Mikel Arteta has defended Kai Havertz from the suggestion that he’s less physical, and pointed out it’s too early to draw conclusions on Arsenal’s new midfield.

It’s unlikely we’ll see too many changes in attack, defence, or in goal for Arsenal next season, but the midfield could look very different.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Oleksandr Zinchenko would push up into midfield and join Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, and Martin Odegaard.

Against Manchester United at the weekend, Jurrien Timber pushed up to join Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Odegaard.

With only Odegaard keeping his place from the previous season, Mikel Arteta says it’s inevitable the team need to figure out the right balance in the middle. But he rejects suggestions that Havertz replacing Xhaka means Arsenal will be less physical.

“We’re going to have to find the right balance as well, but a year ago, Granit (Xhaka) could never play as an attacking midfielder,” Arteta pointed out.

“So let’s try to get the work done. We played with four players inside [on tour], three of them they’d never played for us. So three out of four, they never played together ever.

“If I put Granit and Kai and I ask you ‘Who is more physical?’ what would you say? Granit? The other one is 1.91m! So it depends on what is ‘physical’.

“Physical is to run, to run in behind, to run forward, to tackle… It depends.

“We will fit him (Havertz) within the qualities that we have, that’s for sure.

“And the good thing is that we have options as well in midfield, when we want a game that is more physical we can become now very, very physical as well.”

Arsenal certainly do have options now. Zinchenko is out with an injury at the moment, but he could easily come back into the team when he’s fit, despite the addition of Timber.

All three of Arsenal’s senior defensive midfielders from last season (Jorginho, Partey, and Mohamed Elneny) are still available this campaign, and Albert Sambi Lokonga is back too.

Leandro Trossard has spent some time in midfield in pre-season, Emile Smith Rowe is fit again, and Fabio Vieira is an option on the right-hand side.

Some of the above may end up spending some time in the front three, but Arsenal still evidently have more than enough players for three (or four) midfield positions this season.