Arsenal: 4 tactical issues with Xhaka & Partey

The inevitability of Granit Xhaka never ceases to amaze. Returning from a knee injury an entire month ahead of schedule, he took his place in the Arsenal midfield alongside Thomas Partey in the defeat to Everton.

It was their first start together since the North London Derby win back in September, yet their reunion wasn’t expected to be penciled in until as late as February.

Not due back until the time that Partey is away with Ghana at AFCON, variations of the midfield with Sambi Lokonga were thought to be how Arsenal would look for a few months more at least. For the most part, it was a welcome surprise.

Before the season began the preferred duo in the team was these two. Both flawed, when they found form together it was the closest Arsenal had come to a rounded midfield. Since Xhaka’s injury it’s been the Belgian whose come in and, for the most part, he’s exceeded expectations.

4 tactical issues facing Arsenal and Mikel Arteta with Granit Xhaka & Thomas Partey as a midfield pivot

Not involved in either of the two most recent Premier League matches, he had to watch on at Goodison Park as his team fell apart with midfield progression no more than a foreign concept. While Xhaka and Partey as a pivot has the potential to be functional for Arsenal, as seen previously, that did not come to fruition against Everton.

On show were a host of tactical deficiencies that limited Arsenal across 98 minutes, prompting calls for Sambi to come back into the team in place of, well, either of the two.

With Southampton to come on home soil on Saturday, the previously set in stone starting lineup that Mikel Arteta had comes under discussion once again. At present, the more deserving member of the midfield to miss out is Partey, who quite possibly has had his two worst games for the club consecutively.

It’s not sure what route Arteta will take, but at this moment in time there are four tactical issues with the Partey and Xhaka pivot that came to the fore in the 2-1 loss.

Now, that isn’t to say either should drop out – even with Sambi waiting in the wings – or that these areas can’t be solved, just that they are aspects that require examination for fear of further setbacks.

1. Control Hard to Gain With Partey’s Confidence Shot

Partey being bereft of confidence and therefore exceedingly sloppy in possession is not a tactical note as such. But the byproduct of that is having an impact on performances and preventing Arsenal from being the dominating side they aspire to be.

He looks terrified. For someone held in such high regard by supporters and considered the engine of this team as recently as late September, how his form has dipped since is a source of genuine concern.

Normally astute ball control and competent passing, it’s now the simple balls he’s failing to execute. Visibly discontent with himself at Old Trafford, while he cleaned up his pass completion against Everton he continued to insert unnecessary pressure on the side in key moments. Additionally, he lost nine out of his 14 duels in the game, an incredibly uncharacteristic trait of his, further accentuating how little belief he has in himself.

All of that is killing attacks and effective recycling of possession. If the ball is in the attacking third you need Partey to mop up any opposition attempts to break out. Meant to the man preventing transitions, he’s instead helping instigate them.

Any momentum and foothold the team wants to gain is decreased in potency when one of the key figures is seeing balls bounce off him and passes misplaced.

(Xhaka’s passing accuracy was far worse against Everton, but some mitigation is applied)

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