Arsenal: So What Can Be Done About Shkodran Mustafi?

Arsenal’s triumphant win over Manchester City was huge in so many ways, but looking forward, we have to wonder what happens to Shkodran Mustafi.

Arsenal rolled the dice on the 3-4-3 (more like the 3-4-2-1) after it’s maiden voyage against Middlesbrough. And while the match at Riverside Stadium showed potential flaws in this exciting new system, the match at Manchester City put so many of those potential flaws to rest.

Namely, the defense.

Against Boro, each center back had his problems. Rob Holding held the strongest of the same three at the back, but even he had his questionable moments. It led to numerous mishaps and anyone who knew Arsene Wenger had to be thinking we’d probably seen the last of that new experiment.

Against Manchester City though, it was completely different. Gabriel Paulista was simply fantastic. He and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain combined to completely quiet Leroy Sane, who had so much confidence coming into the game.

Rob Holding was simply sublime also, showing that price has much less to do with a transfer targets ability than the modern game wants us to think.

If there was a weak link, it was Laurent Koscielny, but even then, the Frenchman is proven umpteen times over. We know he is one of the best defenders out there and he will come around.

Seeing this back three work out so perfectly has me wondering what changes going forward when Shkodran Mustafi returns from injury? The German absolutely deserves to be in that starting XI because of how dynamic he has been this year, but who does he replace?

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As mentioned, if we stick with the 3-4-2-1, which we absolutely should, give this result, then there is no weak link for him to pick off. That is, unless you are in the business of thinking that Wenger would actually remove Koscielny from the starting XI, which he won’t.

That means that he has to choose between either Gabriel and Holding. Gabriel may be the best tackling defender that we have. He knows how to pick out then ball. He knows how to stop an attack. Everything that he was supposed to be when we signed them, he is now becoming.

Holding is the future of the English defense. He is what John Stones is supposed to be.

If you want to talk stylistically, then it’s Gabriel that gives way. But if you want to talk fairness and justice, nobody should give way. Mustafi will just have to wait. There will be chances coming up, when the schedule gets crazy hectic. He will just have to take those chances.

Next: 5 Things We Learned Against Manchester City

Because there should be no changing this formation.