Arsenal: Aaron Ramsey isn’t going to make this easy, is he?

Arsenal had yet another match that was dominated by Aaron Ramsey, which raises the question – who is going to do that next year?

Arsenal won two massive matches this week, both at the fortress known as the Emirates, both with Aaron Ramsey playing a huge role in the central midfield, not in an attacking role, where he was able to showcase all of his strengths and keep Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi confined to the bench.

It’s simple enough to get over losing a player when you never see him. But when he’s starting to play a central role with the team just as the season is winding down, well, that’s not so easy, now is it?

Ramsey was absolutely massive in both of these matches, and it was in a sustainable system. Utilizing marauding wingbacks with Mesut Ozil to manage space in the middle, where he has the freedom to pick out two elite strikers, that is a simple enough recipe.

But part of that recipe also involves having an active and multifaceted midfield foundation. Ramsey has spoiled us with that, because not only does he win the ball back with gusto, but he also attacks with the suave moves of an attacking midfielder.

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I’ve talked a lot about this 3-5-1-2 potentially being our best set-up for the future, with the strengths that the club boasts, but despite all of the  good news regarding the sustainability of this system, there is one bit of bad news – we don’t have anyone to replace Ramsey.

The easiest solution would be to rely on Torreira or Guendouzi to spring Granit Xhaka and let the Swiss have more freedom. And to be fair, that could work. But I worry that, seeing how well this system works, we won’t see the same results without that industrious, creative and tidy midfielder in the middle of all of it.

Maybe I’m just being pessimistic though. Of course I’m not over Ramsey leaving yet, but Guendouzi is showing growth at every turn and he could be here for that exact purpose. Torreira too. And who am I to ever doubt Granit Xhaka? He can do whatever you ask him to do. I hear he even plays a mean keeper.

It’s at such a crucial point in the season that we absolutely must be playing our best players to ensure maximum points. That means Ramsey has to start. I guess the best we can do is revisit this discussion in the summer.