After a great start to the season that put them in first place at the first international break, Tottenham Hotspur will come to the Emirates this Saturday for Arsenal’s toughest test so far. The Gunners haven’t beaten one of the “big six” teams yet this season. They lost a close game to Manchester United earlier this month. A win over Antonio Conte’s team could silence a lot of doubters.

For such a test, Mikel Arteta will want all his best players available to him, but it seems as though fate has conspired against him so far. Kieran Tierney should be ready to play after missing Scotland’s 0-0 draw with Ukraine, but Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Martin Odegaard, and Thomas Partey are still not sure if they will be ready.

Arsenal is thinking of a replacement for Thomas Partey

Arsenal will check on all four of them at London Colney over the next few days and hopes that they will be ready for Saturday’s important game. But if Partey isn’t available, it brings up a question the Gunners have asked before. 

They had trouble at the end of last season without him, and even though Mohamed Elneny’s contract was extended and Albert Sambi Lokonga is seen as someone who can play in the number six spot, there are still questions about whether the club can find someone who can do what Partey does. During the break, though, a possible solution may have come to light.

Granit Xhaka has been great for most of this season in a slightly more forward left-eight position. He has created the same number of chances as Kevin De Bruyne in the Premier League. The Swiss midfielder’s relationship with Arsenal fans has changed completely since he moved to this new position. They even sang his name after the final whistle of the 3-0 win over Brentford before the international break. 

After that game, Arteta said that he was happy with how things had turned out. The Spaniard said, “I think he now feels love and respect from both sides. You can see how our fans were singing about him, and that makes him want to give even more. I’m really happy for him because I think he really deserves it.”

But, interestingly, Xhaka was asked to play a totally different role when he was with Switzerland during the international break. The 30-year-old got a lot of praise at the Euros last summer for his work in a box-to-box position. However, Xhaka played a much deeper role in their most recent Nations League games against Spain and the Czech Republic.

What’s next?

The former Borussia Monchengladbach player did a great job, especially against Spain, as Switzerland pulled off a surprise win. The worry about putting him in a deeper role has been that he can’t handle pressure well with his back to the ball. However, Xhaka did well against Luis Enrique’s high-pressing team.

The 30-year-old has said in the past that he wants a more advanced role that makes the most of his skills with the ball, but Arteta has said that he sees him as a possibility in the six. When asked about his midfield options after the failed pursuit of Douglas Luiz, the Spaniard said, “We have players like Sambi and Granit who can play there.”

Partey’s return for Saturday’s important match will be a top priority for Arsenal. They want to get back at its north London rivals after losing out on the Champions League players to them last season. But if the Ghanaian isn’t available, it’s interesting to note that Xhaka has shown he can do well if asked to play the deeper role.