23-yr-old handed full debut: Three Arsenal players set for key roles vs Brighton
Arsenal take on Brighton in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on 29 October as Mikel Arteta looks to ring the changes.
Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on 26 October to extend their 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions this season.
The Gunners are looking fearsome this campaign and have the squad depth and quality to go all the way in multiple competitions to claim some much needed trophies.
Ahead of the Brighton clash, Football Insider considers the three players who must turn up under the lights at the Emirates to show their manager they are capable of pushing for a consistent first team spot.
Piero Hincapie should be handed first Arsenal start
Jakub Kiwior’s sale allowed Arsenal to sign Piero Hincapie in the summer from Bayer Leverkusen.
The Ecuador international has seen little action since arriving to north London due to niggling injuries, but did make his debut for the Gunners against the Eagles.
Moreover, with doubts over the availability of the injured William Saliba, Arteta may be forced to start the 23-year-old earlier than perhaps anticipated.
The centre-back was a consistent performer for Bayer Leverkusen during his four seasons in the Bundesliga, yet talent from Germany don’t always find their feet in the English top-flight.
Therefore, the EFL Cup tie offers Hincapie the chance to experience the ferocity of coming up against a Premier League side, providing an opportunity to show the Spaniard what he can do.
Christian Norgaard to get rare run out for Arsenal
Since Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal from Brentford during the summer, he has struggled to find any game time.
Admittedly, the 31-year-old has been struggling with niggling injuries, but going from one of the Bees’ automatic starters to bench fodder is a bitter blow.
The Dane has managed just one start in all competitions for the Gunners, coming in the EFL Cup, and he is expected to retain his starting spot once again.
Given the intense workload of the Arsenal midfielders, Arteta would ideally want to call on other squad players to share the minutes.
However, it doesn’t seem like the Spaniard fully trusts the number 16 just yet to carry that burden, although a stellar performance in the EFL Cup could lead to more minutes in other competitions.
Viktor Gyokeres struggling for form as Arteta loses patience
Everyone at Arsenal thought Viktor Gyokeres ended his goal drought after his brace against Atletico Madrid on 21 October.
However, the Swede went completely missing once again against Palace on 26 October as more questions were asked of his goalscoring ability.
The ex-Sporting CP forward has scored five goals this season with all of them coming in just three matches.
It would’ve been expected that Arteta would’ve rested Gyokeres against the Seagulls due to the amount of fixtures he has had to play.
Yet, his avoidance of finding the back of the net is a more pressing issue, one which could be resolved by playing against his former side in the EFL Cup.