Arsenal should follow Manchester City’s scheme for glory

Manchester City are running away with the Premier League. They might be the best English team of the Premier League era, and much of their success can be attested to the scheme that they use. Arsenal would not be unwise in following suit.

Arsenal have struggled greatly this season. Specifically, they lack a scheme or formula. They look bereft of ideas, in and out of possession, and they clearly are looking for concise and constructive instruction. Yes, that is an indictment on Arsene Wenger.

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Contrast that to Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has found the formula to win the league with one of the best teams in recent footballing history, each of one of his players playing close to their very best because of the positions they are put in and the approach that is used.

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Arsenal, on the other hand, have had games not go their way because players are not playing up to snuff. They have quality players not performing at the level that’s expected of them. But is it necessarily the players’ fault? Could it be the responsibility of the tactics and strategy used to get the most out of players that plainly have untapped talent? Is the formula that Manchester City have used this season replicable for the Gunners next season? Well, quite possibly.

This formula requires players making space in wide areas and a quality defensive midfielder to tie it all together. City have Fernandinho to hold down the midfield. He is good in the tackle, his reading of the game is excellent, he has dynamic athleticism, meaning that he can cover vast spaces quickly, and his distribution is sound, spraying balls all across the pitch.

City also have quality midfielders and wide-men who create the space and time for players to get forward and create dangerous chances in the attacking third. The wingers, primarily Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane, stay wide, stretching the pitch as wide as possible, providing space for the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva to create chances and pick off the opposition from deep.

It is not unreasonable to believe that Arsenal could replicate at least elements of that system.  They have the creative midfielders in Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey. They have the pacy attackers to stretch the game in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. They just need that shut-down midfielder to anchor that creative front three.

Granit Xhaka has shown signs that he is getting better, but for most of the season, he has shown too many shortcomings to ever believe that he could have the same influence as a Fernandinho. He has looked sluggish in his defensive work, lacking either the athleticism required to cover the ground or the intelligence to anticipate where he needs to be, and his passing has not been consistent enough throughout the year.

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Arsenal needs to follow the Manchester City formula if they want success. The old ways don’t work anymore. They have some pieces in place, but more needs to be done this summer to fill the final few holes. It does, of course, help when you’re owned by a country.