The message was clear after the 2-2 Fulham draw: Mikel Arteta has to make some key tactical switches not to risk his team’s chances of winning the 2023–24 Premier League title.
Most Gooners have called for a return to the original defensive back four of Oleksander Zinchenko, Gabriel, William Saliba, and Ben White. In midfield, there have also been suggestions that Kai Havertz be dropped to accommodate Thomas Partey alongside Declan Rice.
Gary Neville has, in his SkySports podcast, made a bold claim about the upcoming Top Four clash. The United legend predicts that Mikel Arteta will for sure give the fans what they want. He’ll return to a back four and will probably unleash Partey and Rice at midfield, saying, “I would expect next week that Mikel Arteta is going to end that experiment and that he is going to probably go with a solid back four with four defenders, maybe move Partey into midfield along with Rice and maybe Odegaard.”
“Balancing a team is very important. Innovation is fantastic, we love seeing new things, but sometimes something that started as a good idea evolves into something that, to be fair, just doesn’t work.
“I feel there is that with Arsenal. Next week, I’d expect them to go back to something that resembles the team that played last season and get back to those basics of what they are – which is a 4-3-3 team.”
Many Gooners will be delighted to hear Neville’s claims. Suppose Arteta uses the tactical approach (as Neville has predicted) against Manchester United in Arsenal’s next game. In that case, I’m confident the Red Devils will leave the capital with a big L. Ten Hag’s midfield has been fragile, and Arsenal’s having a dominant midfield in that game could be the difference between the two teams.
A win over Manchester United might signal the Gunners’ ambitions for the season.
Darren N
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