The return of Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin is a huge positive from last night’s impressive win over Nottingham Forest and they could easily be the cure to the Arsenal defensive problems but that does not mean that there are not other issues to resolve.
The front line is just fine and is already very strong but the midfield remains the one area that continues to haunt Arsenal Unai Emery.
Some of it is self-inflicted, especially Emery’s insistence on playing Granit Xhaka whenever he is able to but there is more to it than which players the Spaniard selects.
Link up play, tracking back, defensive midfielder. negative or positive play are just some of the issues that infect the Arsenal midfield and there appears to be a lack of strategy and vision from the coach.
The midfield is rotated far too often, there are no real partnerships developed and too often they are asked to fulfil roles that they are not best suited to.
Unless the pressure is released from the defence by the midfield then the defensive problems will continue, they need help and have not been getting it.
If the midfield does not link up better with the forward line when the pressure is on the defence then there is no outlet, again, an issue that Emery has to get to grips with.
So, the defence is starting to have better prospects but the midfield still needs an overhaul and an identity, hopefully, Emery has the answer.