Arsenal take on Chelsea in the Premier League tonight – and left back Joel Lopez has been spotted in training ahead of the game.
The Gunners simply have to get back on track. Four defeats in the last five have severely dented Arsenal’s hopes of a top four finish.
If there was ever a game to get up for, it’s a game against rivals Chelsea.
Arsenal need to show some fight and character tonight as well as show that they can actually find the net; they have managed just two goals in the last five games.
Mikel Arteta’s men have certainly been rocked by injuries to key players like Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey.
Nuno Tavares didn’t cover himself in glory as Tierney’s replacement and some wonder if Arteta will turn to another left back.
Granit Xhaka has been tried there without real success, but there are a few options from the youth setup.
Mazeed Ogungbo has been on the bench of late and can play at left back whilst Lino Sousa is making rapid progress.
Another option is Joel Lopez, the former Barcelona defender who joined Arsenal back in 2018.
Lopez has played in 16 Premier League 2 games this season, bagging two goals and two assists.
The 20-year-old may have a bright future ahead of him, even if Sousa seems to have more hype around him right now.
On Tuesday, Lopez was spotted in first-team training for Arsenal ahead of the Chelsea game.
Is it likely that Arteta throws the youngsters not this game? No. Lopez has never played in a Premier League, FA Cup or League Cup game so it may not be the right time.
Yet we could see Lopez on the bench for Arsenal tonight with Arteta regularly naming young players as substitutes.
With Tierney out and Tavares struggling, this is the time for any left back at Arsenal to really kick on and impress with Lopez now in the mix.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
