Arsenal: Central midfield depth, flexibility critical

In Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal have three central midfielders all having excellent seasons. That depth and flexibility will be crucial between now and the end of the year.

Arsenal have a maximum of ten remaining football games this season: six in the Premier League and one in the Europa League with a further potential three depending on their progress in the competition. If Unai Emery’s first campaign at the club is to end successfully, these next ten matches will need to go well.

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And if that is to happen, starting with Monday night’s trip to Vicarage Rd to face an awkward Watford team, needing a win to jump back into the top four, it will be largely because of the strength of the central midfield, namely: Aaron Ramsey, Lucas Torreira and Granit Xhaka.

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In recent weeks, Emery has settled on a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formation. Clearly, he feels that they are the best systems with the players that he has at his disposal. Both of those shapes put great stress on the central midfield pair, which is often tasked of combatting an opposing central midfield trio. As the loss to Everton last Sunday illustrated, a lacking central midfield in this system can completely derail the team.

For that match, Xhaka was absent through injury, Torreira served the last match of his suspension and was left at home, while Aaron Ramsey came on at half-time, only deemed fit enough to feature for 45 minutes. The drop off from any pair involving those three to Matteo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny was substantial. It was also confirmed just four days later when Ramsey and Torreira dominated against a far superior Napoli team in the Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Having all three, presuming Xhaka returns from injury fighting fit, is a major boost to the squad. Not only does it mean that Emery can rotate between them, preserving their freshness during what could be a rather manic run-in, but it provides flexibility in how he wants to set up the team.

A Xhaka-Torreira pairing, for instance, would be far combative and defensively astute than one involving Ramsey. But then if Emery wanted a midfield with lots of energy and legs, Ramsey could replace the far-less-mobile Xhaka. Similarly, if ball control and clever dictation of possession was the aim, Torreira might drop to the bench as the worst passer of the three.

Taking this one step further, Emery could even field all three in the same team and drop one of the front three. Thursday’s second leg against Napoli, in which Arsenal will be defending a two-goal lead. Could it make more sense to drop Mesut Ozil, play with three more natural central midfielders who are far more effective without the ball and look to counter from turnovers? It might be; it might not. But even if it isn’t, Emery has the option to adapt his team greatly because of the quality and depth of his central midfield options.

The final ten matches will determine whether Arsenal finish in the top four and win the Europa League. They are in position to achieve both targets, which would be extremely impressive. And if that does happen, expect the central midfield, in whatever form it may take, to play a key role.