Arsenal fans have had plenty of reasons to be unhappy with manager Arsene Wenger this season. While their recent FA Cup semi-final win seemed to unite the club and support for the first time in months at the weekend, there have been far too many issues to be ignored come the summer.

One big grievance over the past few years has been the business done inside transfer windows, with many a signing failing to have any real impact on the first team, whilst the likes of the Manchester clubs, Chelsea and even Tottenham land superb players.

With Premier League leaders Chelsea having forked out £32m for the now PFA Player of the Season N’Golo Kante last summer, it was revealed that the Gunners failed to get a deal over the line for the outstanding France international before he joined Leicester in 2015, cue more outrage from fans in north London.

In order to solidify their midfield last summer Wenger went out and splashed similar money on Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka. There was plenty of hope surrounding the tough-tackling addition, with most fans expecting him to be the defensive midfielder they have always wanted.

However, as has become clear over the summer, Xhaka is far from a defensive midfielder. Whilst he does have a highly physical element to his game, he is not the sort of player that you can trust to sit back and marshal the lines in front of the back four, making that Kante shaped hole in Wenger’s side look an ever growing problem.

Wenger is famed for doing things his own way and not exactly being one for following trends, however, in their last two outings Arsenal have shaken things up and on for the rather in-vouge three-at-the-back formation, and with success.

Not only has this change in tact from the Frenchman brought back-to-back wins for the first time since January to his side, but it looks well on the way to solving that defensive midfield issue.

Leicester this evening looks to be another test of their new shape, however, looking at it’s first two outings there have been some good signs for Gunners fans.

With another two centre-halves either side of him, Gabriel Paulista was transformed against Manchester City against Wembley and put in perhaps his best performance in an Arsenal shirt, whilst Xhaka, with support behind him, was given the freedom to play in a more creative box-to-box role in which he seems far more comfortable.

With that in mind, the shift looks to have given Wenger’s side some added security when they are off the ball, and more creative spark in the midfield when they are on it.

Whilst, of course, Kante would always have been a good signing, it looks as if Arsenal could well get on just fine without him in their new shape.