Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to-do list as international break commences

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Mikel Arteta has some thinking to do over the international break.

The Arsenal manager got off to a good start in 2020/21, but the Gunners have undoubtedly had some disappointing results.

Last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Aston Villa was highly disappointing, with Arteta blasting the mindset of his players but accepting responsibility for the defeat.

With many of his players now on duty with their national sides, the Spaniard can have some time to think about how best to move forwards, and here are a few things he may need to ponder:

Aubameyang through the middle

It’s something a lot more Arsenal fans are now calling for.

Arsenal are having difficulty scoring goals all of a sudden, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is struggling to impact games right now.

Arteta has previously suggested he’s thought about moving the Gabon superstar into a central role, but it’s whether he is willing to drop Alexandre Lacazette to make it happen.

Play Pepe more

Nicolas Pepe needs a run of games.

The £100,000-a-week Ivorian winger (Spotrac) just can’t properly get going at the Emirates Stadium, but he isn’t being helped being taking out of the team and then put back in again when he’s cold.

He has a big price tag hanging over him and he probably just needs to feel that trust from the manager.

Pepe was an exhilirating talent at Lille and has the potential to become a huge danger for Arsenal if given a suitable chance.

Change formation

Arsenal are having trouble scoring goals, and one thing that could be behind that is the system that uses three central defenders and wing-backs.

Perhaps Arteta needs to get back to a 4-3-3 and have Dani Ceballos in the midfield along with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.

On paper, that has a nice balance. The Spaniard could be the man to supply the forwards, who are currently really lacking service.