Five key decisions Mikel Arteta has got spot on with Arsenal so far this season

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Arsenal have made a quick start to the new Premier League season, sitting top of the table after some tough fixtures.

The Gunners have a belief that they can win the title this season, having navigated through a spell that included matches against Newcastle, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

There have already been so many dramatic moments, including last-minute winners and losers.

Mikel Arteta has played a key role in many of these results, making some key decisions throughout the season.

So, with that said, here’s a look at the correct decisions he has made for Arsenal so far.

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Arsenal substitutions

If there is one thing that Mikel Arteta has got spot on so far this season, it’s the use of his full Arsenal squad.

The manager has turned to his bench on several occasions to earn some key results, with the quality at his disposal increasing significantly over the summer.

There was a run of games where the Gunners simply couldn’t stop scoring from the bench, with five consecutive games where that was the case – a first occurrence of that since 2004.

Arsenal won’t want to rely on too many key goals from the bench over the course of the whole season, but so far, Arteta has used the whole squad to good effect.

New role for Viktor Gyokeres

Arsenal are pleased with Viktor Gyokeres in the early months of his move to the club, following his switch from Sporting CP.

The striker came with the promise of goals, though he hasn’t been regularly finding the back of the net.

Instead, Viktor Gyokeres has been playing a bit of a different role.

Rather than finding space to create opportunities for himself, the Swedish international has been drawing the attention of defenders around him to create space for his teammates.

He is so often doubled up on that it has created more opportunities for the likes of Bukayo Saka to hit some form.

With his strength, it’s an ideal role for him, one that could still produce goals with time, but is delivering for the wider team so far.

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Rotation at key moments for Arsenal

Arsenal’s injury issues were a clear problem last season, but the improvement in the overall squad depth has proven to be a huge boost so far.

So much so that Arteta has started to trust in his squad a lot more than he used to.

The manager has opted against using some of his key stars, such as Declan Rice, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard, in some moments as he protects them from the busy fixture list.

That shows the level of faith he has in the options now at his disposal, but it also shows a huge leap of faith into making some decisions that could be costly either way.

Mikel Arteta’s full-back decisions

Arsenal are particularly well stocked in the full-back areas, with at least two options on either flank if needed.

So far, though, Arteta has preferred the options of Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber.

While both Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly are popular figures, the performance of those in front of them has made it incredibly tough to break into the team.

Arsenal are seeing some top performances on both flanks, with competition pushing them all the way.

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Arsenal’s midfield balance

The Arsenal midfield has been tinkered with plenty during Arteta’s reign as manager.

However, with the introduction of Martin Zubimendi, it seems as though the head coach finally has the right balance.

The Spaniard has often sat at the base of midfield, with Declan Rice moved into a box-to-box role alongside him.

That has given licence for the number ten to roam on the right as well, with less concern over the defensive balance of the team.

The Arsenal midfield has been the beating heart of everything good the team has managed so far.