Arsenal stopped the rot with a 1 – 0 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates on Monday. It was a hugely frustrating afternoon for the north London club but ultimately rewarding as they bounced back from consecutive away defeats at Everton and Manchester City with a win over the Baggies.
They had to wait until the 87th minute for a loopng Olivier Giroud header to deliver their salvation. The French international was making his first start of the season thanks to injuries suffered by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott. His celebration was a release of the frustrations of not just an afternoon but a whole season.
Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster, widely praised for his role in frustrating Arsenal, said afterwards that the late goal meant the defeat “hurt”. Many Arsenal supporters echoed that view with Arsène Wenger attracting more criticism for the team’s performance.
In the first half, it was lethargic at best. Arsenal endured possession rather than enjoyed it, labouring to create any notable openings. They improved in the second half with Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez both driving the Gunners forward.
However, a statement about the squads mental strength came with the inclusion of both Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin in the midfield. First and foremost, Arsenal were determined not to lose.
Despite knowing that West Brom were going to dig in for a draw, Wenger sacrificed attacking instincts for getting the basics right. Having got the basics horribly wrong in the two previous games, perhaps Arsenal need a change of outlook from the manager? The solution might be for Wenger to drop his innate conservatism during matches and adopt a genuine Plan B.
Giroud is designated ‘Plan B’ by the club’s supporters but in truth, Arsenal don’t vary their playing style a great deal when Giroud plays. There are a few more long balls or crosses but last weekend at the Etihad, they didn’t play a great deal differently in that respect.
The winner on Boxing Day came from a Mesut Özil cross from the Arsenal right. Like most sides when chasing a winner, a more direct route became apparent. Was this Plan B or just panic at the prospect of drawing a game they were expected to win?
A genuine alternative, a real Plan B is a radical departure from the norm. Wenger is locked into his 4-2-3-1 formation and nothing changes. Opponents can set up for it because they know how Arsenal will play whoever is in the team.
There’s no curveball with Wenger, no element of surprise. He has the personnel to drastically alter situations but chooses not to. He could quite comfortably accommodate a 3-4-3 formation of variant of it – most likely 3-4-2-1 based on Monday’s match squad.
Nacho Monreal has the versatility to play as a third centre back in these situations without unbalancing the side. Hector Bellerin began his career as a wide midfielder/ winger so can move forward to the midfield quartet.
Pull Alex Iwobi back or push another converted winger, Kieran Gibbs, forward on the left, leaving Coquelin and Xhaka in the centre. Ahead of them. Alexis and Özil supporting Giroud is no different to Arsenal’s formation anyway.
A player who would genuinely benefit is Oxlade-Chamberlain who can play on either flank and in either of the attacking midfield roles. Theo Walcott is more limited in his options; the failed experiment of him as Arsenal’s main striker has seen him accept his future is in a wide attacking role. That fits into 3-4-2-1 but perhaps not as well as the England man would like.
The formation makes the most of Arsenal’s attacking guile but with the two full backs pushed further up the field, there’s a weight added to Arsenal’s attacking options.
There’s also a sense that this is the only way to fit Aaron Ramsey into the XI and make the most of his talents. At Euro 2016 last summer, he was one of Wales’ stars in the advanced midfield role. For his club, he is more often than not, a square peg shoved into a round hole.
Uncomplaining in public, Ramsey does all that is asked of him and curbs his instincts for the good of the team. Not blessed with pace, his stamina and timed runs could be a great asset to Arsenal if played in one of the two attacking midfield roles.
Most likely that would mean Alexis leading the line but that is where the versatility in the 3-4-2-1 is revealed. Bring Giroud on for any of the midfield and the risking is there to revert to 4-2-3-1. A genuine alternative rather than tinkering.
The move to 3-4-3 is becoming popular in England. If Antonio Conte’s Chelsea side continue their unbeaten run, it’s likely to become de rigeur in the Premier League. Arsenal need to keep up but they also need to reinvent themselves.
Wenger has done so every two or three years in his reign. Tweaking formations to accommodate squad members. Another one may be overdue if he wants to make his title dreams become a reality.
