With Cesc Fabregas spirited away by Barcelona after seasons of endless speculation, many had assumed the late August deadline-day swoop for Mikel Arteta would see the Spaniard take on the playmaker mantle in light of his compatriot’s departure.
A series of injuries and suspensions, however, has decimated the Arsenal midfield so far and as yet, Arsene Wenger’s intentions for the former Everton man remain unclear. An ankle injury to Jack Wilshere has been a significant blow for Wenger. The youngster has failed to play a single minute of the season so far and faces months on the sidelines after recent surgery. If Wilshere was fit, it’s conceivable that Arteta could, indeed, play in the role just behind Robin Van Persie but his subsequent absence has meant a more withdrawn midfield role for the Spaniard at present.
With his fair share of set-piece duties and priced at 8.2 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Arteta was on many Fantasy managers’ radars after the Emirates switch but so far, it’s been Aaron Ramsey who Wenger has turned to for the more advanced position. As the weeks have gone by, the Welshman has steadily grown accustomed to his role in the Gunners first-team; playing in every minute of their league season so far. He’s picked up two assists and a goal in his last three games, despite his side’s stuttering performances.
At 6.3 in comparison, Ramsey is currently looking the most likely to produce in the Arsenal midfield and with a total points haul of 30, is bettering Arteta’s score of 25. Ahead of a very favourable run of games that sees them face (SUN, STO, che, WBA, nor, FUL) we analyse both player’s performances in last weekend’s defeat at Spurs:
A look at the players’ average positions at White Hart Lane shows how far forward Ramsey (16) is getting when in possession for Arsenal. His role was a more prominent attacking one compared to the Gunners’ starting wide men Gervinho (27) and Theo Walcott (14), with Arteta (8) pushing on from deep.
The Spaniard made 91 passes in total, with 80 successful and passed to Ramsey 16 times, more than any other team mate. Ramsey made a total of 74 passes with 60 successful- 11 went to Arteta- again, this was the most he made to any team mate. He also grabbed the Gunners equaliser, of course, firing off 2 shots to Arteta’s 1.
If this was purely a tactical dissection of Ramsey’s play, the Welshman is hardly devoid of criticism; he failed to provide any real support for Robin Van Persie, making just 4 successful passes to the Dutchman, for example, and some of his forward balls went astray, leading directly to Spurs attacks.
From a Fantasy perspective, however, he is proving far better “Value” than any other Gunners midfielder and from that angle, his contribution is significant. A look at his passing zones compared to Arteta’s is promising; 35% of Ramsey’s passes in open play were in his opponents’ final third of the pitch, with Arteta managing just 14%. In last season’s equivalent fixture, Cesc Fabregas made 72 passes with 57 successful, with 24% coming in the Spurs final third- again, an encouraging sign for those eyeing up Ramsey as an option.
With both Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero banging in the goals, many Fantasy managers will be reluctant to take a punt on Van Persie, given Arsenal’s dismal recent form. For those looking for alternative Gunners coverage, Ramsey is proving a useful alternative right now- Van Persie comes in at 11.9 in comparison and has accrued just a single Fantasy point more so far this season, despite the 5.6 price difference.
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