How Arsenal manage full-backs is key to top four dream

Will it be the easy way or the Arsenal way? For the moment, it appears that the scenic route is the Gunners’ preferred choice as they continued their improbable Premier League revival at the weekend with a dramatic 3-1 win against Manchester United, a result that propels the club back into the top four and once again leaves them in control of their own destiny.

The sudden upturn in form comes just when questionable tactical ploys and insipid performances suggested our Champions League bid was about to unravel, and Mikel Arteta deserves some credit for rallying the troops after three consecutive defeats. But while the European dream is now back on track, careful management of our full-back options could hold the key to finally making it a reality.

Monitoring this department might be easier said than done, especially when we consider the capricious nature of Nuno Tavares.

The enigmatic summer arrival opened his Arsenal account on Saturday and definitely has the tools to succeed in north London, but he seems afflicted with negligible concentration levels and could easily have cost us a crucial victory with an inexplicable handball to concede the penalty.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1518500699532898304

Arsenal must get the best out of Nuno Tavares and reintegrate Takehiro Tomiyasu if they are to make their Champions League dream a reality

Forced reliance on such an erratic individual may not fill anyone with confidence, but the boss acknowledged post-match that the left-back was helped by the second half change in shape and, with no credible alternative to turn to and the need for balance remaining a priority, it is important that he continues to feature. Perhaps first-team exposure will even serve as a valuable learning experience.

The true game-changer resides on the opposite flank, where we can expect Takehiro Tomiyasu to resume his duties. The antithesis of his Portuguese counterpart in many ways, Tomiyasu’s long-awaited return is a huge boost for the Gunners ahead of the Premier League run-in as his technical qualities will improve our suspect build-up play. Additionally, he also has the required expertise in the inverted role to stabilise a flagging defence.

Not only should these attributes elevate the collective standard, but his aptitude in-field will also give us greater strategic flexibility by enabling Tavares to play further up the pitch and therefore keeping defensive eccentricities to a minimum, while simultaneously providing a suitable environment to unlock the appreciable attacking prowess he demonstrated at the Emirates.

Impressive form for much of the calendar year has made the difficulties of recent weeks hard to accept, and it still remains to be seen whether or not this incredibly young and inexperienced squad has what it takes to get over the line.

But as long as the structure is in place for them to thrive, they will always have a fighting chance and, in that sense, hopefully the renewed availability of Tomiyasu, coupled with Tavares’ considerable offensive potential, will help Arteta to make the right calls.