Intelligent. Honest. Direct. That was how Arsenal introduced Mikel Arteta as the club's new head coach back in December 2019.
In the 31 months since his appointment, Arteta has endured a rollercoaster of a start to his managerial career, to say the least. The Spaniard won the FA Cup in his first season with the club but also endured back-to-back eighth-placed finishes in the Premier League.
However, the 2021/22 campaign showed significant improvement, with his young English core of Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe all proving they have bundles of talent. Still, the Gunners were unable to clinch a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League and the young side began to show their inexperience in the latter stages of the season as what looked like a top-four season slowly fell apart.
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The consensus among most fans now is that this is the season to finally turn potential into consistent performances, with the addition of Brazilian frontman Gabriel Jesus offering an insight into the club's ambition. Now, his former City teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko is said to be the priority signing for the north London outfit, as per The Athletic.
The Ukrainian international would likely be deployed as an inverted fullback if he was to join Arteta's side, a plan that may hint at what the club want when it comes to central midfield. Youri Tielemans has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium and football.london understands that the Gunners are indeed interested in the Belgian international.
However, a move for Zinchenko would likely mean Arteta envisages a 3-2-5 system when in possession, with the former PSV loanee tucking into midfield to form a pivot alongside Thomas Partey when they have the ball. This would allow freedom for a new midfield signing to roam into the final third, something that would suit Lyon star Lucas Paqueta more than the aforementioned Tielemans.
The tactical philosophy of Arteta's mentor, Pep Guardiola, has consistently revolved around the idea that no more than two players should be aligned vertically in any phase of play and utilising two advanced playmakers in Paqueta and Martin Odegaard would help this philosophy come true in north London too. Arsenal are in need of a central presence to assist Partey in the build-up phase, as well as an attacking no. 8 that can attack the box, making Zinchenko and Paqueta the ideal pair to fulfil these roles.
First-choice left-back Kieran Tierney has consistently performed as a touchline fullback during his time with the Gunners, although he struggled to adapt to an inverted role last term. Tierney formed a solid partnership with wide playmaker Emile Smith Rowe down the left flank but when deployed alongside Gabriel Martinelli they often got in each other's way.
The Scottish international averaged 0.09 xA (expected assists), 1.79 shot-creations actions and 3.57 progressive passes per 90 minutes last season, as per fbref. Comparatively, Zinchenko registered 0.19, 3.43 and 8.02 in those three respective categories as his qualities in possession were vital to City winning their fourth Premier League title in just five years.
Therefore, if Martinelli is the preferred option on the left wing, it could make sense to target the Ukrainian as an inverted option. An advanced interior role would then be required and Paqueta's ability in the final third is far superior to Tielemans.
Paqueta netted 11 goals and provided a further eight assists across all competitions whilst the Belgian managed six goals and six assists. The former's underlying numbers are also vastly superior, managing 0.25xA (expected assists), 3.99 shot-creating actions and 2.42 successful dribbles whilst the latter registered 0.16, 2.97 and 0.72 in those three categories.
The former AC Milan man's numbers, combined with the fact that he is clearly much more capable of operating further up the field (as shown by the above heatmap) make him a much more sensible option for midfield if Zinchenko or another inverted left-back arrives at the club this summer.
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