Mikel Arteta's willingness to shake up his starting eleven produced few convincing answers during Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the four players brought in for the trip to Italy largely failing to make a compelling case for regular selection.
Arteta is known for his caution when it comes to changing his lineup, generally preferring continuity and often speaking about the physical demands on players who need to be conditioned for a long campaign spanning up to 60 matches. Against Napoli, however, he made four alterations to his usual side, a signal that squad rotation may become more necessary as Arsenal juggle domestic and European commitments this season.
Despite the result going Arsenal's way, courtesy of a late Martin Odegaard winner, the performances of those given an opportunity offered little encouragement. Piero Hincapie, stepping in on the left side, struggled to replicate the attacking threat that Riccardo Calafiori has provided this term. Calafiori has racked up a goal and two assists and brought a level of unpredictability going forward that Hincapie could not match. The Ecuadorian defender looked uneasy when inverting into midfield, his delivery in the final third was inconsistent, and he badly missed a golden chance from close range, blazing over the crossbar when well placed at the back post.
Eberechi Eze, who had been influential as a substitute against Aston Villa, also had a subdued outing, managing only a couple of long-range efforts without truly threatening Napoli's goal. His quiet display stood in contrast to that of Christos Tzolis, who came on and immediately made an impact, setting up Odegaard's decisive goal.
Mikel Merino, another player who has thrived in cameo appearances this season, wasted a clear opportunity to put Arsenal ahead earlier in the match, directing a header straight at the goalkeeper despite being unmarked. It was a missed chance that could have changed the complexion of the game and eased the pressure on Arteta to keep his key players on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.
Up front, Viktor Gyokeres endured a difficult 73 minutes before being replaced by Kai Havertz, who made a far bigger impression in his 13 touches than Gyokeres managed in his nine. Arsenal dominated proceedings, registering 26 shots in total, yet Gyokeres failed to have a single attempt on goal. Notably, both Hincapie and Ben White had more touches inside the Napoli penalty area than the Swedish striker, whose task of getting into the box and finishing chances went unfulfilled despite favorable circumstances, with Odegaard pulling the strings behind him.
The outcome appears to have reinforced Havertz's status as Arteta's first-choice striker, while the other fringe players will need to wait for further chances to prove themselves. Myles Lewis-Skelly continues to impress in midfield, and Bruno Guimaraes is expected to push for a starting role once he returns to full fitness, adding further competition for places.
Overall, Arsenal's trip to Naples was viewed as a positive one, with the team dominating for large periods and creating enough opportunities to have won by a more comfortable margin. The main shortcoming was a lack of clinical finishing, which prevented Arteta from resting key figures like Declan Rice and Odegaard in the closing stages.
Those rotated against Napoli may get another opportunity when Arsenal face Ipswich Town in the Carabao Cup next week, but for now, it seems Arteta's trusted core will remain largely unchanged for Premier League fixtures, starting with Saturday's clash against Sunderland.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.