In an attempt to get back on track in the Premier League, the Gunners may turn to their most recent dynamic duo.
As Arsenal attempts to snap a two-decade Premier League title drought, Mikel Arteta may have another Thierry Henry and Robert Pires rivalry to rely on.
When Arsenal won the English championship 20 years ago, Henry and Pires were two of their explosive players, and they were frequently heard praising one another.
With their elegant goal-scoring combination in Saturday’s victory over Nottingham Forest, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka seem to have assumed the roles of Arsenal’s two most crucial players in the final third.
Henry once remarked of his countryman, “We know each other so well that sometimes we don’t even need to look at each other; we just pass the ball.”
One could argue that the dynamic duo was never really replaced by the Gunners, at least not until recently.
Odegaard’s return has been a welcome one for Arsenal, not least because they’d struggled for creativity in their side after the Norway international went down injured earlier this season.
No Arsenal player had produced more than three significant opportunities in the Premier League this season, with Saka leading the league.
Saka once again displayed his inventiveness this past weekend, recording his eighth assist of an already successful campaign against Forest.
Arteta was questioned about Saka and Odegaard’s relationship after the game, and the Arsenal manager insisted it developed organically.
“He [Odegaard] is one of the best to do that when we’re talking about fluidity, understanding chemistry, and timing,” he stated. to control the game’s tempo.
“Know when to speed up and when to slow down.” He has obviously been missed, but since he will grow weary and start to fade, we must substitute him.”
Arteta’s biggest task ahead of the busy winter season—which continues this week when Arsenal visits Lisbon—will be keeping the two fit.
Even though Sporting lost Ruben Amorim to Manchester United, three weeks ago, the same group of players destroyed Premier League winners Manchester City 4-1.
Tuesday night, at 8 p.m., the action begins in the Portuguese capital.
