4 David Luiz alternatives for Arsenal when they face Villarreal in the Europa League including Rob Holding, Calum Chambers, a back three and a back four. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Leaving Newcastle with three points, two goals scored, a clean sheet, no sight of Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring on his return and Arsenal being untroubled throughout was a near perfect day.
Near perfect day.
Such a thing does not exist in the stratosphere surrounding Arsenal Football Club. You to take the smooth with healthy servings of the rough. At St James’ Park in the Premier League it was David Luiz’s turn to dish up the most recent portion of bad luck as he pulled his hamstring in an innocuous hoof upfield.
Will he play again this season? It’s too soon to call but there is nothing to indicate that he will. Equally, it may be his final involvement with the club entirely.
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4 David Luiz alternatives for Arsenal when they face Villarreal in the Europa League
Talk of whether another one-year deal is going to be offered to the Brazilian has taken multiple turns throughout the season, one minute seeming inevitable and the next highly unlikely. Would he even want to stick around with no European football on offer and when there will be the likes of Benfica happy to write him up a two-year contract? That’s another debate.
And securing European football for next season will have to be done without him. Out of Thursday’s monumental meeting with Villarreal, Mikel Arteta has a decision to make in his back line.
Well, it’s a decision that few agree with. As of yet there is no indication that he will shift away from his back three setup with Granit Xhaka on the left, after it was put into practice once again on Sunday.
It came unstuck in the unbearable viewing that was the first leg, and Arteta can’t be as foolish again to allow that area to be exploited against a manager who will 100% set his team up to exploit that area all over again.
What will he go for? Well, without Luiz, he has some options.
CASTELLON, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Pablo Mari of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Villarreal v Arsenal at the Estadio de la Ceramica on April 29, 2021 in Castellon Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
1. The Same Defence as in the First Leg vs Villarreal
Nightmare scenario out of the way first, Arteta may feel like his setup was the right one for the occasion, and it was merely carried out incorrectly following that early goal setback.
Laying it out as four defenders, Xhaka, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers might just be the single least athletic defence of all time. It’s hilariously slow.
With Arsenal leaving huge gaps between their lines, the protection for that quartet was minimal at best and allowed Gerard Moreno to drop into the half-spaces and Samuel Chukwueze to isolate Xhaka multiple times. Mari had a poor evening both with and without the ball, Holding was shaky, Chambers did okay and Xhaka did all he could for someone not built to play there.
Is Arteta going to gut out his defence and change personnel knowing the first leg was a mistake and reshaping the team will disrupt Unai Emery’s preparations, or will he stick to his guns (not out of the question at all) and put the first leg down to a very bad day at the office?
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<h2>4 David Luiz alternatives for Arsenal when they face Villarreal in the Europa League</h2>
<p>Talk of whether another one-year deal is going to be offered to the Brazilian has taken multiple turns throughout the season, one minute seeming inevitable and the next highly unlikely. Would he even want to stick around with no <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/04/30/arsenal-4-talking-points-villarreal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European football</a> on offer and when there will be the likes of Benfica happy to write him up a two-year contract? That’s another debate.</p>
<p>And securing European football for next season will have to be done without him. Out of Thursday’s monumental <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/04/29/arsenal-villarreal-saka-rescues-arteta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meeting with Villarreal</a>, Mikel Arteta has a decision to make in his back line.</p>
<p>Well, it’s a decision that few agree with. As of yet there is no indication that he will shift away from his back three setup with Granit Xhaka on the left, after it was put into practice once again on Sunday.</p>
<p>It came unstuck in the unbearable viewing that was the first leg, and <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/01/arsenal-martinelli-newcastle-arteta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arteta can’t be as foolish</a> again to allow that area to be exploited against a manager who will 100% set his team up to exploit that area all over again.</p>
<p>What will he go for? Well, without Luiz, he has some options.</p>
<div id="attachment_115002" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115002" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1232629380-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Pablo Mari" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">CASTELLON, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Pablo Mari of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Villarreal v Arsenal at the Estadio de la Ceramica on April 29, 2021 in Castellon Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>1. The Same Defence as in the First Leg vs Villarreal</h2>
<p>Nightmare scenario out of the way first, Arteta may feel like his setup was the right one for the occasion, and it was merely carried out incorrectly following that early goal setback.</p>
<p>Laying it out as four defenders, Xhaka, Pablo Mari, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers might just be the single least athletic defence of all time. It’s hilariously slow.</p>
<p>With Arsenal leaving huge gaps between their lines, the protection for that quartet was minimal at best and allowed Gerard Moreno to drop into the half-spaces and Samuel Chukwueze to isolate Xhaka multiple times. Mari had a poor evening both with and without the ball, Holding was shaky, Chambers did <em>okay</em> and Xhaka did all he could for someone not built to play there.</p>
<p>Is Arteta going to gut out his defence and change personnel knowing the first leg was a mistake and reshaping the team will disrupt Unai Emery’s preparations, or will he stick to his guns (not out of the question at all) and put the first leg down to a very bad day at the office?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2. Chambers & Bellerin </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_115003" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115003" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1315335790-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Calum Chambers" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">VILLARREAL, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Calum Chambers of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League Semi-final First Leg match between Villareal CF and Arsenal. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2. Chambers at Centre-Back and Hector Bellerin at Right-Back</h2>
<p>When Luiz was withdrawn the decision was to bring on Chambers instead of Holding. Still operating with the back three, Chambers came in to centre-half with Bellerin remaining on the field to maintain pace in wide areas.</p>
<p>Considering how hideously immobile the back four was in Spain, adding <em>some </em>legs at full-back has to be in Arteta’s mind to provide something in the way of balance. If he sticks to this system, Bellerin will have more freedom to push up and then Chambers can even slot into midfield to form a double pivot with Thomas Partey.</p>
<p>Arsenal have to score and if Villarreal do they’re looking at two minimum for extra-time, thus a front foot approach may either be the starting mantra or what the side build up to as the match goes on.</p>
<p>Chambers has better long-range distribution than Holding and is more adept at carrying the ball out from the back, while he can cover his full-back to a decent enough standard, albeit not as well as Holding. Some of those qualities may need to be sacrificed in favour of what can be brought to the table in an attacking sense.</p>
<p>Of course, when was the last time Bellerin played right-back with Chambers at centre-back and Mari/Gabriel alongside him? The answer is never. Arteta will be woe to change his defence up too greatly (you’d think, anyway) given the scale of the fixture, even if in terms of suitability it may be the best group to go with.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Holding & Bellerin </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_115004" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115004" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1232630272-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Rob Holding" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">CASTELLON, SPAIN – APRIL 29: Rob Holding of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League match between Villarreal v Arsenal at the Estadio de la Ceramica on April 29, 2021 in Castellon Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3. Rob Holding at Centre-Back & Hector Bellerin at Right-Back</h2>
<p>No massive change and the same general principle as with Chambers, only valuing the individual qualities of Holding over those of his teammate.</p>
<p>There are umpteen different variations for which backline to go for which is, in no ways, a positive thing. Having a set back four, or back three, is the essential foundation to build your team from. There has to be stability in that area of the pitch which can they transpire into the attacking and flair players expressing their talents.</p>
<p>Injuries have not helped, thus with those available the pairing that is going to provide Arsenal with the most stability is Holding and Mari.</p>
<p>Watch back the events of the first leg and nobody in their right mind would back that claim, yet over the sample size available with the two playing together it’s been more encouraging than discouraging.</p>
<p>If that’s the duo Arteta plumps for, then he still has to have some pace at right-back to add protection in transition and disruption into Villarreal. The Spanish side don’t play with bombing, overloading full-backs but if they do it comes via left-back Pervis Estupiñán. Get Bellerin up high and pinning him into his own half, with Mari and Holding’s relationship in the heart of defence providing the platform needed for the lines in front to create openings.</p>
<p>Is <em>this </em>what Arteta will opt for?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 4. Back to basics </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_115005" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-115005" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1232651690-850x560.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Mikel Arteta" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta speaks to the media after the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Arsenal. (Photo by LEE SMITH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>4. Return to an Actual Back Four</h2>
<p>This option has nothing to do with Luiz’s injury, but is nonetheless the system needed when Villarreal come to town. Xhaka’s application and attitude is exemplary given the task bestowed upon him, none of which transforms his body into the full-back type, however.</p>
<p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/05/03/arsenal-4-david-luiz-alternatives/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2021/04/29/villarreal-arsenal-tactics-shape/2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Touched upon already</a>, the need for added speed both personnel-wise and in terms of tactics against Villarreal can’t be ignored.</p>
<p>Get Xhaka back into midfield and put Cedric, who isn’t perfect in the role either, at left-back. Then Arteta can revert to his Mari and Holding central defensive partnership, with either Chambers or Bellerin at right-back.</p>
<p>Luiz’s injury shouldn’t prompt this and it should be the approach anyway as Emery has already seen how his side can work their way through this system. In order to give the ploy from the first leg protection Mohamed Elneny would come into a midfield, a completely illogical move that limits other areas of the pitch by add cover to an area that shouldn’t be in use in the first place.</p>
<p>Arteta re-wrote the rulebook on how his side should operate in Tierney’s absence, asking his players to perform a totally different set of tasks not akin to those carried out during the season. It worked, for a while, but now needs scrapping. Revert to normality and principles the players know.</p>
<p>It’s unlikely to happen, though.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
