On the one occasion this season when Arsene Wenger was asked the question out straight, he attempted a bit of evasion.
What, exactly, is his best midfield five? The Arsenal manager waxed on about the options available, before offering a knowing smile.
He and everyone else around the Emirates have certainly had a lot to be happy about as regards to that high-functioning midfield of late.
It’s remarkable how things have transformed. From a situation just three months ago when Arsenal’s defining issue was the ongoing struggle to add to their squad, Wenger now has a quandary about who to leave out. As many as 11 players are competing for five positions.
Of course, as Wenger and the likes of Jose Mourinho have already argued this season, the days of definitive first-choice XIs are gone.
Different games will have different demands and require different configurations. Wenger himself has started 14 different quintets in 20 league and Champions League games, and none of them more than twice.
Against Tottenham Hotspur and away to Dortmund, Arsenal’s possession was used in a more constrained way and the choice of players reflected that. Against the likes of Norwich, more predictably, they sought to flow.
At the same time, given the fact that passing and control remains the fundamental bedrock of everything Wenger does, Arsenal would logically seem to be a side with an ultimate template. Think, along similar lines, of the classic Barcelona front-six line-up of Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Leo Messi, Pedro and David Villa that imposed their possession on so many matches.
If Arsenal are flying high and in the kind of supreme form that ensures their passing alone renders opposition strengths almost irrelevant, what would Wenger’s ideal five between the defence and Olivier Giroud be?
In those 20 league and continental fixtures, the Emirates boss has so far used eight players at least seven times each. Some of those selections have been influenced by injuries but, with the likes of Theo Walcott returning, he may have a few tougher decisions.
So, who makes it hardest for him; who does he seem to favour?
To begin, it’s probably worth looking at the broad individual records of each player, how often they’ve been played and what the team’s general performance has been like with them in the team. Obviously, these figures are fairly crude, but they do provide an initial framework from which to pick things out.
As goes without saying, Wenger seems to see it as almost essential to get Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere in the team somewhere. The very fact they have started more games and most of the difficult ones, however, undeniably skews some of their stats as regards points-per-game and scoring.
It seems more telling to compare individual traits in the various defined positions:
Superficially, Mathieu Flamini doesn’t necessarily seem the most suitable for that key patrolling position. Both Mikel Arteta and Aaron Ramsey offer more tackles per game, while the Spaniard provides more interceptions. So far this season, Arsenal have also conceded less goals with Arteta in the team (0.55 compared to 0.7).
It is the record at the other end of the pitch, though, which complicates a few of those stats. It also points to the on-pitch reality that the key to many of these selections is not always the effect on the immediate area but the important link they create that improves the team as a whole. Flamini’s starts have seen considerably more goals (2.5 to 2.1) than Arteta’s, and one of Wenger’s comments about the French midfielder would appear to indicate why. “Flamini has given us a balance between attacking and defending,” the manager said.
Whereas Arteta seems to offer a greater quantity of ‘safer’ passes in order to bolster the side’s security, the nature of Flamini’s job would offer greater freedom to the players in front. There is also the fact that the Frenchman gets beaten (0.4 times a game) less than any other midfielder, further indicating the manner in which his organisation and presence - if not necessarily that notorious aggression - keeps opposition sides at bay, as Arsenal are allowed to play higher up the pitch.
Wenger did seem to effectively admit his preference for this position when he stated recently that Wilshere’s “best position is as a deep-lying midfielder, where he can be a distributor”. That certainly seems the case when you consider the amount of through balls (0.4) and key passes (1.1) the English midfielder has offered per game.
Those stats have also been affected by the fact Wilshere has been played further forward and even out wide in eight of his 12 games, as Wenger has proven more reluctant to move Ramsey from the centre. The Welsh player’s stats indicate why, as he’s kept things ticking with those passing figures but also offers important thrust. That is the case for now, but it’s difficult not to think it will alter in the long-term.
There’s no disputing this position. It is Ozil’s. An average of 2.8 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game - not to mention those assists - reveal why. Even allowing for his recent dip, he is the playmaker supreme.
Beyond defensive midfield, it is probably right wing that is the position that offers Wenger the most variation depending on the individual game. With Cazorla’s adhesive touch - 1.5 dribbles per game and 1.8 key passes - offering elegance on the left, Wenger can choose either Ramsey’s poise or Walcott’s pace on the right.
There are distinct differences here. Although Walcott has only played seven games so far this season, they have seen Arsenal at their most prolific (2.57 goals a game) and their most porous (an average of one conceded). Clearly, deploying the winger means Arsenal stretch opposition sides more, but at the cost of greater risk of losing possession. Walcott also offers a very different outlet in terms of his crosses. At 2.2 a game, that is far more than any other midfielder. For the moment, though, Ramsey seems to round off Arsenal's entire approach more.
Verdict: Flamini, Wilshere, Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla
When all are fit and available, what is Arsenal's best possible midfield line-up? Let us know in the comments below
