Mikel Arteta is the manager who is an advocate of bigger squads. On matchdays, anyway, with the Spaniard rationalising that he does not like telling Arsenal’s 21st, 22nd and 23rd men that they will not be involved. But, given his emphasis on strength in depth, perhaps it was understandable that Arteta attributed Arsenal’s 1-0 triumph at Aston Villa to everyone. “It was a squad victory,” he said, when invited to praise Bukayo Saka, scorer of the only goal.
Arsenal’s belief in the power of the collective may cost individuals: as Bruno Fernandes scooped the personal prizes last year, there was the thought that maybe it would have been different had Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 seasons been credited solely to one player.
If there was something quintessentially Arteta about Arsenal’s win at Villa Park – a clean sheet produced by such solidity that David Raya did not have a shot to save – the teamsheet was a sign of his approach. There were Premier League debuts for their new club for Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, each as a substitute, and if injury may have been a reason the Brazilian did not start, there are reasons to argue neither belongs in the first-choice 11. Able to summon Konsa and Guimaraes, perhaps it was no wonder Arsenal held on to the lead Saka gave them with few alarms.
The replacements also included last year’s flagship signing, Victor Gyokeres, and two World Cup winners, in Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino. The eight outfielders who began on the bench came for an average cost of slightly more than £50m. Indeed, they actually cost more than a starting 11 including the homegrown pair of Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Arteta’s exploits have not come cheaply but, Declan Rice apart, he has not landed a £100m signing, in part because he prefers to share his resources around. His preference seems to be to have three £50m recruits than one £150m buy.
If the aim is to give up no chances to opponents, Arteta is trying to leave nothing to chance. Having deluxe back-ups is a way of ensuring as few things as possible can go wrong. There is an argument that he never needed Konsa anyway and that a defender who averaged 32 league starts across his seven years at Villa is unlikely to make half as many for his new club.
The loss of William Saliba encouraged Arteta to do something he needs little encouragement to do anyway: buy defenders.
“We knew that with Willy out; we had an injury in the back line, we knew we were in big trouble, so we had to do everything,” he said. “And [at Villa, Cristian] Mosquera, he could not continue. So we know that the depth has to be really big when you’re fighting for four competitions, in the manner that we play as well.”
Arteta is a former midfielder but he can sound like a man with a defender’s mentality, forever fearing the worst and acting accordingly. Mosquera, it transpired, is not sidelined. “He’s fine, but he was feeling like he was about to have something,” said Arteta.
Given Mosquera’s fine start to the season, the probability is that he will begin against Chelsea on Sunday; if knowing that he has an alternative, in Konsa, who played in a World Cup semi-final seven weeks earlier, offers reassurance, it is also an indication of the extraordinary way Arteta has stockpiled compelling choices.
By common consensus, Arsenal have much the finest defence and midfield in the Premier League. It is increased by the remarkable versatility of Arteta’s team. Compile depth charts and it is notable how many players can figure in multiple roles: Konsa, a more than competent right-back, is a case in point. In the newcomer, Ben White and the currently injured Jurrien Timber, he has three who can operate at both right-back and right-sided centre-back.
Riccardo Calafiori, the catalyst for Saka’s goal, is an example of a preference for left-backs who are also left-sided centre-backs. Lewis-Skelly is the left-back who has now displayed he can play in midfield. Guimaraes’ excellence at Newcastle was not confined to one brief: he could be either the No 6 or the right-sided No 8.
Factor in the physicality that nearly all of his squad possess and Arteta may be eliminating another way of losing games. Konsa joins the team of the giants. He and Guimaraes, each pushing 29, add to the experience; there was a time Arteta’s Arsenal could be called callow, but not now. The lesson he seemed to take from the 2024-25 season was that injuries could cost Arsenal the title. With more cover across defence and midfield, there is a question if anything, or anyone, can now.
