By Alfie Cairns Culshaw (Chief Editor)
When Arsenal were really clicking in the final third earlier this season, their left-hand side was at the heart of it.
Gabriel Jesus was peeling off to this flank and combining with Gabriel Martinelli, drawing defenders out and dribbling past them frequently with his quick and elusive feet. Martinelli was combining with Jesus, while driving on the outside regularly and getting past his full-back before providing dangerous cut-backs. Oleksandr Zinchenko was providing incisive balls into this area from deep. Perhaps most potently, Granit Xhaka was making unmarked underlapping runs into the half space, with teams unable to comprehend that this former deep-lying playmaker would be capable of timing and executing these darts to perfection.
In recent games, Arsenal's left-hand side has looked disjointed and thus the right-sided bias that had existed for long periods last season has reappeared. One of Mikel Arteta's most impressive systemic developments this season has been the symmetry which he has instilled in Arsenal's attack. His eights tend to have similar numbers of touches, while his full-backs and wingers also mirror each other in these numbers. While the combinations and patterns on each side differ slightly, both were functional and contributed to one of the best attacks in the league.
In recent games, this symmetry has evaporated. Against Aston Villa on Saturday, Bukayo Saka had 72 touches of the ball, while Martin Odegaard was in possession 68 times. On the opposing side, Granit Xhaka touched the ball 47 times, while Leandro Trossard managed just 38 touches. Granted, the latter two were hooked in the 78th and 67th minute respectively, but the significance of these numbers is striking. Arsenal's two forward left-sided players were unable to get into the game, and when they did, they didn't exert enough final third influence. Saka and Odegaard contributed to seven combined shots, while managing a combined 13 shot-creating actions. Xhaka and Trossard took one shot between the pair of them, and registered just four shot-creating actions.
These numbers will come as no surprise to those who watched the lunchtime kick-off. in Arsenal's second half onslaught, everything came down the right-side and this area contributed to every notable threatening moment the side created. Trossard was often isolated and thus peripheral, while Xhaka looked lost in forward areas.
While attributing this increasing left-sided dysfunction to the lack of Jesus and perhaps a lack of an overlapping full-back are definitely valid factors, the most glaring problem for me is Xhaka's presence in the left-half space. While he adapted brilliantly to this new role, as I wrote about twice earlier in the season, it appears teams have clocked onto his threat and the Swiss international has struggled to find solutions.
He never demonstrated agility, nimble feet and quick ingenuity in tight spaces close to and within the penalty box, because he didn't really need to. Teams allowed him to get into these pockets and receive the ball with limited pressure, while also not preventing or tracking his smart underlapping runs into the half spaces. However, as the 30-year-old started providing output in the final third (posting career high numbers in this area), teams started to take note.
While the supply lines to him have not been entirely blocked- like teams try to do with Odegaard on the other side- the pressure on him when he receives progressive passes now has increased tenfold. Not being his natural game and not being the area of the pitch he has operated in throughout his career, Xhaka struggles to manipulate the ball in these tight spaces and his influence has thus faded. With Zinchenko behind him providing the high value progressive passes he used to provide- but doing it better- Xhaka has almost become redundant in this side.
In some ways, Xhaka was almost the perfect player to fill this role initially. As we transitioned from a 4-2-3-1 side into this more complex 4-3-3 system, we needed an experienced player who could give us some central midfield qualities (ball progression, retention and a bit of defensive security), who was also smart enough to give us some value in the final third. As we've progressed as a team and our opponents have taken us more seriously, the left eight's role has evolved, with less emphasis on the central midfield stuff and more emphasis on being a final third specialist. Xhaka isn't that.
This isn't me retiring or knocking a player who I still believe is integral to this squad, but it's a diagnosis of some of our offensive issues of late. There will be plenty more games and minutes for Xhaka, but if Arteta wants to reignite our left-side, I do feel a change is needed in this position.
None of the options are perfect, but some are at least worth trialling. £34 million signing Fabio Vieira has to be in contention. The Portuguese has struggled to impose himself on games physically since his move to England, but the technical quality he possesses has been evident on countless occasions. His well documented assist record in Primeira Liga demonstrates his creative qualities, as does his seven goal contributions in 11.2 90s this season, despite not playing near his potential. His assist for Gabriel Martinelli on the weekend is the perfect example of the creative passing he can provide, while he's not looked out of place in the two Premier League games he's played which exceeded 20-25 minute cameos (away at Brentford and Wolves).
Given he was more than just a cheap punt and was actually a significant outlay, he should be ready to come in and provide important contributions from the start of games now. He certainly looks more comfortable in tight spaces in the final third than Granit Xhaka, so is worth looking at.
Another very viable option but perhaps more unconventional is Leandro Trossard as the left eight. The Belgian has played (albeit limited) minutes in a similar role at Brighton, and has some of the qualities required to operate in there. What we may lose in physical stature, ball retention and an element of defensive security, we'll gain one of the most effective pressers in the league, someone who has excellent feet in tight spaces and carries a goal threat. Trossard could potentially bring Martinelli back into the game, while he'd likely link well with our striker. The number 19 generally likes to operate in the fourth lane of the pitch, much narrower than where Arteta likes his winger to be, meaning this role would suit him positionally.
Two more rogue shouts for this position include Emile Smith Rowe and Oleksandr Zinchenko. While the former needs to focus on getting fully fit and reintegrated first, the latter requires moving another piece around and rethinking the role of the left-back to accommodate Kieran Tierney. I think the aforementioned options are the more likely.
We perennially attempt to retire Granit Xhaka as an Arsenal player and he perennially responds by finding a way to make himself undroppable in this Arsenal side. So, don't be surprised if Jesus returns in two weeks and the divisive figure goes back to his excellent form of earlier in the season, thus making this article what I accused him of being: 'redundant'.
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