Arsenal: The 5 big tactical consequences of Thomas Partey arrival

3. Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil tied to same fate

Partey offers Arteta with two primary options: to feature him as the lone defensive midfielder in an inverted central midfield with two half-eights, or to use him as a part of a double-pivot with a number 10 playing off the lone centre-forward.

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In the former system, Partey’s arrival and the subsequent formation change would spell the end of both Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil, who are very much tied to the system that is used. In an inverted central midfield, Xhaka lacks the athleticism and defensive awareness to play in the lone holding role and is too conservative and slow, especially when dealing with the ball in tight spaces, to play in either of the box-to-box roles further up the pitch.

Ozil, meanwhile, can only play as a number 10. He is still very creative and influential in the final third, but his defensive work-rate and limited athletic profile do not suit the more physically demanding box-to-box role particularly well. He needs the foundation of a double-pivot to conduct his best work.

Conversely, if Arteta commits to the 4-2-3-1, both Xhaka and Ozil could flourish alongside Partey. The Ghanian would provide defensive protection for Xhaka’s deep-lying distribution to shine, while Ozil would flourish with the freedom to drift between pockets of space, receiving passes from both Xhaka and Partey on the half-turn. Either way, the tactical set-up of central midfield will revolve around the way that Arteta used Partey.