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da fezbet： Unai Emery has seen Arsenal’s defence struggle all season, but it’s not only the back four that he should be concerned about. Having experimented with several systems this season, the only consistency in his formation seems to be in the use of a ‘number 10’ behind his strikers, a position no one has made their own. Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have all had spells in that role, but what is Emery really looking for from his creative midfielders?
The Chalkboard
Arsenal started the season with a back four which saw both Ozil and Ramsey get a lot of game time, alternating the number 10 position between them. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang led the line with Alexandre Lacazette out of favour.
Ozil was starting regularly before being dropped, sparking all sorts of controversy. Iwobi and Mkhitaryan had a spell playing as the inside forwards in a 3-4-3 formation before Ramsey took on the role in which he’s found his best form this season.
The Welshman is due to leave the club this summer for Juventus, and Ozil’s future is in doubt after more tepid displays, along with unconvincing performances from Iwobi and Mkhitaryan as well.
Many thought Emery got his man when he signed Denis Suarez in January, a player he’d previously worked well with, but injuries have forced the Spaniard to cut short his awful loan spell.
Dynamism, flair and work ethic
A lot of managers are happy for their number 10 to possess attacking flair and creativity in the final third whilst ignoring the player’s shortcomings in defensive fazes of the game. Emery is not one of these managers.
His use of various personnel in different matches shows that he’s having to handpick the number 10 he feels is right for a particular game. Against Tottenham at the Emirates, he wanted Iwobi and Mkhitaryan in the team as their flexibility allows them to drift wide and stretch the pitch. Against Chelsea he wanted Ramsey’s dynamism and work ethic to close down Jorginho and implement the high press, and against Manchester United he wanted Ozil’s killer pass and vision to break down a stubborn defence that held out PSG just days before.
Emery does not seem happy to have a number 10 with many shortcomings and so is looking for an all-action midfielder who boasts creativity to give Arsenal an edge in the final third, but can contribute to all fazes of play.
Watch an Arsenal fan’s incredible rant about Phil Jagielka in the video below…
If you look at Ramsey’s stats in the Premier League this season, he boasts a tackle success rate of 53% despite playing high up the pitch. Lucas Torreira’s tackle rate is 58%, whereas Ozil’s is 42%. Ramsey has also made more tackles (34), recoveries (88) and has won more duels (79) than the ex-Real Madrid man, showing his commitment to defending as well.
If you had to pick someone to describe Emery’s perfect midfielder, you’d have to go for Bernardo Silva. His tackle success rate is 76%, he’s made 45 tackles this season, 151 recoveries and he’s won 115 duels, all better than Ramsey.
Along with his defensive discipline, he’s managed to register seven goals, seven assists and averages 42 passes a game, all better than Ozil. Silva plays his football more comfortably in the middle of the pitch, but delivers impressive statistics when he plays out on the right as well, showing his flexibility.
The Manchester City man is the perfect example of a blend between the best of Ozil and the best of Ramsey that Emery is looking to build his Arsenal team around going into next season. He wants a player who possesses attributes to contribute to all fazes of the game but whose performances stay consistent when playing out of position if needed. This is a position Emery is sure to try and fix this summer.