Arsenal have made a rollercoaster start to their Premier League campaign with back to back losses against Manchester City and Chelsea which was followed by successive victories against West Ham United and Cardiff City. However, one of the main problem areas for Unai Emery has been the Gunners midfield which has often looked fragile and has been exploited by the opposing teams in recent weeks.
Arsenal’s Recent Midfield Conundrum
The central midfield duo of Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka has failed to cut the mustard against the better teams of England. Hence, Emery needs to find a solution sooner rather than later if Arsenal are to continue their rise up the league table. Guendouzi is still quite young and has often been exploited due to his inexperience while Xhaka has struggled to find consistency in an Arsenal shirt which has left a lot of the club’s fans frustrated and demanding more from the Swiss international.
A Potential Solution For Emery
However, Lucas Torreira’s performances off the bench have caught the eye as he seemed to bring a lot more control to the Gunners midfield and his calmness on the ball was a welcome addition to Emery’s starting XI. Arsenal are also in need of another holding midfielder, and that place can be filled by the club’s forgotten talent, Mohamed Elneny.
The Egyptian international could serve as a perfect solution to the Gunners’ midfield problems as he has a lot of experience of playing at the highest level and knows the club well after making 72 appearances for the North London giants since his move from FC Basel at the start of 2016.
What Can Elneny Offer Which The Others Cannot?
Elneny is a midfield beast who primarily operates in a defensive role but can also create suitable plays for his teammates going forward. He is ideally suited to play in a deep-lying holding midfield role alongside Lucas Torreira. The duo would give a lot more solidity to the Gunners midfield which has struggled defensively so far this season.
Emery’s men have shipped in 8 goals in 4 matches which indicates that the club needs to be more resolute while defending their goal if they are to challenge for a top 4 place this term.
Why Could The Egyptian Be An Ideal Solution?
The 26-year-old is physically dominant, can distribute the ball well and would also put in a much better defensive display than both Guendouzi and Xhaka. If Arsenal are to play with two holding midfielders, then it makes sense for Emery to opt for a Torreira-Elneny midfield combination as the club possesses enough firepower up top to win games as long as they can keep things tight at the back.
