I really liked Martinelli's performance on the right wing when he came to sub out Saka. Very decent. If he is asked to stay wider, he might do better on right wing as right footed.
Thanks for sharing about your family trip, Charles. Nice to hear you all had a wonderful time. Wishing you and yours all the love and light courtesy of your RUclips family!
Hello Charles, I get your point with using Haverz and Odegaard behind Leo, Jesus and Gabi to compensate Sakas absence, but it doesn't leave any attacking impact players from the bench to be put there bar Nwaneri. Also with the dense schedule we need to rotate so we avoid more injuries, so I would try to always leave one of them on the bench and play Merino/Rice as left 8 there and get the attacking player on, only if needed. Good to have you back, Charles!
Gutted for Saka, lets hope he can surprise us again with his quick recoveries. This is a huge opportunity for Ethan, and the dream scenario to play next to Martin. Myles can be very good there too.
I’m weirdly optimistic about this moment. Saka’s absence now gives others the spotlight to shine. It also gives Arteta an excuse to freshen up our attack. I think Havertz, Odegaard, Jesus, Martinelli, Trossard will step up
I was hoping 'nelli could quietly build on his recent improved form, while the spotlight was on Jesus, but I guess we're all watching him now. This next 6 weeks +/- will certainly tell us who can have a future which lasts longer than 18 months (reasonable period to sell multiple players) for the club. We know they can all contribute well, they all have in the past, here's hoping at least a few of them stand up to be counted!
Merry Christmas fellow gunners fans. We've. Missed your content Charles, but very good you managed to give the children a massive great trip away. A big injury for saka is a blow. I am sure we can deal with the loss of a big player. Coyg's 🎉
I adore Saka and he is our best player, but our most important player was and is Odegaard, I'm much less worried about him being gone than I was with Martin
Hi Charles! Going to be unbelievably tough now! Happy to see a return to form for Jesus but I cannot see Trossard and Martinelli being enough for us to keep up a challenge. Even before the Saka injury, I think these are 2 players that we need upgrades on. Now we're going to have to heavily rely on them. Hopefully they can prove me wrong.
Hi Charles, Happy Christmas to you and your family. We took our grandchildren to Lapland UK, which was great but clearly a step down from your trip! I believe we should take the opportunity to use Ethan Nwaneri in Saka's position when we play Ipswich on Friday. That old expression 'if you are good enough you're old enough' comes to mind and let's not forget how young Fabragas and Saka were when they became first-team regulars. He will be well supported on that side by Odegaard and Timber and I believe he will deliver for us. My team for Friday would be: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Jesus, Nwaneri.
4:31 Hard disagree. He should've been rested for FA Cup and League Cup games, as well as some UCL games last season. If we don't have a squad that can beat Championship teams without Saka, that's the problem, not that Saka is rested for those games.
Only person I can look at is the club itself even fans knew that saka needed a back up from 2 to 3 seasons ago and the wool just covered our eyes due to his performances and his durability. regardless of how good of a player you are,a back up is always needed , now not have we lost one of our best players but now we have to make do with what we have playing someone on that side that is competent. Poor management from the team
Since I don’t know when I’ve wanted to see Martinelli with the support around him that Saka gets. Odegaard never far away and Ben White and others regularly overlapping. It wasn’t a goal drought after Saka went off against Palace. Far from it in fact so I’ll be very disappointed if it isn’t Martinelli and Trossard on the wings.
We were short in attack before Saka and Sterling’s injuries. At least one signing is an absolute necessity. Bakayoko at PSV or Dibling at Southampton feel like good options to me, both get-able and realistic targets as well.
Charles, any thoughts on timber getting booked for taking too long to take the throw it. Feel likes it’s been coming for a while, really annoying watching him at how long it takes him to throw the ball
Hey Charles. After that injury blow to both Saka and Sterling, it would be a no brainer if Arsenal doesn't sign a winger this winter. Permanent transfer or loan, we definitely have to sign a winger. Even if Sterling is available i highly doubt that Mikel would give him enough time to turn up the pace. There are lots of good quality wingers this season(Lookman,Nico Williams,Marmoush etc) so Arsenal should definitely go all in for a winger this winter or it will be really difficult to challenge for a title or a cup considering we have both the league cup and the FA cup during next month. And the Kolo Muani loan rumor definitely sounds stinky. He barely played for PSG this season so he won't be much of a help even on loan.
Great show as always Charles, I have to say Arteta reminds me more and more of George Graham and I have wierd feeling we about to win the league like in 89 COYG Greatings from Croatia
Hi Charles , this Saka.injury is a whole lot down to Artetas over playing him. Loads of occasions when he should have taken him off or not even started him. Really pig headedly stupid decisions. Very disappointed.
The fact is we only have 2 available wide men and i honestly dont feel Trossard is good wide. If we move players in wide positions we are short of options in those positions as well. Our attacking depth is weak, we cannot go the month without signing a player it's gross negligence
Hi Charles, Bukayo Saka getting injured was only a matter of time. He gets no rest and that is the curse of being an effective, reliable and consistent player…you will always get played. I am a bit relieved it is a hamstring injury but this will force Arteta to finally sign a versatile winger to cover and compete not just with Saka but with Martinelli. I pray we at least bid for Gyokores and Inaki Williams in the January transfer window. Semanyo from Bournemouth is a good alternative as he can play across the frontline. Lastly Arsenal needs to rebuild our depth in the summer and sell-off all the injury prone players namely Partey, Jorginho, Tomiyasu and the outgoing Tierney. Auggie
Saka's hamstring injury might actually be a blessing in disguise. The poor guy has been playing week in, week out without much rest, including international duty for England. He deserves a break to recharge and come back stronger. While it's unfortunate that an injury has sidelined him, a few weeks off could be just what he needs. Wishing him a speedy recovery! Arteta must recognize the importance of resting Saka occasionally, perhaps letting him play full matches in critical games while substituting him in less demanding ones. However, managing this balance is tough, as every EPL team poses a challenge. Speaking of challenges, the Crystal Palace game was good overall, but Arteta needs to address the risky play from the back, which almost cost us. Just look at how similar mistakes from Spurs against ManU led to disaster. If there’s no safe passing option at the back, kicking the ball out and clearing the lines is a far better strategy. Good luck to Arsenal in the next match. Meanwhile, Liverpool continues to face relatively easier opponents to rack up points. Let’s hope for a strong finish this season!
It’s a hammer blow to our season, we simply couldn’t afford for Saka to get seriously injured. Now down to our last two proper wingers because the attack isn’t big enough. We have to pray Jesus stays fit over the upcoming months and continues his good form. Same goes for Havertz. Not sure why we sent Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira out on loan when they could both take the burden off Saka. Sterling alone doesn’t give us the necessary depth. Look at the forward depth of Liverpool and Chelsea. The club have to take a careful look at their recruitment strategy. We need to be more mindful of the amount of football being played nowadays, it’s affected us all over the team this season. Hearing Arteta say he knew he had the thinnest squad this far into the project doesn’t reflect well on the board.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, nice family vibe, especially for the holidays. It sure seems the soccer gods are against us this year given 1) Liverpool's relentless form, 2) the constant flow of injuries, 3) PGMOL using Arsenal as their annual guinea pigs for a stupid rule that is inconsistently enforced (I really think we'd have an additional 2-4 points from the Brighton and MC matches weren't for those fluffy calls). Not giving up on the title, though I think the odds continually get lower. We must maintain a top four position this year worse case. In Saka's absence I'll be curious to see what Arsenal do. Regarding Ethan, him as an option really interests me. Limited sample size, but he might be the most direct player we have available (someone who can go straight at the opposition as opposed to around). I think that is something we're short of in general.
If Arsenal are serious about winning trophies they need to spend big and bring in a world class winger in January if not it’s all about money and not trophies because they have the money and budget to do it
Hi Charles, I'm glad you've had a lovely time away... Losing Saka I think has to change the focus of our season somewhat. I can't see us sustaining a title challenge at the level we need to get to over 5 months. I think it's now critical that we put even more emphasis on the cups and Europe, where we can still realistically mount a threat to win silverware. I realise some may see that as defeatist but I think it's a realistic assessment. I'm factoring in that I think it's very hard to improve the squad via January transfer. What do you think? Not saying we don't try in the league, just that I'm picking the best possible team in every cup match.
Welcome back Charles. The biggest issue isn't really replacing him (although that's bad enough), but our numbers. Martinelli is the obvious choice but now, there's no real cover for him which means more wear on Trossard. This will happen whatever we do. However, I still don't think this will be as bad as losing Odegaard who we quite literally had no one to cover for. We can still win our next load of games. Thanks for a great year Charles and merry Christmas to you and your family. Alex.
Jesus on the left, Havertz in the middle, Martinelli on the right Martinelli left, Havertz middle, Nwaneri right Trossard left, Havertz middle, Jesus right
There was many calls for us to bring in a forward in January now I think it’s a must to sign at least one to pep up the attack. Maybe someone like Kudus, Semenyo, Mbeumo etc as we don’t have many more options from the bench if required. Can’t afford to get another injury. Usually Arsenal have their targets and will only sign if they come available but needs must.
If anything, worst case scenario, we recall Nelson an have him fill in on the right along with Nwaneri. Personally, I like Guler as the player we should pursue. I like his versatility of playing in midfield and as a winger. He could also be a backup to Odegaard and Saka longterm if we decide to pursue anything but a short term loan.
Charles, this injury was inevitable knowing how many games he's played. This is time for the board and the owner to show ambition. My best bet is to go get Kudus, who satisfy both short and long term plans. He can play RW in absence of Saka, can play LW, can play as 8, can deputize for Odegaard and can also play as false 9. He ticks all boxes.
When they say “reactive” I always read that as in they are read to take an opportunity if something comes available. Like is a good player hands in a transfer request. I didn’t read it as being reactive to our own injuries.
It’s not straight forward, Athletic Bilbao players are fiercely loyal to the club and city. The player would want to leave and from the news making rounds, he would rather go to Barca to play with Jamal. Mbeumo may be the best option
Merry Christmas, Sir Charles! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for all the awesome videos. I love them, even when I disagree with you at times (which is not often) 😂
Trying to see the positive side, if there is one, may be this will alert the club to see without saka how vulnerable we can be, terrible way to find out, but might force the owners hand to get a front man
Adversity is Adversity you can't sugar coat it but there is sometimes a good time for to encounter Adversities and now is a good a time as ever to encounter it with the injury to Saka. Now arsenal have to make a decision in the transfer market, adding one more winger in January will make the injury to Saka far less adverse than it is. I also believe we need to add Marc Gheue from Crystal palace to the squad as well, as this will add another versatile defender to this squad
With this Saka injury it puts Arsenal at 27 different injuries this season , the most in the entire league, no one can ever accuse us of being lucky with injuries ever
Hi Charles, Is it possible to detect the early signs of a potential hamstring injury in footballers using regular scans or other preventive measures? Could implementing random screenings help reduce the likelihood of injuries?
I think martinelli will do a fine job on the right. My only issue is what will we do if he gets injured too. We’re now down to the bare bones on the wings. It’s probably not realistic to hope for someone like Semenyo during the winter break but he would be ideal competition for Saka and Nelli. And please for the love of all that is sane, I hope we don’t try to sign Rashford. But who knows, Mikel can sometimes work miracles 😂
8-10 weeks for saka.. that is basically his season done. Because that puts us well into march and at that point he will not be match fit. His minutes will have to be managed, these types of injuries have a high risk of reoccurance so its going to be a slow meticulous return and he is likely not going to be at his best again until next season.
Charles I know it pains when people like me say that Rice doesn’t progress ball. Firstly you need to know that no No 6 runs with the ball that’s box to box MF work. If No 6 runs with the ball he will vacate a position with no cover, No 6 passes ball and the best of them don’t do sideways always. So Partey is far suitable than Rice although Rice is a better defender. Unfortunately we don’t need to defend a lot as opposition usual are on the back foot. Partey makes Odegaard better Rice take away from him as he needs to come back to progress ball. I know you are English and it pains but the truth is truth no matter how painful it is. Play Rice as No 6 without a progressor beside him with are fucked
I dont think you can underplay the seriousness of Saka's injury. However it brings a challenge, one which I see like this. Martinelli is one of the most skillful players in the squad. If he is forced to create more, my guess is that he will more than match the challenge. Nwaneri is good enough for match-time, so we can reduce Odegard and Martinelli's injury risk. Let's not forget Jesus, he is a creator too. The 16 weeks will fly by and a new strength will be born in the team. We are still in 4 comps, I think we can still win everything. The quad is on!
I'm definitely in that Christmas Eve mood. That means avoiding the crowds, hating the excessive commercialism, disliking the grey drizzle that descends this time of year and wishing Christmas was over. Bah Humbug ! Christmas at Lapland though.... Martinelli has to be the Saka replacement on the right wing for me. I actually feel he's more effective in that position.
Likely return for Saka is then 22nd February at home to West Ham... big, tough on paper fixtures he'll miss: 4th Jan at Brighton, 7th Jan vs Newcastle, 15th Jan vs Tottenham, 18th Jan vs Villa, 2nd Feb vs Man City, 5th Feb at Newcastle. Irony is we sent Fabio Vieira and Reiss out on loan because they were desperately lacking minutes behind MØ8 and Saka. If they had stayed, MØ8 was out for just over 2 months so Vieira would have played and now Saka is going to be out about the same amount of time and Reiss may have gotten a run, although he is now out 10 weeks for Fulham with a Grade 2 Hamstring tear as well. But were he at Arsenal he wouldn't have played for that degradation to have occurred as yet
Rafinha would be my target. Especially with months of available time to fit into the squad. Imagine the 2 Gabies with Rafinha. Not to mention big Gabi passing them the ball. Tell me where I’m wrong?
Arda Güler on loan should be the priority now. A silver lining is that the transfer window is only 1 week away so we can react swiftly. Personally, I’d like to see Nwaneri if we go for the internal solution, because he has the creativity to do it (Saka isn’t simply a run and go winger), though it’d be a proper baptism of fire considering the matches awaiting us in this period. But I trust the kid :) Merry Xmas Charles!
I get what you’re saying about having all the attacking threat on the pitch but that’s literally all our attacking options, where do we give rests to players or make subs if every attacking player is on the pitch? Only option is the window, for me!
For me, there only 2 players that can thrive as right wingers are, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan. The number of goals that Gabby has scored and assisted he mostly came from the wing than as a 9. Ethan, he is a left footer, he is skillful and seems to understand Martin's play. Arteta should play him more as a winter than a 10.
The Saka injury means we need to start our summer transfer business in January. Looking ahead to the summer, we'd need 2 central midfielders (as it is unlikely that both TP and J will be in the squad next year), a winger, a striker, and probably a backup goalie. That's a lot for one summer so either a winger and/or a striker need to be acquired this winter. They need to be our long term targets and they need to be acquired quickly as there are a lot of games in January across all of the different competitions. I'd trigger Gyokeres' release clause (so he could be onboard fast) AND get our long term wing target. Perhaps we overpay (I get it's easy to say as it isn't my money 😂), but we are in a great spot for all 4 competitions. I don't want us to be in a position come May to be talking about what could have been this season if not for all the injuries.
I hope now we’re going to sign a top Quality Winger / Forward in January. We should look at a Mitoma at Brighton or Raid Bayern Munich for Gnabry or Sane any of them.
Great watch Charles. Naturally any team will miss a player of Saka's ability but it'll be much worse for Arsenal because once again, we failed to sign a proper backup/rotational option last summer, or the summer before that, or the summer before that. The last time we had something remotely close to that was Marquinos. Let's not kid ourselves, even if Sterling wasn't injured, it wouldn't make much of a difference. The club gambled on Saka and Odegaard being fit for most of the season and now we'll all have to face the music of poor squad planning. Let them keep waiting for Nico Williams since he's the only viable winger in the entire football world. Over time, it has become rather painfully obvious that the ruthlessness with which Arteta signs defensive covers isn't the same as he does for attacking positions. How many goalkeepers and defenders has he signed now? Somehow whenever it comes to signing a striker or winger, Mikel is always willing to wait until the "perfect player" becomes available. 😒
Hi Charles, Although Saka is our best player, i dont think we have lost our most important player. Losing Saliba or Odegaard for two months would be far more damaging to our title. That being said, Martinelli and Jesus need to get the thumb out and pull up their socks.
Charles, do you know what the long term plan is for Lewis-Skelly? Am i right in saying he was a midfielder at youth level? Do you think he will be moulded into a 6 or will he be kept as a left back?
wasn't there a link to arda guler at some point in the last month or so? That might be a good shout - is there an issue that if we loan a player from a champions league they could be cup tied in that competition? I feel like our two loan signings from Madrid Ceballos and Odegaard were actually really good that turned into permanent signings for the club? I feel like Guler and Ethan could really push each other given they are so young. I doubt Guler will have any chance of minutes once Vini is back for Madrid and Rodrygo, Mbappe and even Brahim Diaz will be ahead of him. His quality is undeniable - and unpredictable, we have to gamble now but I just can't see the club spending 50M plus on a signing in January that could be construed as a panic buy. Cheers Charles - and hope you had some good time off and COYG!
Hi Charles, I think we will see a fair bit of Jesus on the wing. Nice chance for some minutes for Nwaneri on the right as well. With respect to Jesus and him continuing to get back to his best... I think most important thing is getting more minutes, irrespective if it is upfront or on the flanks. More minutes he plays, more goals/assists he'll get and his confidence will flow from that. Problem is we are now severely exposed to an injury for either Jesus or Havertz.
Charles, this might be the most bonkers suggestion you've had on the channel - but could Tierney play right wing? Arteta loves people playing on the opposite flank so they can cut inside. I know it's a ridiculous suggestion. He probably doesn't have the finesse or deft of touch. But he's got a sweet left foot, a quality cross and the heart of a (Scottish) lion. I know he probably won't even be at the club much beyond January 1, and Nwaneri is the obvious pick ahead of him. But as the thought popped into my head I thought I'd put it out there. Merry Christmas to you, the family and every Gooner. Keep your chins up lads - we're gonna win the Champions' League!
Hey Charles, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. Do you think Marquinos could help the Gunners when he returns in January or will they just send him out on loan again? I always had hopes for him but it hasn't panned out unfortunately.
Arteta has been so cryptic with all our injuries, as of now, we don't even know about Tomiyasu, and what the injury really is, and then he just tells everyone Saka got a torn hamy, and out for many weeks and no one finds that suspicious 🤔
@charles , thanks for the analysis as always very good. Could comment on my thoughts about replacing Saka. My view is that depending on what we prioritise e.g. experience or skills I would actually consider Nwaneri or Lewis Skelly as they have similar technical abilities as saka and maybe yes less experience but I would give them a go against minor opposition like Ipswich and keep Jesus upfront. I like the idea of Martinelli on the right but would we sub then on left or on the right ? Thanks !
Injuries aside, I still can’t get over the fact that only Arsenal players got red carded for time wasting in the beginning of the season. It’s utterly disgusting!
I really liked Martinelli's performance on the right wing when he came to sub out Saka. Very decent. If he is asked to stay wider, he might do better on right wing as right footed.
Thanks for sharing about your family trip, Charles. Nice to hear you all had a wonderful time. Wishing you and yours all the love and light courtesy of your RUclips family!
Hello Charles,
I get your point with using Haverz and Odegaard behind Leo, Jesus and Gabi to compensate Sakas absence, but it doesn't leave any attacking impact players from the bench to be put there bar Nwaneri. Also with the dense schedule we need to rotate so we avoid more injuries, so I would try to always leave one of them on the bench and play Merino/Rice as left 8 there and get the attacking player on, only if needed. Good to have you back, Charles!
Gutted for Saka, lets hope he can surprise us again with his quick recoveries. This is a huge opportunity for Ethan, and the dream scenario to play next to Martin. Myles can be very good there too.
I’m weirdly optimistic about this moment. Saka’s absence now gives others the spotlight to shine. It also gives Arteta an excuse to freshen up our attack. I think Havertz, Odegaard, Jesus, Martinelli, Trossard will step up
I was hoping 'nelli could quietly build on his recent improved form, while the spotlight was on Jesus, but I guess we're all watching him now.
This next 6 weeks +/- will certainly tell us who can have a future which lasts longer than 18 months (reasonable period to sell multiple players) for the club.
We know they can all contribute well, they all have in the past, here's hoping at least a few of them stand up to be counted!
And don't forget Nwaneri.
Must be the Christmas spirit that has you delusional
He can play that position@@SirAntoniousBlock
@@illnamethisaccountlater4762 *insert Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction meme here*
Charles is back!!! ❤
Merry Christmas fellow gunners fans. We've. Missed your content Charles, but very good you managed to give the children a massive great trip away. A big injury for saka is a blow. I am sure we can deal with the loss of a big player. Coyg's 🎉
Glad you had a great time, great content as usual.
Think positive.
It’s still 11 v 11
I adore Saka and he is our best player, but our most important player was and is Odegaard, I'm much less worried about him being gone than I was with Martin
Merry Christmas Charles and everyone 🎅🎄🎁
Hi Charles!
Going to be unbelievably tough now! Happy to see a return to form for Jesus but I cannot see Trossard and Martinelli being enough for us to keep up a challenge. Even before the Saka injury, I think these are 2 players that we need upgrades on. Now we're going to have to heavily rely on them. Hopefully they can prove me wrong.
Hi Charles,
Happy Christmas to you and your family.
We took our grandchildren to Lapland UK, which was great but clearly a step down from your trip!
I believe we should take the opportunity to use Ethan Nwaneri in Saka's position when we play Ipswich on Friday.
That old expression 'if you are good enough you're old enough' comes to mind and let's not forget how young Fabragas and Saka were when they became first-team regulars. He will be well supported on that side by Odegaard and Timber and I believe he will deliver for us.
My team for Friday would be:
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Odegaard, Havertz, Martinelli, Jesus, Nwaneri.
4:31 Hard disagree. He should've been rested for FA Cup and League Cup games, as well as some UCL games last season. If we don't have a squad that can beat Championship teams without Saka, that's the problem, not that Saka is rested for those games.
Only person I can look at is the club itself even fans knew that saka needed a back up from 2 to 3 seasons ago and the wool just covered our eyes due to his performances and his durability. regardless of how good of a player you are,a back up is always needed , now not have we lost one of our best players but now we have to make do with what we have playing someone on that side that is competent. Poor management from the team
Even Ethan would be a good option on the right! I personal think he would be an outstanding replacement.
HIGH WATTAGE ⚡⚡⚡
High Wattage indeed ❤️🤍
More like HIGH DELULU-TAGE or HIGH PR-TAGE
Super. High. Wattage.
ty Charles. Merry Christmas!
Since I don’t know when I’ve wanted to see Martinelli with the support around him that Saka gets. Odegaard never far away and Ben White and others regularly overlapping. It wasn’t a goal drought after Saka went off against Palace. Far from it in fact so I’ll be very disappointed if it isn’t Martinelli and Trossard on the wings.
Merry Christmas Charles, thanks for a brilliant year of content.
Merry Christmas Charles thanks for all the videos this year!
We were short in attack before Saka and Sterling’s injuries. At least one signing is an absolute necessity. Bakayoko at PSV or Dibling at Southampton feel like good options to me, both get-able and realistic targets as well.
Charles, any thoughts on timber getting booked for taking too long to take the throw it. Feel likes it’s been coming for a while, really annoying watching him at how long it takes him to throw the ball
Hey Charles. After that injury blow to both Saka and Sterling, it would be a no brainer if Arsenal doesn't sign a winger this winter. Permanent transfer or loan, we definitely have to sign a winger. Even if Sterling is available i highly doubt that Mikel would give him enough time to turn up the pace. There are lots of good quality wingers this season(Lookman,Nico Williams,Marmoush etc) so Arsenal should definitely go all in for a winger this winter or it will be really difficult to challenge for a title or a cup considering we have both the league cup and the FA cup during next month. And the Kolo Muani loan rumor definitely sounds stinky. He barely played for PSG this season so he won't be much of a help even on loan.
Great show as always Charles, I have to say Arteta reminds me more and more of George Graham and I have wierd feeling we about to win the league like in 89
COYG
Greatings from Croatia
Hi Charles , this Saka.injury is a whole lot down to Artetas over playing him. Loads of occasions when he should have taken him off or not even started him. Really pig headedly stupid decisions. Very disappointed.
Can Nwaneri adapt to play on the RW?
He has the pace, directness, trickery, eye for a pass and can shoot…
The problem with playing Kai, Leo, and both Gabis all at the same time is our bench will be completely devoid of attacking options.
I would play a solid back four, Rice at 6 and all out attack for the rest. Very much like the Palace game, take the hand brake off
The fact is we only have 2 available wide men and i honestly dont feel Trossard is good wide. If we move players in wide positions we are short of options in those positions as well. Our attacking depth is weak, we cannot go the month without signing a player it's gross negligence
Hi Charles, Bukayo Saka getting injured was only a matter of time. He gets no rest and that is the curse of being an effective, reliable and consistent player…you will always get played. I am a bit relieved it is a hamstring injury but this will force Arteta to finally sign a versatile winger to cover and compete not just with Saka but with Martinelli. I pray we at least bid for Gyokores and Inaki Williams in the January transfer window. Semanyo from Bournemouth is a good alternative as he can play across the frontline. Lastly Arsenal needs to rebuild our depth in the summer and sell-off all the injury prone players namely Partey, Jorginho, Tomiyasu and the outgoing Tierney.
Auggie
Saka's hamstring injury might actually be a blessing in disguise. The poor guy has been playing week in, week out without much rest, including international duty for England. He deserves a break to recharge and come back stronger. While it's unfortunate that an injury has sidelined him, a few weeks off could be just what he needs. Wishing him a speedy recovery!
Arteta must recognize the importance of resting Saka occasionally, perhaps letting him play full matches in critical games while substituting him in less demanding ones. However, managing this balance is tough, as every EPL team poses a challenge.
Speaking of challenges, the Crystal Palace game was good overall, but Arteta needs to address the risky play from the back, which almost cost us. Just look at how similar mistakes from Spurs against ManU led to disaster. If there’s no safe passing option at the back, kicking the ball out and clearing the lines is a far better strategy.
Good luck to Arsenal in the next match. Meanwhile, Liverpool continues to face relatively easier opponents to rack up points. Let’s hope for a strong finish this season!
Merry Christmas Charles and your family
It’s a hammer blow to our season, we simply couldn’t afford for Saka to get seriously injured. Now down to our last two proper wingers because the attack isn’t big enough. We have to pray Jesus stays fit over the upcoming months and continues his good form. Same goes for Havertz.
Not sure why we sent Reiss Nelson and Fabio Vieira out on loan when they could both take the burden off Saka. Sterling alone doesn’t give us the necessary depth. Look at the forward depth of Liverpool and Chelsea. The club have to take a careful look at their recruitment strategy. We need to be more mindful of the amount of football being played nowadays, it’s affected us all over the team this season. Hearing Arteta say he knew he had the thinnest squad this far into the project doesn’t reflect well on the board.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, nice family vibe, especially for the holidays. It sure seems the soccer gods are against us this year given 1) Liverpool's relentless form, 2) the constant flow of injuries, 3) PGMOL using Arsenal as their annual guinea pigs for a stupid rule that is inconsistently enforced (I really think we'd have an additional 2-4 points from the Brighton and MC matches weren't for those fluffy calls). Not giving up on the title, though I think the odds continually get lower. We must maintain a top four position this year worse case. In Saka's absence I'll be curious to see what Arsenal do. Regarding Ethan, him as an option really interests me. Limited sample size, but he might be the most direct player we have available (someone who can go straight at the opposition as opposed to around). I think that is something we're short of in general.
Thanks Charles
If Arsenal are serious about winning trophies they need to spend big and bring in a world class winger in January if not it’s all about money and not trophies because they have the money and budget to do it
Hi Charles, I'm glad you've had a lovely time away...
Losing Saka I think has to change the focus of our season somewhat. I can't see us sustaining a title challenge at the level we need to get to over 5 months.
I think it's now critical that we put even more emphasis on the cups and Europe, where we can still realistically mount a threat to win silverware.
I realise some may see that as defeatist but I think it's a realistic assessment. I'm factoring in that I think it's very hard to improve the squad via January transfer.
What do you think? Not saying we don't try in the league, just that I'm picking the best possible team in every cup match.
Family over everything Charlie 😊
Saka is a massive miss no doubt but this squad can win without him as shown against a strong and in form palace.
Welcome back Charles. The biggest issue isn't really replacing him (although that's bad enough), but our numbers. Martinelli is the obvious choice but now, there's no real cover for him which means more wear on Trossard. This will happen whatever we do. However, I still don't think this will be as bad as losing Odegaard who we quite literally had no one to cover for. We can still win our next load of games.
Thanks for a great year Charles and merry Christmas to you and your family.
Alex.
Merry Christmas Charles!
Welcome back.
Merry Christmas, Gunner's fans - from America!
Jesus on the left, Havertz in the middle, Martinelli on the right
Martinelli left, Havertz middle, Nwaneri right
Trossard left, Havertz middle, Jesus right
There was many calls for us to bring in a forward in January now I think it’s a must to sign at least one to pep up the attack. Maybe someone like Kudus, Semenyo, Mbeumo etc as we don’t have many more options from the bench if required. Can’t afford to get another injury. Usually Arsenal have their targets and will only sign if they come available but needs must.
Even those 5 goal winning games he should have been subbed off after 70min... corporate negligence
If anything, worst case scenario, we recall Nelson an have him fill in on the right along with Nwaneri.
Personally, I like Guler as the player we should pursue. I like his versatility of playing in midfield and as a winger. He could also be a backup to Odegaard and Saka longterm if we decide to pursue anything but a short term loan.
Guler who plays for Real Madrid?
Charles, this injury was inevitable knowing how many games he's played. This is time for the board and the owner to show ambition. My best bet is to go get Kudus, who satisfy both short and long term plans. He can play RW in absence of Saka, can play LW, can play as 8, can deputize for Odegaard and can also play as false 9. He ticks all boxes.
Stats says, saka only missed 8 matches out of over 300games.. source sky sports
When they say “reactive” I always read that as in they are read to take an opportunity if something comes available. Like is a good player hands in a transfer request.
I didn’t read it as being reactive to our own injuries.
Pay the Nico Williams release clause - We are owned by a multi billionaire
It’s not straight forward, Athletic Bilbao players are fiercely loyal to the club and city. The player would want to leave and from the news making rounds, he would rather go to Barca to play with Jamal.
Mbeumo may be the best option
He played v Bolton? Why..
Lovely family photos
Merry Christmas Charles 🧑🏼🎄🎄Love your work😊
Merry Christmas, Charles,we need a window transfer replacement for saka,such injuries may take longer
Merry Christmas Charles
Charles Watt will tell us how Saka injury can be a blessing in disguise. I can smell it before listening to the video
Merry Christmas, Sir Charles! Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you for all the awesome videos. I love them, even when I disagree with you at times (which is not often) 😂
Trying to see the positive side, if there is one, may be this will alert the club to see without saka how vulnerable we can be, terrible way to find out, but might force the owners hand to get a front man
Adversity is Adversity you can't sugar coat it but there is sometimes a good time for to encounter Adversities and now is a good a time as ever to encounter it with the injury to Saka. Now arsenal have to make a decision in the transfer market, adding one more winger in January will make the injury to Saka far less adverse than it is. I also believe we need to add Marc Gheue from Crystal palace to the squad as well, as this will add another versatile defender to this squad
Let’s go!
With this Saka injury it puts Arsenal at 27 different injuries this season , the most in the entire league, no one can ever accuse us of being lucky with injuries ever
Hi Charles, Is it possible to detect the early signs of a potential hamstring injury in footballers using regular scans or other preventive measures? Could implementing random screenings help reduce the likelihood of injuries?
Edu failed to find a suitable substitute for Saka despite Neto being available, we are worse side this season due to this fact.
Saka will be fit for the next international I bet it all ways the way
Merry Christmas charles ❤🎉 3:03
I think martinelli will do a fine job on the right. My only issue is what will we do if he gets injured too. We’re now down to the bare bones on the wings.
It’s probably not realistic to hope for someone like Semenyo during the winter break but he would be ideal competition for Saka and Nelli. And please for the love of all that is sane, I hope we don’t try to sign Rashford. But who knows, Mikel can sometimes work miracles 😂
I hope odegaard starts scoring too, we have missed his goals recently
8-10 weeks for saka.. that is basically his season done. Because that puts us well into march and at that point he will not be match fit. His minutes will have to be managed, these types of injuries have a high risk of reoccurance so its going to be a slow meticulous return and he is likely not going to be at his best again until next season.
Charles I know it pains when people like me say that Rice doesn’t progress ball. Firstly you need to know that no No 6 runs with the ball that’s box to box MF work. If No 6 runs with the ball he will vacate a position with no cover, No 6 passes ball and the best of them don’t do sideways always. So Partey is far suitable than Rice although Rice is a better defender. Unfortunately we don’t need to defend a lot as opposition usual are on the back foot. Partey makes Odegaard better Rice take away from him as he needs to come back to progress ball. I know you are English and it pains but the truth is truth no matter how painful it is. Play Rice as No 6 without a progressor beside him with are fucked
I dont think you can underplay the seriousness of Saka's injury. However it brings a challenge, one which I see like this. Martinelli is one of the most skillful players in the squad. If he is forced to create more, my guess is that he will more than match the challenge. Nwaneri is good enough for match-time, so we can reduce Odegard and Martinelli's injury risk. Let's not forget Jesus, he is a creator too. The 16 weeks will fly by and a new strength will be born in the team. We are still in 4 comps, I think we can still win everything. The quad is on!
I'm definitely in that Christmas Eve mood. That means avoiding the crowds, hating the excessive commercialism, disliking the grey drizzle that descends this time of year and wishing Christmas was over. Bah Humbug !
Christmas at Lapland though....
Martinelli has to be the Saka replacement on the right wing for me. I actually feel he's more effective in that position.
Arteta could turn Mitoma in to a mental RW'er, I'd love us to sign him. Perfect age & for us. Get Tomi to have a word ;)
Likely return for Saka is then 22nd February at home to West Ham... big, tough on paper fixtures he'll miss: 4th Jan at Brighton, 7th Jan vs Newcastle, 15th Jan vs Tottenham, 18th Jan vs Villa, 2nd Feb vs Man City, 5th Feb at Newcastle.
Irony is we sent Fabio Vieira and Reiss out on loan because they were desperately lacking minutes behind MØ8 and Saka.
If they had stayed, MØ8 was out for just over 2 months so Vieira would have played and now Saka is going to be out about the same amount of time and Reiss may have gotten a run, although he is now out 10 weeks for Fulham with a Grade 2 Hamstring tear as well. But were he at Arsenal he wouldn't have played for that degradation to have occurred as yet
Rafinha would be my target. Especially with months of available time to fit into the squad. Imagine the 2 Gabies with Rafinha. Not to mention big Gabi passing them the ball. Tell me where I’m wrong?
Arda Güler on loan should be the priority now. A silver lining is that the transfer window is only 1 week away so we can react swiftly. Personally, I’d like to see Nwaneri if we go for the internal solution, because he has the creativity to do it (Saka isn’t simply a run and go winger), though it’d be a proper baptism of fire considering the matches awaiting us in this period. But I trust the kid :)
Merry Xmas Charles!
I get what you’re saying about having all the attacking threat on the pitch but that’s literally all our attacking options, where do we give rests to players or make subs if every attacking player is on the pitch? Only option is the window, for me!
For me, there only 2 players that can thrive as right wingers are, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan.
The number of goals that Gabby has scored and assisted he mostly came from the wing than as a 9.
Ethan, he is a left footer, he is skillful and seems to understand Martin's play. Arteta should play him more as a winter than a 10.
What are your thoughts on getting Zaniolo in January he has a €35m release clause. He can play RW & CF?
The Saka injury means we need to start our summer transfer business in January. Looking ahead to the summer, we'd need 2 central midfielders (as it is unlikely that both TP and J will be in the squad next year), a winger, a striker, and probably a backup goalie. That's a lot for one summer so either a winger and/or a striker need to be acquired this winter. They need to be our long term targets and they need to be acquired quickly as there are a lot of games in January across all of the different competitions. I'd trigger Gyokeres' release clause (so he could be onboard fast) AND get our long term wing target. Perhaps we overpay (I get it's easy to say as it isn't my money 😂), but we are in a great spot for all 4 competitions. I don't want us to be in a position come May to be talking about what could have been this season if not for all the injuries.
I hope now we’re going to sign a top Quality Winger / Forward in January. We should look at a Mitoma at Brighton or Raid Bayern Munich for Gnabry or Sane any of them.
Great watch Charles. Naturally any team will miss a player of Saka's ability but it'll be much worse for Arsenal because once again, we failed to sign a proper backup/rotational option last summer, or the summer before that, or the summer before that. The last time we had something remotely close to that was Marquinos. Let's not kid ourselves, even if Sterling wasn't injured, it wouldn't make much of a difference. The club gambled on Saka and Odegaard being fit for most of the season and now we'll all have to face the music of poor squad planning. Let them keep waiting for Nico Williams since he's the only viable winger in the entire football world.
Over time, it has become rather painfully obvious that the ruthlessness with which Arteta signs defensive covers isn't the same as he does for attacking positions. How many goalkeepers and defenders has he signed now? Somehow whenever it comes to signing a striker or winger, Mikel is always willing to wait until the "perfect player" becomes available. 😒
Hi Charles,
Although Saka is our best player, i dont think we have lost our most important player.
Losing Saliba or Odegaard for two months would be far more damaging to our title.
That being said, Martinelli and Jesus need to get the thumb out and pull up their socks.
Charles, do you know what the long term plan is for Lewis-Skelly? Am i right in saying he was a midfielder at youth level? Do you think he will be moulded into a 6 or will he be kept as a left back?
Merry Christmas 🎅🎄
wasn't there a link to arda guler at some point in the last month or so? That might be a good shout - is there an issue that if we loan a player from a champions league they could be cup tied in that competition? I feel like our two loan signings from Madrid Ceballos and Odegaard were actually really good that turned into permanent signings for the club? I feel like Guler and Ethan could really push each other given they are so young. I doubt Guler will have any chance of minutes once Vini is back for Madrid and Rodrygo, Mbappe and even Brahim Diaz will be ahead of him. His quality is undeniable - and unpredictable, we have to gamble now but I just can't see the club spending 50M plus on a signing in January that could be construed as a panic buy.
Cheers Charles - and hope you had some good time off and COYG!
Hi Charles,
I think we will see a fair bit of Jesus on the wing. Nice chance for some minutes for Nwaneri on the right as well.
With respect to Jesus and him continuing to get back to his best... I think most important thing is getting more minutes, irrespective if it is upfront or on the flanks. More minutes he plays, more goals/assists he'll get and his confidence will flow from that.
Problem is we are now severely exposed to an injury for either Jesus or Havertz.
I think either or with Jesus and havertz, one of them on the bench, trossard left ethan or martinelli on the right, rice partey and martin
He will be back for CL last 16 and the League Cup Final if we make it
Charles, this might be the most bonkers suggestion you've had on the channel - but could Tierney play right wing? Arteta loves people playing on the opposite flank so they can cut inside. I know it's a ridiculous suggestion. He probably doesn't have the finesse or deft of touch. But he's got a sweet left foot, a quality cross and the heart of a (Scottish) lion. I know he probably won't even be at the club much beyond January 1, and Nwaneri is the obvious pick ahead of him. But as the thought popped into my head I thought I'd put it out there. Merry Christmas to you, the family and every Gooner. Keep your chins up lads - we're gonna win the Champions' League!
We need saka back otherwise Arsenal no longer be in position to achieved anything at end of the season
Hey Charles, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.
Do you think Marquinos could help the Gunners when he returns in January or will they just send him out on loan again? I always had hopes for him but it hasn't panned out unfortunately.
Merry Christmas Charles and family 🎅🎄🎁🥳😁
And all Gunners fans too 🏆😃
Arteta has been so cryptic with all our injuries, as of now, we don't even know about Tomiyasu, and what the injury really is, and then he just tells everyone Saka got a torn hamy, and out for many weeks and no one finds that suspicious 🤔
I didn’t catch the name of the holiday destination.
@charles , thanks for the analysis as always very good. Could comment on my thoughts about replacing Saka. My view is that depending on what we prioritise e.g. experience or skills I would actually consider Nwaneri or Lewis Skelly as they have similar technical abilities as saka and maybe yes less experience but I would give them a go against minor opposition like Ipswich and keep Jesus upfront. I like the idea of Martinelli on the right but would we sub then on left or on the right ? Thanks !
Injuries aside, I still can’t get over the fact that only Arsenal players got red carded for time wasting in the beginning of the season. It’s utterly disgusting!
Ethan and odegard on that right side
I think Arsenal just need to recall Nelson or Veira
A loan for Arda Guler is a good option to keep Saka’s role filled.