When Mikel Arteta determined the time was appropriate to set up Sokratis Papastathopoulos at the right of a four-man defence that you guess he believing and wasn’t seeing clips of this veteran game in the place. Not because October 4, 2015, had Sokratis played right-back, a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich to an injury-afflicted Borussia Dortmund at which the giant Greek global found himself being pushed at a gigantic 14 occasions by Douglas Costa, the Brazilian decided to humiliate his rival when the ball came his way. Together with Thiago and David Alaba offering assistance to Costa you guessed that game could scar him somewhat more than his job of safeguarding Ezgjan Alioski, notable as Leeds United’s No.10 was tonight.
There was evidence in that match which Sokratis had the attributes to be a back has there been during his time at Arsenal. That the 31-year-old cope with any spans which come his way and can enforce his will on attackers into tackles. Yet he has always struggled with the ball at his feet, hasn’t revealed himself to be the best crosser of the ball and, although he isn’t quite as dumb to pay earth as his detractors could guess, you wouldn’t confuse him with Ainsley Maitland-Niles or even Hector Bellerin at complete tile. Modern Sokratis would mark boxes In the event that you were constructing a record of those prototypical.So did Arteta choose to stick Sokratis broad on the right? Bellerin’s harm restricted his choices until the Spaniard is accessible, but it will not be long. There was for. It was evident that there was strategy to the insanity of Arteta though Sokratis was ill at ease in his function that Nicolas Pepe needed to advise him. Leeds were decided to press breakneck speed and they did better than any group that Arsenal have played with this year. Marcelo Bielsa’s side tore in a means which was organised and feral at their hosts. Arsenal’s rear seven couldn’t settle in ownership, a minimum of one blue shirt greeted their signature.
The Gunners have had their own problems playing this year of out, Arteta was right to presume that if Leeds were in their most Arsenal would be unable to weave their way through. Nevertheless, this group have lacked this year to an out ball considering that Olivier Giroud left. Alexandre Lacazette is a target guy with the ball at his feet but he gave up a few inches whilst you wouldn’t anticipate Reiss Nelson, Mesut Ozil or even Nicolas Pepe to become winning punts. This squad lacks so Arteta needed to think 19, anybody who can acquire duels. There are more so that he would need to be a target person imposing choices. Emiliano Martinez lofted his moves towards Sokratis’ mind, the method of breaking up the media. The won his aerial duels all within the first 25 minutes, discovering Pepe or even a midfielder and permitting Arsenal to start building moves.It didn’t work out wasn’t Arsenal responded to the power of Leeds his function was completed by Sokratis but. Consistently, if they got the ball that they found themselves spooked from the opponents’ power, giving passes in places off. This was especially true of Matteo Guendouzi, who charged upfield attempting to acquire it back and gave the ball. That supposed Leeds keep down on a defence that was protected and could burst beyond the Frenchman. No wonder they were given a strong rollicking at half-time by Arteta.
