More midweek action to look back on when we summarize the EFL Cup tires with Arsenal and Newcastle United.
As always with these explorations, it’s all about the lessons we can take in the coming game week.
Result
| Team | Opponent | Result | Go | Helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Port Vale (A) | 2-0 win | Eze, Trossard | Lewis-Skelly, Saliba |
| Newcastle United | Bradford City (H) | 4-1 win | Joelinton X2, Osula X2 | Gordon, Bruno G X2, Barnes |
Selection/rotation
| Team | Number of Start XI changes made of GW5 | Players who have held their place (played minutes) | Mins for other players |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 9 | Saliba (90), Merino (71) | Kepa (90), Mosquera (90), Lewis-Skelly (90), Norgaard (90), Nwaneri (90), Martinelli (81), Eze (81), White (71), Saka (63), Dowman (27), Gabriel (9), Gyokeres |
| Newcastle United | 7 | Thiaw (90), Miley (90), Botman (89), Hall (61) | Ramsdale (90), Guimaraes (90), Joelinton (90), Osula (90), Gordon (69), Elanga (69), Krafth (61), Trippier (29), Livramento (29), Barnes (21), Woltemade (1), A Murphy (1) |
Arteta about Saka Saka
Given that he has just returned from an injury, it was a bit of a surprise to see Bukayo from (£ 9.8 million) Get a considerable amount of playing time at a League One side, just a few days before Arsenal goes to Newcastle United.
Saka lasted a little more than an hour in Vale Park, did not succeed in making a big impression and did not register any shot that did anything other than avoiding a injury really mattered in these glorified fitness structures.
He seems to have achieved that, even though he is clamped by a Vale player.
“It was planned 60 minutes the maximum. We already had four, almost five players in the line-up that we had to get out for various reasons, especially for taxes and from long periods, so we had planned there. The good thing is that no one was injured, so he has no muscular problems. So that’s a very positive thing.” – Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka
In midfield
There were few useful collection restaurants from this competition, which is a predictable boss with 80% of the ball.
Mikel Merino (£ 5.9 million) De Lijn led with Viktor (£ 9.0 million) rested, while recent super sub Gabriel Theminies (£ 6.9 million) got a chance on the left. They are games like this where the argument that Martinelli is a better ‘finisher’ of games than a starter.
No one really dominated for the Gunners, with Ethan Nwaneri (£ 5.3 million) and Beg Eeten (£ 7.5 million) Perhaps the smartest as ‘eight’. Between them they had five of the 11 shots from Arsenal. Vale had three, none on goal.
Eze had fallen deeper in the second half of the Manchester City match on Sunday and here he started again in the central midfield and tried to investigate from the middle of the park. He also took his first Arsenal goal, when Martinelli’s Lage Ball found his way to him in the eighth minute of Wednesday.
Replacement Leandro Trossard (£ 6.9 million) Gloss makes it added to the score.
“He played very centrally against a team that is clearly with a 5-4-1; they are a supercompact inside. It is not easy to find spaces, but he is very capable of the ball. You have seen that he is fully to play in another three or four actions. To give, I think.”
Would Arteta consider in the last two games to start on Sunday in midfield against Newcastle? It can depend on the suitability of Martin Odegaard (£ 7.9 million), who said Arteta earlier this week that the training had resumed.
Osula a brace
Again, not a big problem that we can get from a competition that pierces Newcastle. To paraphrase Neville Southall: “Well done, he is League One.”
The Magpies seem to endure their 4-1 win over Bradford Unscathed, with Sven Botman‘s (£ 4.9 million) Late substitution and those who preceded it, not injury-related.
The most important lesson of the last week is that, in contrast to the earlier invasion of Newcastle in the Champions League in 2023/24, when Howe (somewhat enforced by injury) continued to walk the same players in the ground three times a week, the Boss van Magpies seems much happier to use his team this time.
There seems to be no ‘priority’ competition either. Bruno Guimaraes (£ 6.5 million) and Joelinton (£ 5.9 million) falling to the bank for the Gameweek 5 -Easy game in Bournemouth and then lasting 90 minutes against an outfit of the football competition, underlines that.
Joelinton returned to a brace here, with Will Osula (£ 5.5 million) – For the bank Nick Woltemade (£ 7.1 million), which starts only once a week – matching the Brazilian with two own goals.
“Slowly but surely he improves his game. It was not just his goals tonight; it was his hold-up play, his wing game.
“He did his chances (from Premier League -Pitch -time) no harm.” – Eddie Howe on Will Osula, quoted by Nufc.com
Anthony Gordon (£ 7.4 million) In the meantime, a domestic ban of three games came back and contributes to the heavy competition wide.
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