Arsenal: Is Ainsley Maitland-Niles now a right-back?

Ainsley Maitland-Niles continues to impress at right-back. Although the Arsenal youngster grew up as a central midfielder, should he now be considered a full-back first and a midfielder second?

With Hector Bellerin missing the start of the season as he continues to recover from an ACL tear that ended his 2018/19 campaign in January, it was always slated that Ainsley Maitland-Niles would open the season as Arsenal’s starting right-back.

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The 21-year-old filled in admirably for the Spaniard last season, outmanoeuvring both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carl Jenkinson in the pecking order, ending the year as Unai Emery’s number one choice at right wing-back. And with no recruitment at the position in the summer, Maitland-Niles was the de facto number one in Bellerin’s absence.

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And so, in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United, Maitland-Niles started in the right-back role that he is beginning to make his own. He was excellent. Newcastle targetted him in the first half, both in regards to some tough, ankle-snapping tackling and in their attacking play, looking to get in behind the naturally offensive-minded Englishman. But Maitland-Niles did not buckle under the pressure, and as the game wore on, improved in every aspect.

He even provided the key moment of the match, first reading a loose switch of play, then bursting forward as he intercepted the ball in front of the Newcastle man and drove down the touchline, and finally picking out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a lovely, floated cross, showing excellent vision, awareness and skill. In the final stanza, Newcastle threw on chaos-inducing Allan Saint-Maximin, but Maitland-Niles handled him well, sticking to his task dutifully as the pacy Frenchman looked to skip by him at almost every opportunity.

By the end of the match, Maitland-Niles had completed more dribbles and more tackles (four each) than any Arsenal player on the pitch. He also maintained an 89% pass completion rate, bettered by only Sokratis and Nacho Monreal, and made three interceptions, again the most of any Gunners player. This was a complete performance at what is apparently an unnatural position.

It begs the question, then, is right-back Maitland-Niles’ best position, rather than the central midfield role that has usually been posited as his most natural one throughout his development? Because while Maitland-Niles himself may view his best position as either a winger or midfielder, as he stated publicly last season, he has played more senior minutes at right-back and right wing-back than all the other positions combined.

Moreover, he has performed very well in those minutes. In fact, he is performing better and better. You could make an argument that this was the best display of his young career. He also ended last season very capably as well. The versatile ‘midfielder’ might finally be finding a home.

Whether he can unseat Bellerin when the Spaniard returns from injury remains to be seen. Bellerin was excellent when fit last season and Emery is a known admirer of his. But Maitland-Niles will push him hard, whether he is playing out of position or not.