Dan’s predicted Arsenal team to face Leicester City this weekend | OneFootball

So, I accept that we can’t keep referring back to January. We have all made our points, but we can’t change the past. Like our manager, we must make the best of what we have until the summer.

My effort not to mention last month hasn’t been helped by injuries to Martinelli and Havertz. I feel sorry for Mikel Arteta in his next press conference. He openly asked his employers for help, stressing that he was short of attacking options—that was before two more Gunners got sidelined. How does he now try to keep his squad confident that they can catch Liverpool with such limited resources?

The Spaniard, though, is the second-highest-paid coach in the world, and this is where he will truly earn his money. Since Saka was ruled out for most of the season and it was confirmed Jesus will miss the entire year, their boss has often said he and his staff need to find internal solutions.

If he means that, I admire it. Fixing issues shouldn’t always be solved by spending money. It’s also a coach’s job to teach and train.

Ange Postecoglou comes across as a decent bloke, and I often admire him for sticking by his convictions no matter what. Yet, part of leadership is being big enough to recognise when something is not working. There are only so many times you can complain about who’s unavailable. You can have youngsters but still adapt your tactics—it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Lacking experience isn’t a reason to persevere with a system that is not working.

It would be wrong of me not to apply the same thought process to my own club.

At least for the next few weeks, our forward options are Trossard, Sterling, and Nwaneri. That’s assuming no talent is called up from the academy, a free agent can’t be found, or Merino is not asked to play out of position. Any of those options might be able to get past a Leicester or West Ham, but long term, it’s unlikely to be enough to put together the winning sequence needed to overtake the league leaders.

Arteta might have faith in any of the trio above, but if he doesn’t, he shouldn’t start them just because they are the only bodies left. To clarify, it’s not disrespectful to say any of those three are not good enough—the level we are talking about is being champions of England or Europe.

From now until the end of the campaign, we need to make the best of the resources we have. There are too many problems to be worrying about principles or ethos—it’s now simply a case of what system is most likely to get results.

If Arsenal are to win the league, it will be because of our defence. That’s the one area of the team we know has quality. So, do you play to your strengths or fight trying to fix something you can’t?

If we know as a unit that we are hard to break down, let’s embrace that. Instead of worrying about who’s going to create chances and who will convert them, aim to snatch a goal and protect it.

By playing a back five, our wing-backs can become attacking outlets. Zinchenko doesn’t start more often because he’s not trusted defensively, but in that formation, he would be perfect. When fit, Ben White can do the same on the other side.

Timber and Calafiori have the tactical understanding to decide when to step into the middle, go out wide, or even wander into midfield. Another bonus in a 5-4-1 or 5-3-2 is that you save offensive alternatives on your bench.

Bizarrely, I think this gives us more offensive weapons.

My team for Saturday:

Raya

Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zinchenko (until White is fit)

Rice, Partey

Nwaneri, Odegaard, Trossard

Let me know your 11 peeps,

Dan Smith