Arsenal: Dani Ceballos is Mikel Arteta’s locksmith

Before Sunday’s match against Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta spoke about how Arsenal must break down the low block. To do so, he turned to Dani Ceballos, a midfield maestro to pick the Magpies’ lock.

Mikel Arteta made several significant selection changes ahead of Arsenal’s four-goal thumping of Newcastle United at the weekend. It was arguably the Gunners’ best performance of the season, and the decisions that Arteta made before kick-off undoubtedly had an impact once the ball was rolling.

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Perhaps the most impactful of them was the inclusion of Dani Ceballos in central midfield. For all of his talent, which is staggering, Ceballos has found the going tough in north London thus far. This, in fact, was his first start under Arteta. But there was good reason for Arteta’s change in approach, and it paid dividends in the match.

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Ceballos replaced Lucas Torreira in the deep-lying double pivot alongside Granit Xhaka. His job was quite clear: to circulate the ball, maintain the tempo of Arsenal’s passing, and pull the Newcastle defence from side to side with consistently accurate and progressive passes, before then feeding more advanced teammates to exploit the space that subsequently opens up.

Ceballos conducted this role superbly. He was the orchestrator of the attacking play, pulling the proverbial strings with terrific precision and decision-making. The weight of his passing was phenomenal, leading his teammates forward by the spot they would reach the ball. He looked forward when he could but rarely forced overly ambitious passes. He walked the tightrope of creativity and control wonderfully.

After the match, Arteta was asked why he started Ceballos ahead of other midfield options:

"“I thought Dani was ideal for this game in that game position today. The way he’s been training he completely deserves a chance, and I’m so glad with his performance.”"

Torreira was the presumed starter in Ceballos’ position, while Matteo Guendouzi was also another option, though he was left out of the squad entirely due to disciplinary issues during the winter break trip to Dubai. Arteta plumped for Ceballos ahead of Torreira because of that added passing quality his Spanish compatriot provides.

In his pre-match interview with television, Arteta spoke about facing a low-block, highlighting the difficulties in breaking down a well-drilled defensive unit like Newcastle. He needed someone to unpick the lock. While Torreira is neat and tidy in possession, perfectly capable of matriculating the ball around the pitch, he lacks the incisive distribution to open up opposing defences. His passing is somewhat limited. Ceballos does not have the same defensive instincts as Torreira, but he is much more progressive with the ball, and in this particular match, that is precisely what Arsenal needed.

Does this mean Ceballos will be a long-term starter? Well, it likely depends on the players’ attitude in training and performance on the pitch. But in games in which Arsenal will dominate possession and have to break down a diligent, disciplined defence, expect to see Arteta to turn to his designated locksmith once again.