“Since Merino has become so lazy in front of goal, we’ve decided to promote this academy guy to the first-team and he’s going to be our permanent starter till Kai recovers from injury”: Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta has replaced Kai Havertz with an aggressive academy striker who has been compared to Harry Kane
Mikel Arteta says he’s ready to give opportunities to Arsenal’s academy forwards when the opportunity arises, with Nathan Butler-Oyedeji regularly joining the squad recently.
With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus out for the season, Mikel Arteta has been forced to adapt with his team selections in recent weeks.
The Gunners lack a natural centre-forward in the senior squad, and Leandro Trossard and Mikel Merino have largely been tasked with filling in so far.
Trossard has played up front for Arsenal before, but the additional problem in this case was the absence of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. Arteta really needed the Belgian international out wide, and he couldn’t play both roles.
Yet one option that Arteta has pretty much avoided utilising is promoting an academy forward to the first team. Whilst Nathan Butler-Oyedeji and Ismeal Kabia have featured in the squad on a number of occasions, neither of them have played any minutes on the pitch since Havertz’s injury.
With Arsenal 7-1 up in their tie against PSV Eindhoven, perhaps there will never be a better time to give Butler-Oyedeji some minutes up front than in Wednesday’s second leg. Arteta insisted he’s ready to do just that.
“We did that once when we could, and it’s always great because they’ve been extremely helpful, and bringing so much to the team,” Arteta said.
“So, whenever you have the opportunity to any player to say thank you or to give minutes, which in the end is the way of telling them that we trust you and we appreciate what you do for us, we will do.”
In saying “we did that once”, Arteta is presumably referring to when Butler-Oyedeji made his Arsenal debut against GNK Dinamo in the League Phase of the Champions League.
With Arsenal 3-0 up, Jesus and Saka already injured, and Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling, Trossard, and Havertz all having already featured in the match, Butler-Oyedeji found himself at the top of the pecking order to replace Martinelli.
The 22-year-old only played a few seconds of football on that occasion, but perhaps the more emphatic scoreline in Arsenal’s last-16 tie might lead to an earlier introduction this time around.
