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- #261
Balance is definitely the aim here - I don't think it will solve all our problems because Arteta's system at the moment is very much predicated on structure alone and there doesn't seem to be a great deal of freedom at the moment.
That said, one of our biggest issues is the lack of presence in the pockets around the area - zone 14 as the stat nerds are calling it. That's typically an area that people would like to see Özil operate in. Laca tries to replicate this presence by dropping deeper but that may also be him compensating for his complete lack of athleticism and stamina at the moment. For me, players like Nelson, Saka and ESR have the capability to get on the ball and make things happen in these areas. They are young and inconsistent but they fit the profile needed.
Nelson has the most work to do IMO but he has the biggest gain. He's had 2 very promising performances this season that showed much more confidence than we have seen in the last 18 months or so. The issue is that both games were not highly contested, even though one was against Leicester. What Nelson needs to do is show the same kind of aggression on the ball in the PL and free himself from the timidity that was holding him back before. Arsenal are a team that suffers greatly in the chance creating department and Nelson - rather surprisingly, given the small sample size and lack of confidence - is one of our best chance creators per 90 since the beginning of last season. What needs to happen for him to justify starts is to improve the quality of those chances. The xA90 for those chances were not particularly high - 0.21 in the PL compared to 0.9 in the EL (way smaller sample size).
His dribbling looks much better so far this season than it has in a while. There's more purpose and excitement as with his youth days. I expect that to be the most noticeable improvement he can bring to the team. The other huge area where there must be an improvement is in shot volume. Shooting is one of Nelson's strongest assets but last season was hugely frustrating for me in that he was hardly ever in shooting positions regularly. Our build up is slightly more coherent under Arteta so I expect that to improve a little if he's in the side but he needs to be braver and take those kinds of risks.
These are things Nelson can do to get into the team. I think he has the most to gain from an opportunity and he has to stay fit and be brave. He's done OK so far this season but we need him to sustain it. As far as Willock and Nketiah are concerned, I'd like to see a lot more of the former in some games. I think being a regular starter is a little bit of a reach, but his movement in the right hand channel and growing aptitude in possession is hugely welcome, especially given Pepe's perpetual isolation on that side. Nketiah is a weird one at the moment because he's struggling to impose himself on games as it is. That said, I'd like to see him start to get fed more chances.
