Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles taking right steps

Ainsley Maitland-Niles played 45 minutes at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield against Boreham Wood on Saturday. He again looked promising and is taking the right steps towards regular first-team football.

The new contract for Ainsley Maitland-Niles was significant. With Unai Emery coming to north London as the new head coach with new ideas and plans for the future, it should not go unnoticed that the young Arsenal midfielder was handed a new, long-term deal shortly after the Spanish manager arrived.

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Emery is clearly a Maitland-Niles fan. Such a deal would not have been offered if he wasn’t. Although he may not have the same personnel power as Arsene Wenger did, Emery will still have a major say on the players that are valued within the squad.

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Moreover, in the press conference introducing Emery, Gazidis used Emery’s detailed evaluation of Maitland-Niles as an example of the work that the new head coach has already undertaken on a squad that he is yet to work with. Per Gazidis, Emery brought new insight to the game of Maitland-Niles, showing where he could improve and praising more positive elements. Maitland-Niles is one of Emery’s more favoured players.

And in Emery’s first match as head coach, an 8-0 dismantling of Boreham Wood on Saturday as Arsenal’s preseason activities got underway, Maitland-Niles started in the heart of the midfield, playing the whole of the first half before being subbed off at half-time, as was all of the starting XI with Emery keen to provide minutes to as many players as possible.

The selection was interesting. Emery clearly wanted a balance of experience and youth at each position in both the first half and second half. Looking at the central midfield trio, by such thinking, he sees Maitland-Niles as one of the more experienced, dependable contributors — he was partnered by Joe Willock and Emile Smith Rowe, while both Aaron Ramsey and Calum Chambers played in the second half.

And Maitland-Niles’ performance was very good. His work for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second goal was excellent, slaloming his way through the Wood midfield and defence, driving to the byline, before having the awareness, vision and quality to pick out his teammate at the far post to tee him up with an easy header.

His work on the ball was calm and composed, his intelligence and tactical nous were clear to see throughout, providing a balanced display in a box-to-box role, and his athleticism, as ever, was most evident. The quality of the opposition should be taken into account, but this was a promising display from the 20-year-old.

Next: Arsenal Vs Boreham Wood: 3 things to note

These are the steps that he must make to earn more regular first-team football for himself. This summer is a chance for Maitland-Niles to force Emery into playing him. That is the next mark for his career, and he has made a very good start to it indeed.