Arsenal reminded of true title race strength with Bukayo Saka ruled out for months
Share:
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal will be a “different” team without Bukayo Saka, but some things never change. Without their talisman Saka against Ipswich, the Gunners served up a reminder of how defensive steel could be their biggest weapon in this title race.
Arsenal were only 1-0 winners, however they were utterly dominant and finished the game with 68 per cent possession. Ipswich had three shots all night, none of them on target, as Arsenal kept their seventh clean sheet in the Premier League this season.
No side has managed more than that, while no one has conceded fewer goals than the 16 Arsenal have. “It’s always important,” said Arteta afterwards. “Even with Bukayo we weren’t guaranteed to score three or four goals. “We never rely on individuals scoring 25 or 30 goals and we have still managed to be competitive. We’re going to manage to do that.”.
It will take Arsenal time to find a solution to life without Saka, who Arteta confirmed on Friday night is expected to be out for more than two months after having surgery on his hamstring. The solution against Ipswich, as it was when Saka limped off at Crystal Palace last week, was to move Gabriel Martinelli to the right.
The Brazilian had the odd bright moment. It was his ball to the back post that found Leandro Trossard, who beat his man and picked out Kai Havertz to score the game’s only goal. But it was hardly the performance that left you thinking Arsenal’s search for a Saka replacement is over.
