Why Arsenal’s midfield is in the best shape since the days of Vieira and Gilberto

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There was a time when Arsenal boasted the Premier League’s most dominant midfield force and now, under Unai Emery, the Gunners seem capable of recapturing that golden period.

Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva are two names synonymous with that glorious ‘Invincibles’ season, but as Arsene Wenger’s influence in north London waned, so too did their central midfield supremacy.

However, an injection of fresh impetus was instilled over the summer and a new mentality has taken shape at the Emirates; one where Emery emphasises the importance of a more balanced and authoritative midfield.

This was most evident over the weekend as Arsenal battled from behind to seal a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, but it was the performance rather than scoreline that most impressed, with the Gunners dominating possession.

There is a Spanish revolution taking place in north London, with Arsenal’s midfield now in its best condition since Vieira and Gilberto left, but how has Emery changed the club’s fortunes?

Balance and protection

Last season proved extremely experimental for Wenger and his midfield combinations. Not only did he tinker between a triumvirate and double pivot, but also with the players he utilised in these systems – one week could witness Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Jack Wilshere line-up alongside each other, while the next would pair Aaron Ramsey and Xhaka together, there was just no consistency.

Under Emery – while there has been some room for experimentation as he acclimatises to the league and understands his best XI – he has been loyal to his double pivot tactical approach, switching between Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira.

This allows fluid transitions between his players as the trident will instinctively know their roles when called upon, rather than trying to adjust to a new position week in week out.

The double pivot functions to hold the core of the team together by anchoring the midfield, setting the tempo of play, and also procuring the ball so the more creative players have license to flourish in the final third – this is imperative in getting the best out of Mesut Ozil.

In Xhaka and Torreira, Arsenal now have that industrious and dynamic midfield combination, with the former acting as the main outlet, searching for Ozil, while the latter functions as a midfield sweeper, intercepting at sheer will in case the play breaks down.

In fact, such is this midfield balance that no Arsenal player has recovered the ball more times than Xhaka (73) and Torreira (68), while they both sit in the top 15 for midfield recoveries in the Premier League – with Paul Pogba and Jorginho the only other two from ‘big six’ teams placing in that ranking.

And once more, no midfield player from a ‘top six’ side has made more blocks than Xhaka (5) and more interceptions than Torreira (18), proving that the duo offer not only the requisite protection for Emery’s defence, but they also take on the defensive burdens so the likes of Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have more room to focus on Arsenal’s attacking play.

Possession-based mentality

There has been a significant realignment of power since Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola entered the Premier League, and no club has felt the full force of this more than Arsenal, who conceded 13 goals against Liverpool and Man City last season.

However, Emery has transformed this once laboured Arsenal team into a more substantial juggernaut, conceding just three goals in two fixtures against these sides, and proving that the playing fields are not quite as strikingly tilted as they were last campaign.

Saturday’s match demonstrated just how far Arsenal have come in such a short space of time, with the north London outfit claiming 61.8% possession against the Reds, registering 758 touches to their 563, and making 586 passes to their 356.

Xhaka and Torreira were the fulcrums of this midfield dominance, and while Klopp’s philosophy is certainly more focused on explosive and penetrative attacking play rather than a tiki-taka-esque approach, this fixture last season was a more balanced affair in terms on possession.

What the Xhaka and Torreira partnership has allowed for is a more sangfroid and harmonious Arsenal team who don’t look like collapsing whenever quality opposition run at them, and this is made possible through the pair’s ability to retain possession.

This season, only Jorginho (1,237) has made more touches of any midfield player than Xhaka (1,060), and again, only the Chelsea midfielder has made more passes (1,136) than the Switzerland international (857).

But more significantly, Xhaka’s passing has been more positive than in previous seasons, with the Arsenal man placing among the top 10 for the number of passes made in the final third (226), with a success rate of 75%.

Torreira does not quite hold a candle to Xhaka in this department, but that is not his role. Having said that, he has still made 663 passes, which is more than Nemanja Matic and Eric Dier – players who have a similar role to him in the Premier League.

Consistency

One of the more impressive facets of Emery’s short tenure in north London has been how quickly he has attuned himself to the demands of Premier League football; some managers have faltered in the past, while others can take some time to adjust, a la Guardiola.

But the former PSG manager has made a riveting start to life in north London, though he has been aided by the presence of Xhaka, who has been a model of consistency since the start of last campaign, playing in every single Premier League match since the beginning of 2017/18.

Why the Swiss midfielder came in for scathing criticism and scrutiny can perhaps be pinned down to the lack of consistency around him. Now that he has a player in the mould of Torreira alongside him, there is an aura of composure rather than panic about his play.

Arsenal no longer seem to be guilty of aberrations in midfield, and they finally have a midfield capable of accentuating each other’s assets; Torreira, with his bullish approach, allows Xhaka to thrive in trying to unlock doors, and Xhaka, with his all-round gameplay and composure, allows Torreira to shield the defence while buzzing around like a Hummingbird breaking up the play.

And this is all made possible through Emery’s meticulous attention to detail; the Spaniard is an obsessive tactician who preoccupies himself with the finite details of every match. “Each game we know what we do,” Xhaka has already said of his coach. “We know well the opposition, where they are good and where they are not.”

Every player will know the intricate details of their jobs down to a tee, and this is why Arsenal are currently on a 14 game unbeaten run, and look to have rediscovered their former midfield brilliance.

The post Why Arsenal’s midfield is in the best shape since the days of Vieira and Gilberto appeared first on Squawka News.



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