What’s happened to Mertesacker? 13/14 and 14/15 Compared

Arsenal have had a poor start to the 2014/2015 season, accumulating only 17 of 33 available Barclays Premier League points.  One of the reasons for their poor start has been the fact that their they have been leaky at the back.  After years of defensive woes, Arsenal finally looked like they had put together a good defence in 2013/2014, keeping 17 clean sheets and conceding only 41 goals, fourth best in the league.  All the good work that Arsenal have done defensively for the last year and a half seems to have gone out the window this season with them returning to their poor defensive ways.

One of the biggest changes in the Arsenal defence this season has been the dramatic drop in form of vice captain Per Mertesacker.  The World Cup winner had a fantastic 2013/2014.  He was a rock in the heart of the Arsenal defence all season, lifting the FA Cup with the Gunners, and then the World Cup with Germany.  After the World Cup, Mertesacker retired from the German national team in order to help preserve his club career.  Ever since, Arsenal’s large German’s form has fallen off of a cliff and has been a huge part of the problem.

The majority of Mertesacker’s individual statistics have decreased this year.  He has become more error prone, made far fewer clearances, and has made more errant passes.  Mertesacker has won a higher percentage of his aerial duels, but he has not won as many of them.  The German has not been in position to make as many clearances this season, facing problems of being sloppy on the ball, lacking concentration, and his reading of the game has not been up to scratch.

The World Cup winner is known for being slow when it comes to his feet, but he is usually a very quick thinker, reads the game well, and is very good with his positioning.  However, Mertesacker was at fault for goals against both Hull and Anderlecht because he did not read the situation properly and allowed a striker to get across him.  Both of these goals have cost the Gunners points.  Neither of these events are tracked in statistics, but they do show the drop in form Mertesacker has had.

There are a couple of possible explanations for the dramatic drop in form of Arsenal’s big German centre-back.  The two most obvious explanations would be fatigue from a busy 2013/2014 that included 52 appearances for Arsenal and a World Cup with Germany or the fact that he has been missing his defensive partner, Laurent Koscielny.  Koscielny and Mertesacker have been able to combine to be a fantastic pairing for Arsene Wenger’s side because they cover each others’ faults well.  The lack of the Frenchman and the fact that he has been replaced be Nacho Monreal, the Spaniard is a left-back not a centre-back, could be a cause of the huge drop in form for the 30 year old.

Two other possibilities are that Arsenal lacks a quality defensive midfielder in front of him.  Add that with the fact that, when he has been fit, Aaron Ramsey has not been as good defensively this season it leaves the back four more open to attacks.  The loss of Bacary Sagna could also be a contributing factor.  While he lacks going forward, the French full-back is very assured defensively.  He tended to stay back more often than most modern full-backs and helped cover Mertesacker.  Instead of the veteran Frenchman, Arsenal have primarily used the inexperienced Calum Chambers at right-back, after the injury to Mathieu Debuchy.

Any combination of those explanations could be the reason for the drop in form, or it could be something totally different.  Whatever the reason, Mertesacker’s form has dropped, he has been less of a leader on the pitch, and he has not been up to the standard that he has set for himself over the last few seasons.  If Arsenal are to pick up their form, the defence will need to get back to their level of the last year and a half.  If the Arsenal defence are to pick up their level, it will need to start with the Arsenal vice captain.