This Arsenal injury boost could change everything for Spurs
Lack of squad depth has been a reason why Arsenal have come up short in the Premier League title races in recent seasons. In the last campaign, injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus meant that the Gunners were playing without a recognized striker.
Mikel Arteta's side recruited well over the summer, notably finally signing a striker in Viktor Gyökeres. However, Gyökeres and other top players missed the Gunners' last game. They dropped points in that fixture in a 2-2 draw with recently promoted Sunderland.
Arteta will need these players back if he is to finally win the league this season. According to The Standard, "(Noni) Madueke was close to making the squad at Sunderland but was not risked as he recovers from a knee injury sustained in September.
"Gyokeres, (Kai) Havertz, (Gabriel) Martinelli and (Martin) Odegaard are all pushing to be fit for the north London derby on November 23. "
Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal is a fierce rivalry in English soccer. Spurs would like nothing more than to derail their neighbour's title challenge. This is why Arteta will need to have these players back for the clash after the international break.
Can Arsenal finally win the Premier League this season?
Arsenal are currently four points ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League after 11 games. City look back to their best after a disappointing campaign last season. The Gunners were runners-up to City twice in the last three seasons before surrendering the division to Liverpool in the previous campaign. City along with dark horses Chelsea appear to be Arsenal's biggest rivals for the title this season.
Any team needs a big squad to win the title, especially with the Gunners also expected to go far in the Champions League this season. They are currently second in the top European competition to Bayern Munich, but only on goal scored.
Recruiting Gyökeres was huge for Arsenal last summer, but without him, they are back to playing midfielder Mikel Merino up front. Havertz will also be a welcome addition if he returns from injury, too, as he can be another backup to Gyökeres.
If Arsenal continue to struggle with injuries, then they may have to give their youngsters more of a chance. The teenagers Max Dowman and Ethan Nwaneri were both on the bench against Sunderland. The famous line by former Match of the Day pundit Alan Hanson, "You'll never win anything with kids" may have to be proved wrong yet again.
