Defenders Arsenal has to change to help Mikel Arteta and why.
Arsenal has had a tough start to their season, three managers on and they are still 12th on the league table.
The poorest part of their team this season has been their defence. Despite signing David Luiz over the summer, their defensive performances have been worse this season than the last.
Many people blamed Unai Emery’s tactics for Arsenal’s performance at the back but it hasn’t gotten any better since he left.
It is time for the players to stand up and take the blame for Arsenal’s woes at the back and I believe Arsenal have to sell some players for positive change to happen.
Shkodran Mustafi, David Luiz, Sead Kolasinac, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have all come of age and are expected to be the leader of this Arsenal defence, however, they have failed to lead and I believe they all have to leave for Mikel Arteta to succeed.
Mustafi has been at the Emirates since 2016, but he is easily Arsenal’s worse defender of the decade. He has been given opportunities under four different managers, but he can’t seem to take his chances. He will never be good enough.
David Luiz was once the most expensive defender in the world, but the Brazilian is at the twilight of his career and should be playing in China.
Sead Kolasinac has been guilty at making one error after the other since he became an Arsenal defender. There have been flashes of brilliance from him, but he doesn’t seem to have what it takes at this level.
Sokratis struggles with the pace of the Premier League. He seems to have had his best days at Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal would do good to replace him.
The final reason Arsenal have to change these defenders is that they are not built to play the style of game that Mikel Arteta hopes to implement, Arsenal needs younger, faster and improving defenders.