Philippe Coutinho has fallen out of favor at the Camp Nou! Who would have thought this was possible? After a season-long loan at German club Bayern Munich, it looks like the Brazilian has nowhere else to go, but back to the Premier League. Arsenal look like they are favorites to sign the 28-year-old.
With Mesut Ozil most likely to leave this transfer window, Arsenal will be in desperate need of an attacking midfielder. The Gunners also don’t have a natural left winger, with Aubameyang being forced to play on the left-wing. Coutinho ticks both of those boxes. Whether on loan or a permanent, the deal would be fantastic for both Arsenal and Coutinho.
Here are 3 ways Arsenal could line up with Philippe Coutinho in the squad. (note- Bernd Leno and Emi Martinez would keep switching)
Left Winger in 3-4-3 Formation
Currently, Arsenal are playing in a 3-4-3 formation. Chelsea and Arsenal both used this formation in the FA Cup final. The lineup includes 3 central defenders and 2 wing backs as a part of the midfield. It looks like this formation will be used in most of next season. With William Saliba, David Luiz and Pablo Mari as the leading center-backs and with Bernd Leno or Emi Martinez in goal, Arsenal’s defense looks sorted.
Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney would be used as wing-backs running up and down the flank at a great pace. With Dani Ceballos playing a more creative role and Granit Xhaka assuming the role of “the destroyer”, Coutinho would play as a left-winger with Nico Pepe on the opposite side. Aubameyang would lead the line as captain and the central striker.
Number 10 in 4-2-3-1 Formation
Arsenal’s typical formation since the 2010s. Arsene Wenger perfected this formation and would very rarely change it to accommodate players. Mikel Arteta has himself played in this formation at Arsenal under Wenger and has definitely picked up a thing or two from Le Professeur himself.
This formation favours the role of an attacking midfielder and gives the player more control over the game and is perfect for a player like Coutinho. The back 4 would consist of lude Hector Bellerin, William Saliba, David Luiz, and Hector Bellerin. At the same time, the two central midfielders could include any two from Lucas Torreira, Granit Xhaka, and Dani Ceballos. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang would be on the left flank with Bukayo Saka or Pepe on the right. Philippe would be the “number 10”, influencing the game the most, feeding the ball to Alex Lacazette.
Left Winger 4-3-3
4-3-3 is Pep Guardiola’s most favored formation at Manchester City. Arteta already has a lot of experience managing a side with this formation. The Spaniard has learned from the best, but it looks like he will take it a step further by adding his own twist to the squad.
The back four could rotate, with Cedric Soares at right-back, Rob Holding and Pablo Mari at center back, and Sead Kolasinac on the left. Dani Ceballos, Granit Xhaka, and Bukayo Saka could be the three midfielders. Nico Pepe would stay on the right-wing and Aubameyang would lead the line. The Brazilian would once again be on the left-wing. This looks like a perfect formation as it brings balance in both attack and defense.
