Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth highlighted Mikel Arteta’s huge Bukayo Saka “flow” problem | OneFootball

Arsenal fans had their fears about how they’ll cope without Bukayo Saka confirmed in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

Saka has been on fire for the Gunners so far this season, notching two goals and seven assists in seven Premier League appearances and topping the pile in the English top flight for chances created (27).

However, Saka limped out of England’s recent Uefa Nations League clash with Greece after sustaining a hamstring injury, with all of a Gunners persuasion left sweating over this fitness. As it happens, the 23-year-old was unfit to face Bournemouth, leaving a huge gap on Mikel Arteta’s right flank.

Raheem Sterling was the man trusted to fill that gap, making just his second Premier League start since joining Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.

Sterling’s previous start came from the left flank in a 3-1 win over Southampton and the 82-time England international showed plenty of promise, completing a match-high four dribbles, attempting two shots and creating one chance.

But the trip to Bournemouth was a completely different story. Ok, so Sterling lasted just 37 minutes before he was sacrificed to get another defender on the pitch following William Saliba’s red card. However, during those 37 minutes, he was almost completely ineffective, failing to attempt a shot or create a chance, while misplacing four of his 10 passes, completing just one dribble and having only 15 touches of the ball.

Whereas Sterling thoroughly enjoyed cutting inside on his right foot against Southampton, he was unable to beat a man down the outside at the Vitality Stadium, meaning Arsenal’s attack critically lacked balance.

“Raheem Sterling is obviously a right-footed player, he’s playing on the right side, he’s not got that same flow that Saka offers you,” Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp observed after Saturday’s shock defeat.

Who can replace Bukayo Saka on Arsenal’s right flank?

Mikel Arteta remained cryptic when asked about Saka’s availability for Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.

“With Bukayo, let’s see how he feels today and in the training session that we have later on,” the Spaniard told reporters.

But the outlook isn’t good, with Saka and Jurrien Timber both absent from Arsenal’s open training session on Monday that served as their final preparation for the European fixture.

A home tie against a team Arsenal are expected to beat is perhaps the best time for Arteta to experiment with who is the best option to line up on the right should Saka fall prey to another injury in the near future, or if he suffers a complication with his hamstring recovery.

But the fact is, finding anyone to replace Saka is going to be incredibly difficult. That’s not just because of how much of an elite player Saka is, but also that Arteta’s other wide options — Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Sterling and, if required, Gabriel Jesus — are all right-footed.

With that in mind, Arteta will be praying that Saka returns soon. Otherwise, he may be left ruing the oversight of not signing a left-footed winger in the summer transfer market when Arsenal enter the punishing winter schedule.