Arsenal have had quite a start to their Premier League season. While the team had a perfect start to the season by winning their first two games, Arsenal dropped points to Fulham in their last game as both teams played out a 2-2 draw. While some of Arteta’s decisions came under the scanner, the Spanish manager playing Thomas Partey as a hybrid fullback was a topic of discussion. As per Gary Neville, Arteta should stop experimenting and go back to the basics.
Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, the former Manchester United right-back said, “Looking at Arsenal, there’s an element of experimentation for Thomas Partey playing as a full-back and a midfielder. Sometimes there’s an element of going back to basics. I think Mikel Arteta will end that experiment against Manchester United. Get back to something that resembles what a team looks like. Innovation is fantastic but the balance of a team is so important.”
He further continued:
“I love seeing new things but sometimes an idea can evolve into something that doesn’t work. There’s a little bit of that with Arsenal. They need to get back to being a 4-3-3 team. It’s a big test for United as all three of their performances have been below par and if you are below par at the Emirates, you will get beaten. But Arsenal need to sort themselves out and get back into a shape that suits them and they are more familiar with.”
Arsenal will play Manchester United on September 3rd at the Emirates Stadium. Based on recent form, the odds favour the London-based club to triumph over United. In the three games they played this season, Manchester United won two and lost one. In their last game against Nottingham Forest, United were in trouble early on but managed to make a comeback. It will be interesting to see how the team plays against Arsenal.
Varun Anand Bhat | Get Football
