Arsenal have started their new season in the Premier League in the most disastrous way, having lost two of their three matches so far. Their last match was a thumping defeat that came against Liverpool, who showed no mercy and absolutely decimated a disorganised Arsenal defence to win the contest by 4-0.
With the international break on, for the time being, the North London club are looking to rethink their strategies and are willing to bring in some enthusiasm into their style of play, which might be beneficial for and can help them bounce back in the season when it restarts.
The North London club have named their 25 man squad for the first half of the season and have sprung a bit of a surprise by not naming the influential Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla in their side for the 2017/18 season. The player has been nursing an Achilles injury, which he picked up during Arsenal win in UEFA Champions League against Ludogorets and has been out of action since 2016.
The omission of Cazorla, as per sources, comes as a caution as the Gunners are not expecting him to feature in the matches for the first half in this season as well. However, there is little chance of a comeback for the Spaniard in their starting lineup in the second half of the season as well, which might be an indication towards the end of his career with the Premier League club.
The 32-year-old joined Arsenal from La Liga side, Malaga in 2012 and has been an integral part of the lineup since his arrival at the Emirates Stadium. He has been a part of a number of unforgettable outings for the Gunners and has appeared in 180 matches for them before picking up the injury. His recovery has been very slow and it will seemingly take much more time than expected for the Spaniard to hit the pitch once again.
The player has been instrumental in the midfield and is known for his swift footwork and brilliant passing to find the right player at the right spot. His experience and wiliness in the middle of the pitch has been missed by Arsenal since his unavailability due to the injury and might be quite hard to replace for the Gunners.
Cazorla was also made the captain of the North London club, which has been one of the rarest of honours for a foreign player in the Premier League. If the player is kept out of the squad after the assessment of his injury in January 2018, it might well mark the end of an era for the Spaniard at Arsenal.
