Since Mikel Arteta moved to the present midfield construction (a six and two eights, primarily) in 2021-22, the ‘left eight’ function has been probably the most pored over within the Arsenal fan base. At the start of the 2021-22 season, Arteta moved away from a full-time double pivot and moved Thomas Partey on the base of a midfield ‘V’ form and requested Granit Xhaka to slip up the ladder just a little into the ‘left eight.’
Xhaka tailored to the function very properly certainly. In 2019-20, Xhaka averaged 76.4 touches per 90 minutes. In 2020-21 he averaged 87.1 touches per 90. After the swap to ‘left eight’ he averaged 69.0 per 90 in 2021-22 after which 56.8 per 90 in 2022-23. He grew to become far much less ball dominant and was not requested to gather from the centre-halves and distribute to the identical extent, this was largely left to the likes of Thomas Partey and Jorginho.
By now, it’s fairly clear the sort of qualities that Arteta prizes for this left eight place. As soon as Xhaka left in the summertime of 2023, the membership spent an excellent chunk of change on Kai Havertz in order that he might play in that place. Left footed? Test. Tall and powerful? Test. Good at urgent and competing for the ball? Test. Whereas the ‘proper eight’ is nearly at all times a left footer that inverts, the ‘left eight’ is way more of a straight line place.
However because it turned out, Havertz’s qualities ended up being way more helpful to Arsenal ten yards additional up the pitch as Gabriel Jesus’ knees continued to creak. This summer time, three items of switch enterprise present you the attributes (or construct) Arteta needs for the place. Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira left the membership and Mikel Merino arrived. Two svelte playmakers made manner for a participant that received so many duels throughout his time at Actual Sociedad that he would possibly as properly have taken to the pitch on horseback with a lance.
Merino wins a lot of tackles and wins a lot of headers. Havertz does this stuff too. Xhaka was an extremely sturdy athlete who was good at shuttle operating in straight strains, profitable his duels (Mikel Arteta will get very upset and so forth, and so forth) however he wasn’t actually requested to be a creator. Inside this framework, it’s simpler to know why Smith Rowe and Vieira simply didn’t butter Arteta’s parsnips in that function.
Nonetheless, what we’ve additionally seen is that it has taken time for gamers to return to grips with it. Xhaka’s competence within the function elevated over time. My private view is that that is the function that in all probability at all times suited him and Arsenal beforehand miscast him as a deep mendacity playmaker. You could recall Arsene Wenger’s preliminary confusion as as to whether he thought of Xhaka as a six or as a box-to-box midfielder, describing him as each in his early weeks on the membership.
Within the opening weeks of final season, Kai Havertz struggled to familiarize yourself with the function. He finally bought his palms round it however harm to Gabriel Jesus noticed him transfer to centre-forward and the ‘left eight’ was fulfilled by Declan Rice who, once more, suits way more into the Xhaka, Merino mould of participant than he does the Smith Rowe, Vieira one.
At the moment, it’s honest to say that Mikel Merino has but to actually shine within the place. He was hooked at half-time in opposition to Inter Milan, though I believe that was a substitution knowledgeable extra by recreation state and the truth that he felt the Yann Sommer’s knuckles within the facet of his face throughout the first half. He was largely ineffective within the Newcastle recreation too. The Spaniard did rating from a setpiece in opposition to Liverpool and his capacity to try this is clearly an enormous a part of the explanation he was introduced in too.
Nonetheless, whereas I believe it’s honest for Arsenal followers to wonder if the useful resource might have been spent elsewhere or on a participant extra prone to energy up the ahead line, I believe there are nonetheless caveats to contemplate. Firstly, the very very first thing that Arsenal tried to do that summer time was to purchase Benjamin Sesko, a striker very able to doing ‘Havertz issues.’
Had Arsenal’s Plan A transpired, that exhibits me that Havertz would nonetheless have been thought of for the ‘left eight’ function occasionally and it additionally exhibits me that peak and physicality is essential for Arteta within the space. Within the Plan A state of affairs, he has Havertz and Sesko attacking Odegaard and Saka’s deliveries from the correct.
Within the Plan B state of affairs, it’s Merino and Havertz attacking them and, as a lot as Merino can’t complain about being hooked at St. James’ Park on Saturday, I believe the late Declan Rice likelihood on the again submit might need panned out otherwise had Merino been on the top of it.
We’re additionally but to see Merino in a midfield that options the much-missed aptitude of Martin Odegaard, Arsenal are carrying a big inventive deficit and Merino shouldn’t be going to be the person to select it up. As I stated within the previous paragraph, Havertz and Merino attacking Saka and Odegaard’s again submit deliveries is unquestionably an enormous a part of Arteta’s attacking imaginative and prescient. Two on ball creators complemented by two penalty space threats.
Arsenal’s left-sided points, which have been current final season, have but to be solved with Martinelli’s kind nonetheless inconsistent. Once more, Calafiori’s accidents have an element to play right here, we merely haven’t seen the meant left sided building of Calafiori, Merino + Martinelli / Trossard usually sufficient but for these partnerships to take root. Opponents nonetheless discover it too straightforward to nullify Arsenal by roadblocking the correct facet.
There’s a query in all of this as as to whether the ‘left eight’ function is just a little too sophisticated or perhaps there may be whole mitigation within the unsettled image at left-back. However whereas Saka often has an eight inside (often Odegaard however Havertz has popped up there in current weeks) to mix with, Martinelli hardly ever has the identical degree of assist instantly to his proper to play a wall cross to or to assist take a defender away from him.
All in all, the ‘left eight’ function continues to be a little bit of a puzzle which actually appears to wish all its constituent elements to correctly fireplace. I’d be extra inclined to evaluate Merino when he enjoys a run of video games with Calafiori and Odegaard within the group. Perhaps as soon as these networks are embedded, he shall be higher in a position to endure lacking items round him.