Why the success of a Xhaka-Ramsey partnership could define Arsenal’s season

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Arsenal is a team that thrives on partnerships and understanding among the players. Every team needs that but Arsenal’s playing style is so wedded to this fabled chemistry that they could easily veer from poetry in motion that elevates the spectators to a higher footballing plane, to enduring a prosaic procession that results in palpitations and meltdowns on the internet.

They are a bit of a Goldilocks team, they need everything to be perfect for them to play football. One that is far from perfect right now is the Gunners ’midfield. Arsenal’s midfield pairing is so much important for them right now that it could shape the rest of their season. It could either be the missing piece in the puzzle or the last nail in their title challenge coffin.

Arsenal needed a different style from last season and Arsene Wenger implemented that by playing Alexis as a central striker, built the attack around him and it worked wonders. He attempted to shore up Arsenal’s defence by partnering Laurent Koscielny with Shkodran Mustafi at the back and although Arsenal weren’t exactly topping the defensive charts, they provided a stable platform. Mustafi hasn’t yet lost a single game playing for Arsenal.

The midfield, however, was not so easy to fix. He went with the tried and tested Cazorla-Coquelin combo with new boy Granit Xhaka being gradually eased into the team. Jack Wilshere was sent to Bournemouth on a season song loan. Aaron Ramsey struggled with his fitness, while Mohammed Elneny didn’t exactly set the world alight when he got his chances. As ever with Arsenal, they were one injury away from a disaster. Despite boasting so many options in midfield, the Gunners have struggled ever since Cazorla got injured.

There is no player at the squad that possesses Cazorla’s skill set. The Spaniard’s technical excellence meant he could easily dribble past when players are pressing him as much as he could unlock a deep lying defence with an eye of the needle pass. Wenger has tried various combinations since Cazorla’s injury but none really worked. The Granit Xhaka-Francis Coquelin pair worked until they faced Manchester City, then they proved no different to Ramsey and Flamini.

Elneny and Coquelin were too defensive and while Xhaka-Elneny looked compatible, it lacked that midfield spark you want in a title winning team. Now that Coquelin is injured, Cazorla out – until at least March – Elneny away on national duty, the only two fit midfielders Arsenal have are Ramsey and Xhaka.

It’s an ideal pairing for so many Arsenal fans as Xhaka plays a similar style to Mikel Arteta and Ramsey had his best ever season when he played alongside Arteta as the two complemented each other perfectly. It was also probably what Wenger had in his mind too when he bought the Swiss international. It should work, at least in theory. Ironically, this was the only pairing that wasn’t tried because of various reasons. Now, it’s the only pairing available for Arsenal.

Wenger has to make it work. He usually does his best work when he has no options, and the run-in to 06 Champions league final, when he had to play the likes of Flamini, Eboue and Senderos in defence, is a testament to his efficiency. Xhaka and Ramsey has to work for so many reasons: the title challenge; Ramsey’s Arsenal future; the sanity of Arsenal fans; and the very future of Arsene Wenger might hinge on the success of this partnership.

They started the FA cup game against Preston and it’s fair to say they both had a nightmare. Although Arsenal ended up winning, it raised more questions than answers about the club’s midfield. Both Xhaka and Ramsey especially struggled when Preston pressed, and given how may teams try and stifle the Gunners by pressing, they simply have to find a solution.

Arsenal have a favourable run of fixtures for their midfield duo to try and forge an understanding before the daunting trips to Chelsea and Bayern. They better do as Arsenal’s short term future lies with them. They carry with them the hopes and expectations of many a Gunner around the world.

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