Arsenal: Why it’s now or never for Shkodran Mustafi

Shkodran Mustafi has endured a turbulent two years at Arsenal. But now, with a new centre-half partner, he has the chance to disprove his prior struggles. It’s now or never for the divisive defender.

Shkodran Mustafi has been adjudged to be a flop since his arrival in 2016. The debut of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, however, heralds a chance of resurrection for the former Germany international.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

Arsenal’s start to the 18/19 premier league season and Unai Emery’s inaugural game was as forgettable as it was inconclusive. The performance and result were akin to last season, with Emery’s imprint restricted to under-polished play from the back and an ineffective narrow forward line, both of which will take time to bear fruit.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

The debut of Sokratis, though, was encouraging, bringing aerial dominance, doggedness and aggression that have previously been devoid from the Gunners’ defensive approach. Clearly, he has limitations, namely pace, but if Emery can make the appropriate adjustments, including a trigger to retreat to a deep defensive line, if the high press fails, then he should be the catalyst for more defensive pride and better output.

In fact, if you brainstormed the perfect partner for Laurent Koscielny, you would basically describe Sokratis. Koscielny, of course, falls into the world-class bracket if allowed to sweep behind a domineering compatriot where his recovery pace, reading of play, and last-ditch tackling ability are allowed to excel. Such a role is reliant on a Mertesacker-esque partner, willing to be proactive and aggressive, to create the basic requirement for a niche sweeping role. Early signs indicate Sokratis is tailor-made for such an aggressor role given his willingness to hunt the ball, aerially and on the ground.

And yet Koscielny, the club captain, is unavailable for the foreseeable future given a potentially career-altering Achilles injury. This presents a unique opportunity for Mustafi given its probable that the cause of his struggles at Arsenal can be pinpointed to his partnership with Koscielny. Koscielny, as we have seen, thrives in a one-dimensional partnership where aggressor and sweeping roles are clearly defined.

Mustafi, however, does not fit the required ‘aggressor’ definition. An issue for Mustafi, therefore, is fan and pundit judgement against his performances in the aggressor-mould including how much aerial dominance he exudes and how often he wins the ball high up.

Mustafi is actually a more rounded defender, proficient in all areas but not exceptional in any, certainly not easily defined as aggressor or sweeper. A partnership with Sokratis, therefore, will reduce pressure on Mustafi to dominate aerially or to compete aggressively. It will, if anything, push him into a sweeper role where he is more likely to succeed, given his natural height and reliance on reading of the game. Both he and Sokratis lack pace so an old-school deep line, without Koscielny’s pace, could be employed, which again will improve Mustafi, who is better at blocking, tackling and heading in his 18-yard box than he is in a foot race from the half-way line.

Overall a partnership with Sokratis which will include a deep defensive line and a ‘sweeper’ job description, as opposed to that of ‘aggressor’, could be the making of Mustafi. If it fails, given Mustafi has been a Premier League defender for two seasons already and that he will have had the opportunity to form partnerships with two centre-halves of polar opposite skillets, one would question whether Mustafi and Arsenal are ever going to work out.