Arsenal left it late to beat Wolves at the Emirates on Saturday night – and one pundit believes Mikel Arteta’s side have become too predictable amid the title race
Arsenal’s players have been told to show more imagination in games – as they have become too reliant on Bukayo Saka. The Gunners might be top of the table, but they needed a stoppage-time winner to secure all three points against Wolves at the weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s side looked to have allowed Wolves to earn just their third point of the season when Tolu Arokodare equalised in the 90th minute. However, Yerson Mosquera put through his own net to spare Arsenal’s blushes and keep their Premier League charge on track.
The Gunners sit two points clear of Manchester City in the table. However, Micah Richards believes Arsenal have become far too predictable when it comes to their attacking play.
“I feel Arsenal have a little bit of a conundrum because Madueke is playing really well and Saka is their best player,” he said on The Rest is Football podcast. “I think you need them on the pitch at the same time. Although Madueke is not that great on the left-hand side. He is way better from the right.
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“Wolves conceded two goals and you look at Arsenal and how they are going to break teams down. Arsenal need to do a little more. They are too reliant on Saka all of the time.
“If you look at the goals that (Leandro) Trossard or (Gabriel) Martinelli scores, they need to do what Saka is doing on the right-hand side. It feels as though all the dangerous play has to come from Saka.
“Always down the right-hand side and (Eberechi) Eze needs to do a little bit more. Odegaard comes on the pitch, but that is how teams are going to set up against Arsenal now because they are the team to beat.
“They need a little bit more imagination in the games now because you can’t keep relying on Saka to dig something out. It needs to be shared around.”
Arsenal have played seven times in 21 days but now have a week off before facing Everton this weekend. And Saka said: “It’s been a really, really busy schedule.
“Credit to all the boys and the staff because we’ve been so intense, but we’ve been on it and we’ve had some amazing results.
“It’s nice that we have a bit of a break, but it’s not time to relax, it’s just a time to reset a bit and then go again next week in the training sessions and be ready for Everton.”
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