3 Arsenal players crucial to Premier League top four charge

Arsenal are in a tough spot. That much is clear to see. The year started off with a deflating loss to Manchester City. The performance was eye-catching and brilliant but the result much less so.

A subsequent flat display against Nottingham Forest further rocked the boat. A brave, stalwart showing against Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup was undone in the second leg before Arsenal’s most recent draw against Burnley. A chance to go into the top four went begging.

All is not totally lost, however.

The way Arsenal played against Man City illustrated what they could do: brilliant interchange, quick movement on and off the ball and incisive passing between the lines allowed them to go toe-to-toe with the reigning champions, and inevitable champions-elect.

3 Arsenal players crucial to Premier League top four charge as Mikel Arteta desperately scrambles for January transfer additions

Yet in the past few games, both manager and players have looked tired, laborious, and devoid of ideas. Help is needed.

The Premier League break will undoubtedly be a welcome one. It will give those at the club a chance to reset. Players will come back from injury, sickness and AFCON, allowing Arsenal to go to Wolves with a squad close to, if not at, full strength.

That said, here are three players already at the club who could shake up the squad and revitalize performances.

1. Takehiro Tomiyasu

The Japanese international has impressed game after game this season. He has slotted in seamlessly to a back four with players still building chemistry alongside one another. The clean sheets have racked up quickly, largely due to Tomiyasu’s presence. He doesn’t bomb forward and constantly overlap around the winger, but his contributions frequently fly under the radar.

He slots into midfield, tucking in to provide numerical superiority. His passing ability with both feet allows Arsenal to play through the opposition’s press. And he rarely gets beat. Against Liverpool, however, that was different. He looked tired and quite simply not fit. He got skinned by Jota for the first goal and never seemed settled. It appears that his most recent outing has aggravated his injury, with Tomiyasu set to be out for a few weeks.

Luckily, Arsenal’s next game is on February 10, allowing him the time to come back when he’s ready and not before. When he does come back, his presence will be warmly welcomed.

Benjamin White will be able to play his most natural position and because of this, Arsenal’s build-up play from the back will rediscover the centrality it lacked against the Clarets. The former Brighton man is far more comfortable on the ball than Rob Holding, and added to Tomiyasu’s stabalising defensive role the back four can once again be settled, providing a strong base for the midfield and attack to work off of.

Speaking of which…

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