Arsenal vs AFC Wimbledon: 4 things we’d like to see

3. More Improvement From Ainsley Maitland-Niles

Maitland-Niles’ 15 (+4) minute spell against Burnley was genuinely surprising. For someone who was desperate to leave before the deadline day, a cameo such as that wasn’t expected. To his absolute credit, he was superb.

He got to every ball first, blocked lanes, slowed the pace down when he needed to and ran his socks off. That was not the performance of someone who wasn’t committed. Whether he’s vying for another contract at Arsenal or elsewhere, that level of professionalism is welcome.

Is he capable of being a 90-minute Arsenal midfielder? The jury is still out. There are still inconsistencies with his distribution, and his calmness, which can be a blessing, can also be his downfall: he’s almost too cool on the ball at times.

But what he has to do is prove that he has value in this team. Whether that is filling in for injuries or offering something different off the bench, the standard he reached at Turf Moor is one he needs to maintain.

AFC Wimbledon won’t be his biggest test, nor will a strong display against them determine whether he should be moving up the pecking order. What this fixture can be is one where he shows he still has his head screwed on. Some momentum from Maitland-Niles that proves Burnley wasn’t a one-off is what Arteta will be after.

An improvement in his hit-and-miss passing is also going to be observed, as it looks for all the world as if he and Sambi will partner up in the centre once more.

Continued…