Arsenal already overuses Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard

Arsenal has had two brilliant seasons, and this time, they want to win the league and end Manchester City's dominance of the English game.

The Gunners' impressive performance in the Premier League last season shocked us as they nearly won the competition.

They topped the league for more than 200 days but lacked that extra bit of experience and expertise to make them champions.

Manchester City roared back to take their league crown in a campaign that was also their best since Pep Guardiola came to town.

It is not so surprising that Arsenal is a direct rival of City after several seasons of mediocrity, considering where their manager came from.

Mikel Arteta worked with Pep Guardiola when he ended his playing career in 2016.

He stayed at City until the end of 2019 when Arsenal called him to become their gaffer, a huge gamble at the time.

The former midfielder had not had any senior managerial role on his own at the time, but Arsenal understood the need to be patient with the gaffer and he has proven to be an inspiring appointment.

Arsenal has several top players, but two men have stood out from the rest in the last two campaigns, with Martin Odegaard proving to be a superb signing from Real Madrid and Bukayo Saka living up to his starboy nickname.

Saka has been at Arsenal since he was a child and is a proper hero for the Gunners in whatever way you look at it.

Odegaard became club captain just a season and a half after joining them in London, a clear indication of how impactful he has been.

Arsenal has relied so much on both men since they have been teammates and it is beginning to tell on them.

Last season's impact

Saka scored 14 times and provided 11 assists for the Gunners last season, his best since he broke into the team, and it was a clear sign that he was now ready to be an important player for the Gunners.

The attacker had 11 goals and seven assists in the previous campaign, so last season, he came of age and set a new standard for everyone to judge him by, especially fans who buy Arsenal tickets.

Despite having the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli on their books, Odegaard ended the last campaign as Arsenal's top scorer.

The Norwegian midfielder delivered 15 Premier League goals and seven assists in his best-ever campaign as a footballer.

Remove the contributions of these two players, and Arsenal will struggle to finish inside the Premier League top two.

As big as their impact was on the team, it created a new expectation in the minds of the club's fans, and their manager will also feel he now has world-class players who can do well in every game.

However, this reliance on Saka and Odegaard alone has made the club overuse two of its key players.

Saka played through injury in several games at the start of this term, while Odegaard was rested in some matches recently after Mikel Arteta admitted the midfielder had been nursing a physical problem.

Lack of alternatives

The big problem for Arsenal when it comes to managing the minutes of these two players is a lack of alternatives.

Arsenal is competing for trophies with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, who have some of the finest players in their squad.

These teams also have more depth and can boast at least two players in each position in their squad.

The Gunners are clearly up against it with these opponents, yet they have not properly addressed the depth issue.

Saka is the only recognisable right-winger at the club and has played so many consecutive league games that he had to break down.

An alternative to the Englishman would be Reiss Nelson, but the former Hoffenheim loanee is far from Saka's level.

Saka provides a lot of balance in that wing because he is left-footed, and it is easy for him to cut in from that position.

However, Nelson is right-footed and has seen very little football for much of his career; he is hardly the type of alternative a club chasing the league title needs.

Odegaard also plays in a position that he only does well at the club despite Arsenal's recent investments in new midfielders.

They broke the bank for Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in the summer, but none of these midfielders are a natural in the number 10 role.

This means the team struggles when Odegaard is missing, as was the case in the last few games before the international break.

Fabio Vieira was also signed for that role, but he seems to struggle with the physicality of the Premier League and has made the most impact when he comes into games as an impact substitute.

Matches Arsenal needs Saka and Odegaard the most this year

After the November international break, Arsenal will play some crucial matches and need their top players to be available.

Odegaard hopes to recover during the break while Saka is with the England team and the Gunners hope he does not return with a new injury problem.

Their first match ticket to buy after the break will be a crunch London derby against the always-tricky Brentford side.

They will finish November with a Champions League match against Lens, who defeated them in the reverse of that fixture.

After that, it will be a very busy December for the North Londoners as they face Wolves, Luton and Aston Villa in seven days.

A trip to PSV for their final Champions League group game follows before another four games in 14 days to end 2023.

Ending the year on a very good note is important for Arsenal's ambition, so matches against Brighton at the Emirates, Liverpool at Anfield, West Ham at home and Fulham at Craven Cottage are all must win.

They need Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka to be fit for these games because both men offer them invention, productivity, security and stability whenever they are on the pitch for their matches.

Players who must step up to help Saka and Odegaard

The overreliance on Saka and Odegaard does not help the Gunners, and neither does it help the players.

Arsenal has had its fair share of players whose injuries ruined their careers, and that cannot be unconnected to them being overused.

Injuries were a big issue for the likes of Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere at the club, and they will want to avoid that for Saka and Odegaard.

Some group players must improve their performance so that Arsenal can easily rest Saka and Odegaard.

Nelson is the closest to replacing Saka in the team, and the fellow academy graduate has to demand more from himself.

The Englishman has had loan spells away from the club at Hoffenheim and Feyenoord and did well each time.

If he can show those forms in the Premier League, Arsenal will not have to rely on Saka for the Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup.

Vieira was terrific in his last campaign at FC Porto before Arsenal added him to their squad, and the Gunners need him to reach or even exceed that level again.

Odegaard is one of the best-attacking midfielders in the Premier League, but Vieira has the potential to replace him in some games, handing the Gunners chances to rest the Norwegian.

Saka and Odegaard are two of the best players at Arsenal, and we understand why the Gunners overuse them.

However, they must begin to ease the workload on both players. Otherwise, injuries will become a big part of their careers.