Report: Three players that are important in Mikel Arteta’s system at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta was four months ago announced as the new Arsenal head coach after the North London club parted ways with Unai Emery. We have already seen why many top class managers were backing Mikel Arteta to be successful as he has massively improved the gunners in such a short period.

Mikel Arteta has been playing a similar gameplan like that of Manchester City and we take a look at what have been the three most important players in the system that the 37-year-old boss has used in these first few months as a head coach of a top flight club.

1. BUKAYO SAKA

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal passes the ball under pressure from Djibril Sidibe of Everton during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola likes using the fullbacks in the creation of chances and it seems like the gunners will be using similar tactics as Arsenal have scored many goals created using fullbacks under Mikel Arteta. Bukayo Saka is a winger but he has however been so impressive in the left back position since Arteta’s system allows him to continuously go forward and create chances for the forwards.

Bukayo Saka has been impressive in Arsenal’s recent games at left back and is definitely one of the most important players in Arteta’s side since most of their attacks go through him at the moment since one flank is supposed to be defence minded while the other continuously goes forward. Saka has been so good in the left back position that the Arsenal fans have started urging the club to him into one even though he is a winger that was covering for injured Kolasinac and Tierney.

2. GRANIT XHAKA

BURNLEY, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 02: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal takes on Jack Cork of Burnley during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 02, 2020 in Burnley, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Granit Xhaka has been nothing short of exceptional since Mikel Arteta got appointed as the new head of Arsenal because he is one of the many players that desperately needed a system that can mask his faults. Arteta has perfectly done that as he has stopped playing him as a defensive midfielder as Unai Emery did and is now however doing a more interesting role of covering for Bukayo Saka each time that the left back goes forward.

Xhaka has been the one playing as a left back in most periods of the game in Arteta’s system because Saka always plays as winger since he is not good at defending as his natural position is the left wing. Xhaka has been impressive in Arsenal’s last few matches and the gunners struggled without him in their 2-1 defeat against Chelsea which is one of the only two games that they have lost since the Spaniard got appointed.

3. AUBAMEYANG

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 23: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal controls the ball under pressure from Mason Holgate and Djibril Sidibe of Everton during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on February 23, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Aubameyang’s case is self-explanatory because he is Arsenal’s best player and has been one of the players that have helped to make Arteta’s system work at the North London club as his combinations on the left with the fullbacks have been helpful in breaking down the defences of the smaller sides.

Aubameyang has mostly played as a left winger under Arteta but it however can’t be said that he is playing as a winger but more of an inside forward that comes from the flank and into the penalty box to score.