Pain in the Arsenal
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Arsenal Vs Manchester City: 5 key players to watch – We’re back, baby

By Andrew Dowdeswell

Arsenal, Mesut Ozil, Mikel Arteta (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Mesut Ozil, Mikel Arteta (Photo by Harriet Lander/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, David Luiz
Arsenal, David Luiz (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /

3. David Luiz

While City’s defensive problems this season have been well-documented, they pale in comparison to Arsenal’s ineptitude. The Gunners have again endured a torrid time, conceding 36 goals on the season. Not good.

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However, under Arteta, there have been significant signs of improvement. He has not fixed the defence, of course. There is still a long way to go. But there has been noticeable growth. In the 15 games prior to Arteta’s arrival, Arsenal kept just one clean sheet and conceded 28 goals. In his 15 games in charge, Arsenal conceded just 12 goals with seven clean sheets. In the Premier League, Arsenal allowed five or more shots on target in 61% of matches under Emery. Under Arteta, that figure has halved to just 30%.

Despite this improvement, though, the defence will be tested greatly against City, especially in an area that it is not known for: concentration and discipline. At the heart of it will be David Luiz, who has been a commanding presence in the team since Arteta took over. He is a natural leader, a clear and loud communicator, an organiser of the backline, for better or worse.

Luiz, though, like seemingly every Arsenal defender, has a painful knack for making stupid mistakes. He even committed a terrible error in the friendly defeat to Brentford last week. Arsenal will have to be at their defensive best on Wednesday. They will likely have less than 35% of the ball, will be forced to defend for long periods, and must remain compact, structured, and difficult to break down. Luiz, then, must not only perform at his best, ridding of his own errors; he must command those around him and lead a defence desperately lacking in clarity, strength, and assurance.