Arsenal take on Southampton tomorrow afternoon in the Premier League in the hope of getting back to winning ways following disappointing results in their previous two outings.
The Gunners' hopes of finishing in the top four have been dented after back-to-back defeats to Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace and most recently against Brighton at the Emirates last Saturday.
But with Arsenal just three points behind Spurs, who currently sit in fourth, Mikel Arteta's men are still well in the race for a spot in Europe's top-flight next season although a win is desperately needed tomorrow afternoon.
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One of the key decisions Arteta will have to make is who to play at left-back. Last week, Granit Xhaka was utilised in this role, with Nuno Tavares left on the bench.
This was a surprise to many as last season, Xhaka performed the left-back role in Kieran Tierney's absence, which hindered the overall team functionality and it appears that the Spanish tactician hasn't learned from previous mistakes.
Whilst Tavares has struggled massively in recent performances against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forrest, the Portuguese defender was brought in to provide cover for the Scottish international.
In terms of quality, Tierney is clearly a far better player than Tavares as of today but profile-wise, the two have similarities, meaning that the overall team dynamics stay relatively intact when the former Benfica defender is included in the starting eleven.
Speaking ahead of the Southampton clash, Arteta appears to stand by his decision of playing Xhaka at left-back, stating that the stats show how good he is in that position.
Martin Keown however doesn't agree with the way the Swiss international is being utilised and goes onto say that in order for his former club to reach the next level, they need players of better quality.
“Now Wenger said something very telling… And he told us in the first few weeks: ‘I bought a player who can’t tackle’," he said.
“He actually told us that in a press conference. ‘I think it’s something you develop when you’re very young, it’s too late for him now. I’ve told him to stay on his feet’.
“Maybe that said it all. There’s an issue for him with mobility, and he really shouldn’t be playing left-back in the most recent games because you expose him again.
“But he puts a performance in and he’s vital in terms of leadership. But for us to go to the next level, we need a player of better quality.”
