Arsenal: 4 things we have to see from Arteta’s side vs Everton

4. Connectivity in Central Areas With Odegaard, Aubameyang & Partey

Nobody knows for sure what team Arteta is going to put out on Monday, but whoever does feature has to try and bring back some of the centrality that was missing at Old Trafford.

Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard have the potential to own this team; to dictate it. As key figures in central areas, their connections in the pitch can control entire matches and it’s something neither are doing to the best of their abilites.

Feeding passes through the lines into Odegaard and onto Aubameyang is where Arsenal can truly hurt teams. The North London Derby was a fine example of where this can work, as Partey’s connection with Odegaard was key in the victory, yet too infrequently were there passes into those areas against United.

Across the entire match, Odegaard didn’t make a single pass to Aubameyang. He may have had five shots in the game, but when your creative midfielder doesn’t provide a single ball to your striker then you know something is going wrong in central areas.

It’s time for big players in this team to step up. Everton are surprisingly easy to play through under a manager who prides himself on a solid defensive structure out of possession and the opportunity for Arsenal to dominate that area of the pitch is waiting for them at Goodison Park.