Arsenal: Three ways Mikel Arteta could line up after William Saliba injury blow | OneFootball

Gunners could be without their star centre-back for the next three matches and must find a solution

Not for the first time, Arsenal felt the impact of being without William Saliba as they blew a two-goal lead at home to Aston Villa.

Here, Standard Sport takes a look at the options available to Arteta…

Partey at right-back and Timber in the middle

Arsenal have routinely struggled when Saliba is out and, since the start of the 2022/23 season, they have conceded 1.7 goals per game across the 13 Premier League matches he’s missed.

In the 85 league matches that Saliba has played during that time, Arsenal have conceded 0.8 goals per game.

Arteta’s solution on Saturday to not having his star centre-back was to move Jurrien Timber from right-back into the heart of defence. Thomas Partey was shifted from the base of midfield to right-back to complete the back four.

It is a setup Arteta has gone with before and Saturday was the sixth league game this season that Partey has started at right-back.

The Ghana international was at fault for Villa’s second goal, allowing Ollie Watkins to run off him and volley home Matty Cash’s cross.

Arsenal have routinely struggled when Partey has played at right-back this season. In the six league games with him there, they have won just once. They have failed to keep a clean sheet and conceded eight goals, too.

Trust Kiwior to come in

Arteta’s options are undoubtedly limited by Arsenal’s injuries in defence. Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu are both out with knee injuries and, if they were fit, they could slot into the defence instead of Partey.

Riccardo Calafiori would be another possible solution, but he has missed the last three games due to injury. Alongside Gabriel, Jakub Kiwior is the only other senior centre-back fit and available, so Arteta could turn to him if he wants to keep Timber at right-back.

The Poland international is left-footed, which complicates matters, but bringing him in would at least keep disruption across the team to a minimum. Arteta has been happy to turn to Kiwior when Gabriel has been out as he is comfortable playing as a left-sided centre-back.

Playing on the right may prove more challenging, but a home game against Dinamo Zagreb feels like a chance to test that out.

Move Rice into defence

It was during a dead-rubber Champions League game against PSV last season that Arteta experimented with Declan Rice at centre-back. Rice played the final 30 minutes or so of the game in Eindhoven and put in a solid performance as Arsenal claimed a 1-1 draw.

The 26-year-old is comfortable playing in the heart of defence as that was where he came through the ranks at West Ham. Rice has since developed into a midfielder, but he represents a viable emergency option at centre-back.

It would, again, keep disruption across the rest of Arsenal’s team to a minimum. Timber could stay at right-back and Partey at the base of midfield. Rice would also give Arteta the left and right foot combination he likes to have from his two centre-backs by pairing him with Gabriel.

The concern would be that Arsenal would lose Rice’s drive and energy in midfield. His last five appearances have been as a No8 and, against Villa on Sunday, he was one of their best players.