Arsenal: Granit Xhaka the only excuse to ditch the back three

Arsenal’s defense may be flimsy, but it’s coming around with the health of the centerbacks. That said, break the blueprints for Granit Xhaka.

Arsenal‘s December is a bit of a mixed bag, given how many players are out injured and the defense is the arena suffering the most. The problem is that, with the back three being the preferred method of progress, as well it should be, the defensive lapses are sucking away from other positions.

Or position, rather, as the only person that is being pulled out of position in all of this is Granit Xhaka, who has been called on to play both leftback and centerback this year, in the midst of various crises.

As I have talked about ad nauseum, while it is admirable that Xhaka is willing to do whatever it takes for the team to find success, and he continues to do that by playing out of position and being exposed to even more criticism from ungrateful fans, it’s imperative, beyond most any other things, that he stays put in the midfield.

It was clear against Burnley when he moved back, it was clear against Southampton, it was clear against Tottenham, the midfield without Granit Xhaka is a completely different ballgame than the midfield with Xhaka.

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While Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi have been consistently positive performers, there is no hiding that neither of them yet possesses the qualities to establish true dominance in the midfield. Guendouzi is learning, he was passing pretty damn well against Burnley, but he’s still no Xhaka, and Torreira is a completely different player.

I love the back three, and I want to see it become the main thing at the Emirates. It allows Kolasinac and Bellerin/Maitland-Niles to do be their best selves as wingbacks, it provides more defensive stability and gives the midfield more availability.

It’s just the better way to do things, when the personnel is available. That said, the personnel hasn’t been available.

I don’t say this idly, but there should be one special case where the back three should not be the preferred method of defense, and that is if it means keeping Xhaka in the midfield. Because the defense is better when Xhaka is in the midfield. Not because Xhaka hasn’t been good in defense, but because he is such a solid presence in the midfield that it lightens the load on defense.

It’s that simple. The team is better all around when Xhaka is in the midfield.