been perfect – what can Mikel Arteta do to close the gap on Manchester City after the international break?
It’s difficult to find many problems with Arsenal right now; they have 10 points from their first four games of the season, look every bit the part of a top-four squad, and are confident enough to attempt to win the title again. However, that doesn’t imply that everything is ideal.
While the Gunners were the superior team against Manchester United and in each of their four games so far this year, there have been times when they have appeared disjointed, off the pace, and uncertain. Arteta has made a number of tactical changes and personnel changes since last season, and the Gunners haven’t quite adapted to the Spanish manager’s new world order. The situation is fine, but it could be even better.
So far, two selection judgments strike out as being suspect. The first is using Thomas Partey as a right-back, a controversial experiment that has been abandoned due to the Ghanaian’s injury.
It was difficult to argue that a specialist full-back like Takehiro Tomiyasu or Ben White shouldn’t be filling that position in his place, especially given that Arsenal’s more aggressive midfield set-up has made them appear slightly vulnerable to counterattacks.
The point was highlighted by his glaring error against United on Sunday. A loose ball bounced to him in the box, completely open, with André Onana’s goal at his mercy, but the German sliced the ball harmlessly wide after making contact more akin to that of a beginner golfer at the driving range. Although Havertz is not a horrible player, his condition is not good.
And there is a price for including him. Declan Rice, who excels as a box-to-box player in a double pivot, fills the defensive position while Martin degaard, who is practically undroppable, plays with Havertz as a second number ten. Rice would perform best with a more defensively-minded midfield partner, such as Partey or the seasoned Jorginho, who could give him more freedom to range forward, giving Arsenal the opportunity to get the most out of their £105 million player while strengthening their midfield
.Of course, the idea is that one of Arsenal’s defenders moves up from the back line to fill in alongside Rice and give him the cover he needs to move forward freely, similar to how John Stones operated for Manchester City toward the end of last season. However, it has only so far worked in fits and starts, and it gives the impression that the team hasn’t quite mastered the movement and positional sensibility needed to pull it off. Which could be okay if they weren’t required to carry Havertz just a little bit as a result of the trade-off.
Of course, Arteta’s desire to continue the trial is natural. It makes no sense to halt it momentarily if he thinks that’s the optimal setup for this team just because one of his players is acting strangely. But it also makes sense to give that out-of-touch player a chance to recover and restore his confidence away from the spotlight – and Arsenal have choices for that.
Ernest Smith Although Arteta doesn’t always seem to be aware of it, Rowe is still working at the club. His career has been halted by a terrible injury from last year, but he must be yearning for a chance to regain the kind of form that led to England call-ups before he was compelled to spend his free time on a treatment table. While sporting a groove on his seat in the Emirates dugout, he is unlikely to regain his peak form.
Then there is Fábio Vieira, who has so far mainly made cameo appearances for Arsenal but has yet to actually clinch a spot in the team. In a pinch, Leandro Trossard could probably play the position of a ten as well. Gabriel Jesus is now fully fit, giving Arteta additional versatility in his forward line.
The fact remains that Arsenal could be better right now, that they still need to catch up to Manchester City if they want to win the Premier League, and that they are having to make do with one player who is distinctly off the boil. If more game time could cure Havertz’s ills, he would be in tip-top shape by now. Minutes have not been a problem, but his confidence has. Before he can develop into the player who looked to be born to be when he was tearing up the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen, he needs some time to get things right.
The international break won’t give Havertz a holiday either because Hansi Flick called him up to the Germany squad for this weekend’s matches against France and Japan. He might benefit from a change of environment, but if he returns to the field looking like the player who sliced that shot so carelessly wide of the United goal, it’s definitely time to give him a chance to regain his touch in the weight room rather than on the field.