Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles should be starting left-back

Arsenal have a left-back problem, with Sead Kolasinac largely unconvincing and Nacho Monreal ageing. It is time for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to become the starter.

As the high-pressing obsession has swept through the modern game, the importance of good fullbacks has only heightened. With teams needing wide outlets to circumnavigate the high press when trying to play against it and then relying on the fullbacks to defend a lot of ground when employing the press themselves, two good fullbacks make a huge difference to the efficacy of a system.

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Just ask Pep Guardiola and the near £150 million that he spent on three fullbacks two summers ago. There is a reason he invested so heavily in the position, much to the criticism of the general fan, myself included, at the time.

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For Arsenal, at left-back, this is a problem. Nacho Monreal is now 32 and is dealing with an increasing frequency of injuries. He was never the most athletic anyway, exposed by quicker, more direct wingers. His value to the team only diminishes as his body continues to break down and age. Meanwhile, Sead Kolasinac, the man ostensibly lined up to succeed Monreal, has been largely unconvincing at left-back since his arrival in 2017.

Kolasinac is excellent surging forward, with great power and pace, and a surprising finesse in the final third, but his defending leaves much to be desired. His lack of agility means that he struggles with sharp, fast-twitch attackers that can twist him inside-out with short, quick manipulations of the ball, and he makes some curious positional decisions also, oftentimes leading me to question if he has ever been properly coached — I am sure he has, but it does not always look like it.

Consequently, I feel it is time for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to assume the starting responsibilities at left-back. At 21, he needs to be playing regularly. He has the highest ceiling and long-term security of any of the three, and he might just be the best in the present also.

What Maitland-Niles has is a balance between the distinct styles of Kolasinac and Monreal. He is not as astute a defender as Monreal, but he does mirror some of the Spaniard’s skills, especially in one-on-one situations. He is extremely comfortable on the ball, almost too much so at times, and he has similar athletic traits to Kolasinac, if not quite as physically imposing.

He is the ideal, modern-day fullback. He can provide great width in the final third, he can press opponents high up the pitch knowing that he will not be beaten for pace, he can play under pressure with great composure and quality, he can defend one-on-ones. The only thing he is missing is consistency. The only way he can get that is if he is played regularly, over an extended period.

With the growing importance of the position, the vulnerabilities of the other options, and the long-term potential that Maitland-Niles boasts, it is time for him to be the starting left-back. Unfortunately, I will not be holding my breath.