Ideal Arsenal Starting Lineup: 4-3-3 With a Twist

Ideal Arsenal Midfielders

Thomas Partey (RCM) – £45m worth of world-class talent isn’t going to be anywhere other than in the heart of this team. It took Partey only eight minutes against Rapid Vienna to assume the mantle of the best central midfielder at the club.

Every defensive department is exceptional, from ball recoveries to sniffing out danger, while in an offensive sense he’s the most athletic driver of possession that we have. This slight ‘twist’ to the regular 4-3-3 is that he can push up five yards when Arsenal are in possession.

In other words, ditch the overly deep double midfield pivot. The reason for that is he’s tactically smart enough to preempt opposition passing lanes, and if there is a turnover in possession he has the nous to cover. Equally, it allows the next player in this team sheet to flex his muscles and keep Partey’s passing to shorter distances.

Granit Xhaka (CDM) – Indeed, Granit Xhaka plays in my ideal side. Mohamed Elneny has been superb this season, but the Swiss can be superb if his skill set it tailored to. At Arsenal, it isn’t.

One need only watch Switzerland play to see Xhaka sing. The system Vladimir Petković’s side utilise is very different, but they allow their captain to dictate matches from a deep-lying role where his range of pass can come to the fore. So limited in options when playing left centre-back, the reason Arsenal signed the 28-year-old in the first place has become irrelevant.

Furthermore, the deeper he is the less vulnerable he becomes to counter-attacks. One of the full-backs can push up alongside him and provide recovery pace to aid his shortcomings. Not a long-term solution, but the fit we need now.

Dani Ceballos (LCM) – This is the trickiest, not because Dani Ceballos isn’t deserving of a spot in the team, but because he’s not a natural left-footer. During his time in north London he’s played across the midfield, but the idea is he can move more centrally to accommodate those on the left flank and pick up inside spaces.

I, for one, would like to see Ceballos play further up the pitch. Better once-touch passing than he’s given credit for, he can be guilty of slowing the play down in deep areas as he scans for options in front. Better playing off the cuff, those split second decisions he makes in forward areas have not been allowed to come to the fore. With defensive players surrounding him, why not release the shackles and see his influence in the final third?