Arsenal have earned widespread praise this season, and rightly so, for their free-flowing and fresh outlook on challenging for the title.
Mikel Arteta has assembled a squad of likeable youngsters blended perfectly with quality and experience, and is reaping the rewards.
What knits everything together however is his philosophy, which he has borrowed largely from his former colleague Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City man, who is his closest competitor in this race for glory, has revolutionised the tactical landscape with his ideals over the years.
Whether it be inverted wing backs, playing without a striker or insisting the goalkeeper play out from the back, every coach has taken some inspiration from the legendary Spaniard.
However, what Arteta has built leans massively on all three of those attributes and more, even taking Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from the Cityzens to complete his outfit.
The latter in particular has been a revelation, with his technical quality and immense intelligence at left-back helping to uphold the whole structure. However, with Granit Xhaka nearing the twilight years of his career and his spot on the left side of midfield opening up, the Gunners need look no further than their Ukrainian defender to fill such a void.
This would free up a new vacancy for Lino Sousa to emerge from the academy.
Who is Lino Sousa?
Having deputised in the engine room on numerous occasions, and boasting both the attacking and defensive quality to shine in place of the Swiss general, Zinchenko would be a fine fit.
This season he has averaged 0.9 key passes, 1.6 tackles and one clearance per game (via Sofascore), which is hardly a far cry from Xhaka's 1.4 key passes, 0.9 tackles and 1.1 clearances (via Sofascore).
A central role would free him up, unlocking him and allowing him to flex his creative muscles.
Meanwhile, Arteta could mould Sousa in his image, given he is still just 18 years old. As a malleable teenager, his whole play style could be built to slot straight into the first team when the time is right.
The defender has become a mainstay for the U21s of late, boasting 16 appearances and just one assist.
Despite a poor average rating in the Football League Trophy, his general statistics suggest he could more than make up for the vacancy that would be left by the 26-year-old. He boasted one key pass, one tackle, 1.3 interceptions and two clearances per game, a fine return (via Sofascore).
Such is his pedigree, his manager Kevin Betsy even branded him "outstanding", claiming: "That’s the level of character we want to build for our young strong Gunners and we continue that."
It seems like all the pieces are there to be put together, and considering Arteta is yet to put a foot wrong, this could be another intelligent string he could add to his ever-improving bow.