Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles has upper hand on Reiss Nelson

Arsenal’s win over Doncaster Rovers featured plenty of exciting talking points, but one of them, Reiss Nelson, didn’t go well. But that’s okay.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Reiss Nelson was not very good against Doncaster Rovers. This young man has put up six goals in four matches for Arsenal‘s U23 side and he looked absolutely stellar in the preseason, but for whatever reason, his first start in a competitive fixture with the senior team just didn’t go well.

So while supporters have been clamoring for him to make the jump into the first team as soon as humanly possible, I would actually opt against it. And I do so mostly because of someone else who has reminded us that, hey, he’s pretty good too.

Arsene Wenger deployed the exact team I would have wanted him too, and that included sticking Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right and left wingback, respectively.

It was Maitland-Niles who stole the show. He found so much real estate on the left hand side that he realistically should have walked down the tunnel after the match with three assists in hand. He sent in so many workable balls that it feels like borderline robbery that he has nothing to show for it.

He also cleaned up when Nelson had himself a mental gaff or two.

The best part is that he did it all with a dead-set determination. I will now be referring to Maitland-Niles as the Iceman, because he did a fantastic job and showed absolutely no emotion in the process.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

“But Josh, he had that horrible giveaway that should have lead to a goal.”

Yes, you are right, other Josh, but here’s the thing – it wasn’t a mental gaff. It was a matter of scuffing a pass. I’m not excusing it, not at all. But here are two other things. 1. he recovered in time to save it. 2. he has a weak left foot and shouldn’t be on the left hand side anyway.

Now, granted, he needs to work on that left foot, but up until that point, it wasn’t a problem. Most of the balls he sent into the box were left footed. He just scuffed the worst possible pass.

All things considered, with Maitland-Niles already listed in the first team, I think it’s safe to say that he – rightfully – has an upper hand on young Nelson.

It also might simply come down to Nelson needing more time to figure out being a wingback. You have to remember that Maitland-Niles has played right back. He’s played all over the place. But Nelson has only ever been an attacker.

Next: 3 Clear Improvements Jack Wilshere Has Made

Right now, we need wingbacks, not attackers.

Home/Arsenal News