The time has come for Mikel Arteta to decide whether to stick or twist. Arsenal face Manchester City in Wednesday’s Premier League title showdown with the Gunners boss facing perhaps his biggest conundrum of the season: persevere with the same players who have taken them to the top of the table or freshen up a side that has shown signs of dipping below their best?
In this past weekend’s 1-1 draw against Brentford, Arsenal named an unchanged lineup for the sixth consecutive Premier League match. It is the first time they have done so in eight years and a strong indication of the serenity in selection that has helped the Gunners arrive for this midweek matchup against City three points clear at the summit.
Opta data shows Arsenal have made just 14 changes to their starting lineup this season, nine fewer than any other Premier League side. By contrast, City have made 49 changes, a figure only surpassed by Chelsea, Southampton, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.
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A deeper look at those numbers shows Arsenal have used 25 players in total with 17 different starters, compared to City using 21 players with 18 starters.
Pep Guardiola has long preferred to use a slightly smaller group but extremely high on quality, perhaps best evidenced by the way in which World Cup winner Julian Alvarez was ready to replace Erling Haaland if required, while Phil Foden has returned from illness to compete with Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and, perhaps, Bernardo Silva, in a wide attacking position.
Arsenal’s relied-upon starters have exceeded all expectations this season. It is likely the case that if they are to stay the course and win the title, their depth players will now have to do the same.
The Gunners are hardly capitulating. After all, they were denied victory against Brentford because of a goal that should have been ruled out by VAR, an error the referees body Professional Game Match Officials…
