Arsenal: Breaking down the right-wing committee

The Arsenal right-wing committee, Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, have shared right-wing duties, totaling three goals and an assist. Is it a problem that Unai Emery must solve or has the perspective of their work been contorted?

Through eight league games this term, Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have shared the Arsenal right-wing duties. Judgement of their performances has been mixed, at least from a fan’s perspective.

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However, viewed through the lens of a six-match unbeaten run, and undeniable evidence that the Unai Emery transformation is ahead of schedule, it must be asked: is the judgment skewed?

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Ozil has started on five occasions, all in Emery’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system. Mkhitaryan has manned the right wing in the other three, with his most recent appearance showing him wide in a modified 4-4-2. Between them, they have three goals and one assist.

If the team had one consistent starter on the right, and said starter had three goals and one assist through eight games, would there still be a discussion? I highly doubt it. So, could there be a secondary issue? Sure, maybe both players want the number 10 role; the ‘eye test’ does tell us that both players tend to drift inside as the game goes along, rather than staying out wide and preserving the attacking width of the team.  But when it comes to wide players in an Arsenal shirt, goals and assists will always be the measure of production.

And so, with three goals and one assist amassed from the right wing, it is difficult to argue that the position has not been serviceable. And besides, if we want to talk about goals, the forwards are more than capable of picking up any perceived slack. Even Danny Welbeck has four on the season already. Goals from midfield are not as needed as they are for other teams.

Clearly, the right wing situation is not ideal. That said, they have run off six victories in the league and nine in all competitions. The form is positive, especially from an offensive perspective — Arsenal have scored two or more goals in every match of the season bar the opening match against Manchester City.

In this respect, even with the wealth of statistical data available, the stats tell us what we should already know: what the team is truly missing from the right wing is defensive contribution, not offensive production, yet they so rarely ask our wide players to out-and-out defend.

Could it be that the Arsenal right-wing committee is just being well marked by our competition? And could it be that the rest of the team is benefiting as a result? Or could it be that there is a genuine issue that Emery must solve? I am interested in your opinion, because, for now, the jury is very much still out.