Bukayo Saka has been failed: Arsenal did not protect him despite flashing red-light warnings, and will count the cost of avoidable hamstring injury

During the Gunners' first title challenge under Arteta in 2022-23, the love was spread around when it came to goals. All four primary attackers - Saka, Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard - reached double-figures for goals in the Premier League, and they were the best team to watch in the entire country, playing football the Arsenal way.

Since then, Arteta has made some tweaks in the name of control and squeaking out wins more often when points may previously have looked to escape their grasp. The regression of Jesus and Martinelli since has meant Saka and Odegaard have had to bear more of the attacking load, pushing themselves to the limit.

In 2023-24, Saka was the only Arsenal player to reach double-figures for both goals and assists, tallying a combined 34 in 47 matches across all competitions. The next highest was Odegaard with 22.

The 23-year-old has already clocked up 250 senior appearances at club level, plus a further 43 for England. This was bound to take its toll eventually.

A massive reason as to why Saka is so indispensable for club and country is his style of play. In another era, he would have been the prototypical 4-4-2 winger, someone capable of stretching play but also tracking back and covering his man.

Arteta has still sought to utilise his No.7 in that old-fashioned way. His shifts on the right flank are not like those of his peers. You can depend on Saka to get stuck in, to run the hard yards to protect Ben White or Jurrien Timber or whoever else is playing at full-back. And then he will go down the other end and score a screamer, or put in a delicious cross to be swept home, or drag three opponents out of position to create space for a team-mate.

From the start of 2023-24 to the present day, Saka has sat out 22 games for Arsenal and England due to injury concerns having previously been the picture of perfect health. The miles on Saka's young body are not regular miles. You could even go as far to suggest that this layoff will do him some good as he will finally be afforded an extended period of rest.

Arsenal have kept their powder dry when trying to find a like-for-like option who could resemble Saka. He has been their only left-footed wide man and inverted right winger since Nicolas Pepe - remember him? - left the club.

This has limited how Arteta's side can open up teams. Without a threat to come inside from that flank, the right-back has less space to make an overlapping run, nor does Odegaard have as much room for manoeuvre when he marauds over that way.

Of course, we've seldom seen what such an Arsenal system would look like because, as we've explained and must continue to stress, Saka's played 250 matches in six years straight from the academy.

Push has come to shove, then. Arsenal will be without Saka for some period of time and must soldier on without him. Arteta's hand has been forced and it will be intriguing to see how he plays it.

After Saka went off at Palace, Martinelli was switched over to the right and grabbed a goal for his troubles. Perhaps a switch of flank is what the Brazilian needs to rediscover his form of old having struggled so far this season. The rejuvenated Jesus is also capable of starting from the right, as is loanee Raheem Sterling, and thus opens up the possibility of the Gunners' wide men swapping wings during games now.

If Arteta wants to keep a leftie out on the right, he may have to give more minutes to teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri, who ordinarily plays in a similar position to Odegaard through the middle but can at least recreate the conditions Saka gave the attack with his willingness to switch onto his stronger foot.

The first thought for the modern-day fan concerns the transfer market. The problem Arsenal face here is twofold - the January window is difficult to navigate as is, while it's hard to sell a player on the idea of playing second-fiddle to Saka in the long run.

It's that second issue which has likely stopped the Gunners exploring this avenue before and they are incredibly unlikely to source a ready-made replacement in the coming weeks. Nonetheless, there are still a few intriguing options who could be available.

To play matchmaker for a minute, Sporting CP's Geovany Quenda is the perfect profile for this position. A left-footed right winger who has picked up the art of defending from playing wing-back and is still only 17? Arsenal should be all over him, particularly with former boss Ruben Amorim and Manchester United circling.

Arsenal head into Christmas six points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool and having played one game more than Arne Slot's side. The eye test has also been kinder to the Reds, who too boast the division's best goals against and goal difference records, taking their tactical game to another - previously thought to be impossible - level following on from the Jurgen Klopp era.

Each game the Gunners play without Saka they will be all the weaker for. There had been concerns about Arsenal's playing style limiting their open-play creation this term prior to last week's two displays against Palace. Perhaps this will be the switch-flip needed for Arteta to take the handbrake off in search of making up the shortfall left by his star man's absence.

Either way, Arsenal can seldom afford to drop any further points if they are to catch Liverpool and end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title. It would be nice for them to thrive without Saka, but they may have to do with merely surviving and snatching every last point they can.