Bender v Arteta: Which midfield metronome will decide Arsenal vs Dortmund?

Arsenal’s clash against Borussia Dortmund headlines the list of Champions League fixtures scheduled for this week, with a number of fascinating match-ups scheduled to take place right across the field. One particular head-to-head which should have a big effect on the outcome of the fixture is the battle between the midfield metronomes Mikel Arteta and Sven Bender.

The winner of that battle could very well determine the outcome of this game, so let’s take a look which player (and perhaps team) is more likely to come out on top on Tuesday night.

Arteta’s numbers are certainly down on previous years throughout the season so far, but it’s important to note that the 31-year-old has only recently returned from injury. Since that date he’s been battling the likes ofJack Wilshere and Mathieu Flamini for playing time, but with the latter of that duo out for this fixture, he appears likely to play another full 90 minutes against Dortmund.

And if that is the case, look for him to be the glue that holds the Gunners together on the night.

The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil might have gotten the praise for the Gunners’ success against Norwich City, but it was Arteta’s presence that allowed them to stride forward. His Individual Heat Map provides a great snapshot of how involved Arteta was as the anchor of Arsenal’s midfield, as does his Individual Passing Map also. On the night, Arteta completed 90 of his 95 attempted passes and importantly, won 100 percent of his attempted tackles.

As we’ll see shortly, the ability to win back the ball in the middle will be very important for the Gunners against Dortmund. Arteta might be known more for his passing skills and vision, but against the attacking strength and complexity that the Germans provide, Arsenal need him to also contribute heavily on the defensive end if they’re going to maintain their perfect start.

Where Arteta might be known more for his passing and vision more than his defensive skills, Bender is the exact opposite. The 24-year-old is a prolific tackler who has won a commanding 86% of his attempted tackles this season, and he’ll look to be a thorn in Arsenal’s desire to dominate possession and control the middle.

Bender will look to force Arteta and the Londoners into playing quicker, more expansive, passes than what they’d perhaps prefer and in doing so, invite Dortmund to force turnovers and start their explosive counterattack.

That’s the exact role that Bender played on Jacques-Alaixys Romao when Marseille played Dortmund in the Champions League earlier in the year. Romao still got on the ball a lot and had a fairly solid night in terms of his distribution (51 from 59 passes) but he was completely ineffective. His Individual Heat Map shows that he couldn’t provide the platform for Marseille to work the ball forward, and was forced into a lot of defending and sideways movement.

Bender will be looking to force Arteta into a similar performance here—passing, but not really being all that effective—and if he can do that, it’s hard to see Dortmund not walking away with victory on the nigh. To counter that, Arteta must be more involved defensively to stop his opponent from sitting himself (and thus Dortmund’s attack) up in the Gunners’ half, and try provide a platform for Arsenal that exists inside Dortmund’s own half.

Which ever player can do that better stands the best chance of walking away with victory.