Comparing the stats of every CB combination used by Arsenal this term

Quick Reads

Laurent-Koscielny-Shkodran-Mustafi-Arsenal

Planet Football
25th April 2019

Arsenal have now conceded three goals in back-to-back Premier League fixtures following disappointing defeats to Wolves and Crystal Palace.

Unai Emery has tinkered with his centre-back combinations numerous times during his first season at the helm, experimenting with both a traditional back four and three at the back.

With or without Mustafi, Arsenal have been far from watertight at the back this season – they’ve only kept eight clean sheets, fewer than than Newcastle, Bournemouth and Cardiff – and we’ve crunched the numbers from their Premier League campaign to see how the Gunners have fared with different combinations in defence.

With a CB pairing

Arsenal added to their back line last summer by bringing in experienced Greek centre-back Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Borussia Dortmund for £17million. Sokratis has had a solid start to life in England, fitting in well as a no-nonsense centre half.

The most common match-up at the back over Arsenal’s season has been Sokratis and Mustafi, who have lined up together eight times. While this does appear slightly calamitous – they have conceded 14 goals in that time – results have been relatively good, with a win rate of 62.5%.

When Sokratis picked up an injury in a 2-0 win over Everton in October, it was 23-year-old Rob Holding who stepped up to fill his place. Playing alongside Mustafi six times, the pair won half of those games and conceded on average one goal per game.

Arsenal veteran Laurent Koscielny also returned from injury to give the side more stability at the back. Meanwhile, Nacho Monreal has also filled in on occasion, as has Konstantinos Mavropanos – who Emery clearly sees as one for the future.

Mustafi & Sokratis
Appearances: 8
Clean sheets: 2
Goals conceded per game: 1.75
Win rate: 62.5%

Mustafi & Holding
Appearances: 6
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 1
Win rate: 50%

Monreal & Sokratis
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 1
Win rate: 100%

Koscielny & Sokratis
Appearances: 3
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 1.25
Win rate: 25%

Monreal & Mustafi
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 1
Win rate: 100%

Koscielny & Mustafi
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 3
Win rate: 0%

Koscielny & Mavropanos
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 0
Win rate: 100%

🎶 Rob Holding, you know…@RobHolding95's been stepping up his recovery in north London 💪 pic.twitter.com/CeWVpglRYB

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 18, 2019

Three at the back

Emery has tinkered with his entire line-up many times this season and his defence is by no means exempt from this chopping and changing. Arsenal have started 13 games in the Premier League with a back three this season and the results have been mixed, to say the least.

While a back three definitely helps to bring the best out of their wing-backs – Sead Kolašinac on the left, Hector Bellerin or Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right – it has at times left Arsenal a little confused in the centre.

Arsenal fans will want little reminding of their 3-2 defeat to Southampton in December, which ended a 22-match unbeaten run and saw Stephan Lichtsteiner and Granit Xhaka start either side of Koscielny at the back.

Although they’ve only lined up together twice, a back three with bags of experience in Monreal, Koscielny and Sokratis helped commandeer an impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester United, securing a rare clean sheet along the way.

Mustafi, Sokratis & Holding
Appearances: 3
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 1.66
Win rate: 66.6%

Mustafi, Lichtsteiner & Sokratis
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 0
Win rate: 100%

Lichtsteiner, Koscielny & Xhaka
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 3
Win rate: 0%

Mustafi, Koscielny & Sokratis
Appearances: 2
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 1
Win rate: 50%

Monreal, Koscielny & Mustafi
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 1
Win rate: 100%

Monreal, Koscielny & Sokratis
Appearances: 2
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 0.5
Win rate: 50%

Mustafi, Monreal & Sokratis
Appearances: 2
Clean sheets: 1
Goals conceded per game: 0.5
Win rate: 50%

Mavropanos, Koscielny & Mustafi
Appearances: 1
Clean sheets: 0
Goals conceded per game: 3
Win rate: 0%

Overall

Unfortunately for Emery and for Arsenal fans, there’s little difference in results whether they play a back two or a back three: their win rate is 57.1% with a two, versus 53.8% with a three.

Similarly, they’ve conceded 1.29 goals per game with a two and 1.23 with a three, so it’s pretty inconclusive which system is tighter at the back.

Arsenal should be encouraged by what they’ve seen of Sokratis and Holding this term, however, and it’s a shame that those two didn’t start as a pair.