naz
I'm not sure. Being ultra negative is not the same as being defensively solid.
Arteta's had one season with an outstanding defensive record and that was last season. The team was so dominant in every area of the pitch that we rarely had to play negatively in the league.
Without Saka we have no serious counter-attacking threat (I'd class Martinelli as a minor threat since he doesn't get many assists). As for the fullbacks, White and Calafiori are better further up the pitch and can be caught out at the back. Both of these details mean Arteta's playing ultra defensive football with a defensively compromised team.
