Arsenal vs Liverpool: 3 tactical solutions to midfield crisis

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta applauds supporters on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Watford at the Emirates Stadium in London on November 7, 2021. - - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: Ben White of Arsenal gives their team instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on December 15, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images) /

4-2-3-1 With Benjamin White in Midfield

There is reason to believe Arteta will be woe to break away from his usual 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 system, which if so means that an unfamiliar face will join Sambi in the double pivot.

Who might that be? Well, the options are as such:

Benjamin White
Calum Chambers
Martin Odegaard
Emile Smith Rowe
Charlie Patino
Miguel Azeez

We can near enough discount the bottom three from the equation: Miguel Azeez has just returned from his loan and is set to move elsewhere, Charlie Patino is not ready for a fixture of his magnitude, and Emile Smith Rowe has not played there for Arsenal previously.

Considering that Chambers is arguably at the bottom of the pecking order for both centre-back and right-back (rightly or wrongly) it would be a surprise to see him thrust into midfield pretty much out of the blue.

If both Odegaard and Smith Rowe are back then the Norwegian could move into a deeper role. The issue is that he isn’t quick enough to deal with the transitions, and in general the defensive side of his game is lacking. He doesn’t have the physicality.

Does that leave White? It sort of does. But even with the centre-back moving into a position he’s played in before, it then pulls him out of his partnership with Gabriel. Those two were key in the 0-0 draw at Anfield, and with White further forward his deep distribution is no longer an asset with the Reds’ intense swarming set to heavily reduce his time on the ball.

It still looks like the best option so far, though.

Continued on next page…

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