As Arsenal followers we’ve got been witnessed some excellent central defensive partnerships through the years. I used to be raised throughout the George Graham period when Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Martin Keown have been very a lot the bouncers in Arsenal’s defensive third. In the course of the 90s Arsenal had a defensive unit that solely AC Milan, replete with names corresponding to Maldini and Baresi, might declare to match.
When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996, he inherited a squad that was not a lot ageing as previous. Ian Wright, Nigel Winterburn and David Seaman have been 33, Tony Adams was 30, Steve Bould was 34 and Lee Dixon was 32. A mix of an previous squad and the membership’s first abroad supervisor that few folks in England had heard of led to hypothesis of an on the spot teardown rebuild.
I recall a excessive stage of hysteria round Wenger’s arrival- that he may not respect the synergy of that defensive unit and that he may not be capable of exchange it. It was a lot to everybody’s shock that all of it occurred so steadily. In a while; Wenger would comment, with typical philosophical poise, ‘I discovered they have been college graduates within the artwork of defending and Tony Adams was a professor of defence.’
Wenger largely opted to interchange them steadily, one after the other. Sylvinho arrived although his, ahem, ‘documentation points’ meant Ashley Cole supplanted Winterburn. Wenger purchased a Cameroonian midfielder from Spain to interchange Dixon at right-back (as you do), whereas Keown remained a mainstay of the workforce till a younger Ivorian midfielder named Kolo Toure got here into the backline and took over.
Changing Adams was a sore level and, for a few seasons, Arsenal actually carried that weight as Adams’ physique started to creak and he couldn’t face up to the rigours of week to week elite soccer any longer. Within the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons the Gunners completed miles away from Manchester United on the high of the desk and it was clear they wanted an Adams replacement- which was not the simplest factor to supply.
The matter reached a nadir in February 2001 when a again 4 of Oleg Luzhny, Gilles Grimandi, Igors Stepanovs and Sylvinho have been torn asunder at Previous Trafford, shedding 6-1 (it was 5-1 at half-time). I doubt it was one single sport that satisfied Arsenal to wreck their wage construction to signal Sol Campbell from Spurs however I think about that sport featured in Arsene’s PowerPoint presentation when he requested the board for the cash to persuade Campbell to affix.
The again 4 of Lauren, Toure, Campbell and Cole- two transformed midfielders and a transformed winger alongside Campbell (who made his debut for Tottenham as a centre-forward and performed at right-back earlier than transferring to the centre of defence) proved to be fashionable, formidable, savvy and athletic. It was a backline match for the twenty first century.
It’s not a coincidence that it featured so many gamers who had been transformed from midfield. That unit enabled Arsenal to defend on the midway line. All 4 of these defenders have been distinctive one-on-one defenders and able to overlaying house behind them. That’s the completely essential piece for any workforce that desires to dominate groups on a weekly foundation, that the defence (and the goalkeeper) can have excessive beginning positions and suffocate opponents.
Below Jurgen Klopp, the legendary entrance three of Mane, Firmino and Salah is likely one of the greatest assaults within the membership’s historical past (and that’s saying one thing for a membership like Liverpool). However in 2016-17, Liverpool boasted that entrance three and scraped fourth place within the league. It was the dual signings of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk that catapulted Liverpool right into a workforce that might win the Premier League and the Champions League.
Within the latter Wenger period, the Merterscielny partnership was one very symbiotic with Koscielny within the ‘hunter’ function, assembly attackers excessive up the pitch and stopping hazard earlier than it might percolate, with Mertesacker sweeping up any spillage which may seep in the direction of the penalty space. In 2024, I feel we nonetheless see the ‘sweeper / hunter’ partnerships in defence however they’ve developed a bit of.
Although there may be nonetheless a way of hunter sweeper, now it’s not sufficient for an elite workforce to have one defender on the midway line, each want to have the ability to play there. For the present Arsenal, Saliba and Gabriel is a partnership that has elevated the way in which that Arsenal can play. Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel and Tierney have been a powerful sufficient backline to problem for 4th place.
White, Saliba, Gabriel and Zinchenko (with Tomiyasu added liberally into one of many full-back positions when required) gave Arsenal the platform to problem for the title. The power of the centre-half partnership is predicated on their potential to cowl house. Zinchenko remodeled the way in which Arsenal play by drifting into midfield however that was solely made potential by Gabriel’s potential to cowl the house to his left so reliably.
Likewise, Saliba can defend on the midway line as a result of he has that gracile high quality the place he runs shortly with out actually trying as if he’s transferring in any respect. There’s a robust ingredient of fine cop dangerous cop within the pairing. Gabriel has that ‘knife within the enamel’ depth whereas Saliba is extra of a catwalk defender, transferring with class and a cocked eyebrow as one other ahead run is foiled.
I’ve by no means seen a 22-year-old that defends with the suaveness of Saliba. Gabriel’s potential to attain from corners means he’s simply starting to return to the eye of the broader public. Defenders typically discover their reputations enhance after they change into unavailable and everybody begins to see the hole they go away behind- as Arsenal did with Saliba final spring. Thus far, Gabriel has just about by no means been unavailable since signing in the summertime of 2020.
Now they’ve Declan Rice in entrance of them, Arsenal have change into some of the formidable out of possession groups on the planet. That occurs with good teaching, construction and ways, after all nevertheless it’s additionally not potential until you’ll be able to considerably overburden gamers on the base of your workforce who’re able to hand-to-hand fight.
Saliba and Gabriel are sometimes left to fend off intruders with a baseball bat. Whereas Zinchenko is much from essentially the most pure defender, I additionally assume some followers are ludicrously harsh on him and don’t actually take into account the problem of the duty he’s assigned. He’s requested to play two positions without delay and, guys, simply take into consideration how extremely troublesome that’s for a minute. Have a look at what occurs once we ask different gamers to do it, too.
I feel Mikel Arteta constructed his workforce ‘from the again’ out of necessity. Lacazette, Pepe and Aaubameyang have been costly and have been all the time going to take a while to maneuver on, whereas Saka and Martinelli have been already on the membership when Arteta was appointed. Changing the likes of Kolasinac, Mustafi and David Luiz was a extra pressing requirement. Nonetheless, regardless of the chronology, the way in which Arsenal are capable of play, on and off the ball, begins with Saliba and Gabriel. Arsenal’s platform in a structural sense and the platform that has seen them transfer from high 4 hopefuls to title challengers.
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