The ONE player that could turn Arsenal into a high-scoring side?

IS THERE ANY ONE WHO CAN TRANSFORM ARSENAL TO A HIGH SCORING SIDE? by Nikko

This evening, Arsenal face Olympiakos in a game we should win and score three goals or more and we qualify easily. This got me thinking about the many times we needed just one extra goal to get to the next level. The problem I see is not that we will not win. My worry is we may fail to score that many that will be enough to see us sail through to the next round. In the EPL, we have been chasing Man City, and at one time our goal difference was the reason we were not top of table. There were days when Arsenal could have easily hit 4, 5 or 6 goals routinely. Clearly, Arsenal’s fortunes this season may depend on our potential to make high scoring outcomes.

Arsenal has created the most scoring chances in the premier league. However, many will be aware that the quality of top sides this premier league has dropped a bit with the quality of the challenging mid table side slightly going higher. Arsenal conversion of goal chances into goals has not been top notch.

One would imagine that simply replacing the players in the striking department with world class players would resolve the problem. However, we have seen players like Falcao for instance arriving in the EPL and fail to live up to expectations. That really means that you could bring the best players in the planet into the EPL and they fail to deliver as expected.

So what is the best option to create a high scoring Arsenal side from the current team? I see such a team if we can create room for an extra player. That means, Walcott and Giroud playing together or having Ozil and Ramsey, and Ozil and Cazorla just behind a striker together. I believe that the solution to get an extra man lies in having a powerful 5th defender (Defensive Midfielder) – a player whose contribution can take out the two positions in the midfield and wrap then up into one.

There was a time for instance Wenger would have a pattern of 4.1.4.1. This pattern demanded a player in front of the 4 defenders who is fast and mobile, able to read the game well and also very disciplined in their approach to shielding the back four.

In Arsene’s current playing pattern such a player would give the manager the luxury of fielding the extra person in offense, adding more goals to our game. This could mean the return of the 4.1.4.1 system or the 4.1.3.2 system.

I have created two sides (4.1.4.1 and 4.1.3.2) with Patrick Vieira in that position. Let’s take an exercise and name that one player who can replace Patrick Vieira in that position and help Arsene replace 4.2.3.1 with either 4.1.4.1 or 4.1.3.2 without fearing to compromise the defensive quality of the current Arsenal side.

Team One (4.1.4.1) (Ramsey or Carzola for this lineup)
Cech
Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal
(Patrick Vieira)
Campbell, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez
Walcott

Team Two (4.1.3.2)
Cech
Bellerin, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Monreal
(Patrick Vieira)
Campbell, Ozil, Sanchez
Walcott, Giroud

Who is the player you believe is good enough to replace Patrick Vieira in the two squads above?

Nikko

Tags Giroud Vieira Walcott

15 Comments

  1. Great article Nikko! To have a very athletic DM that is capable of making a run with the ball when gigantic spaces open up but still be able to hustle back to disrupt a counterattack, is a great piece to have. I also love when Kos takes the ball up when the other team is retreating. If we could get our 2 CB ‘s and DM to be on the same page with that part of the attack you simply out number them. Unfortunately Mert can never do that because his recovery pace is not there so when we switch sides he never takes thst open space,
    You are right about that being so beneficial to our attack.

      1. i know but the heading says HIGHER SCORING SIDE im just commenting on scoring where we can do wonders with the amount of chances go begging 🙂

  2. Only three teams in the league have scored more than we have. I don’t see how this is the most pressing concern. You apparently want to play a system that is dependent upon a defensive midfielder, yet you use Viera – who was not a defensive midfielder – as an ideal example of a player for that position? What’s the reasoning there? Why exactly does Joel Campbell make your ideal team in both scenarios? It can’t be based on our current injury list, as Sanchez is in both teams. You’ve also got Koscielny and Mertesacker on the wrong sides.

    1. _liam_

      i think its most important that from so many chances created and only a few is scored, we have such a creative team why shouldn’t we have equally a good striker to put some more of those chances back of the net and in return win more games

    2. 3 teams ?? FALSE ! We’re level with Man City on goal difference, nobody else has a higher GD than us, and this was when we were playing WITHOUT Walcott

    1. In terms of availability, it can only be Ramsey ?

      Off topic ?
      My belly is like a bakery…. it’s always got Rolls! ?
      and Fatboy is on a roll..
      I predicted that Utd would get knocked out of the champions league and tonight it’s Chelsea’s turn. ?

      As for us, I’m too bias to say that we will end up in the same boat, but if that is the case, at least we will have them for company, aswell as the spuds and liverpooh.

      I have a feeling that we will win 4-2 tonight!
      So don’t feel disheartened if we are losing at half time.

    1. I don’t fully get the article, he has Vieira in there but when Coq is fit he will be there. So why hasn’t he just put him in seeing as he has an injured Alexis starting. Liam highlighted similar. So is his point going to be Coquelin not good enough for this formation.

  3. The player you’re talking about is COQUELIN. Him and Ramsey should be our CMs while Wilshere should compete with Ozil for the CAM spot.

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