ARSENAL have been patient in the transfer window so far, but it is thought that the Gunners have big plans ahead of the new season.
Mikel Arteta is believed to be looking to strengthen the striker and left-wing positions to add more versatility and threat in the final third as they look to chase Liverpool down.
Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Eberechi Eze[/caption]
One of the strongest rumours at the moment sees them heavily linked with England attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace.
While Eze can play from the left, and even off the main striker, his best role is as the most advanced 8 from the centre of the midfield where he can get on the ball and hurt the opposition consistently.
Here, we look at how he can make Arsenal a far greater threat going forward.
Intelligent positioning
Last season was a varied one for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard in the midfield.
The Norwegian international suffered injuries that limited his minutes during the middle of the season.
Even when he returned, he struggled at points to make an impact in the biggest games.
We believe that Arteta will continue to be flexible in his tactical approach between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4–3–3.
The key differences between these two systems sit in their use of midfielders, with the 4-2-3-1 requiring two deeper midfield players and the 4-3-3 two more advanced players.
Adding a player like Eze, who excels when it comes to finding space in the opposition defence to receive the ball, and who can get on the ball before turning and driving forward to run at opposition defenders, would bring real threat to the attacking phase for Arsenal.
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Eze is a player who really comes alive in the final third and who has the ability to run with the ball and find the final pass to break the line to create for team-mates.
Here, we see Eze has positioned himself intelligently in the final third in order to receive the ball from a deeper area.
He is the type of midfielder who will consistently find these areas to receive the ball
Eze carries a threat when receiving the ball in space because his first instinct is to get the ball out of his feet and drive forward in possession.
He is an extremely technical player who can take the ball under pressure and play off minimal touches.
But his ability to scan and find pockets of space tends to see him receive the ball in open areas of the pitch.
As an option, similar to Odegaard, but more likely to be positioned to the left-side of the midfield, Eze would represent an upgrade on Arsenal’s current attacking options from the midfield.
His ability to attack and outplay opposition midfielders in 1v1 situations would also help Arsenal to break down opposition defensive blocks when they want to sit deep.
This time we see Eze moving and attacking in space having received between the lines.
His ability to carry the ball moves his team through the thirds and immediately threatens the opposition defensive line.
Ball progression
Eze is a very good dribbler, whether in open or tighter spaces. He is creative and difficult to defend against.
With that said, we cannot overlook his creative passing and ability to find a way to break the final defensive line with his passing ability.
He has the technical ability to break lines with passes played with real weight and quality and he also has the vision to find creative angles to release runners.
He plays with his head held high and sees passes and opportunities that other players simply don’t.
Here, Eze has taken the ball in transition and started to drive forward to affect the game.
He moves well and with his head held high.
As the game starts to open up ahead of him, he has the quality to find the final pass to release a team-mate into space and behind the defensive line on the far side.
One of the criticisms that was levelled at Arsenal last season was that they were slow in the attacking phase with passive movement and passing as they looked to build their attacks.
Adding a player with the aggressive ball carrying and passing profile of Eze will definitely speed up the Arsenal build-up and bring more aggression in the final third.
His ability to see things that others don’t see will open up so many attacking options for Arsenal.
Around the edges of the penalty area, he has creative flicks and quick passes that will create opportunities for team-mates to shoot and generate more goal scoring chances.
We see an example of this creative passing here. First, he makes an aggressive run to get beyond the ball into central areas.
As he receives the ball, he can then read the movement of the striker curving around behind him and find a creative pass to release that run and create a shot.
Getting beyond the ball
Eze is aggressive when the ball is not in his zone. He will look to make longer runs to get into dangerous areas and his ability to get beyond the ball with pace and power makes him very difficult to defend against.
Here, we see the Crystal Palace striker has dropped deep and released an attacking player on the near side.
It is Eze who then makes the aggressive run to get beyond and provide an attacking option for his team.
Crystal Palace tended to use Jean-Phillipe Mateta as a target-style forward, and he would drop into deeper spaces to receive the ball.
As he drops and links the play, it is Eze who then provides the attacking threat with his movement into advanced forward areas.
For a team like Arsenal, whose midfielders are relatively static in terms of staying behind the ball, the addition of a runner with the threat and goalscoring ability of a player like Eze will bring significant impact.
Here, Eze gets into position to score the most important goal of the season for Palace and win the club the FA Cup.
Once again, he makes the run to get beyond the ball and he arrives with good timing to score.
Conclusion
When it comes to recruitment, a lot of the talk is around player profiles and how they fit with one another.
The signing of Eze would, without a doubt, bring a profile that Arsenal do not currently have, and one that would bring real value to their squad
