MY ACCOUNT
Arsenal’s Premier League title bid is at risk of being derailed by their problems in defence.
The Gunners have a number of key players out, including French centre-back William Saliba.
A previously solid back four has become porous, conceding in each of their last four league games and dropping points in vital trips to Liverpool and West Ham.
Ahead of Arsenal’s home match against Southampton tonight, we take a look at the issues impacting their defensive displays.
Saliba missing
Saliba picked up an injury in the Europa League exit to Sporting last month and has subsequently missed Arsenal’s last four games.
The Gunners have conceded in all of them. It scarcely mattered in 4-1 home victories over Crystal Palace and Leeds, but successive 2-2 draws at Liverpool and West Ham have proved more costly.
Mikel Arteta’s men still top the table, but second placed Manchester City are now only four points behind with a game in hand. City will host the North Londoners next Wednesday.
With Saliba out, the obvious choice to cover him in central defence would be Ben White, who has been converted into a full-back this season.
Yet the reserve right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, so White has had to stay put.
This has meant that Rob Holding, effectively Arsenal’s third choice right-sided centre-back, has been drafted into the side to play alongside Gabriel Magalhaes.
Arteta admission
In addition, Oleksandr Zinchenko has a groin issue and missed the game against West Ham, with Kieran Tierney stepping in.
The only other senior defender that Arsenal have fit is the January signing Jakub Kiwior. He has yet to start a league game since joining the club and as a left-footer, is perhaps seen as Gabriel’s deputy.
With his squad low on available numbers in defensive positions, Arteta has been quizzed over Saliba’s return date.
He said: “With William, we have to wait a little bit more. He is not progressing as quickly as we had hoped. It is a bit delicate.
“We want to be very certain when we push him that he is ready to absorb the load and with the risk we would take at the moment that is not possible to do.”
With Saliba initially expected to return quickly, Arteta was asked if he was concerned that the eight-cap international would now miss the rest of the season.
The Basque boss added: “I don’t know, it’s a bit early. Probably next week we are going to have more certainty.”
Strategy change
Arsenal fans face an anxious wait over news of Saliba and Zinchenko. They will be confident of beating Saints at home regardless, but the trip to City is looming.
Most teams would struggle without two members of their regular back four, but this pair in particular allow the Gunners to play in a certain manner, that their deputies cannot replicate.
Saliba’s pace and ability to recover lost ground enables the defence to push high up the pitch, squeezing the opposition’s space. With Holding in the team, the back four naturally drops deeper.
Zinchenko often drifts from left-back into a central midfield position when Arsenal have the ball, from where he can utilise his passing range and allow Granit Xhaka to get forward.
Tierney is a good enough left-back to be a starter for most Premier League sides, but he has a completely different skillset to the Ukrainian.
If Saliba and Zinchenko are still missing by the time Arsenal visit the Etihad, then Arteta could be forced to adopt a fresh strategy.
