Arsenal: 4 tactical issues with Xhaka & Partey

2. Xhaka in a Back Three Negates White & Gabriel

As with all the current tactical concerns, there is space to improve on them or change them entirely. Against Everton, Xhaka started picking up positions, perhaps out of pure muscle memory, that did little to aid Arsenal’s cause.

Back in the team and back on the ball, the Swiss is someone who yearns to have the pitch in front of him. He wants to see all the action play out ahead so he can pick the passes he feels will be most threatening or at least likely to springboard an attacking move.

Investing £77m in Benjamin White and Gabriel, it felt counterproductive to then see him drop in between the two at Goodison Park to do just this. Arsenal went out and spent big on two quick and progressive central defenders who take on chunks of this responsibility. Happening on occasions in the game, at times it was as if Xhaka was coaching them on how to perform the role.

On the positive side it shows initiative and willingness, yet the overriding negative is that it prevents Arsenal from being able to squeeze the pitch and the opposition. The whole point of bringing White and Gabriel in was so that the defensive line could push up to congest the pitch and be more physically able to handle transitions and recycle possession.

When Xhaka did this at Goodison Park – and it isn’t necessarily a criticism of him as it could be instructional – Arsenal had their distances too wide, with Bukayo Saka in particular left isolated out on the right.

Picking up that position negates the very reason for having White and Gabriel.

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