Football 
Horse Racing Martin Ødegaard will be back to his best soon, claims Mikael Silvestre
Twelve games into the 2023/24 Premier League and Arsenal sit at the second spot, just a point behind Manchester City.
The Gunners have won eight, drawn three and lost one. Unlike last season where their forwards were feasting on defences, the key to success this season has been the defensive unit which has conceded 10 goals – the least in the league (tied with Liverpool).
Former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre spoke to us about Arsenal’s lack of goal threat as well as the performances of players like Martin Ødegaard, Eddie Nketiah and more.
The four-time Premier League winner explained why he thinks Arsenal have struggled to score as much as they did last season. He also talked about Ødegaard’s dip in form and how Nketiah can become an even more reliable player for the Gunners.
In this article:
- Teams defending better against Arsenal
- What’s Arsenal’s best midfield combination?
- Ødegaard’s dip in form
- Will Nketiah become more consistent?
- Arsenal have the quality to win the league
- Safer gambling week
Teams Are Defending Better Against Arsenal
As per Silvestre, teams have started defending better against the Gunners which is the reason why they haven’t been the most fluid up front.
The Frenchman adds that teams are defending spaces that the likes of Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli like to occupy.
“I don’t think there’s a specific reason for the lack of creativity.”
“Teams are finding ways to control the space that Saka, Ødegaard and Martinelli like to occupy.”
“They still have the quality but teams are defending better and paying attention to what Arsenal are throwing to them.”
“Arsenal can create on the counter attack but struggle against the lower block.”
Arsenal’s Best Midfield Combination
The Gunners’ creativity woes can be attributed to a rotating combination of the midfield three. Thomas Partey’s fitness issues and general experimentation by Mikel Arteta has resulted in different midfield combinations.
According to Silvestre, the best midfield combination that the Gunners have is the trio of Partey, Ødegaard and Declan Rice as it allows them to prepare for different situations in a game.
“Partey, Rice and Ødegaard are the best midfield trio for Arsenal. They compliment each other because they all have different qualities.”
“In midfield, you can respond to a lot of different situations with these three players.”
Ødegaard Will Be Back To His Best
Gunners captain Martin Ødegaard has also not been at his best but Silvestre believes it’s only a slight dip in form for the Norwegian.
The 2007-08 Champions League winner backs Arsenal’s captain to be back to his best very soon.
“I think it’s just a small dip for Ødegaard. He’s scored goals, he’s assisted.”
“It’s just a little dip in form and he has the mental ability to come back to his best and be the leader for this season for Arsenal.”
Eddie Nketiah Will Become More Consistent With More Game Time
Gabriel Jesus’ fitness issues have seen Eddie Nketiah lead the line for the Gunners on various occasions this season. The Englishman has scored five times in 12 Premier League appearances but questions persist around whether he can be a consistent performer.
Silvestre believes that more game time for Nketiah will make him more consistent as he’ll gain the experience needed to deal with different situations while playing as a striker. It’s not a question of ability but more about adaptability.
“We’ve seen this with many strikers. They need time to reach a level of consistency that is required to be at a club like Arsenal. Other clubs as well, not necessarily the Champions League level.”
“It comes with age and experience and some of them figure it out a bit later in their career. Not that the ability is not improving, it’s about being in the right place at the right moment. And this comes through more games.”
“So, therefore when you start your career, you can’t be the finished article, for a striker. Because when you’re in the box, there’s a lot of traffic, lots of defenders. It’s hard to master this part of the game, so sometimes it takes a bit of time.”
“Performances like the one against Sheffield, can give him extra confidence, to reach that consistency.”
Arsenal Have The Quality To Win The League
Despite the less than ideal start, Silvestre believes that his former side have the quality to win the league.
In fact he believes that it’s even better that Arsenal have started this way as it paves the way for them to finish stronger and be in the running with Man City during March/April – the so-called ‘money time’ for the league.
“Maybe it is better for Arsenal to start this way and finish stronger. Because the ‘money time’ is March/April. That’s when City will be there. They’ll respond to this pressure and they will get points with the squad they’ve got, when other teams are getting tired.”
“So Arsenal needs to stay in the race. It doesn’t matter how. Newcastle was a tough game. They lost but the margin was very thin.”
“I think quality wise, they are still equipped to reach the objective this season.”
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