Is Arteta Limiting Rice Because He Doesn’t Trust Zubimendi as Lone Pivot?
As of writing this article, it is three days on from Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City, but the sense of frustration is still fresh on a personal level. A last-gasp equaliser against one of the best teams in the league should be viewed positively, but the majority will feel it was two points dropped, […] The post Is Arteta Limiting Rice Because He Doesn’t Trust Zubimendi as Lone Pivot? appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
As of writing this article, it is three days on from Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City, but the sense of frustration is still fresh on a personal level. A last-gasp equaliser against one of the best teams in the league should be viewed positively, but the majority will feel it was two points dropped, and they have every right to feel so. That Manchester City team was there for the taking, but Mikel Arteta chose to waste the first period by going with a fairly conservative line-up. More specifically, the persistent use of a midfield three that lacks cutting edge was to be our own undoing yet again. For the third time this season, the Spaniard started Mikel Merino, Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi in the same midfield, and unsurprisingly it did not take long for Arteta to make adjustments by bringing on Eberechi Eze at half-time.
A conservative structure
The attention has centred around Mikel Merino in midfield, but the structure of our midfield has been more defensive since the start of the campaign. This is irrespective of whether Martin Ødegaard is on the pitch or not. Even when the Norwegian is involved, Arteta has mostly fielded a double pivot this campaign, and it could be a suggestion that he does not trust Zubimendi as a lone pivot.
This was evident as far back as the last game of pre-season, that comfortable 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao. The pair of Rice and Zubimendi have played very close together this season, often taking turns mid-game to build from the back with the centre-backs. This structure has clearly made us stronger defensively, especially considering how attacking Riccardo Calafiori has been this campaign. It has made us solid, but it has come at a cost as well.
Rice’s role restricted
Declan Rice was one of our most productive players in front of goal last season, and I think Arteta has sacrificed that to provide more cover for Zubimendi. The diminutive midfielder is excellent at reading the game and plays the defensive role well. However, compared to the likes of Manchester City’s Rodri or Thomas Partey, he is less of an imposing presence in that area of the pitch.
When Partey was still at the club, Rice was afforded the freedom to play a box-to-box role, but this campaign the England international has been considerably restricted.
It is important to note that the entire squad is still adapting after a summer of changes, but it is difficult to ignore. To his credit, Zubimendi’s performances so far suggest he is more than capable of handling the defensive midfield position as a lone pivot. Arteta probably does not see it that way, but it will be fascinating to see if he changes his mind any time soon.
These are my opinions, and it will be fascinating to see how the midfield evolves as the season progresses. What do you think, Gooners?
Benjamin Kenneth
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