25/04 - 20:00
Mikel Arteta’s opening two months as Arsenal coach have been characterised by improved defensive structure, but a lack of results, on Sunday, Arsenal ditched their solidity to claim a big 3-2 win over a much improved Everton.
When Arsenal named the first time coach as Unai Emery’s successor in late December, there was blanket acknowledgement that this season was a write-off.
In the bottom half, nine points from the top four benchmark, it wasn’t just the numbers that condemned this season to the history books, it was literally everything else, with squad composition the stand out issue.
How Arteta would go to solving that was anyone’s guess with no management career to go on, but the decided method was possibly the most unlikely.
Arsenal possess one of the most lopsided squads in Europe with a plethora of attacking talent completely written off by a budget defence. When breaking their club record in the summer with the £72 million purchase of Nicolas Pépé, the management’s awful decision making in the transfer market became beyond parody, as they strengthened a position of strength, leaving their defence just as weak.
Arteta, with just four weeks of January to solve the issue, made some smart moves in Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares, but departed from his former boss Pep Guardiola by coaching his defence, rather than purchasing it.
Conceding 1 league goal per game compared to the 1.5 before him might not blow you away, but Arsenal are currently the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to lose in all competitions in 2020.
The proof is also in the performances, where David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi have started to look like real footballers again, giving Arsenal a chance in games where they were previously relying on their opposition allowing them to play.
Another way Arteta has differed from Guardiola, and perhaps any manager he’s ever worked with or played under is the line-up of his team. In appearances a 4-2-3-1, his Gunners side have essentially been rolling out four forwards and two midfielders, with Mesut Ozil completing a front four who have shown almost no defensive ability throughout their careers to this date.
A bold strategy which can certainly be argued hasn’t paid off in performances like the draws against Burnley and Sheffield United, can be forgiven by squad composition, even though now with Dani Ceballos fit, they have the option for a more balanced three-man midfield.
A further, and perhaps key way in which Arteta once again differs from Guardiola is his faith in youth. The Manchester City boss has opted to play midfielders in defence this season rather than promote a young centre back, while Arteta is now being rewarded for trusting Gabriel Martinelli, Bakayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah among others.
The promotion of youth is key not just because it marks Mikel Arteta out as an innovative and bold young manager, but this could be the first stepping stones for Arsenal to become challengers again, particularly if they can receive high fees for players like Alexandre Lacazette who has now been made expandable by the new crop of young Gunners.
A first team coach though, while increasing in importance in modern football, can only do so much, and Arsenal face a huge uphill battle in correcting their transfer failings over the past five years.
And while it’s far easier said than done, with an absent ownership and green technical director, Arsenal might be on the road to recovery if they can match their daring young manager with the right players.
But one thing is certain, they’ll be cursing the new regulations in the Chinese Super League stopping them offloading Lacazette and Ozil for big bucks to prepare for a mamouth rebuild.
