The positive and negatives of Arsenal using 4-2-3-1 & 4-3-3

In the aftermath of the North London Derby there were only few questions about the performance, and they were all buoyant fan-driven ones from Arsenal fans: could Mikel Arteta’s side have gone for the kill in the second half, for example?

But these weren’t downsides and instead the result of a team basking in the glory of a richly needed victory. It felt great, it still feels great and it’s the platform this season needed to build on the wretched start and continue climbing up the table.

However, the injury to Granit Xhaka felt inevitable. Rarely, if ever, can a victory not have some negative aspect to it and in this case it was the loss of a key player. The only surprise was that this bad luck befell the seemingly imperishable Swiss captain.

An innocuous challenge borne out of Lucas Moura inadvertently falling into him didn’t look reassuring from the off and after initial predictions of a 6-8 week absence were met with an official diagnosis of three months, the severity was realised.

The positives and negatives of the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations for Arsenal and Arteta following Granit Xhaka’s long-term injury

It’s a personal and collective setback that may well be season-defining. Should injury strike for Thomas Partey or Albert Sambi Lokonga then the complexity of the midfield changes dramatically. Partey clearly being the standout.

Effectively out of action until 2022, Xhaka won’t be available for all the way through the hectic Christmas period when quality of depth is the most crucial. There is no European football to contend with – a catch 22 – which may have partly been down to the club’s decision not to invest in another midfielder during the summer.

But it can be season-defining in another way.

Arteta was handed the opportunity to re-imagine his Arsenal team without the 28-year-old during his suspension, opting for a combination of a double pivot and the newfound 4-1-4-1/4-3-3 shape seen late on against Norwich, away at Burnley and at home to AFC Wimbledon.

It looked promising, too.

And then there is the option to go for a straight swap in the 4-2-3-1 and bring the obvious candidate in Xhaka’s stead, Sambi, to come in and move on from the Swiss long term. There has never been a better opportunity to see how Arsenal can be an improved side from the midfield working out (apart from actually selling him) than this.

So where does Arteta go from here with Brighton next up? What benefits are there of the 4-1-4-1 and the 4-2-3-1? Starting with the former, there are a few.

Continued on next page…