Arsenal: Mediocre midfield performances have more upside than Granit Xhaka

Arsenal’s Thursday night Europa League victory at FK Ostersunds was largely underwhelming. The best performers on the night were decent and the worst were tolerable. The two midfielders deputizing for Granit Xhaka fell somewhere in between, but what they offered still poses a greater upside to the team’s balance in the long run.

Any 3-0 victory is a good one. But since the result was expected, the match itself fell a bit flat. I was most interested in seeing what Ainsley Maitland-Niles would do with his chance in midfield. Arsene Wenger has made no secret that he feels Maitland-Niles is best suited for this role, but, thus far, the majority of his chances have come as a left back or left wing-back.

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Ultimately, Maitland-Niles had a mixed performance. He was calm in possession, as we’ve come to expect from the mature 20-year-old, but he was perhaps a bit too comfortable at times, getting dispossessed in dangerous areas or playing the occasional loose pass. His hiccups were just the type of things you would expect of a young player with limited first-team experience.

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For me, however, it was what Maitland-Niles did out of possession that is the most promising. His mobility is far beyond that of Wenger’s first choice midfielder, Granit Xhaka, as he covers an enormity of ground with incredible ease. He is strong enough in the tackle, reads the game well, and positionally, he sticks to his task and primarily stays behind the play.

There were a number of occasions on Thursday night where he tracked runners wide into the pockets vacated by attacking full backs, or ran down late runs from the Ostersunds midfield, making necessary plays in behind the back line. Even if he didn’t win the ball, he provided the coverage to delay a counter attack, and consequently, allow his teammates to get back. These plays were all very much in line with what his midfield partner, Mohamed Elneny, has become recognized for.

Elneny had yet another consistent, workmanlike performance. The simplicity of his game is understated, but you always know exactly what to expect from the Egyptian. He will not dazzle you off the park with mazy, slaloming dribbles, nor does he pick out majestic, raking passes. But he will protect the back four and run his socks off for 90 minutes, two thankless but vital tasks.

Yes, both Elneny and Maitland-Niles left something to be desired in possession of the ball, but Arsenal have enough playmakers in the team to afford one or two midfielders to focus on safety and industry. It should be noted that Maitland-Niles does have the abilities to play some eye-catching stuff, it just wasn’t the case on the night. Nonetheless, I would argue the two should be rewarded for their defensive presence by seeing more chances in the first team ahead of Xhaka.

While Xhaka may have better passing statistics and hits the occasional wonder-strike, Arsenal do not look to him to provide either assists or goals. What he lacks is the ability to protect the back four, a job that the team is in desperate need of filling. When Arsenal have underperformed this season, it’s clear that their team balance, with Xhaka as the “defensive” midfielder, is largely at fault.

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For the sake of balance and the team’s success, let’s hope Wenger shifts his personnel choice to a more ably suited ball-winner in midfield. The rest of the team is oozing with attacking talent, so please just stick someone behind to do the dirty work.