IN a press conference a few weeks into his Arsenal tenure, Mikel Arteta was asked about filling holes in his side by using players in unfamiliar roles. It was, he said, an approach born out of necessity.
“With more time,” Arteta added. “I would like to have a specialist for every position to do exactly what we want to do.”
Arteta was speaking ahead of a game against Burnley which Arsenal were fortunate to draw. But a year and a half on, he has got his wish.
Arsenal returned to Turf Moor on Saturday with a team almost unrecognisable from the one they fielded at the same ground in February 2020 – and this time they secured a battling 1-0 win.
The overhaul has been comprehensive.
Even Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the only players remaining from the previous line-up in Saturday’s game, were this time able to play in their favoured positions rather than at left-back and on the left wing respectively.
Their chaotic start to the season has left Arsenal with ground to make up. But with a new-look squad in place and a full complement of players for Arteta to choose from, Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham is an opportunity to show the tools are now in place for a brighter future.
The transformation is perhaps most apparent in defence.
Gone are David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Hector Bellerin, replaced by Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Together with Kieran Tierney, who has put an injury-hit start to his Arsenal career behind him, they comprise a new-look backline.
The quartet have made an encouraging start, helping Arsenal keep clean sheets against Norwich and Burnley, and it is already apparent that they have been recruited with “specialist” qualities in mind.
In Gabriel’s case, that means physicality. The 6ft 3ins Brazilian was arguably the player Arsenal missed most at the start of the season, with Pablo Mari struggling in his place, and on Saturday he dealt with Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes impressively.
He did not do it alone, of course. Arteta described his centre-back partner White as an “exceptional defender” in conversation with Sky Sports last month and at 6ft 2ins, he has a physical presence too.
In fact, while White was criticised for his performance against Brentford’s Ivan Toney on the opening day of the season, it should be noted he won the same number of duels as Gabriel at Turf Moor.
His biggest strengths, though, undoubtedly lie in possession.
White is an excellent passer who excels at carrying the ball out of defence and breaking opposition lines. “With the ball, he’s got special qualities that I needed for the way we play,” added Arteta.
White’s technical ability is such that he has been used in midfield by his previous clubs and in Arsenal’s recent win over Norwich, he even created three chances – the most by an Arsenal centre-back in a Premier League game since Opta started collecting the data.
The early evidence suggests White and Gabriel can complement each other nicely and the same can be said of Arsenal’s full-backs, who fulfil very different roles on either side of the pitch.
Tomiyasu is another tall, physical defender whose combative style has swiftly won over supporters following his arrival from Bologna.
The 23-year-old is tough in the tackle and strong in the air. In the last two rounds of Premier League fixtures, only Everton’s Yerry Mina, who stands at 6ft 5ins, has won more aerial duels.
Tomiyasu is also versatile – the Japanese international is able to play anywhere across the backline – and his defensive attributes make him an ideal candidate to provide the balance needed to offset Tierney’s advanced positioning on the opposite flank.
- Sky Sports
