Opinion: what is Arsenal’s best XI this season?

What if I told you, that right now, Arsenal truly has the team to properly challenge for the Premier League? No no, let me finish for a second here.  It is true that every Gooner on the face of the planet truly feels that the club need to strengthen, and necessarily I cannot disagree with them.

Arsenal surely need another defender in the wake of Thomas Vermaelen’s departure, perhaps another striker to share or take away duties from Olivier Giroud, and ideally a holding midfielder befitting of the legacies put forth by Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit and Gilberto Silva; but what if it actually was not needed? What if all Arsene Wenger had to do was deploy the right formation and the right players?

To first understand where I am going from, consider the following;  right now at the club, Arsene Wenger has a wealth of talented attacking players, in both creativity, but also many who bring a direct style of play coupled with their pace and interchangeability.  When you consider this further, you’ll wonder exactly where has all this been, and will it rise to the surface this season – the answer is most definitely no.

"Current attacking options at ArsenalStrikers: Olivier Giroud, Yaya SanogoWide Players: Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Joel Campbell, Lukas Podolski, Serge Gnabry, Ryo MiyaichiAttacking Midfielders: Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla, Tomas Rosicky"

Anyone who knows Arsenal, and who knows Wenger, is well aware that Le Prof is far to set in his current ways to consider anything to the contrary of his tactical schemes; at current, it’s his own form of Tiki-Taka really.  While the Gunners have long been known as the prettiest attacking side in England, that title is quickly shifting to the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool; and don’t be surprised if Ronald Koeman’s Southampton rise to that level as well.

While the likes of City have all the creative and technically gifted players necessary to put on some brilliant displays, its the likes of Liverpool and Southampton who should be taken note of.  Far more similarities can be drawn between them and the Arsenal of old, than Wenger’s current first team.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continues to remain just an option off the bench for Arsenal; but a shift in tactics could see him come into a prominent role for the club

Quick, penetrative and incisive football that can score a goal on a moments notice before you knew what hit you; don’t you miss that Arsenal? I do too, and the beautiful of it all? There’s every reason to believe it can return – all that is needed is a shift in formation and the right players, which the Gunners already have.

First, compare the following two starting XI’s, and be honest with yourself when you ask just which one is far more dangerous (naturally these are predicated on when everyone is fully fit);

"Arsenal’s current possession/build-up based 4-2-3-1Szczesny; Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Debuchy; Ramsey, Arteta; Sanchez, Ozil, Walcott; GiroudArsenal’s proposed counter-attacking based 4-3-3Szczesny; Gibbs, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Debuchy; Chambers, Ramsey; Ozil; Sanchez, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain"

Have you taken a good look? Excellent.  Now, naturally every Arsenal supporter is aware of how the Gunners play in the 4-2-3-1; slow, possession based build up play that is made to lull your opponent to sleep and break them down with short passes till a hole opens up.  While I am not saying it is not effective (usually), it hits a major wall when teams are happy to bunker down with ten men behind the ball and force you to get through the phalanx – its why the Gunners so often stutter step against the Stoke’s of the world.

But what if Wenger flipped the script? What if he began using the players and the tactics that affords him the ability to soak up pressure and then hit you on the counter with thunder clap surprise?  Incredibly, but not shocking to some, is that Arsenal have just the right combination of players to do it.

To start, say what you will, but Arsenal do have one of the best back-four’s in the league, and certainly the center-back pairing of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are right up there with the best in the business.  Wojciech Szczesny (or even David Ospina) offer very solid goalkeeping, more than enough for Arsenal to invite more pressure from their opponents.

In midfield, Calum Chambers brilliant displays in BFG’s stead have been incredibly promising, and the notion that Wenger see’s his future as a holding midfielder fits the notion of a shift in tactics perfectly.  Chambers is defensively responsible, physical, he is quicker than most big players and already very good in the tackle; hiss inclusion offers that cover for the back-four that we have ben craving.

Aaron Ramsey has blossomed, and continues to flourish as one of the best box-to-box players in the Premier League

Naturally, the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil ahead of Chambers offer the attack minded players in the middle to pull the strings from deeper areas, and supply the through balls or long balls that would be required.  Ramsey’s role would still be as a box-to-box player, but Ozil would be further up the pitch, with more space to operate, as the direct link between midfield and the front three.

Speaking of the front-three, it’s not as radical as you think when you look at it.  The brilliant part of using Sanchez, Walcott and Chamberlain as your attacking three, is their ability to be completely interchangeable.  Walcott has always fancied himself as a central player, and his pace, ability to run off the shoulder and his finishing ability make him the perfect player to put through on goal; it also means that he can easily swap with Sanchez or Ox at any time, who can in turn swap with one another.

The thing that makes having interchangeable attacking players so dangerous, especially those with bags of pace like the aforementioned all have in abundance, is that it not only stretches the defense in multiple ways (that then give space for Ozil and Ramsey to make late runs from deep to the top of the box), but it gives them the headache or trying to marshal the back against three players who could pop up anywhere, at any time, and be just as effective no matter where they are.

Olivier Giroud is not the type of striker Arsenal need if they are go back to their quick-strike roots in counter-attack; but he could still play a part

Such a strain on the opposition back line both mentally and physically, would then allow for someone like Giroud to come off the bench and impose himself physically on the match in the later stages to maximize his unique abilities against tired players.  The affordability of bringing on the likes of Cazorla, Jack Wilshere or Joel Campbell off the bench would also be a massive bonus, as all have unique gifts that you could call upon based off certain situations.

The only drawback here, is that this is all predicated that Wenger brings in another player at center-back; using Chambers as a holding player means that Koscielny and Mertesacker are the only other center-backs, and they’d have little to no cover.

Naturally, all of this is just an opinion, but as someone who has plenty of coaching and playing experience (a combined 25-years), what’s the harm in at least putting the option out there?  I do not expect this to become reality, but it does bring to light that Arsenal have options, ones that hopefully Wenger will finally tap into.

Even though this is sure to be a pipe dream, I am sure we will end up third or fourth again – but the point is, don’t we all want better, don’t we deserve better?  For me, this is the answer, but naturally, time will tell.