Arsenal's starting midfield pair against Manchester City was Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard. Mikel Arteta’s questionable decision was soon exposed as two early goals were conceded and then the Swiss midfielder was sent off after a reckless challenge.
The red card will mean that the 29-year-old will be suspended for the following three domestic fixtures against Norwich, Burnley and AFC Wimbledon; next available for the north London derby.
In that time, Mikel Arteta will need to choose another midfield pairing. It is unlikely Martin Odegaard’s spell in the deeper midfield role will be continued.
Sambi Lokonga has been an impressive addition, and despite two defeats in his first two games against Brentford and Chelsea, the Belgian has been a standout figure.
It was a surprise to see him dropped to face Manchester City and he remained an unused substitute despite Xhaka’s dismissal.
Thomas Partey has been unavailable since suffering an injury against Chelsea in the preseason defeat at the Emirates. Partey has suffered from numerous problems since arriving at the club from Atletico Madrid.
According to the latest team update prior to the defeat at Manchester City, Partey was said to be aiming to return to first-team training next week. With the international break next, this could provide the recovery time needed for Partey to be selected for the return against Norwich.
The additional mobility provided by both Partey and Lokonga will hope to give Arteta much more recovery speed and pressing. Xhaka, whilst a good passer, was regularly static in the Arsenal middle third.
More good news should come with both Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes set to return. Arsenal could have an entirely different spine to the team come September 11th.
Pressure mounts on Arteta and in particular in relation to his team selections. Sead Kolasinac’s presence in the team at the Etihad was widely criticised by the fan base. With two other central midfield options available, the Partey-Lokonga partnership could yet be prohibited.
Mohamed Elneny was brought on instead of Lokonga at halftime against City and has shown to be appreciated by Mikel Arteta. Ainsley Maitland-Niles too came on later in the game and was brought on in midfield in the win over West Brom.
For many, Arsenal’s best team with Xhaka out would include both Lokonga and Partey. There are several days left of the window and therefore the club could yet add more players to the midfield. However, rumours of a potential acquisition are few and far between.
Arsenal’s season starts against Norwich and should Arteta remain the manager for it, his team selection could be definitive in the hope they finally kickstart their campaign.
How much of a difference could a Sambi Lokonga-Thomas Partey partnership have on Arsenal? Follow our new Arsenal Fan Brands Writer Tom Canton to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
