Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Eintracht Frankfurt: 5 things we learned – Hello, Bukayo Saka

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal runs with the ball away from Kyle John of Everton during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on August 23, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 23: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal runs with the ball away from Kyle John of Everton during the Premier League 2 match between Arsenal and Everton at Emirates Stadium on August 23, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Lucas Torreira
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Lucas Torreira of Arsenal controls the ball during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at Anfield on August 24, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

3. The midfield conundrum

Remember the exhausting debate surrounding N’Golo Kante and how Maurizio Sarri used him in a 4-3-3 at Chelsea last season? Well, that very same debate is about to be repeated all over again, this time with Lucas Torreira, Unai Emery and Arsenal.

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In many respects, Torreira is a lesser Kante. He does not quite make the same defensive impact as the two-time Premier League and World Cup winner, but his style is very comparable: highly energetic, quick across the ground, excellent at tackling and intercepting, terrific stamina and a willingness to press. Both are at their best as the anchor midfielder, shielding the defence and breaking up play.

However, in the high-pressing modern game in which players that have the ability to win possession can now be used high up the pitch to force turnovers and instigate attacks, there is an apparent desire to push Kante and Torreira into a box-to-box role. They have the ability to play in that role and can do it productively, but is it the best use of their talents?

In Torreira’s place, Emery turns to Granit Xhaka — incidentally, he is akin to Jorginho, an excellent passer of the ball who is not as proficient defensively or quick across the ground. Xhaka had a shocking first 20 minutes here, his usual shortcomings rising to the surface once again. But when Torreira sat a little deeper and Arsenal shifted closer to a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-3-3, Xhaka improved greatly, his passing having a greater impact on the match.

So how does Emery structure his midfield moving forward? Well, it is difficult to say. He obviously likes Xhaka, but the evidence is increasingly pointing to Torreira dropping deeper, replacing the Swiss international. It won’t happen any time soon, but Arsenal undoubtedly look more comfortable with that midfield set-up.