Aaron Ramsey's Box-to-Box Brilliance Helps Arsenal to Beat Aston Villa

If asked to describe Aaron Ramsey’s best position, most pundits would surely plump for “box-to-box midfielder." In Arsenal’s victory over Aston Villa, the Welshman gave a devastatingly effective demonstration of how to play that role to perfection. He was everywhere as the Gunners ran out 2-0 winners and went top of the Premier League.

His energetic style was exemplified in the move for Arsenal’s second goal. Ramsey won the ball with a great tackle just outside his own penalty area before setting off on a 70-yard sprint upfield. When Theo Walcott released Mesut Ozil, the German shimmied and looked sideways to see if there were any runners in support. Lo and behold, it was Ramsey who had made up the ground and was on hand to tuck home Ozil’s perfectly weighted pass.

Afterward, Ramsey was quick to praise his team-mates' contributions in conversation with the club's official site:

"

It was nice to be there to finish the move. It was a great move from us. We saw them losing [the ball] as an opportunity to get forward and it was a great ball by Theo in the first place. Then the vision of Ozil to play me in for a simple tap in was delightful as well. I’m delighted that I could finish it off.

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However, this goal was all about his all-action style. Since moving into central midfield three games ago, Ramsey has collected two goals and two assists. He is remarkably productive when deployed through the middle.

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Until Santi Cazorla’s injury, Ramsey had spent most of the season on the wing. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has argued this time out wide may actually have benefited the former Cardiff City man, telling the team's wesbite:

"

He had an outstanding performance today. I think of course he is naturally more of a central midfielder and I pushed him out wide for a while because I believe we have seen many times that when players are pushed against the line they need to shorten their technique. When they come back into the middle again, they are better players.

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We’ve seen Ramsey follow this path before. Back in 2012/13, he began the season playing wide right but ended up in a more disciplined central pair with Mikel Arteta. When he returned to the middle, he looked significantly better on the ball than he had previously. Now it seems Ramsey is reaping similar dividends again.

There is a cost to Ramsey’s swashbuckling style. Without the sturdy Francis Coquelin alongside him, Arsenal can occasionally look exposed when the Welshman bombs on. Mathieu Flamini alone does not provide sufficient cover for the back four, and a better side than Villa may have have punished the Gunners for overcommitting.

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There are two potential solutions to that issue. The first is to try and coerce Ramsey into being more positionally disciplined. However, that could curb his attacking instincts and restrict his influence in the final third.

A more productive answer might be to use the January transfer window to identify a partner who complements Ramsey’s wandering. If Arsenal can identify a defensive midfielder with a more conservative approach, it could liberate Ramsey to wreak havoc on the opposition. With Flamini and Mikel Arteta both approaching the end of their contracts, the timing seems ideal for a new recruit.

Arsenal’s midfield is in a process of evolution, and Ramsey’s rambunctious style seems sure to be a key part of it. Wenger must now find a way to achieve balance around this tearaway talent.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.