Mikel Arteta couldn’t have been too happy with the quality shown by his Arsenal side against Nottingham Forest, despite the win.

The Gunners deserve praise for remaining patient and not giving up against a Forest side who kept on frustrating them at the City Ground. Some would even describe it as a mark of champions.

However, there are several obvious concerns that need to be addressed. Eberechi Eze was made the scapegoat, but it was not entirely his fault.

Serious questions need to be asked about a few other Arsenal players, including the Starboy.

Mikel Arteta should consider dropping Bukayo Saka against low blocks

Since his injuries, Bukayo Saka seems to have lost that burst of pace that made him so good on the right wing, even when teams doubled up on him.

The Arsenal number seven’s decision-making has let him down on a few occasions as well – his performances against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest highlighted that.

Arsenal fans expressed concerns about Saka after the win over Leeds last weekend, and there wasn’t much improvement this week against Forest’s low block.

Yes, it is hard for any player to penetrate Glasner’s setup, but we have seen performances like this a few times already from Saka in games like this one.

For that reason, perhaps it is time for Arteta to be a bit ruthless when Arsenal face low blocks and take Saka out of the side.

Yes, it sounds crazy, but Max Dowman is a lot trickier than Saka, has the ability to bamboozle defenders in the final third and offers something entirely different.

This isn’t a dig at the number seven. It’s just the reality at this moment in time, because Arsenal got away with it against Forest, but that may not always be the case.

Dropping Saka is unimaginable, and it would be a ruthless decision – perhaps the most ruthless of Arteta’s entire managerial career at Arsenal.

But it could also prove to be a genius move, as it would give Dowman a platform to succeed and also a message to Saka to get his act together and return to his best.

Arsenal’s next game in the Premier League is against Everton, and everyone knows David Moyes will have 10 men behind the ball. This is the game for Dowman to have an impact, just like he did in the same fixture last season.