Arsenal relied on Dani Ceballos’ last-breath winner to secure the move to the English Cup semi-final at the expense of an unfortunate Sheffield United.
The Gunners almost found themselves in need of extra time after Sead Kolašinac’s clearance bounced off his own man and fell on David McGoldrick’s path in the 87th minute.
The striker from the Blades who struggled to find the net, overtook Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martínez to complete the procedure, before Ceballos scored a late clincher.
Kolašinac had started the game in a role he did not know, as a left central defender in a back three made up of Bosnian himself, David Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi. Left back Kieran Tierney was left to accompany Kolašinac on the left and he mainly embraced the shooting line for most of the game.
The left side duo struggled lightly with frequent bombing in the box, courtesy of Jack Robinson’s long flat throws. Despite Oli McBurnie’s aerial prowess, Arsenal withstood the storm, although it raised doubts about Kolašinac’s central suitability given the way it fought the Scotsman in the air.
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On the ground, Kolašinac fared much better, which was expected given its well-organized construction. Only Ainsley Maitland-Niles and in a dynamic right-back role have completed more tackles for Arsenal than the central defender.
In a positional position, Kolašinac was generally more advanced than Mustafi on the other side, with Arsenal training in possession that often appeared as 2-3-4-1. With Tierney pushed forward and progressive play to the left, he gave Bukayo Saka a license – starting with another role – to slip in and connect the game between Sheffield United’s lines.
Saka was helpful in bouncing the wall steps and tried to make combinations with Tierney on the left side. In taking central positions out of possession, he was rarely collected and often received by Kolašinac and Tierney.
Mikel Arteta’s thought behind Kolašinac to the central defender made sense in theory; a stocky and brutal player who can support a more athletic couple on his side of the pitch in Tierney and Saka. However, in practice, Kolašinac was perhaps a little short of the skills necessary to habitually play that role.
Against a team with more dynamic midfield runners, Kolašinac would probably have been captured due to his positioning.
As for Saka, taking on a role similar to his posting in the 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, his left-handed combination with Tierney should encourage supporters of the Art and Arsenal
His freer and more central role allowed Tierney to spread his legs along the left side of the field, and in a game in which Arsenal was under pressure for long periods, for the Scotsman who attempted five game crosses open suggests something clicked between the young couple.
However, Arsenal are in the semi-final of the FA Cup and may have stumbled upon a way of playing that could mitigate the blow if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leaves this summer. He may need polishing, as well as Kolašinac’s suitability for such a role, and he will almost certainly require Saka, but the first signs were positive.
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It would have been Saka’s central bait race to scramble the Blades ‘defense for Dani Ceballos’ winner. When Arsenal stepped forward, in a move that originated from the teenage feeling, Saka made an intuitive counter-thrust towards the rear pole, allowing Ceballos to overlap Pépé and choose his place in the nearby Dean Henderson pole.
In a new aspect on the left, Arsenal was not convincing at times on the defensive, but going forward Tierney and Saka seemed to work quite well in tandem.
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