Last season one of Arsenal’s biggest weaknesses was the fact that they had no out-and-out defensive minded midfielder.
Alex Song had been shipped off to Barcelona and for some reason, Arsene Wenger did not see fit to bring in anybody else.
As such, the Gunners suffered from a certain degree of defensive instability. Not only did the sale of Robin Van Persie make them less of a force moving forward, they were now also less organised at the back. No wonder the fight for fourth place with Spurs proved to be such a close run thing.
Luckily enough, over the course of last season, Mikel Arteta was converted in a holding midfielder. Whilst he’s been asked to play as the deepest-lying midfielder on many occasions throughout his career, his duties were rather different this time round.
He was asked to protect the back four, throw himself into tackles, win free-kicks and control possession. And you know what? He ended up doing a great job.
But it was clear to just about everybody that Arsenal still needed more in this department. That’s why Arsene Wenger signed Mathieu Flamini on a free during the summer transfer window.
At the moment it’s difficult to say who has had more impact since arriving at the club during the summer: Mesut Ozil or Mathieu Flamini. Their price-tags may have been world’s apart, but they are both world class players in their different positions.
Since Flamini’s arrival, Arsenal look considerably more organised. He’s a vocal chap, who orders other midfielders about, knows how to read the game and where everyone should be positioned at any given time. He’s also a leader, who dives into challenges, loves the physical aspects of the game and isn’t afraid to leave a leg in.
His impact at the Emirates has been huge. That’s why I was surprised to see Arsenal get linked to West Brom’s defensive midfielder, Youssouf Mulumbu.
The £7m rated enforcer is a genuine physical presence and a tidy player, but he’s also a player that Arsenal don’t really need.
With both Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini in tow, Arsenal are fully stocked in this area.
What Arsenal really need is a world-class striker to support Olivier Giroud. As such, let’s hope that Arsene Wenger doesn’t spend too much time weighing up a potential move for Youssuf Mulumbu.
What’s your take? Which areas should Arsenal be looking to strengthen this January?
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Arsenal still need a defensive midfielder like Wanyama, Mohammed Diame or Song with strong physical presence to replace Flamini in case of injury. Arteta is still very reliable in the middle of the pack as attacking midfieder.