Arsenal: Surely that’s enough of Sokratis, David Luiz

Both Sokratis and David Luiz committed more basic defensive errors in Arsenal’s win over Aston Villa. Surely, it is now time for a change, especially with Calum Chambers impressing once again.

One of the key issues of the Arsene Wenger era that Unai Emery needed to solve was Arsenal’s painful propensity to make individual defensive mistakes. Whether it be poor tackling technique or rash decision-making or a lack of tactical balance or an unattentiveness or handling errors from goalkeepers. It did not matter. If there was a defensive mistake to be made, the Gunners made it.

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There was a hope that a new manager could implement a new culture, that he could improve the individual players and develop a system that helps to limit these errors. However, since Emery has taken over, the mistakes have persisted, and this season, they may have even worsened.

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In particular, centre-halves Sokratis and David Luiz are guilty of making a high number of egregious errors that have led directly to opponents’ chances and goals. Luiz has already conceded two penalties this season with silly fouls. Sokratis, meanwhile, has allowed his aggressiveness to get the better of him, dragging him out of position while looking increasingly immobile, especially in short spaces.

In Sunday’s 3-2 victory over Aston Villa, both made obvious errors once more. Luiz was not aware to John McGinn’s dart from midfield, failing to communicate properly with Matteo Guendouzi, who was also hugely at fault, and be aware of the looming threat from Anwar El Ghazi’s cross; then for the second goal, first Sokratis was left standing by Jack Grealish, his lack of agility and balance exploited badly before Luiz committed the cardinal centre-half sin by letting Wesley run across his face and prod home the low cross at the near post.

Perhaps the biggest issue with these mistakes is that they are nothing new. Against Watford last weekend, Sokratis passed the ball to Tom Cleverly and Luiz felled Roberto Pereyra for a penalty; two weeks prior to that in the North London Derby draw, Sokratis rushed into the midfield before being outrun by Cristian Eriksen for the opening goal. The week before that, Luiz first pulled Mohamed Salah’s shirt to concede a stonewall penalty before diving in on the Egyptian, who skipped past him to notch Liverpool’s third. It happens again and again and again.

Perhaps, then, it is time to make a change. And this is especially pertinent given the form and potential of the players behind them. Calum Chambers was excellent in the season-opening victory over Newcastle United, Arsenal’s only Premier League clean sheet of the year. He then performed excellently at right-back on Sunday, introduced at half-time after Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ sending off.

Surely it makes sense for Chambers to play over either Sokratis or Luiz. Not only is he a better player right now, at least judging by the performances this season; he also offers far greater potential in the future, with the Southampton graduate at the very least boasting the talent to be a third-choice deputy for the remainder of his Arsenal career. He is still only 24, after all.

Sokratis and Luiz have shown little ability to learn from their mistakes and improve. So why not throw someone else in there? Surely the time has come for change, because it can hardly get any worse, right?