The ultimate utility man, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has arguably been his own worst enemy when it comes to establishing himself in the Arsenal first-team. The academy graduate’s versatility has seen him used all over the shop, and consequently, not really solidifying one position – in his career with the Gunners, he has played (and take a breath here): at centre-back, right-back, right-midfield, left-back, left-midfield, holding midfield and central midfield. All that’s really missing is a stint up front and replacing Bernd Leno in goal.

But following Hector Bellerin’s devastating knee injury at the beginning of 2019, Maitland-Niles has had to fill in at right-back for the Gunners, and to varying degrees of success. Look no further than this season when he went from being named man of the match against Newcastle in the opening Premier League game of the season, to getting sent-off in the first-half against Aston Villa. Under Unai Emery’s management, it was a roller-coaster ride.

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However, in these early stages of Mikel Arteta’s reign, the 22-year-old has settled down superbly to life at right-back. At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola (with Arsenal’s current head coach no doubt playing an active part) seemed to employ his full-backs like Kyle Walker in positions more in-field, rather than hugging the touch-line. This would create an overload in midfield and help to dominate possession.

Maitland-Niles appears to be under similar orders, playing his highest number of passes (73) of the season against Manchester United. His third-highest of the campaign (66) came in Arteta’s first game in charge against Bournemouth. And defensively, the Gunners ace has made marked improvements under the Spaniard already, seemingly buying into the head coach’s demands for commitment and energy, being far more aggressive in his approach. He posted season-highs of tackles (6) against Chelsea, and interceptions (4) against United.

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With Bellerin still suffering from a tight hamstring, and the Gunners no doubt cautious over not rushing him back to fitness, Maitland-Niles may well hold the fort at right-back for the foreseeable future. But if he continues to make huge strides as he has done in recent weeks, then the 22-year-old could well usurp his £36m-rated Spanish counterpart and become Arsenal’s first-choice. It may have taken a while, but he finally looks to have found a home in the side.

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