Arsenal will lock horns with Standard Liege at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow as they look to register their second successive win in the UEFA Europa League. However, after being made to work hard in the last game against Eintracht Frankfurt, the Gunners will need to be careful.
In this article, we will discuss three things Unai Emery needs to do to ensure a comprehensive victory for his side this week
No build-up from the back
Arsenal were lucky to get away with their shoddy build-up from the back against Frankfurt a couple of weeks ago. Standard Liege, however, could cause a lot of problems, thanks to the offensive trio consisting of Renaud Emond, Anthony Limbombe and Maxime Lestienne. They will look to put pressure on the two centre-halves in Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding.
Even though Holding’s return to full fitness has strengthened the Arsenal backline, the Gunners have still appeared susceptible while playing out from the back. And it could be an issue this week, especially if the Standard Liege midfielders keep tabs on someone like Granit Xhaka.
The Swiss international generally plays the role of a holding midfielder, who drops back and distributes the ball. Isolating him, however, could disrupt the whole system, leaving the defenders devoid of a reliable passing option. Hence, Emery should advise his players to minimise the practice of building up from the back.
Play an extra midfielder
Emery used Lucas Torreira and Joe Willock in a double-pivot system against Frankfurt. But, he should revert to a three-person midfield setup in midweek.
The idea of playing an extra midfielder revolves around the fact that it offers additional security in possession. That means it would make things much more difficult for Standard Liege to press or isolate the Arsenal midfielders due to the numerical superiority.
Xhaka, as mentioned earlier, is an option. The ex-Gladbach star can distribute possession – making Arsenal much more solid in their transition game. Moreover, he can also provide the physical presence in the middle, thanks to his imposing 1.85m frame.
Persist with youngsters
There has been a lot of speculation regarding the future of Mesut Ozil after the German was snubbed by Emery for the most part of the campaign so far. So naturally, the Spaniard could be forced to go with Ozil this time around.
However, that might not be the most logical thing to do given how much the youngsters at Arsenal have impressed this season. Ozil’s inclusion in the starting lineup, in that regard, will restrict someone from getting a berth in the starting lineup.
Gabriel Martinelli and Willock are likely to start, but Emery should also persist with the likes of Reiss Nelson and Bukayo Saka. Both of them have shown a lot of promise and have the quality to make a difference in this fixture.
