Arsenal lost 0-1 to Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League match at San Siro last Wednesday, November 6. It was the Gunners’ second defeat in a row in all competitions. This is a minor crisis for Mikel Arteta’s men in Arsenal’s title race, as they will also find it very difficult to win silverware this season.

Arsenal really miss Martin Ødegaard at the moment:

Martin Ødegaard has been absent for almost several months and his absence has been very detrimental to the team. The Gunners didn’t have a proper number 9 to begin with, and now they have to use a proper number 10 too.

Leandro Trossard was tried as a number 10 in Ødegaard’s absence, but he was not particularly impressive in the role. The 29-year-old Belgian has two goals and one assist in 13 games, which is nothing short of amazing. Ødegaard used to do brilliant combinations with Saka through the inside-right channel, which were effectively lost with Havertz in the middle of the park.

Havertz and Trossard swapped roles in the match against Inter, with Havertz playing as a number 10 and the latter as a centre-forward. However, equally unimpressive results certainly raise Arteta’s concerns. Havertz has scored seven goals and one assist in 15 games this season, but his performance over the last month has been less than encouraging.

In Ødegaard’s absence, the Gunners lacked passing in the final third. Most opponents know that if they can stop Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli on the flanks, they should be able to stop Arsenal.

There is not enough pressure on the opposition centre-backs without a proper number 9 and number 10. With Gabriel Jesus also having a difficult time and Raheem Sterling also not looking too convincing in the few appearances he has made, there are options on the table. limited for the Gunners in midfield.

The Gunners have dropped 12 points in their 10 Premier League games so far, and are seven points behind Liverpool. It might be a tough task for the Gunners to win the league title from here.

Arsenal have several important games remaining in November:

The Gunners will face Chelsea next Sunday, November 10. This will be a tough test for the North London team, because Chelsea are in quite good form this season. After the international break, Arsenal will face Sporting CP in the Champions League and also face Nottingham Forest and West Ham United in the Premier League this month.

All of these games could prove crucial for the Gunners and may contribute significantly to deciding the fate of their season. However, the positive for the Gunners is that Ødegaard has returned to training for Arsenal recently.

With the return of the Norwegian playmaker, the Gunners will certainly become stronger. However, this still does not guarantee success because other teams will prepare well. Even so, Arsenal should be able to improve their performance after Ødegaard returns to the team. It is very important for Arsenal that the playmaker does not get rusty when he returns from a long injury.