Arsenal's First Eleven Question Marks

LONDON, FRIDAY - The trend of declining performance for Arsenal is closely related to issues with the team's starting eleven formula. Manager Mikel Arteta has yet to find the best starting combination in the quarter of the season. Arsenal seems to be forced to experiment amid a situation that requires stability.

It has been too long since Arsenal delivered an impressive performance in a match. This occurred at the end of February when they won 4-1 against Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby. For context, Tottenham is a team that has experienced the worst results trend in the Premier League since the turn of the year.

Arsenal was still able to achieve positive results afterward, but their performance was far below standard. The league leaders played very passively, with low intensity, and were inefficient in their last four matches. "Clearly, our execution needs to be better on the field," Arteta explained.

Concerns are growing regarding Arsenal. This is because all of their recent matches have been decided by very narrow margins. This was especially evident in their last match. They were fortunate to secure a 1-1 draw from Bayer Leverkusen's home ground in the round of 16 of the Champions League, and that was thanks to a penalty goal at the end of the match.

Arteta's pragmatic approach, which prioritizes control, has indeed had an impact. However, Arsenal should not be playing as poorly as they are with such a talented squad at present. Their main issue is a decline in individual performance, exemplified by their star winger Bukayo Saka.

Saka repeatedly failed to execute easy passes and lost the ball while facing Leverkusen. This poor performance led to the English national team star being substituted just after one hour had passed. His replacement, Noni Madueke, was able to deliver an impressive performance and became the team's savior at the end of the match.

"Noni has contributed and become a real threat (recently). I am not surprised at all because he is a quality player. He is very brave to do that (penetration). When needed, he can always make an impact with his advantages," said Arteta.

Arteta faces a dilemma ahead of hosting Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday (March 15, 2026) at 12:30 a.m. WIB. The manager likely needs to try a new starting lineup. There are many players on the bench who could make an instant impact, including Madueke.

Since the beginning of the season, Arteta has frequently played Saka and striker Viktor Gyokeres together as starters. However, they have consistently appeared to lack cohesion on the field. Saka's main strength lies in his crosses from the wing, while Gyokeres is not a reliable striker in aerial duels.

Arteta has only two options: to bench Saka or Gyokeres. If he wants a safer choice, Gyokeres could be replaced first by Kai Havertz, who has recovered from injury. The combination of Saka and Havertz has proven effective in several previous seasons, particularly in the 2023-24 season.

The combination in the midfield of "Si Meriam" also needs refreshing. The duo of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi has been quite flat lately. They are struggling to generate progression into the final third when pressured by opponents. Zubimendi, who provided calmness in the team's midfield during the first half of the season, has started to make basic errors more frequently.

The decline is influenced by factors of physical and mental fatigue. Zubimendi is a player, aside from the goalkeeper, who has recorded the most minutes in the Arsenal squad this season, totaling 3,337 minutes. With a busy schedule in the upcoming week, it is very wise to play the backup midfielder Christian Norgaard.

On the left side, wing-back Piero Hincapie is able to provide balance in defense. However, he has not been very influential in the opponent's final third, unlike Riccardo Calafiori. Arsenal needs creativity on the left side as they have recently relied too much on the right side occupied by Saka.

There are many things worth trying for Arsenal. They need to quickly improve their performance as they are awaited by Everton in a crucial moment of the league title race. As is known, Everton arrives with the fourth-best away record in the league. Everton also successfully held Arsenal to a draw in their last visit to the Emirates Stadium in December 2024.

Despite Arsenal's declining trend, Everton's Coach David Moyes still approaches with a sense of respect. "I have heard a lot of criticism directed at them, but Mikel is doing a brilliant job. They are the best team or among the top two in Europe right now. It will be a difficult match for us," said Moyes, who once coached Arteta.

Arsenal's difficult phase is closely related to a series of eight away matches in their last 12 games. Now, they will face more home matches in the remainder of the season. Arsenal's home record has been outstanding across all competitions this season, with 19 wins out of 22 matches. (AP/REUTERS)