The 4-2-3-1 is more about the emergence of ESR and the acquisition of Odegaard than it is about Xhaka. We didn't settle into it last season until Boxing Day, which was, not coincidentally, ESR's first league appearance. With our personnel, I think we're married to the 4-2-3-1 for a while, plus the occasional fling with a back 3.
Brighton thread is up: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/p...7-arsenal-at-brighton-october-2-2021.2117703/
We went 4-3-3 against Burnley. I think there’s a decent chance we see at least as much of that (with Pepe) as a 4-2-3-1 (with Sambi) while Xhaka is out.
i really think one of odegaard/smith-rowe can play that 8.5 in a 4-3-3 (preferably odegaard) and try to mimic debruyne/silva. both might be a little lightweight (though i'd consider it if we had a kante or a gilberto silva at the base). i'd love to see odegaard/partey in that 8.5 and keeping smith-rowe out wide left. i mean, the effect is going to be largely the same: smith-rowe is going to cut inside and open the flank for tierney's overlap. odegaard is going to shunt wide right to allow saka to shift in while tomiyasu stays deeper. but it would allow partey to maraud while still leaving lokonga to protect/provide extra body for the back 4 (or 3 when tierney bombs forward).
Yeah, I really like ESR in that Pires-type role as opposed to having him drop deeper. Let Odegaard play the latter role in matches that require it.