The transfer window will be at the forefront of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s priorities at the moment but he will also be pondering yesterday’s game. The Gunners were made to work hard by Sheffield United but a tactical change saw them pick up their third league win this season.
The first half was pretty uneventful, with both sides reluctant to commit players into the opposition third. On the rare occasions they did, they failed to seriously test either goalkeeper.
Things remained the same at the start of the second half as well, forcing Arteta to change his system. The move changed the game completely and Arsenal all but put the game to bed within three minutes.
The move saw Arteta replace Eddie Nketiah with Nicolas Pepe. The Ivorian’s introduction pushed Willian to the left flank while skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang played through the middle for the first time in months.
Suddenly the terrifying pace of Arsenal’s new-look front three put the Blades on the back foot. The Arsenal skipper linked the play beautifully for the first goal before Pepe stormed into Sheffield United’s box to double the lead.
The pace Arsenal had in the final third tore the Blades apart and if Arteta sticks with the same trio, it’s likely to trouble almost every team in the league.
Some Arsenal fans have reacted by urging Arteta to play Aubameyang as a number nine. Many feel he will be a much bigger threat up front than on the left flank, where he has played the majority of his games for the Gunners.
Here’s how some Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter
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