Mikel Arteta sprung something of surprise with his team selection for the north London derby with summer signing Piero Hincapie making his full Premier League debut.
The summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has been forced to bide his time to make an impression his own fitness issues and the form of Arsenal’s left-sided defenders.
An injury suffered by Gabriel Magalhaes on international duty, which could keep the 27-year-old out of action for up to two months, has presented Hincapie with an opportunity he will be desperate to take.
Fellow new recruit Cristhian Mosquera had been tipped to fill in for Gabriel given he has excelled over the course of his first 12 appearances for his new club following his move from Valencia.
It was Ecuador international Hincapie who was given the not against Spurs, however, with Arteta keen to maintain a left and right-footed combination at the heart of his rearguard.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Arsenal manager said: ‘We believe what we want to do is the best partnership. We have the absence of Gabi for the next few weeks and we need the stability we have in the past.
‘He’s won the Premier League already in Germany and for his age already he has a lot of football in the legs.’
While they were without their defensive linchpin, Arteta was at least able to welcome back Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke who started on the bench following their own fitness troubles.
The game came too early for skipper Martin Odegaard as well as strikers Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres.
Odegaard spent the majority of the international break with his Norway teammates as they booked their place at the World Cup and he hopes to be back on the pitch imminently to help both club and country.
‘This week I’ve been working really hard on my rehab – it’s going very well,’ he said.
‘I can feel I’m getting closer every day and getting towards the final stages where it’s a lot more exciting.
I’ve been doing some pitch work and training, so I really feel like I’m getting there.
‘That’s the best part of the rehab, when you’re getting closer to joining the team, you can do a lot more on the pitch and you can be more aggressive in the rehab.
‘I feel like I’m getting stronger and stronger. I can’t wait to be back now, we’re on a good path and it’s looking good.
‘I’m really excited. I guess that’s one of the good things about being injured. You get hungrier and more excited to play football again.
‘That’s the good part of it, I’m desperate to get going again.’
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