This time final summer time, no one anticipated that Oleksandr Zinchenko would come into the Arsenal squad and rework the midfield. However that’s what he did. The Ukrainian was a left-back who wasn’t a left-back in any respect, inverting into central midfield alongside Thomas Partey and he, alongside Saliba and Gabriel Jesus, completely modified the way in which Arsenal play.
None of us had been speaking about the potential for a Partey and Zinchenko double pivot in midfield with Ben White at right-back and William Saliba as the final word vacuum cleansing defender. None of us. Which is what makes this summer time so intriguing so far as I’m involved. Arsenal’s summer time switch enterprise in 2021 and 2022 completely altered the crew’s model of play.
In actual fact, in the summertime of 2020, Arsenal signed Gabriel and Thomas Partey, each of whom have additionally grow to be instrumental in that overhaul. So this summer time, I’ve been decided to maintain an open thoughts as to Arsenal’s recruitment. With Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka shifting into their 30s, Elneny and even January signing Jorginho additionally of their 30s, midfield all the time appeared like the following a part of the home due a lick of paint.
The 2 gamers Arsenal have “gone large” for are Declan Rice and Kai Havertz. I feel most of us can see Declan Rice within the Partey function, roaming the wastelands across the centre circle and gobbling up any stray impalas that dare take a free contact within the center third of the pitch. Rice is the very best within the enterprise at gobbling up stray touches and regurgitating them as completely plated lobster dinners. (And he would add his personal spin to the function too, with the way in which he drives with the ball at his ft).
The signing of Havertz is much more intriguing, nonetheless. Rice is a (in all probability barely higher) fitter Partey analogue. Havertz could be very completely different to Granit Xhaka who appears to be like more likely to depart the membership this summer time. No one has shouted ‘SQUAD DEPTH’ louder than me over the previous few months, that we have to lose the concept of a beginning eleven that’s engraved onto the dressing room wall.
That stated, cash is an efficient clue as to the supposed standing of gamers. Trossard and Jorginho have been actually stable squad additions. They play numerous minutes and provides Arsenal optionality. However some gamers, and a few costs, are about greater than flexibility and optionality. Arsenal are paying over £60m for Havertz and I don’t assume it’s so he can plug in and play a la Trossard. That’s ‘beginning the vast majority of video games’ cash.
And the one pure spot for him to do this is Xhaka’s prized ‘left eight’ spot. I simply don’t imagine Havertz is a ‘depth’ choice (although all gamers are depth choices as soon as your squad reaches the required power) and I don’t imagine he’s right here to undertake the roles of Martinelli, Jesus or Saka. I’m sure he’ll take that left to centre spot.
And simply because he’s taking Xhaka’s spot it doesn’t imply he’s going to play it in the identical manner. Jesus performs in Lacazette’s spot however clearly they’ve accomplished it in very alternative ways (!) JJ Bull from Tifo Soccer put collectively an excellent video (see under) on how Havertz may function within the Arsenal system.
Mikel Arteta actually desires Kai Havertz at Arsenal. The versatile attacker hasn’t set the world alight at Chelsea, so why may it work in North London?
🗣 @jj_bull explains
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— Tifo Soccer (@TifoFootball_) June 20, 2023
The video describes the function a little bit extra like a assist striker place. I’ve learn lots about Havertz’s off-ball operating and his skill to obtain the ball in house. Havertz can also be very extremely thought to be a presser and will probably be fascinating to see how this may shift Arsenal’s off-ball modus operandi. Odegaard has led the press in Arsenal’s 442 urgent form lately, this implies that Havertz may undertake that function with Odegaard dropping deep. Except…
Graphic: Kai Havertz ranked extremely when it comes to off-the-ball runs final season. [Sky] #afc pic.twitter.com/85w6kJmb1J
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) June 21, 2023
Arteta desires to play a excessive threat / excessive reward technique of getting Havertz, Odegaard and Jesus urgent excessive and trusting Declan Rice to patrol a bigger quantity of house behind them. I feel one other of the intriguing facets of this potential transformation is how Havertz may examine to Xhaka when Arsenal don’t have possession.
I wrote a number of weeks in the past about how I felt Xhaka was in all probability all the time a ‘left eight’ who Arsenal beforehand miscast as a deep mendacity playmaker. Havertz’s numbers recommend he is a wonderful presser and he’s clearly very robust within the air, which could have its defensive makes use of in addition to its attacking makes use of. However, clearly, he isn’t going to be as stable as Xhaka is with regards to the extra ‘gloves off’ moments on the pitch.
When Chelsea purchased Havertz in 2020, it’s clear they didn’t actually have a plan for him. The pandemic meant Bayern Munich didn’t need to put up the form of cash required to purchase him from Leverkusen and Chelsea had already purchased Werner (their striker), Ziyech (their winger) in addition to Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy. They didn’t actually have a job in thoughts for Havertz however purchased him as a result of the chance arose. Arsenal, it appears to be like like, have extra of a plan for the participant.
I wonder if Arteta simply has a little bit extra religion in ‘over burdening’ Declan Rice within the midfield bouncer function. What actually me in JJ Bull’s video was the concept of Havertz and Jesus inflicting extra chaos with their motion. I actually like (at the least in concept) the concept of Jesus and Havertz as a form of attacking partnership.
Jesus is a ball magnet. He loves contact, he likes to dribble, he likes to become involved. Havertz is much extra of a ‘ghost within the machine’ sort participant, somebody who likes to sneak into areas and trigger havoc off the ball. Again in 2016, when Arsenal briefly experimented with Alexis as a false 9, I described his relationship with Özil as a ‘false 9 partnership’.
Alexis gravitated to the ball just like the street runner, whereas Özil quietly drifted into central areas and loved a wonderful scoring run. I feel I see the concept behind Havertz and Jesus being comparable, that Jesus is the wasp on the picnic whereas Havertz is the ghost on the feast. The function Jesus performed for Brazil excellently for a few years was as an NFL blocker model ahead in order that Neymar may discover a slither of house.
Jesus is elite at making house for others (Odegaard, Saka and Martinelli all hit 15 Premier League objectives final season). I feel the concept is that Gabriel Jesus creates the diversion, banging on the entrance door whereas Havertz quietly slips by the again door. Clearly, for this to work, there shall be a little bit extra duty on the deepest midfielder to protect in opposition to counters and, if you happen to had been going to signal one present midfielder for that function, it could in all probability be Declan Rice.
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