Playing Liverpool is going to be a tough one and Odegard and Saka's absence will be felt, No creativity upfront in Arsenal's last 2 matches.
Arteta has earned respect and trust given the performances in the last 2 seasons but in just the last 10 months alone the level of consistency is unreal. Something is not good, something has to be done.
They need aggressive attackers, the midfield is so poor at getting goals and attacking, they have enough defenders now!
Arsenal still has a chance to beat Liverpool at home but it would been easier with the 3 best players.
So I won't be surprised if they draw against Liverpool at home this weekend.
As we often discuss in many posts, Arsenal does not have a striker who is able to consistently score goals. As you said, the fact is that Arsenal lost creative players like Saka and Odeard. It is clear that Arteta should be very aware that there is something that needs to be corrected and evaluated from his team, because Arsenal's performance seems to be declining. Moreover, when the team captain had to be sidelined due to injury, Arsenal's game declined slightly because he is a creative midfielder. Merino has just recovered from injury, will he immediately become the main starter against Liverpool? It seems yes, because in the two matches Arsenal did not play optimally. Even though they are playing at home, it will not be easy to defeat Liverpool, especially since they are also in a very positive trend. It could be that the match will end in a draw or Arsenal will lose full points again, but I hope Arteta can formulate an ideal formula for his team. My guess is that Arteta will make a few changes. Still the same pattern, but some players are rotated. It could also be with the front striker duo, G. Jesus and Trossard. Or, as usual, the 4-4-3 pattern. Let's just wait and see, in just a few days the two teams will meet in the 9th week of the Premier League.