A player dropping out of the warm-up before a game is something Mikel Arteta has had to get used to this season. But on this occasion, Arteta gave a glimpse of what could be the next evolution of the Arsenal attack - Bukayo Saka playing as a number 10. When Calafiori and Saka had to pull out of games against Brighton and Leeds earlier this season, Arteta made straight swaps for players in their positions but for this match he shuffled his players around. In part, Arteta's decision to play Saka there is down to the midfield injury issues that the Gunners are currently facing. Captain Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Mikel Merino, the other go-to midfield options in the squad, are all injured and Ethan Nwaneri is on loan at Marseille.

Source: BBC February 16, 2026 14:58 UTC