Sports
Arsenal can solve injury crisis by unleashing the Dowman of centre-backs
There were several reasons Arsenal failed to win the Premier League last season.
One was that Liverpool and, in particular, Mo Salah were practically unbeatable; another was that the Gunners drew too many games and had too many moments when they were subpar.
However, arguably the most significant reason of all was that, throughout the campaign, Mikel Arteta had to deal with an absurd number of injuries that utterly decimated the first team.
Unfortunately, Arsenal are on track to be as unlucky with injuries this season as well, with the backline being a particular concern at the moment.
However, there are some solutions, and one of them involves Arteta unleashing the Max Dowman of defenders.
How injuries are impacting Arsenal
Injuries are nothing new, and every team has to deal with them at some point, but what is also true is that last season and so far this year, Arsenal have been more unlucky than most.
This isn’t just a feeling either, as according to Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz, Ben White’s recent injury marks the 100th different injury the club have faced since the start of the 24/25 season.
That is more than any other current or ever-present side across the same period.
The good news for Arteta and Co is that most of his important attacking players are now back, with Kai Havertz reportedly aiming to return to the squad before the end of the year.
However, the bad news is that the club’s injury problems have shifted to the back, with Gabriel Magalhães, Cristhian Mosquera and now White all out of action.
|
Arsenal’s current injuries |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Injury |
Return |
|
Mosquera |
Ankle |
01/26 |
|
Havertz |
Knee |
12/25 |
|
Gabriel |
Groin |
01/26 |
|
Dowman |
Ankle |
N/A |
|
White |
Hamstring |
N/A |
Now, the manager does still have the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, William Saliba, Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Piero Hincapie to call on, but it’s not that simple.
The Italian has a long history of injuries, and the Dutchman underwent surgery last season.
Therefore, with them already playing 1313 and 1668 minutes this season, they are in desperate need of rotation and rest.
Finally, the Frenchman has only just returned from a few weeks out with an ankle injury, so there is also concern that overplaying him in the coming weeks could be problematic.
However, in addition to having Christian Norgaard spend more time at the back, there is another potential solution to this problem: for Arteta to unleash Arsenal’s centre-back version of Max Dowman.
Arsenal’s Dowman of centre-backs
Despite still being just 15 years old, practically every Premier League fan has now heard of Dowman; that is the level of talent Arsenal are dealing with.
He made his debut in the competition back in August, running circles around the Leeds United defence and winning a penalty.
Over the following months, he became the youngest player to start for the club in the League Cup and then the youngest player to play in the Champions League.
So, to be compared to, let alone described as the ‘Dowman of’ a youngster has to be pretty special.
Fortunately for Areteta and Co, special seems to be an apt way to describe Marli Salmon.
For example, respected analyst-turned-Como scout Ben Mattinson has been bold enough to describe the exceptionally talented prospect as “the best CB Hale End has produced.”
Moreover, Hale End expert Will Balsam has heaped praise on him for being “different gravy on the ball” and has gone as far as dubbing him the “crown jewel” of the club’s recent scholarship intake.
The reason Balsam gives for this glowing praise is the fact that the teen phenom is already marrying technical composure with “freak physical attributes.”
It’s not just analysts that rate the youngster, though, Arteta seems to as well.
The manager took the 16-year-old on the pre-season tour of Asia and, alongside Dowman, handed him minutes against Premier League sides, minutes in which he shone.
Finally, the boss also trusted him enough to give him a runout against Club Brugge in the Champions League, making him the sixth youngest to play in the competition.
Ultimately, Arsenal are going through a defensive injury crisis at the moment, and while it won’t solve it entirely, Arteta can help manage it by unleashing Salmon.
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