Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Burnley: 5 key players to watch – Nicolas Pepe under pressure

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Nicolas Pepe (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace battles for possession with Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on January 11, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace battles for possession with Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal FC at Selhurst Park on January 11, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images) /

2. Ainsley Maitland-Niles

This week, Arsenal are set to sign Southampton defender Cedric Soares on a six-month loan. The deal is presumably to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to move into central midfielder more frequently as the 28-year-old provides depth for Hector Bellerin. However, for the time being, Maitland-Niles will likely start at right-back.

And given his recent performances, that is no bad thing. The young midfielder-turned-defender has excellent in Mikel Arteta’s hybrid right-back role, Like with Granit Xhaka, Arteta has crafted a role that best suits Maitland-Niles’ skill set. His athleticism, reading of the game and tackling ability mean he has the skill to fulfil the defensive demands of the position, while his comfort on the ball and natural fit in midfield allows him to easily move into central pockets to aid in possession play.

As Hector Bellerin has played the last 180 minutes after only just returning from a hamstring strain and ACL tear, while Cedric will only arrive this week, expect Maitland-Niles to start on Sunday. And if he does, expect to see him conducting this hybrid right-back position with terrific aplomb.