Arsenal travel to face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby this afternoon, looking to return to winning ways after their draw against Brighton before the international break.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side will be without record-signing Declan Rice, after the England international was dubiously sent off for a second bookable offence against Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
The Gunners are also set to be without the creative spark of Martin Odegaard after the Norwegian star picked up an ankle issue on international duty.
He’s since been pictured on crutches, making him highly unlikely to feature at any point during the local derby this afternoon.
It leaves Arteta with a huge call on who to bring in to replace the former Real Madrid star, with one player hugely touted with a first start for the club.
Ethan Nwaneri’s chances of starting the NLD
17-year-old talent Ethan Nwaneri is a player who boasts huge potential, with the youngster undoubtedly one to watch for the future.
Over the last couple of years in the club’s academy setup, the midfielder has starred in front of goal, scoring 26 goals at various youth levels since 2021.
His subsequent form in the academy saw the youngster be rewarded with a first-team appearance, coming off the bench in the victory over Brentford back in September 2022, becoming the club’s youngest-ever appearance maker in the process.
However, Nwaneri is yet to make another senior appearance since, but given the circumstances of the club’s lack of midfield options – he could be handed a rare opportunity to make a start.
It would be a huge call, but given his age and the significance of the meeting, it would be a shock to see Arteta opt to start with the 17-year-old.
Instead, he could turn to another senior member of the first-team squad, potentially operating in a slightly unnatural role.
The man to replace Odegaard against Spurs
Whilst Leandro Trossard is primarily an attacking option for the Gunners, the recent issues with the club’s midfielders, the Belgian may be forced to operate in a slightly deeper role.
The 29-year-old “wizard”, as described by journalist Charlie Haffenden, previously featured in a three-man midfield under Arteta, but his talents in attacking areas could see the Spaniard still utilise the former Brighton man at the top end of the pitch.
He could feature centrally alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, which could see Kai Havertz drop back into midfield – a role he’s previously played at Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen.
Whilst the German has often been utilised as a central striker, scoring two goals already in 2024/25, he may have to operate in a deeper role to fill the gap left by the respective absences of Rice and Odegaard.
How Trossard & Havertz compare in 2024/25 | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics | Trossard | Havertz |
Games played | 3 | 3 |
Minutes played | 94 | 270 |
Goals | 1 | 2 |
Pass accuracy | 72% | 83% |
Shots taken | 4 | 8 |
Tackles won | 75% | 100% |
Duels won | 6 | 15 |
Stats via FotMob | ||
The situation is less than ideal for Arteta and Arsenal, but the introduction of Trossard could allow for various players to operate in numerous positions, providing a surprise element against their local rivals.
The Belgian and Havertz are both more than capable of featuring in midfield or as a central striker, with their movement and ability in possession potentially causing Spurs problems if they were to rotate and share the midfield role.
