Houssem Aouar has passed his Arsenal transfer audition

Mikel Arteta and other managers around Europe have been afforded a unique viewing of the Champions League in recent weeks.

The condensed tournament style in Portugal might not be taking the conventional route to finding a winner of the 2019/20 competition but it has at least put some of the best talents around Europe on show.

Lyon’s surprise 3-1 victory over Manchester City on Saturday night perhaps showed that best with some rumoured transfer targets on show. For Arsenal supporters, they were given the chance to see Houssem Aouar play for Lyon with the 22-year-old registering a thoroughly impressive performance to curb the threat of City’s potent attack.

The French midfielder has been linked with a move to both Arsenal and City, but it would be fair to say that the North London outfit require his services more than Pep Guardiola’s side which boasts a plethora of talent.

Mikel Arteta’s continued interest in Thomas Partey suggests that the Gunners want midfield reinforcements this summer. While the Ghana international stands as an attractive option, Aouar’s performance against City on Saturday night showed signs of why he could be just as valuable an addition.

Lyon’s effective use of a 5-3-2 system had been largely down to the contributions of Aouar in midfield where he operated on the left-hand side of a central midfield three.

What proved interesting from Aouar’s perspective was how Guardiola used Fernandinho as a right-sided defender to allow Kyle Walker more influence down the right. For Aouar, his defensive discipline prevented the right-back combining with Kevin De Bruyne who often facilitates areas between the lines on the right.

However, Rudi Garcia’s side were up to the task throughout the first half as they stood firm out of possession to prevent City any meaningful chances.

Aouar, in particular, provided a constant source of creativity in midfield while also preventing any real opportunities for City’s potent attacking options. His ability to retain possession and draw fouls from the opposition proved to be two very important factors that allowed Lyon time to progress further up the pitch.

In the 23rd minute, the 22-year-old intercepted Raheem Sterling’s pass across the penalty area and subsequently dribbled past two City players before drawing a foul. That particular phase of play illustrated Aouar’s key strengths in terms of providing well-rounded attributes that help between defence and attack.

Just one minute after that intervention from Aouar, Lyon took the lead through Maxwell Cornet who finished superbly past Ederson. Yet the earlier contribution from Aouar indirectly led to that goal and shows how he is a big part of Lyon’s success.

If the first half proved anything to Arsenal watching on, it would have been that Aouar is more than capable of playing in Arteta’s 3-4-3 system. Such a fine balance between defence and attack is exactly what Arteta has looked for since arriving and very few players available on the market rank better than Aouar.

Guardiola’s use of a back three to match Lyon clearly didn’t work in the first half and replacing Fernandinho just before the hour mark led to a change in strategy. Riyad Mahrez’s introduction slightly changed the dynamic of City’s attack and therefore placed more emphasis on Aouar’s defensive responsibilities.

The width provided by Mahrez allowed De Bruyne to shift slightly further inside and created more control in possession for City. While Lyon limited City’s chances pretty well, allowing a team of their quality such prolonged possession always presents the danger of added goal threat.

That proved true shortly after Mahrez’s substitution when he linked up with Sterling before the England international set up De Bruyne perfectly to level the scores. Such a complete team move would have pleased Guardiola but it dramatically changed the course of the game for Lyon.

However, Lyon’s continued threat on the counter-attack proved vital with Moussa Dembele coming off the bench to score a brace. City’s tendency to be vulnerable on the counter-attack was on show yet again and Aouar provided one of the most important threats.

For Arsenal, any interest in Aouar could be duly met by stiff competition after such an impressive performance on the biggest stage of all. While the 22-year-old would add notable qualities in Arteta’s midfield, there will be several other top clubs across Europe gunning for his signature this summer.