Arsenal vs Valencia: Please don’t let it be a back four

Arsenal manager Unai Emery had been pretty loyal to the back three, but the recent switch to the back four has been catastrophic. Take note!

Arsenal have had formational questions all year long. Unai Emery has been in the midst of numerous experiments and you really can’t fault that. He’s trying to figure out what works best. And thus far, it’s been pretty inconclusive.

But one thing is conclusive – the back four is failing on a major level and the back three is above average. I’d take the above average over the failing on a major level any day.

You look at the recent results and there is one clear theme. Wolverhampton – back four. Leicester City – back four. Brighton – back four. Valencia – back three. I know, I know, Crystal Palace was a back three too, but Crystal Palace was a case of Emery starting players that had no business starting.

I understand the struggle. The back three was best when we had Aaron Ramsey to play the No. 10 role and thus allowing both strikers to start. When Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Sead Kolaisnac were firing.

When you didn’t have to count on Mesut Ozil or Henrikh Mkhitaryan or Alex Iwobi.

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And when we altered to the 3-4-2-1, it just wasn’t as fluid as before, because, against, we were counting on Mkhitaryan and Iwobi, neither of whom should be relied upon, if it can be at all avoided.

But going up against Valencia, with nowhere to hide, we need to put our best foot forward, and that means not sending out a back four. The problem with the back four is that we don’t have any fullbacks. Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Kolasinac are our two best wide defenders, but they are wingbacks.

You can’t tell me that Nacho Monreal, Carl Jenkinson or Stephan Lichtsteiner are good enough to merit a back four. And even with Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny, I have far more faith in three centerbacks than two.

But at the end of the day, this is all about the attack. A four at the back severely limits our wide attacking play because our fullbacks don’t get forward and we have no wingers. A No. 10 just doesn’t compensate for that.

So please, please let us come out in a back three against Valencia. It won’t be the same as it was against Napoli, but it can be pretty close. Even if that means taking a risk or two.