Arsenal: Per Mertesacker top choice even with Shkodran Mustafi healthy

Arsenal will have to reconfigure their defense with Shkodran Mustafi out, but Per Mertesacker may be the better option even if all were healthy.

Arsenal seemed to have all of their defensive kinks worked out with the return of Shkodran Mustafi, but some senseless mistakes from him and Laurent Koscielny left the Gunners with a loss against Manchester United.

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But it was important not to overreact. Wholesale changes were in no way necessary, especially on the defensive side of things, because other than the mistakes that were made – and they were personal mistakes, mind you – there was no issue against United, a team that is supposed to be our superior.

That said, Mustafi will most likely miss the match against Southampton, which puts Arsene Wenger in a spot to make a decision. Either revert to his preferred back four or sub in Per Mertesacker.

The way that Southampton are set up, the decision should be easy. It has to be a back three with Mertesacker in the middle.

I would even go so far as to say that even with Mustafi healthy, I would want Mertesacker in this match. I’m not going to endeavor to debate who of our remaining three centerbacks I would choose for the two other roles, but suffice to say that Mertesacker should be in the middle.

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For one big reason. And that’s that Southampton is not a team that is going to pester the Arsenal defense much. The Gunners’ No. 1 priority should be stopping the mistakes and avoiding any rash decision making. I don’t think Mertesacker has ever made a rash decision in his life. Except maybe that tackle on Diego Costa, but even that wasn’t so bad.

Not just that, but the one main threat that Southampton have is Charlie Austin, an aerial threat/goal poacher that can be neutralized with a well-disciplined center back with aerial superiority. Also known as Per Mertesacker.

I’d like to believe that aside from that, Arsenal can overpower the midfield, as they did against Tottenham. They can shut down the flanks where Sofiane Boufal can become a problem. And they can do it all with the talent that they have and throw in some organization that Mertesacker will ideally bring.

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A bit of clinical finishing from there and this match should be one that doesn’t cause us a whole lot of nerves. But then again, what would an Arsenal match be without nerves? Correct answer: Huddersfield.