Arsenal: “Control” begins and ends in a reliable midfield

Unai Emery spoke of Arsenal’s loss to West Ham in terms of control, saying they didn’t control the match, but that’s an easy enough fix, isn’t it?

A lot didn’t go right against West Ham. Ironically, perhaps the only thing that did go right was Arsenal‘s ability to defend against the final ball, which they did a really tremendous job at, barring that one play that was the difference maker.

But attack-wise, and in the midfield, things just didn’t fly. And Unai Emery noticed, stating that the problem with the match was that his side “couldn’t control it.”

I’ve said this so many times before and here I am, saying it again, that control begins and ends in the midfield. If you win the battle of then midfield, the other two arenas become so much easier to dominate and – here’s that word again – control.

That is Granit Xhaka‘s job, to control. When he’s in the midfield, there is always a level of control that you don’t otherwise have. But Xhaka alone doesn’t cut it. He needs the proper mate in next to him and that mate isn’t Guendouzi, the free-spirited, swashbuckling midfielder without any boundaries to what he can and cannot do.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

He just goes and does his own thing, leaving everything else behind him, leaving Xhaka to clean up the mess. Torreira isn’t like that. Torreira is more disciplined. Hence why he is the perfect midfield mate for Xhaka. In a midfield three, you’ll find they work quite well also, but Xhaka is needed to establish control, and he needs the right parameters around him.

It’s what makes the difference between the home match against Liverpool (not the away one… God no…) and this loss to West Ham. One was controlled and dominant in the midfield, the other was frantic.

Now, frantic isn’t always bad. Think back to the Manchester United draw. Xhaka was missing due to yellow card accumulation and, unsurprisingly, the midfield was a free for all with Torreira and Guendouzi. Thankfully, in that one, our attack was able to keep pace with United and arguably should have own it. In fact, they probably would have won it if they would have been able to control the midfield a bit better.

Xhaka is key to all of this. No other midfielder on this club can control a match, and it’s unlikely they ever will. It’s his job, he’s a master of it. So set him up to succeed, not fail.