Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles doing things Hector Bellerin cannot

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been excellent in an inverted right-back role under Mikel Arteta. He is doing things previous Arsenal starter, Hector Bellerin, cannot.

Mikel Arteta was always going to borrow from his great predecessor. The new Arsenal head coach, who spent three-and-a-half years as an assistant under the masterful Pep Guardiola, is now tasked with implementing the same relentlessly brilliant system Guardiola has used to great effect at Manchester City in north London.

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It was not quite known what Guardiolian elements Arteta would attempt to replicate at the Emirates, but now three matches into his tenure, the picture is a little clearer. From the intense high pressing to fast-tempo play in possession, there are many similarities between what City are so brilliant at and what Arsenal are attempting to mirror.

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One of the most prominent tactical similarities has been the use of the full-backs. As Guardiola has done since his time at Bayern Munich, one full-back pushes very high up on one flank, almost forming a front-five alongside the front three and an attacking midfielder, while the other moves into central midfield to form a protective trio that sits between the two centre-backs and front five. As such, a 2-3-5 shape is formed in possession.

That latter full-back role, the right-back tucking into central midfield, has been conducted by Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Maitland-Niles has always been a contorted right-back. Growing up as a midfielder, either on the flank or centrally, while he has the natural skill set to fulfil the increasingly rounded duties of a modern-day full-back, he has often struggled to adapt to the position, a complacency and lack of focus undermining his obvious fit to the position.

However, this new, adapted right-back position has been ideal for the 22-year-old. In his three games under Arteta, Maitland-Niles has flourished, playing a key role in build-up phases, his central-midfield experience preparing him perfectly for this increased role, and also showing greater attention and commitment defensively, intenty closing down opposing attackers, snapping into challenges, and exploiting his athletic superiority.

As the above pass map from the victory over Manchester United indicates, Maitland-Niles has been central to Arsenal’s progressive play in deep areas. In fact, he made more passes than any other player on the pitch. He really is flourishing, and Arteta has found a role that best uses his blended abilities from his time in central midfield. However, there is a looming problem: Hector Bellerin will return.

Bellerin has been Arsenal’s starting right-back for many years, and when fit, he is an automatic first-team selection. But as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain following a year on the sidelines with an ACL tear, he is yet to feature under Arteta. And now that the right-back role has changed so significantly, questions should be asked over his inclusion.

A more orthodox right-back role would much better suit Bellerin than Maitland-Niles. He is quicker, sharper to the ball, more defensively sound, and more capable at overlapping runs in the final third. But when it comes to smart, composed, combination play in midfield areas, Bellerin does not have the skill, the control and the technical ability to contribute as Arteta would demand. Put simply, Bellerin cannot do what Maitland-Niles has done in the past three games.

All this leads to a question: does Bellerin simply walk back into the starting XI as would have been expected prior to Arteta’s arrival, or does Arteta’s change in system and the responsibilities of the right-back position now heighten what Maitland-Niles do in Bellerin’s stead? The answer is not yet known, but Maitland-Niles is pushing hard to be considered the first-choice right-back, and that can only be a good thing for Arsenal.