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Arsenal’s seasons have tended to follow a distinct pattern over the last few years.

Fresh from their seemingly annual February /March meltdown, the Gunners have now arrived at the stage where a position in the top four looks genuinely precarious. Historically, they have been able to cobble together a good run of form at this point, to see them over the line into the familiar arms of Champions League qualification.

Whether through design or felicity, Arsene usually discovers a tactical formula that gives his team just enough momentum to cross the line. In the spring of 2015, he fell back on the Coq-zorla midfield axis with Ramsey on the right. Arsene selected the same starting XI for seven consecutive games during that period.

In 2013, he dropped Szczesny and Vermaelen and went for a safety first approach. The team conceded five goals in their final ten fixtures, pipping Spurs to four on the final day. In 2009, Arsene teamed Song with Denilson at the base of the midfield for increased security and signed Andrei Arshavin to add a splash of creativity as they trailed Aston Villa in fifth.

In 2006, the Gunners signed Emmanuel Adebayor and Abou Diaby in the January transfer window to add some much needed physicality to a slight team. The worry is that, in March 2017, Arsene does not seem to have found a similar solution. Or has he?

Arsene has probably never had so many central midfield options available to him as he has now. Yet he has never struggled quite so badly to find a combination that works in the engine room. Coquelin and Cazorla is the only remotely complementary partnership. Xhaka and Elneny seems to have some promise, but is possibly a little lacking going forward.

It’s proved to be such a problem for Wenger because of the freedom afforded to Mesut Özil from a central position. The German’s presence in a free role effectively means that Arsenal play with a midfield duo and most of the Gunners’ opponents play with a trio.

So the duo that Arsene chooses are often overworked. When Özil is on form, this is less of an issue, but during periods of lower productivity (i.e. now), the headache is significantly larger. Against Southampton in the FA Cup, Wenger started with an interchangeable trio of Maitland-Niles, Rene-Adelaide and Oxlade Chamberlain in the middle.

Obviously the shadow side the Saints put out provides a large asterisk, but the movement of this dynamic triumvirate oiled Arsenal’s engine beautifully. Chamberlain’s improved performances in central midfield have made him a viable option and he could provide Arsene’s ‘Eureka’ moment for spring 2017.

(Image: Ian Walton/Getty Images)

Arsenal have started with a trio of Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ramsey in recent matches against Bayern Munich and Lincoln and I think it is worth a prolonged look. At least in theory, the three provide a good blend of qualities.

Granit Xhaka looks an excellent deep lying distributor, but he has suffered from the exposure of playing in a system as open as Arsenal’s. He lacks off ball dynamism- hence his, ahem, cynical challenges.

Alongside two more rumbustious players like Chamberlain and Ramsey, this weakness is reduced. The two Brits give Xhaka the legs that he needs around him to be fully effective. Chamberlain meanwhile, is a good ball carrier.

He can move the team 15-20 yards further up the pitch with his powerful dribbling. He is a very different player to Santi Cazorla, but he provides the Gunners something they miss in the Spaniard’s absence- the ability to wriggle away from pressure in their own half.

Meanwhile, Ramsey adds powerful off ball running and ability to find pockets of space between the opponent’s defensive and midfield lines. Ramsey flourishes in a similar system for Wales, with Joe Allen operating as a kind of metronome and Joe Ledley as a fellow box to box presence. Xhaka, Ramsey and Chamberlain gives Arsenal a more powerful, athletic base in their midfield.

Xhaka can move the ball with his range of passing, Chamberlain can progress play with his dribbling and Ramsey moves into space very quickly off the ball. It’s not perfect of course. Though Chamberlain spreads play well, his final ball higher up the pitch needs work. Xhaka still cannot tackle and Ramsey can overcomplicate play at times.

I am not sure that this midfield trio constitutes the team’s long term future, but it might have enough about it to see Arsenal through until May, which is more than can be said of the other innumerable combinations already trialled this season.

It does leave the question as to what to do with Mesut Özil. He would probably have to settle for a wider role, like the one he plays for his country. Playing with a completely free role in a midfield three is a privilege that ought to be reserved for when he is in better form. For now, Arsenal haven't really left themselves enough time or space to hope that he can find that spark again.