Arsenal: Central midfield key for today and tomorrow

Arsenal’s attack has carried the team for the last few years. Now the development of the midfield will be crucial for this season and beyond.

The identity of Arsenal in 2018/2019 was mostly reliant on two men: Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. As the talismen of the attack, the centre-forward pair bailed the team out more times that I can count. The narrative around Arsenal was basically that they had two of the best strikers in the world and that they would have to carry the club back to the promised land better known as Champions League qualification, which they very nearly did.

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That stance was absolutely true: the performance of the attackers determined the results. But this season, I think this success — and the club’s future for that matter — lies in the middle of the park.

Let’s start with the most obvious and most contentious member of that midfield: Mesut Ozil. I am admittedly an Ozil apologist, and I still think he’s the most talented member of the squad. It seems like he might have turned a corner and is now willing to adapt to Unai Emery’s aggressive, high-pressing style, and I’m hoping the width that Nicolas Pepe provides will allow Ozil to return to his former self.

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Beyond Ozil, though, is where the midfield gets really fun. Dani Ceballos, without being a long-term solution of the team given that he is only at the club on loan, will be hugely impactful this season, both in terms of his personal contributions and in assisting the development of two other midfielders – more on that below. The loss of Aaron Ramsey as a box-to-box, attack-minded midfielder was an obvious concern, but Ceballos should fill that gap beautifully as a midfielder who can play anywhere in the middle third.

Viewed similarly as box-to-box midfielders, the emergence of Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock may be the most intriguing development to watch this season. Ceballos should shoulder most of the load and allow Guendouzi, 20, and Willock, 19, to develop appropriately without the fear of pushing them too far and forcing them to start on a weekly basis. According to Transfermarkt, Guendouzi is the fourth-most valuable midfielder aged 20 or younger in the world at an expected value of £31.5 million. I’d imagine Willock’s transfer value will skyrocket in the very near future, if it hasn’t already. Guendouzi and Willock both received plaudits in Arsenal’s season opener at Newcastle.

Deeper in the pitch, Granit Xhaka, 26, and Lucas Torreira, 23, are usually premier talents. Xhaka definitely has his drawbacks defensively, including his unrelenting need to give away silly fouls, but he has excellent distribution from deep, connecting the defense to the attack. Torreira probably leaves a little to be desired with his general lack of forward presence and positive passing, but he is relentless in winning the ball back and provides passion that has been missing in years past.

One other intriguing player that would generally get overlooked in this situation is Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who has been filling in for the injured Hector Bellerin at right-back. Naturally, however, he is a midfielder. Still only 21, Maitland-Niles has always looked much more comfortable going forward than when pressured to defend. Moreover, his composure on the ball is unique for a player of his youth and I am incredibly curious and excited to see his role expand once Bellerin returns.

For the last few years, Arsenal have been an adept attacking side while being almost laughable in defense. The presence and continued development of a capable midfield, then, should swing the pendulum back to a more balanced squad that may not necessarily need to score three goals to come away with three points.

Central midfield may become a bit crowded in the next few years with the hopeful emergence of several young players, but that is a very good problem to have. It is the crux of any team, and Arsenal are assembling a rather enviable collection, both for the present and future.