Arsenal Vs Ostersunds: 5 things we learned – Job done

Arsenal faced Swedish side FK Ostersunds in the first leg of their last-32 Europa League tie. Here are five things we learned from the 3-0 win.

Arsenal got the job done. Given the disparity in quality of the two teams, it is difficult to gush any more praise on this team. Certainly, the conclusions drawn in this piece should be taken with a rather hefty pinch of salt. Important, yes, but there are other games that should take precedence in forming a particular opinion, perspective or stance.

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Nevertheless, the 3-0 win over FK Ostersunds sets the Gunners up perfectly. Here are five things we learned.

5. Ainsley Maitland-Niles impresses-ish

When the team sheets were announced an hour before the 18:00 evening kick-off, I was extremely excited to see Ainsley Maitland-Niles positioned at the heart of the Arsenal midfield. It is a role that both he and Arsene Wenger have highlighted as his most suited, but given the general reluctance to thrust young players into positions down the spine of the team, the opportunity never came.

For the most part, Maitland-Niles has been shunted out as a left back or left wing-back. It is a position that he has the ability to play, especially thanks to his explosive turn of pace. But it is far from his most natural role. It was clear to see on Thursday night.

While there were clear moments of youthful naivety — loose passes, complacency in possession in deep areas (he was dispossessed four times in the match), slight positional misjudgements that exposed the defence –, for the most part, this was a very good performance from the 20-year-old. Maitland-Niles completed 94% of his passes, attempted four dribbles, failing on just one of them, but also made two interceptions, four blocks, and won three of his five attempted tackles. This was a well-rounded midfield display and it was extremely encouraging indeed.