Arsenal defensive concerns grow as William Saliba absence exposes Arteta dilemma

Arsenal’s defensive frailties during pre-season have raised serious questions about whether Mikel Arteta’s side can cope without William Saliba, with the new Premier League campaign approaching and a Community Shield meeting with Manchester City at Wembley next Sunday.

Arsenal have conceded seven goals in three friendly matches since the start of August, including six in their past two games. The figures will concern Arteta before the first major test of the season, particularly as the Gunners conceded an average of 1.4 goals per game in the Premier League last term.

That average has risen to 2.3 goals per match during their three recent friendlies. Arsenal have also not conceded three or more goals in successive matches in any competition for more than three years, making the latest sequence highly unusual for the London club.

According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are paying the price for the absence of the defensive stability provided by Saliba, with gaps repeatedly appearing in their back line during their preparations.

Saliba is sidelined by a serious back injury which is expected to keep him out for an extended period. Jurrien Timber, meanwhile, is still several weeks away from recovering and returning to action.

Those absences leave Arteta with a worrying shortage of defensive options before the trip to Wembley, where Manchester City will provide Arsenal’s first genuinely significant examination before the Premier League season begins.

The manager can point to the purpose of pre-season matches, which are designed to allow teams to test ideas, experiment with formations and make mistakes before reaching full fitness. Players regain sharpness as preparations continue, while understanding between new and established members of the squad should improve.

Arteta has also begun to welcome back several key players and must integrate his latest signing, Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazil midfielder is expected to play an important role alongside Declan Rice in protecting the centre of the pitch and reducing pressure on the defence.

Even so, the problems seen in Sunday’s defeat by Borussia Dortmund will be difficult for Arteta to dismiss. He used the strongest available defensive four in that match, with Gabriel making his first appearance and replacing Piero Hincapie in central defence.

Gabriel’s return did not resolve Arsenal’s difficulties. Instead, further positional errors emerged, with Gabriel and Christian Mosquera both making clear mistakes. The nature of those incidents suggested a wider organisational problem rather than simply a lack of individual quality.

The evidence indicates that Saliba’s absence may have had a greater effect than expected.

Arteta is likely to use the same defensive quartet against Manchester City after Wednesday’s final friendly against Como, which will give Arsenal another opportunity to address their weaknesses before the Wembley fixture.

Although the Community Shield offers only a symbolic trophy, the match carries particular importance for a team seeking to establish an early advantage over one of its main rivals. Arteta knows Arsenal must be close to peak readiness if they are to make the most of that opportunity.

The Spaniard is currently the longest-serving manager in the Premier League and will not necessarily receive the same level of patience and tolerance that might be afforded to a manager beginning his first season, such as Enzo Maresca. The Manchester City match will be the 353rd of Arteta’s managerial career, underlining the experience and expectations surrounding him.

Arteta made clear that he was unhappy with the defeat by Borussia Dortmund despite its pre-season status, describing the loss as “painful”.

“We conceded bad goals in the last game, and other bad goals today, especially in terms of the way we competed and performed,” he said.

His comments reflected an awareness that Arsenal remain some distance from the intensity and aggression he expects from his players.

The underlying problems may be more specific than they first appear. Of the six goals Arsenal conceded against Real Betis and Borussia Dortmund, three came from shots outside the penalty area and two followed corners.

Those numbers point to unusual weaknesses in Arsenal’s positioning and organisation when possession is lost, as well as a need to improve their defending of set-pieces.

There have also been issues in midfield. Arsenal expect their defensive responsibilities and distribution of roles to improve when Rice returns, with Bruno Guimaraes and Martin Ødegaard also available. That trio would give Arteta greater control in the centre and help restore the balance between attacking construction and defensive protection, which was missing at times during the friendlies.

Arteta has recently placed considerable emphasis on improving the creativity of his midfielders and attacking players. In some moments, however, that focus appears to have come at the expense of defensive solidity.

Arsenal received repeated criticism last season for relying heavily on set-pieces to settle close matches while their effectiveness in open play dipped during certain periods. That balance needed to be adjusted, particularly with the club beginning the new campaign as Premier League holders and facing pressure to offer a more varied style of football.

Arteta also has more scope to rotate his squad without reducing the team’s quality to the same extent, which could allow Arsenal to refine their approach gradually. Their chance-creation figures in recent friendlies suggest they are moving towards a more effective and entertaining possession-based style.

But attacking development cannot come at the expense of defensive resilience, especially while one of the central pillars of Arsenal’s system is unavailable.

At the start of this week, Arteta was given his first opportunity to work with a group closer to full strength, as players who took part in the World Cup and England’s international players returned to training.

His biggest task is now to repair the defensive weakness exposed during pre-season and find a temporary solution to Saliba’s absence. If he cannot do so, a short-term problem could become a genuine threat to Arsenal’s start to the new season.