By Rob Worthington (Deputy Editor)
When evaluating the performance of Mikel Arteta as Arsenal manager it is crucial to consider both the short-term and long-term consequences of his actions. His current project at Arsenal is of course a long-term one, and as a novice in the job he is still learning every day.
After an occasion of particular significance, a period of introspection will doubtless confront the Spaniard. And Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at Anfield on Sunday must be considered one of the most instructive games of his relatively short Arsenal tenure to date.
On Sunday we saw the Spaniard’s great strengths as well as some of his weaknesses. His first half tactical performance was nothing short of exceptional. I have little doubt that with William Saliba in the side on Sunday Arsenal’s first half performance would have been even more dominant, but Arteta catered to his absence impressively.
But Arteta’s Arsenal lost the fairly strong grip they had over affairs following Mo Salah’s goal for Liverpool just before half-time. There was still evidence of the brilliant performance levels which have enabled Arsenal to lead the Premier League table for the majority of the season after half-time.
However, in the 80th minute of the match, Arteta decided to scrap the elite structure which has guided his side to elite performance throughout the season in favour of bringing on an extra centre-back. A naïve move his mentor Pep Guardiola would not turn to at Manchester City, and the first lesson he must learn. A short-term lesson.
We’ve hardly seen the backs-to-the-wall 5-2-3 structure which has grown synonymous with Rob Holding this season at Arsenal. There’s a reason for that, implementing the structure surrenders much of the technical control which has contributed so profoundly to Arsenal’s success this term. Sunday may have seen the formation’s last hurrah under Arteta.
It’s more straightforward to say with hindsight, but Arteta shouldn’t have substituted Martin Ødegaard for Jakub Kiwior with 10 minutes left to play at Anfield. A more sensible move would have been to bring on veteran midfielder Jorginho who may have helped Arsenal to regain a semblance of authority over an engine room battle they were losing coming the 80th minute.
Lesson no. 1, say goodbye to 5-at-the-back.
The second short-term takeaway Mikel Arteta must extract from Anfield concerns his use of Kieran Tierney. Trust him. If Arsenal reach a stage in a match when they are sitting in a deeper block, Arteta must make use of his Scottish left-back.
Tierney may not offer the technical security Alex Zinchenko offers, and there is a case to be made for his sale come the Summer. However, whilst Arsenal remain in a phase in which they must depend on a deep block from time to time, Tierney must be used. He offers superior defensive qualities to his Ukrainian counterpart at left-back.
Lesson no. 2, when sitting deep, bring on Kieran Tierney.
The third and final lesson to be learnt from Anfield for Arteta concerns the long-term prospects of his tenure as Arsenal boss. I have very little doubt that Mikel Arteta will win a multitude of major honours as the Gunners’ boss. After all, his side sit six points clear at the top of the Premier League table prematurely in Arteta’s eyes.
It is a credit to Arteta’s superb management that Arsenal are where they are. That was made evident at Anfield on Sunday. Despite the vast improvement Arsenal have made under Arteta, there is still an area of weakness in the Spaniard’s side, his midfield.
And no, that weakness doesn’t lie solely at the feet of the often-scapegoated Granit Xhaka, but also Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard. 24-year-old skipper Martin Ødegaard’s place in the team is pretty safe, the midfield will likely be structured around him in years to come. However, Xhaka and Partey are vulnerable.
Arsenal will inevitably evolve past Granit Xhaka sooner rather than later. He’ll remain first choice in the left #8 role between now and the end of the season, but he’ll always be a square peg uncomfortably forced into a round hole whilst playing in that position. Xhaka has been brilliant for Arsenal this term, but his immobility hurts the team.
When the going gets tough and Arsenal begin to lose control of games, they don’t just need technical security, but they also need power. That’s what this Arsenal midfield lacks. That’s why André Onana, Abdoulaye Doucouré, and Idrissa Gana Gueye were able to dominate Arsenal’s midfield at Goodison Park a few weeks ago. Jordan Henderson and Fabinho enjoyed similar success during the second half at Anfield on Sunday.
Of course, Ødegaard with his slender frame contributes to this issue. It’s something Arteta will have to work around moving forward. Nevertheless, in spite of his more imposing frame, Thomas Partey is also a culprit when the Gunners are overrun in the middle of the park.
Unlike many of football’s great deep-lying midfielders over the years, Partey is yet to show the ability in an Arsenal shirt to single-handedly bring about control amid chaos. At 29 years of age, he is unlikely ever to develop this trait. In these games, it’s exactly what Arteta needs from his #6, and it’d appear that is something the Ghanaian can’t offer his manager.
So, Anfield would have confirmed to Arteta what he’s likely to have suspected for a while now. Arsenal require midfield reinforcement if they are to establish themselves as the greatest team on the planet any time soon. Ideally in the form of Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.
Lesson no. 3, add power to the midfield.
Given the intelligence of the man Mikel Arteta likely will have taken many more than the mere 3 lessons I have offered him to take away from Anfield in this article. However, it is important that he takes note of both his personal and his team’s weaknesses in the coming weeks.
Acting on these lessons will have both long-term and short-term benefits. In the immediate future, looking to add midfield control through Jorginho in times of need alongside relying on Kieran Tierney should bear fruit in the title race.
Looking at the bigger picture, adding running power to that Arsenal midfield could very well make Arteta’s first choice XI at Arsenal flawless. The final piece of the jigsaw.
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