It’s an exciting time to be a Gooner. We were unbeaten in all competitions until last night’s disappointing defeat in France, and the goal is to keep our domestic streak going long enough to win the Premier League.
Maintaining a high level of performance requires fielding a good 11 in every game.
That being stated, one place where we must excel is in our engine room. Declan Rice has added another dynamism to our midfield, but with Thomas Partey’s return, we can’t help but believe our midfield is fully insured against danger from the opposition.
Even if Partey may have to settle for a backup role, there’s no doubting that you’ve visualised how formidable our midfield is if Arteta tries out a Partey, Rice, and Odegaard midfield trio, with Odegaard and Rice as No. 8s and Partey as No. 6.
In this setup, we could see Rice’s offensive side and appreciate how complete he is as a midfielder.
As Odegaard continues to amaze, doing everything he can to contribute to the attack, Rice might have a free role, drifting at central and attacking midfielder the Granit Xhaka way. The £105 million summer arrival could thrive in the role, as he is skilled at recovering the ball and passing in tight places. When in a favourable position and on long-range, he can also generate chances for teammates to score as well as score goals himself.
Partey, on the other hand, is a fantastic defensive midfielder who can score from long-range shots.
An injury to Partey prevented Arteta from unleashing it (a Partey-Rice-Odegaard midfield) in the league, but he may do so soon, and hopefully it could be seen this weekend against Man City.
Don’t you think this may be our strongest midfield set-up?
Daniel O
———————————————
CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, please contact us through this link…
