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Arsenal began last season with an optimistic air around the club with a new manager at the helm. After a difficult start to the season having lost to both Manchester City and Chelsea in their opening two games, Unai Emery gave the Gooners reason to be optimistic as they went 15 games unbeaten in the league (10 wins and 4 draws). Owing (largely) to some truly awful away form, Arsenal eventually missed out on Champions League Qualification and failed to win the Europa League, having made it to the final.
This season, the Gunners will aim to right those wrongs. Their pre-season has kicked off with some impressive youthful performances. The likes of Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, and new addition Gabriel Martinelli have shown glimpses of their ability to challenge for spots in Arsenal's first team in wins against Colorado Rapids, Bayern Munich, and Fiorentina so far. Arsenal have also been linked with a few interesting and likely incoming transfers that should give the coach a good problem.
Emery swayed between a 4-2-3-1, 3-4-1-2, and variants of 4-4-2 last season but he seems to favour the 4-2-3-1 as he did at Sevilla. His full-backs tend to provide the width while the midfielders sit relatively deeper, linking play.
Another prominent feature of Emery's play is that the attacking midfielders on either side of the number 10 tend to ply their trade largely in the half-spaces. The system gives overlapping fullbacks options in the box in terms of finding the striker centrally as well as cutting it back for the onrushing midfielders.
We're predicting the midfield in a shape we think is most likely, however, regardless of the shape, the technicians on the field are most likely to be the same. Here is our take on Arsenal's ideal midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Defensive/holding midfielders
This seems like a straightforward call for Unai Emery this season. His most effective duo in midfield has to be the combination of Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira.
The Uruguayan's hard-tackling, badger-like closing down of opponents in midfield gives this midfield the edge it needs, especially when playing against sides who like to keep possession of the ball for long spells. Torreira was Arsenal's leading tackler last season and only second to Shkodran Mustafi in terms of interceptions.
The second half of this double pivot, Xhaka was the pass master at Arsenal last season with a large chunk of the play going through him. The Swiss international has a well-rounded style of play that sees him make plenty of tackles and interceptions, aiding the side not only in attack but defence as well. He was only surpassed by two Arsenal centre-backs (Mustafi and Sokratis) for aerial battles won as well, which is an added security in defence.
Matteo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny are good deputies to have for Emery with a slightly different skill-set allowing the Spanish coach to tinker based on the opposition. The likely incoming Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos could also play in this double pivot when Arsenal are chasing a game or facing a low block, but more on that later.
The biggest worry Emery will have is the inconsistency in this area. Both Xhaka and Guendouzi tend to blow hot and cold in games and will have to improve upon that if Arsenal have to make any discernible progress from last season.
The Number 10 role (CAM)
A problematic area for Arsenal last season that has seen Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among others attempt to play this key role in Emery's system during the 2018/19 Premier League season.
Its a particularly difficult role to play because apart from the usual creativity required of the player filling this role, Emery demands a staunch work rate from his number 10 that includes runs into the channels and tracking back as well. Any of the players on Arsenal's current roster would have to adapt to fulfil what the gaffer demands of this role, however, Arsenal find themselves on the cusp of signing a certain Spanish midfielder who would fit right into their gaping number 10 void, Dani Ceballos.
The star of Spain's U-21 Euros winning campaign showed an immense hold of this position during the course fo the tournament and played a similar role for Real Betis (albeit described as CM in that system) before he was picked up by Real Madrid.
Ozil, though often devastating as a number 10, can find himself easily drifting out of games at times. When Arsenal face sides that will defend deep, they may need the skills of the German and the guile of the Spaniard to be on the pitch at the same time. This is where Ceballos' versatility could come into play as he could slip back into a deeper midfield position to account for the increased possession his side would have.
Wingers (LAM, RAM)
The 4-2-3-1 system that Unai Emery prefers gets is width largely from full backs bombing forward. He likes his left and right attacking midfielders to operate more as inside forwards.
Emery's best striking options here could be Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. What are we doing putting Arsenal's top scorer (and joint top scorer in the league) from last season on the wing? We're playing to this side's strengths. Arsenal had plenty of defensive issues last season but had a strikeforce to fear with the Gabon international and Alex Lacazette at the tip of the attack.
Aubameyang and Lacazette are the top two goalscorers and shot takers from their 2018/19 campaign. Moreover, they have an undeniable chemistry that sees them interchange positions and has bamboozle defenses. Aubameyang is also particularly proficient in making that lovely run from outside into the box while receiving the ball which, with his pace, makes it a scary prospect playing as an inside forward.
Among the current roster, Mkhitaryan leads the pack among the players who should be in one of the attacking positions, however, the potential arrival of Wilfried Zaha would complicate that. A forward line of Aubameyang, Ceballos, and Zaha with Lacazette leading the line has the ring of goals to it.
Arsenal has a problem of plenty in this area with the likes of Alex Iwobi, Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka, Emil Smith-Rowe and newcomer Gabriel Martinelli all staking claims for these spots.
Arsenal's best gambit would be to go with the proven players as starters with the others surely deserving a look in based on performances.
