Kieran Tierney could be back for Arsenal's clash with Watford this weekend and Mikel Arteta is welcoming the selection dilemma that poses with the in-form Nuno Tavares.
Scotland full-back Tierney has not featured for the Gunners in their past three matches due to a bruised ankle and speaking after their 2-0 win over Leicester City last time out, boss Arteta did not sound confident of a return this weekend.
But Tierney has resumed training this week and may face the Hornets, though Arteta was reticent to confirm his availability for Scotland over the upcoming international break.
"Kieran has been training in the last two days. He's been feeling much better, so hopefully, he will be able to be available," Arteta said at a pre-match news conference.
On featuring for Scotland he added: "Let's see how he's feeling in the next few training sessions.
"He's done bits with the team but hasn't fully trained yet, so in the next two days we will see where he is and how he's feeling."
In the absence of Tierney, Tavares – signed from Sporting CP for £8million in July – has excelled, and it is this sort of selection headache Arteta revels in.
"Hopefully we can have more of those dilemmas and we can have top players performing at the top level in many positions because that only raises the quality, the standards and the performance of the team," he said.
There were mixed emotions for Arsenal's English contingent this week, with goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale joining Bukayo Saka in the squad amid an impressive run of displays.
But attacking midfielder Emile Smith Rowe and centre-back Ben White were both surprise omissions by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, despite a series of fine performances.
"Gareth has to make so many difficult choices and has got so many options. What I like is that our players are performing at a level that I'm sure they give problems to Gareth and the coaching staff," Arteta said.
"That's what pleased me. I know they have the level to do it and it will about the time or when the manager decides it is the right moment to select them.
"I think he [Smith Rowe] should be happy if people are gutted or if they're questioning the decision because it shows the level he's playing at.
"Like anything in Emile's career, it will come in the right moment. We don't know if now is the right moment. Gareth knows much better than us how to judge what he thinks about the role he could have in that team.
"If he's decided it wasn't the right moment, I'm sure it was a very thoughtful process and the right decision."
Ramsdale's form in particular has led to some suggestions he could usurp Jordan Pickford as England's first-choice goalie.
"Well, I'm really happy for him to see him back there. The rest are decisions that Gareth and the coaching team has to take," Arteta said.
"What Aaron needs to do is keep performing and be humble. The decisions are done by someone else."
Gallagher insists Chelsea players are fighting for the shirt after Arsenal collapse
Conor Gallagher insists Chelsea's players are putting in the required effort amid fierce fan criticism in the aftermath of Tuesday's 5-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Chelsea's miserable first season under Mauricio Pochettino took another turn for the worse at the Emirates Stadium as they were put to the sword by Mikel Arteta's title contenders.
The Gunners racked up 27 shots at goal as they recorded their biggest ever victory over Chelsea, who looked devoid of inspiration with leading goalscorer Cole Palmer sidelined due to illness.
During the game, one disgruntled travelling fan held up a banner which read: "I don't want your shirt, I just want you to fight for ours".
The charge that Chelsea are not fighting for results was put to Gallagher by TNT Sports after the game, and the Blues' stand-in captain denied that was the case.
"We definitely are putting the effort in," Gallagher said. "I know how much it means to all the boys. It's a very young squad with not much experience as a team in the Premier League.
"This season we've had a lot of ups and downs. We're still improving and working as a team to get to that next level.
"Today was one of those days where we were nowhere near it and we need to dust ourselves off, look at the performance, where we can improve and all the mistakes we made."
The defeat means Chelsea remain ninth in the Premier League table, three points adrift of sixth-placed Newcastle United and Manchester United in seventh, with both of those teams in action on Wednesday.
Pochettino's men face another daunting task on Saturday when they travel to Champions League-chasing Aston Villa, before hosting Tottenham in another London derby next Thursday.
'When we are bad, we are so bad' – Pochettino slams inconsistent Chelsea after Arsenal rout
Mauricio Pochettino slammed Chelsea's lack of consistency after they were thrashed 5-0 by Arsenal on Tuesday, saying: "When we have bad days, we are so bad."
Chelsea travelled to the Emirates Stadium looking to close the gap to the Premier League's top seven, but instead saw their European hopes further dented by a chastening 5-0 defeat.
The defeat was Chelsea's heaviest ever against the Gunners in all competitions, and their worst in a London derby since they lost 6-0 to Queens Park Rangers in March 1986.
The fact that dismal performance came just three days after Chelsea pushed Manchester City close in the teams' FA Cup semi-final only served to rile Pochettino.
"We are showing this inconsistency and that is why we are where we are," Pochettino said.
"We are able to have an amazing performance and then one like this. When we have bad days, we are so bad. It's difficult to talk. We were talking in the same way after last season.
"We put in a fantastic performance at Wembley and then today, you can lose a game at Arsenal but in the way we competed… why one day, three days ago and then today in this way?"
Chelsea have now conceded 57 goals in the Premier League this season, their outright most in a single campaign in the competition, having previously shipped 55 in both 1994-95 and 1996-97.
In attack, they managed just one shot on target in the absence of Cole Palmer, with the Premier League's joint-leading goalscorer missing out due to illness.
Asked about the impact of losing Palmer, Pochettino added: "It wasn't the reason we lost the game, but you lose such a creative player that helps to play in the lines.
"It's difficult to lose players in these circumstances – that made the management very difficult. But today was more than that.
"We didn't compete from the beginning and it was difficult to be in the game against a team fighting for the Premier League. It's no coincidence.
"We need to compete in a different way but we are talking too much. We want to be in a different position next season. We need to take decisions."
Mikel Arteta salutes ‘unbelievable’ Kai Havertz after another impressive display
Mikel Arteta hailed an “unbelievable” performance from Kai Havertz after his two goals helped Arsenal move three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a thumping 5-0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.
The 24-year-old, who struggled in his early appearances after swapping Stamford Bridge for north London in the summer, gave a superb display against his former side as the leaders heaped more misery on visiting manager Mauricio Pochettino, who saw his ninth-place team slump to a worst-ever league defeat against Arsenal.
Havertz struck twice as part of an 18-minute blitz in the second half as Arteta’s team won for the second time in four days, continuing their recovery from successive losses to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.
“He (Havertz) was unbelievable, in all departments,” said Arteta.
“For a nine to score two goals the way he scored, his contribution was great. It’s a question for him but I’m sure he’s very pleased.”
The Arsenal onslaught began after only four minutes, Declan Rice sliding the ball into a channel on the left of the penalty area from where Leandro Trossard took over, dinking past defender Alfie Gilchrist, on his first Premier League start, and thudding it through the legs of Djordje Petrovic.
Thereafter Chelsea competed gamely, going close to equalising when Axel Disasi just failed to reach a flick-on from a corner and again when Nicolas Jackson’s effort was deflected onto the post by Gabriel, but in the space of under 20 minutes after the interval they fell to pieces.
First, Ben White reacted quickest to sweep home after Rice’s shot was blocked, then Havertz got his first of the night with a lofted finish over the goalkeeper.
The former Chelsea forward made it 4-0, his shot pinging in off the post with Petrovic rooted, before White provided the moment of the match with a cross-shot that sailed across the face of goal and in from Martin Odegaard’s pass.
“It was a big performance, collectively and individually,” said Arteta, whose side moved clear at the top ahead of Sunday’s derby against Tottenham but have played a game more than Liverpool and two more than Manchester City.
“I thought we were really good, against a really good team that was in great form and were going to ask us a lot of questions. I think we responded really well.
“From the start we were really determined, really flowing, playing with a lot of courage and making things happen. Really happy with the result. It’s a big day for our supporters.
“It’s great for us, for the confidence and for the belief that we can do it, we can come to these stages against big teams and win games the way we’ve done it tonight. So enjoy it, then it’s back to work tomorrow because we have a big one on Sunday.”
Chelsea boss Pochettino, for whom Arteta admitted to have “all the sympathy in the world,” gave a downcast assessment of his team’s prospects of qualifying for Europe after a humbling loss.
“Now it is difficult to see the future because after this game we feel disappointed,” he said. “It is difficult to talk about objectives.
“If we compete like Saturday (in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to City), OK. But if we compete like today, I think we deserve to go into Europe? I think in this way, no.”
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