Five talking points going into the international break

Well Crystal Palace sacked one of our greatest ever and we responded my thumping them – call it poetic justice. It’s the perfect way to lead into the international break, so let’s take a look at a few talking points to take into the next couple weeks.

William Saliba’s injury

Saliba was forced off the pitch early in the second leg against Sporting. The Frenchman’s back injury was first believed to sideline him for a few weeks, ruling him out of the French national team and the Gunners line-up for the next two or three fixtures.

It is still unknown to what extent Saliba is injured and how long he will be out for. Recent reports from France suggest that the injury is worse than what it was first believed to be. As of yet, nothing has been confirmed.

There is no need to stress the Frenchman’s importance in the squad – his performances say enough.

Takehiro Tomiyasu’s injury

The Japanese international was another casualty from the Sporting game. There is a lot more solid information about Tomiyasu’s injury, however. It is understood that the former Bologna defender injured his knee and is likely to miss out on the rest of the season.

The loss of Tomiyasu means that Arsenal’s squad depth takes a great hit, as the versatile defender can no longer cover the CB and RB positions.

Gabriel Jesus’ return

Here’s some better injury news – Gabriel Jesus should be all good to go after the international break. The Brazilian has been out of action since the World Cup break but he has featured in the last two Premier League matches off the bench.

As his rehabilitation process now reaches its end, his main concern is match fitness. By the end of the international break, the Brazilian will hopefully be close to full fitness and available for team selection.

Striker selection

Assuming that Gabriel Jesus is fit enough to start and play out each game, who starts at striker? On the one hand, marquee signing Gabriel Jesus is back from injury, the focal point of the most illustrious attack that we have seen in the league so far this season. On the other hand, £21m signing Leandro Trossard has held down the fort since he signed for the Gunners. The Belgian has had the most goal contributions for Arsenal since debuting for the club and the team is flying with Trossard in the false nine.

One thing is for sure – I’m happy I’m not Arteta and that I don’t have to face a decision as tough as that.

Historic Hale End graduate

Our very own Bukayo Saka has continued his fantastic form by becoming the first player to notch 10+ goals and 10+ assists in this season. He brought his total to 12 goals and 10 assists after his brace and assist against Crystal Palace.

The starboy has formed an incredible bond with Ben White on the right hand side, with the English RB seemingly knowing exactly what Saka wants to do and when, creating a terrific link-up on the right wing to terrorise Premier League defenders.

Ten games to go

Ten games to go, ten finals to go, 1:50 – however you want to say it, it doesn’t change it. Arsenal has ten games to go until the end of the season. As it stands, the Gunners have totaled 69 points over 28 games, extending an 8 point lead over rivals Manchester City.

Whilst City do have a game in hand, the Gunners are in the driving seat. If we can hold on through the three-game stretch of Manchester City (A), Chelsea (H) and Newcastle (A), as well as the fixture against Liverpool (A), Mikel Arteta’s Tricky Reds will surely lift the title.

That’s a lot of ifs, though. There is only one thing to do – wait and see.