Arsenal: 3 players Mikel Arteta needs to step up

2. David Luiz

Initially, it looked as though Mikel Arteta had ‘fixed’ Arsenal’s vulnerable defence. In reality, he had improved it and found a rhythm that helped the individuals that comprised it, but those same shortcomings that were always there hadn’t left. They were simply masked over.

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More recently, those deficiencies have come to roost. Burnley bullied the Gunners and only failed to score thanks to some wayward finishing. Olympiakos caused problems on the counter-attack, as did Everton, while West Ham United would have scored two or three if not for some poor final-third combinations and heroic Bernd Leno goalkeeping. And in the midst of all this has been some extremely suspect set-piece defending.

Ultimately, Arteta can only do so much. At some stage, he needs the defenders on the pitch to take responsibility for their problems. And as the leader of the defence, this responsibility falls on the shoulders of David Luiz more than any other individual.

Luiz has made some mistakes. He is known for them, after all. But his communication and general organisation must also improve. Arsenal have looked a little awkward and disorganised, especially when looking to control matches upon turnovers and counter-attacks. Luiz needs to both cut out his individual errors, as do the rest of the defenders, and also take charge of what has looked like an increasingly unsettled unit.