Is Sambi Lakonga ready to step up into the first team while we have a midfielder crisis?
With Xhaka’s ridiculous red card against Liverpool having a two-game ban, Elneny and Partey away playing in the African Cup of Nations, and Maitland-Niles recently left for Roma. We are left with very few options in Midfield.
Is Sambi Lakonga our solution and is he ready to step up in the first team?
The 22-year-old Belgium international transferred to Arsenal in the summer for a reported £18 million from Anderlecht where he came from their youth academy.
Having captained his former team, Sambi clearly has important leadership qualities, something that we will be lacking in the midfield without Xhaka.
Last season we ranked 14th for progressive passes, and it seems that Arteta signed Sambi to help fix this issue, he was ranked 2nd in the Belgium league for passes completed per 90 minutes.
We saw a glimpse of this at the start of the season as he gained 13 PL appearances this season (four off the bench), I really enjoyed the way he looked up immediately when playing, driving the team forward.
But I do wonder if he is physical enough to play as a box-to-box midfielder regularly in the prem, especially against the top six and without the stronger Partey to help shield him.
With a big semi-final against Liverpool, I worry he will get outmuscled by Fabinho in the centre of the park.
He only lasted 53 minutes against Klopp’s men earlier this season and was very poor, but did seem to be better against them in last week’s 0-0 draw.
He even admitted himself that he struggled to adapt to the quality of the Premier League and that he does now believe it’s the best league in the world in his latest Arsenal interview.
I also am frustrated at the management of transfers, bearing in mind we have Maitland-Niles (AMN), Guendouzi and Torreira all on loan who would be able to help fill this void.
Yet there has been talk of even Ben White playing as a defensive midfielder in the semi-final second leg.
So, what’s the solution?
Arthur Melo would be a great signing for the club, at only 25, a six-month loan deal could massively help our push for top four and add quality in midfield.
However, it is a tricky transfer as Juventus would need to arrange a replacement, rumoured to be Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon who are known to be difficult in negotiations.
With under two weeks left on the window, time is running out.
We now face Liverpool and Burnley with only Sambi in midfield along with possibly Azeez (recalled from a disappointing loan at Portsmouth) or a very young Patino to play alongside him.
Who would you play in midfield against Liverpool?
Ødegaard? Azeez? White? Patino?
Until next time Gooners,
Benedict
If ESR is back we should either play 2 CAMS or put odegard next to lakonga.
The other option is to put Ben White or chambers in the middle and have them just protect our back 4 then in the last 20 mins or so really go for it if it is still 0-0.
Tough decision but I hope it forces us to get a good CM someone better than partey and Xaka not another average player
Chambers is better at right back…
White I think could easily be a DM next to Lokonga
Holding can be alongside Gabriel and so 2 people next to him who have pace
Tierney left back..
Upfront for me is key.. Laca ESR Saka and Odegaard if all fit
Patino etc should be on the bench as this is a semi final so lets try to win it and get to Wembley as winner of Carabao gets into Europe albeit a poor League
Partey could be available for Burnley.
Partey and Sambi would be just fine.
The health of ESR/Tomi is uncertain.
Possible starting line up
Ramsdale
Chambers Gabriel White Tierney
Partey Sambi
Saka Odegaard Martinelli
Lacca.
Not too shabby.
Bench
Leno Cedric Holding Tavares
Patino ESR/M’Hand Hutchison Nketiah Balogun
Partey can’t play this match, he will need to isolate and Balogun has been loaned to M’boro
IS PARTEY BACK? WHY ARE YOU INCLUDING HIM IN YOUR LINEUP?
If ESR is fit I’d play him with Lokonga and let Ode play higher…ESR has a lot of fight, much more than Ode, so he would be able to do the dirty work.
I think Chambers might be able to slot in but MA seems to play him as little as possible for some reason.
I wouldn’t mind Azeez starting either, every time I’ve watched him he has oozed class. Chambers
Agree on Azeez – always looks like he has time on the ball. Wouldn’t want to throw him in at the deep end against Liverpool though.
Lokonga would most likely be a starter again, because the other specialist DMs are unavailable. After learning from his two fatal mistakes in the first half of the season, he is currently the most logical option as compared to the non-specialist DMs
I’d like to try White, Chambers or Azeez alongside Lokonga though. We could make some DM experiments in the League Cup game, before wasting money on another diminutive playmaker like Arthur Melo
As for Patino, I think he isn’t gritty enough to play as a DM. Maybe he could evolve to be a box-to-box midfielder like Partey, but it’s hard to imagine him to be a quick ball winner like Bissouma and Maitland-Niles
Gai,
Apart from Lokonga, I think Azeez seem the next option; but his lack of experience in EPL and against big team like Liverpool will be a worry for Arteta. Hence Calum chambers remain the best option in my opinion because he has played there before. Though not in Arsenal. Good news Pathey would be available next week since Ghana has been dumped out of AFcon.
Yeah. Chambers used to play well as a CDM for Fulham, so he could also be our main interceptor and tacklers in the deep midfield area
But maybe Arteta is reluctant to give him some chances, because he’s leaving. So the next option is White
Chamber leaving? that’s a minus for Arsenal I kind of like him.
Chambers is very slow…. To intercept passes needs timing and pace, Chambers is definitely not the man for the job.
Apart from that He is the only available option for RB, If plays DM, who will play RB?
Chambers good choice for DM here. Played well there while away at Fulham
OT: If we win our 3 games in hand on Chelsea we’ll be level on points with them, long shot but possible.
Also I’d love it if we went after Gallagher, absolute champion of a player and is only valued around 20-25 mil currently. I can’t think of a reason to not go for him.
Damn right
Gallagher is impressive indeed. Surely Chelsea aren’t stupid enough to sell him..?
Partey will be back for the Burnley game and I think Chambers will play alongside Lakonga against Liverpool with White and Gabriel behind them.
I will prefer chambers partnering with lokonga in midfield but should mainly operate as a defender(false DM).
Ramsdale
Tomi holding gabb Tierney
White
Esr. Odegarrd
Saka. Lacca martinelle
I really hope we retain the same zeal we had in the 1st leg for the 2nd leg,
I doubt Partey would be ready for the pool match, somehow I believe Tomiyasu, Smith-Rowe and Ødegaard are ready , if they are ,our 4-2-3-1 should stand, if not, 4-3-3 should be fine,
My thoughts on the starting line up:
Ramsdale
Cedric- Gabriel -White -Tierney
Sambi -Chambers -Azeez/Saka
Saka/Omari-Lacazette -Martinelli
The 2nd Leg is a game of tactics between the 2 coaches. This is show how and where Arteta stands among the Big Boys in terms of team selection and coaching.
You can’t always have things your way. When things gets rough like this, what need to be done and how it needs to be done depends on the technical and tactical know how of the Coach.
NOTE: They are without their 2 Best Players.
ARTETA NEEDS TO GET IT RIGHT AGAINST LIVERPOOL!!!
With Cedric Soares out injured, Arteta may play or not play Chambers in the midfield as a CMF in our home ECC 2nd leg semifinal match against Liverpool tomorrow. But if Tomiyasu is available for the match and start it. Then of course Arteta could decide to play Chambers in the midfield to start the match or come off the bench to provide cover to Tomiyasu or one the trio mids in the match.
While I was browsing on the internet late night yesterday, I think I read some Arsenal news that said Odegaard has recovered from the Covid he had and could feature in the match against Liverpool. If the story is true, then Arteta could choose one of the youngsters mids of Partino and Azeez to start the match alongside Lokonga and Odegaard.
But is a top quality grade midfielder signing this Jan window a MUST sign for Arsenal? And would any of Arthur Melo or Bruno Guimaraes who are linked to the club this window for signings will improve Arsenal’s midfield if of one of the pair is signed by the club this window to fit the bill for the midfield in the team? But Partey and Elneny will soon return to the Team from Afcon to re tick the midfield players in the team. And ESR too will become available to hopefully resumed playing soon.
Therefore I think it will be better if Arsenal defer any midfielder signings by them till next summer. When they would have holistically looked into their midfield issues to address it.
But what is of a more serious concern to me currently as an Arsenal supporter, which I think and believe should also be of a mote serious concern to the club too for their addressing it this window above the signing of a new midfielder this January. It is the signings by the club of a new top quality grade striker tha I want Arsenal to do before the window is closed? But if this new striker is signed, who of course should be of top quality new striker signing. And who can score up to 30 goals or mote per season campaign in the top flight of the game is the kind of a new striker that I want to see Arsenal sign him this window. And if signed, he should fit the bill for Arsenal in the EPL to be scoring regularly the goals that Arsenal are badly in need of them to be regularly scored for them in the Premiership this season. So that it will help to make the club attained their quest for a top-four place finish at the end of this season.
What of Dusan Vilahovic? Who is reported in the media to be an accomplished striker. And heavily linked to Arsenal for signing this winter window. But does he tick all the tickable boxes that are needed and required by Arsenal in a new striker signing? And if Arsenal sign him this window, can he fit the bill for them to immediately start scoring goals regularly for the club? Which they are seriously in need of to be regularly scored for the club in number in the EPL this campaign. If the answers to these questions asked are yes. Arsenal should please try to give it what it will take them to sign Vlahovic this Jan window. And soon him even before they at home play Burnley in the EPL.
Thanks.
I could see laca being as good as anyone at CM to be honest, at least as a one off. Problem is it would leave us light up front. In reality I’d go with chambers – apparently was decent there for Fulham.
Can anyone tell me why we aren’t showing any intrest in Frankie De Joong from Barcelona, this one is beyond me as I think he would be perfect
I am also shocked that werent in for him. He’s also an arsenal fan.
I would prefer Chambers in midfield to partner ASL, but if Tomi is still unwell and not playing than Chambers will have to play RB because Cedric is still unwell. Than maybe Azeez could play alongside ASL.
IS PARTEY BACK? WHY ARE YOU INCLUDING HIM IN YOUR LINEUP? The question for fairfan