournemouth, we needed someone who could create chances in the midfield, which was noticeably absent.
“We needed someone capable of taking on defenders – I would have been willing to take a chance on him – with Merino, Rice, and Nwaneri starting to offer something unique.”
Arteta did introduce Nwaneri late in the game against Bournemouth as Arsenal trailed 2-0, but he has practiced caution in utilizing the young player after that match.
Nwaneri has made history at Arsenal, becoming the youngest player to appear in both club and Premier League history at the age of 15 years and 181 days in 2022.
Despite his impressive journey from the Hale End academy to the first team, Nwaneri has yet to start a Premier League match, and Arteta will meticulously evaluate the scenario as they prepare to face Liverpool.
