“That could be difficult at some point” – Mikael Silvestre identifies potential weakness with Arsenal 

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikael Silvestre has opined that his former team might struggle in terms of squad depth this season. He said that while they have a young squad, the Gunners will have to manage their playing time well to compete.

Mikel Arteta's side finished fifth in the Premier League last season, missing out on the fourth spot by two points against rivals Tottenham Hotspur. They didn't have any European competition and were eliminated early from the domestic competitions as well. So, their failure to make it to the top four can be attributed to their lack of squad depth.

Injuries to Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu perhaps derailed their campaign as they missed fourth place. Arsenal have signed five players so far this summer, but Silvestre still feels they lack depth in comparison to Liverpool and Manchester City. He told Betting Expert:

"Their weakness could potentially be the depth in the squad, which is not at the level of Liverpool and Manchester City in all positions. That could be difficult at some point. We’ll see how every club will deal with the World Cup, with all the international players leaving and coming back."

He added:

"All the positives are within the young and energetic squad, so I don’t think that they will be showing signs of tiredness. I think they will have to deal with the game time management for everyone, and the injuries."

The Gunners will be competing in four competitions this year. Moreover, the FIFA World Cup mid-season would see internationals like Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes and Bukayo Saka travel to Qatar in November. So, their squad depth and Arteta's game time management will be tested this season.

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Paul Merson predicts Arsenal's clash against Crystal Palace

Columnist and broadcaster Paul Merson has backed the Gunners to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in their Premier League opener on August 5. The Eagles won this fixture 3-0 last season, but Merson believes the north London side will win 3-1 this time. In his column for Sportskeeda, he wrote:

"Arsenal need to make a statement now. This is a big game for them because they need to lay down a foundation. If they lose here, people will assume that they're flaky and still the same old Arsenal. If they want to make it to the top four this season, they need to win this game."

Mikel Arteta's side will hope to start off their campaign with a win as they look to make the top four for the first time since 2016.