Mikel Merino helps ease Arsenal burden as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard battle for starting role

There are few certainties in life, but Bukayo Saka starting on the right wing for Arsenal against Everton is one of them.

Even with the busy festive period in full swing, Saka is essentially undroppable. In 21 games this season he has been involved in 21 goals, scoring nine and assisting 11.

The 23-year-old has developed into Arsenal’s talisman and his performances have masked the team’s struggles on the other flank.

Saka starting at Emirates Stadium may be a certainty, but who plays on the other flank out of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard feels like the flip of a coin.

Since Martin Odegaard returned to full fitness and started at Chelsea last month, the pair have rotated who starts every match.

Martinelli has started four matches and Trossard three. If the pattern is to continue, then Trossard should start after Martinelli got the nod in midweek for Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Monaco.

Neither winger has hit top form this season, but it feels like they are as much a symptom of Arsenal’s difficulties out left as well as a cause.

It is in stark contrast to Arsenal’s right flank. Led by Saka, it has been exceptional and the return of Odegaard has only added to that.

Jurrien Timber has also brought another dimension to it with his appearances at right-back more than filling the void left by the injured Ben White.

Odegaard and Saka’s chemistry is the product of years of playing together, while White has also been ever-present there since the start of the 2022-23 season.

It has led to Arsenal’s attack having a clear right side bias. In the Premier League this season, 45 per cent of their attacks have been down that flank. Just 31 per cent of them have been down the left.

There is an argument Arsenal are right - pardon the pun - to do that, but the issue is what happens when Odegaard and Saka are stifled.

Fulham did that well last week, as left-back Antonee Robinson combined with midfielder Sasa Lukic to shut Arsenal’s right down.

Others have had joy in the past and it is hard to escape the feeling that if Arsenal can create an equal threat from the left, it will make it much harder for defences.

Right now, it feels like opponents can focus on stopping Arsenal’s right flank as they are not fearful of what the left can offer.

That has not always been the case. Back in the 2022-23 season, when the Gunners first fought for the title under Arteta, there was more balance.

Martinelli finished as the side’s joint top scorer in the Premier League, finding the net 15 times. Since then, he has scored only nine in his last 48 league games.

The Brazilian has not been helped by the upheaval behind him. Arsenal’s right flank may be born out of years of playing together, but the left has been in a state of flux for two years.

During the the 2022-23 season, Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko operated in midfield and at left-back.

They were a settled pair and helped Martinelli thrive. Zinchenko tucked into midfield and pulled his opposing winger with him, while Xhaka pressed high to occupy one of the centre-backs. The end result was Martinelli either had plenty of space, or he was left one on one with his full-back.

The left flank has changed since then. Last season, Declan Rice replaced Xhaka but in a different mould. The fact he was right footed meant he naturally turned inside, while he had less of a tendency to stay high and instead dropped deep to help the defence.

The left-back position was unsettled, with Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Zinchenko all having runs in the team. That has continued this season, with Riccardo Calafiori and Timber both used there.

Mikel Merino, who was signed to play as a left No8, got injured in his first training session and that has not helped matters.

There will be hope, though, that once he is fit Arsenal may have more balance. Merino started alongside Odegaard and Rice for the first time on Wednesday and the Gunners looked threatening in the win over Monaco.

Merino, a natural left footer, seemed to open up that side of the pitch, while Myles Lewis-Skelly did the same from full-back.

Two of Arsenal’s three goals came down the left and, even if it was a small sample size, it was certainly encouraging.

“We have had instability there [on the left] in recent years so finding that stability, the relationship, time together and players they can connect with each other and finding that chemistry is very important,” said Arteta.

“And it is true that we have never had that consistency there, especially because of availability on the left and on the right.

“It is never going to be the same because we have different qualities and we understand that we have many threats on the left side, and over the years we have done it.

“And if not, we wouldn’t have scored the amount of goals in the last two seasons. I am really pleased with that, different is good, it doesn’t have to be symmetric. We continue to go and to improve.”