Arsenal: 4 tactical issues with Xhaka & Partey

3. Lack of Speed & Mobility in Midfield

That old chestnut. One of the chief reasons why many supporters have been so keen to move on from Xhaka and approach the midfield area of the pitch in a different manner is, indeed, mobility.

Craving an energetic option in the heart of the pitch who can hassle, harry and avoid being as deep to compensate for a lack of pace, Sambi has been the perceived next step on from Xhaka. Even Ainsley Maitland-Niles has brought legs into the midfield when he’s played.

There is no point going in hard on Xhaka, who can quite literally do nothing to change this: he’s never been mobile and he’ll never be mobile. What exacerbates the issue at the moment is that he’s also not match fit.

Arteta is woe to ever substitute him, so another 90 minutes against Southampton will almost certainly be followed by another 90 minutes against West Ham and so on and so forth. But this aspect (or non-aspect) has limitations on what Arsenal can do.

Blowing Tottenham away in September, it was the transitions, two from deep, that killed the game. In the other matches where Arsenal have torn teams apart early on with energetic high intensity – Aston Villa, Leicester – Xhaka wasn’t in the team.

There is a link without there being total confirmation, but one of the poorest first halves from the side where everyone wanted to be behind the ball unfolded at Goodison Park with only momentary high pressure. While that doesn’t pin all the blame of Xhaka, an unfit midfielder playing 98 minutes of football who is on the ball most of the game doesn’t help.

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