Arsenal: 4 mistakes Mikel Arteta made vs Man City

3. Fielding Granit Xhaka as a Single Pivot

It comes back to asking too much of certain players, as well as issues with the press, but this is more of an individual case. One that can’t be fathomed, explained or mitigated.

Who in their right mind decides that Xhaka can playing as the sole holding midfielder against Manchester City?

The team selection baffled everyone pre-game but of all the decisions made by the manager none were as inexplicable than asking the player with the least mobility and athleticism in the entire squad to hold that area down.

There was no way to squeeze City’s midfield to win the ball back and it resulted in the likes of Bernardo Silva and Gundogan having a free run of the Swiss either side as they strolled into pockets of space in between lines (if there indeed were any lines).

Uncontested, if you’re looking to neutralise such threats – it was eerily similar to Havertz and Mount – then the last thing you should be doing is asking a sluggish midfielder to cover runners and space all at once.

If that was the route he truly felt was the road to success, at least field someone more physically able to fulfilling the task, such as Sambi Lokonga.

Fortunately, the Belgian was spared the devastation, but at least Arsenal would have had 11 men on the pitch all afternoon.