Arsenal’s Derby Dilemma: Three Line-Ups Arteta Can Trust Without Gabriel

Here we go then: derby week, the squad’s patched up, and Mikel Arteta is reaching for every clever tweak he’s got. Arsenal’s title tilt hasn’t been plain sailing, and the injuries have come thick and fast — Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori and Viktor Gyokeres have all had issues, while Martin Odegaard has been sidelined for a stretch too. Still, this is a side that went six-for-six with six clean sheets in October 2025 — a remarkable standard — so the Gunners know how to knuckle down when it matters.

Thomas Frank’s Tottenham are next, which means a streetwise, high-energy opponent who’ll fancy nicking transitions if Arsenal’s back line isn’t settled. With that in mind, here are three line-ups Arteta can turn to — and why each one can work.

If you’re having a flutter on the derby, make sure you study the late team news. Check prices across the best betting sites — but remember, availability up top and at centre-back will swing this market more than any chalkboard.

1) No Calafiori, no Gabriel, no Gyokeres: a stitched-up spine that still controls games

This is the bare-bones plan, but it’s not a white flag. Go 4-3-3 and lean into control:

Back four: Jurrien Timber at right-back for security and bite, William Saliba as the organiser, Piero Hincapie alongside him (yes, minutes have been bitty after that groin problem, but he reads danger well), and youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly stepping in at left-back. The kid’s tidy, brave on the ball and has the legs to shut off the far post.

Midfield: Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi to run the engine room — one sits, one shuttles — with Eberechi Eze given license to glide between the lines and be the creative hub in Odegaard’s absence.

Front three: Bukayo Saka right, Leandro Trossard left, and — here’s the curveball — Mikel Merino as a makeshift No 9. He’s got timing in the box, aerial presence on set plays and enough craft to wall-pass under pressure. With Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus doubtful, it’s a pragmatic stop-gap that keeps Arsenal’s structure intact.

Why it works: You protect the clean-sheet habit with the ball. Timber and Lewis-Skelly tuck in, Rice/Zubimendi smother counters, and Saka/Trossard attack the inside channels off Merino’s lay-offs.

2) Calafiori and Gyokeres back, Gabriel still out: left-footed balance and a proper focal point

If Calafiori’s ready to go and Gyokeres is sharp enough to start, Arsenal gain balance and a penalty-box menace.

Back four: Timber at right-back, Saliba right centre-back, Calafiori sliding inside to left centre-back for that precious left-footed build-up lane, and Lewis-Skelly keeping his place at left-back. Hincapie’s lack of rhythm makes this the safer blend.

Midfield: Rice with Zubimendi — press-proof and positionally elite — and Eze again as the connector and creator.

Front three: Saka and Trossard wide of Gyokeres, who pins centre-halves and attacks the near post. If he’s even at 85%, he gives Arsenal a reference point they’ve been missing.

Why it works: Calafiori complements Saliba beautifully; the left-sided exit opens the pitch for Saka switches, while Gyokeres makes all those half-crosses worth it. It’s the most ‘normal’ XI despite Gabriel’s absence.

3) No Gyokeres? Martinelli through the middle, Mosquera steps in at centre-back

If the Swede doesn’t make it, go dynamic at the top and keep the back four familiar.

Back four: Calafiori returns to his favoured left-back slot, Saliba is the mainstay, and youngster Cristhian Mosquera partners him — he handled the big stage at Anfield earlier in the season and didn’t blink. Timber completes the line.

Midfield: Rice-Zubimendi-Eze remains the pick; it’s the right blend of discipline and invention.

Front three: Saka right, Trossard left, and Gabriel Martinelli as the central runner. He’s no classic No 9, but his Champions League form this season shows he can finish from sharp angles, and his pace stretches centre-halves who hate being dragged into the channels.

Why it works: It’s chaos with a plan. Martinelli’s movement creates the space Eze craves, while Saka and Trossard ghost into the gaps. Mosquera’s inclusion avoids over-tinkering with what’s been a stingy defensive structure.

Pundit’s verdict

Look, there’s no magic wand when your defensive rock is out and your new striker’s touch-and-go. But Arsenal’s identity — control, territory, relentless pressure — doesn’t need to change. If Gyokeres is fit, option two is the headline act. If not, option three gives you thrust without losing shape. And if it’s a proper injury crunch, option one keeps the ball and the blood pressure down. Either way, if the Gunners hit their passing tempo early, they’ve got enough to edge Frank’s Spurs in a derby that’ll be decided by details.