Arsenal ‘serious physical problems’…To make matters worse, the squad is also thin
Coach Mikel Arteta said, “If we want to maintain our performance now, we need to consider ways other than Plan A.
Arsenal tied Southampton 1-1 in the 13th round of the 2022-23 Premier League (EPL) at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, England, at 10 p.m. on the 23rd (Korea Standard Time). This ended Arsenal’s four-game winning streak in the league.
Britain’s ‘Telegraph’ cited Arsenal players’ physical fitness problems as the reason for their failure to win. Arsenal have reinforced their players in the necessary positions by bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko in the summer transfer window. Arteta performed well without making a big difference to the Best Eleven. The players moved systematically and even when the game was not good, they were able to beat Manchester City to the top.
As the starting lineup was repeated, physical fitness problems came. Due to the aftermath of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, physical fitness has emerged as a hot topic after playing many games in a short period of time, and Arsenal, which continues to release the same lineup, was inevitably hit hard. According to data released by “Telegraph,” Arsenal has changed its starting lineup only 10 times in the league this season. It is the second smallest change after Brighton.
“Telegraph” then said, “Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka started all 11 EPL games. No wonder it’s hard to take care of your body. Continuing to play with the same players can be good in terms of teamwork, but it will be difficult to manage physical strength. As time goes by, the physical burden is likely to increase. “In the second half of the game against Southampton, the number of shots and passes was noticeably lower than in the first half,” he said.
“You have to use rotation to protect your players. However, Arsenal has a relatively shallow squad depth. I think, “What will you do if Saka gets injured?” Arsenal need to enrich the squad if they want to challenge for the championship. He said, “We should not put excessive physical burden on the players.”
Arteta denied Arsenal’s fitness problems, but Southampton coach Ralph Hasen-Whittle said, “Arsenal seemed to be running out of fuel in the second half. We were stronger physically. “I think it’s because I took less rest,” he said in a general review. The physical strength of Arsenal’s main players will continue to be a hot topic.
