Arsenal: Alex Iwobi wins, Henrikh Mkhitaryan loses

Arsenal pulled out a strange XI against Leicester City, but there is a clear XI going into the next match, and it’s thanks to what we saw here.

Maybe it’s harsh to judge who should and shouldn’t be starting based on a single match, but don’t worry, that’s not what we’re doing here. If there is one thing that Unai Emery has been sure to do during his early days at Arsenal, it’s try things out, give guys chances, and never abandon anything before it’s had its chance.

Against Leicester City, Unai Emery made the curious decision of sitting Aubameyang and Ramsey and starting Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi, the latter two I’d have figured to be safely behind the former two in terms of starting XI viability.

But, true to his billing, Emery gave something new a chance. And his reward was clarity.

Mkhitaryan didn’t pose much of a threat, and he really hasn’t aside from twenty beautiful minutes against Chelsea. Without those twenty minutes, it would be safe to say that Mkhitaryan has been an abject failure this year.

Injuries haven’t helped, but poor performances have helped even less.

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Yet, Mkhitaryan started so high on the totem pole that the chances had to keep coming, as they are, and he continues to lower himself.

Alex Iwobi, meanwhile, was the opposite. He was starting bottom of the totem pole, but through consistent and reliable performances, he has been able to lift himself up that same totem pole and establish himself as a serious starting XI candidate.

Nowhere has that been more starkly seen than in the match against Leicester City, where Iwobi was a constant threat, a menace, and at times even a showboat, while Mkhitaryan was quiet, subdued, and ineffective.

In the end, this makes Emery’s job easier. Next time out in the Premier League, I would expect Aubameyang to be back out there in place of Mkhitaryan, with Iwobi keeping his spot. This would round the starting attack off with Iwobi, Ozil, Aubameyang and Lacazette, the new Fab Four, if I dare say so.

Right now, those are the most reliable attackers and, thanks to Emery’s science experiments, there isn’t really any room to question any of that.

The only wrench is Ramsey, but Emery is making the tough, yet right, decision with him. Stick with Iwobi and you can’t go wrong. Meanwhile, hopefully Mkhitaryan can sort himself out.