Mikel Arteta said what Arsenal fans already know about their new midfield
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said their midfield is the ‘best possible’ for the team after they beat Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.
Arsenal were, after a while, dominant against Manchester City, and their midfield had a lot to do with it. They have so many different profiles they can rely on in the middle of the park, and people don’t realise how versatile some of their players actually are.
There aren’t that many teams that can take Myles Lewis-Skelly off for a player like Bruno Guimaraes, or vice versa, and such distinct profiles only help the team beat different types of set-ups.
Mikel Arteta knows how blessed he is with Arsenal's current midfield
Speaking about the players they have and whether Arsenal’s midfield is the ‘best in the world’, he said: “It's the best midfield for Arsenal, that's for sure. That's what we have to make it, everybody complements with their qualities to the player next to them and that we have this variability, that diversity with the qualities that we need in relation to the opponent.
"Today again, we've seen it, we've changed it, and we bring other qualities in different moments of the game, and that's a really strong thing to have.”
Arteta is right. The midfield, whatever combination they have, always has a good balance. The players Arsenal have are good enough to play in different roles and different set-ups. Declan Rice, for example, can play deep as well as more like a creative eight.
Martin Odegaard is a great attacking midfielder, but can also play in a flat midfield three and defend more often. These are the sorts of players Arsenal have wanted to have for the longest time, and now, their entire midfield is full of them.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, one of the biggest differentiators of the team, is an energetic presence with brilliant technical ability and a great eye to pick out the right pass. Guimaraes sits back and dictates the play from deep, as does Martin Zubimendi. Both of these players can also play as eights, if needed.
Arteta was being very humble. Yes, Arsenal’s midfield is the best for the team they have, but it is also true that their midfield is the best in the league, and it really isn’t up for debate anymore. It might just be the best in the world as well – or at least, it is one of them.
