Arsenal: Dani Ceballos could be Mikel Arteta midfield key

Dani Ceballos returned to training this week and could be available by the end of the year. He might also be crucial to Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal midfield.

While Arsenal have endured many on-pitch problems this season, most of which must be solved if they ever want to challenge for a top-four position and more, if you could only solve one to have the greatest impact on the rest of the team, it would be the balance in central midfield.

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Specifically, Arsenal have struggled in two areas in midfield: playing through the press; pressing the opposition. Their play out of the back has been shambolic, littered with errors, inaccurate passes and slow progressions that only invite pressure from the opposition, while their own pressing has been incoherent and slow, allowing teams to play through them far too easily.

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Whether it be a midfield-diamond, a 4-2-3-1, a more natural 4-3-3 or even a back three, whatever shape has been used, the central midfield has been left undermanned and overpowered, thus leaving the team with little foothold in the game. There is a reason why they are outshot seemingly in every game: they lack control of the match, in and out of possession. And it all stems from central midfield.

It is very good news, then, that Dani Ceballos, who has been absent for a little under two months, has returned to training this week. In a statement on the website, the club stated:

"“Left hamstring. Sustained during Vitoria SC (a) on November 6. Has returned to training this week.”"

As new head coach Mikel Arteta inevitably looks to solve the central midfield, an area of the pitch that Pep Guardiola’s sides have always looked to dominate and Arteta will presumably intend to do the same, Ceballos’ return to fitness will be critical insofar as he provides a modern, more athletic and industrious version of Mesut Ozil.

The classical, creative number 10 position that Ozil excels in is coming to an end. With all teams using a high press, the game played at a higher speed than ever before, and every blade of grass playing a tactical and positional role, there is a greater need for a third, more natural central midfielder to offer control and balance to the team. Ozil is not this player, but Ceballos very much could be.

The Spaniard is a more athletic, energetic, all-encompassing version of Ozil. He still carries the same creativity and control of the German when in possession, but he is a more skilful dribbler, meaning he can progress play from deep, and is a more willing runner, such that he is significantly more effective without the ball, both in pressing high up the pitch and shielding the defence. Ceballos is what Guardiola would describe as a ‘half-eight’, which is a modern number 10.

Ceballos’ return to training, and eventually to the starting XI, could be the perfect boost for Arteta as he looks to rebuild the Arsenal team. The central midfield needs serious surgery. Adding a player of Ceballos’ nous, creativity and balancing industry, then, is vital.