Arsenal and Unai Emery: Time to release young guns in defence

With injuries galore and veterans struggling for form, it is time for Unai Emery to entrust the Arsenal defence to two youngsters: Dinos Mavropanos and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

With Huddersfield Town being Arsenal’s opponents on Saturday, it makes sense for Unai Emery to put faith in some of the young players in his squad. If not against Huddersfield, it is unlikely they will get the chance for the rest of the season.

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Arsenal have a number of young players that are currently either out on loan or on the periphery of the squad. While Ainsley Maitland-Niles has had a notable amount of game time this season, fans have seen less of Dinos Mavrapanos and Emile Smith-Rowe than they would have liked.

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In both instances, injuries have played a part, in fairness, but with Smith-Rowe now cutting his teeth at RB Leipzig for the remainder of the season, the time has come for Mavrapanos to be given his chance.

In truth, Arsenal’s defence has been worryingly inconsistent this season. Promising for fleeting moments, but too often abject. It has become clear to me at least that the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Stephan Lichtsteiner have no future at the club, while even experienced players like Nacho Monreal have lacked consistency.

Against Manchester City, the lack of attacking threat offered by Stephan Lichtsteiner and Nacho Monreal from the respective full-back positions stunted the entire performance and caused the team to look a far cry from the dynamic offensive side we saw against Chelsea.

Mavrapanos may not be able to rectify the issues at full-back, but he can help Arsenal bury the defensive skeletons of Arsene Wenger’s regime. His signing, first and foremost, was the first of the new era and one that Wenger was initially unhappy about — within a week, Wenger had changed his tune from immediately sending the young defender out on loan to assimilating him into the first.

Wenger was pleased with his progression and he is reportedly now admired greatly within the club’s hierarchy. With Laurent Koscielny his potential partner, he will also be playing alongside a hugely experienced and decorated defender, one who can surely help mould his game.

Similarly, at right back, youth, in the shape of Maitland-Niles, has to be the option. Aside from perhaps the inexperienced Jordi Osei-Tutu, he is the only player in the squad that has a game even slightly analogous to Hector Bellerin, a role that is so important for a team that can become predictable without the handsome Spaniard.

Emery has to learn about these players sooner or later, because if he goes into more big games with Mustafi and Lichtsteiner, he can only expect to see a repeat of what happened at Anfield and the Etihad. Trusting in the young players is by no means a guarantee of success, but it is the only option he has.