Defensive Midfield Holds the Key to Unlocking Arsenal's Potential

It’s a position which has plagued Arsenal virtually since the departure of captain Patrick Vieira all the way back in 2005.

They have tried several times to fill the gap left by the Frenchman but have never quite managed it. This season, whether they’ve played 4-2-3-1, 4-1-4-1 or 4-3-3, it’s a position that they have had a desperate need for.

It’s also a position which potentially holds the key to unlocking Arsenal’s potential. As they’ve changed between the three aforementioned formations, one critical thing has remained constant: the need for a player capable of breaking the opposition play up and to shield the defence.

Manager Arsene Wenger has called on several players to perform this role, with various degrees of success.

Mathieu Flamini rejoined the club at the beginning of last season and has performed admirably when called upon. He is by far the closest thing the Gunners have to a traditional midfield destroyer, but his three caps for France—the last of which came in 2008—hint at his limited abilities.

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Mikel Arteta and Jack Wilshere have both been asked to perform the role, with varying results. Arteta has had some success as a deep-lying playmaker but has never excelled in a defensive capacity.

Wilshere has proved adept as a box-to-box midfielder for club and country but once again lacks the ability—and physical integrity—to fulfil the destroyer role.

Abou Diaby once looked like he may have been the solution to the problem, but his injury record makes Wilshere’s pale in comparison. Even if he does eventually return, it’s extremely unlikely that he’ll ever be able to play the game with the same physicality as he once did.

While Arsenal’s record of consistently achieving Champions League football may cast doubt on the necessity of the position, a look back at the history of the Premier League provides a telling insight.

As well as Vieira's pivotal role in all three of Arsene Wenger’s title-winning sides, it isn’t unusual for the sides that finish as champions to feature a dominant midfield presence. Roy Keane and Claude Makelele at Manchester United and Chelsea respectively performed exactly the simplistic, destructive role that Arsenal are crying out for.

This season’s leaders Chelsea boast one of the best players in the Premier League currently in Nemanja Matic. His first absence in the league, against Newcastle, coincided with the team’s first defeat.

He too is an unglamorous, industrious midfielder. In all competitions, the Serbian has averaged five tackles and two interceptions per game, as well as posting impressive dribbling and passing skills.

For Arsenal, there are several immediate options in the Premier League alone. They have been frequently linked with Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin, who made no secret of his desire to leave when Saints blocked a move to Tottenham in the summer. It would be fair to assume that an approach by Arsenal would elicit a similar response from the player.

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A less glamorous option would be Crystal Palace’s Mile Jedinak, who has actually bettered Matic in both tackles and interceptions per game on average.

At age 30, he would be far from a typical Wenger signing, but given he’s showing no signs of slowing down, he would make a fantastic stopgap at the very least.

Wherever Arsenal seek their solution, two things seem certain. Fail to adequately fill the vacancy, and they will continue to lack the requisite tools to challenge for the league. Succeed, and the pieces may just start falling into place.