It is ‘Partey’ time in the red half of London. Arsenal might have just missed the signing of Lyon star Houssem Aouar, but the Premier League club have got their hands on another target – Thomas Partey. Lucas Torreira has left to join Atletico Madrid on loan, while Matteo Guendouzi has taken a step back in his career by joining Hertha Berlin. With that being said, Mikel Arteta’s side have just been able to reduce the midfield ranks but add a lot of quality to the side.
It’s evident that a lot of defensive-minded players in the centre of the park has led to Arteta playing a three-man defence – focusing on the attack from the flanks. An under-study of Pep Guardiola, the Spanish manager will surely be hoping to move to a back-four especially with lots of options in the centre-back positions now. But the concerns still remain about the creativity from the middle of the field.
Will Dani Ceballos be moving to a higher role after the arrival of Partey? How does Partey contribute to this very Arsenal system? What does the future hold in store for Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka? Is Bukayo Saka a perfect fit for a midfield-three? A lot of questions are to be answered.
Analysing the Arsenal Midfield
The Formation and the Best Personnel
A 4-3-3 formation in the last weekend’s 2-1 win over Sheffield United spoke volumes about where Arteta is heading mentally. With the arrival of a first-team player like Thomas Partey, the Gunners can finally play their best formation with a four-man defence and a three-man midfield.
Arsenal have lacked a physically impactful player in the midfield over the last decade. Xhaka was a good arrival a few years back, but the Swiss midfielder is far from the greatest in that position. Especially when Arsenal aim to win competitive trophies in the coming years.
With Partey, the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle is finally on the table. Just a few paces in training with his new team-mates and a couple of appearances from the bench – Partey will be then ready for the Premier League. He is the perfect man to stop the opposition attack right before it reaches the defenders. Moreover, the Ghanaian international can move the ball around really well too, thanks to his passing abilities.
With Partey in the central role, there are two more spots for taking in the midfield three.
Dani Ceballos Back in the Attacking Midfield Role
Dani Ceballos was one of the best players for Arsenal last season and there is no chance that he will drop to the bench, except for cup games or against smaller sides.
The player, who is on loan at the Emirates, started his top-flight career in the same higher position at Real Madrid. But, it is fairly certain that he couldn’t meet the expectations at Madrid and thus has been an outcast at the Santiago Bernabeu. At Arsenal though, the Spaniard really found his form but in a different system altogether.
Though Ceballos started most of the games in a higher position, the midfielder has been progressing the ball from the defensive quarter of the field to just about the final third. Being a press-resistant midfielder, this has been the perfect description of the on-loan player.
There have been hints about Ceballos moving up higher up the pitch in the past few weeks though. The late Edward Nketiah goal was totally the creation of Ceballos. Linking up with Saka, he moved perfectly behind the West Ham defence to setup Nketiah for a tap-in.
But, this still is a sort of a cameo for the Spanish international. It will be interesting to see if he can replicate it consistently for Arsenal.
Saka, Xhaka or Elneny – Who Takes the Last Midfield Spot for Arsenal?
Talking about Bukayo Saka, Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, all three players have totally different playing profiles. This really gives a hint about the versatility in the Arsenal camp.
Saka can be termed as the perfect winger, who can dribble after slowing down the game on the flanks. The Number 7 at Arsenal is also one of the best creators in the game at his age with great finishers like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in front of him.
On the other hand, Granit Xhaka is more of another Thomas Partey in the midfield – albeit a less impactful one. Playing Xhaka could really mean that Arsenal will be fielding 6 defensive players on the pitch. Something which can prove harmful in the Premier League. Granit Xhaka’s first-team role at Arsenal seems to be finished.
Mohamed Elneny is a different story altogether. Nobody would have expected the Egyptian to play such a big part in this beginning phase of the current ongoing season, but Arteta has somehow squeezed him in his plans. A decent midfielder who can create some chances from the deep-lying positions, Elneny could be instrumental in this long season, which includes the Europa League adventure.
Considering all pros and cons, it seems likely that Thomas Partey in the pivot role accompanied by Bukayo Saka and Dani Ceballos in the higher positions up-field seem the ideal midfield for Arsenal. Saka and Ceballos compensate for each other’s above average but not world-class level of creativity. Partey would be the brick wall layer before the opposition reaches the back-line. Xhaka and Elneny could be the perfect rotation replacements for Partey and Ceballos respectively.
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