Arsenal have a few problems going into the game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Mikel Arteta seemed really positive in his press conference on Friday, but the Spaniard knows it’s not ideal to have multiple concerns regarding player availability.
As many as seven Arsenal players could be ruled out of the Tottenham clash on Sunday, and that is a massive blow.
One of those players is Declan Rice, who is suspended for the North London Derby following his red card against Brighton and Hove Albion.
One thing nobody is talking about as Declan Rice will miss Tottenham vs Arsenal clash
Everybody knows that Rice will be a huge miss for Arsenal against Tottenham on Sunday.
The Englishman is up there with the best midfielders in the world. He’s great on the ball, solid without it, and his presence in the middle of the park makes the Gunners incredibly strong.
However, Rice will not be available for the North London Derby, and with that, Arsenal will lose one of their biggest weapons – no, we’re not talking about his role as a midfielder.
Since the turn of 2024, one of Arsenal’s smartest decisions has been to make Rice their primary right-footed set-piece taker.
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The former West Ham man has been absolutely sensational in that role, and his corners are so good that they cause opposition defenders all sorts of problems.
Even in the North London Derby at Tottenham last season, Rice’s corner led to Arsenal’s third goal – a great header from Kai Havertz.
Nobody’s really talking about how big a miss Rice’s set-piece deliveries will be. It will be interesting to see what Arteta and Nicolas Jover have planned to fill that void on Sunday.
Arsenal’s set-piece takers with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard out
Among Arsenal’s usual set-piece takers are Rice and Martin Odegaard, and it looks like both players will miss the North London Derby on Sunday.
We think Bukayo Saka will take over Odegaard’s duties – the Arsenal number seven already takes the corners from the right side, and he is pretty good at them.
As for Arsenal’s right-footed options to replace Rice, Arteta has a few choices, but we’re not sure if anyone can whip the ball in like the England midfielder does.
Gabriel Martinelli used to take the corners before Rice arrived and he could be tasked with that again. Leandro Trossard is another option, while Raheem Sterling could also do the job if he plays.
It will be interesting to see who Arteta will go with, but we think Rice’s absence is a massive blow against this Tottenham side who are awful at defending set-pieces.