Mikel Arteta has been handed an opportunity to solve his no.10 dilemma after Martin Odegaard's star performance for Norway.
It was expected that Emile Smith Rowe would occupy the spot behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal this season as he was handed a new contract and the no.10 jersey.
But the return of Odegaard on a permanent deal has changed that as the Englishman has been deployed out wide ever since he arrived from Real Madrid, with the Norwegian taking his place.
Many feel Smith Rowe is at his best playing in central areas and isn't nearly as effective on the wing. However, the exact same can be said about Odegaard.
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It's a dilemma Arteta will have to solve quickly as Arsenal sit at the bottom of the Premier League table, with three defeats from their first three games and no goals registered.
But the way Norway utilised Odegaard in their 2-0 win over Latvia in the World Cup Qualifier is a blueprint the Gunners could follow to successfully fit them both into the same side.
The 22-year-old and Mohamed Elyounoussi played on either side of Erling Haaland as 'inverted wingers', drifting centrally, giving the full-backs plenty of space to overlap them.
Odegaard registered three key passes, five successful dribbles with several crosses and through balls in the attacking third as he put in an excellent performance for Norway with strikes from Elyounoussi and Haaland securing the victory against the Latvians.
Odegaard could excel in a similar type of role for Arsenal, with Smith Rowe on the opposite side of him and Aubameyang through the middle.
It would give both players the freedom to create in those central areas, instead of having the one fixed no.10 and the other isolated out wide.
It's the perfect way for Arteta to make amends to Smith Rowe after Paul Merson insisted he let him down by signing Odegaard.
He told the Daily Star: “What sort of message does signing Odegaard send to Emile Smith Rowe?”
"I can see why he held out signing a new contract. When Odegaard came on loan he ended up playing out on the wing. But Emile Smith Rowe is a No 10. He’s the future at Arsenal. He came through the ranks and he makes things happen.
“He is the one who is going to suffer most from them buying Odegaard. What really is the difference between them anyway? I think they are too similar. But I know who’s not getting picked if it starts going wrong and it won’t be the £30m new signing…
“I know they both played in the same team last season but it was a problem. Smith Rowe didn’t look comfortable on the wing. It’s like making a centre-back play at right-back. However hard you try, sooner or later you’re going to get dropped.”
