Left back is proving to be a real problem position for Arsenal right now. Kieran Tierney had been the established starter in that position until surgery required on a knee injury ruled him out for the rest of the season. This left Mikel Arteta with a big decision to make over how to replace him.
Initially summer signing Nuno Tavares was brought into the starting line up for the Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. The 22-year-old last just 45 minutes at Selhurst Park though before he was hooked off before the second half for the second time in as many starts.
There were some suggestions that he could return to the team for Saturday's clash with Brighton. However, as broken by football.london ahead of kick off, Arteta opted to move midfielder Granit Xhaka back on to the left side of defence. Now former Arsenal left back Nigel Winterburn has revealed that he would not have made the same choice, and suggested Arteta should restore the Swiss international back into the middle of the park for Saturday's trip to Southampton.
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"Personally, I would like to see it happen as it keeps Xhaka in midfield," Winterburn said in an interview with FreeSuperTips. "But when a manager makes a decision and the team wins, then he's justified in what he does. If he loses and the performance isn't good, then that's when you get the criticism. It only ever gets questioned when your team don't perform because it normally means you lose.
"If Xhaka plays left-back and Arsenal won, then people wouldn't have batted an eyelid. But because Partey was out, a poor performance and Xhaka's experience taken out of the midfield it gets highlighted. Xhaka probably needs to be in that midfield, then you make a decision who comes into left-back.
"Do you move other players around? do you change formation? But I was surprised to not see Nuno Tavares play just because I felt Xhaka should have been in the midfield."
Another option that could be available to Arteta is to move Cedric Soares over to left-back when Takehiro Tomiyasu returns to fitness. The Japanese international has been out of action since January as he recovers from a calf problem, but Arsenal are expecting him back in training with the first team this weekend. Should he be available to start for the following fixture against Chelsea next Wednesday, then Winterburn admitted he would be open to the idea of seeing him straight back into the starting XI.
"Well, they need him (Tomiyasu) back and Mikel Arteta seemed to suggest that he could be ready after Southampton," the former Gunners defender said. "With Tomiyasu as well, he's someone that can play left-back if needed, but I think getting him back at right-back and switching Cedric over would be the ideal solution.
"They don't have to change the shape once he's back, but he's been out for such a long time. It didn't seem to be a serious injury, but it proved very difficult for the medical staff and Tomiyasu himself to shake off.
"I'd be pleased if he is back this weekend, but it's looking like it'll be after Southampton, but regardless it's good news if he's back fit and able to play."
