Arsenal: 5 solutions to Kieran Tierney left-back problem

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta reacts after the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park in south London on April 4, 2022. - Crystal Palace won the match 3-0. - 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 Adrian DENNIS / 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 ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) /

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LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 04: Ben White and Rob Holding of Arsenal inspect the pitch prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park on April 04, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

4. Move to a Back Three

It has been rightly highlighted that Arsenal have nine more cup finals ahead of them, so why not switch to a formation that won them their last cup final? Makes sense, right?

Sort of.

Moving to a back three could work for a number of reasons. One of the main benefits is that there is positional freedom. It has the scope to move Granit Xhaka in midfield alongside Sambi Lokonga as, while he impressed in his short cameo at Selhurst Park, he will need some support centrally as he returns to the team. Then Odegaard could move the right of the front three – although obviously he would move infield and Saka would provide the width – with the actual formation only a loose blueprint to how the team sets up and not actually their specific positions on the pitch. Roles are more important than formations.

Perhaps more alluring and for greater balance is to have Xhaka at left-centre-back which allows for Cedric and perhaps Nuno to play as wing-backs. That would cater to both their strengths.

But it would be a change. It would be a considerable change to the first Premier League defeat of 2022 that wasn’t against a team called Liverpool or Manchester City. While the injury issues clearly play a role, Arsenal are in this conversation in the first place on account of the succession of results they’ve had playing in a 4-3-3.

Arteta won’t want to complicate the situation more. He wants to compartmentalise the defeat and ensure it is just that: one defeat. Moving to a back three has its benefits, with more stability for players who have weaknesses, yet he will have learned from last season that it can have an adverse effect.

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