Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles one thing, good luck and hard work away

Ainsley Maitland-Niles showcased his talent once again in Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United. He is just one thing, good luck, and hard work away from growing into a star.

It was an excellent performance from Ainsley Maitland-Niles in Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester United on Sunday afternoon. In a high-pressure game against a good United side with young and makeshift players around him, it would have been easy for the 20-year-old to shrink into the shadows. He didn’t.

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I named him Man of the Match in my player ratings, as did Sky Sports in their coverage of the game. His ground-gobbling athleticism, allied with a composure, calmness and quality on the ball that is rarely seen in such a young player, comprised the perfect, well-rounded midfield display.

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Indeed, it wasn’t just me and the Sky Sports’ pundits that Maitland-Niles impressed. In his press conference after the game, Arsene Wenger stated that he believes the midfielder is beginning to realise his true ability:

"“Ainsley Maitland-Niles is slowly becoming the player I think he can be in defensive midfield.”"

That was the calibre of the display from the marauding midfielder. His moment of the match, for me, came when Nemanja Matic attempted to burst forward. With a dummy and a body swerve, the Serbian attempted to bend round Maitland-Niles, looking to overpower him. But Maitland-Niles simply stepped across the United man’s path, eased his shoulder in front of him, raced onto the ball, showing that searing turn of speed once more, and dribbled away from danger.

And now the focus begins to turn from what he has done already, and what it displays, to what he is yet to do. This game was not about the result. The Premier League does not matter anymore. This was about providing young players the chance to prove their quality, highlight their traits, and set themselves up for the future.

Maitland-Niles did that better than most, and I now think he is three things away from developing into a top-class player. The first two are common to every young player: Good luck and hard work. There is no professional footballer that hasn’t made it in the game without those two elements. Maitland-Niles will need them as he looks to establish himself in the senior game.

The other is down to him and his manager, whoever that may be. Maitland-Niles needs a position. Such is his game understanding, his intelligence, his field vision, and his all-round athleticism and technical skill, Maitland-Niles has a rare positional flexibility at such a young age. He has proven himself a good contributor in midfield, at either full-back position, or even, at a push, out wide. But he is not the master of any.

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The key for Maitland-Niles and his career now is to pick a position, stick with it, and then hone his game such that he tailors his inordinate capabilities to the responsibilities that come with that position. That is a decision that he and the new manager must make. But it is important that they do make it. If they don’t, he could slip through the positional cracks, and that, given his talent, would be a great shame.