Arsenal vs Bournemouth: Sead Kolasinac’s extended lifeline

Arsenal’s fullback situation got really messy really quick, and while the bulk of the troubles are behind us, Sead Kolasinac still has some proving to do.

Arsenal were supposed to have all their fullback problems behind them at the start of the year. They had two different types of fullbacks at both fullback positions. Hard to bust that system up. And yet, somehow, over the past month or so, they managed to do that.

First, Hector Bellerin got hurt, making Stephan Lichtsteiner the only fit rightback, then Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac simultaneously got hurt, leaving a void at leftback that was given to… Granit Xhaka.

You know that when you end up with Granit Xhaka playing further back than he already does, that something isn’t going right. And while he wasn’t catastrophic, it was a clear problem indeed.

With the international break over, Nacho Monreal has been ruled out for even longer than anticipated – a further two weeks – leaving Sead Kolasinac to run the gambit against Bournemouth and against Tottenham in the crucial North London Derby.

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This is obviously quite a bit of a hit, as Kolasinac, while solid against Liverpool, was not at all reliable against Wolverhampton. He looked unsure of himself at every turn.

But we all know that Kolasinac has a world of talent and athleticism. He’s young, he’s capable of anything, and his attacking play, as we have seen just prior to the draw against Wolves, makes a massive difference, as he is far more proficient at that brand of fullbacking than Monreal, who is a more traditional defender, with average attacking abilities.

Still, it’s a bit of a nervy situation to be in, not having another option – unless you count Ainsley Maitland-Niles, which I’m not sure if you should (I mean… I don’t know if he wants to be considered a fullback).

Kolasinac doesn’t have to prove that he is good enough for the job. He doesn’t have to prove that he belongs or anything like that. All he has to do is prove to be reliable, and not overextend himself. Or, if he does (as Bellerin often does), then he has to make up for that with attacking play.

All of this is just another opportunity to prove that this is his position to lose.