Sport

Arsenal proved they have the depth to be Premier League champions

If Arsenal go all the way and win this season’s Premier League title race, they will look back on Saturday’s comeback win over Bournemouth as a landmark moment. The Gunners fell behind after just nine seconds against the Cherries and didn’t find a winner until the eighth minute of stoppage time. Some might say winning in such circumstances is the mark of champions.

Mikel Arteta was required to turn to his bench to turn around the match. Emile Smith Rowe was introduced and contributed an assist for Thomas Partey’s goal to half the deficit to 2-1 while Ben White also substituted on to great effect with the England international getting on the end of a cross to equalise.

Then there was Reiss Nelson who registered an assist before lashing home a dramatic 98th minute winner to keep Arsenal’s title challenge on track. That such a potentially season-defining moment came from such a peripheral player was somewhat surprising, but it said something about the depth now inside the Emirates Stadium dressing room.

It has been frequently pointed out that Arsenal lack the squad depth of Manchester City. Some have even suggested Liverpool and Manchester United have greater breadth of options and that could have a bearing on the outcome of the Premier League title race. Sunday, however, went against this train of thought.

Three of the four changes Arteta made had a direct impact on the final scoreline. Jorginho, who scored a crucial stoppage winner against Aston Villa just two weeks ago, was left on the bench against Bournemouth while Rob Holding and Kieran Tierney were also options that never made it on the pitch.

January helped Arsenal strengthen their squad with Jorginho and Leandro Trossard added for relatively modest transfer fees. The return of Gabriel Jesus from injury will also boost the Gunners as they head down the final stretch with Smith Rowe’s return to fitness another thing to encourage all associated with the North London club.

Nelson had played just 64 minutes in the Premier League before his match-winning cameo against Bournemouth. The 23-year-old might be well down the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Trossard ahead of him, but his contribution has still been important.

Arsenal can’t count on pulling off a comeback in every match they play. While the momentum wins like Saturday’s provide will be powerful, the Gunners must rediscover their ability to win comfortably. Upcoming fixtures against Fulham, Crystal Palace and Leeds United must be played with less fuss.

The Gunners will be emboldened by what unfolded against Bournemouth, but Arteta will also be emboldened in his trust of his own squad. The Spaniard now knows exactly what he has on his own bench and so it’s more likely that players like Nelson will be given another chance to make their mark before the end of the season.

“I always saw the potential, the talent and the desire for him to do it but he’s at a different level right now,” Arteta said about Nelson after his late winner against Bournemouth. “I think emotionally, the experiences that he had helped him. He was knocking on the door, he’s been training really well and it’s a good lesson for me and for the coaches that we need him.”

Arsenal will need their full squad to cross the line and become Premier League champions for the first time since 2004. There are 12 fixtures to go and there will inevitably be more difficult moments for Arteta and his players to overcome. Players like Nelson, White and Smith Rowe will be required to step up again.