Arsenal: Joe Willock needs one thing to challenge Granit Xhaka

Many want to see Joe Willock permanently replace Granit Xhaka at Arsenal, but he really needs to take one more big step in order to do so.

Joe Willock put up yet another tremendous performance for Arsenal, this time in the EFL Cup against Nottingham Forest, and it was arguably his best performance in the red and white. Partnered with Lucas Torreira, the midfield proved wholly capable of the dominance that we need from it, especially given the defensive situation.

Though our defense, anchored by Rob Holding, was definitely a big help.

And now, more than ever before, people want to know when Joe Willock can permanently replace Granit Xhaka, the man who bears more unfounded blame than anyone in recent memory. There’s a lot of hype around Willock, and to be fair, it’s not misplaced. He is a tremendous talent. But there is still one big step he needs to take, one big improvement he needs to make, before he can do so.

That step is in ball control.

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I know how people get when I start talking about Granit Xhaka’s intangibles—the amount of times he touches the ball. But I don’t care. It’s a damn important job for a midfield to be able to hold onto the ball and control play. This defense does not stand up well in chaotic matches, and without a controlling midfielder like Xhaka, we will suffer.

Right now, the race to replace Xhaka is between Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock, neither of whom are exactly proficient at maintaining control of the ball. They can be rash and reckless in possession and that’s a byproduct of youth and eagerness, which some call the “modern midfield.”

That’s great and all. Progress is lovely. But until the rest of the team can keep up with that progress, we have to plan accordingly, and slapping Willock in to replace Xhaka when he hasn’t learned to control then ball as well as we might like will cause problems in defending the counter attack, which is already our biggest weakness.

It sounds great. Put the youth product into the midfield to replace the maligned veteran. But you have to think practically here. Are you ready to face more counterattacking pressure? Because I’m not.

Willock is going to grow into the role that best suits him. We don’t have to rush it just for the sake of eliminating a problem that isn’t really a problem.