Arsenal have to put their disappointment of drawing against Everton behind and focus on the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup vs Crystal Palace. Who are the players that could miss out on this game?
The Gunners are slowly drifting away from the title race in the Premier League, but they quickly have to change their focus to another competition. There is a good chance for the club to win their first trophy of the season, but they have to overcome the Eagles first.
As for the team, there are a number of factors for Mikel Arteta to consider. Both Riccardo Calafiori and Alex Zinchenko are expected to be unavailable for the Wednesday game. The manager would also consider resting Gabriel who himself has just returned from an injury.
Apart from this, Takehiro Tomiyasu is injured and will not be available for this match. And to add to woes of Arteta, reserve goalkeeper Neto is cup-tied for the EFL Cup meaning that David Raya is most likely to play. Declan Rice is fine and a decision will be taken later on his availability. There could be more changes made as with games coming thick and fast, it is important to keep the squad fresh.
Arsenal Fever View:
For the north Londoners, their ability to beat teams such as Palace has never been in doubt. But over the last few months, they have started to look a bit sterile in possession. This has made it much easier to figure out what the team wants to do and they can easily counter that.
To overcome this, there has to be a willingness to take risks, something that Arteta hasn’t always been a fan of. But the team needs to take a good look at themselves and understand the changes that have to be made.
Scoring goals has been a problem, but that is not going to change unless there is variety in how the chances are created. That is an area that the manager would want to improve against the visitors who can be quite dangerous, especially on the counter.
Arsenal will not have an easy route to the semi-final but they are not far away from winning a trophy that has eluded them many times in the past. Though it will be a tough London derby, the hosts should emerge victorious at the Emirates.
Read More: Who is Mikel Merino? Arsenal’s potential new midfield star
