The situation:
Once again and all too predictably Arsenal gave a timid display and offered zero resistance when facing a title rival on the road. However people want to dissect it, capitulating to an immediate rival by six clear goals is always going to leave a bitter taste on the pallet. Of course blaming one player for such a hideous result can’t be entirely applicable here, such was the nature of the defeat. But it seems to be something of a talking point, certainly amongst Arsenal fans, that Mikel Arteta being used as the “anchor” in midfield, certainly against top quality opposition is an experiment (if you can call it that) that rarely bares fruit.
The Decision:
Arsene Wenger has opted to start the Spaniard more often than not in crunch games and Saturday at Stamford Bridge was no exception. All over the pitch Arsenal were 2nd best to their cross-city rivals, but the ease at which Chelsea exploited Arsenal’s lack of quality in the area between defence and midfield was painfully evident! Too often and far too easily Arsenal were exposed and ruthlessly dealt with, with Chelsea picking Arsenal apart at will. Arteta was charged, as he has been so often this season with being the “anchor” in the midfield, a role that is fundamentally important to the way Arsenal set-up. Many would argue that Mikel Arteta lacks certain key attributes to play that specific role.
The Verdict:
There’s no doubting Mikel Arteta’s commitment. He’s a consummate, seasoned professional and a great club man. But the reality is that whilst Arteta is blessed with a good footballing brain and natural footballing intelligence, his lack of pace, mobility and natural defensive instincts means that all too often Arsenal are swimming against the tide in a tactical sense. Arsene Wenger obviously trusts his vice captain, but it’s all too apparent, certainly against high-calibre opponents, that with the Spaniard covering the back four Arsenal are very easy to get at. Good counter-attacking teams can have a field-day picking holes in that all important area between the defence and midfield. Whoever plays that role (the ‘anchor’) has to be switched on and relish the battle. Arteta certainly isn’t a soft touch, but he’s not overly mobile and his game doesn’t lend itself to that of a ball-winning midfielder.
Of course it’s a matter of opinion, but in stark contrast to Matthieu Flamini, Arteta often looks laboured with the burden of protecting the back four. The Frenchman has ball-winning sensibilities and has a verve and drive about him, a desire to win the ball, chase down anything with a pulse and when he has the ball at his feet he’s inclined to distribute it quickly and accurately with minimum fuss.
Arsene Wenger is often charged with being a stubborn man. There’s a famous quote that goes along the lines of;
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results”
Now far be it for me to insinuate that the Arsenal chief is not of sound mind, but sometimes stubborness can be every bit as much an affliction as it can be a virtue. Certainly at fan level, many Arsenal fans raise a hesitant eyebrow when they see the Arteta sit in-front of the back four. There is much justification for the argument that the more natural defensive game and overall mobility of Mathieu Flamini, most certainly against fast counter-attacking teams, is much better suited to the Frenchman as opposed to Arteta, who often ends up looking like the much maligned square peg in a round hole.
Your Verdict:
We regularly pose the same question to our @AFCModiOperandi followers and include some replies in our articles – if you are interested in having your comments in our articles, follow our account and reply to our questions marked with #AFCMO. This is what you had to say about the Arteta situation;
@Hands0me_Bob “We need stability and the speed which arteta lacks, the control in midfield against big teams is poor. Like in the case of liverpool and chelsea away, literally Arteta had no control in midfield.”
@Leebrenn “he has never had pace but his reaction speed is way off. Always gets caught out with simple parts of play”
@AFC_J3FF “Arteta was Brilliant as a CM (NOT DM) vs Bayern away but I doubt he has the legs to do that job week in week out.Ramsey IN.”
@A_Alcabes “He’s fine when playing mid level sides. Against top tier sides he’s off the pace and and gets caught out.”
@Bergkamp_esque “we need someone quicker and more defensive player who will be able to hold on against good teams”
@Corkgooner33 “at his age should be sub to replace ozil or cazorla. He dosent have the legs to play central midfield.”
@debayansen92 “not great tackler. slow for epl. does’nt provide much protection to back 4. even if he plays a good cdm should partner him”
@usmanafc123 “Enough quality to play against mid table teams but against the bigger teams he’s not good enough”
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow Modus Operandi on Twitter @AFCModiOperandi, @LastwordMKovacs, @LastWordOnHugo and @PitchsidePie. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Footy writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
Main Photo:
