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

Arteta Can Alter His Tactical Shape From Game to Game

When Arsenal travel to the King Power Stadium on October 30, it might not be the wisest decision to play a single pivot when the Foxes boast players like Youri Tielemans and James Maddison who can operate between the lines.

It can work, just as it can certainly fall flat.

But then a week later Arteta’s side host Watford at the Emirates Stadium in a fixture they will be favourites for, where there will be no need for an additional screen in front the defence. On that occasion, with the home advantage and quality of opposition taken into account, there is no reason not to throw another attacker on the pitch and really take to game to the Hornets.

What Xhaka’s injury does is mean that Arsenal are now, bizarrely, more flexible in how they can set up so long as no further injuries befall that area of the pitch.

If the Swiss was fit then he’d play, meaning that a single pivot would never happen as he is not athletically capable of holding a midfield down. Furthermore, his unbreakable fitness sees him rarely ever substituted: 4-2-3-1 would last the full 90 minutes almost every time he starts.

This is where the injury can be season-defining as Arteta will have the longest stretch of his managerial career to work with different shapes, profiles and personnel without the knee-jerk reaction of including the now long-term absentee.

Predicting what route the manager may take would probably lead you towards the horses for courses approach as opposed to sticking with one single formation, but the emergence of Sambi ensures the double pivot will be given a healthy crack of the whip.

On the basis that everyone does stay fit, which we hope and pray for, this can be a really progressive step for this team in the Premier League and elsewhere.