Liverpool star admits Arsenal duo were “really difficult” to press
It raised eyebrows when Mikel Arteta opted for a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino against Liverpool. Despite the criticism aimed at the Spaniard for that setup, praise continues to pour in for his decision to pair Zubimendi and Rice in a double pivot. Rice and Zubimendi forming a strong partnership […] The post Liverpool star admits Arsenal duo were “really difficult” to press appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
RR aka Rishi-Raj
It raised eyebrows when Mikel Arteta opted for a midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino against Liverpool.
Despite the criticism aimed at the Spaniard for that setup, praise continues to pour in for his decision to pair Zubimendi and Rice in a double pivot.
Rice and Zubimendi forming a strong partnership
Rice and Zubimendi are beginning to forge one hell of a midfield partnership.
Rice’s strengths have been fully unlocked alongside the Spaniard. He now anchors the base for key interceptions, carries the ball forward at opportune moments, and rotates with Zubimendi during build-up play to avoid being the sole receiver.
He is free to ping diagonals to the wingers, drifts between left and right channels, and expresses himself with far more fluidity.
Ryan Gravenberch, who experienced the intensity of that pivot first-hand on Sunday night, could not help but acknowledge its strength, even with Zubimendi not at his absolute best.
“Yes, in the first half, it was really difficult to press them,” admitted Gravenberch on Liverpool’s official podcast.
“They always had a solution, and Rice dropped into midfield to join Zubimendi, so it was really difficult.”
He went on to reveal that Liverpool had to adjust tactically to contain them:
“In the second half, we changed the way that we pressed, and it was really, really better.”
The pairing clearly gave the Reds a difficult test. With Rice and Zubimendi continuing to gel, Arteta now has a clear and simple tactical switch at his disposal.
Tactical tweak could sharpen Arsenal
It is time he embraced a No.10 platformed by two central midfielders. That tweak could sharpen Arsenal’s chance creation, allowing Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze to focus solely on feeding Viktor Gyokeres with goal-scoring opportunities.
A healthy battle between Eze and Odegaard for that No.10 role should elevate both players and could leave Arsenal boasting one of the strongest midfields in Europe.
Your thoughts welcome in the comments.
Daniel O
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The post Liverpool star admits Arsenal duo were “really difficult” to press appeared first on Just Arsenal News.
