We’ve seen an Egyptian arrive to English Premier League before and also depart in an unconvincing manner. This might not be the same in the case of Egypt’s promising midfield player, Mohamed Elneny. Elneny made headlines after agreeing to join Premier League’s leaders Arsenal on the basis of a four and a half year contract. Arsene Wenger will be extremely pleased by this deal and after seeing to it that a gaping hole has been covered we assess on what crucial role Elneny shall play and how Arsenal will line up with him.
How will Elneny play a crucial part in this astounding Arsenal team:
*The most expected function of Elneny will be to play the role of a midfield anchorman.
Francis Coquelin picked up his first major injury after a lot of game time and of course Arsenal have been quite frustrated seeing the amount of injuries Mikel Arteta and Flamini have picked up in recent times. It was evident and hugely important that Arsenal wrapped up the deal of Elneny in a limited time. The most hoped thing after Elneny’s signing is that he may be able to prove as an upgrade for both Arteta and Flamini, who aren’t being witnessed as long term solutions and rightly so.
One of the most significant observations of the Arsenal side show us that the elected Central Defensive Midfielder is expected to single handedly cover up and blend with the defence as the likes of Ramsey and Ozil surge forward in attack. At 5ft eleven, Elneny is definitely not in the size of Patrick Viera but Arsenal fans shall expect no less. A player with brilliant dynamism and plenty of desire, Mohamed Elneny has a few characteristics that will help him announce himself without a doubt.
The 23-year-old developed a fine passing range in his three years at Basel, and he enjoys launching attacks from deep, whether it be by charging forward with the ball at his feet, exchanging short passes with midfield partners, or spraying long balls towards the forwards. Elneny can also be an exceptional asset in the possession based game.
While Elneny is likelier to be like Coquelin in some aspects of the game, he also has other eye-catching attributes that can please Arsenal fans immensely. He is adventurous in the game and can be a box-to-box midfielder. One reason I say this is because Elneny has scored on 6 occasions for Basel this season while Coquelin hasn’t scored in 45 appearances for Arsenal. Another brilliant feature of this young Egyptian is his eye to score some stunning long rangers.
The Egyptian loves to roam forward and has developed a penchant for spectacular goals. His average of 1.8 shots per game in five Europa League appearances this season bears a stark contrast to Coquelin’s average of 0.3 shots per Premier League game over the last year (as per squawka). While Elneny maintains composure on the ball and possesses steeliness of Coquelin, he is also more likely to be successful and win the hearts of the Arsenal faithful.
How Shall Arsenal Line Up With Elneny?
My opinion is that Arsenal will play a modified 4-1-4-1 of their own according to how Mr.Wenger sees it. If Arsenal do manage to keep their players fit then it’s pretty evident that both Ozil and Ramsey will surge forward as usual and with the possible return of Alexis Sanchez and unlikely exemption of Joel Campbell as RW, Arsenal can form a stunning attacking line up with goals and goals and goals written over it.
Elneny here will be expected to hold the play and provide as a cover for defence at crucial times. He will also be expected to control a disorganized midfield if Ramsey and Ozil play further up. Occasionally though, we may see Ramsey drop in beside Elneny but as of now it looks like Elneny will be the lone central defensive midfielder playing ahead of Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.
