Arsenal round-up: Interesting ten-men statistic; midfielder could leave PSG; defender interested in Manchester City move

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Arsenal have been heavily criticised for their lack of fight and leadership, but there is one stat that opposes that view. The Gunners are the only side to win more Premier League matches with ten men than they lose. They have won 31 matches with ten men, while they have lost 26 after having a player sent off. This shows that Arsene Wenger can cope with having a numerical disadvantage and he deserves credit for that. The Frenchman is criticised heavily for other parts of his management, yet he is clearly good at reacting to a red card.

The punditry line that Arsenal are mentally fragile is a lazy one at times. Although there are some problems in this department, the Gunners have greater issues that are preventing them from challenging for major honours. The main criticism that the majority of supporters have with Wenger is that he is predictable when it comes to his tactics. He has changed little since taking the job and the Frenchman doesn’t react when things start to go badly against the better teams. This is why the team struggles in big matches. It is easy to set-up to face Arsenal as they won’t change their style of play. The next manager needs to be more pragmatic.

This summer is going to be an important one for the club as there could be a lot of change. They will have already started to put together lists of potential targets and one player that could interest them is Adrien Rabiot. The PSG midfielder has been discussing his future and his comments will put a number of European clubs on high alert:

“I am under contract until 2019 and I do not think I am in a rush. Honestly, I am not thinking about that.

“If there are offers from big clubs, that obviously demands that they are considered.”

Rabiot is emerging as a key figure in the PSG team and his performance against Barcelona will have caught the eye of the clubs that have been following him. Arsenal have been talked about as a possible destination for the midfielder and it would certainly be a transfer to excite the fan-base. The 21-year-old is an excellent ball winner and is a great player to have in transition. He is capable of playing attack-minded passes and carrying the ball up the pitch. The Gunners have struggled without Santi Cazorla this season and they could do a lot worse than targeting Rabiot this summer.

However, a worrying story coming from Don Balon in Spain is that right-back Hector Bellerin could be attracted by a move to Manchester City to link up with Pep Guardiola. The main focus of the report is that the 21-year-old is unlikely to rejoin Barcelona, despite the Catalans’ interest, as he doesn’t want to repeat the same mistake as Cesc Fabregas. The pressure could be too much for him at the Nou Camp, but he would be tempted by a move to Arsenal’s Premier League rivals.

The Gunners are concerned about the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, but this story about Bellerin will be a huge worry. He was voted the best right back in the Premier League last season and he has the potential to be one of the world’s finest. Arsenal are trying to become a club that are able to keep hold of their best players and it would be a major blow if they were to lose their right back to Manchester City. However, if Sanchez and Ozil do leave this summer, it could lead to others like Bellerin to seek a move away.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Stuart MacFarlane