Three things we learnt from Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Southampton

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Arsenal Look A Better Team With Granit Xhaka

Arsenal’s two worst performances of the season have both come at home, to Southampton yesterday and against Liverpool, and both were games in which Xhaka did not start. The Swiss international was rested following the international break and with Tuesday’s Champions League clash against PSG in mind. Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla started, who were Wenger’s first choice pair this time last year. They remain a decent combination, and although Coquelin did a lot of good things in yesterday’s match, his presence does limit Arsenal’s build up-play.

He is not a player who wants to receive the ball from the centre backs and start attacks; Cazorla or at times Ozil were tasked with doing this, with the Frenchman drifting forward to take up a ‘false’ position between the lines. Ideally, you would want your holding midfielder taking the ball off the back four and your creative players further forward, but this is Arsenal’s way of circumventing Coquelin’s limitations. If there is just one supply line out from the back, it is easier for opponents to ‘choke’ Arsenal in midfield. Against Watford, they had two lines of supply with Xhaka alongside Cazorla. The pacy Lucas Perez and Theo Walcott would also have benefitted from Xhaka’s ability to play longer passes over the top.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Emrah Partal