Arsenal‘s squad depth has been championed this season, and boy, have they needed it.
While Mikel Arteta‘s men are top of the Premier League, this has not been a straightforward campaign on the injury front, notably in defence.
Every member of the Arsenal backline besides Myles Lewis-Skelly has picked up an injury this term, with Gabriel Magalhaes a notable absentee when he missed a number of weeks in the build-up to Christmas.
It’s just as well Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie and Cristian Mosquera over the summer; they have been invaluable additions given the circumstances.
That being said, the club’s squad depth has become rather problematic for a number of players at the Emirates Stadium.
The biggest losers from Arsenal’s squad depth
No supporter or manager can ever complain about having too many options in the squad but for Arteta, it must be tricky to keep everybody happy.
Indeed, he’s evidently not been able to do so this term with Ethan Nwaneri joining Marseille on loan in February after failing to start a single game in the Premier League. Given the way he burst onto the scene in 2024/25, it’s a shame but needs must.
Lewis-Skelly is another who has endured a really tricky campaign. Like Nwaneri, he was one of the biggest stories of last season, dazzling against Real Madrid and PSG, while scoring on his England debut and hitting the Erling Haaland celebration after finding the net against Manchester City.
Yet, with Hincapie arriving and Riccardo Calafiori so impressive at left-back, he’s started just one game in the league. Like Nwaneri – who was now competing with Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke for a place – he has spent much of the campaign on the bench.
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Speaking of Eze, he’s not found life too easy either. Signed from Crystal Palace in the summer, the England international landed a dream move to his boyhood club. He walked out at the Emirates just days after signing with a beaming smile. He couldn’t hold back the excitement.
It all looked to be going swimmingly too when he bagged a scintillating hat-trick in the north London derby against Spurs. Since then, however, his minutes have been limited. He has not started a Premier League game since the 2-1 win over Wolves on 13th December.
That is perhaps somewhat perplexing, particularly when you consider the form of Martin Odegaard who is becoming an expendable asset.
Why Martin Odegaard is becoming a sellable asset
Odegaard’s rise to football greatness is a fascinating one. He is the definition of a wonderkid. Handed his Norway debut at the age of 15, it wasn’t long before he was on the books of Real Madrid.
It didn’t work out for him in the Spanish capital but he has found a home for himself in England, where he is now Arsenal’s captain.
For many a year, the attacking midfielder has been the chief creator in this Gunners team. He’s been the man who makes things tick and he’s been rather irreplaceable.
Cast your mind back to the 2022/23 season. It’s perhaps been the most free-flowing campaign under Arteta to date and it was no surprise that came when Odegaard produced career-best numbers.
No Premier League midfielder scored more than his 15 strikes that term. Since then, however, the goals have not been flowing at all. Some may point to the ankle injury the skipper picked up last term and for sure, he has lacked conviction with his actions since then.
Still, for a player of his calibre and for a player in his position at a club like Arsenal, he needs to be doing better. The 27-year-old is in the prime of his career now but has only scored one goal this season. Last term, he only managed six, three of which came in the top-flight.
Odegaard’s Arsenal career in numbers
Season
Games
Goal involvements
2021/22
40
12
2022/23
45
21
2023/24
48
21
2024/25
45
17
2025/26
25
6
Long gone are the days since Arsene Wenger hailed him as a “young Cesc Fabregas”. Speaking to a Norwegian TV channel back in 2023, the great Frenchman said: “When he was 15, I talked to him. I was desperate to sign him. Fortunately, he is here now. He really is like a young Cesc Fabregas. I think he has developed into a complete player.”
Odegaard certainly felt like a complete talent a few years ago but his game has not developed and he’s quickly being overtaken now. Arteta is starting to realise it too. Indeed, the penny appeared to have dropped in the Nottingham Forest and Manchester United games when he was withdrawn before the hour mark. He then didn’t even start the 4-0 win over Leeds.
While Eze hasn’t had much football either, it’s surely time to prioritise him in that role behind the striker. Even Kai Havertz is now staking a claim in that position.
The German has returned to full fitness with a bang and has struck up quite the partnership with Viktor Gyokeres already. They linked up brilliantly in the 3-2 win over Kairat Almaty when the former Chelsea man fed Gyokeres to score the opening goal of the game.
To make matters even more complicated for Odegaard, Nwaneri will be back in contention next season and Max Dowman has been tipped for stardom, with his favoured role being in the middle of the park.
The Norwegian may well be club captain but the fact of the matter is that if he does not improve swiftly, Andrea Berta should be looking to move him on. Signed for £30m back in the summer of 2021, it might well be time to make a profit on that now. It feels like Arsenal will never reach the next level unless they have a proper goalscoring midfielder playing in Odegaard’s position.
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