Arsenal: 3 positives from 2-1 defeat to Brighton

Midfield Improvement Must Teach Arteta

The manager overthought it. Again.

Having found a system and style that suited his players and produced the highest quality of football from the team throughout his entire tenure to date, he chose to change it. Even if Nuno Tavares isn’t on Kieran Tierney’s level, he opted to deviate from the blueprint the players had warmed to.

Xhaka was shifted to left-back, Smith Rowe became a No. 8, and the huge show of faith in Sambi Lokonga saw him left alone in midfield. If it hasn’t been mentioned enough, it did not work. The Belgian was too timid in possession, shackled with the fear of losing the ball and having the spaces behind him exploited.

But, when Arteta did eventually have a reshuffle and moved Xhaka into midfield, there was an improvement. A fairly noticeable one, too.

Sambi was released. From the first minute in the second half he seemed freer. There were driving runs from midfield that he was afraid to make in the opening 45 minutes on account of the role he was playing. Bringing Xhaka into the fold changed that, and he became more confident on and off the ball both in his pressing and distribution.

Was it enough? No. Obviously not. But what this may hopefully twig in the manager is what he has to go with next. Xhaka at left-back destroys balance and solidity, while it also limits Sambi. Of the numerous lessons to learn from this match, abandoning that shape is one of them.

Hopefully he’s learned. Now that would be a positive.

Continued on next page…