Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been labelled a defensive coach by those in the media, given his side’s improvement in the backline under his guidance.
The Gunners have become competitive again with the Spaniard at the helm, with the team transforming from mid-table obscurity to Premier League and Champions League contenders.
While that statement trophy is yet to be won, Arsenal are hopeful that this year will finally be the one where they lift it.
For many, it’s simply a matter of time before Mikel Arteta lands more silverware, while others think he may be the factor holding the team back.
Question marks have been raised over his team’s freedom to create and express themselves, though it’s a question that Noni Madueke may well have just answered.
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Noni Madueke says Mikel Arteta gives Arsenal players freedom
During his time as Arsenal manager, some have claimed that Arteta needs to give his players more freedom.
Some of the style played under the head coach is positional, based on playing stars in certain areas to create repeatable patterns of play and interchanges.
That doesn’t mean he isn’t giving his players freedom to seek chances and score goals, at least according to Madueke.
Speaking to the official Arsenal website, the star revealed: “I think it’s instinctive – Ebz [Eberechi Eze] and I play similarly in terms of we don’t really think much – we just play what we see.
“In terms of the collective unit, Mikel gives us freedom to get the ball and to try and be dynamic and positive, and I think we did that today.”
It dispels the myth that players aren’t given freedom under Arteta, as Madueke revealed as much himself.
However, perhaps it isn’t the attacking players who prove this point best, but rather a marauding defender.
Riccardo Calafiori proves Arsenal players have freedom under Mikel Arteta
While the forwards are the chief creators for Arsenal, there is one star who is unlike any other in the team.
That is Riccardo Calafiori.
It’s often quite tough to explain exactly what it is that the Italian international does well, but he is nothing short of a handful for the opposition.
Calafiori creates chaos, with his tall frame and mazy running often dismantling the opposition defence in ways they don’t expect.
The full-back can find himself playing as a winger or a midfielder in terms of his position, while Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest saw him pop up at right-back and right midfield at one point.
It’s the sort of freedom that comes with the knowledge that he must do the other side of the game well.
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