Three things we learnt from Watford 1-3 Arsenal including Özil’s return

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Arsenal Have The Midfield Options To Go ‘Horses For Courses’

Arsene Wenger went with two energetic and combative midfield pairings against Liverpool and Leicester City, perhaps a nod of respect to the athleticism and quality of those sides. Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin were solid at the King Power last Saturday, but Arsenal lacked a cutting edge going forward. Against Watford, Wenger opened his team up by omitting Coquelin in favour of the returning Mesut Özil, with Santi Cazorla dropping into a deeper role alongside Xhaka. Arsenal’s technical level greatly increased, and the speed and precision of their passing improved.

They were a bit open at times, and Wenger would probably consider a midfield triumvirate of Xhaka-Cazorla-Ozil too pedestrian without the ball against better opponents. However, it was the perfect midfield for this game; Watford sat deep, and the way in which those three kept circulating the ball was crucial in pulling them out of shape. Wenger has Coquelin and Mohamed Elneny sitting on the bench, who could come in to stiffen up the team against fellow title rivals, not to mention Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere.

Not only is there real depth in terms of numbers, but that stable of players covers every type of midfielder you could possibly want. It is no longer the case that Arsenal have ‘too many similar’ types. Wenger can cut his cloth accordingly; it’s just a matter of picking the right combination for the game at hand.