Arsenal: Shkdoran Mustafi the savior of club’s biggest weaknesses

Arsenal’s defensive proved up to the physical test at Turf Moor and again we don’t need to look any further for answers than the man in the middle.

The physical battle at Turf Moor that everyone expected was just as tense as forecasted. Both Arsenal and Burnley were in the trenches, duking it out for each and every ball. From the off, it was clear what Burnley’s objective was – to beat the Gunners through lofted balls into the box, both on set pieces and from open play.

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It’s an astute philosophy, as this is the kind of thing that has stumped the Gunners in the past. Between their horrid zonal marking on set pieces and their lack of coordination, there has been a lot of vulnerability when a club can out-muscle the Gunners.

Burnley isa much grittier team than the Gunners, especially at Turf Moor, yet you may not have noticed. Despite the initial 30 minute onslaught of the Arsenal goal box, nothing came to pass and, not wanting to sell anyone else short, that all comes down to one man – Shkodran Mustafi.

The polar difference between Manchester City without Mustafi and Tottenham with him was something spectacular. That carried right on where it left off against Burnley.

The numbers backed him up. So long as Mustafi is on the pitch, the Gunners are much better defensively, and overall. Which is interesting, because, physically, Mustafi isn’t a Jerome Boateng or a Mats Hummels. He is much smaller than that, and that was a big point of concern when he was first purchased.

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Yet Mustafi is slowing making himself into the savior  of some of Arsenal’s greatest weaknesses – set-piece organization, aerial fragility and back-three coordination. All three of these things have plagued the Gunners, particularly when a match gets scruffy, but with Mustafi back there, it’s like everything disappears.

This all stems from his communication and intelligence. There is not a moment out there that Mustafi is only concerned about his own man. He is perpetually communicating with his team mates and constantly ensuring that everything is accounted for.

We haven’t had that since Per Mertesacker, and Mertesacker was never as athletic as Mustafi, which fits the current set-up even better than Mertesacker fit the old one, when he paired with Laurent Koscielny.

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This is a new team with Mustafi healthy and active. Between his ability to oversee proceedings while simultaneously ironing out his own shortcomings, this defense is in good hands for a long, long time.